The largest reclining Buddha in the world measures 300 feet long and 60 feet high and lives in the Union of Myanmar (known as Burma when the statue was carved). The Shwethalyaung Buddha has a relaxed look on his face and his feet casually rest one against the other. He is in a state [...]
Poet and place activist Kaia Sands poses this question as she leads our group on an interactive walk along the grounds of The Expo Center at the northern tip of Portland, Oregon. Before me I see 60 acres of asphalt and buildings stretching to the urban horizon; above me is the double arm of the [...]
It is 8 pm in Ypres, Belgium. All traffic is stopped near the Menin Gate as six members of the voluntary fire brigade raise their bugles. The fourth man from the left whets his upper lip. Without a mortal’s cue, they begin to play “The Last Post.” It is that familiar haunting warble that signals [...]
When I sit with my shrine I am tired: I give myself compassion When I sit with my shrine I long to be outside in the sun: I honor how difficult it is to be in my pain When I sit with my shrine I am filled with gratitude: I marvel how my life is [...]
“You take the insights from these epiphanies and you find something in your daily life that you can hook them onto and you pull the rest of your life along” –Stanley Krippner When I build a shrine I am passionate: I learn to follow my gut When I build a shrine I start in a [...]
“Hiwa-Kai. Please save for the lovely lady who most certainly will return.” This handwritten note was taped on a brown bag behind the counter at Peet’s. I had made a quick–possibly desperate–run for coffee Sunday morning when I discovered we had none for breakfast. Hiwa Kai? I knew that was no coffee name, as I [...]
Soul — “our deep story” Yoga — “a deep practice” Our spiritual transformations require tending. Soul-Yoga is a practice that kneads our new story of transformation into our new way of being in the world. Shrines are a way to chart ourselves in relation to our ever emerging story of our soul journey. I have [...]
