Kyoto, Japan It is Tuesday evening in Kyoto, Japan. We have just finished conducting a Live Conscious Retreat. In our retreats, all participants use pseudonyms, no one uses their real name. For this retreat Hannah chose the name “Yuuki”, which is the Japanese word for courage, and I chose the name “Mr. Lucky”—which in Japanese […]
Tag Archives | Workshops
How To Live The Good Life
Who should read this article? Not everyone. This is written for people who are truly curious about the process of personal growth and development, and for people who want to live the good life, an abundant life—a life that is, as my friend Dada says, “an absolute gas.” The work that we now call Live […]
How To Stay True To Self
Many of us have been to the mountain top. We know how we feel when we are open, loving, in touch with ourselves and accessing our own wisdom. Petty little things don’t get to us. Our love and patience are bigger than our fears. We find humor in being human. Why don’t we stay on […]
Lasting Change Is Possible
What is the key to making real, lasting change in our lives? As a therapist I used to look to create therapeutic home runs. Some of these felt to the client like a 4×4 across the forehead and others came in the form of a wave of love that produced satori—sudden enlightenment. Although I still […]
The Keys To Aging Well
The first key to aging well—start now! Is this important to you? Do you want to age well? You should—because aging poorly is a real drag. And unnecessary. In this article I’ll share with you some results found in The Study of Adult Development. This is a unique study because it looks at the lives […]
The Two Best Affirmations
I question the idea that all I have to do is repeat a few select affirmations and my life will change for the better. Actually, I don’t buy it. I recently read an article in Elephant Journal that describes the positive effects of “Trite, New-Agey Affirmations.” In the article the author explores extensive scientific evidence […]
I Never Step In The Same River Twice
For a dozen years, I attended a lot of meditation retreats. Two or three times a year I immersed myself in the practice, for week-long intensives. Before each new Zen ‘sesshin’, as they were called, or Vipassana retreat, I struggled with whether to take the time out of my life, my work, parenting, diminish my […]
Travel That Changes You
Travel that changes you The retreats we offer are not just for recreation, but also re-creation. If you want to re-create yourself—find your purpose, re-boot a special relationship, or re-connect with yourself—those are great reasons to join one of our retreats. When people travel to our retreats they find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings—beautiful, but unfamiliar. […]
Finding Yourself – A Love Story
Finding yourself is a journey Finally, one perfect day in early July, I arrive in northern New Mexico with comfortable clothes, a journal, sunscreen, a jacket for cool nights, and rain gear. I’m aware that I’m carrying my interior baggage as well—hoping that someone will be heavier than I, uglier, older, more insecure, more anxious, […]
How To Die Well
I’ll tell you a short story about a friend of mine who showed me how to die—and how to die well. Ken was a flawed person—like all of us. And he used his flaws to fuel his personal growth. This wasn’t natural to him. With a degree in engineering and an MBA from Harvard, he […]