Welcome to the Big Tree Blog
I’ve been reading a book that I wish I had found years ago. The words speak directly to me only, filling in gaps in my knowledge and curiosity. So I became agitated, “why didn’t someone tell me about this book last year – when I really needed it?” In my mind I hear the repeating…
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Another lesson from my garden: I was going to go buy more milkweed plants for the monarch butterflies who are camping out in my yard. But I kept thinking of all of the milkweed plants I had put into the ground last year. I went searching for them, and found dozens with tiny leaves unfurling. …
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It’s almost the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere. Winter Solstice marks many things. One is that this will be the shortest day and longest night of our year. We are coming to a tipping point, where out of the watery, dark depths of Yin, Yang begins to emerge. At the extreme, Yin becomes…
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Lately I’m lost in fast moving thoughts, agitated by endless “to do lists,” rushing through traffic to get to a yoga class. Catching up with myself this morning, bringing my attention to my breath, a familiar sense of settling slowly seeps into my cells. From stillness I begin familiar movements. But now I am present…
Read MoreA few trees have planted themselves in my garden. It’s been months of me wondering what to do about them. Do I pull them out while they are small? Do I wait and see what they are? Am I being too controlling about this little area of earth called “my garden?” Who am I to…
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How do we actually change? I’ve been wondering about this question my whole life. I can’t say I have a definitive answer, but I do have some clues! Clue #1 – Changing my external circumstances doesn’t necessarily make me happier. I have changed jobs, relationships, location, cars, computers, phones, lawn mowers, garden tools, friends (and…
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I’ve been naming and labeling things all of my life: car, cat, blue, hot, I like it, I don’t like it. I’ve been thinking about the name “Meridian Massage Institute” lately. A little history: In 1985, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Health Education, and then worked as a substance abuse counselor for three years.…
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A favorite poem by Mary Oliver: The Summer Day by Mary Oliver Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean- the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving…
Read More I began to attack the weeds this morning. And then I made myself pause, breathe, and remember to take care of my body while I weeded. I’m used to flailing myself around when I work in the garden, especially when I’m weeding. Especially when I’m weeding the area full of new weeds that I just weeded…
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Current challenges and stages 1. Decipher that there is a spiritual path. 2. Decipher that the nagging urge, the sense of dissatisfaction of the mainstream’s notion of life, my feelings of angst, anger, sadness, fear and hopelessness are actually my Spirit longing for true expression. 3. Yearning for the spiritual path takes up all of my…
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