In today's episode, we hear the ancient Chinese tale of Senjo, a woman caught between two lives. Senjo’s tale invites us to reflect on the ways we might be cut off from ourselves. This severance, as Jack Kornfield writes, often happens "invisibly and unconsciously, in the dark, just like Senjo’s running to follow Ochu’s boat at midnight."

Though we may sense our disconnection in our daily lives, we don't always know what's wrong. In this timeless story, Senjo’s determination to return invites our own return as well.

In this Mindful Monday, Emilía shares a story from a recent outing that demonstrates the power of our assumptions, where assuming friendliness in a challenging situation left the possibility open for the situation to change completely.

“It never hurts to see the good in someone, they often act the better because of it.” - Nelson Mandela

The same lesson has implications for our inner world, demonstrating how we can befriend Mara when he shows up in our lives.

In this Mindful Monday, Emilía reads a powerful story from Frank Ostaseski's Five Invitations demonstrating the healing power of love.

"In the horror of my own suffering, I always had held out the hope that one day someone would rescue me. I had imagined that I would be saved by love coming toward me. Just the opposite. I was rescued when love came through me." - Frank Ostaseski