à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Freedom
Goodbye, Gluttony! Dispatch from a Contemplative Thanksgiving
Despite my excitement at attending a contemplative, potluck Thanksgiving, anxiety hijacked my high spirits on Thursday as I loaded two pans of roasted vegetables and my folding meditation bench into my Subaru. In addition to garden variety worries about whether I’d enjoy the other people, I feared that the intention for a mindful gathering could … Continue reading
Turkey is Not a Synonym for Gratitude
I didn’t always dread Thanksgiving. Growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, I looked forward to it. I loved the special dishes my mother prepared (sauteed mushrooms and onions being one). I enjoyed making relish, hand cranking cranberries and an orange, rind and all, through a metal meat grinder and watching it ooze red … Continue reading
Dear Sugar: I’ve Filed for Divorce
Dear Sugar (C12H22O11), We’ve had a good run, not quite half a century together, longer than many marriages. I thought that by reaching for you when I felt blissful and blue, I proved my devotion to you. It never crossed my mind that you were a parasite who never reciprocated. Your complex molecule has romped, … Continue reading
Authority vs. Authenticity
I recently enrolled in a workshop called “Claim Your Voice.” As an introvert, my tendency towards formulating a response and finding accurate words sometimes trump instantaneous communication. Fast-moving conversations often drown out my voice, or people misinterpret my pause as meaning that I have nothing to say, so I am overlooked. By the time I’ve … Continue reading
Improv as Spiritual Practice
I just passed the half-way point of an improvisational acting class. It’s my first in many years, this time at Boulder Improv Collaborative, coached by Myles Goldin and Zac Chase. I enrolled out of a desire to have fun and practice spontaneity. While “practicing spontaneity” might sound like an oxymoron, it’s not. Some of us, … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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