About

I have been interested in the connection between mind and body since I was a child.  At the age of 8, in a place and time when children’s dentistry was not a specialty, I had to undergo significant dental work with limited pain relief.  I had the sense, even then, that my experience of the pain would be effected by what my mind was doing at the time. I noticed that the anticipation of going to the dentist was as bad or worse than the actual experience.  I once spent a vacation in Florida with my family worrying about an upcoming dental appointment.
Since medication was not supplying any relief from the pain, I was forced to look elsewhere and I was desperate. Somehow I had heard about Eastern mystics who could walk on coals without experiencing pain or could remain warm when sitting outside in freezing temperatures.  I had heard about a fascinating riddle (which I now know as a koan):  “what is the sound of one hand clapping?”  I tried focusing on that riddle at the dentist and I noticed  I was not as aware of the pain. I also tried doing the opposite of my inclination to tense up in advance and simply sat limp in the chair, and tried unclenching my body and mind as I sat there.

Years later, I discovered the benefits of mindfulness meditation and yoga.  This blog is an exercise in sharing what comes out of those practices.