Show of hands: how many of us think of the ego as a "bad thing"-- something we should be trying to get rid of? 🙋🏼‍♀️ It's not uncommon...

How do we own what's ours within systems of unequal power distribution? Recently, a friend of mine and her partner found themselves in a fundamental disagreement over how to handle a situation. They're both white, cisgender, able-bodied, raised in upper-middle-class homes. The biggest difference between their social positions is that he is male, she is female. Additionally, he works in STEM and she is a social worker. Our culture values his work more highly than hers, so he m

In my last post, we took a look at what we’re actually trying to accomplish when we sit down to meditate. TLDR (too long, didn’t read?):...

Why do we meditate? Or, if we don’t, why do we think we should meditate? For many folks, the goal is to be more mindful. We want to enjoy...

A few weeks ago, over the holidays, I was in line at a Starbucks when the mother of one of the employees came into the store to surprise...

If you’re someone who works with anxiety, you already know how overwhelming it can be. This is especially true for folks with a history...

Of course, we all know that each of us sees things a little differently. For example, if you’re lactose intolerant (or a vegan), dairy...

Our intuition is our gut instinct, our deeper knowing, Jung’s “perception via the unconscious,” which guides us when logical information...

The other day I was listening to a podcast. The “commercial break” was 30 seconds of “the sounds of nature.” As I listened to the sounds of a woodland scene (birds, trees, wind), I felt my body softening and relaxing unconsciously. I didn’t need to make anything happen– it happened naturally. Then, the sounds faded, and a voice told me that the 30 seconds of nature was brought to me by Nature Valley Granola Bars. I had an instant reaction of being super pissed off. I felt lik

What’s your capacity to be embodied, present and engaged with anger? Before we jump into this topic, it might be helpful to reflect for a moment on your relationship with anger: When you read or hear the word “anger,” what do you notice in your body? In your personal history, what has happened when you experience or display anger? What do you feel or notice in yourself when someone around you is angry? Do you feel like you need to get away, or fix the the problem for them? Do

“There is an inner wholeness that presses its still unfilled claims upon us.” Emma Jung My one and only childhood encounter with musical instruction happened at the age of 9. My classmates and I were filed into a small room where a visibly irritated and tired teacher handed each of us a musical instrument. When they handed me the French horn, I felt a sense of deflation in my body. It was bulky, large, unglamorous. I had no interest in or connection to a French horn. I didn’t

It’s Not Exercise, It’s Not a Workout, It’s Training (here’s why) When I talk about the kind of work that I do, or how I move my body, you might notice that I never refer to my “workouts” or “exercise.” This is a deliberate choice that speaks to the kind of work that I do and the ways in which we can disrupt what Decolonizing Fitness calls “toxic fitness culture.” Let’s take a look. Etymology of “Workout:” First, it might be helpful to look at the origin of these terms. The t

(There are definitely more, but 6 is a nice number to start with!) Endorphins. Movement releases “feel-good” hormones like seratonin,...

As I’m writing this, my dogs are barking fiercely: the lawn maintenance company is trimming some hedges around the house, and as the workers move past each window, it is FULL RED ALERT CRISIS TIME. You couldn’t have a conversation in here if you tried. This ability to perceive danger or threat is called neuroception. When something feels dangerous or wrong, my dogs react. Their senses heighten, their posture stiffens, and they’re ready for fight or flight. The hair on their b

For some of us, learning that it’s okay to fail is a life skill that pays off big. In a recent Fighting Monkey workshop with the...