Category: Uncategorized
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a series of great rememberings
A girl once told me a story of a whole being that split itself in two so it could know the joy of reuniting its parts. The truth of wholeness was made even more precious when juxtaposed against suffering and separateness. I don’t remember the details of the story – where it came from, how…
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writing practice
I’m reading Writing Down the Bones again. It, among other things, is making me feel brave. In Bones, Natalie Goldberg reminds us how important it is to give ourselves permission to write the “worst junk in the world.” In another chapter, entitled Composting, she says: “It takes a while for our experience to sift through our consciousness. For instance, it…
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rejoicing, somehow
My skin has come alive, shimmering, sensitive to the lightest touch. A sigh pours from my mouth when my hair brushes against my back. It’s new and tender. Pleasure has been the focus of my exploration for the past few years but I have a teacher now1, someone to offer tools, support and guidance, so…
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an endless chain of paper dolls
I am sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat while a world unfolds inside my mind’s eye, a clear vision of rolling hills and the glint of sunshine reflected off blades of grass and pooled in leaves. First, from within my own body, I am in a line of women that are all me, from my…
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learning to expand
I gathered my tattered roots and held them close when I moved to California. In the 6 years that I lived in Los Angeles, my signature rebellion was a staunch refusal to buy a bedframe. “It’s only temporary,” I would say, year after year, as I adorned my space with decoration that was fleeting in…
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the neighborhood bookstore
I stumbled upon it once, by accident, before I had etched the streets south of Houston like a map in my mind. New York was mystical to me then, a dream rested on the shoulders of the self I loved and left behind for bluer, wider skies. I was back from Los Angeles for a…
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a moment for the details
I attended an evening of figure drawing a few nights ago. The model was nude, adorning bangles on her wrist in black and gold, with a heavy hamsa pendant nestled comfortably between her collarbones. She switched poses at different intervals, allowing time to capture whatever we could before she moved again. The varied temporal stretches…
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make yourself at home
Occasionally stripping ourselves of the comfort of familiarity allows us to activate an internal sense of security. It gives us space to cultivate the feeling of home so we can carry it through the changing tides of our lives. It’s been a full year since I gave my apartment up, since we deconstructed my bed…
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the discipline of rest
I had a long list of intentions to actualize at Lakshmi Rising. Drenched in curiosity, I resolved to take advantage of every opportunity to learn in the jungle. To accomplish these goals would require honesty and courage. Physically, I was determined to go beyond the limits I set for myself when I was mired in…
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meta reflections
I take a couple of days at the end of each year to reflect on its highlights – the challenges, opportunities and dreams that shaped the trip around the sun. Especially before I begin to set intentions for the upcoming year, it’s essential to honestly assess where I am. This year has been hectic to…
nathalie shushan 