Disrupt Old Patterns

The medicine of coyote invites you to explore unexpected paths to respond to chaos and fear in surprising ways.

Blue coyote, 2025, in Caran d’Ache colored pencil by Nona Jordan

One morning, I met a coyote.

The sun was coming up over the open space I was hiking. Kelsie, the dog (my faithful hiking partner for many years), trotted beside me, doing her sweet thing, but unexpectedly, she took off into the thick underbrush of the scrubby, high-desert forest. I could hear her running frantically, chasing…. something.

She wouldn’t come on my command (unusual) - Kelsie was so focused on whatever had captured her canine attention. I continued walking, and then, rounding a corner, I knew what Kelsie was looking for. A coyote stood right in front of me on the path.

The coyote and I had a good look at one another before he casually loped off down another path. Shortly, Kelsie came barreling out of the underbrush, confused by the disappearance of the coyote she had been after. The coyote was long gone.

Coyote, your sly medicine is welcome here.

The Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron has all sorts of wise advice for when things fall apart - it’s a book I’ve re-read countless times. I don’t know about you, but when life feels extra life-y, I would love to double down and hang on tighter to whatever feels like it will maintain stability. I want to control, yet I find that trying to control things that are out of my control makes me brittle.

We are built to bend, not break, as long as we don’t calcify in fear.

The coyote I met looked as surprised as I was that she was on the path face-to-face with me. She did the very thing, Kelsie, the dog was not expecting, and in so doing, the coyote ended up trotting off, none the worse for the wear.

Coyote asks us to pivot - to surprise ourselves.

Coyote asks us to pivot and do something different in the face of chaos and uncertainty. If your typical response is to say, curl up and eat nachos, perhaps a brisk walk with friends or a boxing class to move the energy and clear the cobwebs. Instead of doom-scrolling, talk to a neighbor or friend. If you feel overwhelmed with the need to do everything you can to prop up the world, maybe pick one thing and go all in with volunteering or donating while enjoying the life that is yours to live. You get the picture - disrupting our patterns reminds us of the endless paths and possibilities we might experience - coyote shows us that hope is never lost.