Orange Tara Who Protects from All Illnesses

This post draws from the book "Tara: The Liberating Power of the Female Buddha" by Rachael Wooten, Ph.D.

Hello beloved reader,

For the past week or so, I’ve been waking up before dawn. The first few days I tried to go back to sleep. Eventually though, I surrendered to getting up as quietly as possible so as not to wake Jamie, with an intention to sit in spiritual practice.

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I roll the physical form of this body onto my side and push it upright. Feet touch the wood floor and I remember to think to myself, Thank you. The Dalai Lama’s lovely prayer also comes to mind.¹ And yes, I am an incurable idealist.

An iPad doubles as a flashlight. The pine wood floorboards creak with each step out of our decades-old log cabin loft bedroom and across the catwalk suspended under cathedral ceilings. Jamie’s breathing pattern remains even — oh good, I haven’t woken him. The door handle clicks as it opens into a small room transformed into a sacred space. A purple zafu cushion sits atop an oversized beige colored armchair where I sit cross legged, facing a wood-grid window that looks out to where the sun wi…