Mindfulness

Thanks to neuroscience, we now know the brain is “plastic.” This simply means we can change. With enough effort, skill and time a person can do a lot to overcome the effects of painful experiences. To survive, our ancestors had to be good at learning…

We are children of nature. And our brains are proof. Developed over the last few millennia to help us navigate in a natural environment, we are wired for survival. Cave dwellers at heart and farmers at best. We have yet to catch up to the advances of technology.

If we can stay present with ourselves – facing whatever comes up with exquisite honesty – we open to what is within and in doing so discover our true self.

Technology I have a conflicted relationship with technology. It creates community and dispenses information like never before. The problem is that human beings are wired to see the bright and shiny – making the medium that brings us most together, the one that potentially pulls…

The sun went into hiding this week and I joined it, by burying myself in work. Life was moving fast from under the pile. So when the sun broke through, I grabbed my camera and gladly followed. I’m walking around, looking for light. The house…

A friend sent me a copy of her rabbi’s Elul. It speaks eloquently to a personal belief of mine that carries over professionally. Namely, that we are born inherently good and that we heal by connecting with others.

Most of us are satisfied with the lives we lead. We may not be happy with what life has done with us, but we are mostly content with what we have done with life. By leaning into discomfort and shaking up our complacency, we get back in touch our aliveness.

Have you ever watched a leaf fall from a tree? I mean, really watch it. Here in the northwest, summer fades into fall slow and steady. The seasons take turns leading, waltzing around each other like old friends. It starts with a giant oak leaf…

Intention is like water. It flows to the lowest point unless directed elsewhere yet it can be very powerful when narrowed in with sustained attention. Just as water yields to form, intention leads to practice and whatever we practice, we get good at. Some folks…

Emotional regulation is a practice. You’re being asked to reflect and respond against something that feels natural to the parasympathetic nervous system. That’s why the bulk of the work is learning to titrate emotions. When all else fails and you’re feeling overwhelmed, ask yourself what matters most and try to choose love every time.