The journey of writing my first mystery novel One Hand Killing, about murder in a monastery—which I thought would be easier than any other work of fiction, Ha!—has been long and enlightening. I think I started writing it sometime back around the turn of this century (it’s so weird to think of it that way!) [...]
There’s nothing quite like a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter night. A warm wedge of cornbread to go with, and a salad on the side will make for a complete and easy meal. Maybe it’s the southern in me (my mom—and the cooking I grew up with—is from South Carolina) but I [...]
The beginning of each New Year is a perfect time for reflection and looking forward, whether or not we’ve made a New Year’s vow, so that we might return to the present moment with gratitude and peace. Here are a few short poems to contemplate and carry with us as we breathe each breath and [...]
As the year winds down, I’d like to share with you a few reflections and gratitude for my experiences—personal and shared—in 2013. I’ve hosted some excellent silent sits, led meditation classes at the JCC, finished a rewrite of my first mystery novel, One Hand Killing, which will be available in paperback for the first time [...]
Or, we can’t know until we know! How do we get to the calm place in the center of chaos? Waiting for news of anything—from sources we have no control over, which is just about everyone and everything that is meaningful—can be excruciating. Will we get the perfect gift or the job? Do we need [...]
"Americans who feel they are successful at work are twice as likely to say they are very happy overall as people who don’t feel that way. And these differences persist after controlling for income and other demographics. You can measure your earned success in any currency you choose. You can count it in dollars, sure [...]
The holidays are upon us, and one thing we can count on are the fun festivities that come along with them! Whether you have a work party, friendly get-together, or family gathering to attend, you don't want to show up empty handed. My vegan chocolate walnut brownie recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser [...]
"... a new study conducted by researchers working in Wisconsin, Spain, and France shows that mindfulness can even affect your genes. Specifically, the study shows that mindfulness can limit the "expression" of genes associated with inflammation. "The changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs," study co-author Dr. Perla Kaliman, a researcher [...]
“You will not find God in an abstract idea. This is something very important. God is here for us through very concrete things.” Thich Nhat Hanh “One must not be blasphemous toward gods in whom one has no faith.” Chinese proverb “We are but guests visiting this world, though most do not know [...]
It's lovely to stumble upon a interview, and even audio, promoting the benefits of mindfulness and meditation! Check out an excerpt here and click the link below for the full interview! “Meditation is a practice, that’s why we call it a practice. It’s a behavior, if you will,” he says. When Allen began exploring mindfulness [...]
