Stopping the endless pursuit of getting somewhere else is the perhaps most beautiful offering we can make to our spirit.

We want to be in open, loving communion with each other and our greatest fear is intimacy. That it won't work and we'll be rejected.

The two wings of mindfulness and kindness will begin to open the heart to more connection with our world.

A lot of times in spiritual communities, detachment is considered to be an expression of being spiritually evolved when often, we have want and fear around being in relationship with each other.

The main thing going on around intimacy is that we've developed a lot of strategies so we'll be a desirable package.

We can find true refuge within our own hearts and minds-right here, right now, in the midst of our moment-to-momen t lives. We find true refuge whenever we recognize the silent space of awareness behind all our busy doing and striving. We find refuge whenever our hearts open with tenderness and love. We find refuge whenever we connect with the innate clarity and intelligence of our true nature.

But this revolutionary act of treating ourselves tenderly can begin to undo the aversive messages of a lifetime.