By balancewithgrace on 11/22/2006 2:44 PM

The Medieval Christian philosopher and mystic, Meister Eckhart said, “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘Thank You,’ that would suffice.”  How wonderfully reassuring!  When called upon to give a blessing before a holiday meal, I know there have been times that I’ve wondered, “Will I say the right thing?’ “Will I say enough?”  “Will the food get too cold?”  With Meister Eckhart’s wisdom in mind, I now know that a grateful heart ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 11/12/2006 3:52 PM

Spirit knows the way to us.  Like water, which will always flow to the lowest point, Spirit knows where we are and can reach the deepest parts of ourselves that need healing, blessing, and reminding of our spiritual nature.  Too often we perceive ourselves as separate—separate from others and separate from Spirit.  This is an illusion.  We have to lift this veil of deception and remove the barriers that prevent Spirit from finding us, filling us, and flowing through us.  Barriers to Spirit break the natural connection to and flow of Spirit.Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 11/7/2006 8:57 PM

If the previous entry piqued your curiosity about The Spiritual Cinema Circle, here’s an opportunity to check out one of their films.  They recently secured the rights to show the short film Baker's Men via email—for free!  Featured in the Volume 10 DVD, Baker's Men is a humorous short film that examines our societal expectations and gender roles through the e ... Read More »

Leisure

By balancewithgrace on 10/28/2006 5:33 PM

I’ve been a long time member of a DVD film club called Spiritual Cinema Circle.  Members receive a monthly DVD with one feature presentation, and several shorts and or documentaries.  The selected films, which often come from international film festivals, are thought provoking and uplifting.  It’s a welcome respite from the “bang ‘em up, shoot ‘em up” fare that’s typically chosen by the rest of my family.  Living in a house of testosterone, (with my husband, two boys, and a male ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 10/26/2006 12:37 PM

The other morning I had a realization while rinsing my cereal bowl at the kitchen sink.  I’d just been considering how often I’ve let my inner critic prevent me from writing.   (There’s certainly a correlation between this and the infrequency of my blog postings!) My critic’s favorite line is, “Who do you think you are?”  Equally effective variations include, “What could you possibly offer?” and “You’re hardly an expert!”  Even though one of my favorite Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 9/8/2006 9:36 AM

Once a year, Sounds True, my favorite source for audio learning programs has a big sale. Many items are 25-75% off, but quantities are limited.  This year I hit the jackpot and everything I ordered was available.  The package arrived in time for my birthday.  As I opened my gift of learning, it was hard to select which CD to listen to first.  My latest explorations have been in the areas of creativity and meditation, so I finally settled on Zen Howl with Natalie Goldberg and Dosho& ... Read More »

By balancewithgrace on 8/28/2006 12:16 PM

I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  When it works I love it, but when I get error messages and things don’t “sync” I get very cranky.  I’m a little surprised to find myself posting about a technological tool to help with relaxation and meditation training, but, I really do have to recommend The Journey to Wild Divine.  My boys love computer games, so I purchased this computer game last year as a Christmas present for the whole family.   Granted, I use this more than anyone else in the family, but each of my boys has played it for a while.& ... Read More »

By Grace Durfee on 8/2/2006 8:55 AM

Since the Latin root of the word Spirit, spiritus, means breath, it’s only fitting to include breath work in our exploration of spiritual practices.  Breath is considered the outward manifestation of prana, or Chi as referred to by the Chinese, the vital force or energy,  that is everywhere and in everything, including us.   This energy is everywhere, waiting for us to open ourselves and become channels for it. 

 

Read More »

Spirit

By balancewithgrace on 7/24/2006 10:06 PM

A few weeks ago, before school ended for the summer, I had the opportunity to be one of the parent chaperones for a fifth grade field trip to explore tidal pools at Place Cove in Hampton, NH.  As Alex, my younger son, will be starting middle school next year, I suspected that this might be my last invitation to join a field trip, so I juggled some things in my schedule to clear most of the day for the excursion.   Boy, was it worth it!

What fun we had during our time at the b ... Read More »

Leisure

By balancewithgrace on 7/23/2006 11:53 AM

 

Air is life-sustaining and is all around us, yet invisible.   Unless it's particularily humid, dry, or filled with pollen or pollution, we often take no notice of air.  Here are some ways to celebrate and connect to this unseen, but vital element:

•  Admire and look for winged species: birds, butterflies, dragonflies and bats.  Read More »
  Environment