à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Identity
Dear Gluten: I Need to Separate
Dear Gluten: You’ve been in my life for almost as long as I can remember. Stalwart and faithful, you were as proper and unassuming as Sugar was sexy and alluring. Often the two of you made joint appearances in cakes, muffins and cookies; you showed up in pressed khakis, Sugar in black leather. I confess, I gave Sugar the credit … Continue reading
Remembering a Holy Maverick: Encounters with Reb Zalman (z”l)
The world lost one of its luminaries, Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (z”l), in early July. At a moving celebration of his life last weekend, I recalled a few of the more powerful times when my life intersected with this amazing being, with a “heart as big as the world”, if not as large as the cosmos. Grief introduced me to … 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
Feldenkrais: Roll Your Eyes, Change Your World
Imagine yourself as a complex switchboard of circuitry. Over time, as you’ve developed certain habits, particular wires have been connected to specific jacks in the board. Some connections might be looser than others, and we can easily replug those wires into new jacks. As I discovered ten days ago in my Feldenkrais training, it turns out I can … Continue reading
Stuff is Not a Synonym for Abundance
I once heard some spiritual advice that went something like this: if you were not surrounded with objects you love, it was a sign you were “blocking abundance”. The statement might contain a nugget of truth; perhaps some people don’t believe they deserve to have what pleases them, and they live in a state of … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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