One day I was driving through the local shopping center, and I thought about how far removed I felt from the person walking in front of the stop sign in which I was stopped. I was ready to continue driving the instant that person cleared the area. Why I myself am a pedestrian I feel … Continue reading Increased Self-Compassion Breeds Greater Compassion for Others
Author: Gila Daman
Registered dietitian nutritionist who's learned you are more than what you eat—you are your thoughts. Certified yoga and Pilates instructor awakening hearts, as well as spines.
Author of three books based on 3 different stages of life:
The Roadmap Ends Here: Entering Adulthood,
First Comes Self-Love, Then Comes Marriage,
and She Pooped, I'm Pooped: Motherhood Year One.
Positive Psychology is Positively Great
Recently I came across notes that I took at a seminar in 2013 about happiness led by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, the renowned professor of positive psychology. (I am still convinced that had I known about positive psychology in college I very well may have chosen to study that instead of pursuing nutrition—having been a psychology … Continue reading Positive Psychology is Positively Great
August 23, 2000: My Flashbulb Memory
August 23, 2000 was a very weird day. It was horrible actually. But the way it became horrible was weird. A flashbulb memory is when you remember something so accurately, even years later, because it was so shocking. Kennedy's assassination is an example often used. 9/11 is another. Well this memory isn't national, rather related … Continue reading August 23, 2000: My Flashbulb Memory
Cherished Childhood Memories
One of the first things I thought after my father passed away when I was 21, was that I had the perfect childhood. It wasn't that growing up didn't involve low self-esteem, shyness, anxiety, etc.—it did. It was just that I had this feeling of gratitude that my father didn't pass away when I was … Continue reading Cherished Childhood Memories
Fancy Bathroom, Healthy Self
I keep happening upon renovated bathrooms: at the local apartment complex, at the local synagogue. I didn’t think the previous bathrooms were so bad. "Why did they spend the money to redo them?" I initially thought. But after using them, I realized there is something uplifting about using a fancier, finer ladies' room. It elevates … Continue reading Fancy Bathroom, Healthy Self
Back to School: New Clothes, Evolving You
I keep seeing back-to-school ads on Hulu and they irritate me. How important is it to have the newest shoes or coolest folder for school?It seems tacky, superficial. But after buying myself a couple new outfits for the new school year, I felt refreshed. And when I think of my new clothes as symbolizing something … Continue reading Back to School: New Clothes, Evolving You
Family Portrait: Taking Time Out to Pause
My mom and brother visited from out of town so my mom wanted to take a family portrait with all of us (mom, brother, husband, daughter and me). The only time we were all together was Tuesday morning. Tuesday afternoon I was off to a teacher training to kick off the new school year and … Continue reading Family Portrait: Taking Time Out to Pause
Feeling More Grounded Socially
Growing up I yearned to be invited to the gatherings of the "cool crowd." Sometimes I was, and sometimes I wasn't, and that made it all the more difficult and sad for me. Recently I got a last-minute invite to Shabbat lunch from a family whom we've been trying to have over for a while. … Continue reading Feeling More Grounded Socially
Mindfulness Wordplay: Forgetting the Present
As I rushed out the door to deliver a gift to my friend, I thought about the funny coincidence that the word in Hebrew for noise is ra'ash and one of the main reasons that I rush is due to the noise in my head. Then I went back into my house to get the … Continue reading Mindfulness Wordplay: Forgetting the Present
Inner Child Work: It’s Not You, It Was the Group Setting
Over the past decade I have read books and attended seminars about healing one's inner child. One time in the preschool classroom where I work, I was reminded of this concept. A child was crying and we were all getting frustrated about how to calm him down. And I realized that if this child were … Continue reading Inner Child Work: It’s Not You, It Was the Group Setting
