Some Americans are healthier than others and, despite what you might think, it isn’t because some people just take care of themselves better than others. Rather, the conditions in which some people live have a lot to do with it. For instance, our current food system reflects historic inequalities that lie at the foundation of American
I was sitting in meditation this morning and realized how much fear I had overcome through the practice of mindfulness (namely, present moment awareness without judgment and with kindness and curiosity). In particular, I was thinking about the pumpkin soup I made as soon as I arrived home yesterday from an overnight airplane trip back
Change is happening. Open your mind and get curious with all the kindness and compassion you can muster. Apply this instruction to any situation you find yourself in. In fact, it could be a mission statement for life. In the Buddhist texts, it is called understanding and knowing the truth of “impermanence”–an important lesson on
I can still clearly remember the day back in 1997 when I set the intention to deepen my meditation practice. I was sitting in a Quaker church in the middle of an Iowa cornfield at A Course In Miracles retreat led by Tara Singh, a deeply inspiring teacher from India who had spent three years
Do you think of “calm” and “holidays” in the same sentence? Probably not. In fact, often the holiday season becomes filled with obligations, unmet expectations and stressful demands. The American Psychological Association reports that holiday stress has a particular impact on women, due to their tendency to take on much of the responsibility for preparing
This holiday, make the season bright by enjoying your food without guilt and showing up in your holiday best. Mindful eating can help you have your holidays and your holiday food, too. These holiday tips are not your usual “show up for the party full so you won’t be tempted with goodies” and “drink lots
It’s that time of year again. The landscape is devastatingly beautiful in the fall (at least where I live); and I get irrationally excited about everything pumpkin. My favorite moment yesterday was when I subscribed to a new website called Vanilla and Bean and their introductory email was about how to make pumpkin puree. No more
I was at my favorite coffee shop yesterday and this conversation ensued. I asked the barista what she was going to do for Halloween and we discussed costumes. Then someone else having coffee there started talking about the trick-or-treaters that show up in his neighborhood and the conversation veered off to what kind of candy
I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland this week and enjoying “the beautiful sunny weather”—as the gentlemen exclaimed at the airport as he greeted us. That is a joke, of course, as it has rained every day. But, it has also been extremely beautiful—lots of lush green, friendly people, and wonderful sites of ancient architecture, as well as
In yoga class this week I discussed the concept of “nonexcess,” the yogic philosophy called Brachmacharya. Certainly, it is not difficult to see how much our modern lives are consumed with the opposite—excess! We live in a “more is better,” “all-you-can-eat,” “get more for your money,” “buy the new shiny thing” world. When times were
