Blog
Depression Sucks: 7 Questions That Can Help
Depression. It sucks. Here’s my new working definition of depression: Can’t let go of the past, can’t move on towards the future, so might as well hate yourself in the present. Depression results in painful sensation in the body* that we attach meaning to such as: why bother with anything you will never feel joy again nothing is satisfying life is meaningless you are broken and there is no fix In addition depression can disrupt: Sleep Relationships The ability to work/go to school Appetite...
read moreEnding the Torment of Regret
This is real life. You will be asked to make decisions that will bring you to your knees. You will wrestle and grapple with whatever it is. You will shed tears of agony and pain and then… You will choose, because you must. You will do the very best you can in that moment. And then…. Regret will set in. It may creep in slowly, or it may hit you like a bullet train. Your mind will tell you stories about how the other choice would have been better. The other choice would have had less suffering. The other choice would have been right, good, and...
read moreHiking With My Son ~ A Mindfulness Practice
It’s one hundred degrees in town and the ninety-degree temperature at my house in the mountains feels almost cool in comparison. I decide it’s a perfect day to take my 2-year old son Xavier for a hike. I know the spot well; a flat trail with spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains in the state park just a few miles away. As soon as we hit the trail he starts running. Fast. I know what’s coming next and cringe. He falls. It seems to hurt me more than it does him. He jumps up and keeps running. He trips again, this time a full-face plant. I...
read moreI Want My Tiger! ~ Using NVC with Toddlers
My 2 ½ year old wakes up grumpy. I have no idea where he gets that. This morning, he climbed in to bed with me, stepping on my head along the way, and started whining that I needed to go and get his tiger, blanket, armadillo, monkey, and water, which were all still in his bed. My first thought was, “If all of that is in your bed, and you want it, why not just stay in your bed?” Instead of saying that out loud, however, I got up, and went to get the gang for him. As I lay back down, he took the tiger and threw it, and then proceeded to cry, “I...
read moreHow Thought Labeling Can Reduce Anxiety
I am on a hike with my husband and 4-year-old son. We are doing a loop, and we’ve got about a quarter mile left, which is all uphill. We stop for some water and snacks to fuel up for the last stretch. My son sits happily eating a Lara bar. “Look at this ant Momma!” he says. I respond, but it’s halfhearted if I’m honest, as my attention has been pulled elsewhere. The sky is getting dark and the clouds are moving swiftly. The sun seems to have vanished. “It’s going to rain,” I think to myself....
read moreHow to Teach Children NVC
My son and I are on a walk with our dog when out of the blue he asks me, “What’s an army Momma?” Hmm. One of those trick 4 year-old questions. “An army is a group of people that defend a country,” I answer, happy with my PC reply. “Oh,” he says. Then he asks, “What would you do if an army was trying to hurt me?” I pause, realizing that this is not a hypothetical question for many parents, and feel the impact of that as well as not knowing how to answer. Dang it! I thought I was out of the...
read moreJust Stop Thinking
Today I pushed one of those behemoth shopping carts with a car on the end, with my 3 year old inside, through an extremely busy grocery store. As I made a wide turn into the check out lane, I bumped into the cart in front of me that was being emptied by the store employee. “Sorry,” I said, “these things are huge!” To which she responded by completely ignoring me. “Huh,” I thought to myself. She had obviously heard me. When it was my turn to check out, I apologized again, “Sorry about bumping the...
read moreA Generosity Revolution
Around this time of year we hear a lot about generosity. ‘Tis the season to give, right? Nothing says I love you like vying for a parking space at the mall and maxing out your credit card. What would it mean right now to start a generosity revolution? How could thinking differently about what it means to give and be generous create more harmony, peace and love in our relationships with our partners, children, co-workers, friends and family members? To read the full article, click...
read more5 Reasons to Attend Anna Twinney’s Clinics in 2014
If you are reading this, you are most likely a horse person. Maybe you grew up with horses. Or maybe like me you stumbled upon them without a clue of what you were doing and were humbled by their grace, presence and intrigue. Either way, here’s why attending one of Anna Twinney’s clinics in the new year will make a difference in your life. 1. Anna speaks the language of horses fluently. Horses are always communicating something, and the untrained eye misses most of it. No flick of the ear or swish of the tail gets by Anna. She...
read moreWill Non-Violent Communication Work With Your Toddler?
Well, will it? That is exactly what I asked myself after my 2 year-old spilled orange juice on my laptop! If you are a parent, Non-Violent Communication is a great addition to your parenting tool kit. For those unfamiliar with Non-Violent Communication, or Compassionate Communication, it was created by Marshall Rosenberg, and more information can be found in his book, Non-Violent Communication, or at the Center for Non-Violent Communication website. To read the article and how I used it, click...
read moreRecent Blog Posts
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Letting Go of the Past: A Prerequisite for Being In the Present
Recently, I watched the movie Up with my family, which I hadn't seen in years. Despite it being heart warming, humorous (squirrel!), and entertaining,… Read more… -
How To Have A Connecting Conversation: Step by Step
If you are having trouble connecting with people during the Covid-19 pandemic you are not alone. This article gives step by step instructions for how to have a connecting conversation.
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Managing Anxiety During the Covid-19 Pandemic
4 strategies for managing anxiety during the covid-19 pandemic. Read more…
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Mystical States and Healing: What Psychotherapy Can Learn from Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
What they did yesterday afternoon ~ by Warsan Shire they set my aunts house on fire i cried the way women on… Read more… -
The Non-Violent Communication (NVC) Mindfulness Connection
How NVC (Non-Violent Communication) and mindfulness practice are inter-connected. Read more…
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Touch and Go: Meditation for Pain
When my horse got to the highway side of the fence, I started to panic. I used a meditation technique called "Touch and Go" to work with my experience as it unfolded. Read more…
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Losing Aby: Grief and Stillness
My experience of losing my dog, Aby, of feeling grief, and trying to explain death to my six year old son. Read more… -
How To Raise Non-Judgmental Children
We all want our children to treat others with kindness and respect. Teaching and modeling non-judgment is a key component to this! Read more… -
Blame and the Empty Boat Practice
After watching a dog kill a cat, I was forced to look at how I over-rode my own intuition and to explore the concept of blame with the help of the Zen metaphor of the empty boat. Read more… -
3 Mindfulness Activities You Can Do With Your Child Today
“Mindfulness means paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness.… Read more…