à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Resistance
Reflections on 2014
Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not illumination. – Vin Scully Our culture measures many things, including the passage of time, and looks to data for evidence. Last December, I wrote a post, 2013 Blog Highlights, that focused on my most popular articles based on views. Since then blog traffic, followers and “likes” … Continue reading
Feldenkrais, Food and Self-Image
“I can’t imagine giving up gluten” – Facebook comment It’s more than a week into my trial separation from gluten. Rather than immediately stocking up on gluten-free substitutes, I doubled if not tripled my consumption of fruit and vegetables. My head is clearer, I feel lighter, I sleep better and, unexpectedly, my waistline is trimmer. While I’m marveling at the nearly immediate … Continue reading
Commitment: to Process or Outcome?
A few days ago I attended a women’s group focused on the theme of commitment. The word itself elicited various reactions, from excitement to a sense of burden or duty. One woman even referred to it as a curse. I smiled and nodded. Despite having written about this subject, hearing the word can still create … Continue reading
The Vagina Monologues as Spiritual Bootcamp
In December, I heeded an inner Yes! and auditioned for The Vagina Monologues (VM) at Boulder’s Naropa University. I wasn’t sure what, exactly, my Yes! had been about until I received my lines. That I wasn’t assigned very many caused my big fat Yes! to shrink to a more flaccid “Hmm…OK.” Perhaps the Yes! had … Continue reading
Leave No Trace: Cleaning as Spiritual Practice
When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself. – Shunryu Suzuki Visitors to wilderness areas heed a principle called “leave no trace”. Conscientious hikers carry out used toilet paper, feminine products, food scraps, wrappers and anything else that does not belong. In certain remote places … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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