Speak to Me Stillness

Since my first cancer diagnosis in 1993, I have practiced meditation. Nothing fancy, just following my breath. I was initially breathing myself away from the loud speakers in my head suggesting that I work harder to get well or do a better job, in general.

Many years later, I am able to follow the breath for an hour. But every practice, no matter how short, …

Sex Matters: Mindfulness Meditation and Sexuality

There has been considerable public dialogue about the practice of mindfulness, described by experts as “nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness.” Although traditionally associated with Buddhist philosophy, anyone can incorporate mindfulness techniques into their daily activities or in their expression of sexuality.

Mindfulness has been used for a variety of different conditions including depression, anxiety, pain, and eating disorders. Scientific research shows that mindfulness causes brain waves to …

The Healing Breath

Spend a minute or so becoming aware of your breath coming into your body and going back out.

Is it slow and calm? Or is it fast and frantic? Is it in-between? The breath is with you all of the time; it’s easy to take it for granted. Maybe you only notice it when you are out of breath, when it is hard to catch …

Dispatches From the Fifth Year: The Labyrinth

The picture on the website of the walking labyrinth is what convinced me to actually book a weekend at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, an idea I’d toyed with, to pause and process the fifth anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. I started noticing these labyrinths the year I was going through treatment — at a fancy hotel at a Florida beach; in the financial …

How to Give Yourself a Present on Your Journey: Meditation

When I was going through treatment, delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and delectable desserts arrived in the “magic cooler” outside my garage door most days for over a month. Someone even made a lunch and delivered it to school for my 6^th grader every day for a week (because she is my fourth child, and I’ve made over 6,300 lunches over the years — I …