A Case for Loving-Kindness Meditation
We’ve all been there—we’re having a conversation that we don’t necessarily want to have and we begin to feel defensive. Our mind may start racing or our palms may start sweating. Anger starts rising up hot on our necks, and we’ve hit the point of either shutting down and tuning out or getting upset. Usually […]
A Spiritual Path of Coping With Addiction
Are you held back by an addiction? If you’re not personally, it’s almost certain that you know someone who is afflicted by an urge of some form that inhibits his or her own life—one that has an incredible impact on their overall well-being and happiness. These sufferings create an inability for us to grow and […]
When Should I Move In?
At one time, I would have said that when you know you know so just jump. That was before I was a seasoned couples therapist and fully understood how important sharing the same values are for a relationship to work well over time. So, when do you know if a person shares your values? My […]
What Asking Questions Brings to Your Life
I was speaking with a friend on the subject of asking questions. He shared how at times in his life he refrained from asking questions for fear of appearing ignorant; I wonder how many of you have had this challenge? I then thought about how many of my clients have stopped themselves from moving forward […]
Our Personal Awakenings
In The Truth of Our Existence, a new discussion series from Pema Chodron, she provides wisdom on ‘Four Teachings from the Buddha to Illuminate Your Life’— tools that help open you up to the beauty of enlightenment that’s possible in everyday life for all of us. She talks of things that are simple yet profound. […]
Dealing with Vexatious People
Each one of us has people in our lives that just make things a bit more difficult. They may be co-workers, acquaintances, friends, family members, or even our significant others. They come in many forms, but their behavior and their effect on us are the same—they drain our spirit, make us frustrated and doubtful. And […]
How Do You Know If You Are Co-Dependent?
Codependence is developed in childhood by how we perceive and receive love from our parents. When we come from dysfunctional homes as many people do; we are often given contradictory messages about love by our parents, such as: ‘I love you; ‘Go away’; ‘you can’t do anything right’; ‘I need you’; ‘I will be there […]
Take Responsibility and Let Go
Instead of focusing on how you may have contributed to your relationship ending are you spending hours of your time analyzing why he/she acted the way they did? Overanalyzing is often bred from avoidance, thinking about our feelings and/or about understanding ourselves, personally without being self-reflective. How it is that we act in the ways […]
The Pursuit of the Happiness Myth
In this century the concept of ‘success’ has changed. In the past financial independence and prestige represented success. In some cultures large families were regarded as a sign of success as well. Now it seems regardless of the amount of money we accumulate, the size of our families or the prestige we have: if we […]
The Path of Relationships: Dealing with Loss
We oftenbelieve that relationships are supposed to be permanent, yet loss and grieving is a theme in our lives. Somewhere along our path someone dies or must be left behind. Loss of a relationship plays a significant part in all of our lives. Because many of us define ourselves by our relationships, we believe something […]