Jamey Hood

I hope you were able to turn the corner into the new year feeling refreshed, rested, and resolute for your continued good work of expansion in whatever way that looks and feels aligned to you. Days before New Year’s Eve we completed our exploration of The Devi Bhagavatam in my International book club, VVBC. Spending nine weeks getting intimate with various aspects of Supreme Devi had an undeniable heart-expanding effect on me and those who came along on the expedition. And then I had an...

The holidays can bring so much. Joy, connection, nostalgia. And sometimes, unexpectedly, grief. I’d had such a lovely day: lunch out with my companions, we dined on delicious food and imbibed deep and compelling conversation. Afterwards we attended the Dalí museum to see a temporary exhibition of his masterpiece The Madonna of Portlligat (I’ll tell you all about it another time). We passed through the cheerful holiday market on our way home for dinner followed by an old black and white movie...

Have you ever been so exhausted that you felt asleep even while awake? That was me at 19. Picture this: Classes at Scottsdale Community College by day, stocking shelves at Walmart by night, afternoon and evening rehearsals for As You Like It . I was preparing the role of Rosalind, the most extensive female role in the Shakespeare canon in terms of line load and stage time. Can you spot what was missing from this packed schedule? Sleep. In one caffeine-pill-fueled rehearsal, the director...