The calligraphy brush descends into the ink as black as night. It absorbs the darkness in every hair and rests on the hill of the suzuri...

The earth-colored ceramic bowl was decorated with golden lines. They were not arranged in patterns and flowed like a stream, freely...

My heart is tightening with a feeling again. I’m familiar with this experience. Sadness, irritation, or resistance — whatever the emotion...

After walking through the forest, I sit on the ground and drink water. A breeze gently brushes my skin. I close my eyes to focus on the...

I recently planned a 4-session outdoor class series, Mindful Walking and Yoga. I invited the community to practice walking meditation and...

I recently camped in the Big Bend National Park in Texas, U.S.A. It was so lovely to see many colorful wildflowers and succulents...

Here is the photo I took at the Pedernales Falls State Park, my go-to area for hiking. What do you see in the sky? An angel spreading out...

You cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is in stirring within us the will to aspire. That...

The arc of darkness is slowly advancing over the golden full moon. It is a subtle move but undeniable. Little by little, Earth’s shadow...

Another gust slammed into my one-person tent, forcefully pushing its wall toward my lying body. The sound of howling wind echos through...

“If you don’t raise the bar, how will you know your potential? - L. Tom Perry As a cloud moves over the sun, the shadow rolls down the...

I have read Matthew McConaughey’s advice about never saying, “I can’t” when dealing with a challenge¹. It is the teaching he received...

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, …” A volleyball bounces between us with childlike joy. “Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, …” Our...

Here I am again. I reached a Y junction. I must choose between two options. I go over the numbers once more. The first list shows the...

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. — Henry David Thoreau American culture has an aversion to getting lost. Our...

“Don’t make any big changes in the first year of grieving,” my grief counselor warned me. “Relocation, a new relationship, career...

The dancing flames light up the dark yard. The cracking sounds of firewood echo through the night. The light reveals the drawings I’m...

My life partner, Kimball, and I recently added the Rummy card game to our pastimes. Kimball is a skilled rummy player with good...

It is a time of danger, suffering, and pain. It is a rip current that sweeps out to the deep water far away from the shore of safety. Its...

In my home country, Japan, the word for a break (yasumi) is written with the character, 休. It consists of two parts, 人 (the symbol for a...