“I can’t remember the last time I touched grass,” announced a student in my classroom this week. I was giving my weekly reminder to look at me instead of their computer. During pandemic school days, I tried every digital tool I could find to make language learning more engaging online. We practiced verb forms with GimKit. We worked through translations using Pear Decks. We made connections using Padlets and Jamboards – and I felt like a wizard transforming my decades... Read more
We are vessels of water. The make-up of our bodies, our brains, our beings is water. Studies from the NIH find that our intake of water goes far beyond supporting the functioning of our physical systems. Adequate hydration lowers our risk of developing chronic diseases. Beyond alleviating headaches, water intake mitigates depression and anxiety. All in balance, of course. Too much water and we mess with our sodium levels and can just as easily end up in the hospital for... Read more
Honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The opportunities to be of service this weekend are abundant. Perhaps it’s a factor of the two main communities around which my days revolve. My independent school community and my interfaith community. But this weekend I need to make decisions about where to honor the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Which community gathering to join to make sandwiches for the shelter. Which interfaith service to attend to raise the... Read more
We crave space to cultivate our spiritual well-being. In the busy-ness of our lives, however, it can be difficult to find the physical and mental and emotional space to settle into a practice. Might the space, however, be right in the place where we are standing? Perhaps we find our strongest connection to the divine through nature. But the rain is falling sideways, and the wind is just too gusty for a long walk. Or the practice of yoga and... Read more
New Year’s Eve has us standing at yet another threshold. The two-faced Roman god Janus, for whom January is named, was appropriately named for the doorway (Latin: janua) in which he stood. He looked back, and he looked ahead. Or was he looking inward and pointing himself outward? Perhaps we can attribute to him something a little more contemplative as we recognize the importance of liminal spaces in our lives. Liminal Spaces Looking Back and Forward Liminal spaces and times... Read more
Are more Christian leaders turning to their pagan roots? Although I grew up with Celtic Christian roots, the identification pagan was not honored in Christian communities as it is today. The limited understanding of what was pagan referenced only what was outside of the Church. Heathen. Cultish. My Scottish Presbyterian upbringing pointed me to John Calvin and John Knox as my guides for what was to be done decently and in order. At times I felt it might be more... Read more
Digital Calendar of Contemplative Practices from a Variety of Traditions Find five minutes to ground your day in a new spiritual practice. During the month of December, Alignment: Interfaith Contemplative Practices launches a digital calendar, fashioned in the style of an Advent calendar. Digital doors open each day to a new experience. A Jewish chanted psalm, a Muslim reading of the Qur’an, a dance to a Jain prayer. Once open, each door remains available through the year. Revisit practices that... Read more
Embracing the change of rhythm in our spiritual practices The Changing Rhythm of Darker Days I tend to hibernate once the clock changes. My usual walks around the neighborhood after work are supplanted by a few hours of browsing TikToks. My dog is fine just going out back instead of having a lively jaunt. Netflix beckons, and a good book by the fire. There just isn’t the same impetus to do anything when the days are short and bedtime calls... Read more
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