The loss of a pet is devastating. Everyone’s different, of course, and I admire people who can open their hearts quickly to adopt again, but I’m a person who needs time to heal. After my 21 year old feline companion Noel died, it took me almost two years to feel the yearning to bring a […]
Wellness
A Valentine to Yourself: The Power of Healing Touch
Did you know that each time the heart beats, its number one priority is to take care of itself? Before pumping nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, the heart uses the blood supply to nourish itself first. Every time. This extraordinary wisdom of the heart models an act of self-care we would be wise to […]
Easy Green Cleaners You Can Make at Home
Having long ago abandoned fancy designer lotions for natural alternatives to keeping my skin healthy and smooth, it occurred to me one day that I ought to likewise banish chemically laden products from my cleaning cabinet. After all, if you tend the surface of your body with care, why not attend to the myriad surfaces […]
Ordinary Miracles: Noticing the Extraordinary in Everyday Experience
Everyone has times of sadness. I’ve been extra aware of this lately, seeing several dear friends struggling with challenging, even heartbreaking circumstances – health crises, rocky relationships, financial concerns. I keep reminding myself that as much as we wish to do something, ANYthing to help, sometimes the best thing we can do is simply witness, […]
Cultivating Happiness
My father used to tell me, “You’re lucky; you’re one of the happy ones.” I never thought a lot about this, but, obviously, I never forgot it. Could happiness actually be genetic? In her splendid book The How of Happiness, psychology professor Sonya Lyubomirsky shows that about half of it is. Interestingly, very little happiness […]
Embracing Tech Without Smothering Yourself: Tips for Keeping Balance in a Wired World
Listen to this post Yes, I’m a self-professed geek, but hacking and phishing and bugs – oh, my! Add endless IMs, emails and texts, and you’ve got potential for endless stress. As much as I love technology, there are times when I really just want to unplug. Easier said than done, right? That’s why psychologist […]