July 23rd, 2019
As we become more aware of our thoughts, we can start to observe and listen deeply to the messages we give ourselves.
Take a moment and ask yourself:
Is this thought giving me joy or taking away my joy?
Spend 10 minutes each day observing your thoughts.
Watch where you mind goes and allow your breath to take you back to peace.
The calmer our mind, the more we can give and receive.
Give yourself 10 minutes each day to observe your thoughts.
Where will your thoughts take you today?
Breathe your way to peace.
Posted in Meditation | Toning the Om
June 21st, 2019
Life is about living in uncertainty. 
Life happens in the in-between moments.
Life asks us to make a journey with ourself.
Life exists in the ordinary moments – washing the dishes, sitting with our loved ones, driving in traffic, taking a walk, watching the sunset.
When we live with uncertainty, there is room to explore everything.
Maybe the map we really need to follow is one that makes us lost. In that space we find our way.
By being uncertain, we can find our life moment by moment.
Perhaps that’s the real meaning of uncertainty – finding our unexplored wisdom of the heart.
Posted in Letting Go | Toning the Om
May 28th, 2019
I have no sense of direction. Turn me around and I get lost easily. Even with GPS on my phone, I can still get lost. I rely on the kindness of others to help me find my way.
On a recent trip to downtown Manhattan for a meeting, I got off at a subway stop that was apparently a good 10-minute walk to the place I needed to go. As I walked in circles trying to find my way, I finally asked someone walking their dog for directions. They pointed me in the right direction, and I headed off to my meeting. When the meeting was over, I was told there was an easier way for me to get back to mid-town. I began following their directions and found myself lost again. Frustrated by my lack of knowing how to get where I wanted to go, I paused to take a deep breath. I looked up and there was a huge sign, “Here.” That’s all I needed to know. That’s the place I needed to be – here.
Rather than rush to a subway, I stood at the corner taking in everything. I walked for a bit and came upon a café. I stopped and enjoyed some food and wandered some more. There was no place to rush to. All I needed was to be here.
All we have is this moment – here. While I will always rely on the kindness of others to help me find my way, I will rely on my ability to get lost, to be found, and to savor being here, wherever that may be.
Tags: Curious, Here, Kindness, Mindfulness, Notice, NYC, Savor, Wander
Posted in Storytelling | Toning the Om
April 12th, 2019
I stood along the third base side at Citi Field wearing my David Wright jersey on the last day of the 2018 season. I was there to both cheer on the Mets and honor my dad, who passed away in early September. I brought three orchids to represent each of his daughters and asked security after the game if I could leave them on the field. I had shared about my dad’s love of the Mets and his recent passing. Security allowed me to place the flowers on the field along the third base side. I released each flower with love and gratitude to my dad – a life-long Mets fan. It was a beautiful tribute and I cried the whole time.
When tickets came on sale for the 2019 season, I had to buy Opening Day tickets. I had to keep the Mets baseball traditions and memories alive. One of the rituals I had with my dad was talking about the Mets rosters, line-ups, and who we would have starting each game. So as April 4th rolled around, I could feel both the joy and sadness rise up in me. I felt the longing of missing my Mets conversations with my dad and the joy of cheering along with the sold-out crowd.
As the 7-train pulled into Mets-Willets Field Station, I felt my dad with me. I walked up to Citi Field with great pride. I looked up at the sky and winked and knew my dad was watching. He would have been thrilled I was at Opening Day and would have asked me, “How did you arrange getting those tickets?”
Inside the stadium, I took in the familiar views and sounds of Citi Field. I walked along the Field Level and saw Mr. Met. There was an area that fans could go to take pictures with him. I stood on line thinking it would be a cute photo to share. When my turn came, Mr. Met looked at me, opened his arms and gave me a big hug. I felt my dad was saying, “I’m here. Welcome home.” We stood together taking numerous photos.
I am sure there will be more reminders that my dad is always with me. And on Opening Day, I felt my dad’s presence and heard his booming voice, “Welcome Home.”
Tags: Baseball, Citi Field, Dad, Home, Mr. Met, NY Mets, Opening Day
Posted in Storytelling | Toning the Om
March 13th, 2019
I recently took a three-week vacation to Florida. It was the first one in over a year and came five months after my dad’s passing. I needed time to pause. I needed time to relax. I needed time to breathe. I needed time to honor my grief.
One of my grief rituals included long walks around Lake Osborne. My walks were slow and deliberate. I took in the scenery, the palm trees, the birds, the fauna and anything and anyone who crossed my path. As I stood in my favorite spot, a great blue heron flew near me and just sat. As walkers passed by, they said, “Oh, you’ve met the Old Man.” They were referring to the great blue heron which would sit on the edge of the water.
After taking photos, I walked as close as I could without scarring this beautiful bird – the old man. It was watching me as much as I was watching it. I love nature and synchronicity and when the two come together, I listen. I felt there was meaning and a message that this great blue heron had for me. In the shamanic world, the great blue heron is known to be the massager of grace in times of transition between the worlds.
In North America Native Traditions, Blue Herons have the innate wisdom of being able to maneuver through life and co-create their own circumstances. Blue Herons reflect a need for those with this totem to follow their unique wisdom and path of self-determination. Those with the Medicine of the Great Blue Heron follow the promptings of their heart and are one of the most magnificent when they choose to soar.
Just sit. Just walk, Just breathe. Just cry. Just love. That was the message from the old man at the lake.
For the first two weeks of my trip, I saw the old man on my daily walks. By the last week, he was gone. There were other great blue and little blue herons around the lake, but it wasn’t the old man. It took me a few days before I realized I had spent most of the vacation following the prompting of my heart and it was time for me to soar.
Listen to the messages around you. Listen to nature. We are all being breathed.
And to the “Old Man,” thank you.
Posted in Letting Go | Toning the Om
February 4th, 2019
Sometimes we just need to listen.
Sometimes we just need the quiet.
Sometimes we just need to reflect.
Sometimes we just need to be alone.
Sometimes we just need to be with by friends.
Sometimes we need to lead.
Sometimes we need to follow.
And sometimes, actually most times, we need to let love show us the way.
Posted in Life | Toning the Om
January 11th, 2019
When I picked my word/mantra for 2018, I had no idea just how powerful it would be. My word for 2018 was: Devotion. I thought that word would be all about “Devotion” to stillness, to meditation, to love, to service, to creating, to healing, to traveling, to causes, to writing, to connections, and to nourishing peace.
What I didn’t know was that devotion to family and time. It was a year devoted to my dad as he spent most of the year ill. It was a year 
devoted to time and spending as much as possible with my dad and family. And it was a year devoted to love.
As I reflect on what was a difficult and sad year, I will always be grateful for the devotion I had for my family and their devotion to me.
Perhaps I didn’t choose the word devotion for 2018, rather devotion had chosen me.
Dedicated to beloved father who passed away in September.
Posted in Gratitude | Toning the Om
December 21st, 2018
2018 has been a tough year for me and my family. My dad was ill for most of the year and passed away in September. My sisters and I spent a lot of time with him making sure he had good care and spending every possible moment we could with him. We all miss him terribly and the darkness of the season is felt deep within each of us. We have spent this year nurturing, worrying, grieving, and longing. The darkness of the season has felt long.
And yet, there is a promise of light – a Winter Solstice. There is a reminder that we grow in the darkness. We feel hope in the unknown. And we return to the light. Each day will grow longer, and those long dark nights will grow shorter.
Perhaps we will feel the return of the light. It will take time. We will feel our dad’s light within us – the joy and love and humor he shared with everyone he met. His story, and our story will carry on because we carry him in our hearts. It is the most primordial feeling there is – love. And that love becomes our primordial light.
As Alberto Villoldo shares, “Primordial Light is the creative power of the Universe which is available to us to create beauty in the world, and to heal ourselves and others. But to work with Primordial Light we must remember the way of the luminous warrior. We must live and act fearlessly, know the answer to “Who am I?” and the ways beyond death into infinity.”
The path towards light always begins in the dark. It’s how seeds grow. It’s how we grow.
The Solstice is a reminder that light emerges out of darkness. The most holy darkness is the deepest darkness.
May we fully emerge out the darkness into a greater light for all to feel.
Happy Solstice.
This is dedicated to my beloved sisters, Kathleen and Dawn. They are bright lights in the world.
Posted in Life | Toning the Om
December 6th, 2018
Our light goes in and out. 
We find ourselves again and again.
And we lose ourselves again and again.
Sometimes we need the darkness to find our light.
Our light dims and love helps us find it.
Our light shines bright lightly and love shows us how to share it.
Our light glows and other people notice it.
We sometimes see the light in others before we see our own light.
We shine and celebrate the light in others.
Oh, and their light flickers too.
As our days grow shorter, may we find our inner sun that is always shining light.
May we remember that light emerges from the darkness.
And that the most holy darkness is the deepest darkness.
Let our flickering light and holy darkness be our teachers.
Tags: Holy Darkness, Inner Light, Meditation, Shine, Winter
Posted in Meditation | Toning the Om
November 14th, 2018
I’m right here.
As I headed into the woods to look for fall warblers and hawks, I found myself smiling at the abundance of yellow trees. I looked up to see the sunlight streaming down onto the tops of the trees. Then tears came streaming down my face. I was overcome with joy of being in nature, of being surrounded by light, of walking with my spouse. Of feeling the crunching of leaves and feeling peaceful. It had been a long time since peace filled me – as most of the year has been spent being with my ill father until his passing in September.
Nature is a great reminder that everything changes. Leaves fall and mulch. Seeds succumb to the darkness. And transformation comes in every season.
Many emotions filled me with every breath – sadness, gratitude, peace, and grief. I felt all of it. I looked up as the sunlight bounced off the yellow leaves and listened to the silence that filled the trail. Suddenly I heard squirrels hurrying through bushes, birds flying from tree to tree, and crisp air blowing the leaves. Smiling at the beauty all around me, I heard the words, “And God whispered, I’m right here.”
Through the mystery of grief and love, my heart felt peaceful. Lost in emotions of sadness, I knew joy. Grasping for connection, I knew groundedness. Longing for the return of hope, I found myself whispering, “I’m right here.”
Tags: Breathe, Faith, Grief, Holy Darkness, Hope, Hunter Island, Longing, Meditation, Mindful, Nature, Seasons, Space, Transformation
Posted in Letting Go | Toning the Om
As we become more aware of our thoughts, we can start to observe and listen deeply to the messages we give ourselves.
