Poetry

Mindfulness used to be considered a fringe practice for hippies, New Agers or religious extremists. For a long time, the average adult felt it had no place in mainstream society. Decade by decade, that line of thinking has been changing as hard scientific facts back up claims that mindfulness leads to better health, a better…

An old Cherokee Indian chief was teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he told the young boy, “a fight between two wolves. One is evil, full of anger, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity and false pride. The other is good, full of joy, peace, love, humility, kindness and faith.” “This…

When asked “How would you have lived your life differently if you had a chance?” Nadine Stair, an 85-year-old woman, from Louisville, Kentucky, provided these poetic words as her response… If I had my life to live over again,I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.I’d relax.I’d limber up.I’d be sillier than I’ve been this…

  In an article for Psychology Today (1), mindfulness-based psychotherapist Peter Strong, Ph.D., reports that for many people who suffer from acute insomnia – the cause is simply stress. This stress takes the form of a racing mind that keeps a person in a state of hyper-arousal. Think of it as a switch inside your head….

For the last few decades, medical science put more and more focus on SSRIs*, TCAs**, MAOIs***, better known as antidepressants. Because of how prevalent these medications are, many people don’t realize that there is another treatment option. Antidepressants are so common that many wouldn’t even believe that this other option can be just as effective…

In the series of short videos below, Jon Kabat-Zinn gives us 9 meditation tips. I think you’ll find them very helpful and insightful (I certainly did). As many of you know meditation is the formal practice of mindfulness (formal meaning that we take specific time out of our lives to practice mindfulness (the informal practice…

Are you suffering from digital overload? According to neuroscientists at the University of California, being bombarded with constant electronic stimuli is pushing our brains to work overtime (1). Our attention is being divided and it’s causing stress levels to soar. Even more concerning, turning off devices does not stop the brain from over-reacting to stimuli. Digital…

Whether you’re an educator, a parent or a caregiver, you can teach mindfulness to the children in your life. Here are six simple ways to do just that. Oh, and before you begin your mindfulness exercise, make sure to turn off any distractions, such as television or video games, and be sure cell phones are silenced….

Millions of people suffer from chronic pain due to injuries or diseases, and pain management can be a tricky business. Living with pain is not only a physical strain—be it  merely uncomfortable to outright debilitating – but is also an emotional strain as well. Feelings of frustration, anger, depression or even despair can deeply impact…

One of the most significant and delightful effects of my mindfulness practice over the past 15 years is that I am much less of a ‘grumpy bum’ than I used to be. I’m particularly aware of it at this very moment because today was the typical perfect storm for stress. After three months abroad, my…