à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Awareness
On the Perils of Unsolicited Advice
In our talk-centric culture, opinions are exchanged as unconsciously as oxygen molecules. Many people apparently enjoy conversations that more closely resemble ping-pong matches than genuine inquiry. For some, offering advice is a compulsive habit. Regardless of whether anyone is interested, they are like fountains that gurgle their viewpoints on humans within hearing distance or on social media. But many folks, even non-gurglers, often … Continue reading
Texting to Enlightenment? Spiritual Practice on the Go
Not to fear, I don’t text while driving, cycling, or walking for that matter. But after getting an iPhone after years of resisting (and recoiling from texting), I began exploring its possibilities. On my road trip, texting comes in handy when visiting friends in different cities and confirming last minute logistics. At times, texting was more reliable than e-mail, when my phone’s wireless … Continue reading
Feldenkrais and the Coleman Camp Stove
During my last minute road trip, I booked lodging in Polebridge, MT, on the edge of Glacier National Park, less than 24 hours in advance. That I found a funkily furnished ger, a round tent-like structure created in Mongolia, with a real bed, a private compost toilet and an outdoor shower on short notice, thrilled me. I could enjoy the … Continue reading
Road Trip: the Etch-a-Sketch of Travel
“Planning the next moment drains your energy. Being present to this one replenishes it.” – Living Compassion I love to travel. My mind loves to doubt. Every time I’m on a trip, regardless of destination or length, my mind wonders if I should have done it differently or visited somewhere else altogether. If I’m alone, it tells … Continue reading
On Not Killing Your Joy
In my ongoing attempt to live with less, over the spring I turned a ruthless eye toward my art supplies: acrylic and powder paints, pastels, collage materials collected over the years, dozens of different beads from when I designed jewelry professionally, tons of mosaic tesserae from my subsequent artrepreneurship, partially completed works in various media, wire … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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