Introduction to the Essays
These essays are part of a living library, a body of work shaped by my more than forty years of meditation, mindfulness practice, professional life, teaching, writing, and reflection.
I am gradually bringing my writing home to this site so it can live in one place, outside the pace and demands of any single platform. Some pieces began as newsletters. Some are excerpts from books in progress. Some are field notes from practice, aging, responsibility, conflict, attention, and the seasons of a life.
You are invited to read slowly, follow what calls to you, and return when something asks for your attention.
If you would like new essays delivered by email, you can subscribe below. I think of this not as another feed to keep up with, but as an intentional way to curate what enters your inbox and your attention.
Practice in Ordinary Life
There was a time when I thought practice had to happen somewhere formal. I imagined it belonged on a cushion, in a quiet room, on retreat, in a church, or in a zendo. Those places have been important to me, and I have spent many hours sitting in silence. I have been deeply shaped by various Zen practices, Christian contemplative practices, Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, and the steady discipline of returning to the breath, the body, and the present moment. Formal practice creates a container. It teaches us how to listen. It gives us a place to return again and again. Over time, though, I have come to understand that the deeper question is whether I can be present in the messy middle of ordinary life.