selected articles
Dogen’s Instructions to the Gardener, May 2023
How Dogen Zenji’s teaching on mindfulness awakens the three minds — joyful mind, kind mind, and great mind— in the garden.
Awake in the Now — Lion’s Roar, February 2023
“Buddha” means “the awakened one.” But what did Buddha wake up from?
Working With Difficult Emotions — Lion’s Roar, Oct. 2022
I wasn’t an angry person until I became a Zen Buddhist. It was always another person making me angry. How was that my fault?
How I Discovered My Breath (And So Much More) — Lion’s Roar, July 2021
Counting breaths—the simplest of mindfulness practices—takes you on a profound spiritual journey.
True Practice is Never Disengaged — Buddhadharma: The Practioner’s Quarterly, Spring 2020
If we feel like our practice is here, and the world is over there, then we’re missing the point of practice.
On Garden Time — AARP The Magazine, Oct./Nov. 2016
When her career stalled, author Karen Maezen Miller discovered that a new life had just begun.
How Do I Put My Mind to Rest? — Lion’s Roar, July 2016
Facing the challenge of emotional turmoil and restless mind, cut off your conflicting emotions at their root.
The Heart of a Garden — Shambhala Sun, July 2014
Discovering the right view of muddy water: it’s not always pretty, but it’s beautiful.
Zen Garden — Spirituality & Health, May/June 2014
A teaching of love — and of letting go — in the fleeting beauty of flowers.
Does the Buddha Always Tell the Truth? — Shambhala Sun, March 2014
The right view of right speech.
The Virtues of Boredom – Shambhala Sun, September 2012
Like staring at a blank wall. Or counting your breath. Or living life just as it is.
Waking Up Alone – Shambhala Sun, August 2011
Everything changes. Nothing lasts. In matters of the heart, this can be a hard thing to wake up to. The wisdom that awaits when the love story ends.
What Are Teachers For? – Buddhadharma, Summer 2011
The role of teachers at the crossroads of American Buddhism.
Do Dishes, Rake Leaves – Shambhala Sun, March 2010
How the domestic practice of ancient Zen masters can lead us to intimate encounters with our own lives.
10 Tips for a Mindful Home –Shambhala Sun, Feb. 2010
If you can do the first one, the next nine take care of themselves.
Grass Huts & Hermits – Killing the Buddha, Nov. 2009
What a Chinese travelogue tells us about the future of American Buddhism.
Not a Fan of the Undergarments – Religion Dispatches, Feb. 2009
A Mormon mommy ponders spiritual laziness, the evils of daylight savings time, and the relationship between perfectionism and antidepressants.
Parents, Leave Your Home – Shambhala Sun, March 2009
The best way to help your children and family is to leave your egocentric home for good.
The Dharma of Barbie – Shambhala Sun, May 2007
What is worse – Barbie’s commercialism and hypersexuality, or Mom’s grown-up judgments and concepts?
anthologies
All the Rage: Buddhist Wisdom on Anger and Acceptance — Shambhala Publications, 2014
How we can better work with anger and ultimately transform it into compassion.
Buddha’s Daughters: Women Who Are Changing the Face of Buddhism in the West — Shambhala Publications, 2014
Teachings by the most influential female Buddhist teachers on a wide range of topics.
The Mindful Way Through Pregnancy — Shambhala Publications, 2012
Writings and simple daily practices for bringing the transformative power of mindfulness to this special time.
Right Here With You – Shambhala Publications, 2011
Essays on how mindfulness can be brought to bear on relationships to increase intimacy, communication, and fulfillment.
The Mindfulness Revolution – Shambhala Publications, 2011
A selection of the best writing on what mindfulness is, why it works and how to apply it to our lives.
The Maternal is Political – Seal Press, 2008
Women writers at the intersection of motherhood and social change.
Best Buddhist Writing 2007, 2011 & 2013 – Shambhala Publications
Including the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron and the rest of us.
