Zen on the Highway

I am not ashamed to admit that this past 6 months created a vortex of powerlessness in my life.  Life was no longer in my own hands, and I feared. This past 6 months has been a period of war and terrorism on the national level, and on the personal and familial levels exceptionally difficult life decisions and changes were made. Basically one huge non-stop tsunami of events culminating in a depressed sense of living a life out of control. Only recently did I consciously decide to take back control over my own life. I cannot control events occurring around me, but I can control my reaction to them, and therefore my own personal experience. Every single one of us is in control of our own personal experience. Our thoughts create our realities. Joy begets joy, angst beget angst, hopelessness begets hopelessness. I begot hopelessness. Life became hopeless, no silver lining in sight. It is an exhausting way to live. Finally, after hitting my rock bottom, a few times...

You can make this! One of my favorite, newfound abilities over this past year has been the planting, care, and ensuing survival of our little vegetable and herb gardens. Not only have I loved watching a garden thrive and survive for the first time in my life (up until now, I have always had a “brown thumb”), but I am fascinated with what can actually be done with these amazing herbs and veggies. Today I want to share with you one of the coolest, yummiest, and prettiest things that I have been able to concoct with my herbs and veggies. Preservation through  olive oil …Mediterranean style. Turns out olive oil is the perfect preserver of well, just about anything. Whoda thunk it? But unlike many other processes of preservation, olive oil preservation is simple, fast and whatever you put into it makes for a beautiful centerpiece. Makes you feel like a certified Martha Stewart! What you need: Airtight jars (Ball brand jars are perfect, but any will do…feel free to re-...

Little miracles The other day, I went to tutor a little girl in English. Her mother asked me to skip the tutoring session in order to give her Reiki to try and assist terrible pains that the little girl was experiencing. The girl had not slept the previous night, burst into tears every time she needed to move her leg, and had to be carried everywhere. I was more than happy to oblige. Sitting with the girl for about 30 minutes, I gave her Reiki specifically directed to assist her leg. After finishing our session, I went on to teach one of her siblings. Within five minutes, the little girl came over to the window of the porch where we were sitting, knocked on it with a huge smile on her face, then walked outside to show me she was ok. Ten minutes later, she and her friend left the house to play. It was a beautiful scene. Though pleased with the outcome, I am used to it as a Reiki practitioner, healing is what we do, Reiki is a spectacular and extremely u...

The Zulu and Natal tribes of Africa offer us a depth in greeting well beyond anything we use in the 1st world. "I see you". For better or for worse, we have created a society that values the physical "have's" over the spiritual nurturing of the self. This has led to a fairly shallow perception of the other, including lack of empathy, and for many, a sense of loneliness and invisibility. Social media certainly has not assisted in alleviating this sad phenomenon. The "selfie" is a prime example of individuals who simply need to be seen. They may have all of the physical items they want, maybe not, but something in their lives is often missing, and that can be seen through the amount one feels the need to share their "selves" on social media. "I am here!" quite often underlies the constant sharing of the selfie. "Please see me!" As is 1st world etiquette, we often greet one another with the typical "Ho...