free song
Some time ago, I dreamt of standing atop a small tower playing a big singing bowl. When you strike a singing bowl it resounds like… Read More »free song
Some time ago, I dreamt of standing atop a small tower playing a big singing bowl. When you strike a singing bowl it resounds like… Read More »free song
We don’t get to finish being courageous. We don’t take one brave leap, land with a gymnast’s flourish, and saunter impressively onward for the remainder… Read More »what courage looks like
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., here is a letter I wrote to myself in the fall. _________ 22 October 2015 dear Hannah, Please remember… Read More »life is a spell so exquisite, everything conspires to break it.
The day I heard of Kim’s passing, I rode my bike to the beach and let the wind chill the tears on my cheeks. The… Read More »the kindness of Kim
September turns my heart to school. Not just the school where I teach now, but all the schools I’ve taught in and all the schools… Read More »back-to-transformation
In May of 2013, I unwittingly lost a glove from my bike basket on my ride to yoga class. When I discovered my loss, I… Read More »restoration: part one
When Cora asked me to help with Girls Group, I almost said no. For one thing, I earn money by teaching after-school yoga classes and… Read More »the intersecting space
Here’s the guest post I wrote for my friend Catherine’s blog: some of the gifts of this challenging year in Wichita. http://catherineannehawkins.com/hannahs-in-between-guest-post/ Special thanks to… Read More »after the burning
When you find your wedding dress, you want to feel beautiful. You want Yes to bubble up from the depths of your being. You want to… Read More »wedding dresses and windows
Stuart the duck perched atop the valentine David made. I walked into the kitchen this morning to find all three of them (Stuart, the valentine,… Read More »stay in tune (and other love advice from children)
Before I tell you about the gift I gave Laura, I should tell you about the gifts Laura gave me. A hug each time I… Read More »space for sadness
High time I fess up: my plan for the year failed. I came here with the dream of investing time in my writing: submitting essays,… Read More »conditions for joy
It’s the second morning of December. True to form, I started a Thanksgiving newsletter before Thanksgiving but didn’t finish it in time. I’ve cherished grand… Read More »2013 Thanksgiving newsletter
Ah, not to be cut off, not through the slightest partition shut out from the law of the stars. The inner — what is it?… Read More »the winds of homecoming
My friend Ralph Eckhardt sent this picture the other day. He wrote, “I had just been thinking about your latest Breathe Deep and praying for… Read More »tree roots and laundry
Waking up in the morning feels like the hardest thing I’ve ever done; maybe the hardest thing anybody has ever done. I might always feel… Read More »groundlessness and tea
Two weeks ago I rode against the wind to teach my second yoga class at Truesdell Middle School. News flash, Toto: sometimes in Kansas, the… Read More »not yet
So I’ve been teaching this yoga class. My beloved friend Jennie bequeathed it to me shortly after I met her, which was shortly after we… Read More »Hafiz, hula, and surrender
Dear Quentin, Happy August! I miss your songs and stories. Remember how we used to find luminous, common things on the playground at recess? I… Read More »dear Quentin
When I signed on to play Maria in The Sound of Music, the decision was a no-brainer. The iconic musical has been dear to my… Read More »how do you solve a problem like yourself?
Driving to Suzanne’s for Book Club took forty-five minutes longer than it should have. I suppose rush hour is as good a time as any… Read More »books were never the point
The blog entry I planned to write today was about my lost earring, the silver flying pig earring that disappeared while we were in Pennsylvania… Read More »the blog entry I planned to write
The month of November was shrouded in misery. Did teaching feel impossible because I was sick all month or was I sick all month because… Read More »in pain’s classroom
This weekend I visited my family in Pennsylvania. I went down to see a CD release concert by Constant Recourse, Ben and Jess’s band. I… Read More »a lesson from Lydia
A few years back, I started walking the labyrinth at my school. In the midst of a bustling teaching day, taking ten minutes to walk… Read More »trees, sparrows & jackhammers
In honor of the new school year, I offer an essay I wrote last spring at a writing retreat offered by The Sun. Thanks to… Read More »source
I’ve filled up dozens of journals over the past twenty-ish years, and in the first entry of each one I’m inclined to write how lovely… Read More »freedom of the blank page
I’ve been carrying the sadness of summer’s end on my shoulders like a shawl I’ll need in winter. More than any other season, summer intimates… Read More »summer slips away
Today I will clean my desk. Since I live in a one-room studio, I endeavor to keep visible surfaces clutter-free. I rarely let my desk… Read More »messy desk zen
Start as soon as you slide down the birth canal. Be loud and unaware. Alternate wailing with intent listening. Coo a little. Make all the… Read More »how to find your voice