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Many years ago after leaving the New York City, I began to take an interest, to really notice the shift of seasons. Before then, I was largely consumed with getting from one place to another; my surroundings were largely incidental.

Today, I'm more aware of the connection between the environment and how I feel, what I eat, and the land that nurtures and sustains the food I consume. I've made a conscious effort to support local growers, and recently visiting a local apple farm, I learned a new word, terroir...which is French for the taste of place. Terroir, speaks to the combination of factors including soil, climate, and sunlight that gives fruit and often grapes their distinctive character.

At this particular local apple farm and cidery, the sense of place is deeply rooted in how the farmers care for the apple and peach trees, how they prune, how they harvest, and ultimately the apples, peaches, and blackberries they produce.

This is a relationship between land, place, and harvest that can be tasted and that is terroir.

Spring is much more than the time between equinox and solstice, it's a time of moving toward the light, of celebrating the return of the soft green shoots, and the mud and muck that nurture the fertile soil. It's a time to remember and take action to protect our environment whether that is an outdoor patio in a high-rise apartment in the city or acres in the country. We can all take action, We must.

The other day at a local cidery, I was reminded of this urgency. A young person walked around with a T-shirt that read, 'No Planet B.'

This Earth Month, consider what you, we can do because there is no Planet B.

Somedays life is almost too remarkable to fully comprehend. Yesterday was such a day.

I sat underneath these cherry trees, deciding I would take myself out for a spring picnic, and as I approached the trees in full bloom, I heard the sound of an old-fashioned typewriter.

Sitting at a picnic table was a man typing away. I heard the forgotten sound of the carriage release and the type wheel, the gentle bell...ding...a reminder to return the carriage back and continue typing.

Some days, especially in spring, moments feel immortal, living and alive like fresh, green shoots. These are moments that feel timeless, overabundant, and luxurious.

Yesterday was such a day....what luxury are you living today?

What a incredible retreat with the Opening Heart Mindfulness Community this past weekend. Our theme for the day was Nourishing Our Hearts, Nurturing the Planet: Healing & Engaging in a Challenging World.

Preparing for the retreat, I was daunted by the task of trying to offer an experience for the participants that was not only nourishing but also inspiring.

I came across a speech that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave in describing the multiple crisis facing society at the time. He said, that we as a society have become 'creatively maladjusted.' There are some things King said that we should never be adjusted to, such as racial discrimination or social injustice.

Similarly, today, we should never be adjusted to climate crisis, gun violence, and war. He said our work is to be 'transformed nonconformist', to resist becoming 'creatively maladjusted'.

How do you do this? You engage the work of peacemaking: creating peace within yourself and then sharing that with others.

I'll be offline for a a couple of weeks and before I go, I want to encourage you to join me for this upcoming annual retreat that is in person for the first time since 2020 and in Washington, DC.

Rumor has it that you’ll leave the retreat feeling affirmed in a new way and inspired to do good in the world.

It's been said in many ways: we are deeply interconnected and this very human need for connection is not just important, it's described by many researchers as a biological imperative.

In this quote from Healing Our Way Home, Black Buddhist Teachings on ancestors, Joy, and Liberation, coauthored with Kaira Jewel Lingo and Marisela B. Gomez, MD, we offer a free-range dialogue that spin off in topics like, loneliness, social support, and cultivating receptivity.

Order your copy here....https://www.parallax.org/product/healing-our-way-home/

Querencia is a metaphysical concept from the Spanish language. It has many meanings that include 'desire', and it also means the place where people feel most secure, gain the strength of their character, and feel at home.

Last month I participated in a uniquely special dedication of a new building named Querencia at Upaya Zen Center. The community stewarded by Roshi Joan Halifax, a long time student of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, is a place that holds deep love.

In his opening remarks during the building dedication, Hoshi Troy Keido Fernandez said, "I like to think of it as the place that loved me into being. And at its heart it also speaks of our capacity to love others, not the “LOVE” but the feeling itself.
It’s not the kind of thing you say, it’s the kind of thing you do!

On this International Women's Day, I celebrate women worldwide and acknowledge our strength of character and most of all our love.

It's the kind of thing we do!

Here's another quote from my new book, Healing Our Way Home, coauthored with friends, Kaira Jewel Lingo and Marisa B. Gomez, MD. In this chapter we focus on the importance of self-care and wellness.

Abundant research cites the importance of cultivating generosity and self-compassion. Generosity appears to have especially strong associations with psychological health and
well-being. While this is true, we can sometimes forget to be generous with ourselves, to offer kindness and self-compassion to ourselves. Relating to ourselves in a kind, friendly, and generous manner is essential for emotional wellbeing.

How can you balance hyper-vigilance and the stress associated with it? Self-compassion.

I'm excited and thrilled to be joined tonight by co-authors, friends, and colleagues, Kaira Jewel Lingo and Marisela B. Gomez, MD for a virtual lively, real-talk discussion at Insight Meditation Society's Book Club at 7:00-8:30 pm Eastern Time about our new book, Healing Our Way Home, Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation just published by Parallax Press earlier this month.

Join the the party here:

https://ims.dharma.org/courses/ims-book-club-healing-our-way-home

In my latest book co-authored with Kaira Jewel Lingo and Marisela Gomez, Healing Our Way Home, Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation (Parallax Press 2024), no subject is off-limits in this approachable pursuit of empowerment, liberation, and what it means to discover a firm sense of self and belonging.

Please join my dear friends Kaira Jewel Lingo and her partner Father Adam Bucko for a Buddhist Christian retreat at the Garrison Institute, March 7-10. Spiritual Radicals: Learning Engaged Spirituality from Buddhist and Christian Saints and Bodhisattvas.

Please register with the link below.

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Last Call: Please join us tomorrow @ 7:00 pm Eastern Time for the launch of our latest book, Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation, co-written with Kaira Jewel Lingo and Marisela B. Gomez, MD.

Use the link below to join. Preorder the book now and use code HOME20 to receive a 20% discount.

Here's an excerpt from the book...

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