Episode 14: What my bucket list taught me about the beginner's mind

Henri Nouwen once wrote a letter to a friend in which he said, "In order to live a hospitable life––not just a hospitable year––you need a lot of time for yourself to read, to write, to study, to meditate, to pray, to just be alone. If you do not claim that for yourself, you are not hospitable enough because you do not create the quiet restful place where people can find healing."

What a week it's been for me to do that! I am grateful to have had a trip to San Francisco where I did just this. On this trip, I checked two things off my bucket list––two things that cleared my head, gave me perspective, filled me with life and awe, and offered me a sweet and distinct sense renewal.

In this episode we'll discuss what we call the beginner's mind, a way of approaching the world and life that is both rooted in the wisdom of the past while practicing an openness to learning. Come join the conversation!

Episode 13: On Transformation: Hospitality of the Self

Episode 13: On Transformation: Hospitality of the Self

We often treat intense emotions or experiences like intruders. While this may seem natural and normal (since everyone around us is often doing it), what if it's leading to unnecessary suffering and holding us back from our best available life? As I like to say, vulnerability is hospitality of the self. Come join us for this episode as we discuss opening ourselves in different ways and how to attempt different approaches to experiences we have previously rejected. Come join the conversation!

Episode 12: Optimal Conditions

Episode 12: Optimal Conditions

What are the so-called "optimal conditions" we tend to wait for in life before we choose to open ourselves or dare greatly in life? Sadly we often wait too long, or we hide – never to dare at all. We let our natural fear of pain, judgment, criticism, exposure, etc keep us small. But what growth and expansion of True Self is missed when we shrink, hide, or stand still? Come join the conversation as we discuss vulnerability, openness, and how & why it may lead to expansive life that holds steady in the whirlwind.

Episode 11: Don't Hold Onto Me

Episode 11: Don't Hold Onto Me

In this season of considering losses, I've found myself asking: Why do we cling to what we cling to? It makes sense that we hold on, but what is actually happening when we do? In this episode we also explore & consider why we end up needing to release where we are being invited to release (even though yes, it is absolutely excruciating to do so), and what often happens to us when we do let go. Come join the conversation.

Want to join the conversation more deeply? Email your comments, questions, answers to the invitation questions, etc to lifeinthewhirlwind@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you, and maybe even consider engaging your thoughts, questions, and insights in future episodes! Come really join the conversation!

Episode 10: The Seeds of Manny's Garden

Last week I lost a dear friend, mentor, teacher, and surrogate family member – Manny Ortiz. Manny's life was the embodiment of Life in the Whirlwind. While he will be missed by the countless people with whom he intertwined his life, we all carry these pieces of him, creating a new kind of whole with him gone.

This episode explores not just what Manny inspirited and invoked in me personally, but what he taught me about change, possibility, and the tireless intention to find Life everywhere.

Episode 9: Different Ways of Seeing

Episode 9: Different Ways of Seeing

Have you ever looked at something so many times that you stopped seeing it? Or have you ever been looking for your keys frantically, then suddenly you look down and they've been there the whole time? These are just simple examples of how there are different ways of seeing. In this episode we explore a lot of examples of how this might happen for you, how media and marketing appeals to certain ways of seeing, and how attachment to seeing things certain ways can deeply limit our development as people in the world. Come join the conversation, and hear a beautiful song that drives it home at the end.

Episode 8: How to Be in Two Places at Once – Part 2

Episode 8: How to Be in Two Places at Once – Part 2

This week we discuss how to be in two places at once in ways that serve us, with more than a little inspiration from one of J.R.R. Tolkien's rarest stories. As we move through life, all the people, places, and things that have formed us weave an inner tapestry. Join us for part 2 of this conversation.

Episode 7: How to Be in Two Places at Once – Part 1

Episode 7: How to Be in Two Places at Once – Part 1

Did you know that we can be in two places at once? It's true! There are two types, as I see it. One type is not enjoyable and not life-giving, and the other type is enjoyable and life-giving. Join us for this episode where we talk about the first type, how it happens, and how to put your mind and body in the same place at the same time. Come join the conversation.

Episode 3: The Practice of Moving Through

Episode 3: The Practice of Moving Through

How many times have labels like "good," "bad," "wrong," "stupid," etc gotten in the way of giving our experiences the space to transform and grow us? What might happen if we practiced moving away from these interpretations and labels, replacing them with questions that move us into growth? Come join us to explore how risk and struggle may be the exact forces we need to find life in the whirlwind.