The holidays are beginning to wind down and now is the time you might start to wonder in a slightly agitated voice “how could I have eaten so much over the holidays?” or “why can’t fit into these pants anymore (did they shrink)?” If that resonates with you or if you’re just looking to get
Three years ago I found myself traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, to be a part of the brain research being conducted by Richard Davidson, the neuroscientist who heads up the Center for Investigating Healthy. I had been identified as a “long term meditator” and asked to participate in some of the extensive research projects being conducted
Here’s a great Huffington Post blog piece by Michelle May, M.D. called A Recipe for Overeating that I thought was excellent. I hope you enjoy it. It is perfect for the holidays when it seems like we are surrounded by food. After that, if you want to laugh along with me and Paul Pepper, watch
Over the years of defining mindfulness for people just being introduced to the term and the practice of meditation, I have noticed a change in my explanations. As my own understanding of mindfulness has deepened and changed me, my instructions have taken a decidedly softer and kinder portrayal of this way of being and sensing the
We are on the countdown to the beginning of the holiday season—Thanksgiving is upon us!!! We will soon be faced with tables of food—things like turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, potatoes and gravy, the obligatory green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cheesecake (my favorite!!) and many more. I’m salivating just thinking about it. Oh
Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food—sounds a lot like the Slow Food Movement to me. Events are taking place across the nation to promote “eating real” food. Go to thewebsite to find out about events in your area and to take their “real food” quiz to find
Every time I mention kale to my mother she groans and rolls her eyes saying “I don’t like kale.” Talk about a role reversal. I tell her (like a mother would), “I just don’t think you’ve given it a chance or had it prepared the right way.” Personally, I’ve just learned how to massage my
It’s the second week of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program and some people are wondering why on earth I am asking them to do the body scan every day (a formal mindfulness exercise that asks people to systematically bring attention to their body from head to toe). All kinds of comments are made after we
Mindfulness is a great way of helping us contemplate our values. When we’re present we can really feel the contentment and ease of our lives when we’re living in a way consistent with what we belief in and how we would like to behave. And conversely, you can feel the discomfort of living and behaving
But Maryam Fakhradeen from the University of Missouri-Kansas City won the book “Commit to Sit: Tools for Cultivating a Meditation Practice” by posting her comment about doing the three minute meditation. She said “Helped a LOT; I knew I was tense but didn’t realize I was THAT tense until I was doing the exercise. Love
