trying to be a dancer...

These are a few pictures of me in my new leotard - part of me still wants to be a dancer as you can see! I take about 3 ballet classes a week (at Koresh and Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center), the majority of which are on pointe. I feel that the artistic expression and physical demands of ballet make it an important source of my well-being (even though it may not always make me feel physically happy ;-)). But I do like the challenges, and there are moments, like yesterday, when you have a small breakthrough, when you suddenly can do a double tour on pointe for example. I hope that next week, during the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington DC I will be able to take a class at the Washington Ballet School.

the dharma in my life

an important part in my life is the dharma, which means something like "the true nature of things". I believe that every human being should have some time for reflection and spiritual practice in their daily lives. For me, at least, my dharma practice allows me to not get completely caught up in the speed and agression of life her in the US. Contemplating the Four Thoughts - about the preciousness of our human lives, and how short they are, about how all that we do will come back to us and how we do so many things in our lives that lead to suffering - helps me to refocus on what is really important.

who am I

Who am I is always a hard question, especially as one studies dharma. I am a lonely wanderer, born in the Netherlands but currently stranded in the US. Greetings from Philadelphia, where I currently live. I am a PhD student in neuroscience (University of Pennsylvania), trying to learn about the brain and what oscillations have to do with memory. I also have a strong interest in the cognitive neuroscience of meditation (for more info see www.mindandlife.org)
In addition to that I also have strong interests in Tibetan Buddhism and ballet. I hope to be able to provide some ramblings about my experiences, and some reflections on life, science and dharma every now and then.