For thousands of years, women across China, Japan, and the Mediterranean world have used floral steam as one of the simplest and most effective tools in their skincare practice, and the peony was among the most prized botanicals for this purpose. The warmth of the steam gently opens pores and increases circulation, while the bioactive … Continue reading Hearty peony petal floral facial steam
health & wellness
Meant to bes & have to dos
“Somewhere there is an ancient enmity between our daily lives and the great work. Help me in saying it, to understand it.”– Rainer Maria Rilke There is a profound tension between the mundane and chaotic aspects of daily life and the pursuit of significant, transformative work in each day of our lives. This "ancient enmity" … Continue reading Meant to bes & have to dos
Spirit
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. - Proverbs 16:32 The value of patience and self-control over physical strength and aggression can bend reality in revolutionary ways. Being slow to anger and ruling one's spirit is more commendable than … Continue reading Spirit
Curiosity and the bad habit
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Viktor Frankl Who knew mindful curiosity could have a profound impact on bad habits? It has the ability to shift our focus from automatic reactions to conscious awareness. … Continue reading Curiosity and the bad habit
Antidotes to anger
"Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." - Unknown Anger held over time creates an illusion of action. It feels like doing something, like maintaining a stance, keeping score, or preserving justice. But the internal cost accrues entirely to the person holding it while the target of that … Continue reading Antidotes to anger
Mightier still
"Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power."- Lao Tzu, Chapter 33 of the Tao Te Ching Living a life that requires an enormous amount of sustained inner resources can create the temptations to focus entirely outward, on managing circumstances and other people's needs, while … Continue reading Mightier still
Finding peace
"You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them with courage and compassion." Running from difficulty does not bring peace, facing it does. People instinctively want to escape pain and avoid suffering. We scroll, we stay busy, we overwork, we numb. Gently we need to look at what it … Continue reading Finding peace
Obstacles as the path
"The obstacle to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 5, Chapter 20. I find this idea remarkably durable. It has been revisited again and again across two thousand years because the human experience of obstruction has not changed. We still face illness, loss, failed plans, … Continue reading Obstacles as the path
Adversity introductions
"Adversity introduces a person to themselves." – Unknown I am navigating a genuinely demanding life. Maybe you are too. This life is both beautiful and a sustained, compounding adversity in the most human sense. What I have discovered in the really rough patches of my life is a version of myself that I could not … Continue reading Adversity introductions
Emotions like wild horses
"Emotions are like wild horses. It’s not about getting rid of them but learning to ride them."– Paulo Coelho The wild horses will always be with us. The question is simply whether we are learning to ride. Emotions are natural forces, not flaws - Wild horses are not broken or wrong simply because they are … Continue reading Emotions like wild horses