chiang rai – Diary of a Pilgrim

A different perspective

Sometimes it’s good to look at things from a different perspective…

One of the highlights of a visit to humble Chiang Rai is the new clocktower light show. Each evening from 7-9, on the hour (so at 7, 8 and 9pm) you get a song and a dance, accompanied by colored lights. If you plan ahead, you can stroll down the market lane from the oldContinue reading “Chiang Rai Clocktower”

A Visit to the Golden Triangle

A visit to the Golden Triangle… Elephant fields viewed from our (complimentary) suite at the Anantara resort, with a Burmese casino on the horizon. Golden Buddha looking over the Mekong, Burma in the background Downriver toward Laos

Somewhere over the rainbow

A rainbow appeared out of the blue one day recently. It’s not a regular occurrence around here in Chiang Rai, so a few of us stood around taking photos. I learned later in the day that an old friend –on the other side of the planet–had passed at the same moment. I wonder if thisContinue reading “Somewhere over the rainbow”

The non-linear path of evolution

Just back from retreat at the new Soma Retreat Center in Chiang Rai, Thailand. It’s tempting to think that the spiritual path is a linear journey. What a surprise when you see your old neurotic patterns re-surfacing again, just like an old dysfunctional relationship you thought you had outgrown. Sometimes it can be painful toContinue reading “The non-linear path of evolution”

Chiang Rai’s White Temple

Not exactly the typical Thai temple, but if you are looking for some interesting art, and like skulls and fantastic scenes of death and destruction, the White Temple in Chiang Rai might be your ticket to enlightenment. It’s the kind of thing Hieronymous Bosch might have created in 3-D– lavish references to the garden ofContinue reading “Chiang Rai’s White Temple”

A walk through the jungle

Sometimes the path is clear and easy… Sometimes it’s nothing but tangled mess… And sometimes you find another wild and beautiful being to share the journey with.

Foundation for a New Life

I’m walking down a lazy dirt lane in the late afternoon heat of Northern Thailand. A gaggle of ducks waddle about, making their way to a large pond for their afternoon dip. Rice paddy extends to low hills in the distance and as I approach the meditation hall where I am to lead the afternoonContinue reading “Foundation for a New Life”

Change your mind, Change your world

Though the word mindfulness has turned into a catchy buzzword recently, there is a powerful message behind the buzz. The ability to steady the mind and bring it back to the present moment—which is another way of saying back to the breath, as we practice in yoga– is an important aid to healing. When youContinue reading “Change your mind, Change your world”