Dignity
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Fish play in the water.
Birds play in the sky. Ordinary beings play on the Earth.
Sublime beings play in display.
—Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
Hello everyone, I’m sending lots of love your way.
I’ve started a pseudo radio station on Spotify—Dreamstream. It’s a collection of songs that have arrived through spaciousness of mind and deep listening—some in dreams, some in quiet moments, and a few that woke me up in the middle of the night. Some songs invite rest and relaxation, most spark movement, joy, and lightness. Each month, I’ll add new songs to the top of the playlist and share the updates here. Listen anytime—dance, reflect, or just let the music carry you. (You can listen even without a Spotify account, just download the free app. Free accounts have some ads. I’ll work on providing a list of the songs too, or a YouTube playlist as well.)
Additionally, let’s create a Dreamstream Community Playlist: Add Your Song! I’d love for you to contribute to a collective playlist by sharing songs that resonate with your own sense of awakening and joy. Please click the link to submit your song suggestions, and tell me why it means something to you. Let’s create something beautiful together! (Please note that not all submissions will be added to the playlist, as we are creating a cohesive collection of songs that align with the themes of awakening, joy, and beneficial energy.)
I also want to share something new with you—the Library Practice Space for Yoga & Meditation. This is where you can explore the latest yin yoga class, a guided meditation and a dream talk where we meditate together. It’s free for now, so come check it out!
Below is a share and story about understanding dignity…
“…That’s when I saw her—a woman in a pink hat, preparing her bed against the chain-link fence…”
Love, Cheyenne
I stand on the sidewalk with my parents, watching as the children dance by in the St. Patty’s Day parade. The joy on their faces feels almost surreal—so pure, so untouched by the weight of the world. It’s as if they are moving through a different reality, unaware of the swirl of everything else—the worry and wonder, fear and laughter, sorrow and joy—while the world, in its display, holds it all.
Later in the week, a close family member shared his views on where we get information, what to believe, and how algorithms shape what we see based on what we’ve already consumed. In the end, his insights came down to basic comfort and human survival. I thought about it as I crawled into bed. I’ve been thinking about survival more too.
It reminded me of a recent talk from Lama Lena, a Dzogchen teacher. Dzogchen, or 'The Great Perfection,' is one of the most direct and ancient streams of wisdom within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It’s a path to realizing the innermost nature of our mind—who we truly are. Lama Lena spoke about how you won’t have time for spiritual practice—whether meditation, yoga, or the dharma—if you’re too busy figuring out how to survive. It’s a stark reminder of the reality of these times.
Dignity
Lately, I’ve felt at a loss with the state of the world—so much happening that’s unsettling. On an errand, I spontaneously decided to remind myself of something simple and essential: our shared humanity. I drove by our local homeless shelter, a part of town I don’t usually pass through.
A memory surfaced from a friend who once shared how he used to avoid looking at homeless people. He’d keep his head down, trying to avoid the discomfort. Over time, through his meditation practice, he learned to relax within the discomfort, finding the courage to look them in the eye and fully face both what he felt and the reality before him. Over time, he became friends with one man who always stood on a corner holding a sign. They exchanged smiles each day and came to know one another.
That memory stayed with me as I slowly drove by the back of the shelter. RVs and vans were packed with entire lives. People meandered around, ducks picking at bits of food on the pavement. The reality of it settled within. Something pulled at me. On my way home, I circled back. This time, I wanted to really see.
That’s when I saw her—a woman in a pink hat, preparing her bed against the chain-link fence. A sleeping bag was laid out on the gravel. I remembered I had $12 in my wallet—unusual these days, since I hardly carry cash anymore. My relationship with money has shifted. Paper bills almost feel like nothing—just numbers online, zeros and ones.
I parked in the middle of the street, got out, and walked toward her. I remembered something my root meditation teacher often shares: Always ask before offering suggestions or advice. I carried that into this moment—feeling her deeply, simply, and completely.
I asked if I could give her the cash. She looked up at me, her eyes soft and tired, and said yes. I handed her a ten-dollar bill and two ones. She glanced down at the amount of the bills, then back at me, her eyes filled with tears. I felt that, saw that, my eyes filling with tears. Slowly, I began to step back, not shifting my gaze from hers. I wanted to give her everything I had. I said, “This is what I had in my wallet today.”
She replied, her gaze drifting toward a group of men talking on the corner, “You gave this to the right person.”
Time seemed to stop. It was a raw and real moment—gritty, hard. It wasn’t her situation alone; it was mine too. It’s all of ours. The $12 felt like a treasure of a million dollars to her. That moment was everything. It wasn’t dignity alone—it was something beyond. A meeting in care, humanity, realness, and the raw truth of our shared existence. The grace of it all, the way we are inseparable, connected by something beyond words.
There’s so much noise in the world right now—politics, division, fear. Within it all, this is what matters: seeing and feeling each other deeply, staying present with each other’s humanity and dignity. In our very heart essence we find truth.
Written in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights starts with these words: "Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world..."
This document is a guide for nations and societies, and it’s also a reflection of the truth that already lives within us—the truth that we are all connected, that we are all deserving of dignity and justice. This is how we are born. It is inherent. It is natural. See the reading reference below.
Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.8: Viparyayo
Misconception occurs when knowledge of something is not based upon its true form.
In the twilight you see a coiled rope and mistake it for a snake. You get frightened. There is no snake there in reality. There is a false understanding.
But still it created a terror in your mind. It is not only valid knowledge that creates thought waves, but erroneous impressions also.
Readings
A lovely article to read: All Human Beings: Eleanor Roosevelt’s reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reimagined as a soulful serenade to diversity and dignity by composer Max Richter.
Interested in Dream Yoga? Dreams and sleep practices? The Tibetan Yogas of Dreams and Sleep
🎧 Dreamstream Radio
Songs that came as gifts through the ethers from me to you.
🎥 The Practice Space: Sign Up
I'm offering the first two videos in my new yoga library for free—explore meditation, Yin, and more. Check them out before they become subscription-based!
🧘♀️Yin: This 29-minute Yin yoga practice is a chance to slow down and settle into ease.
Meditate: I share tips for starting and deepening your meditation practice, along with insights on how waking in the night can become an opportunity for reflection and stillness.
Where do we find sanity within insanity? Right here—seeing each other as we are. Everything is present at the same time: pain, pleasure, joy, sorrow. In each moment, we can feel everything as it is—our shared humanity. Through wisdom and discernment, we find benefit in action. Return to practice. Relax your mind and body in small moments throughout your day. Take a seated meditation, enjoy some yoga. Dance each day.
OM,
Cheyenne
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I love hearing from you—please feel free to reply with your thoughts or reflections. If you’d like to support my writing, consider subscribing to my Substack, where in 2025 I’ll be diving deeper into the wonders of nature’s intelligence, the magic of dreams and sleep, and much more.
