There is a subtle beauty in everything, unasking of our attention but wholly deserving of it. The deep joy of appreciation can only be found by eyes that see, and so the cultivation of eyes that clearly see is critical. If we can find a place of calm in the mind – beyond stories, distractions, and thought – we can drop into the simple experience of what is and begin to see clearly.
I’m about to embark on pilgrimage to Japan. This is the third time I’ve planned this trip (once …
Nestled just off the east coast of Canada’s mainland is an island all to itself; a land farther apart than one might first think. Jutting out into the North Atlantic, its endless rocky coast was the first land encountered by seafarers venturing from the far side of the ocean. Vikings and settlers, historic and modern alike, continue to come upon these rough shores with appreciative eyes; sanctuary after a long crossing. Newfoundland is a name given to these rocky shores,…
White snow has blanketed my home; its gentle arrival triggering a quietude in me alongside the seasonal rhythms. Summer’s bustle is now in the past and the colourful holidays of winter are still on the horizon, so this peaceful moment betwixt is a place from which I can draw a deep inhale. But, as my filling inbox reminds me, Black Friday looms.
I have mixed feelings about consumerism around the holidays. On the one hand, for creators selling their wares this season is…
(continued from Part four: Walking in the clouds.)
“Tell me about Guatemala,” a friend shoots the question across the table at me over a fresh pint of beer. Between excursions that take me far from home, we seasonally return to this watering hole like the nomadic animals that we are. Today, perhaps I might begin with remarking about how great it is to have a proper ale touch my lips once again, but more likely I will jump write in and tell of the new friends I met on the road.…
(continued from Part three: Lake Atitlán.)
The paved road gives way to gravel, which eventually narrows to a rocky path before disappearing altogether. Here, at the literal end of the road, lies a tiny island of Guatemalan cloud forest and the community protecting it. I was to be a guest of both in the coming days.
Step. Stop. Listen. See. Walking through the cloud forest with a skilled guide, it is abundantly clear how much of the ecosystem, teeming with life around …
Every year as I return from breezy festival fields to my warm urban apartment, I bring home with me a sense of renewal.
The official vision of the Winnipeg Folk Festival is to cultivate experiences of discovery and learning through the celebration of people and music; however, a quieter goal that has been shared with me over these past few years is that of creating a safe space in a troubled world. In both cases, these aims address larger social values, and it is in this …