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Interruptions: Obstacles or Messages? January 30, 2026 22:40
Recently, I dreamt that I was in a dimly lit room—it reminded me of the St. Simon’s Church basement where my family attended services when I was a kid. Metal folding chairs were arranged in a half circle on a thin orange carpet that smelled of stale coffee. Stacks of cardboard boxes lined up along the far wall of the room, and fluorescent lights flickered overhead in what resembled upside down ice cube trays.
Strangers milled about the room, and someone approached me and told me that it was my turn to lead the meditation class. I reached for a small plastic bucket, one that a child might play with at the beach, and a short PVC pipe that was resting on a shelf. Because there wasn’t a singing bowl in the basement, this would have to do.
The strangers kept milling about, chatting in hushed tones. They came and went in steady waves. I wasn’t able to hold their attention or interest—when I struck the PVC pipe against the bucket, it made flat, dull thuds, and I was not able to lead the meditation class.
***
I woke up feeling scattered and defeated. Dream images often reflect the state of our minds, and my mind was telling me that I was feeling scattered and disorganized—and that I didn’t have what I really needed in order to do what I was asked to accomplish.
I’ve been clearing out physical clutter in my home and office lately, but this dream was nudging me to clear out the mental and emotional clutter, too.
It was time to “go through the boxes,” to sort out the treasure from the trash, to create a space that welcomed visitors, not one that included chasing people around a dank smelling basement and beating on a plastic bucket hoping to gain their attention.
My dream was inviting me to take a seat, to find my own peace, to settle myself in order to invite others to practice.
***
Initially, everything in this dream appeared to be an obstacle to practice, an interruption of one sort or another. Interruptions are unavoidable. Even when I’m awake and reading through a sadhana practice, stray thoughts and images sneak between the lines printed on the page:
· This sweater is itchy.
· I could use a cup of tea.
· Maya is snoring loudly on the couch.
· Don’t forget to call Senators Young and Banks.
· Remember that time when Little Stevie got stuck on the top of the playground slide?
· Did you remember to pay the doctor bill?
· I haven’t seen that gray tabby cat in a while. I hope he’s OK.
These thoughts, memories, and worries come and go. If I don’t attach, they don’t usually persist. Instead, they float by like fish in a stream.
***
Dream images can be interpreted as interruptions, too. However, what at first glance appears to be interruptions, can actually be messages. They are symbolic reflections of what is happening in the outer world.
My outer world has been chaotic, messy, and uncertain lately. I have been grappling with feelings of grief, anger, and fear regarding the invasion of federal agents, the subsequent protests, and fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.
My friend and Tibetan language tutor, Ngawang, lives in the Minneapolis area with her family. I have been very concerned about their safety.
I was horrified and appalled by the aggressive and violent tactics of masked federal agents storm trooping into the city of Minneapolis to harass, intimidate, kidnap, and terrorize residents. The murders of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were unwarranted, preventable, and tragic.
***
My personal practice is an anchor for me; it keeps me steady and calm in the midst of chaos. However, sometimes personal practice isn’t enough.
A few weeks ago, I happened to hear an interview on the NPR program, Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Corrigan was interviewing Canadian writer, Kate Bowler, who is a professor and award-winning podcast host. Bowler said something in the interview that resonated with me: “Action absorbs anxiety.”
Yes—taking time each day to sit on my cushion and meditate IS a meaningful action, and an important part of maintaining my mental and spiritual wellbeing.
However, it doesn’t directly impact the community.
I don’t live in Minneapolis, but people I care about live there, and I support Minnesotans who have braved subzero temperatures to stand up for their neighbors.
I stand in solidarity with those who demand an end to the violence perpetuated by ICE and this current administration. I support those who bravely fight and advocate for the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of our immigrant communities.
I have called, and will continue to call, state legislators and members of Congress about this current situation and other situations that violate our constitutional rights and threaten the wellbeing of those who live in this country.
I take time every day to read or listen to credible, fact-based news sources. Being informed is essential to being a responsible citizen.
I am mindful about supporting local small businesses and companies that reflect my values and that do not contribute to the deception, corruption, and cruelty of this current administration.
We check in with our neighbors.
Even small actions, like leaving a few granola bars on my desk at school for students who may need an afternoon snack to get through the day, can make a positive difference.
These actions absorb anxiety, and they benefit others.
***
Kate Bowler is right—every time I pick up the phone and voice my concerns to senators, I feel a little better, and I feel empowered.
One of my favorite sources of information is Heather Cox Richardson. Her daily letters and her interviews with experts and lawmakers have been a beacon of hope for me (and many others—she has quite a following).
Last year, shortly after the election and inauguration, when the chaos and flood of confusion began, she wrote, “Don’t shut up. Don’t despair.”
I have been repeating that phrase like a mantra ever since—I’ve shared it in comments with friends, and I even had a tee shirt made with this phrase to remind myself and others of the importance of standing up, speaking out, and taking care of others.
***
What actions can you take to benefit others today? How can you be a source of help and support?
If anything, these are the essential questions that this dream is asking of me. The more I do to benefit others, the more peace and clarity I will experience. The more we work together, the more meaningful our progress will be.
I’m choosing to interpret these recent dream images as messages of encouragement, rather than anxious interruptions, and they are nudging me to continue to take meaningful action.
***
What can you do in your little corner of the world that can tend, comfort, and support others? How can we stand together to bring about positive change?
***
Thanks for taking the time to read this month’s offering.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you live with ease.
May you be a beacon of hope and encouragement for others.
Compassion Is the Antidote: Integrating Joy, Justice, and Humor into Practice January 31, 2025 22:12
If you prefer to listen to this month's blog offering, please click HERE for the audio link.
In some ways, the month of January has slowly dragged on as if we were pulling a heavy weight uphill. At the same time, it seems to have streaked by like a flash of light. I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted! We have certainly witnessed and endured a great deal this month, from political chaos to environmental disasters to personal tragedies…the suffering has been overwhelming this month.
WISDOM:
It’s certainly easy to get bogged down with all the bad news. Personally, I have found a bit of relief in the wisdom of others. I recently listened to an interview on Kelly Corrigan’s podcast, Kelly Corrigan Wonders, with the writer Kendra Adachi. They were discussing Adachi’s book, The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius.
This book, which I was able to check out from my local library, is a delightful read that is packed with helpful tips and nuggets of wisdom. This book is not just about time management; it’s about how to live a meaningful, integrated life.
Adachi’s advice is clear and practical, and I love her humorous footnotes as well. One of the biggest messages that resonated with me was, “The goal is not greatness. The goal is integration.”
Living a wholehearted life as opposed to accomplishing an endless list of tasks sounds great to me! The major tenets of living an integrated life include accepting ourselves as is, taking care of ourselves, embracing our lives as works-in-progress, and tending to our daily responsibilities with patience and compassion.
Instead of feeling fragmented and scattered with everything that we’d like and need to do, being grounded, steady, and calm are essential for cultivating an integrated life. Integration is the key to bringing all of those scattered parts together, along with compassion, kindness, and care.
Adachi’s book has been a welcome life raft for me this month, (and Kelly Corrigan’s podcast is amazing, too). While reading her book, one of her footnotes captured my attention and led me to check out another book from the library: The Enneagram for Black Liberation: Return to Who You are beneath the Armor You Carry by Chichi Agorom.
I don’t know very much about the enneagram system, but this book is certainly much more than a catalogue of personality types. Agorom’s book is well-written and engaging. I’ve just started diving in, but this quote captured my attention right away:
“Wellness is a state of balance that comes from having our personal, relational, and collective needs met. Because wellness includes the PERSONAL, RELATIONAL, and COLLECTIVE, there can be no wellness without justice. If the systems that govern our communities are structured in a way that ignores or exacerbates our needs, we cannot be truly well.”
If you, too, are feeling a bit overwhelmed, finding solace and inspiration in the wisdom of others may be of help. Follow what fascinates you—investigate what makes you curious.
COMPASSION:
Another antidote is compassion. Compassion takes this notion of integration to the next level.
The good news is, compassion is something we can all cultivate on a personal level—which means we are in charge of our own capacity to be kind and caring to ourselves and to others.
Recently, I had a conversation with one of the students I tutor on a weekly basis. I’ll refer to him as Phillip (not his actual name). Phillip is a very sensitive student; he’s prone to anxiety, and he can be extremely self-critical. Plagued with self doubt, he often sabotages his own learning and success by putting himself down.
Phillip has been working on a speech for his English class for a few weeks, and he will present it later on this week. The purpose of the speech is a self-introduction, where students share three personal anecdotes that illustrate what matters to them.
Helping him plan and organize this speech was challenging. Every time I offered encouragement or asked a guiding question, he would counter with a self-defeating statement.
His speech teacher mentioned to me that he overheard Phillip say in class, “I don’t know why people have so much faith in me.”
This week, I asked Phillip to practice his speech during our session. He opened his Chromebook to check his notes; I kept an eye on the clock to monitor his timing (the speech needed to be between two to three minutes long). He started out slowly, but he picked up momentum and enthusiasm as he talked. He mentioned his love of drawing and playing video games, and he’d like these interests to lead him to a career path that involves designing video games in the future.
His points were clear, engaging, and organized—and, his speech was two minutes and twenty seconds long!
I told him that he did a great job, and that I was really proud of him. For once, he didn’t respond with self-criticism, and he didn’t argue with me that it was actually a horrible speech. This is positive progress and a step in the right direction for Phillip.
Offering heartfelt encouragement can mean all the difference to someone, especially during challenging times. Tending to others, even in small ways, can have lasting, meaningful effects.
MEANINGFUL ACTION:
Another way to demonstrate compassion on a larger scale is to take meaningful action. There are multitudes of ways to take meaningful action. For me, it involves staying informed—and relying on credible, fact-based news sources (NPR, PBS News Hour, MSNBC are my go-to sources, along with Heather Cox Richardson’s daily letters for historical context).
This week, I have called state and national leaders—members of the General Assembly and Congress—to voice my opinions on local and national issues that matter to me. Taking the time to do this makes me feel empowered, and speaking up for the benefit of others is a practical way to generate bodhicitta.
Taking the time to call members of Congress prevents me from slipping into a state of hopelessness, and being informed helps me to feel grounded.
Of course, my personal meditation practices, in challenging times and in easy times, help me to stay steady, calm, and grounded as well. Taking refuge and diving into familiar practices allows me to find clarity and equanimity, and I hope your practices benefit you as well.
***
May you find peace and happiness in this New Year. May you also find wisdom, and may you cultivate compassion, meaning, humor, hope, and justice. Be well, and, by all means, keep practicing.
Several new Middle Moon Malas designs have been added to the current online collection. Each one-of-a-kind design is intended to support and inspire meaningful practice.