My life was going fine until one day I was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a rare kidney disease that progresses and has no cure. My life felt shattered like glass into a million pieces. Thinking about my husband and my six-year-old daughter, I could not process the...

‘The greatest determination is similar to the one of a beginner who has just started practising meditation.’ Kusan Sumin

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” ~Brené Brown Several years ago, I wrote a heartfelt letter to my estranged mother, articulating my deep feelings about her perceived lack of empathy and care. My...

“Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and myself at the same time.” ~Prentis Hemphill I thought I had seen the worst of it. I thought I knew what it meant to watch someone you love disappear into addiction. My mother taught me that lesson long before I...

‘Delusion and awareness are not static forces; they are in constant motion. In one moment, we may be lost in delusion, caught up in a story of self. In the next moment, awareness may arise, illuminating the truth and revealing the emptiness of that story.’ Everyday...

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” ~Anaïs Nin When I think back on my life, shyness feels like an inner prison I carried with me for years. Not a prison with bars and guards, but a quieter kind—made of hesitation, fear, and silence. It kept me...

‘We see that the anger is not who we are, nor is it permanent. It is simply a passing mental state, and it loses its power when seen with clarity.’ Everyday Buddhism

When I attended my first long meditation retreat, a cushion was reserved for me at the back of the hall. Every participant had to sit in the same place every day until the end of the retreat. Sitting behind everyone else proved to be a challenge for me. Even though I...