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
Tag: mindful living
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
Relearning Meditation at Life’s Transitions
I trained to become a yoga instructor in 2009 and 2010. I was practicing yoga, breathing exercises, and mindfulness meditation on an almost daily basis. Then I got injured at the end of 2011, and all that basically went out the window. Who wants to slow down and be in their body just so they … Continue reading Relearning Meditation at Life’s Transitions
Injury Makes Me Be with My Thoughts
Recently I started having some pain in the ball of my foot. This was a few weeks after I had restarted teaching Pilates and yoga. This followed my previous trajectory of starting to teach exercise and then psyching myself out to the point where I feel a bit overzealous in my own exercising and get … Continue reading Injury Makes Me Be with My Thoughts
Inner World, Outer World: Quieting the Mental Chatter
All that noise, that stuff It's always there, it's just a matter of my awareness But to think that when I don't know it it's not there is naive And to be anxious about it when I do know it is foolish Rather— Just acknowledge that things are always crazy in some ways and choose … Continue reading Inner World, Outer World: Quieting the Mental Chatter
Prayer as Nourishment
Prayers aren't supposed to be something we say because we HAVE to, they are not something to Get Through. They are nourishing our souls. Mindful praying, like mindful eating. Although the food analogy is tough because many of us, including myself, rush to eat our food too! May we all be able to slow down … Continue reading Prayer as Nourishment
Reciting Morning Blessings in Nature
There is a sequence of Jewish prayers in the morning. I grew up saying them, continued into my young adulthood and then stopped due to having new responsibilities as a young professional as well as feeling a need to let go of my childhood religious rituals. But I still from time to time say these … Continue reading Reciting Morning Blessings in Nature
I’m Only Human
While doing yoga this morning, the following thought popped into my head: I am human. This was an invitation to not seek out perfection. An offering to ease my anxiety; to slow life down; make my expectations more realistic. Maybe it was inspired by my sore toe tendon (yes, injuries can be inspiring, in that … Continue reading I’m Only Human
Squirrels in Nature
Last Sunday morning started off with me anxiously getting as much reading about emergent curriculum done as possible. Which is ironic, since a main point of emergent curriculum is to observe mindfully and feel the richness that life has to offer—while rushing to get things done feels the exact opposite. After a morning of anxiety, … Continue reading Squirrels in Nature
Mindful Nuggets 