You can play the victim, or you can transform it. — Yoga (and I mean the true meaning of yoga that includes Buddhism) is about liberation. Some yoga traditions believe in reincarnation, so this liberation is about being free from the karma of past lives. So we work through that karma best as possible in this life while trying to avoid…

Sometimes the ego deceives in an attempt to manipulate others. — Joel Osteen even calls bullshit on them. Sure, he might put it more politely while broadcasting to millions of people, but he still questions those who seem to have some red phone that answers calls from God. “[Y]ou’d think God speaks to them more than he spoke to Moses, David…

It’s too easy to blame our bodies for what’s going on in the mind. — One of my favorite classes blended qi gong, kundalini yoga, and shamanism. It was one of the wildest experiences. I’d shake my body while the teacher would whisk feathers or strike a tuning fork near me, and I’d leave each class feeling truly transformed. Then I’d read some old religious…

It’s the moments of chaos that open us up. — Rainer Maria Rilke’s ideas from Letters to a Young Poet emphasize the importance of individual creativity and the pursuit of personal fulfillment through artistic expression. …

Is a college professor useless in other industries? — I got the call last May that my college wouldn’t be renewing my and my colleague’s contracts. Yes, we were victims of post-COVID budget cuts in higher education. I can’t say I was upset because I had been applying for jobs outside academia for several years. …

What we call ‘intuition’ might be our conditioning. — In Chapter 18 of The Cloud of Unknowing, the author describes how some contemplatives might easily go astray or go insane. We see this today with modern “contemplatives” — the “spiritual, but not religious” — who want to make their own rules concerning their practices. …

You’re always open to new ideas. — I have to laugh at college students. One student who believed he knew everything about video production told me that I was pronouncing “lav” (short for lavaliere) wrong. …

Some relationships need to end. — The call came Thursday afternoon. I could tell by Michelle’s voice that she was nervous. “The outgoing provost decided not to renew your contract for next year.” Immediate panic bitch-slapped me. How would I get health insurance? How will I access all those great research databases? …

Put some motion into your mindfulness. — You wake up in a total panic. You feel like someone has put a vacuum cleaner hose to your mouth. You just can’t breathe. You go to work, and perhaps you’re productive, but each spare moment brings you back to your racing thoughts. So you keep working. You keep moving…