The Benefits of Giving
Have you ever been so excited to give someone a gift, that you just couldn’t wait for the occasion to arrive? Isn’t it sometimes even a better feeling than when you receive something? I know this happens to me. When I find that perfect something for a person I love, I...
Gratitude is More Than Just a Feel-Good Sort of Thing
There are numerous benefits to beginning and maintaining a gratitude practice. Even though it can feel like gratitude is just “feel-good” sort of thing, it actually has many proven benefits that can have lasting effects on not only your mood, but your overall health!...
Be Your Own Best Friend
Let me ask you this…Have you ever had a time where you were struggling about something, and you kept playing the situation over and over in your head? Ask yourself: what is the tone of voice of your inner-self? Is it kind? Caring? Comforting? Encouraging? Generally,...
You Need An Attitude…An Attitude of Gratitude!
Gratitude doesn’t take away the negative that is arising, but it can offer a perspective that can help us to deal with the whatever is arising. Years ago, I was teaching a mindfulness class, and during our week focusing on gratitude, there was an older gentleman,...
The Steps to Understanding and Building a Meditation Practice
Meditation has so many misconceptions, preconceptions, judgments, and assumptions, that can often stop a person before they even start a meditation practice. What are some of these? “I don’t have time.” “My mind wanders.” “I think too much.” “I get restless.” “I can’t...
The Light in the Dark
Last week, the fires that ravaged Northern California devastated entire communities, leveled businesses, and left many homeless. The helplessness, fears, and sadness that I felt while watching this horrific news was only compounded by the recent slew of disasters from...
Just Be There…It’s Almost Enough
Wouldn’t it be so much easier if there was a direct go-to manual for how to handle every kind of parenting situation?? I mean, I suppose you can do a Google search, and you’ll instantly reveal lots of solutions to your present issue, however it may not fit your mold....
The Most Constant Thing is…
Yup! You guess it! Change. The most constant thing is change. And nature has a beautiful way of reminding us of this with the changing of the seasons. Though, living in northern California, we don’t experience a stark contrast from one season to the next, we...
My Everyday Mindfulness
I took my first mindfulness class a few years ago. Truth be told, I knew nothing about mindfulness when I signed up. Though serendipity led me to attend a 6-week introduction class, I was unaware that I was being cosmically led down a path that was going to change my...
Don’t Change That Radio Station!
Do you ever have the experience of being in your in your car listening to the radio, and even though a good song comes on that you like, you still shuffle through the other five pre-set stations, only to land back on the original one you started at? There are a few...
Raise Your Hand if You Wish Parenting Came with a Rule Book
Almost everything you buy comes with instruction manual. Even the super obvious items, like a blow dryer or a water bottle, have directions for use, care, cleaning, and tips for optimal functioning. And whenever I see these instructions, I always feel a bit like, “Do...
Proven Antidotes to Stress
The holiday season is never as easy, peaceful and joyous as we hope or expect it to be. And while there is a plethora of wonderful and joyous moments during this time of year, sometimes we are even too stressed to notice or appreciate them. Additionally, I know that...
Give Your Presence as Your Present
Regardless of your religious background or which family traditions flank your household during the Holiday Season, there is a ton of gift giving this time of year. First you agonize over which perfect gift to buy in the hope it will be loved, used and valued. Then...
The Journey of Becoming You
I have a new favorite word. And I won’t lie – I got great satisfaction when even the biggest self-proclaimed logophile (someone who is a lover of words) I know had never heard of it. It’s not just that I like the way it sounds; it’s my new favorite word because I...
Thanks-Giving, and Why It Matters
The month of November is often associated with the holiday of Thanksgiving. Most likely, we all share a similar memory, which includes an amalgam of images, smells, and experiences defining our holiday experience. Right now, even as you are reading this, you are...
To Everything There is a Season
I love Fall! I love the smell of the mornings, warm afternoons turning into cool evenings, and the changing colors of the falling leaves. Even the mess of leaves on my patio and in my pool, which can be frustrating, is a reminder of this season which is all about...
Mindfulness Helps You Manage Difficult Emotions
Just as the acclaimed Pixar movie Inside Out demonstrated, all emotions are not only necessary and part of the human experience, but they each show up in our lives at different times. It is very common to want to disregard or ignore “negative” emotions, such as anger,...