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”
Tag Archives: pilgrimage
3 Tips for Mental Health and Well-Being during your Pilgrimage
So you packed up your home, put your life on hold, and now you find yourself traveling in Asia with an open stretch of time ahead of you. You plan to rest, take stock, and discover a new angle on life. Have a few adventures. Maybe make a transition in your career. No more boringContinue reading “3 Tips for Mental Health and Well-Being during your Pilgrimage”
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.
To do or not to do
Here’s the big lesson I’ve learned in the past month: Relaxing is the key to doing anything. I didn’t set out to learn this lesson. I set out on an adventure with a friend, to take some time out and rest on one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand. We rented a small houseContinue reading “To do or not to do”
Second annual Contemplative Psychology Intensive in Phuket
Getting ready for our second annual Contemplative Psychology Retreat Intensive this week at Amanpuri Villas in Phuket. It’s not at all a bad place to have a retreat. Ten graduate students from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology will learn the foundations of Ashtanga yoga, shamatha sitting meditation, and practices of loving kindness and compassion,Continue reading “Second annual Contemplative Psychology Intensive in Phuket”
How to make your own map when the world give you a bogus one
One day in my late thirties, it became painfully obvious that family life was not my path. While my girlfriends were busy starting families, I was increasingly obsessed with yoga. Until that point we had shared goals and dreams, but with no crumbs and spilled milk on the back seat of my car and noContinue reading “How to make your own map when the world give you a bogus one”
The lonely path of the pilgrim
Pilgrims rarely set out as happy folk. Someone who has recently won the lottery, for example, or married the crown prince, is not your typical pilgrim candidate. What forces a person to undertake (and it’s an apt word for someone who is hoping to kill the ego) the spiritual journey is usually not success orContinue reading “The lonely path of the pilgrim”
My favorite vipassana meditation retreat center in Thailand
One of my favorite places for a meditation retreat is Wat Suan Mok, in the Surat Thani province of Thailand. Just an hour’s drive from the planet’s oldest rainforest and Khao Sok National Forest, this gorgeous retreat center holds a monthly 10 day vipassana retreat for westerners from the 1st to the 10th of eachContinue reading “My favorite vipassana meditation retreat center in Thailand”
Make a Wish
The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya at Boudhanath is said to grant wishes to those who ask with faith and devotion. Five years ago, I made the journey to Nepal to try my luck. My root guru passed away before I met him, (you’d have to understand the teachings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to know whatContinue reading “Make a Wish”
Pilgrimage to Bangkok
It’s about time I played tourist in Bangkok, and a visit from my dear friend and guide Khenpo Jigme, finally got me off my seat to do it. Khenpo Jigme is my neighbor from Crestone, where he is Thrangu Rinpoche’s main teacher at Vajra Vidya retreat center, and a whole lotta of fun! Wat Pho andContinue reading “Pilgrimage to Bangkok”
Diary of a Pilgrim 