There is a profound difference between receiving a heartfelt digital note and the experience of opening an envelope to read words someone took the time and effort to express in writing. But in this age of digital convenience, how often does one actually put ink to paper? The good news is that, even amid the… Read more »
We live in an era defined by a polarizing news environment, leaving many in our society feeling deeply exhausted. In response to this inundation, many turn to a “news detox,” setting strict consumption limits or attempting to disassociate entirely. Technology apps such as Freedom and News Detox offer a much-needed hiatus from the deluge, promising… Read more »
Our bodies are a series of interdependent ecological networks that constantly self-regulate, much like nature itself. By connecting with our own feedback loops, we learn methods for better health. We can reclaim the “wild self” and return to a healthy vagal tone in this modern world. ‘Rewilding’ (returning to the wild self) is simply the… Read more »
Imagine living a life with the potential to harness hardships, neutralize suffering and transform adversity into the silver lining of life. The pearl-producing oyster does just that and provides a lesson for us all. We are more similar than we know to the soft, tender, vulnerable mollusk. We are also made up of a multitude… Read more »
Personal wellness services such as facials, massage and other spa therapies have reached a turning point. The Wall Street Journal recently emphasized this trend in a spotlight comparing an AI-powered robot massage to a traditional massage therapist. This underscores the evolving landscape of wellness. Advanced robotics, AI technology and machines are here to stay. These… Read more »
We are all giving birth each moment. We manifest a new idea or inspiration with every breath. There is little we need to do for this creative act to move through us. We merely need to listen more to hear a deeper voice and respond accordingly. The creative act is constantly trying to express itself… Read more »
On February 18, Gene Hackman passed in Santa Fe, New Mexico at 95 years of age. A legend of the movie screen for over four decades, this accomplished actor played roles embodying tough, strong, steady and warm characters. Thus, the circumstances of his death with wife Betsy Arakawa shook the country’s conscience. What lessons can… Read more »
“Dailiness” is one of the most important cyclical patterns we perform regularly. Life happens in acts of repetition, over and over. It is the thousand small eye blinks of routineness that make up our lives. Nature awakens daily and shows us slight visible and invisible variations carving throughout the terrain of our world. Our personal… Read more »
Daily, the phrase “To human is hard” enters my thoughts. This reality becomes even weightier with Oxford Dictionary’s 2024 word of the year, “brain rot,” defined as a “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially from consuming too much trivial online content.” Just one more complexity to work to ward off as… Read more »
We inhabit a multifaceted body with an active mind controlling a large part of our day-to-day life. This intellectual mind enables us to interpret the world; yet, it is only one indicator of our well-being. The immediacy of an emotion stored in the body is another clue towards overall health. When we assign the mind… Read more »
The Summer Olympic Games invited much joy into many households. Spectators witnessed inspiring athleticism in a myriad of sports generating nationwide awareness and sparking ideas on our individual approach to movement and physical activity. A recent study featured by the World Health Organization (June 2024) cited that 1.8 billion adults (31%) do not meet their… Read more »
There is no disputing that many of our traits and propensities in life originate from the integration of our ancestral past. The stirring of our ancestral inheritance speaks to us daily if we are willing to listen. The voices of family values, generational traumas and the choices of our ancestors affect us psychologically and influence… Read more »
The muscular system is one of the most dynamic, responsive systems in one’s body. Our muscles form thousands of elastic fibers bundled tightly together, and when tension is initiated in the form of movement, we invite our muscles to take part. This can take place through weights, bands, body weight or spring resistance such as… Read more »
Our emotions can rule our lives. Imagine wearing a backpack full of rocks. Each rock has an emotion written on it that ranges in size and significance. This “mental satchel” may carry resentment, anger, anxiety, fear, despair or embarrassment – emotions that create stress and tension and can manifest in the physical body as headaches,… Read more »
There is considerable discourse these days about longevity and its correlation to how we manage stress. Stress seems like a conditional part of day-to-day living. It is natural to have intermittent tension in life, yet incessant stress seems the new norm and ultimately creates risks for health decline. When chronic stress elevates, we find ourselves… Read more »
The art of pivoting is an act of shifting performed in most sports and throughout our daily life. When we pivot effectively, it opens the opportunity to change direction and pursue a beneficial forward trajectory. I grew up ice skating competitively. There is a fond memory of the elegant practice of a pivot creating the… Read more »
Summer is in the rear-view mirror and fall is at our doorstep. Before transitioning to the blossoming season, it is helpful to reminisce upon summer and reflect upon our experiences. Stepping forward with wisdom often involves looking back as to where we’ve been and the lessons we’ve gleaned. In a personal reflection, I revisited memories… Read more »
Since early adolescence we have been primed to focus on our physical appearance. The world identifies who we are through our coiffed exterior presentation, and we spend a lot of time and money polishing the image others see. Imagine a world in which the interpersonal work to which we dedicate time is met with society’s… Read more »
The emotional state FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) took center stage as social media came to fruition. Looking at pictures of fancy trips, friends beaming with accomplishments and individuals’ alluring pastimes may leave us yearning for similar experiences. We might work to keep up and fill our schedules to appear as if we have substantive… Read more »
Few of us are encouraged to actively contemplate the inevitability of our death, or that it could happen at any time. This year, I actively sought out the opportunity to do just that. An email from Spirit Rock, a meditation center nestled in the hills of Woodacre, California, presented a class entitled, “A Year to… Read more »