I’ve spent years of my life in that mind space. I’ve lived in the past. Our ancestors' minds, ideas, thoughts, feelings, preferences, opinions and beliefs have flowed from them into me and us. Their pleasure and pain can become ours without our permission. We can be haunted by history. 

We can exorcize ourselves and support others, too. We can bust the old ghosts of misogyny that rattle their chains when we look in the mirror. We can invoke the sacred names of white witches as we make our voices heard at city council and school board meetings and the ballot box. We can show them how we burn.

I spent the first 22 years of my life around guns in the swing state of Pennsylvania where schools closed for the first day of buck and doe season. I experienced responsible gun ownership and felt safe around them. After my grandfather passed, I arrived his the service just in time to participate in a 10 gun salute. When I visit home, I stay in the family hunting cabin filled with rifles and handguns, but there is not an assault weapon in sight. I’ve had a concealed carry permit. 

I’m not anti-gun. I’m pro common sense. I’m anti anyone-can-have-any-kind-of-gun-they-want, anytime they want. I’m pro “with great power comes great responsibility.”

I DO believe in hope — and not passively. I believe in hope supported by faith actioned into being by beings willing to do things differently. I do not believe in new-age manifestations or that we can afford to spiritually bypass politics because everything that touches us is political. To say we are “above all that” is practicing privilege. I believe in women – and the men who respect and support women – who have earnestly held our elders’ wisdom sacred for so long and that now is the time for women’s wisdom to be elevated.

A Declaration of Independence for a child is a death sentence. “I did this all by myself” and “I can only count on myself” are lies that create a kind of isolation that destroys our very bodily cells. The remnants of rugged individualism have left us with sharp edges that cut the connections around us that could be used as lifelines. Because with “I don’t need you” and “I’m all alone” running in the background, it’s easier to understand the sense of isolation that precedes mass shootings and suicides.

The historian in me wanted to know more about IYD because I think (and teach) it is crucial to critically examine the world – the people, our institutions and claims we create – so we can be diligent about not being taken advantage of. This is part of my personal definition of self-responsibility. I want to know why I’m doing 108 salutations, or liking or making a post promoting IYD. I want to know what it is – actually – that I’m showing up for. I want to understand what is getting my support, precious time and attention. Maybe you’re curious, too?

Over the next 5 days, I grated small amounts of ginger into his meals to stimulate his agni - his digestive fire. I made date shakes rather than cold milkshakes. I cooked up an Ayurvedic version of vanilla “rice pudding” to mimic Mom’s old recipe he loves. I knew what to make him because I’d just answered this question in my Ayurvedic Health Advisor Program at Hale Pule: How should clients eat during illness?

I was hesitant to try ghee at first because doctors had told me to “stay away from dairy”. When Ayurveda invited me to see what happened (using cause and effect) when I allowed myself to cook with 1-2 tablespoons of ghee per person, per meal, I was like “y’all are crazy!”. But I tried it, and loved it. The color, smell, taste, and the effects are extraordinary. Everything is moister and yummier - including me!

By engaging in critical thinking, we not only protect ourselves from falling into the traps of false claims but also foster a more responsible and informed community. We become advocates for evidence-based practices, authentic teachings, and ethical conduct within the yoga and wellness industry. Through our commitment to critical thinking, we contribute to a shift in the narrative, promoting transparency, integrity, and accountability.

Engaging in slow, mindful yoga stands as a potent self-care tool for those grappling with fatigue, especially when combined with dietary improvements, enhanced sleep hygiene, and overall stress management. This approach aligns with Ayurveda, lifestyle medicine, and even the VA’s Whole Health philosophy. Research indicates that yoga significantly enhances fatigue, particularly in conditions like fibromyalgia and cancer.

I was young and wanted to be alive in the world, but felt half dead. A naturally gregarious person who loves to joke around, I was having trouble looking people in the eye because I was too ashamed of my face. I was hiding when all I wanted was to be free. When I changed my college major from graphic design to history – and then began reading about all the shit things humans have done to each other over the ages – this added to my distress. I felt sad, angry, anxious, disgusting and depressed. It was like being sucked into a blackhole. But it was the mid 90s, and we got a pill for that. When I was 20, they started me on Zoloft and then Wellbutrin. That should fix it, right?!? 

What is happening in Gaza strains the limits of human understanding. How could this happen? What must have already happened to create the conditions that would allow this to happen?

Asking questions like this is normal –and also potentially dangerous. Normal because as humans we want to “wrap our (logical) minds around” situations that seem beyond our ability to fathom. Dangerous because to do so can come with costs to our mental health.

Top hospitals across the US including the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics, and here in Bend, Oregon St. Charles Medical determined Reiki is an integrated therapy option for complementary and alternative care (CAM). But there is certainly also criticism about this.

What if instead we started taking control of our own thinking? What if we learned about thinking itself, how it works, how the mind works, so we can come to our own deconstructed, then reconstructed — and still limited — conclusions?

I watched on Sunday mornings as folks rose up out of the pews and walked down the aisle to have Pastor Helen lay his hands on their shoulders and heads. He would say words over them, his chin lifted, his eyes closed. I heard the gentle sounds of the congregation as they called out amens and the name of Jesus.