I am not a crafty person. I’ve often envied people who can bring knitting or crochet into a meeting and absentmindedly work on a project while occasionally and appropriately interjecting into the conversation. I am in awe of the attention to detail people pay to bead...
Confession: I did not want to write this blog this week. I’m exhausted. I’m grumpy. I’m discouraged. My meditation practice this morning only took the edge off my funk. I’m glad I work and live alone so that others don’t have to put up with me right now. (Apologies in...
What do self-care and self-love have to do with leadership? Everything. I bet you’ve worked for someone who was a nonstop worker. Someone who jettisoned vacation plans when even minor emergencies arose. Someone who worked long after everyone else left the building....
When I began planning my crazy Birthday Month of Connections event series, I seriously wondered if anyone would show up. It’s summer, and people want to be outside. People are tired of being on Zoom. “People wouldn’t be interested in hanging out for my birthday,”...
I have a very good friend who I call when I’m having a lot of feelings. They tell me that they treasure these rambling voicemail messages that usually start sometime like, “I’m having two or three feelings at one time, and I’m not quite sure what to do …” So the fact...
Even before the coronavirus and the advent of social distancing, I took walks almost daily. As someone who lives in about 700-square feet and works in that same space, I knew the importance of getting outside and moving to help the blood and ideas flow during the work...
“But, what are the costs if you DON’T care for yourself?” A new colleague asked me this question recently when we were having lunch for the first time. I’ve been pondering it ever since, particularly in light of how many people tell me they cannot afford the time and...
“If anyone needs a blanket or prop for Svasana, let me know and I can do delivery service,” my yoga teacher Marcia Miller encouraged in her airy and strongly assertive way. Since she happened to be standing right next to me, I reached up from my reclining position on...
About a week ago, I polled folks on my social media about what prevented them from practicing self-care. The few answers I got named named lack of money or being too busy as the top reasons. I get it. I’m busy and broke, too. But, I wanted to go a little deeper. So I...
Last year, my family attended a Christmas Eve Catholic mass, as we usually do. Though I grew up as a Roman Catholic, I left that church for the United Church of Christ many years ago. Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the richness of the Catholic tradition,...
In honor of my 15th Ordination Anniversary, I ask you to do two things — 1.) Do something today to take care of yourself; and 2.) Support the Yoga on High Foundation Today is the 15th anniversary of my ordination into ministry in the United Church of Christ. Fifteen....
I haven’t written much about my passion for Reiki — the Japanese energy healing modality that I have been training in for the past couple of years. More than anything else in my advanced yoga/meditation/mindfulness training — Reiki has resonated with me the most. At...
Last week I attended a free meditation class hosted by a local church. The leader, a very experienced mediation teacher, reflected that he often hears people push back about meditation — saying that it, and other mindfulness and self-care practices, were selfish. The...
August. My Birthday Month. Every year I get applauded (or sometimes lovingly mocked) for celebrating my birthday for an entire month. Try to hear me out: I try hard not to make this a narcissistic “Me-Fest,” but rather a tool for self-reflection and self-care. This...
“Five minutes,” she said. “Just give me five minutes.” I’m pretty sure I rolled my eyes several years ago when my yoga teacher and ayervedic consultant, Kara Aubin, suggested meditation as “medicine” for my high-intensity lifestyle. She said meditation would...