Relaxation

“What we see is only a fractional part of what really is.” ~Unknown On the surface, in the public eye, it can seem trivial. It might look like the seemingly harmless teasing of a child or romantic partner, joking about words they have mispronounced or silly mistakes they have made. Inane mistakes like putting on

“Maybe it’s time for the fighter to be fought for, the holder to be held, and the lover to be loved.” ~Unknown I was breastfeeding my infant son when he bit me. That bite set the stage for a deeper unraveling then I could have ever imagined. I unlatched him, handed him to my husband,

“Feeling safe in someone’s energy is a different kind of intimacy. That feeling of peace and protection is really underrated.” ~Vanessa Klas I’m now fourteen months into my recovery from complex post-traumatic stress syndrome (c-PTSD aka complex trauma). I’d been in therapy for a number of years before I was diagnosed. I’d been struggling with

DISCLAIMER: Though vaccines have allowed many of us to return to more normal activities, the pandemic isn’t over, and it’s still crucial that we all follow the evolving CDC guidelines to keep both ourselves and others safe. “Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset, the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall. It’s the little things

“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside and hustle for your worthiness.” Brene Brown I was shaking and sweating with fear as I stood in front of my graduate professor for the final test of the semester. I was twenty-two years old at the time and felt like a

When you think of the teachers who’ve had the greatest impact on your life, who comes to mind? For me, it’s the calm, the humble, the patient—the people who not only imparted useful life lessons but also embodied their message with their grace and equanimity. People I was fortunate enough to know personally, like my

“Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.” ~Socrates There’s a lot of beauty and value in positive, light-and-love approaches to mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. But I challenge you to go a little deeper and to face something we’re all going to experience eventually: Death. I know this may sound macabre, bizarre, or

“‘What should I do?’ I asked myself. ‘Spend another two miserable years like this? Or should I truly welcome my panic?’ I decided to really let go of wanting to block, get rid of, or fight it. I would finally learn how to live with it, and to use it as support for my meditation

“No matter what kind of stuff you tell the world, or tell yourself, your actions reveal your real values. Your actions show you what you actually want.” ~Derek Sivers I need to be a productivity rockstar if I stand a chance of accomplishing everything important to me. There’s a book I want to write, a

People-pleasing, overhelping, overgiving—we can give it lots of different names, but the consequences to putting yourself last all the time are generally the same. You may have been raised to see giving and helping as virtuous things. And hear me say, they are. I believe wholeheartedly that it’s a beautiful thing to serve, support, and help

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh As a Lyft driver, I once spent significant time out on the road—a setting rife with provocations and stressors. Driving can feel like a constant challenge to employ mindfulness instead of giving way to destructive emotions like impatience and frustration. Meditation can be difficult to practice when

“Don’t waste your time and energy trying to convince people to value you. If you have to fight for their attention and respect, it’s time to move on.” ~Lori Deschane “Well, maybe if you didn’t make stupid decisions you wouldn’t have anxiety. Maybe you just need to think a bit more and be smarter. It’s

“Sometimes you’ve got to look straight into the tired eyes of the woman staring back at you in the mirror and tell her that she deserves the best kind of love, the best kind of life, and devote yourself to giving it to her all over again.” ~S.C. Lourie Self-care. An important concept that has

“Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.” ~Langston Hughes Nine years ago, I was sitting mindlessly in my office cubicle in Omaha, Nebraska, when the receptionist called to inform me that my dad was in the lobby. I walked out to greet

“Sometimes, you need to be alone. Not to be lonely, but to enjoy your free time being yourself.” ~Unknown First, let’s be clear, being alone is different than feeling lonely. The feeling of loneliness can arise even if you are not alone, or you can be alone and not feel lonely. It all comes down

“Today I want you to think about all that you are instead of all that you are not.” ~Unknown “Love the pinecones!” This was a comment from a friend on one of my Facebook photos from a beautiful seaside hike filled with wildflowers and other natural wonders. When I responded with “It was a puzzle