⁣If you’re like me, you’ve experienced Imposter Syndrome in your lifetime– that sense that you should know more than you do, that you’re...

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...

three important lessons from The New York Times’ “Spelling Bee” game I love words and word games. I love etymology, the nuanced imagery that a perfect word evokes, the cultural implications of a word choice. I even love thinking about spelling words. So it’s not terribly surprising that one of my favorite daily activities is the New York Times’ “Spelling Bee” puzzle. It’s a simple enough game: you’re given seven letters and asked to make as many words as you can from the comb

I’m going to say something a little revolutionary here: it’s possible to work hard without feeling absolutely terrible. I think our...

Have you ever met a new person and felt an immediate sense of unease or distrust– something about them just doesn’t feel “right”? They...

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

sometimes our deeply held beliefs about ourselves don't hold up to scrutiny For years, I’d been sure that I was not getting enough sleep....

Just because it doesn’t “make sense,” doesn’t mean it’s not real. Psychosomatic symptoms are caused by a complex constellation of...

“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

You're probably familiar with the concepts of lovingkindness (metta), compassion (karuna), and equanimity (upekkha). When we wish, pray...

body neutrality picks up where positivity falls short. When I was a freshly-minted new yoga teacher, I had one goal with my students: to...

“I don’t understand why I’m so bad at this,” my client said. “Why can’t I do it?” “Have you ever done this before?” I asked her. “Why do...

having a variety of pleasurable activities is an asset you'll want to cultivate When you think about health and wellness, what comes to mind? Exercise, meditation, massage, eating well? What about just feeling good– are you prioritizing joy and pleasure for yourself? Learning to allow ourselves to feel good doesn’t come easy for some of us, especially those of us who have a history of traumatic stress or anxiety, but it’s so important for our well-being and for the greater go

So, you’ve decided you want to make a change. Maybe you’re working on recognizing and changing a bias you carry. Or you’re trying to use...

Our bodies and brains love to work in patterns-- it's a simple way to minimize brainpower and eliminate excess calorie expenditure. Many of these are useful; others may have been helpful at one time, but have become problematic. Working on changing these can be quite a challenging experience, especially if we're dealing with something like our breathing. In this article, we'll take a look at the mechanics of changing patterned behavior in our body-- and why it takes time. If

One of the most important lessons I learned from yoga? That there are some things about myself that can't be changed-- and that's actually just fine. One of my earliest yoga experiences was with a local man, who we’ll call Ed (why not) . Ed taught a Saturday morning donation (pay-what-you-can) class outside by the community pool at his condo. I’ve written before about how magical yoga felt to me in those early days– like falling in love, or coming home, or having a curtain pu

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...

Do you find yourself doomscrolling-- scanning through your Facebook feed or news sites these days, looking for the next bad news? Do you feel like you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop? Does it seem like it’s hard to find anything good at all, some days? It’s not your fault, friends– it’s our DNA. Staying alive over the past 10,000 years hasn’t been easy. Conflicts with other humans, starvation, illness, injury, parasites, and the threat of predators were omnipres

I’m reading David Epstein’s book “Range” this week– it’s a fantastic book that talks about how generalists, rather than specialists, are primed for success. I love the book because it tells us that those of us who are “frequent quitters” will end up with the most satisfying careers; that failing a test is the best way to learn; and that generalists often find their path later in life. Having sampled other paths, they are creative, agile, and can make mental connections that s

“My experience is what I agree to attend to.” -philosopher and psychologist William James What does it mean to agree to attend to experience? We have choice around what we will pay attention to; how we pay attention will shape our experience. The Buddha said, All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupted mind, And suffering follows As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox. All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Mad