Mindfulness: Mindful Speech

On February 1, 1884: The first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), considered the most comprehensive and accurate dictionary of the English language, was published. Plans for the dictionary began in 1857 when members of London’s Philological Society felt an error free dictionary covering all vocabulary from the Anglo-Saxon period (1150 A.D.) […]

Keeping Your Cool

Gentle Orientation: We’ve gotten through the holidays hopefully unscathed, tending our emotional wounds or over-indulgences. Tempers may have flared even amidst the joyful noise and revelry of bringing in the new year. In other news: A surgeon told my hiking buddy that she ‘wrecked everything’ in her knee when she slipped on her slick deck […]

Cultivating the practice of NON-JUDGMENT

Non-judgment is one of the pillars of mindfulness. It is included in the 7 Foundational Attitudes ,which if cultivated leads to many others. When it comes to living more mindfully, I find that practicing an attitude of non-judgment towards myself and the world around me is the most difficult. However, it also provides the biggest […]

Mindfulness: Upon Reflection

Happy end of the Year! This month we settle into a new holiday season with fresh opportunities to live more mindfully. SETTLING INTO THE PAUSE – NON-JUDGMENT – NOTICING JOY – UPON REFLECTION In recent years I’ve stomped the ground of nearly 400 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon and Washington. Some days […]

Mindfulness: Noticing Joy

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       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 […]

Mindfulness: 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 practicing an attitude of non-judgment toward myself and the world around me is both difficult and rewarding: inner calm, stress […]

Mindfulness: Settling into the PAUSE

This month we settle into the holiday season with fresh opportunities to live more mindfully. SETTLING INTO THE PAUSE – NON-JUDGEMENT – NOTICING JOY – REFLECTION This time of year can sometimes feel like one big whirling dervish. Other times it can be relaxed, meaningful, and spacious. Pausing to notice your experience can cultivate self-awareness, […]

Finding certainty in a wobbly world

There is something about getting through a winter holiday in this bizarre époque to reassure us that we do indeed have the resilience to get through it all. I may toss my 2021 calendar onto a bonfire for a ritual burning, while lifting high a strong beverage, and bid the year a solemn Good Riddance! […]

Getting Grounded in Gratitude

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 […]

Minding Your Senses

There is a saying that you can’t give what you don’t have. Taking care of yourself and addressing your needs is a vital part of improving wellbeing, maintaining balance, and preventing burnout. Attending to your own sensory experience in the world is part of taking care of yourself. Mindful Practice – The 5 Senses This […]