Happy #caturday friends! This is little Vrtti cat. He says the first rule of being a cat is do not obey in advance. He says this is also a good rule for people when dealing with authoritarians. Unless those authoritarians are cats. He insists you should obey #cats. Wanna be tyrants? Not so much.

When a week feels like years,

Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.

As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.

Repeat as needed. And it will be needed repeatedly.

Well said my friend!

Today is the 80th anniversary of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It’s a great day for contemplation and to remember, in the words of the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, that “there is no way to peace, peace is the way.”

Well said!

When a week feels like years,

Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.

As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.

Repeat as needed. And it will be needed repeatedly.

You too my friend!

Dear friends, I know that many people are having a tough week. Here's a mindfulness survival kit I put together for feeling a little more centered, connected, and grounded when the world is on fire. Always happy to connect! Thank you for all that you are doing.
#mindfulness #democracy #resist

Morning my friend!

Thanks for sharing a link to your books! I’m excited to check them out—going to see if my university library has Spiritual Democracy tomorrow. And I’d love to talk more with you about all of this. Hope that you’re doing well!

I'm publishing a book in Feb 2026, On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World with Parallax Press (started by the beloved Thich Nhat Hanh). I have a new Substack exploring interdependence—would love you to join me!

adeclarationofinterdependence.substack.com

In Vietnam, there are myriad little lakes formed from bomb craters—in which lotus flowers grow. That image sticks with me. The Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh taught, no mud, no lotus. Without the mud, the flower cannot grow. What will we grow from the mud we are collectively in?

Hi George!

Congrats George—you’re the best!

How are you doing dear friends?

Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.

As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.

Repeat as needed, till you feel less overwhelmed.

Thanks my friend for including me! Hope you’re doing well.

Hi friends, Here’s a poem I wrote on mindful democracy and interdependence for this holiday. Hope that you are safe and well and surrounded by love today.
#democracy
#poetry
#mindfulness
#independence

Happy 4th of July friends—today let’s celebrate freedom, inclusion, diversity, community, compassion, and justice.

If you’d like some inspiration, here’s a poem I just published that rereads the Declaration of Independence. Be safe friends!

It is indeed a sad time my friend. It’s also a good time to think about what we stand for and begin articulating it in a moving way. In that spirit my new book On Mindful Democracy has an Amazon page and is available for preorder! More soon on that. I think it will help. #democracy #mindfulness

It used to be a civic tradition to give Fourth of July orations. If you were asked to give such a speech tomorrow—and it had to be an affirmative speech that outlined what you stand for and an inspirational speech that rallied people together and onward for the good—what would you say?

Thanks for sharing this my friend! Hope everyone is doing well. Thinking today with the upcoming holiday of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh—“there is no way to peace, peace is the way.”

Thanks for sharing, fellow student of Thay! Followed you, feel free to follow back if you’d like to stay connected. Take good care!