Sitting With Difficult Emotions
Many years ago I used to do a lot of white water kayaking. Even though at this point my sojourns on water in a small boat are restricted to calm lakes, I often think back to the many… Read More
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Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes
"...you know, it's interesting -- it's rare that you do a story like this and find that it actually kind of changes your life.
I was totally skeptical. I went into it, you know, respectful, but like really, I'm gonna spend a weekend in a meditation retreat?
"I realized on this story, sitting in that meditation retreat, this is exactly what I need,"
Cultivating Self-Compassion
Self-compassion has not and still does not come easily to me. Typically my knee jerk reaction to challenging situations or difficulty in relationships has been to blame myself at some level. I question what I could have done… Read More
Moving from Separation to Connection
On a recent meditation retreat, during a walking meditation outdoors, a woman walked up behind me & passed me on the sidewalk. I observed that she was older and I noticed I was having thoughts that sounded a… Read More
Coming Home
I got back a couple of weeks ago from a 10 day silent retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Mass. My friends asked me about the retreat and about how it was coming home. I fumbled… Read More
The Gift of Curiosity: From Separation to Connection
We often teach in our mindfulness classes that mindfulness supports the curious investigation of what’s arising in our awareness so we can see it more clearly and not just react to it habitually. What was big for me… Read More
Opening to Struggle
If in rush hour traffic you can remain perfectly calm. If you can see your neighbors travel to fantastic places without a twinge of jealousy. If you can love everyone around you unconditionally. And if you can always… Read More
Just Seeing What’s Going On
Everywhere we look Spring is announcing her arrival…bright yellow forsythia sprays; fruit trees brimming with white & pink blossoms; brilliant yellow daffodils bursting on hillsides; and perennials emerging from their winter sleep with the promise of Summer flowers… Read More
Being Successful With Your New Year’s Resolutions
It’s that time of year again, the time when many of us make New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’ve resolved to exercise more or to go on a diet to lose weight. Perhaps you’ve decided to increase your time… Read More
Self Care at the End of the Election Season
Are you feeling stressed out, losing sleep, feeling emotions charged and mind racing over the upcoming election? I know I am. Friends, clients and family members have reported symptoms as varied as emotional outbursts, difficulty sleeping and preoccupation… Read More
Pausing as a Gift of Mindfulness
My husband had suggested kite flying as an activity for us to share with our 8 year old grandson. We found an amazing kite store with a huge array of kites, guaranteed to be easy to fly and… Read More
Mindfulness and Chronic Pain
I’ve been dealing with chronic pain in my back and hip for some time now. I just want to avoid it all, distract myself, eat some ice cream, put my feet up, get comfortable. There is certainly a… Read More
Close Encounter
Recently, I was driving to visit a friend at her horse farm. Traffic was light on the two lane, secondary road and my mind was wandering ahead with concerns about being late. Suddenly the car in front of… Read More
Building Trust, Turning Toward the Difficult
Yesterday I went to visit a colleague and friend of mine, a clinical psychologist who has been developing a livelihood that embodies her passion…horses. She is renting a beautiful farm that has two barns with spacious, clean stalls… Read More
An Authentic Life
This week I’ve been reading a book by Mark Nepo titled The Exquisite Risk: Daring to Live an Authentic Life. He speaks of the struggle to be real, to live our life with a deeply felt sense of… Read More
Befriending Self-Doubt
Alone An “off trail” hike over gargantuan red boulders dropped in the desert as if by some God. Filled with trepidation at the suggestion to stray… yet, afraid to say, “no”. Scrambling over, under & around smooth edged… Read More
Mindfulness & Wellbeing 