Cultivating Ground in a Time of Disorientation

adam(ah), watercolor and ink on Arches coldpress

Cultivating inner freedom is an important aim of transformational work. In 1941, social psychologist and humanistic philosopher Erich Fromm wrote about the choice that humans can make to “unite…with the world in the spontaneity of love and productive work or else to seek a kind of security by such ties with the world as destroy…freedom and the integrity of…individual self.” Difficult times create the conditions where we can consciously work to make such choices, and also have the potential to overwhelm us.

May each and all of us keep our connection to joy, freedom, … READ MORE

Receiving The Future

The Bhagavad Gita

How does the future come to be?

Do we plan for it, or is the future planning us in ways we may not always understand?

One of my favorite takes in this territory is found within a classic Indian text called the Bhagavad Gita. The story begins with Arjuna having a breakdown at the beginning of a massive battle in which he has friends and relatives on both sides. Although being a warrior is his dharma, Arjuna falls into doubt, confusion, fear, and … READ MORE

Balancing Your Practice For Strength, Resilience, Creativity, and Freedom

A fundamental skill for being present is increasing your capacity to be with the sensations of your body. One of the gifts of studying the Enneagram is the recognition that although everyone needs to develop presence, each of us is starting from a different place depending on our type, instinctual stack, and life experiences.

So what’s the best way to go about practicing to be more present? It depends.

When you know the Enneagram, you know that:

Some Enneagram types more easily gravitate toward structure and discipline while other types more easily gravitate toward movement … READ MORE

Being in the Body and the Will to Practice

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have … READ MORE

Here, Right Now

Sunday at 6:30 am, the last morning of the retreat and I’m standing at the edge of the Hudson River. The water is smooth and still, the fog hangs around the trees. I watch as it expands and lifts, the pink mist yielding to the deep blue of the emerging day.

On the way back to town, Essence speaks to me through the radio, as she often does when I’ve been turning my attention toward her. She brings me a song, and I play it to open up our session for the day. And then the song keeps playing … READ MORE