This week at the dojo we are focusing on breathing. I first wrote this article several years ago but have updated it with some specifics about this week’s specific breathing exercise.   The breath seems like a silly thing to think about if you haven’t done it before in martial arts, Tai Chi, meditation or other internal work. You may think, I have plenty to worry about already. Now I need to

When I was a child I was given a book with the title My Book About Me. It was a Dr. Seuss book with illustrations. There was a picture of me looking funny with an oversized baseball hat that my parents helped me tape to the front. I filled out a series of superficial items from inside the book (“my eyes are this color, my nose looks like this”, etc).

Last weekend we had our annual Internal Retreat at Mt. Baldy Zen Center. We had an amazing time practicing Tai Chi and meditating in nature. Here are some of the lessons that stand out for me. Silence at the Internal Retreat This year at out Internal Retreat we did 24 hours of silence starting Friday night and lasting until dinner on Saturday. Most people on Internal Retreat dreaded being in total silence.

While having a spiritual ritual or martial arts class helps us get past our small self, it is possible to experience higher states of consciousness in everyday life. Take a lesson from the whirling dervish; dance wherever you are and listen to the divine in the flow that ensues. 

This week’s question is about integrity: What part of my life doesn't reflect who I am or want to be? Reflection Some of us may feel personally attacked by this question. We don’t like thinking of how we may be falling short of our goals, nor do we like facing how we aren’t being true to ourselves. For a human being it can be very confronting to ask these questions. Yet just