CRISTINA

magnolia blossoms

Embrace Your Inner Light

Last week, I was sitting with the question, “What has helped me most to embrace my inner light?” Today, I thought to share these with you. By nurturing these principles daily, you can cultivate a profound sense of inner light and clarity. Each moment becomes an opportunity to align with your highest self, radiate kindness […]

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Welcome to my new offerings

Welcome to my new website and offerings. Nearly forty years ago, I embarked on a spiritual journey that began with managing a metaphysical bookstore in Ottawa. Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Mindfulness marked the beginning of this journey. Nisargadatta Maharaj’s, I am That became my “bible” for many years. Zen Buddhism and Taoism offered new ways

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ocean

Through love’s eyes

Through love’s eyes awareness as a seeing through love’s eyes love’s eyes as a seeing through awareness seeing through love’s eyes attending, presence a soft focus, a gentle gaze simply so the suchness of all shimmering through love’s eyes a softening, the corners of the lips up, a smile through love’s being time-space folds into

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west coast trees and fog

Varied Thrush

Varied Thrush The Varied Thrush lay, one wing open on the deck after a thud —his feathers clung to the window like tiny moths pressing into the afternoon light.   I remember the moment when: with trembling trepidation I gathered his liquid light body in the palms of my hands on that cold, November day

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spawning salmon

Yesterday’s salmon

Yesterday’s salmon Just beneath the river’s shimmering skin, sleek, scarred in shallow waters they lunge upstream, up ladders, between rocks.   A twist, a splash, an arc to drop dead still before another surge. An ode to salmon’s final journey.   A pause, a gathering strength against gravity’s downward racing, tumbling current against time in

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beech tree

Tree-being movement meditation

Tree movement mediation This is a wonderful movement meditation for grounding your whole being when you are feeling disconnected or uprooted. You may do this meditation as a dance movement practice or as a sitting meditation. This meditation will help you feel held by the earth and more energized. Time: 10-30 minutes or longer if

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Italian bread salad variation

Italian grilled-bread salad

Italian Grilled-bread Salad This is a crispier, more colourful and greener variation on traditional Italian Bread Salad. It includes grilled leftover baguette, tomatoes, spring greens, cucumber, lots of basil, oregano, and parsley. It’s perfect for hot summer days when sun-ripe tomatoes and fresh basil are available. Like all my recipes, I encourage you to improvise

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mountain trail copyright cristina viviani

Mountain trail

Walk up into the forest keep right at the big bend. Walk gingerly past the brambles, gingerly alongside the culvert to the creek —fresh bear tracks in the mud. Come, listen to the rippling, bubbling creek. Its cool breath soothing your cheeks teasing away time and unease. Drop anxious thoughts into the murmuring skipping down

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To be human

To be human is to sense everything and to release everything    —nothing belongs to us. Here, I am a guest cradled in the arms of this blue-green, spinning miracle. I am swirling the Milky Way through this body. I am skipping a river in and out of this heart place. I am breathing a

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