This page contains longer, titled posts that I have made to my blog, so as to more easily separate them from other posts that I make here. If you would like to subscribe to the feed for this page, point your RSS reader here.
Friday, April 10, 2020
I have long kept a journal. For me it started as a record of my travels during the late 1980’s. Since returning from those journeys my journal has become a place to share what has been on my mind, to explore my thoughts and work through them. It has been a place to just write with no goal. The passage of time Journaling as a daily activity has embed and flowed.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Update on December 18, 2022: I have now archived the video on my YouTube page. For those who joined the first Self-Isolating Meditation Sessions today, I apologize for the loss of sound at the end of the session. I have figured out the problem and I hopefully will be good to go for tomorrow. I have now removed this session from my YouTube page and added an Introduction video (YouTube video link).
Monday, April 6, 2020
Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 7, I shall be offering a free virtual meditation session each day, probably through April. The intention is to give me and hopefully you a break during your day, a time to come back to yourself in a world of self-isolation. Details on how to join me or watch later are in the invitation below. No experience is required, just a wish to stop, breathe, be with yourself and let the world carry on without you for a few minutes.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Laurie Helgoe is a psychologist and an author whose work I admire. Her book Introvert Power has long been a favourite of mine on the growing genre of books on the subject of Introversion. She recently posted a piece of advice on Twitter which I thought was very helpful for these times. Retweeting it is one way of passing it on. Sharing it here is another. Looking back Are you struggling with the self-isolation which appears to have been imposed on most of the world?
Sunday, March 29, 2020
I had an early start on slug patrol this evening, not too long after sunset. We have been having wet weather lately, and whether true or not I thought that it might make the slugs come out early. An early start or not there were a number of little (baby?) ones there, hiding among the young leaves. I really had to look closely, with the some slugs merging in well with the colour of the soil, or hiding under a leaf.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Having thought that I was on top of the problem two nights ago, it seems that the slugs came out with reinforcements tonight. I just saved a couple of plants (caught them just as the slugs started their meal), and barely saved a couple more (the slugs were well into dinner, but I think that there is enough life in the plant to survive). The plants are almost at that point where they could sustain a bit of slug damage and survive, but not quite.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
I went out today to pick up a few needed odds and ends. I left home with a face mask and hand sanitizer. I put the face mask on in the two stores that I went into, used the hand sanitizer once I was back in the car, and where it was available I used the in store wipes to wipe the basket handles. When I got home and had unloaded the car, I found myself feeling dirty, unclean.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
I mentioned in my last blog entry how I live overlooking the Hana Highway in Maui. It is one of the major attractions for visitors to the island, to drive the two hour journey out to the town of Hana that sits at the far end of this road. Actually the two hour pin is from the town of Paia. Depending on where you are staying on island, the journey could be closer to three hours one way - and, “yes” you can stay in Hana.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
There is a saying, that ‘a change is as good as a rest.' A few days ago I decided to make that change and it made me realize how little I make space for such in my life, and with that how much I do benefit from when I do honour the opportunity for doing something different. Over the weekend I headed out to YMCA Camp Keanae with two friends who are a part of the Maui community of The ManKind Project (MKP) here in Hawaii.
Monday, February 10, 2020
We have been having a lot of cold, wet and windy weather here in Maui. A couple of days ago my grandson came down to visit late afternoon. It started raining outside and his parents were heading out to do some grocery shopping. So I decided to put a movie to watch with him. We watched The Croods, an animated film. Great fun following a stone age family as the continents started moving.
Friday, February 7, 2020
There is a Tibetan saying that just as every valley has its own language so every teacher has his own doctrine. ~ Paul Williams, Mahayana Buddhism While this saying contains many exaggerations, it speaks to the variety of Buddhist traditions within old Tibet. In the same way meditation is not just a handful of techniques, but rather a multiplicity of methods that have evolved over the millennia as those who have used meditation have found the need and want for that development.
Friday, January 31, 2020
I share here an experience from a few weeks ago. I stepped outside, I made it into town for the first time for two weeks. The world appeared so vivid and colourful, so bright, so varied. I was reminded that the world carries on regardless of whether I am a part of it or not. That was freeing. Through unplanned circumstances I had spent a week in relative solitude. Let me explain.
Monday, January 6, 2020
I have downsized my books over the last few years. Living space has necessitated that. But I stand in front of my bookcase so grateful for the books that I have. They are my friends, my companions, a door way into another world. Depending on the nature of the book, that might be a place of imagination and escape, or it might be a place of learning and reflection. And sometimes I pick up a book that I have not visited for a while, and “Oh” the joy of rediscovering that old friend and getting reacquainted.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Socializing is exhausting me this Holiday season. This year, 2019/2020 just feels busier to me than previous or recent years. In part I think it is Christmas & New Year being in the middle of the week. Some people are taking more time off, stretching the week. I also think that it is with living in Hawaii. People are on vacation, even if I am not! So while it is great to see people, I am nearing burn out and looking forward to getting my rhythm back.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Last night I stayed up to see the New Year in for the first time for many years. I am not usually keen on New Year’s celebrations. But this year we had a small group of friends over for dinner. Jazz music played in the background. We sat and chatted, played charades and Apples & Oranges (a great card game if you have not heard of it) and before we knew it it was midnight.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
I sometimes say that having goals is a dangerous place to be when you are starting a meditation practice. Why is that? What I am not saying I am not suggesting that you should cast aside all of the reasons that you decided to start meditation. That would be ridiculous. The reasons that you started asking questions about meditation or sought out meditation instruction, are the motivating factors that will drive your initial forays into meditation.
Friday, December 27, 2019
The Hawaiian Islands are kept cool by NNE trade winds. Those are the winds that one experiences most of the time here. Occasionally those winds are replaced by Kona winds. These winds blow from the south and the weather becomes hot & muggy. For a couple of days over Christmas, Kona winds were blowing over Maui. With them the south shore became wetter than the north, it is normally the other way round, and the ocean on the north shore was pretty much calm - usually during the winter the surf returns to the north shore.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Like some other posts here, I write this to remind myself as much as anything else. I fall into old habits very easily and then something happens that jolts me into a reminder that there is another way of seeing the world. Christmas this year has done just that. Christmas There are a few things that I like about Christmas. I don’t like the commercialized frenzy that Christmas seems to have become.
Friday, December 20, 2019
I’m mightily impressed with Apple’s delivery. I ordered a refurbished MacBook Air for my wife late on Wednesday night. They said it would be with me on Monday. It arrived - in Maui, at my home - this afternoon (Friday), less than 2 days later. All this at the height of the Christmas mailing rush.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
I had a scare this morning. I powered up my MacBook Air and was presented with an Apple message saying that I had forgotten my password, which I hadn’t, I hadn’t even typed it in. I was given three options. I chose the one that said I couldn’t use my keyboard (which was sort of true). That after switching off and starting up my Air twice to see if it was just a burp from the computer - no such luck.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
When you are the solitary introvert or HSP amongst many who are not. When you are the quiet one and your actions or needs are looked on as being off or odd. When you are looked on as not fitting in, and the sole justification is because of what everyone else is doing. When your different needs are seen as wrong because and simply because no one else present has them, and everyone else is doing something else.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Looking down into Haleakala’s crater (photo courtesy of my wife), yesterday. It was as a beautiful day to be up there. Up above the clouds, no wind. I have not visited the crater for two years, but so love being there. It is a different world. The size of the crater I find hard to grasp, and then the power of nature that created this mountain that rises up 10,000ft. A few years back I walked through the crater and want to go back, this time to stay overnight in one of the huts available for long distance hikers.
Monday, November 25, 2019
I quite pleased with the simple Landing Page that I have added to my website. The calligraphy I created using the Zen Brush 2 app on my iPhone. Update 5/20/2020 - I have now moved my website to a new home, and so that page is no longer available. But here is the image that I was referring to.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Those days when I can’t seem to find focus. My mind is looking for ways out. I can feel the resistance to what needs to be done. Time is wasted doing that which does not need to be done, following links on websites, reading that which is interesting but not necessary right now. I write this as much to remind myself of what I need to do when resistance creeps into my life.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Microblogvember is a challenge that is taking place on the micro.blog platform through the month of November 2019. Each day Jean MacDonald, Community Manager at micro.blog, uses a random word generator to get the prompt for that day, which she then shares with the micro.blog community. Those taking part must then write a post containing the word. I decided to take part. Why? The short answer is because I wanted the challenge that would push me to post each day.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
During an afternoon Mentoring circle in Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC) yesterday, I led a meditation. The meditation was on awareness. Initially I asked the men present to bring their awareness to the breath as a means to focus ourselves and to quiet the mind. To move away from the busyness of the day to the be present in where they were now. Next I led us on a scan through the body, bringing our awareness to sensations in the body and using that light of awareness to relax and let go of areas of tension.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
If you have an intellectual leaning, it is very easy to learn about meditation, what it can do for you and the transformation that it can bring. Books about meditation are a dime a dozen these days. Magazines devoted to mindfulness, an aspect of meditation, sit on the magazine racks in all good book shops and grocery stores. Reading through these publications, it is very easy to understand the mechanics of the meditation process and how the transformation can take place if you follow the instructions given and diligently pursue the practice.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
From my experience people visiting and staying in my home always requires a break in my routine. There is entertaining, showing around, just more going on and the house feeling busier and more full. I don’t say this to complain, just acknowledging what the welcoming of visitors entails. For me, as an introvert and highly sensitive person, this creates an added struggle of overstimulation and exhaustion from the constant do, do, do along with accompanying conversation and noise.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Meditation is giving a huge, luscious meadow to a restless cow. The cow might be restless for a while in its huge meadow but at some stage, because there is so much space, the restlessness becomes irrelevant. So the cow eats and eats and eats and relaxes and falls asleep. ~ Chögyam Trungpa, The Myth of Freedom, pp. 48-9 Giving space to our thoughts At times my mind can feel very small and constricted.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Shame corrodes the part of us that believes we can do and be better. ~ Daring Greatly, by Brené Brown From my experience shame can come out of nowhere. It hit me hard yesterday, and it can be a real gut wrencher. I met up for breakfast with some friends from my men’s group. I value having these men in my life and we were having a great conversation.