It’s usually pretty easy to feel good about ourselves when things are going our way, when we’ve been making significant progress on our personal and professional intentions, and when we’re in harmony with the important people in our lives. However, when we fall short of our own expectations, disappoint others, or fail to achieve a […]

A 2010 study of over 2200 people found that about 47% of the time people are not thinking about what’s going on in the present. What’s more, the Harvard University researchers found that when our thoughts are focused in places other than the present moment, we are not as happy as when we’re in the […]

When we hear the word “mindfulness”, many of us think about how being more mindful could benefit our physical health, reduce our anxiety, help us perform better at our job, or deepen our spirituality. Being more mindful can certainly bring about these changes. However, mindfulness can also strengthen our relationships with other people. How does […]

Have you ever flown off the handle and said or done things you later regret? (Almost all of us have.) Or have you been so much “in your head”, focused on facts and figures that you lost contact with your feelings or those of other people? (Probably.) In the first case, you were in what […]

With mindfulness meditation gaining so much popularity over the past few decades, and seemingly even more so in the past ten or 15 years, it can seem as if just about everyone has taken up the practice. According to a recent research article (Burke et al, 2017) based on data from the 2012 National Health […]

Mindfulness is all the rage – and with good reason. We are faced with an overwhelming, constant input of media, be it from our phones, iPads, laptop, or desktop computers – not to mention the burgeoning possibilities presented to us by cable and network TV, and movie theaters. Our bosses, colleagues, clients, family, and friends […]

This past weekend I took what turned out to be the most raucous yoga class I’ve ever experienced. Five minutes before the scheduled start time, more men than women were lined up outside the yoga studio, stretching and looking very serious. This should have been my first clue that we were in for a serious […]

Everywhere we turn these days, there seems to be another article extolling the benefits of mindfulness, and with good reason. Adopting a regular mindfulness practice can help treat: depression anxiety substance abuse obsessive-compulsive disorder eating disorders such as bulimia, compulsive overeating, and anorexia emotional volatility high blood pressure chronic pain insomnia gastrointestinal difficulties However, a […]

There’s no getting around it – food is an essential and often extremely pleasurable part of life. (That is, unless you’re a breatharian, a concept I personally cannot understand.) Not only is food necessary for our physical sustenance, but it also figures prominently in many social and religious events. Thanksgiving and turkey (or tofurky). The […]

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” (Buddha) Mindfulness can be defined as non-judgmental awareness of the present moment. So, being aware of your feelings, as opposed to stifling your emotions, is part of mindfulness. However, sometimes people can get caught up in the “mind” […]