
Calm Your Body to Calm Your Mind
"Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced." -James Baldwin We are in the midst of a pandemic. Let’s imagine that you sit still to practice mindfulness – the simple art of non-judgmental awareness. You observe your...

The Healing Power of AND
If you are like me, you are on a roller coaster of feelings during this coronavirus time at home. Sometimes, I momentarily forget about the virus while walking in nature or laughing with my kids, and then suddenly I remember once again. Hope, grief, sadness, joy and...

Creating Space for Grief
When I learned that school had been canceled due to the coronavirus, I was more than a little shocked. My default coping mode was to get busy and stay positive. I also knew that I had to move my body and spend time in nature each day. Simultaneously, I became less...

While I Lie Awake at Night
The other night I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. I was feeling sadness about something that had happened earlier in the day, and I offered myself a little compassion for the difficulty. I then went through my usual repertoire of things I do when I lay in bed: I...

Mindfulness Is Not About Being Calm
I recently began teaching a mindfulness curriculum to a group of middle school students in a Milwaukee Public School. Before I even began teaching, one of the middle school teachers said to me, "Mindfulness doesn't work." Hmmm.....I thought. Mindfulness is about...

How Self-Compassion Saved My Daughter…and Me
My older daughter Maya was born sensitive, curious, and creative. As Maya grew, I learned that all of her five senses were extra sensitive. For her sounds were louder, smells and tastes more acute, she had a strong draw to everything tactile, and she saw “light...