Summer

About Summer

artist, minister, yoga therapist

Transformation Begins with Deep Noticing

This week, we turn our attention toward the idea of transformation. All sermons include something of the preacher in them, but this one asked a bit more of me than usual. In my personal practice the last few years I've been working to become more comfortable with the reality of vulnerability (I call it a reality because even though many of us do our best to be invulnerable, we will always fail). So this week I share some of my own transformation with you. I share it because transformation isn't always easy or pretty. But, like vulnerability, it's ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-07-28T17:25:30-07:00September 15th, 2018|Art, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|11 Comments

Who or What is God?

September 9th, 2018 As you know spiritual study, practice, and community are my favorite things to think about, talk about, do, and build. For many years I felt spiritually homeless and I've spent the last decade searching for spiritual answers. I went to seminary. I took multiple yoga teacher trainings. And I dove deep into the ancient scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and yoga. I still have big questions, but they're different now, and I'm at a point where my heart feels full and my spirit feels calm. I no longer feel spiritually homeless, but I know a ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-07-28T16:00:18-07:00September 9th, 2018|Art, Nature, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|16 Comments

The Fullness of Being

I’m about to turn forty. An occasion worthy of being marked. And because I’m a person prone to reflection, story telling, and tradition, I have distinct memories of who I was at 25, 30, and 35. If I could sit in a room with these three radically different women, I can imagine the conversation. Each version of myself trying to convince the others to return to what I so strongly knew to be true in their time. As I enter a new decade—one that places me squarely in middle age—I realize I hold less tightly to ideas of truth. My ... (Continue Reading)

By |2017-05-17T15:05:19-07:00May 17th, 2017|Art, Embodiment, Practice, Relationships|0 Comments

Scripture as a Path

I believe in God as the ever moving Spirit propelling us toward Love. I do not believe that any one person or scripture or teaching can define God or explain perfect belief or practice. I think we honor Divine Mystery every time we choose compassion, inclusion, and generosity. I think we would all be well served to constantly ask ourselves: WHO AM I BECOMING THROUGH THIS…practice? habit? idea? belief? vote? reaction? food choice? course of study? and on and on and on. We would be well served to ask this question over and over again. There’s nothing in life that ... (Continue Reading)

By |2017-05-04T17:09:28-07:00May 4th, 2017|Books, Practice, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|1 Comment

An Earthy Christmas Sermon (2016)

On Christmas morning I had the pleasure of bringing the message at Spokane Friends Church, which is a place that nourished me deeply when I had big, confused questions about God and spirituality and the world. I was honored to be asked to speak on Christmas morning and was surprised at how difficult a Christmas sermon is to write. What I came up with is deeply influenced by the earthiness of my new home (pictured below), by the love of Winter Solstice that I received from my grandmother, and by the Quaker dedication to Light that informs my understanding of God. ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:52:37-07:00December 29th, 2016|Books, Embodiment, Holidays, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality|1 Comment

Our Favorite Scriptures

Hello friends, This is the first of two community queries that I'm posting. I love scripture and I have a ton of favorite sacred texts. Over the years, I've shared many of them with you. But I would like to turn the tables here. I want to hear about your favorite scripture. I want to learn from you. And I want you to learn from each other. Let's inspire each other. Let's spiritually nurture one another. Please take a moment to share your favorite scripture with everyone in the comments below. Thank you for being a part of this community! I'm so ... (Continue Reading)

By |2016-04-21T16:06:23-07:00April 21st, 2016|Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|10 Comments

Confessions of Fear and Courage

I titled this post “Confessions of Fear and Courage,” but it could just as easily have been called “Reflections of Memory and Calling.” William Maxwell wrote that “what we refer to confidently as memory is really a form of storytelling that goes on continually in the mind and often changes with the telling.” Anyone who’s practiced yoga with me has heard me say that everything is changing moment to moment. Memories are not immune to this reality. More and more, research shows us that memory is a process, not a thing. Memories aren’t files stored on the “hard drive” of ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T13:13:23-07:00March 16th, 2016|Art, Books, Creativity, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Spring, Yoga|11 Comments

Remembering the Light Within

I had the opportunity to travel to Whittier Friends Church outside of LA this past weekend. I was invited by the dean of my seminary (Earlham School of Religion or ESR) to come and speak about entrepreneurial ministry, which is a name being applied to ministers working outside of traditional church settings. It's a growing reality and one that I'm happy to see ESR supporting. My own ministry work, which happens online, in yoga studios, and with one-on-one clients in my office, is definitely outside traditional structures. There is a hunger in our culture for authentic spiritual practice and a ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:54:08-07:00February 3rd, 2016|Books, Meditation, Practice, Quaker, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|4 Comments

New Year Intentions (2016)

As you've heard me say before, I love the New Year! I love turning the page to a brand new fresh year, full of possibility. I did away with hard and fast resolutions that start with "I will not..." a long time ago. These days I'm much more interested in positive intentions for the New Year. I'm interested in projects and goals. In 2015 my intention was to connect with nature in a deeper way and so my goal became to sleep outside more. So I created my "camp every month" project. And I did it! You can see pictures ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:56:53-07:00January 26th, 2016|Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Holidays, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Scripture, Spirituality, Workshops, Yoga|0 Comments

May there be peace on earth | Free practice (2015)

During the holidays we often hear the phrase "Let there be peace on earth." This a beautiful sentiment, one that I pray for everyday. Unfortunately, it's not a reality for many people. When I think about this, I often become overwhelmed. I'm unsure how to respond to all the needs within my family, my town, my country, my world. We are exposed to so much poverty, suffering, and terror on a daily basis. My prayers for peace feel inadequate. But prayers are powerful. I've been actively praying for the past 10-years. My personal understanding---and my theology---of prayer has changed radically ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T15:20:26-07:00December 8th, 2015|Asana, Embodiment, Holidays, Meditation, Practice, Pranayama, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga|0 Comments
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