Calm and Steady: Two restorative breathing practices for everyday
We all know that taking a deep breath can calm us down and bring our brain into a more useful state. It can also create a more sustained and improved mood and reduce anxiety if practiced even a few minutes a day. Here are two wonderful techniques to support you every day. In both techniques, […]
Mindful Mondays: Noticing Joy
One of the biggest costs of being Mindless, instead of Mindful, is the loss of opportunity. One of those opportunities could be the chance to notice Joy. Joyful moments can look like ecstatic celebration or just the daily mundane pleasures of life that feel deeply contented. They always seem to have a sense of buoyancy. […]
Mindful Mondays: Non-judgment
This month we settle into a new holiday season with fresh opportunities to live more mindfully. SETTLING INTO THE PAUSE – NON-JUDGMENT – NOTICING JOY – REFLECTION When it comes to cultivating Mindfulness, I find that practicing an attitude of non-judgment towards myself and the world around me is both the most difficult but also […]
Mindful Mondays: Settle in with the 3 Ps
SETTLING INTO THE PAUSE – NON-JUDGEMENT – NOTICING JOY – REFLECTION SETTLING INTO THE PAUSE This time of year can feel like a roaming whirling dervish. Other times it can feel relaxed and spacious. Pausing to notice can cultivate self-awareness, personal worth, and a sensibility of grounding. Nothing is needed except to notice when you […]
Mindful Mondays: Finding Uncertainty in a wobbly world
There is something about getting through a winter holiday in this bizarre epoque to reassure us that we do indeed have the resilience to get through it all. I may toss my 2022 calendar onto a bonfire for a ritual burning, while lifting high a strong beverage, and bid the year a solemn Good Riddance! […]
Mindful Monday: A Season of Gratitude and Gratefulness
Practicing gratefulness daily can prime our brains to look for more reasons to be grateful which shifts our outlook, perspective, and mood. McCraty and colleagues (1998), in one of their studies on gratitude and appreciation, found that participants who felt grateful showed a marked reduction in the level of cortisol, a stress hormone. They also […]
The 3 P’s – Pause, get Present, Proceed
One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is to build it into your movements and habits. Simple daily and moment to moment actions like crossing a threshold, picking up your phone, touching a doorknob, are habitual movements. You can use these to anchor your mindful practices and build calming moments into your day. Use […]
Mindful Mondays: When it rains
I’m a lover of petrichor; the smell of rain on dry earth. There’s nothing better, and it’s a good thing living here in the great Pacific Northwest. There are also times that are not so inspiring to our senses. Difficult emotions, limiting beliefs or situations can feel overwhelming. The rain comes down too hard. It’s […]
Mindful Mondays: A clean deep breath indoors
Lately, if you’re out of fire range and fully in smoke range, taking a deep breath in the Pacific Northwest has been a risky proposition. Deep breathing outside has been discouraged for those at risk. So, it’s particularly important to have clean air indoors. In response to the ashy air, I fashioned this fancy air […]
Mindful Mondays: Feeling Hot Around the Collar?
I was recently driving southbound to Oregon during a Pacific Northwest heat spike. I was heading to an annual retreat at the Mt. Angel Abbey Bach Festival. I use this as a personal retreat mixed with amazing live music and excellent beer from the Monk’s brewery. After driving three hours in 100 degree heat my […]
