Mindful Mondays: Cultivating Mental Wellness
We have far more impact on our own mental wellness than we may have been told. Every day, we can make choices to create who we want to become. H/T to Dr. Nicole LePera for these reminders of ways to cultivate mental wellness: Remember, the brain can change throughout life. New neural pathways can be […]
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: Being Openhearted
Being Openhearted When we practice Mindfulness we can intentionally cultivate foundational attitudes or postures of being. This week we’ll visit the posture of Open-Heartedness. Gam Zeh Ya’avor The mindful practice of open-heartedness is all encompassing. Like compassion, it can hold comfort and suffering in the same space. Holding a posture of open-heartedness helps me recognize […]
Mindful Monday: Perfectionism and Self Compassion
Exercise: In this time of upheaval and change it is easy to be critical of ourselves and our ability to adapt. It’s a good time to consider how we respond to ourselves with compassion, or not. Enjoy and reflect on these insights and tips provided by therapist, Lisa Olivera. Reflection: How do I feel when […]
Mindful Monday: Mindful Anticipation
I reset often in the month of March. Just when I think Spring is going to burst wide open, snow falls instead. Holding the tension of mindfulness of the moment while anticipating with glee the promise of warm sun and crocuses, is a wild wonder to grasp. Then I look around. I notice the monk […]
Mindful Mondays: Working with difficult emotions
Soften, Sooth, Allow This weekend on my way to fetch eggs from a local family farm, I stumbled upon the ruins of a former mental health hospital. Northern State Mental Hospital was closed in 1976 after reigning since 1912. It left in its wake some successes I’m sure, but it is where many practices and […]
Mindful Monday: Breathing Through the Stress
Some Mondays arrive and we look back on the weekend and see disruption, corruption, and eruption. Not rest. Some Mondays require a reminder to breath intentionally; to remind ourselves that at the edges of what appears broken is a salvage edge that is trying to heal. Here is a simple meditation to quickly allow the […]
Mindful Monday: Tried-and-True Tips for Mindful Walking
February is a breakout time of year. The chilled weather with increased sun and light can encourage us to make our way outside. Jaunts around the block to wake up from our winter idle can be invigorating. Mindful breathes of cool air can support our mental health too! I’ve guided countless walks with small groups […]
Mindful Mondays: Be Still, Be Grounded
I spent part of this weekend in one of the most beautiful State parks in the United States: Deception Pass State Park (according to digital travel publication, Travel Lens). At the West Beach you can say hello to an amazing Douglas fir tree that has witnessed more than 850 years of activity around it. The […]
Mindful Monday: Cultivating Curiosity
When we practice Mindfulness, we can intentionally cultivate foundational attitudes or postures of being. Today we’ll explore the posture of Curiosity. Celestial Curiosity In August of 2012 our beloved roving robot named Curiosity landed on the planet Mars. For more than 10 years it has been puttering around 3-mile-high Mount Sharp inside Gale Crater. Recently […]
