Toward the end of my grandmother’s life, you could not visit her unless you were prepared to overeat or spend the entire time fending her off. Friedrich Nietzsche must have endured a long afternoon of being serially offered coffee and nutrolls by my grandmother when he wrote, “Is not giving a need? Is not receiving a mercy?”

The following is an audio recording from my Monday night Zoom class, free to all, "Focus & Relax." This week's theme is exploring what is meant when we talk about allowing pain or difficult feelings. I guide participants through a body centering practice at the beginning, and then through a progression of meditation practices that show us what it feels like when we aren't constantly hassling ourselves to be better. We can contact the calm and friendliness that's inside us all.