It’s that time of the year again when we’re force fed the idea that we need to be better. Different. Thinner. Stronger. Smarter. We need to work harder. Sleep better. Drink Less. Drink more. Give up bread. Have more sex. Do more yoga. Quit snoring. Turn our phones off. Read more. Do less. Do more….

Oh, the holidays. There’s so much hoopla about good tidings and cheer. We rush around buying gifts––even for people we don’t like because it’s the “right thing to do.” Then there’s all the mushy Hallmark movies and Christmas cards plastered with smiling faces recounting a year’s worth of “look what I did.” For a lot…

You may not know this about me, but I used to be a lawyer. Well, I’m still a lawyer, but I don’t practice anymore. But there was a time when all I wanted to do was defend criminals. Not because I had a warm and fuzzy feeling towards lawlessness. Actually, it was the opposite: I…

Were you raised in a “shame on you” household? I sure was. Maybe it was the era. Maybe it was my parents pushing me to be more. Or maybe it’s how they were raised. But I’ll tell you what—“shame on you” was a punishment that often hurt more than a bare butt spanking.  But let’s…

What do you want more than anything right now? Go ahead. Name it, I’ll wait.  Great. Now when you identify this thing or situation you want, is the energy surrounding it dripping with desperation? Does it feel anxious and clingy? Are you white-knuckling your dream? If so, let’s back up.  There’s a magic to manifesting…

I hate skiing! I tried it years ago and I fell––a lot. I mean a lot. Heck, I even fell off the chairlift. And that wasn’t the really humiliating part, the real embarrassment occurred when a six-year-old gracefully glided off the lift four chairs later while I was still in a duck and cover position…

When’s the last time you grieved? If it’s been a while, you’re probably overdue. Grief is an essential emotion for long-term happiness. During a time of loss, it offers us the shelter to stay put and the freedom to move on. But it doesn’t always feel that way, does it? I know from experience that…

Have you been working out lately? Naturally, in the year of Covid, my usual exercise haunts are quieter than ever. Treadmills are empty. Pilates reformers are going unused. And, I continue to have a lot more personal space around my yoga mat—as I’ve been doing my downdogs at home.  It’s important, especially this year, to…

In the days of Covid it’s easy to lose your holiday spirit. Even though a vaccine is on the horizon, they say it’s going to be a long, lonely winter before we feel its positive impact. So we’re told not to gather. Not to visit. Not to toast one another. Even the age-old tradition of…

In the days of Covid, I haven’t been sick once. Not a cold, sinus infection, or the flu. It could be because I’m not traveling. Or, because I’m constantly washing my hands and wearing a mask. Or maybe because I’m not hugging people.  But I really think it’s because I supercharge my immune system. It’s…

We all do it from time to time.  Whether we’ve felt slighted in a relationship or insulted by an in-law at Thanksgiving, we all hold grudges.  A lot of why we hold grudges and refuse to forgive is subconscious. We walk around like a victim portraying a false sense of valor for the pain that…

Once upon a time, there was a group of people who dreamed of a life without limitations. They were a prayerful bunch of entrepreneurs and risk takers who wanted a freedom they had never experienced but knew was theirs for the taking. The Pilgrims wanted the freedom to worship as they chose. Freedom to own…

The days before a big holiday can feel overwhelming. We’re rushing around shopping, fighting traffic, and cooking—all while trying to be socially safe. Add to that, the cleaning and prepping and the family drama that usually ensues.  To keep things at a happier, more peaceful vibe this Thanksgiving, here are a few dos and don’ts….

Do all your relationships have a common theme? Maybe you give too much? Maybe you’re insecure? Maybe you don’t really trust and give yourself completely? Do you feel like in all your romantic relationships you’re dating the same person over and over again? No matter who you’re with, you’re having the same arguments and are…

Love is everything! It’s the common denominator of our existence—the energy that fuels us and the world around us. How do we attract more love? By being more lovable!  Being lovable allows us to attract the type of love we desire. Whether it’s a romantic love or a deeper love with friends and family, being…

Loving ourselves throughout our lifetime is a wonderful but challenging endeavor. And the big question is––how do we continue to love ourselves through everything, especially the big emotions of self-doubt, fear, and anxiety? It’s so difficult, isn’t it?  I’ve experienced this many times in my life, especially lately when the world is serving up so…

Sometimes loving ourselves is difficult. While we show compassion and understanding to others, we rarely show it to ourselves. We pay compliments to others but hardly to ourselves. We long to be with others and show our love, but don’t show love for ourselves.  Why?  A lot of it comes from how we were raised….

Oh, it’s that time again. When the mud is slinging, and people are berating and talking over each other. And if you watched the first presidential debate, you probably, like the rest of us, went to bed with a headache and woke up with a hangover caused by confusion and disbelief.  Every four years we…

We all have that voice in our head. You know the one I’m talking about––the mean, critical one that makes us feel unworthy and less-than. And for many of us, unfortunately, that mean voice is our default setting.  Whether this negative self-talk is due to childhood trauma, stress, or dysfunctional relationships, it’s difficult to break…

We’re wrapping up our fight or flight adventure this week and I want to leave you with a few ideas and products that have helped me shift out of fight or flight, calm my nervous system, and stay at peace. (If you missed any of the last blog posts and want a primer on shifting…

Animals are special creatures. Like us, they are sources of spiritual power that both absorb and reflect the energy that surrounds them. For many of us, animals are an outlet of joy and happiness. A little girl gets her first dog and the two become inseparable, spending time playing and swimming. A young man living…

More than a few years ago while lying poolside and staring at the Costa Rican mountains, I worried why I was so tired. Was I sick? Was I getting sick? What was wrong with me? The hypochondriac in me rolled over and said to my husband David, “I’m so tired. I must be sick.” He…

George and Betty’s doors were buttoned up tightly the day I stood on the side of my house metamorphosing into a twelve-year-old hustler. But smoke billowed from my neighbors’ chimney, so I knew they were home. They were my best option for getting cash—cash I needed to buy food for me and my brother and…

Are you overwhelmed? Have you lost your va va voom? Are everyday tasks bringing you down flat? It’s easy to fall into the unhappy lull of go go go and do do do. Even during the days of coronavirus, when we’re supposedly slowing down and staying home, feeling overwhelmed is a real thing. Add to…

Sometimes we’re just so human. You know what I mean—those times when other people’s habits, perspectives, and political views get the best of us and we say hurtful things. But also within our humanness, deep inside all our impatience and judgment, we have something else, something better. We have compassion.  Compassion is so powerful! It’s…