Epiphany Goods

03/31/2026

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Neuroscientists say a network in your brain exists solely to maintain your sense of “I.” According to psychology, this network, called the default mode network (DMN), is responsible for self-referential thinking, reflection, and maintaining identity.

When the DMN quiets, psychologist says depression lifts, anxiety dissolves, and individuals often report experiencing profound clarity. According to psychology, this state allows the mind to release self-focused rumination and mental chatter, creating a deep sense of presence and inner calm.

Psychologist says the experience is often described as the most meaningful of one’s life. According to psychology, ego suppression enhances emotional well-being, promotes mental resilience, and fosters a heightened awareness of life and relationships.

Spiritual traditions have long recognized this phenomenon. Psychologist says it is referred to as ego death, where the usual sense of a separate self diminishes. According to psychology, such moments allow for connection, insight, and emotional release.

Psychologist says understanding the default mode network highlights the brain’s power in shaping consciousness. According to psychology, learning to quiet this network through mindfulness, meditation, or intentional focus can transform perception, emotional health, and overall life experience.

03/30/2026

I’m not really sure what this office space will evolve into, but here’s some before & after paint. It’s ready for wallpaper & to have my tables & equipment moved in, but I wanted to share it with you, because even in its half done-ness & no clearly defined intentions, other than a creative space, I know it will unfold like all things do & become all on its own, a place of happiness.

03/24/2026

Hello! Spring is about to spring! And we are going through some changes. My availability in St. Albans is limited to Thursdays & some Saturdays. I’m working on a secondary space in Colchester & will let you know when the paint is dry and the dust settles there. In the meantime, I”m working on new products including spring reed diffusers which you can find at the ReMarket on Main Street in St. Albans & the Tipsy Daisy when they reopen on Merchants Row in Swanton! We aren’t closing, we are growing.

03/24/2026

Some fun for the kids on 4/4 & fun for everyone on 4/11 in Georgia! If you have never been to one of Kats paint parties, join me on 4/11.

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03/07/2026

If you’re looking for a summer camp, my friend Cara has one in Swanton!

01/29/2026

Rosemary & Juliet… can point you in the right direction…

01/22/2026

Mindfulness meditation was initially developed by Thich Nhat Hanh to support the social workers and monks during the Viet Nam War & the book “the Miracle of Mindfulness” was the resource that resulted. From there it spread worldwide.

"On our own, without a community, we cannot do much. We need a community of like-minded friends and colleagues to help us realize our deepest dreams... Our community can become a source of support and a place of refuge for many people. We nourish our community in our lifetime, and it carries us forward into the future."
-Thich Nhat Hanh (The Art of Living)

On this fourth anniversary of his transition, we remember our dear teacher and the many lives he touched. May we carry his teachings forward into the future as his community.

01/11/2026

Today, 1/11, Julie taught reiki with me. After years of trying to do this alone, having a partner was so helpful. Thank you everyone who visited, participated, sent well wishes & gifts. It was a much needed day & my favorite class to date.

01/08/2026

This insight gently dissolves one of the biggest misunderstandings about Buddhism.

Buddhism does not ask you to abandon your faith, your God, or your spiritual roots. It does not demand conversion. It does not require belief in a doctrine. What it offers is a way of living — a practice of awareness, compassion, and understanding.

Just as yoga strengthens the body and breath regardless of belief, Buddhist practice strengthens the mind and heart. Mindfulness helps you listen deeply. Meditation helps you calm reactivity. Compassion practice helps you love without conditions. None of these conflict with Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or any sincere spiritual path. In fact, they support them.

That is why a Catholic priest could live in a Buddhist monastery and say Buddhism made him a better Christian. Because when you are more present, you pray more sincerely. When you are less reactive, you forgive more easily. When you are mindful, you love more deeply. When you understand suffering, you become gentler with others.

The Buddha was not asking to be worshipped. He was pointing to the mind and saying: “Look here. Understand this.”
Not “believe me,” but “practice and see.”

Thich Nhat Hanh embodied this bridge between traditions. He showed that true spirituality is not about labels, robes, or rituals — it is about reducing suffering and increasing love, right here, in daily life.

If a practice makes you calmer, kinder, more patient, more honest, and more compassionate — it is serving truth.

Spirituality is not a competition between paths.
It is a shared journey toward understanding.

And any path that helps you love better…
is worth walking.

01/07/2026

Spiritual ❤️‍🩹 healing….

Long before the term “post-traumatic stress” entered modern medicine, many African communities had an intuitive understanding of the invisible wounds of war. A returning warrior was not immediately welcomed back into daily life. Instead, he entered a sacred period of transition—often lasting three lunar cycles—under the guidance of a spiritual healer or shaman. This was not punishment or exile; it was a ritual of healing, an acknowledgment that violence fractures more than the body—it disrupts the spirit.

The belief was that the warrior carried a chaotic energy, a spiritual imbalance that could harm both himself and his community if left unaddressed. One of the oldest healing practices involved placing animal horns on the skin to draw out “stagnant blood”—a technique later misnamed “African cupping” by colonizers. It was more than medicine: it was ceremony. It released not just physical toxins, but the unspoken pain, the emotional residue of violence.

Today, we call it trauma. They called it spiritual imbalance. In our clinical, pill-driven world, we often treat only symptoms. But these ancestral practices remind us that true healing restores harmony—within the self, and between the self and the world. Perhaps in our rush to advance, we’ve overlooked the power of ritual, of community, of soul-level care. Perhaps it’s time to remember.

01/02/2026

The past year has left me speechless. I devoted the entire year to caregiving for multiple families, the majority whom have natural supports in place, resources, stable housing & family members to take shifts. One was the opposite. It was emotionally and spiritually exhausting trying to navigate systems with overlapping and complicated rules during the dismantling of our democracy and public services meant to protect the most vulnerable. It was cruel & brutally painful & every call for help I made, I had to repeat at least 5 times. Throwing arrows in the dark and realizing that life & death are incredibly different for persons without resources. I repressed my voice as long as I could until my pleas for help came out as angry crying. Not the look I was going for. A lot of people heard my cries but were overburdened by a system being dismantled from the top, laying off government workers and eliminating protective programs, including access to food. Watching the walk for peace lifted my spirit enough for me to post any authentic words here, for the first time all year. It’s so beautiful to see people walking on our behalf, reminding us that we are seen and peace and happiness is available to us when we make a commitment to our daily practice. Reiki is rooted in Buddhist practices. There is so much to be gained from diversity and wellness doesn’t require health insurance. Some do need it, but you can be well and heal with a daily practice of mindfulness, presence, love & compassion & most importantly self compassion. Happy belated New Year!

Aloka was once a stray in India.
No home. No plan. No promise of where the road would lead.

When Buddhist monks began a peace walk, he followed and he chose to keep going. Through storms. Through pain. Through moments when it would’ve been easier to stop.

Today, Aloka walks across the United States with them. He walks when he can, rests when he needs to, and is never left behind.

As we step into 2026, maybe that’s the lesson.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You just have to keep moving; gently, faithfully, together.

Peace isn’t loud.
Sometimes it looks like a tired dog, a long road, and the courage to stay.

May we walk into this year with the same quiet hope. 🤍

01/02/2026