Bear's Blog

Tumultuous times are with us. The tide of emotions and thoughts can be overwhelming. Maybe you are upset, angry, sad, scared, or discouraged. Possibly you are experiencing a mix of those, or a feeling that doesn’t even have a label. We are certainly experiencing a disturbance - in the energy field, in the streets, in our thinking and emotions, and ultimately in our bodies. I feel a heaviness in my body, and a numbness that slows everything down.

My self-care practices are helpful while I am engaged in doing them....

Nature! Nature is all of us, and everything in the world. There is an ongoing mutual exchange, support and reciprocity between all living organisms. And while the natural world nourishes us in many ways, I want to talk about our direct relationship with FOOD; there’s the practical, the energetic and the spiritual aspects. 

In recent years there has been more attention on local food, native plants, seed diversity and organic farming. Community gardening programs have sprung up in schools, prisons, and on...

Is there a situation where the suffering is deep and complex, and you don’t know what to do (like now)? It seems an appropriate time to share this meditation, with Corona taxing our resilience and understanding of what’s happening in the world.  It’s an antidote to feeling helpless or afraid. In class many years ago, a student asked me during the (first) Iraq war “what can I do?” and this was my answer (it’s now part of every Foundation class I teach).

Tonglen is a powerful...

Working from home, schooling from home, trying to organize ALL our activities and time – from home – gets exhausting. So here’s something you can do whenever the impulse strikes you – be inconsistent, undisciplined, irregular!
 
For this week's Corona Care Kit item, I want to suggest a BOOK that is a wealth of wisdom, a reference, a divination invitation, a philosophical perspective, and intuitive guidance. It’s next to my bedside, and has been for many years. (Often it’s my...

Ah, MOVEMENT - this week's Corona Care Kit topic. We feel confined right now, but don’t let your body suffer! Movement supports all aspects of our physical health – circulatory and respiratory, muscular and skeletal (use it or lose it!), endocrine and nervous (sleep! reverse the fight/flight response!) and especially immunity. The lymph fluid cleans up cellular debris from antibodies fighting invaders, and then moves it out of the system. The problem is, it doesn’t have a “pump” to move it...

 And now, for Nature. There is always so much support being offered to us from the “natural world”. It’s ironic – but helpful! - that we are going through this big contraction at a time the Earth is expanding into springtime. Nature and its forces are eternal, moving through seasons and cycles that provide us with continuity and define our activity. We have become more disconnected with our inherent nature in the modern world. It’s interesting to see nature taking a deep breath as...

This week’s Corona Care subject transcends categories – it could be in play/art, meditation, nature, or gratitude.  I’m going to frame altars as a way of bringing moments of gratitude into your days – but they can also evoke inspiration, contemplation, devotion and appreciation.

What is an altar? It’s a visual reminder that brings a connection to spirit into everyday life. A place for the mind to rest and appreciate a greater perspective of what is. Just like that alcove or landing...

Here’s the next installment in the Corona Care Kit, in the ”Play” category. Have you been breaking out a few board games, puzzles, or playing cards? Have enough people for charades? Here’s a unique addition…

A few years ago one of my students, Patty Lisieski, was inspired by a child in her life to do a “McKay Method” (Monopoly) game for her graduate project. It’s hilarious, and she was so creative with the format! So now we would like to share it with you, and hope...

In one of my first “pandemic” posts, I talked about creating structure in your day - and different activities that you should consider including.
 
You can view that post here.
 
These are the different categories I wrote about –
 
Exercise/Movement ~ Learn ~ Meditation ~ Play ~ Gratitude ~ Nature
 
I am adding an item each week in one of the categories to keep you going! Last week it was Learn (the Energy Signatures book club), the week before it was Movement (Chakra Energetics).
...

In my next series of blog posts I will be expanding on each of the categories from my last newsletter - Gratitude, Exercise/Movement, Play, Nature, and Learning  – and offering specific support in those areas.
 
This week’s spotlight is on - LEARNING!
 
I want to announce that I will be doing a free online book club to explore “Energy Signatures”!  
 
Click here to download the book and get registered for the weekly meetings!

Now that you have spent a few weeks cooped...

Last time I wrote about the group energy field, and how a big contraction can affect us. Now I want to look at your home energy field – something we have more control over!

Hugge (hoo-ga) is derived from a Norwegian word for "well-being". It embodies feelings of comfort through enjoying the simple things in life. Relaxation, togetherness and appreciation are its hallmarks. With intention, and a look at what we build into the structure of our day, we can shift from a negative perspective of this time to make...

“This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that… the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
 
- FDR, first inaugural address 3/4/1933

 
Let’s be reasonable. A worldwide pandemic should be taken very seriously. Yet, like everything else, you prepare/do the best you can, and then let it go. We can control our actions (mostly!) and the rest is out of our hands. The fact that we live in an...