My work involves listening to heartbreaking stories and witnessing the despair that accompanies our darkest moments. One of my goals is to create a safe enough environment for others to feel free to share things that are hard to talk about. I’m able to do this by remembering the benefits of my own therapy and meditation journey. I remind myself that being able to hear and understand difficult material provides relief to those that have the courage to open up. While I often have deep feelings, I am clear that managing my emotions, while remaining neutral and non-judgmental, is central to helping others heal and grow.

Working with others as a therapist or meditation mentor/teacher brings meaning to my life.  It’s a privilege that I don’t take for granted. 

Almost. I find that meditating first thing in the morning keeps my practice strong. On days when I have to leave my house before 8:00 am, I have to look for another time to sit. That doesn’t always happen and that’s ok. Meditation is a practice that requires consistency, not perfection.

That depends. I have a morning routine that takes 60 to 90 minutes which I adjust based on when I have my first appointment or meeting. I begin with 10-15 minutes of yoga as doing some movement and stretching helps me get present and connect with my body. I follow this with 15-20 minutes of reading or listening to an audio book or recorded mindfulness content (Insight Timer courses or other content online). Next I meditate and what that looks like varies based on what feels right. Some days I will listen to a guided meditation or recorded visualization exercise. I’m always exploring the content on Insight Timer and benefit from all the content available. Most days I end up sitting in silent meditation for 30 minutes and I always set aside at least 10 minutes to sit in silence. Lastly, I also try to do some journaling. This can be as simple as writing something in the Insight Timer journal which comes with a paid subscription and/or hand writing in one of my many journals. Over the years I have experimented with what feels right for me and I encourage others to do the same. How you meditate, when and where you meditate, or how long you meditate matters less than making the time to try something!

Well, I have a big sweet tooth and I usually like a little “treat” at the end of the day. I recently discovered the Yasso frozen yogurt bars and I usually have one after dinner. My favorites are the vanilla chocolate crunch and the fudge brownie bar. I also love Nature Valley Crunchy Oats 'N Dark Chocolate Granola Bars. I like to think that they’re “healthy” but a more mindful me knows better!

I also love to do the NY Times daily Wordle puzzle. I share my daily results with my daughters, daughter-in-law, and a close friend from graduate school. In addition, I do the mini crossword puzzle and, if I have time, the Tiles game. I’m one of those people that could get addicted to an app like candy crush so I appreciate how the NY Times daily puzzles are quick (and you only get one each day).

Yes and that message is inspired by both my experience with psychology and mindfulness meditation. Every day I tell others that they can reduce their stress by being kinder to themselves. That means, being aware of all the negative self-talk that causes us so much stress. If we can catch ourselves thinking, “I’m so stupid” (which we do when we drop something, lock ourselves out of the car/house, or say something we later regretted) or telling ourselves, “I’m not good at _______ (fill in the blank)” we can try to shift to more accurate and helpful messages. For example, “sometimes I make a mistake, just like everyone” or “I have a hard time with ________ (fill in the blank).

I could write a lot about this, however, I think you get the point. I’ve come to believe that one of the best ways to reduce stress, improve physical and mental health, and find more freedom and joy in life is to learn how to manage your mind (meditation anyone?) so you can manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.