Practice Mindful Self-Compassion even when you don’t think you need it. Why? Because then you’ll have that familiar safe space to step into when you need it most. So, what is Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) anyway? The practice of MSC was created by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer as an expansion of mindfulness practice that centers [...]
Terrible stuff happens, and it seems so random. Yet there it is, happening when you least expect it. And when it does, the pain can seem overwhelming. The hurt, the sorrow, the shock — it can all seem so unbearable. As with everything though, your experience of it changes and transforms over time; change is [...]
A year ago, on April 8th, 2020 we experienced our Passover holiday in captivity, in the Egypt of Covid-19. We scrambled to find our way, attempting to collect the food items for the holiday meal, and then compromising and pivoting every which way to make the Seder safe – some set the table for one, [...]
I used to dread having my annual mammogram. My mom would remind me to make the appointment, and shepherd me there, soothing my anxiety by her upbeat attitude to taking care of important business. My mom’s been gone 5 years, and I haven’t been as regular in making this appointment. Since my best [...]
Wake up. Do your daily routine. Grab some breakfast. Make sure the kids are ready for school. Jump into your workday. Buzz through meetings and projects. Make and serve dinner. Tidy up. Binge watch something. Go to sleep. Repeat. It’s all too easy to get stuck in a mindless loop of the daily [...]
This morning as I brushed my teeth, I glanced at the bottles of supplements and hormone replacement creams and I felt an upwelling of gratitude for the human brilliance and resilience that figured this stuff out! The researchers in the lab, the machinery to make it, and the regulations to make it safe [...]
Empathy is when you connect with and feel someone else’s pain. It’s a beautiful way to connect with others, but it gets exhausting because you are in a constant state of giving out while not receiving anything back in to fill your own coffers. Compassion is trying to alleviate someone else’s pain. Compassion [...]
As I was placing my online grocery order the other day, I came upon a new brand of pickles in the refrigerator section. New and novel things are supposed to be good for us in Covidland as we shelter in place, so I thought, “why not give these pickles a try?” “Are they [...]
“Did I miss something?” asked Martha, her hand raised in the Hollywood Squares of my Zoom mindfulness class. “What do you mean?” I inquired. “Well, we were having this relaxing and lovely meditation experience and now we are all of a sudden talking about death and dying, so I want to know Did [...]
This pandemic has taught us all some unexpected lessons about ourselves, and here’s one to take to heart if you haven’t yet: Parents, your wellness matters. Between remote schooling and COVID-cautious in-person school or other activities for your kids, you’re certainly not alone if the pandemic has found you up to your eyeballs [...]
