Lately, during so many conversations I’ve been having with both friends and students, similar questions seem to keep arising, things like: “How can I help, without also losing myself?” Or, “How
I’m excited to announce the new 2026 mediation retreats, along with a decision to begin a weekly in-person meditation group again in Winchester, VA … and, to say thank you
A little more than six months ago, I made the most difficult decision of my life, which was to separate from my husband after almost 30 years of marriage, and
For the past few weeks now, what I’ve been noticing during my meditation practice in particular is that my mind has been getting frequently caught up in loops and loops
“In times of great struggle, when there is nothing else to rely on and nowhere else to go, it is the return to the moment that is the act of
An essential aspect of our meditation practice involves training ourselves to consciously and compassionately navigate the truth of constant change, instead of allowing ourselves to become so un-consciously distracted by
In this particular time in our history, when we’re all experiencing quite a lot of change, it’s vitally important that we not only strive to cultivate some peace in the
In Buddhist circles, there’s a very powerful yet simple phrase that serves as both a profound invitation to us, and also a reminder of what we’re all capable of. This proposition
“There are two kinds of suffering. There is the suffering you run away from, which follows you everywhere. And there is the suffering you face directly, and so become free.”~
In the famous Upaddha Sutta, the Buddha’s long-time attendant, Ananda, mentions to him that friends and companions seem so important that certainly, they must be half of the holy life.
I just recently arrived back home from a 5-day meditation retreat I was leading in Romney, WV, and I need to admit that I love our new retreat center, Peterkin, so
Just recently, one of my new managers and I were having a follow-up talk about a retreat she just helped me with, and the question that naturally arose was: “How do we
🙏🏽 A few weeks ago, a dear friend of mine and I were talking, and after many hours of sharing a seemingly-never-ending lists of all the things we want and
🙏🏽 We might wonder sometimes why the Buddhist teachings are continually calling our attention to the truth of what is called annica, or impermanence, since this seems like such an obvious truth – that
Traditionally, the holiday season is a time when we’re asked to remember and honor our intention to nurture a sense of peace within ourselves, our families, and our world. Yet as we
During this seasonal time of giving, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Buddhist practice of dana, which means “generosity” or “letting go.” As a practice, dana is not only
As we head into the holidays and new year, not only are our metaphorical plates likely full right now, our minds might also be filled with various goals for ourselves
During a 5-day meditation retreat I led in West Virginia earlier last month, I had an interesting insight: After speaking with many different students, what occurred to me is that
Meditation: Excruciating and Wonderful
“Anyone who has probed the inner life, who has sat in silence long enough to experience the stillness of the mind behind its apparent noise, is faced with a mystery.
About 14 years ago now, when I first moved back to Virginia from New York City, one of the first things I needed to do was to go out and
Whether I’m leading a meditation workshop or a longer retreat, one of the first questions I tend to receive from newcomers during any q&a session is: what is the best
A confession: the theme of this month’s newest talk resulted in large part due to a difficult experience I had in the recovery room of the hospital, following a surgery I
Details: Nov. 7, 2026 Meditation Retreat: Dwelling in the Divine Abodes – Mindful Shenandoah Valley
All phenomena are constantly changing, arising and passing and arising and passing again into something new – including ourselves. “Life” is really a continuous flow; a verb instead of a
The word anatta – which means no permanently abiding self – is at the very heart and core of Buddhist meditation practice, yet it is one of its most misunderstood concepts. When
The Buddha taught that you can search the entire universe for someone more deserving of your love and affection than yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere. And yet,
