Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I share another John O’Donohue blessing, called “For The Senses”. My senses have been sweetly awakened and nourished on my travels. Wherever you might be this summer, I hope you are noticing the gift of your senses. May your senses breathe in all the wonder and beauty around you. May your senses illuminate sensations that stimulate and nourish you. May you be uplifted and inspired by nature, people, food, travels, experiences and all that enlightens you. Enjoy the podcast!
info_outlineEnlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode I offer a blessing for those who may be traveling this summer. I feel blessed and deeply grateful to be spending 3 weeks in Asia this summer. I’ll first be in Vietnam for 10 days and then traveling to Bali to visit my son, Wil, who moved to Indonesia in December of 2023. I recorded some short offerings before I left, so my listeners can still receive their weekly episodes. Wherever you might be this summer, I hope you are able to listen and continue to be uplifted and inspired by nature, people, travels, experiences and all that enlightens you. May...
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My guest today is Nandini Austin. Nandini, a British Indo-Mauritian, now living in the Hudson Valley, is a performer, workshop facilitator and certified Holistic Ayurveda Coach. Nandini masterfully blends ancient wisdom with her modern spirit of wellness in a workshop called “Temple Goddess: Global Dance and Ayurveda Retreat”. Temple Goddess will be at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY starting Friday evening July 4th through Sunday afternoon July 6th. From Chaka Kahn’s “I’m Every Woman” to Fleetwood Mac’s “A Woman of a Thousand Years”, two songs that reflect...
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On this week’s episode, I describe the uplifting event I attended in my community to honor and celebrate Tom Chapin’s 80th Birthday. Tom, his family, his music, the special guests, the stories and the social justice woven throughout the evening, were magnificent. I didn’t realize how much I needed to experience something so joyful and inspiring. As Tom’s step-daughter, Jessica Craven so beautifully articulated: “I was reminded once again…of the profound power of the arts, community and family to heal and uplift. It’s never been more important to make sure we’re immersing...
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On this week’s episode, I honor someone special in my life, Jenn M, whose birthday is Tuesday May 20th. I describe some of the qualities I admire in Jenn and give a shout out to her 8th grader, E, who typically listens to my podcast on the drive to school. Thanks E, for being my youngest listener. As I celebrate Jenn and the dreams that are stirring in her heart, I share John O’Donohue’s blessing “For Longing”. May it resonate for the birthday gal as well as all of my listeners. May we each honor the longings in our heart and trust that our longings are aligned with our soul....
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On this week’s episode, I describe and honor Beltane, the Celtic festival of spring. Beltane is rich with magic as we celebrate the fertility of the land, the potential for new life and the abundance of nature. With the following weeks of May, into June, I encourage you to find your own way to honor Beltane. We are invited to be intentional about what we are planting inside of us for future growth. Delight in the late afternoon sun rays, the stunning cloudbursts and rainbows of this season. It’s no coincidence that we celebrate mother’s day around the same time we thank our Mother Earth...
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On this week’s episode, I talk about my love for the word wonder. Wonder slows me down, drops me into curiosity, and then opens the rich doors to gratitude. Even as a senior citizen, I consider myself a child of wonder. Let the magnificent gifts of Spring re-ignite your sense of wonder. Check out the show notes for links to hear the poignant words of Dot, a 96 year old woman who strives to live in awe and to the timeless wisdom of Rachel Carson’s The Sense Of Wonder. May we embrace what it means to be a child of wonder. Enjoy the podcast! Links: IG:
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On this week’s episode I explore the African proverb Ubuntu, which means ‘I am because we are.’ The phrase came to me in meditation last week and has stayed with me everyday. How do we honor our universal bond that connects all humanity? In the midst of hatred, divisiveness and injustice, how do we deepen our compassion, find forgiveness and treat others with respect? Nelson Mandela’s commitment to Ubuntu reminds me that we are all interconnected and that we have a responsibility to care for one another. ‘I am because we are’ is a phrase and philosophy I am inspired by. I...
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On this week’s episode, as we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, I talk about what it means to bless the earth. From cleaning up trash in our local parks to cultivating more awareness and responsibility to care for our planet, we can bless the earth. I share the earth blessing meditation that organically came to me and through me years ago, that is a part of my daily spiritual practice. May we bless the sky, the land and the waters. May we all bless our precious planet earth. May everyday be Earth Day. Happy Earth Day! Enjoy the podcast!
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On this week’s episode, I provide a guided meditation to help ground us in these tumultuous times. Carve out a few minutes for silence, stillness and slow, steady, replenishing, deep breaths. You are not alone. I hold you, my dear listeners in loving-kindness and compassion. Enjoy the podcast!
info_outline Today we enter Week Three of Black History Month. I am moved by all the tributes on television and social media to Black artists, activists, trailblazers and truthsayers. May these tributes be infused in us, not just this month, but throughout the year, throughout our lives. Let us stay aware and awake to the courage and sacrifices made, as we all do our part to contribute to cultivating true racial justice. In honor of Black History Month, I’ve decided to do more inner work on racism in order to face my white privilege and take responsibility on a deeper level to dismantle white supremacy. Author Layla Saad provides a very helpful guide in her book “Me and White Supremacy” as I continue to read and dive into her prompts for meaningful journaling.
Toni Morrison’s powerful words years ago when interviewed by Charlie Rose, took white supremacy to task by emphasizing that racism is a white person’s responsibility to address.“If you can only be tall because somebody is on their knees, then you have a serious problem. And my feeling is white people have a very, very serious problem. And they should start thinking about what they can do about it. Take me out of it.”
Racism is crazy, it is a neurosis, a cancer that will continue to metastasize in this country unless we, white people do our part to face it, be uncomfortable, inconvenienced and take responsibility for dismantling it. We have a serious problem, a very, very serious problem. What are we going to do about it?
One concrete thing I am doing about it is letting the journal prompts from “Me and White Supremacy” take root. Having just completed Week Two in Saad’s book, I was grateful to reflect on the topics of Anti-Blackness, Racial Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation. This book and these journal prompts call me to go within, to stop making it about other people. Who am I? How do I respond? Can I find meaningful ways to engage with other white people about our race, about our responsibility in creating, sustaining and benefiting from white privilege? Can I stop my mental gymnastics that prevent me from seeing my own race or what my race has done to Black, Indigenous People of Color?
This past year I’ve also added Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), those working for equal justice and prison reform, social justice activists, enlightened political and spiritual leaders, those terrorized by police brutality and white supremacy to my daily Metta meditation. I think of these individuals and groups of people everyday, holding them close to my heart. I typically say these meditations while walking up to the top of Hook Mountain, but if I am not at the mountain, I make sure to say this wherever I am: sitting on my meditation cushion, walking in the woods, by the river, skiing, biking, wherever…
This is a small, humble way I personally take responsibility for my thoughts and beliefs. As Layla Saad says: “Create the change the world needs by creating change within yourself.”I take this very, very serious problem of racism to heart and will continue to create change within myself. May you be inspired to do your inner work.
Check out the links below to hear Toni Morrison’s interview with Charlie Rose and access the book “Me and White Supremacy”. Enjoy the podcast!
Links:
Toni Morrison clip with Charlie Rose
“Me and White Supremacy” by Layla Saad
Good Ancestor Podcast