I recently became acquainted with a Dutch concept called Niksen. Niksen is the art of doing nothing. The idea is, well, to just sit there. No work, no distractions. No Facebook or journaling. No counting your breaths or repeating a…
Lifetime Guarantee
It’s rare for me to be in the same room with my mother and my daughter — three generations who live in different places and in different time zones. Yet there we were together, gathered for a family event, chatting…
Will Your Future Self Thank You?
If you look in the mirror, you will see the future self that your past self might have imagined. Here you are. Your today-self is the result of all the thoughts and behaviors of your past-self. Your future self will…
Searching for Silver
In March of 2020, life in Antigua, Guatemala (my new hometown) changed dramatically, as it did across the world. We went into a lockdown the likes of which no one had ever seen. Doors around the city were shut and…
Everything’s Coming up Roses
The flight took 10 hours. That would have been terrific if I had been flying to India, but we took off at lunch and were expected to land within 3 hours. I had plans for dinner! But life had other…
The Secret to Inner Peace
Amazingly, 2017 marks 20 years of my life in New Hampshire. Why is this amazing? Because I don’t like cold winters. I don’t ski, snow shoe, ice skate, drive, or even walk when there is snow about – I simply…
Three Simple Steps to Self-Compassion
If you’re feeling more Grinch than Santa, more Scrooge than Elf, then you may need a little extra dose of tender loving care. And guess who is the best person to provide this TLC? YOU are. Self-compassion practices are remarkably…
Practicing Self Compassion
Having had the honor of listening to clients for over 28 years, I know that it’s very easy for people to fall into patterns of self-judgement, self-criticism, and even self-harm. In fact, depression, anxiety, and relationship conflict are often exacerbated…
Making Friends with Death
I recently attended a retreat the sole purpose of which was to meditate upon death. Gulp. Most people don’t really want to be on a first name basis with the grim reaper, if you know what I mean. And yet,…
Eat, Pray, Learn
I recently went on a personal adventure to Antigua, Guatemala. It was my own miniature version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. Well, she traveled for an entire year (to Italy, India, and Bali) and I only went away for…