Discomfort of any kind becomes the basis for practice. We breathe in knowing our pain is shared.

Holding on to anything blocks wisdom.

Being preoccupied with our self-image is like being deaf and blind. It's like standing in the middle of a vast field of wildflowers with a black hood over our heads. It's like coming upon a tree of singing birds while wearing earplugs.

Compassion practice is daring. It involves learning to relax and allowing ourselves to move gently toward what scares us.

Being fully present isn’t something that happens once and then you have achieved it; it’s being awake to the ebb and flow and movement and creation of life, being alive to the process of life itself.

Simply be present with your own shifting energies and with the unpredictabilit y of life as it unfolds.

The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.