We all know that stress is killing us. Or at the very least, aging and annoying us. It’s wearing out our adrenal glands, graying our hair, lowering our immunity, disrupting our sleep, and building our bulges. But how can we battle a cultural cornerstone? What are we, if not busy? If you reduce stress and [...]

On Saturday, I took a break from all the screens, cursors, and endless tidbits of information that filter through to our various in-boxes. I was exhausted and worn out, and my creativity was taking a serious nose dive. I closed my Mac, turned off my phone, and collapsed in a heap on my yoga mat. My brain was so full that I couldn’t even think clearly. Everything around me seemed fuzzy.

Good reminder as the holiday music starts playing: exercise creates physical, as well as mental, buffers for stress in the brain. Rats who had run for several weeks before stress tests (like swimming in cold water): showed less activation in neurons associated with stress displayed less anxiety and helplessness maintained calmness and curiosity, even when [...]

The Times had a (long) article on worriers in Sunday’s magazine. Studies have identified a subset of infants/children with “high-reactive” temperaments. They go on to be inhibited adolescents, and anxious adults. So if relaxation techniques don’t seem to do you much good, it could be that you’re naturally wired more tightly. This isn’t all bad, [...]

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” — William James quoted in Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life

Yoga is full of so many tips and new habits that it’s sometimes hard to remember them all, and put them into practice in your actual day-to-day existence. But this is what we mean when we say it’s a lifestyle. Case in point. I was really really busy a while back, and remember having something [...]

Yesterday was one of those days when a mom comes close to going crazy and can’t wait for 5 o’clock just to have a glass of wine for sanity purposes.  As I washed off the dog poop that my son stepped in, I thought, “Am I seriously washing off disgusting, wet, dog poop in my [...]

The Times has a profile of Tibetan monk Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, “The Happiest Man in the World.” He’s released a new book called Joyful Wisdom describing his methods. In his book he recounts being extremely anxious as a child in Nepal, having had what a Manhattan psychiatrist would likely diagnose as panic attacks, and how [...]

We just got back from the beautiful state of Colorado and now I need a vacation from my vacation.  Vacationing is not as relaxing as you would like it to be with a 14 month old.  Nevertheless, we were fortunate to be able to take a break from the scorching 100-degree summer days of Dallas [...]

This Yoga Mamma made it to class today – yippee! I’m always better after yoga. That being said, before class, I got things settled in the house – baby boy fed, played with and still napping. I was racing to class and got there just in time (our teacher locks the door at noon). During [...]