by: Rosalyn Becton In my late fifties, I have just fallen in love. With a man slightly over half my age. In his thirties, let’s say. He is an actor. I run the lights at the local community theater. Before I knew him, I watched him from my booth at the top of a rickety spiral staircase. I consulted him about his cues and made adjustments to the script. I watched him inhabit a character in Joseph Kesselring’s Arsenic and…
By Refresh Editors Welcome to that odd stretch of the year after the holiday season where either freezing temperatures or the lack of celebratory occasions are liable to make the days feel dull. This particular passage can be hard to navigate, but I’ve often thought of it as a very interior season: a time past the bluster of New Year’s Resolutions and before the year is old enough to reminisce on. It’s a good time to dive into some personal…
by: Lauren Jonik The sound of water rushing over the large, grey boulders that dotted the creek just outside punctuated the stillness. A faint light from a room adjacent to the yoga studio was the only source of illumination. As I lay on my back, surrounded by six other people and exhausted by the effort of my practice, my inhalations deepened. My muscles relaxed deeply into the thick, tan beach towel beneath me—I didn’t yet own a proper yoga mat….
by: Ele Pawelski In the fiery orange of dawn, I cross the old San Marcos Bridge out of León, Spain. It’s early, but I’m far from alone. Walking poles tap-tap on ancient stone as I march ahead with the handful of other pilgrims. My first Camino day will be a 20-kilometer segment, with the goal of reaching Santiago de Compostela’s grand Cathedral in two weeks. I’m confident I can do it because this is Camino 2.0 for me. Walking the…
by: Fahrin Kermally “Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seeker’s life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.” – Sri Chinmoy With another holiday season upon us, this is the time of year when we start to get bogged down in decorations, gifts and parties. And while those things are fun and joyful and offer a chance to share happiness with those around us, it’s…