I’ve had a lot of amazing massages in my time (in one of my hats, I’m a travel writer) but I’ve never experienced anything like the lomilomi Hawaiian one I got yesterday. Malalika smudged the room, played the didgeridoo, rang tibetan singing bowls and rubbed me all over (well almost all over) with coconut oil….
The Kindness of Strangers
The universe has put the most wonderful companions into my path this trip. Usually I think of myself as quite a monk-ish person. Laura was the chatty one. She could have a group of strangers laughing in 10 minutes. I was often happier reading a book than socializing. I don’t know what has changed, but…
A Word From The Monks
I’ve applied to do a 3 day retreat at the Christ in the Desert Monastery in New Mexico. It combines three of my favorite things – chanting Benedictine monks, beautiful architecture by George Nakashima and the ruddy landscape around Abiquiu New Mexico. Visitors get a small room in the guest lodge and the chance to…
Loss
Mum called on Thursday to say her brother David just died of cancer. She has lost a brother every October, these past 3 years (Frank, Robert and now David). She is sad but stoic. Her mother (my grandma) also died in October. Another strange coincidence, mum has had a little fly trailing around after…
Good Vibrations
I used to visit a Chinese energy healer in New York who liked to say: ‘Western doctor no good. Learn body by studying corpse. Not learn nothing. All energy gone.’ I think he was right. I am pretty sure the essence of life (and healing) is energy. Laura and I’s love affair was essentially well…
Soul Journey – part two
Woo hoo, I’ve been leaping around my apartment like someone in a bouncy castle all day. I am so happy. I am off to Sedona (Arizona) and New Mexico starting Monday. I’ve been dreaming of vortices and want to bathe in that special energy again. Four years ago, I made a quick stop at Sedona…
Awakening
Yesterday I went to the ‘Healing Our Grief’ workshop at the Open Center. It was a beautiful sharing experience hosted by Sue Frederick author of Bridges to Heaven. Sue’s husband died age 37 from cancer and her best friend died the same year. These two tragedies transformed her life, reawakened her intuition and her spiritual…
kiss…kiss…kiss
We were shame proof in our love. Here happily snogging in the lobby of the Ace Hotel AND trying to take a selfie. A bemused young tourist offered to take pictures for us, so we handed him the camera and continued …
Rumi – The Kiss of Spirit
My iTunes just played Laura’s last phone message : ‘Sweetie, come on back. I miss you wherever you are.’ Then I heard this beautiful Rumi poem for the first time – There is some kiss we want with our whole lives, the touch of Spirit on the body. Seawater begs the pearl to break its…
Gone Girl
The fly has gone. Shortly after I posted, it vanished.
Cosmic Joke?
OK so this is getting a little ridiculous. A small fly seems to have fallen in love with me. It has been following me around for a little over a week. It sits on my pillow at night, settles by my desk during the day and flutters about the kitchen while I cook. It shows…
Please Read This
Please read today’s article ‘Fighting to Honor a Father’s Last Wish’ in the New York Times (September 26, 2014) . It is a harrowing tale of America’s broken end of life care system. Laura and I were incredibly blessed to be able to stay in Memorial Sloan Kettering for her final 23 days. The kindness of Dr Wolchok…
Vipassana
A decade ago, I saw The Dhamma Brothers documentary about how a group of ultra violent prisoners in Alabama came to terms with what they had done (most had committed murder) by doing Vipassana. It is an extreme meditation practice where you sit in silence for 10 days straight. It acts like a spiritual car wash and…
Butterfly Tickles
Laura has been very busy this week from what I can tell. In case you missed the post in comments, Laura popped up in a dream and tickled our good friend Toni and her partner Jill until Toni was speechless and wriggling on the floor feeling, ‘bathed in a million lights and laughing gas’. Laura…
Soul Love Forever 