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Food is no longer ‘out there’, rather it is something we must bring back into our lives at close range. Farmer’s markets, local food sources and regional offerings must be supported by our interest, encouragement, and purchasing habits. We must, as Vicki says, “eat here, now”. Continue reading TEDxTalkTuesday: Relational Eating by Vicki Robin Have you noticed how easy it is to “see” something without really knowing it? Or to see someone through our own limited vision rather than through a more spacious lens? I welcome your thoughts and comments. Continue reading Mindful Minute: Inner Life by Parker Palmer Happy New Year everyone! January is celebrated in many countries as a time to say goodbye to the “old” and welcome the “new” into our lives. It is a month for setting a list of well-intentioned goals for the upcoming year. As I ponder the whole concept of New Year’s resolutions and how easily the most determined of us fall down and come short of Continue reading A Single Word Can Be a Powerful Thing Mindfulness Meditation is the practice of cultivating awareness. It is the choice to take a few minutes to a longer period of time in silence, observing the mind along with sensations and emotions. In meditation we notice what is present, without changing anything. It could be said that mindfulness meditation is “being” rather than “doing”. Continue reading Mindfulness Meditation: What It Is and What It Isn’t [EXCERPT from: The #1 Thing to Ditch From Your Diet Right Now] Take a guess at what the #1 thing to ditch right now from your diet is. Is it gluten? (Surely, since it damages the gut lining.) How about sugar? (Must be it. It’s the one thing we know we should limit.) Dairy? (Inflammatory for so many folks.) Legumes? (Lots of carbs with less nutrition.) Alcohol? (All the calories with none of the stuff that makes us healthier.) While I’d argue that the food listed should be avoided from your nutritional approach on a daily basis, there’s one that’s worse. The #1 thing to ditch from your diet right now is…. STRESS! Continue reading The #1 Thing to Ditch From Your Diet Right Now In the US, 80% of girls have been on a diet by the time they’re 10 years old. In this honest, raw TED Talk, neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt uses her personal story to frame an important lesson about how our brains manage our bodies, as she explores the science behind why dieting not only doesn’t work, but is likely to do more harm than good. She suggests ideas for how to live a less diet-obsessed life, intuitively. Continue reading Sandra Aamodt: Why dieting doesn’t usually work Traditionally, the work of the heart begins and ends with forgiveness. To heal, we must forgive. To live mindfully, we must forgive. But first, we need a clear and wise understanding of forgiveness. Once that is accomplished, we become more able to forgive both others and ourselves.Forgiveness is a letting go of past pain and betrayal – releasing the burden of hate that we carry. Forgiveness honors the heart’s greatest dignity and purity. When we are lost, it brings us back to our center and to our ability and our choice to love. With forgiveness, we become unwilling to wish harm on another, no matter the circumstance. When we forgive, we free ourselves from the past and its grasp and hold on our heart. Even in the worst experience, our heart can be free. Continue reading The Heart & Soul of Forgiveness Eight Tips for On-the-Road Wellness As holiday traveling becomes more commonplace and in many people’s lives, more frequent, I thought it might be helpful to offer some suggestions for maintaining wellness while on the road. Whether traveling by car to a destination or taking a holiday trip of some sort, here are eight tips to help you to navigate your holiday travel experience. Continue reading Eating Mindfully While Traveling I invite you to rent the movie The King’s Speech. As you watch it, think about yourself. What is your Life Purpose? (It tends to be that thing just beyond what seems impossible!) What are you continually allowing to get in the way? How can you, and from whom can you, get help with that hindrance? Imagine what the payoffs will be for you as you act on Bertie’s (and Colin’s!) wisdom. Continue reading Lessons from Colin Firth In the year 1621, the pilgrims who had settled in the United States set time aside to gather together, reflect on the past year, and give thanks for their fortunes, blessings, and plentiful harvest. This day became known, over the years and decades, as Thanksgiving. As it is defined, Thanksgiving is a day for giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Today, many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, which is a time to gather with friends and family for a holiday celebration. And, as we know, nearly every holiday or celebration includes food. Continue reading Thanksgiving – A Mindful Look at a Traditional Meal In today’s busy, oftentimes frantic and noisy world, eating in silence is usually thought of as something to be experienced on a retreat of some sort or in a monastery somewhere. And eating in such a manner is usually regarded as difficult to imagine and a bit weird: who, after all, wants to feel restricted, limited and uncomfortable while eating a meal? In Brooklyn’s trendy Greenpoint neighborhood, at a restaurant called Eat, the head chef and the owner have created an opportunity for patrons who wish to really taste their food and savor the experience of a meal. During a trip to India, head chef Nicholas Nauman, spent time with Buddhist monks who eat their breakfast in silence, exchanging no words. He decided to bring his learning and appreciation of truly mindful eating back to the U.S. Now, according to Jordan Colón, the owner of Eat, folks can partake in a silent dining experience that otherwise may not be an option. Occasionally, the restaurant offers silent meals to people who choose to experience eating in silence. As Chef Nauman says: “It’s just an opportunity to enjoy food in a way you might not have otherwise”, while commenting on the “strong energy in the room.” Continue reading The Silent Meal This morning, I received Geneen Roth’s newsletter, Geneen is a noted author and workshop facilitator in the area of eating and body issues. The newsletter featured an article titled ‘Everlasting Beauty’ and spoke to how we, especially women, degrade ourselves by how we criticize our bodies and judge our physical attributes. This incredibly insightful article suggests that beauty is something that can ‘save the day’, something that we look to for inspiration and peace – not something that is found in some state of physical perfection. Her inspiring words conveyed an opportunity to look at life with a changed lens…one that honors the beauty of the world and the gift of being alive. And who can’t use a bit of that? Continue reading Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder Research on mindful awareness practices reveals an enhancement in our relationships with others due to an increased ability to perceive the nonverbal emotional signals from other individuals. This form of awareness may directly shape the activity and growth of the parts of the brain responsible for our relationships, our emotional life, and our physiological response to stress. Clearly: self-leadership, mindful awareness, and intentional choice are enhanced by practicing a skill set that prepares us to be our own best leaders. Continue reading Take Charge of Your Brain Our culture has indoctrinated most of us, particularly women, to believe media-defined thinness and beauty will bring happiness, bliss and self-love. Unfortunately, this is not true. Continue reading My Journey of Healing with Mindfulness Meditation Our culture is one of “automatic pilot”: in today’s world, we mindlessly head for a future that is not here yet or often propel ourselves back to a past that has already occurred. The problem with this style of living is not that the future or the past is undesirable to think about but in doing so…in spending time longing for a certain future or grieving over a past that we can’t change…we are robbing ourselves of the ability to be fully present in the only moment any of us will ever have: this moment. Continue reading Living Mindfully Mindfulness has its roots in ancient eastern philosophy, and is based on the premise that our attachment to feeling happy and our aversion to feeling badly in some way are the cause of much of our discomfort and misery. Much of the time, when things are difficult, we take up compulsive or avoidant behaviors in an attempt to make ourselves feel better. Continue reading How to Combat Anxiety itting in an outdoor cafe reveling in the beauty of warm summer day…I am aware of something deeper in me…something wanting expression. It is about the magic of summer and the child in me that comes alive as the temperature climbs above 80 degrees. Have any of you been there? Have you felt yourself come alive as the temperature becomes warm and life takes on an ease and a charm that only happens when the season is summer? Continue reading The Joys of Summer We hear a lot these days about well-being, becoming who we truly are and realizing our wholeness. While this may sound compelling (“Sure, why not? I’m in!”), how exactly do we begin? Where do we start? And what is the first step? First, I believe we are all whole and complete human beings just as we are. We lack nothing and we are not in need of “fixing”. From a holistic standpoint, we have everything we need to live life as whole and complete human beings. Secondly, to be well in body, mind, heart and spirit, it is not a matter of needing to acquire something from the “outside”. Rather it is a matter of letting go – of releasing ourselves from the prison of culturally imposed limiting beliefs, fabrications and fear in order to live a life of authenticity and freedom. This article is intended to be a way to “check-in”: to inquire into our own well-being and notice what we discover when we ask ourselves the following questions. Continue reading Well-Being Check-in Daily habits are the best way to make change happen and by doing something every day for three weeks, it becomes a habit. Read 21 Days to Eating Mindfully: Your Guide to a Healthy Relationship with Yourself and Food and ease your way into a lifetime of healthy choices and habits. Continue reading Daily Habits In “The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling” author Stephen Cope takes us on a step-by-step tour of the story of Krishna and Arjuna in the spiritual classic, the Bhagavad Gita. He makes the story relevant to contemporary readers by weaving in stories of well-known Western lives that illuminate its central principles – including Jane Goodall, Walt Whitman, Susan B. Anthony and others. Each of these characters is an example of a principle regarding one’s calling and living it – and in doing so, keeps the reader spell-bound while becoming more knowledgeable and clear about this whole business of a calling in life. This essential guide also includes everyday stories about following the path of truth, illustrating the relevance and usefulness of this classic yogic tale. Continue reading The Great Work of Your Life |
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