Relaxation

“Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.” ~Rumi “I know I should forgive but I can’t.” I squirmed in my seat as I said this to my teacher. I said this immediately after I explained all that I’d experienced during our meditation exercise.  In the meditation I’d had a vivid recollection of the

“The problem is not the existence of stressors, which cannot be avoided; stress is simply the brain’s way of signaling that something is important. The problem–or perhaps the opportunity–is how we respond to this stress.” ~The Book of Joy For the past few weeks, I took pride in being able to keep fear at a

“Your body is precious. It is your vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~Buddha As a 5’4″ petite, half-Asian, people have always assumed that I’m fit. However, my slender figure hid the sins of a poor diet and exercise routine for a decade. The truth is, being skinny doesn’t make you healthy. There are

“Less social media, more everything else.” ~Unknown It’s been a long time since I’ve engaged personally on social media. A while back I made the conscious choice to stop scrolling online and start focusing my time IRL. I was shocked when I did the math. Scrolling for just twenty minutes a day adds up to fifty

“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ~Joseph Campbell It’s hard to believe the state of the world we are in. It feels like 2020 has become the plot of an apocalyptic movie. A microscopic virus invades planet earth

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars.  You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” ~C.S. Lewis My ex and I split up about five years ago. We had been married for seventeen years, and after that long, I figured we were home free, as far

“The earth is what we all have in common.” ~Wendell Berry  I love the warmth and brightness of sunny days, but I’ve always enjoyed the stillness that comes around as the rain starts to fall, as well. Creatures retreat to the warmth and dryness of shelters and home spaces. Outdoor work and routines are rethought, sometimes

“The mind is the place the soul goes to hide from the heart.” ~Michael Singer “You think you’re so much better than me!!” As this phrase—laced with contempt—exited my mouth, I recognized the familiar words. I had grown up hearing this phrase often. The “rich people,” the girl who won the competition, the inconsiderate neighbors,

“Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.” ~Sharon Salzberg I came home from my doctor’s appointment last week and rambled off three to four different things that were happening in the world as a result of the coronavirus. By the fourth item my wife asked me to stop. She

“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.” ~Plutarch People-pleasing can seem Iike a way of connecting with others. We believe that if we keep people happy, then they’ll like us and want us around. While it may be true that

“Health is not just about what you’re eating. It’s also about what you’re thinking and saying.” A virus is spreading across the globe. Schools are shut down. People are out of work. Grocery stores are empty. Weddings, graduations, vacations, a day in court—canceled. This is the ultimate test in emotional resilience. Uncertainty is one of

“Our bodies contain our histories—every chapter, line, and verse of every event and relationship in our lives.” ~Caroline Myss I could hear my teacher talking, but I wasn’t listening. Staring at the math homework in front of me, I couldn’t get the sound of my heartbeat out of my head. Two times two equals, thump

“Don’t try to calm the storm. Calm yourself. The storm will pass.” ~Buddha As we all now know, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been spreading globally. It is a serious threat, less because of the raw numbers involved (as of March 22, 2020, there are less than 340,000 known infected cases with a global population of

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in my life is to risk nothing.” ~Leo Buscaglia It was the day after my boyfriend proposed and I felt sick with anxiety. I

Hi friends! As you may know, I’m always excited to share free events that can help us heal, find peace, and learn to meet each other with more patience, kindness, and compassion. And I’m particularly passionate about mindfulness. The more present-moment awareness foster, the better we’re able to cope with our own sometimes-overwhelming emotions and the

For more than a week now, I’ve been immersed in how to handle the pandemic that is unfolding all around us. By now, one thing is clear to me. We are either our greatest allies or our own worst enemies at such times. How we react makes all the difference. One friend brought home a

“Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.” ~Eckhart Tolle As a special-needs parent, it feels that I am in constant anger and fight mode. I am fighting with my children on the home front. I am fighting for their right to get access to services. I am fighting for their acceptance. I am

“Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.” ~Daphne Rose Kingma One of the most challenging things in life is knowing when to let go—when to let go of a job, a relationship, a belief, a repeating thought, a situation… fill in the blank. Most of

“Self-care is how you take your power back.” ~Lalah Delia Self-care is not a bubble bath. I mean, it might be, if you’re the kind of person who feels like they’re committing a mortal sin by allowing themselves to wade in hot water with a candle or a book for twenty minutes alone. If that’s

“We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond.” ~Lionel Kendrick The coronavirus is no longer isolated to just China. It’s here, affecting over ninety countries, and it continues to spread worldwide with new cases popping up daily. It’s all over the news and there is an inescapable sense of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty.

I mean, hungry allll the time. Basically, if I was awake, I was ready to eat. I’d mindlessly pick at whatever was available. I’d wander the kitchen feeling “snacky” all the time. I’d be completely consumed with thoughts of what I was going to eat next from the minute I woke up til the minute

“My life isn’t perfect, but it does have perfect moments.” ~Unknown Practice was over, the hot Florida sun was settling in behind the tall bleachers, casting golden rays onto the track. Behind me was my dear school, engulfed in beautiful palm trees. “California Girls” was playing through the speakers, and I was laughing with friends

“Forgive yourself for not knowing better at the time. Forgive yourself for giving away your power. Forgive yourself for past behaviors. Forgive yourself for the survival patterns and traits you picked up while enduring trauma. Forgive yourself for being who you needed to be.” ~Audrey Kitching You can try it all—exercise, a bubble bath, a

“The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.” ~Ernest Hemingway When I was in my early twenties, I was in a relationship with a man who abused me emotionally and psychologically for many months. It turned out I was his first serious

The path IS the goal. The process is more important than the result. Life is a journey, not a destination. There are three very common, some might say cheesy and clichéd sayings you may hear when it comes to taking action to reach your goals. Some of you are probably rolling your eyes already, and

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” ~Lucille Ball If you were to ask me ten years ago what self-love meant, I would’ve probably said something general like “being happy.” But self-love goes way deeper than that; it involves accepting the past versions of yourself and your present challenges, while giving yourself credit for

“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” ~John Muir Somewhere, stashed away in my collection of childhood memories, I recall having this small deck of cards with random, uplifting activities on them. I don’t remember how they journeyed

Hi friends! Since I know many of you are passionate about mindfulness and meditation and creating a more peaceful world, I’m excited to share that Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach are accepting applications for their next two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program. Though it’s primarily an online learning experience—which means you can participate from anywhere

“Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you.” ~Wayne Dyer When I married my ex, he had the potential to be a fantastic husband. If I’m to be honest with you, that’s why I married him—I

“Agreeing to things just to keep the peace is actually a trauma response. When you do this you’re disrespecting your boundaries.” ~DJ Love Light Two years ago, I moved from New England to the Pacific Northwest. It was time for a change, and though I was excited to begin a new chapter of my life,