Serenity and inner solace — one step, one breath at a time — The Weekend Wind-Down is a series from The Bold Italic highlighting ways to explore the Bay Area and wind down from your stressful week. If you have an idea or tip, email us, or DM us on Twitter or Instagram. If you have ever wondered what is the sound of…

Where dancing feet meet a San Francisco beat at American Bites — This article is part of My Favorite Corner of SF, a feature series that pays homage to a special place in the city. How many lamentations have I shared with friends about how North Beach just isn’t the Italo-Bohemian hotspot it used to be. No question, tourism, and socio-economic factors…

A ‘greenhouse’ for the soul hides in plain sight — I feed on solitude the way bees feed on nectar. It’s my energy recharger, my soul-sustaining nutrient. Even living in a dense city, I can find a favorite sanctuary of mine less than a mile from home. …

Zen-practicing neuroscientist discusses the flow and center of no-self, common to skills like tango and surfing. — There is no dearth of evidence, scientific and anecdotal, about physical activities’ health effects on body and mind. The euphoria-inducing dopamine release, the elevated endorphins, and the chemical cocktail that changes brain waves inducing the physiological glow and flow, have been much discussed.

Au-delà de l’ennui du touriste, flâner et danser sont des raisons suffisantes pour visiter la “City of Light.” — J’ai dansé le tango sur la terrasse en pierre surélevée du Palais Garnier, place de l’Opéra. Cette milonga en plein air a été l’un de mes endroits préférés lors de mes récentes visites estivales et automnales dans la ville de classe mondiale. …

When you move beyond the tedium of being a tourist, strolling and dancing are reason enough to visit the City of Light. — I’ve been dancing tango on the elevated stone terrasse of the Palais Garnier, at Place de l’Opera. This outdoor “milonga” has been one of my favorite places during my recent summer and fall visits to the world-class city. …

Pastoral wilds, a Spanish mission, and an Iraqi village present a startling mix in a relatively empty area of the Golden State. — The oak tree was tired of being ignored. So, it threw down the gauntlet, a huge fat limb, bam, right into the middle of the Desert Survivors’ huddle. That oak tree got our attention. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow and this oak was mighty as they come. We were…

Welcome to India: You’re under “house arrest.” — I’ve just passed nearly five weeks of perfect serenity in Auroville, India’s homegrown spiritual community. It is the Tuesday before Easter and I’m ready to return home for family festivities when my trip takes a turn toward Hell. One moment I’m in line at Chennai airport waiting to pass through…

Don’t see shattered glass, see black diamonds and rhinestones. — In San Francisco the streets are paved with jewels Don’t see the flash as shattered glass, All that fine silica sand and soda ash Some clear as truth, some tinted to fifty shades of charcoal gray See it as black diamonds and rhinestones Worth their weight in the power of…