People ask me, “What is it about Paris that draws you back time and time again?” My reply: ‘I’m following the thread. When you listen to your soul, who knows where your ‘soles’ may lead.’ “There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you…
Category: Soul Strolling
‘Did ecstasy roll at my feet?’ Hiking Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka
“…learn to be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.” Franz Kafka Here’s the thing, hiking Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka was not how I’d imagined. I’d envisioned a dark, somewhat solitary, quiet hike through…
Sun Dappled Toes, Kurumba, Maldives
Sun dappled toes. Salt scented air wafting, whispering, ‘Rest, savor, be.’ Exotic birds serenading, ‘Welcome to our home.’ Cerulean seas kissing silken sand. Feasting, frolicking, flipping fish, Painting the corral landscape: amethyst, magenta, sapphire and lime. Fragrant flowers displaying ruby, diamond and golden hues. Sunset canvas unfolding in the evening sky. Mindful of color, embracing…
SoulStrolling in Bangalore
How do you SoulStroll in a city with over ten million people, constant noise, traffic, pollution and poverty; yet paradoxically hosts greening trees, blossoming bougainvillea, an incredibly hospitable culture and people, delicious food, colors galore and fascinating history? You carry your soul and awareness with tenderness, and an open heart toward whatever may be. Also,…
The Big ? What to Pack!
Here I stand with suitcase in hand, wondering what on earth to pack. What do I really need, can’t travel without? What’s the climate going to be like, what’s appropriate for the culture, and why do I seem to have way too much stuff for the length of time I’m going to be away? Ah…
When you unlatch your sole/soul, who knows where it may lead?
My Mom loves recounting the story of how as a young toddler of 3, I wandered off a mile from home to watch the Koi in the pond outside our local Fire Station. Needless to say, she was quite shocked upon receiving a phone call from a concerned neighbor thinking they had just seen little…
Winter Reflection
“Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.” Hans Margolius This quote has been lingering and stirring within my soul over the past few weeks. I’ve been taking myself soulstrolling: the practice of walking with awareness, a ‘paying attention’ to what catches my…
Love Poem for Paris
You welcome me over and over again as I return to hold your hand and lose myself upon your cobblestone streets. Deep-seated joy arises as we land at Charles de Gaulle, and the RER carries me across your threshold. The center of my being expands, and I fall in love again. Along…
Instructions for Soul Strolling
First, say ‘yes’ to soul strolling. Carry your soul tenderly. When necessary, and often, ask for hugs. Breathe deeply, relishing the pause. Slow down and listen in the stillness. Embrace the night as a dear friend. Walk with intention, holding loosely your expectations. Savor the ordinary. Laugh often. Eat well. Kick up your heels and…
Welcoming 2015 and My Word for the Year
The first week of 2015 felt like a rushing wind: full of activities, calendaring surprises, creative bursts and gusts, and a flurry of activity. In the midst of this, I have been attempting to contemplate what ‘word’ might choose me for 2015. I liked my word, water, so much for 2014 that I was reluctant…
Practicing Simplicity this Holiday Season
First, say ‘yes’ to Simplicity. Carry your soul tenderly. When necessary, and often, ask for hugs. Breathe deeply, relishing the pause. Slow down and listen in the stillness. Embrace the night as a dear friend. Walk with intention, holding loosely your expectations. Savor the ordinary. Laugh often. Eat well. Kick up your heels and dance….
Land of Eire
Passing through portals I am met by six legged creatures and my father’s voice whispers on the wind, ‘No wonder you’ve always loved mystery.’ Ancient ancestors from the Heaney clan call my name as their…
Sharon Richards 