“This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing I know: that the soul exists, and that it is built entirely out of attentiveness.” - Mary Oliver, American poet I just said goodbye to a community of organic Thai farmers I had the privilege of staying with for two weeks. The maes— in their handwoven skirts and polo tees— waved goodbye with tear-streaked faces while the jean-clad pas wiped their eyes before looking up to watch the grey vans pull away. Teeming with emotion, I felt

Every day we have opportunities to practice authenticity, whether we notice them or not. They sometimes appear as intense moments of internal crisis, and other times they remain hidden, lurking in the shadows of our experience. On some occasions we throw ourselves head-first into confrontation, and on other occasions we count our losses and run away. Throughout our lives, we develop behavioral patterns for how the authentic self shows up or hides. Think about your communicati

When you think of meditation do you envision someone sitting cross-legged in a serene or quiet setting? Well I did. And the notion of incorporating that into my daily life, while desirable, seemed unlikely. When it came to leading more mindfully, I was content with the daily reminder to be more present or to practice more asana (only one form of yoga). But mindfulness is more than just a reminder to be present. It is a commitment to expanding your mind and all your senses in

I spent most of my youth learning and adapting to a level that I would dare to call “masterful.” I was a chameleon of sorts who could sense my environment and the people in it down to the pace of the rising and falling of their chest with each breath. This was a mechanism that kept me safe my whole life. Within the last two years, I have discovered that the subliminal intention behind surveying every room was to source proof from outside myself that I was “okay.” This held tr