Last week’s blog, Loving-Kindness for the Body, talked about how profoundly our bodies (and our entire being!) respond to love and acceptance. It ended with a quote from physician and meditation teacher Jan Chozen Bays: “Do loving-kindness practice for your body at least once a day, every day. It’s the best alternative medicine.”
Read MoreIn January, I participated in Suleika Jaouad’s 30-day New Year’s journaling project where she sent out a new writing prompt every morning. Some I pondered for a minute or so, while others inspired me to start writing right away.
Read MoreWhen I was fresh out of college, my husband Drew and I moved onto a small two-acre heirloom raspberry farm in Carmel Valley, California. What was meant to be a one-year pause while I applied to graduate programs in international relations unexpectedly turned into something much bigger.
Read MoreWe all carry stories that are the “greatest hits” of our personal history—narratives about our family, major events we experienced, and pivotal choices that changed the trajectory of our lives. Some empower us with confidence and optimism, while others haunt us, stifle our growth, or prevent us from pursuing what would bring us great joy.
Read MoreThe human mind is truly extraordinary. A single image, sound, or scent can instantly transport us across time and place—back to a cherished memory, a moment of beauty, or toward a felt sense of ease and comfort. We experience this all the time without even trying…
Read MoreWhen my beloved Zen teacher, Katherine Thanas, passed away twelve years ago, I booked a session with energy healer Hilary Nichols to help me process my grief over this significant loss. After guiding me into a deeply relaxed state, Hilary asked me to think about Katherine and identify a quality of hers that I loved and wanted to always remember by fostering it within myself.
Read MoreLooking back at 2025, one of the goals achieved that I’m most pleased about is expanding Quest for Eternal Sunshine’s library of free “Take A Moment” micro-meditations. Averaging only two minutes long—short enough to fit into even the busiest of schedules—they’ve become our most popular free “Tools for Healing” offering.
Read MoreMy decision to dress up as a Valkyrie this past Halloween was inspired by attending my first Valkyries WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco. Sitting in the stands, I was swept up in the excitement of the sold-out arena.
Read MoreAfter the busyness of the holiday season, many of us long for more ease and balance in our lives. Today, I’m happy to share some powerful wisdom from someone whose work I’ve greatly benefited from for many years—intuitive energy healer Wendy De Rosa.
Read MoreThis New Year’s Eve will be the sixty-third I’ve logged in my life so far. I still feel a spark of excitement every time the calendar turns, but for my four- and eight-year-old grandsons, it’s nothing short of momentous—like a birthday, but one that the whole world celebrates together.
Read MoreWhile I treasure spending lots of time with family and friends during the holiday season, I can quickly become overstimulated and knocked off center. Socializing, travel, and constant activity—even when filled with great joy—can be overwhelming for the nervous system.
Read MoreMy life has been shaped in profound ways by the act of writing. I began putting my thoughts on paper thirteen years ago, at a writing workshop at Esalen led by bestselling author Laura Davis. It took place less than two months after my father died, when the loss was fresh and the grief was deep. It was there that I discovered how enlightening and healing writing could be.
Read MoreI celebrated my 62nd birthday on Wednesday, which marked five years of taking every Sunday offline. I started this practice on my birthday in 2020—during the peak of COVID fears and isolation—motivated by my desperation for a break from all the alarming news for just one day. Now, I’m always eager for Sunday to arrive.
Read MoreIn a world that often seems to shift beneath our feet, it can be deeply comforting to remember that no matter what’s going on, the Earth is always right beneath us, holding us close through the strength of gravity.
Read MoreAn essential life skill I know I need to work on is being a good listener. Staying quiet while someone shares at their own pace is often challenging for me, and I frequently find myself interrupting to finish their thought or to share an idea that I’m too excited to contain.
Read MoreMy qigong teacher often says, “Where the mind goes, energy flows.” When we turn our attention toward what brings us delight, our energy naturally lightens, opens, and expands. We feel buoyant, spacious, and connected. In contrast, when we focus on something negative, our energy draws inward, tightens, and contracts.
Read MoreToday, I’m happy to share an article I wrote for Spirituality & Health magazine featuring the deep wisdom of my writing mentor of more than twelve years—best-selling author Laura Davis. I hope it inspires you to join our free writing workshop on Saturday, November 15, Writing as a Pathway to Resilience & Joy.
Read MoreWhen we visualize ourselves as a tree, we’re engaging one of the most powerful tools of the human mind—our imagination. Research confirms that visualization can calm the nervous system and help rewire neural pathways toward greater peace and resilience.
Read MoreI pitched this article to “Spirituality & Health” magazine after hearing psychotherapist Nicole Sachs on a podcast and being captivated by her compelling theory that most chronic pain and many other physical health issues stem from the nervous system’s way of handling repressed emotions.
Read MoreIn today’s micro-meditation, “Sense Your Body,” mindfulness teacher and therapist Katie Dutcher guides us to feel into our entire body—starting from the bottom of our feet, and moving all the way up to the crown of our head.
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