I was listening to a podcast recently where the host was talking about the state of the world as we enter a new year. At one point, he offhandedly remarked that we seem to be experiencing so many daily sources of alarm and distress that we don’t even have time to process one before we’re… Read more »
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Why is nature good for our physical and mental well-being? “Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey At a recent conference, I was shown a satirical commercial advertising what they called Nature Rx. “Are you feeling tired, irritable, stressed out?,” a young man asks from a rowboat, setting the stage… Read more »
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Like love, happiness is often treated like a physical object we must find and snatch up. Yet, also like love, happiness is something we are more likely to cultivate within ourselves than stumble upon in our wanderings. As the Dalai Lama said, “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” Determining… Read more »
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If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. That’s what a physical trainer I met at a friend’s 40th birthday party told me several years ago. Frankly, it scared me. Not being an exerciser by nature, I pictured myself before too long stooped and wrinkled beyond recognition, like Mr. Magoo’s mother. Staying healthy, strong, toned,… Read more »
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What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a state that can be cultivated in which one is aware of one’s present experience and responds to this experience in a non-judgmental and non-reactive way. The practice of mindfulness often leads to a sense of balance and psychological well-being. To cultivate mindfulness, you don’t need to try to create… Read more »
Learn MoreDr. Donald Meichenbaum and Dr. Lisa Firestone on Resilience
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The phrase is emblazoned on holiday cards, ornaments and light displays: Peace On Earth. It is a noble wish, to be sure, the value of which few, if any, would dispute. (You never quite know what’s rattling around in those terrorist’s brains, so I suppose it’s best to leave a margin of error.) Certainly the… Read more »
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As any of you still shopping for that perfect present for that certain someone knows, this time of year is designed for thinking about others. Thoughts of getting away or doing something for yourself seem, at best, foreign and, at worst, selfish. Odd as it may seem, taking real, quality time to “escape” from your… Read more »
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With Thanksgiving behind us, most of us are slowly awakening to the realization that Christmas is right around the corner. And thus begins the Running of the Holiday-Crazed. Similar in many ways to Pamplona’s famed Running of the Bulls, but with only slightly fewer steaming piles to maneuver around. Sadly, this analogy was more on… Read more »
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From the moment our children are born and the doctor takes them to be weighed, measured and bundled, their health becomes one of our very highest priorities. As parents, most of us are instinctively attuned to every sneeze, scratch and sleep disruption. We are careful to never miss a check up or ignore a cough…. Read more »
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