The energy of our time is a little intense right now. Naturally, we’re emotional, we’re numb, we’re out of sorts… to say the least. Intense times require us to ground ourselves into what is true, real, and stable…
Read MoreThe storm clouds blew in with so little warning that there was no time to run, no time to hide. They gathered, small at first, in a corner of my mind, unnoticed and therefore unattended to. As I sought a safe space internally, none could be found, and I took refuge in family and friends.
Read MoreWe hold so tightly to the word “resolute” and its direct descendant, “resolution”. We took this lovely word with its Latin footprints, held it hostage, and morphed it into something that tends toward a kind of rigidity and judgment that often results in disappointment and feelings of failure.
Read MoreI sat in my car on the side of the road. Cars, vans, motorcycles, and trucks whizzed past me as I sat stuck in place. In my fog, I finally picked up my cell phone and called the friend who knows me best. “I’m sitting on the side of the Crosstown unable to move,” I managed to say through choked tears. “I’ll be right there,” she said.
Read MoreYou’ve heard the saying, “One cannot truly love another until they truly love themselves.” Yet, we often find it much easier to feel love for others than we do for ourselves. You may be asking: What does it even really mean to love ourselves?
Read MoreAnyone who has flown commercially has heard the phrase, “Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” This same idea can be applied to our everyday lives; to serve others in a meaningful way, you must first serve yourself. How often do we recognize the need to put ourselves first?
Read MoreWith each passing week, I meet another caregiver caught like me in the “sandwich generation”, people simultaneously taking care of their children and their aging parents. We are stressed doing our very best to support all involved – emotionally, financially, mentally, and physically….
Read MoreAccording to Ayurveda health-care philosophy, oil pulling draws out toxins in your body to improve oral health specifically and to improve your overall health.
Read MoreAbhyanga is the Ayurvedic practice of self-massage, which can nourish and cleanse our external body just as we cleanse and nourish internally with clean foods and new eating habits.
Read MorePrior to lock-down, I walked regularly, often with Sally, our Jack Russell/Australian Shepherd mix. I enjoyed our walks (and Sally always enjoys her walks!), often leaving my phone at home, the better to enjoy our time together. Although I was never rushed, and I enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature, there was always “something” to get home to do, a “next thing on the list”, My appreciation and enjoyment were of the “walk-thru” variety, and my mind might often wandered….
Read MoreI assert that pranayama is the single most accessible, practical, and effective tool available to reduce stress, energize, bring about calm, and improve our overall well-being. Period. We can go without food for weeks, without water for one to two weeks. We start to hallucinate three to four days without sleep, yet the lack of breath becomes fatal after only a few short minutes.
Read MoreCats slink. Cats connive. Cats ponder, purr, pretend. They meow their way into our hearts and play with our emotions. These are the reasons we love them (and sometimes why we do not).
Gracie, my cat, found herself to be two pounds overweight late last fall. In consultation with her veterinarian, we cut her portions and mixed her yummier food with another kind – called metabolic and really meaning diet. Oh, the shame of it.
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