Conditions of Trust
Every year, towards the end of winter, we hold an all-day 8 Limbs admin staff retreat. Studio Managers and those of us working in the back offices gather at Owner/Studio Director Anne Phyfe Palmer’s house for a day of reflection and a home-cooked meal. We talk about what we did well in the past year, […]
Behind The Scenes: Difficult Conversations
I distinctly remember the first class I took at 8 Limbs as an employee. It was 9am on an unseasonably sunny Saturday morning, just a couple of days after my initial orientation. It was by no means my first class at 8 Limbs, but as my first time attending as staff the moment felt auspicious. […]
Behind the Scenes: Giving Thanks to Your Inner Critic
November is a time of year where many of us take stock in what we have to be grateful for. It’s a season when we’re invited to formally recognize people and opportunities that feed our spirit and enrich our lives. Research backs up this tradition. Scientists are finding that folks who practice gratitude are healthier, […]
Behind the Scenes: The Face of an Introvert
Just as Eskimos have 97 words for snow, I have as many reasons for why I blush. I’m extremely introverted. And with people I don’t know, I’m extremely shy. While shyness and introversion don’t always go hand in hand, they often do and in my life they’ve enjoyed a long and deep love affair. Flushed […]
Beginner’s Mind – Meditation
We often see the image of a person in meditation sitting much like the Buddha, legs crossed, hands in mudra and a smile upon the face. It’s a great image: it looks so simple, so peaceful, so easy!!!! But for many of us it feels difficult to find stillness and silence in our chaotic lifestyles. […]
On Compassion
A couple years back, during a guided meditation on retreat, I was given the prompt, “Why are you here?” I don’t remember exactly how I silently answered that question but I think it was something along the lines of, to deepen my meditation practice. Whatever it was, it was a pretty standard response for the […]
Remembering What Yes Feels Like
Every morning when I open the medicine cabinet door in my bathroom to get the toothpaste I see a little piece of paper with “remember what yes feels like” written on it. (Only how I read it in my head goes something more like “remember what YES! feels like!!!!!” Insert James Brown soundtrack.) This is […]