The Quiet Challenge of a Rising Bar

The Quiet Challenge of a Rising Bar

Saturday was a sunny, windless, breathless day at the Cape. The kind of day when you throw on a scarf and light sweater and head off to walk barefooted on Grotto Beach; or take a languid kayak paddle on the invitingly flat, Kleinrivier lagoon; or perhaps throw on the...
Mythical Meetings and MBSRs

Mythical Meetings and MBSRs

For the past 16 years I have been teaching together with my Norwegian colleague, Kristin Flood. Together we have developed a wide scope of workshops and courses, always with the mandate to use our tool of this mysterious writing process, to assist people to connect to...
The Journey

The Journey

Born in South Africa, I lived in Canada for 30 years, then returned to be a part of the “New South Africa” when Nelson Mandela became president.   I’m born in Johannesburg. I’m married (for a lot of years)  to a man I knew for one week. We have two children and...
Listenbear teaches Children how to bear the unbearable

Listenbear teaches Children how to bear the unbearable

“Close your eyes and smile” Listenbear teaches Children how to bear the unbearable using a gentle, loving meditation practice Merle learned from the Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh I wrote my first children’s book “Dream it Do it” for my 3 year old...
Beats me

Beats me

Apologies. I can’t be long. I need to buy a drum. There are no djembe drums from West Africa, looking for new owners in my new, rural community. Since I arrived home last night, my fingers are tapping everything in sight – kitchen counter, bed sheets, oatmeal pot half...
The Examined Life & Swedish Death Cleaning

The Examined Life & Swedish Death Cleaning

Inspired by the book “The gentle art of Swedish Death Cleaning” By Margareta Magnusson. I came to the book  on döstädning after a conversation with some of my Norwegian students.  I was impressed by how easily the topic of death cleaning slipped...