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” […]

Sometimes it can be a challenge to fit a practice of mindfulness into your life. You intend to put aside ten minutes in the morning or evening, for instance, to close your eyes, sit in silence, and focus on your breathing. However, what often happens is that the alarm goes off at some unreasonably early […]

Sometimes there’s just no way around it — we’re uncomfortable. Having the capacity to feel deeply means that we’ll have moments of excitement, joy, love, laughter, peace… and also boredom, sadness, anger, tears, and anxiety. However, it’s often through our judgment of our distressing emotions that we end up having more of them. For instance, […]

Do you ever feel as if you’re tending to more than one thing at a time, such as eating a meal while you work on your computer, or (gasp) texting while you’re driving? Do you find yourself feeling scattered or tense as a result? Do you notice that you’ve developed habits, such as relying on […]