I went on a month-long news fast last year. The state of our world — including the war in Ukraine, mass shootings, and environmental...

The New Year began in silence. After the temple near my home in Chiba, Japan struck the 108th bell for purification at midnight, silence...

The chilly air blows through my yard. The last remaining oak leaves take off from the branches, join the wind, dance with the current,...

I connect cedar branches with wire clippings and bend them into a circle. The camphor-like scent brings wood inside the room and envelops...

My dear friend, Pamela Overeynder, recently posted on her Facebook page a beautiful poem by Elena Bernabè (sharing the post on The Soul...

I rest under the tree and feel the breeze caressing my skin. The passing cloud reminds me of constant changes in life. I'm on a retreat...

The Japanese word for "thank you" is "arigato". Its original meaning is "extremely rare to exist and thus highly valuable." The word...

We all experience transition. It is inevitable as long as we exist. It is the order of nature: weather changes, seasons shift, and people...

On every New Year’s Day I take a time for a long meditation to clarify the mind and open up for all the possibilities the new year may...

The sun shines through the pond, with its light caressing me underwater. A breeze makes a current and sways my stalk. I'm a lotus,...

Jessica shows up at our Youth Mindfulness Summer Camp with a thermal bottle. “I brought green tea,” she smiles. “I love green tea!”...

Tomiko is a three-time cancer survivor. She lost her stomach and rectum. She has been using a stoma* and disposable bags attached to it...

I draw a curvy line of a vine with a complete focus. The end of the swirly vine yields to the beginning of a new one. I repeat the...

Silence is the most vibrant sound of all. It is the sound of life, the sound of the universe. As white light contains all colors, silence...

I love spending time outdoors. I enjoy taking photos of the beauty around me while hiking or just relaxing in my backyard. Lying on the...

I teach a class called Healing Culinary Traditions from Asia. This four-session series features diets, ingredients, cooking methods, and...

“I’m fine Catherine’s smile froze at the end of the sentence. Her strained voice and frowned eyebrows betrayed her words. “Are you sure?”...

A wind blows through the tall oak tree in front of our retreat cottage. It shakes off dried leaves, the only reminder of the winter storm...

While making a Balinese offering sample, my mind wanders the rice paddies in Ubud, the village where I lived with my family for over 15...

Okame (the Lady of Happiness), Hyottoko (the Funny Man), and Ebisu (the Lucky Gods). I smile while going through Kagura masks one by one...