5 ways to unwind without wine
Nothing against wine. I love a glass of Chardonnay or a nice Pinot Noir over dinner. But relying on alcohol to calm our nerves obviously isn’t ideal, so here are a few other ways to take the edge off. 1. Move your energy down. When we’re nervous, overwhelmed or generally wound up, our energy level […]
Putting a healthy, positive spin on dessert
It may be wise to skip dessert if you’re on a mission to lose weight. But if you love an after-dinner sweet, I get you, and it can be part of a balanced and altogether healthy regimen. Deprivation is not my thing. Some people place great virtue on swearing off carbs, caffeine, sugar, dairy, gluten, […]
5 ways to feel more inspired
Inspiration is the fuel for creativity. Whether you’re writing a book, decorating your living room, planning a class, or even building a spreadsheet, it’s the essential force behind bringing new things of beauty to life. This is an important topic to me. Instead of constructing long lists of goals to accomplish, I try to orient […]
Specific self-care for natural headache relief
We’re glued to our devices, and it’s reversing the natural curve of our necks. This leads to more than just weird posture; it’s a major source of headaches and pain. This is what I got to chatting with Family Nurse Practitioner Becky Geck of the Houston Headache Institute about one Wednesday afternoon after she took […]
Stop spreading fear. Sow love and joy instead
“We inherit our mother’s fears.” Someone mentioned this in passing recently, and it stopped me in my tracks. Instead of questioning the premise, I dove right into considering it. It’s interesting to think about which of our fears are original and which we could have subconsciously absorbed. But this also made me think about what […]
A one-minute exercise to uncover your purpose
I did an exercise recently that made my whole life make more sense. It may be helpful for you, too. Here’s the background. A few months back, I wrote a column about finding your purpose. In it, I suggest that instead of trying to pinpoint your precise calling (a daunting task in my view), just enjoy […]
Stop cutting yourself down with your words
It’s impossible to feel good if you talk a lot of smack. My goal as a yoga teacher is to help students feel strong and vibrant through physicality, and part of the body that cannot be ignored to this end — is the mouth. When our words are full of complaining, negativity and digs at […]
Exercise has deeper benefits. Here’s how to unlock them
Most of us start working out for physical reasons. Health and looks were definitely the impetus for my first gym membership. But I find that some of the biggest fruits of a regular regimen are deeper: It increases mental toughness and resilience. Through mindful physical challenges, we can viscerally experience our own strength. As we […]