Comforting Thought: What natural sound would you preserve forever?

Silence The song of the cicadas Penetrates the rocks In Japanese there are many onomatopoeic words for the sounds in nature. shito shito: the sound of light rain zā zā: the sound of heavy rain  kasa kasa: the light sound of leaves rustling under foot  hyū hyū: the sound of wind blowing goro goro: theContinue reading “Comforting Thought: What natural sound would you preserve forever?”

Book Review: Shinrin-Yoku The Art and Science of Forest Bathing by Dr Qing Li

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Publisher: Nippon Medical School/Penguin Books. Genre: Non-Fiction, Health, Nature, Spirituality. Review in one word: Immersive This is one of the most supremely nourishing books to gift yourself or someone you love. Shinrin-Yoku is your guide to the ancient Japanese art of ‘Forest Bathing’, which is the English translation of the eponymous title. IContinue reading “Book Review: Shinrin-Yoku The Art and Science of Forest Bathing by Dr Qing Li”

Comforting Thought: My head is the lap of infinity

Be small. Be nothing. Stop stirring. Be as small as a petal on a daisy, humming bird tiny. Be nothing as space is nothing, as air is nothing. Stop striving and fall back into the arms of the universe. This is how I have learned to rest. My head is the lap of infinity. OrdinaryContinue reading “Comforting Thought: My head is the lap of infinity”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #77

Hello friends, this week we drink in some Buddhist philosophy, indulge in an armchair tour of a greek island at sunset, meet some unusual spirit gods deep in the forest, some smiling grass and much more. Let’s jump on the train to funkytown it’s edition #77 Creepy doll stand-ins populate an abandoned town in JapanContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #77”

Book Review: Ordinary Beauty: Meaningful Moments in Everyday Life by Mary McEvoy

Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland Genre: Non-Fiction, Spirituality, Wisdom, Buddhism, Paganism Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 This is a book of wisdom, quotes and treasures is from writer Mary McEvoy. She has lived experience of depression and anxiety. So she understands intimately how to handle and manage the dark times of life. How to look at the darkness squarelyContinue reading “Book Review: Ordinary Beauty: Meaningful Moments in Everyday Life by Mary McEvoy”

Book Review: Standing At the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet by Joan Halifax @jhalifax

Standing At the Edge is a once in a lifetime kind of book. I don’t say that lightly either. It’s a life-changing and life-affirming book that combines philosophy, Zen Buddhism, psychology, and much more and manages to be both personal and relevant for individuals as well as being vastly relevant to the entire human race.Continue reading “Book Review: Standing At the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet by Joan Halifax @jhalifax”

Travel: Magnificent Ryoan-ji temple and gardens, Kyoto

Ryōan-ji (meaning the Temple of the Dragon at Peace) is a Zen temple located in Kyoto, Japan. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles arranged in immaculate linear patterns, designed to facilitateContinue reading “Travel: Magnificent Ryoan-ji temple and gardens, Kyoto”

Arriving at your own door by Derek Walcott

The time will comewhen, with elationyou will greet yourself arrivingat your own door, in your own mirrorand each will smile at the other’s welcome, and say, sit here. Eat.You will love again the stranger who was your self.Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heartto itself, to the stranger who has loved you all yourContinue reading “Arriving at your own door by Derek Walcott”

Emotional First Aid Kit #1

Sometimes the world just wants to break you with all of its chaos. Right now my family is in the eye of the storm, with one of our own absolutely determined to destroy himself with alcohol. Nobody knows what to do and so we are just paddling water at the moment, trying to stay afloat.Continue reading “Emotional First Aid Kit #1”