“It’s like feminist summer camp, except it’s in February,” said Shaina, the director, “I’m not sure how to re-enter the world.” I agreed. How to re-enter the world where vaginas have little voice? Where asking a woman what her vagina… Read More ›
meditation
Mantra and Meditation in Buddhist Hospice Chaplaincy to Alleviate Anxiety by Karen Nelson Villanueva
Mantras are not just the prescribed sound formulas or sentences found in Eastern religions, but they can also be thought of as the words or phrases that we continually repeat to ourselves. The word mantra comes from Sanskrit and its… Read More ›
Inner Garbage (Fear) vs. Inner Goddess (Love) by Vanessa Soriano
I’m sitting on my meditation pillow for the thousandth time searching for clarity. Initially, going within feels like traversing a jungle; swinging from one thought branch to another. I’m itching for some peace and I’m almost certain this isn’t the… Read More ›
In the footprints of Machig Lapdron by Mary Sharratt
Machig Lapdron, female Tantric Buddhist mystic and lineage founder I’ve just returned from an illuminating trip to Bhutan, high in the Himalayas. Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom and the world’s youngest democracy. On our last full day in this… Read More ›
Babies and Bathwater by Oxana Poberejnaia
Since patriarchy is atrocious, and capitalism is currently driving the earth to a very real catastrophe, we can get passionate about these issues. We can get angry. We can get self-righteous. However, as one of the most famous verses of… Read More ›
Mindful of the Bond We Share in these Trying Times by Vibha Shetiya
I’m sitting in my parents’ balcony in Pune, India, on a quiet morning. Well, this being a bustling Indian city of six million, it can’t really be quiet. As I sit with cup of tea in hand, I try and… Read More ›
Meditating on Woman by Oxana Poberejnaia
I decided to run a little experiment and to explore the notion “woman” from inside meditation. I practice Anapanasati Meditation, or mindfulness of breath. I learnt it from Theravada teachers. However, through my Buddhist career I have studied in various… Read More ›
Meditating on Oneness by Amy Wright Glenn
At the age of fourteen, I began to question the Mormon faith of my family. I embarked on a life long personal and scholarly quest for truth. While teaching comparative religion and philosophy, I was drawn to the work of… Read More ›
Buttons and Hooks by Oxana Poberejnaia
I have a problem. Some women push my buttons. Some men anger me, but in the context of feminism it is different. I usually dismiss men’s offensive actions and words as expressions of patriarchy. I take action, when I can… Read More ›
Cleaning My “House” by Sara Frykenberg
Prompted by a dear friend of mine during the new moon, last month I set an intention to “clean my house.” This intention does, to a degree, involve the actual “house,” aka, apartment in which I live. Great—fantastic even, and… Read More ›
Menstruation for Buddhist Women by Oxana Poberejnaia
Not all, but many women menstruate. The menstrual cycle is a contentious areas for feminists. Even men who aspire to be a feminist tend to find it difficult to deal with it. Inappropriate jokes ensue, and completely ignoring the issue… Read More ›
Are Buddhist Women Happy? by Oxana Poberejnaia
The basic question is the same as in a “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” sketch about a sour-faced champion car racer: “Are you happy?” Are we, Buddhist women, happy with Buddhism? Are Buddhist men happy with the position of… Read More ›
Your Body is the Body of the Goddess by Marie Cartier
My body is the body of the goddess—witches and shamans and other magical beings (including humans) chant this in spring ritual …and other times of the year as well. But as we prepare for spring equinox, I thought I would… Read More ›
Goddess Meditation: Pattini by Laura Loomis
I first became interested in Goddess spirituality because of my love of storytelling. Centuries-old stories yield multiple layers of meaning, and can be told many different ways to get at different truths. In this respect, the written word is both… Read More ›
ADI SHAKTI! : A MEDITATION ON A MANTRA BY Sara Frykenberg, Ph.D.
Aaadee shaktee, namo, namo: I bow to the primal power (which is female and divine). My Kundalini yoga teacher training required that each student complete a 30 minute daily meditation for forty days straight at some point during our course. … Read More ›
A Meditation on a Mantra: Sat-Nam By Sara Frykenberg
The following is a guest post written by Sara Frykenberg, Ph.D., graduate of the women studies in religion program at Claremont Graduate University. Her research considers the way in which process feminist theo/alogies reveal a kind transitory violence present in the liminal space between abusive paradigms and… Read More ›
