I've been speaking about relief, the theme of this week's FREE group meditation and healing, and how my practices have become a big source of it for me over the years. That said, when I was in the early days of grief a few months ago, I was totally unable to sit down for my regular meditation and healing practices. My consistent twice-a-day practice went out the window in a matter of minutes.
Read MoreBalance has been on my mind a lot the past month. As an idea, a theme, and a practice. I, like many people, often view the world through "black and white" thinking. Things are good or bad, right or wrong, hard or easy. But the truth I've come to learn is that most of life and our experiences live in the grey. The in-between. The both/and. It's all so much messier than my control-seeking brain wants to believe.
Read MoreWarning: I am on a self-kindness kick these days! Last week I shared the meditation concept of "tend and befriend" where we turn towards ourselves to offer the nurturing we need and even go so far as to befriend ourselves (even those messy, icky parts we like to hide or stuff down). It's so simple and yet so radical in our times, with all of its pressures and anxieties. Working harder, pushing more, and striving further are often celebrated no matter the expense to our wellbeing. What if kindness was valued as much as achievement? Health and wellbeing valued as much as status? A girl can dream.
Read MoreI've been thinking a lot recently about how we interpret energy. Specifically, the energy in our bodies. I think that, after being diagnosed with anxiety disorder around the age of 14, I grew to blanket all of the energy I felt in my life as anxiety. There wasn't much wiggle room for other options. I was an anxious person and that was the end of that. So I tried to manage the anxious energy, doing my best to find a neutral space where I didn't have to feel the discomfort. You may guess that this led to a world of denial, stuffing, ignoring, etc. And that led to even more uncomfortable energy--whoops!
Read MoreHave you ever felt "stuck" in your life? Like you are being blocked from the place you want to be? I know I have. And so many of my clients come to me with these exact statements. Whether it's the feeling of being stuck in anxiety and negative thinking or the feeling of being stuck in a job or relationship, most of us know something isn't working, but don't know what to do about it. Hence, the block.
Read MoreI am so excited to share that I am launching a new (expanded) offering this week! But first, I want to give a little background.
Read MoreThis week I, like most of the country it seems, watched the Social Dilemma on Netflix. I can't say I was particularly shocked by any of the information, but it did drive home the need for BALANCE when it comes to social media. Though I can lapse into very black and white thinking, I do my best to see all sides of a story. There is no denying the scary effects coming out of our collective addictions to social media, especially with the young girls in our country and the overwhelming political polarization impacted by the imbalanced information we get on the various platforms.
Read MoreI woke up this morning thinking about my old habit of "next thing-ing". The belief that if I just got to the next place, accomplishment, or thing I would be ok. When I'm there, I'll be happy. *Spoiler Alert: This has never worked out as I hoped, dreamed or expected! There’s always another “next thing”!
Read MoreI have worked this week to soften into my humanity, the good, the messy, and the messier. It’s a humanity we all share, which is more clear now than ever. We are experiencing so much at a global level and, as Kristen Neff says, the more I open my heart to the reality of the human condition, rather than fighting it, the more I am able to feel compassion for myself and all of my fellow humans in this very complicated and messy time.
Read MoreThe saying goes, "Name It To Tame It", and research has shown that labeling, or saying hello to, a challenging emotion helps us regain control. If you are like me, you'll geek out knowing that this is because the naming of the emotion appears to dampen activity in the brain's emotional centers, including the amygdala, which allows the frontal part of our brains (the reasoning and thinking part) to step forward and take control.
Read MoreLike so many things in this time of great upheaval, the silent meditation retreat I was supposed to go on last month was canceled. Though I know it sounds crazy to many, I was so looking forward to turning off my phone, closing my mouth, and going inward for a week. It was incredibly scary the first time I did it, and still is uncomfortable, but the chance to quiet the noise of my mind, go deeper into myself and rest there has been profound for me.
Read More
