Author Archives: nixpaley
A Poem I Always Return to
Allow–Danna Faulds There is no controlling life.Try corralling a lightning bolt,containing a tornado. Dam astream and it will create a newchannel. Resist, and the tidewill sweep you off your feet.Allow, and grace will carryyou to higher ground. The onlysafety lies in letting it all in –the wild and the weak; fear,fantasies, failures and success.When lossContinue reading “A Poem I Always Return to”
Growth and Grief: A Personal Story of Bereavement
I have a vivid, all senses-engaged, memory of the first few runs I did in the forest after my 25-year-old sister died, tragically, in a hiking accident. I was 18 going on 19 at the time and prior to her death, I had never actually given much thought, in a very personal way, to theContinue reading “Growth and Grief: A Personal Story of Bereavement”
When We Keep Showing Up: The Personal Growth to be Gained from Our Relationships by N Paley
“Aren’t relationships the best dharma?” a close friend said to me recently. And from there, I began to pay more acute attention to this theme that was emerging so vibrantly in conversations with others about their lives and relationships in the last while; this framework of viewing relationships (all kinds–romantic, familial, platonic, collegial) asContinue reading “When We Keep Showing Up: The Personal Growth to be Gained from Our Relationships by N Paley”
On Humility (Tara Brach, Western teacher of Buddhist meditation and clinical psychologist)
In Buddhism and most faiths, humility – feeling that we all share common ground, feeling neither superior or inferior to others – is both a prerequisite to awakening and an expression of mature spirituality. This talk explores how our conditioning and culture reinforce a swing from ego-inflation (self-importance, feeling special, better than others) to ego-deflationContinue reading “On Humility (Tara Brach, Western teacher of Buddhist meditation and clinical psychologist)”
For the Empaths Out There: Letting Go of the Internal Pressure to be Better-Than-Human and Celebrating Yourself As Is by Nicole P.
Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to have a ‘better-than-human’ response to things and criticize ourselves when we don’t measure up to that aspiration or don’t live it consistently. This is particularly the case for those of us who are high in empathy and place hefty expectations on ourselves to be constantly aware of theContinue reading “For the Empaths Out There: Letting Go of the Internal Pressure to be Better-Than-Human and Celebrating Yourself As Is by Nicole P.”
How We Help Those we Love Contact their Strength by Nicole P.
Sometimes in gusts of energetic expressions of care (e.g., “You are going to be okay even if doesn’t feel like it right now” “Yes. You Can Do this Sweetie!” “I know you can totally handle this”) and other times, through soft whisperings that might be in the form of a tender rub of the back,Continue reading “How We Help Those we Love Contact their Strength by Nicole P.”
Travelling into the Unknown: 5 Essential ‘Suitcase’ Items by N. Paley
A reality that becomes more pronounced as we get older is the uncertain nature of life; what we can rely on is that things are always changing and often unpredictable. An individual’s ability to cultivate inner sturdiness, as well as an inner sanctuary–as much as possible–takes work and is worth it. 5 Essential Items: 1)Continue reading “Travelling into the Unknown: 5 Essential ‘Suitcase’ Items by N. Paley”
Nicole Paley- Satya Counselling 