The news is awash in stories of teachers who have betrayed their students. The worst stories are, of course, about ‘false gurus,’ the ones who intentionally manipulate the idealism and love of their followers to profit financially and get their own personal needs met at the expense of the students. It’s powerful stuff. We all […]

You know what I am talking about: If you are a practitioner working as a therapist, coach, or healing professional, you’ve had the experience of working with someone who is dealing with the pain of not getting needs met by their parents. Also, if you’ve ever been a client, you’ve probably known what it’s like […]

Last month, I found myself recovering after being sick for a few weeks. I was steadily getting a bit better, day by day. A little more energy, a little more ability to eat, a little less napping :-). I was nicely encouraged, after having been more or less flat on my back for over a […]

I stood in the stands with the diverse crowd, watching the Grand Entry of Dancers at the Gathering of Nations Powwow this March in Albuquerque. As the drummers sang and drove the beat, the different kinds of dancers entered: Jingle dancers, Grass dancers, Shawl dancers, Traditional dancers, and so many more! They came from around […]

It’s spring in my home in the desert! The seasons can be subtly but nonetheless ecstatically exciting here. The hummingbird migration has returned and my feeder is back up to welcome them. Pockets of superbloom due to last year’s greater-than-average precipitation are thrilling and crazily beautiful. The winds have arrived, with dust, pollen, furniture-tossing forces, […]

A rare convergence this week: all three of the world’s largest monotheistic traditions are participating in some of their most serious and tender holy days: Muslims are marking Ramadan, Jews have begun Passover, and Western Christians are walking through Holy Week on the way to Easter. Because these religions time their celebrations via different lunar […]

Deserts are real places, and they also are metaphors. Real deserts present such an ecological extreme that they readily serve as symbols for many aspect of human life: an empty place, a place without a lot of resources, a place where are lives are tenuous and in the balance. But the metaphor isn’t just about […]