March 9, 2008 Blog Party Welcome Post

Here You Are!

Welcome !

This blog started out as an author blog about my children's book Here You Are, but has long since moved on to what the book is actually all about - that in us that is always whole and well, and cannot be touched by any of life's many curve balls. Here I write about the surprising situations and infinitely wise ways with which daily life reminds us of that which eternally sustains us. I hope you will visit often and share your own insights.

In being here - we are all connected as one organism of individual and unique entities. What is at the center? What is our source? How do we align ourselves with our innermost core? And how do we know what is true and what is false? How do we achieve harmony with the whole Universe?

Religiously I subscribe to the Dalai Lama's notion of "My Religion is Kindness". Therefore I find myself at home in all the religions and am untroubled by dogmatic differences. I often write in Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim terms and enjoy the different ways in which the same truths again and again find expression. Be it the deep faith of a religious person, or the serious commitment of the atheist to only provable facts, the longing of the human being to know the truth touches my heart deeply. Psychology, art and Physics are my "other" religions. My spiritual training ground is marriage, meditation, motherhood and teaching.

I am the mother of five "children" (29, 26, 25, 19 and 8), grandmother of one (1), as well as the author of the already mentioned children's book Here You Are, which is based on my thirty years as a meditation teacher and mother. By "taking the young reader's mind by the hand" the book delivers him or her into a moment of deep insight and peace, that would otherwise only be available through extensive meditation practice.

I work for psychologists, who hire me to teach meditation in their workshops, and as of recently, invited me to be the author of a five year study on the benefits of meditation for young people at risk, funded by the State of California, to reduce violence and suicide in our nations schools. Part of that study is proving the validity of my method of measuring those benefits through a set of before and after meditation drawings that may eventually make a valuable contribution to the field of art therapy. The meditation segment of the study is part of a three day life skills course that includes education on nutrition, exercise, creativity, self awareness and interpersonal relationships.

All of this does not really leave me much time for blogging - BUT - blogging, aka writing, is a way for me to clarify insights, keep a record, and collect insights from others. You are welcome here as an observer and participant.

The blog will develop into a more sophisticated and organized resource for spiritual and psychological insight as my blogging skills improve. I welcome all suggestions and like to visit other blogs to see how other bloggers have solved filing and inventory problems. Linking, promoting others, reviewing, and making people laugh - are all areas I want to continue to improve in. 5 Minutes For Mom is a Pro Blog and I am grateful for their example and leadership in the blogging sphere.

Right now I counsel in person, by email, phone and even snail mail. Since all of us stumble over similar road blocks in life I will be consolidating material for future posts that comes out of my daily work. I am also thrown into wonderful situations with people from all walks of life while out on the road promoting Here You Are - people who wouldn't typically come to me for counseling or meditation instruction and make for many new and different stories to tell.

When reading about anything related to the book think of it as if I were writing about one of my children. Sometimes I just can't stop myself. I am proud like a mother of this little book. I want to keep a record of what is happening around and because of the book, the same way I put together my baby books. Even books grow up and some day these magical days will be past. There is much more to be found on this blog, though, since only talking about children, or one book, would indeed be boring.

So, go ahead and find the laughing quadruplets, follow links all the way to my friend Dwabha's orphanage in India, or contemplate blueberries. It's all here and somehow it all makes sense. Thanks for stopping by - come back to visit often and leave something here about yourself, your blog, as well as any insights you would like to share.











See you soon!