Share Author Sonoko Sakai has worked as a recipe developer, producer, creative director, cooking teacher, lecturer, and grain activist. She moved with her parents from Tokyo to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, where one of her first memories was getting to eat an entire half cantaloupe at a diner. It seemed like a huge splurge, because in Japan melo...

When Kara-Lee’s oldest nephews were really young, they enjoyed practicing mindful movement, eating, listening, and gratitude practices with her. She thought they had outgrown it forever as they got older and they stopped. Now that they are both in their early 20’s, they have regular practices of their own. This is a reminder to all of us that we ar...

We’re in the midst of the holiday season, and with that can come a lot of abundance: Busier schedules, holiday parties, travelMore eating, more drinking, more excessMore shopping, more spending, more financial stress It’s a beautiful season, but it can be a lot! In this article, I’m going to share some thoughts on creating a slower holiday season. ...

Share Writer Louisa May Alcott was born on this day in 1832. She was taught by her father, a Unitarian minister until 1848. Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were friends of the family. Alcott worked as a domestic servant and teacher to help pay the bills at home. During the Civil War, she served as a nurse. In 1862 she adopted a pen name...

Share This book is an extended reflection on disability, its politics, and how disability and spirituality intersect. Belser — a rabbi, scholar, and activist for disability justice — is sane, wise, and witty. She begins: “After synagogue one day, a visitor popped the question. 'What’s wrong with you?' she asked, as her eyes flicked from my face to ...

Share “When I first came into disability community, when I first began building the politics and relationships that would anchor me through the decades, it felt crucial to root my own identity in that bold refusal of healing and cure. I was emboldened by the example of Deaf activists, who fight for the recognition and protection of signing-Deaf cul...

By Eliza Nappi Former ZMM resident and MRO student Eliza is an artist who, during the Fall Ango 2023 art practice, combined two of her favorite things: illustration and “Inktober” She writes: First started in 2009 by Jake Parker, Inktober is a set of daily prompts that challenge artists. Ink is the traditional medium used, hence the name “Inktober”...

Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Barlaam & JosaphatVarlaam & Joasaph1680 Russian Engravingbaed uponSimon Ushakov           It’s November 27th! And with that, once again, the blessings of the saints ...

Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Taking the Path of ZenRobert Aitken             “Ordinary people and saints living together. Dragons and snakes all mixed up.” Blue Cliff Record From one angle Zen did proce...

Share Isabella "Bell" Baumfree, later known as Sojourner Truth, was born into slavery around 1797 in Swartekill, New York. Her memoirs, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, describe her challenges during enslavement to five masters in succession before she escaped to freedom in 1826, carrying her infant daughter Sophia. Following a revelation in 1843 ...

Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Closeup of Wood sculpture of Guanyin early 19th century CE Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 CE) China         Our American Thanksgiving has just passed. While it’s set for the third ...

Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Keiji Nishitana(Wikipedia public domain)         Keiji Nishitani died on this day, the 24th of November, in 1990. I noted this a few years ago. And thought it good to repeat...

Meditation can help you to get a good night’s sleep and can improve quality of life for people with sleep apnea. In this article, I’ll discuss the science and share several different meditations that can help. But first of all, what is sleep apnea? Sleep Apnea is a common condition that causes breathing to stop during sleep. [1] There are two types...

Share A Teaching Story about Gratitude from The Wisdom of Islam: An Introduction to the Living Experience of Islamic Belief and Practice by Robert Frager "God is the ultimate source of all life and all good that comes to us. Think about all you have to be grateful for — your life, your loved ones, the roof over your head, your health, and so on. "M...

Share Reflection Do you remember a time when you were made to believe that your body was bad, or that you were bad? Where did this belief come from?How does this belief show up in your life?How does this belief feel in your body?Has there ever been a time when you’ve felt liberated in your spirituality and in your body at the same time? What does t...

Share There are many books about meditation and the importance of contemplative practices, but few that manage to remain contemplative-centered while drawing timely applications. That’s what Oren Jay Sofer’s book does so well. A quote from the Buddha is at the top: “Irrigators channel water, fletchers shape arrows, carpenters fashion wood, the wise...

Share “We don’t practice devotion to get something in return. We practice it for its own sake, as a complete offering of our heart. Singing my son to sleep in my arms, lowering him gently into a warm bath, even wiping his bottom — done wholeheartedly these acts express full devotion. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi recounts how Dogen, the founder of the Soto ...

Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.   Soto Zen Buddhist Association2012 Dharma Heritage Ceremony             An old friend  just announced on his Facebook page the formation of the Soto Zen North America proje...

Artwork by: Avishi Gurnani, age 12Written by: Siddhant Raj Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea what kind of effort goes into the simple act of peeling a potato. As a class, my friends and I prepared khichdi (a dish in the Indian cuisine) with the help of our teachers and support staff. We distributed it to low-income communities near our school. W...

Share In this book, award-winning Canadian illustrator and author Roz MacLean celebrates the myriad of ways we express ourselves, through the lens of a child named Nathan who "doesn't say much" but "has a lot on his mind." The other children at Nathan's school show the many ways to say something: out loud, by facial expression, in writing, in Brail...