Though I’ve always considered myself authentic, more recently I am learning that authenticity is much more complicated than I had assumed.

We ignore our bodies and get out of sync with them, but when we tap into them they are sites of symbols. They are holding information that our conscious minds have long forgotten.

“In the Zen existence it became clear to me that every moment I spent inside my head was wasting precious life - removing me from the immediacy of experience and intimate connections.”

“Self-compassion is when we turn towards ourselves the way we would to a best friend -- paying attention and listening to them with a tender heart, even through emotional discomfort.”

“The paradox is that the more we practice staying with the simple truth of this moment, the more capacity we build to grasp the fullness of what is here now.”

“Grounding begins with awareness. When we are unaware of anxiety it continues to act on us and increase, but when it becomes conscious, it begins to loosen and soften.”