Moments of self-care and meditations of the heart can take on many forms in our practice. Take a couple of moments here & now and simply visualize being held or cradled by a loved one. Research has shown that a 20-second hug can stimulate production of oxytocin, a hormone often associated with feelings of love, […]

~ inspired by Andy Puddicombe, a Clinical Meditation Consultant and the co-founder of Headspace (www.getsomeheadspace.com) This can be a wonderful exercise to practice with your children who tend to really enjoy a good piece of chocolate. Our household favorite is individually wrapped ‘chocolate coins’ from a local chocolatier. Below are a few useful tips on […]

“See, Touch, Go” is a mindfully simple attending exercise included in the outstanding book, “The Now Effect“, written by author & psychologist, Elisha Goldstein, PhD. This 3-minute practice uses the breath as an anchor while helping us to apply an attending technique of ‘see, touch, go’ as we observe the wandering tendency of our own […]

Inspired by Mark Coleman’s “Seven Meditations for Connecting with Nature” Reconnecting with nature opens us to the raw simplicity and contentment of our being as we realize we need so very little to be happy in its presence. Nature has a profound way of reinvigorating our sense of curiosity & wonder no matter what our […]

~ Inspired by author & educator, Jeffrey Brantley, MD This holiday season, take some time each day to stop and to be present with yourself and life…  just as it is… remembering that inner peace & stillness exists inside of us all regardless of the outer circumstances. Here is a personal mindfulness practice in breathing: […]

Inspired by “Child’s Mind: Mindfulness Practices to Help Our Children Be More Focused, Calm, and Relaxed” ~ Christopher Willard Our minds often behave a lot like snow globes. As soon as we move & pick them up to examine them, we notice how “stirred up” things start to become inside them.When we take notice and […]

You may want to use a timer for this brief attending practice. Take a break from whatever you are doing right now and just sit. You don’t need to sit in any particular way. Gently focus on your physical sense of “sound”. Close your eyes and just listen for any audible sounds that you can […]

You may want to use a timer for this brief attending practice. Take a break from whatever you are doing right now and just sit. You don’t need to sit in any particular way. Gently close your eyes and sit for a couple of minutes. Don’t be concerned if a lot of thoughts pop up […]

Here is a simple attending meditation that will help to bring quiet and stillness to your mind and body. You can practice this “candle meditation” either sitting on a cushion or on a chair in a quiet space. Simply light a candle, and begin to draw your attention to the candle flame through a couple […]

Here & now, simply take a couple of deep, soothing breaths into the belly of your body. Place your palms together over your heart space, and center your breath here. For the next minute, and as best you can- simply notice the sensations in your palms, hands, and heart. As you do this, smile inwardly […]