A Simple Exercise for Getting Present and Tapping into a Little Joy We all hear (ad nauseum, sometimes) about the potency of mindfulness and present moment awareness. Yes, mindfulness has become quite the buzz word. While it may feel like one more “should” in the ever-growing list of self-care activities and exercises, mindfulness as a […]

How often do we find ourselves spiraling, hooked by intense planning and contingencies for the future, rumination over past joys or regrets, fears of missing out or failure, or general overwhelm because of all the to-do’s, shoulds, or musts? We can lose all sense of time and attention to the things, people, and events that […]

Forgive the graininess of these cows. Contrary to my belief that they need my hugs, they clearly a) have their significant attachments covered and b) prefer to keep some distance from yours truly as I stroll by and profess my love for them. They say cows make a best friend for life and experience stress […]

Feeling particularly vulnerable to the diet, “lifestyle change”, and “wellness” messages that saturate the media as you ring in 2019? Ok, so you thoroughly enjoyed and took pleasure in holiday eating, yet you are now feeling a little twinge of guilt…or worse yet—SHAME, or are having some difficulty accepting your body. Perhaps it was difficult […]

I’m sorry to report we are caught up in an epidemic of loneliness. It seems these lovely, socially connected donkeys along my morning walk have it all figured out. While they have each other, there are now more people living alone than ever before in history. In fact, with all our modern conveniences (think mail […]

With our current political climate, the ACTUAL environmental climate, and what seems like endless streams of negative media filled with global despair, how can we focus on the big picture and all that is actually going right in this world? How can we find hope and joy within our own experience to keep moving forward, rather than […]

‘Tis the season for preparation of ALL things holiday-related, including but not limited to greeting card design, addressing, and mailing; inquiring about gift ideas, gift list-ing, and gift purchasing, wrapping, and delivering; baking approximately a dozen varieties—not total count–of candies, cookies, and other treats; orchestrating holiday meals, inviting family/friends for these meals, shopping for food items, […]

Reduce Suffering by Mindfully Working WITH-Rather than AGAINST-Pain I woke up this morning and my first words as I raised myself from the bed went something like “What the hell is this pain down the back of my hip into my leg? I didn’t overdo anything during my daily walk and haven’t done a squat […]

A quick, simple way to be kinder to yourself each day… Today, the world at large seems to be filled with overt and covert injustices, hatred, and overwhelming social issues that can invoke our fear, stress, and despair. On a smaller scale and in our day-to-day lives, we hear and see messages that we do […]

How cool would it be to know that the efforts we make to improve our mental and physical health and well-being may ALSO boost our brain health? Recent research from AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health asserts just that! Not only does our mood potentially impact cognitive functions like memory or decision-making, but our very […]