Oh what wonderful contrast I am offered when I spend time with my beloved family! And to be clear, I choose to spend time with them every year. I look forward to it. I love it. And I twist and turn trying to escape the discomfort of the contradictory thoughts and feelings that overcome me… Continue reading Family
“We habitually erect a barrier called blame that keeps us from communicating genuinely with others, and we fortify it with our concepts of who’s right and who’s wrong. We do that with the people who are closest to us and we do it with political systems, with all kinds of things that we don’t like… Continue reading Blame: Changing the Game
Today I was going to explore more on the topic of boundaries, but as life would have it (always life has its way with me) my fifteen-year-old son has given me a beautiful growth opportunity this week…and I am in it! Usually I like to wait until I am on the other side of… Continue reading Plant Strange Seeds: Parenting Mindfully, The Teens You Adore.
There’s an expression, give’em enough rope to hang him/herself. It suggests if one gives someone enough freedom of action, they may destroy themselves by foolish actions. Contrary to this, I was raising my kids within a philosophy of freedom. I chose a school (pre-k and elementary) for them that’s part of a free school… Continue reading Mindful Parenting: Creating Boundaries Not Walls
Sixteen seconds of pleasure. That’s what I’m practicing for the next month. First thing when I wake up. No, not that kind of pleasure. Though it could be. Today was day two, and something amazing happened already. And yes, it’s parenting-related. Stay with me for a moment. Mindfulness does not ask that you never… Continue reading Tuning Out and Plugging In. Mindfully. — connecting with our kids, part 2 —
So what am I here to say about this business of parenting and the practice of mindfulness? Of being a single, divorced mama of two teenage boys? I’m confused, all the time. I never know what’s the right thing to do or say. I feel torn watching them drift further and further into their own… Continue reading Creating connections with our kids: mindfulness and parenting
Have you ever wondered what that saying means: It’s not what you do, but how you do it? What does this actually look like in everyday life, for example when you are really pissed off about something? Or how about this one? I learned it in therapy: It’s not what you do, but who… Continue reading It’s Not What, But How
“War and peace begin in the hearts of individuals. Strangely enough, even though all beings would like to live in peace, our method of obtaining peace over generations seems not to be very effective: we seek peace and happiness by going to war.” –Pema Chodron I’m going home for Christmas, always a great opportunity… Continue reading When you just don’t know what to do: A mindful approach to right action
the love letter projects 