From resentment to recollection

Whenever I walk in a London street, I'm ever so careful to watch my feet;   And I keep in the squares,   And the masses of bears, Who wait at the corners all ready to eat The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,   Go back to they lairs,   And I say to them, … Continue reading From resentment to recollection

Kindness is Your presence

(Once in a while, as I am writing my morning pages, along come thoughts that emerge fully formed. Here is this morning's gift.) Yesterday evening, coming home on the tube, I tried to practise kindness towards the other commuters. In the midst of all our jostling for position and selfish desire to claim a space … Continue reading Kindness is Your presence

Practising kindness

I had a salutary experience yesterday evening. I was leading Open Soul Space, a facilitated gathering for meditation, contemplative prayer, sharing and teaching that is offered monthly at the London Centre for Spiritual Direction. We had all just settled down for 20 minutes’ silence when a man started talking on his phone in the street … Continue reading Practising kindness

What is the sensation of prayer? 10 steps to knowing God

How can you draw close to God when you are far from your own self? Grant, Lord, that I may know myself, that I may know thee.Augustine There is no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of the self and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God.Calvin, Institutes of … Continue reading What is the sensation of prayer? 10 steps to knowing God

Practise kindness

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore. Naomi Shihab Nye In 3 reasons to prayer: 1, 2, 3, I wrote about what makes prayer difficult, why you avoid it, why you say you haven't the time or are not disciplined. In prayer you become, perhaps only dimly, aware of life's physical, emotional and … Continue reading Practise kindness

11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety: Roundup

Anxiety, holding Magnifying Glass. Studio Shot Anxiety is excitement without breathing.Fritz Perls So here we are: 11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety. It took a while! Here's where we have been: BreatheFeel into this bodyMeeting with stillnessPrayerPauseTalkingWritingWalking and NatureDoing the dishesIdentifying fallacious reasoningSuffer the childThe next step Here are some things I have learnt in … Continue reading 11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety: Roundup

11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety:
10. Suffer the child

Anxiety, holding Magnifying Glass. Studio Shot This is the tenth instalment of 11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety, an ongoing experiment in meeting yourself with tenderness. If something hurts me, the hurts I suffered back then come back to me, and when I feel guilty, the feelings of guilt return; if I yearn for something … Continue reading 11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety:
10. Suffer the child