If it sounds strange to pair the two words “blissful” and “career,” the reason is easy to find: In modern life personal satisfaction is not a high priority when it comes to the workplace. Pollsters find that most people like their jobs, but that doesn’t place the bar high. Typically, a modern work week consists of long hours, taking work home, putting up with interpersonal difficulties on the job, and confronting repeated stress.
One of the incomplete views of the self that many of us have grown up with comes from an interpretation of the Cartesian maxim “I think; therefore I am.” Descartes shared that statement not to define what it means to be human but rather as a discovery of a statement that could not be refuted. Nevertheless, as a culture we seem to have adopted that statement as a definition of who we are: that our ability to think is synonymous with being sentient.
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle. - Thich Nhat Hanh
The car is driving away. The phone call has been terminated. Your moving van is packed. You are boarding the plane. You are holding your grandmother’s hands and telling her how she has impacted you because you know this is the last time you will be able to look into her eyes. You are rubbing your cat’s chin for the last time and savoring every purr. Endings. Are. Brutal.
So often, spiritual journeys feel like solo ones. Whether we’re wrestling with our dark night of the soul or finally feeling the liberation of our loving, awakening heart, these are experiences that belong to our own consciousness, our own awareness.
Ayurveda is the traditional healing system from India that is literally translated as ‘the science of life.’ Through healthy daily practices and aligning with natural rhythms, one can prevent disease and create health on a daily basis. And although the outcome of Ayurvedic lifestyle and medical treatment is a healthy body and mind, the true aim of Ayurveda is to connect us to a deeper experience of who we are.
Salutations to the supreme Lord Ganesha, whose curved trunk and massive body shines like a million suns and showers his blessings on everyone. Oh Lord Ganesha, kindly remove all obstacles, always and forever from all my activities and endeavors. - Ganesh Invocation
I will never forget the moment I decided to become a therapist. After a bout with art history and a laughable stint in the political science/pre-law department, I found myself sitting in an "abnormal psychology" class. I am positive they don’t call it that anymore because, what actually is “normal”? Anyway, I could see so much of myself in the pages of the “abnormal psychology” textbook. I could see so much of my past and how it was showing up in the way I moved about in the world.
Have you ever taken a walk through a garden and felt an immediate sense of relief? Spending time in nature is believed to have profound mental health benefits and manmade gardens are no different. Whether it’s a rose garden, herb garden, or vegetable garden, each can bring about feelings of peace and wonder — and have a grounding energy, too.