Bear's Blog

When I was young I identified as a writer, and went to study at one of the best journalism schools in the country. If I had continued in that profession, I would have been drawn to reporting in a war zone. Something about immersing myself in a great battle, where everything is more intense, including suffering, called me. More than the "normal" suffering inherent in the human condition - something more abrupt, more acute.

In Buddhism suffering is viewed as having a cause which can be addressed. That remedy is an...

Photo: Ukraine Presidential Office

The war on Ukraine is still front and center in the world consciousness, impacting all of us and our capacity to stay present for the pain and suffering we see unfolding. Do you find yourself tuning out, unsettled, despairing, tired, restless, in denial, helpless or fearful in these chaotic times?

When faced with death I used to go into denial – "you’re going to get better!" What I missed was a chance to be fully present with the other person. I wasn't able to give OR...

How do we think about good and evil? We don’t usually discuss morality in such stark terms, but when the subject of evil comes up Hitler is usually considered a prime example. Yet nobody can be 100% evil, or 100% good either. Human nature encompasses the whole spectrum. How we manage these impulses is the challenge. What are the drivers of one kind of behavior over another?

The soul is eternal; it comes in at conception and lives as part of the physical body throughout a lifetime. At the moment of death, the...

So what to do, and how to think about being on the brink of war? When a bully threatens you with violence? This is something to ponder as an individual, a society, and a country.

My view is that everything boils down to a choice between love or fear (and its accompanying anger, hate, greed, etc.). It can be useful to simplify to that degree, but often the situation is a LOT more complicated.

I am reflecting on what I wrote for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, about how he and other great leaders have espoused –...

Once you can recognize Energy Signatures you will not only understand people better, you will see commonalities within professions. And that includes Presidents!

Here’s a brief description of how to identify energy types based on physical appearance, and the gifts of each type (everybody has 3 types in their Energy Signature.)

Let’s get started!

ROYAL
Physical attributes- symmetrical and fit, well defined facial features
PROS - organized, productive and detail oriented

WARRIOR
Physical attributes- broad...

Chakras are engines that fuel our energy physiology, much like food fuels our physical body – little funnels drawing energy in from our environment. Rooted into our midline dynamic, which has many layers (think of the vertebrae, spinal cord, chakra channel, and Hara line) this energy is dispersed throughout our various bodies, both physical and energetic.

All ancient cultures have maps of the human energy field; the Chinese have meridians used in acupuncture, and the chakra model comes from India. There are seven...

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Bring on the Tiger Energy!

Gong Hei Fat Choy = Wishing you prosperity and good fortune in the new year! For one billion people around the world, February 1st was officially the first day of the Lunar New Year.

I always take the opportunity from Jan 1st until the Chinese New Year in February to gather myself and meet the year with new energy - ready for new opportunities and to be open to new possibilities. The Chinese New Year is special because of its relationship to...

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The news of Thich Nhat Hanh (also known as Thay) has rocked the world - in a good way. We are all part of one big energy field together, for better or for worse! The first time I noticed the world consciously coming together in this way was when Princess Diana died, followed by Mother Theresa. They both represented love. The internet has underlined our connectedness in profound and mundane ways. We are ONE WORLD.

There is a massive outpouring of love and appreciation for...

People talk about how divided we are right now, with tightly held views on any number of controversial issues. The truth is, we live in a world of duality - hot/cold, high/low, black/white, good/bad - with a whole lot of gray in between the extremes. The ultimate duality is love/fear - (hate and anger being an outgrowth of fear.)

Duality arises out of oneness. It’s the ultimate consciousness that can be thought of as love because there is no discrimination, no preference, no us/them. That also describes the...

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Here we are at another starting point - 2022. An impulse for reform, renewal, and hope at the New Year still stirs within us even after yet another round of Covid. Are you on the mat yet? In the corner nursing your wounds? Ready for another go at it, a whole new year? Plans seem irrelevant, although still necessary, as is the need to release our expectations into the great unknown. One thing you can plan on doing is taking a few moments to bring  healing and...