Pain in the Rain
(The next night – after “Let’s Talk Pain”) The deep sharp throb is continuing as I write this – from an attempt to stand that took place …. oh, an hour ago. This will be a slow process. Here, I thought...
View ArticleFalling at the Right Place & Time
I was running late today and was rolling up to my front gate (on my “R2knee2″ scooter), my dog keeping up, and I came upon a stunned young man who had obviously hurt himself. His skateboard was off to...
View ArticleWalking on Two Feet Again … Learning to Balance
As I return to a life where I can stand up and walk into the kitchen easily (without planning each movement) – and walking up and down steps doesn’t involve a very real fear of falling down them – it...
View ArticleMindfulness & ADD/ADHD – Creating a Powerful Option
I saw a commercial several years ago where a woman was sitting at her desk and we/she could see an irritated boss approaching her desk with a piece of paper and he proceeds to tell her what he needs...
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How to Get Insights
A very dear friend sent me a text last week. He was heading off for a “self-care” week, a retreat with other monks to contemplate, meditate and examine himself & his life. He wanted to know what my...
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It’s All in the Tone of Voice
I was walking along a park atop the bluffs in Santa Monica with my dog one day, and paused to look out at the ocean and soon-to-be-setting sun. After a few moments, an older man come up to me and said,...
View ArticleNew Year’s Eve at a Meditation Retreat
It’s New Year’s Eve and I sit with a dedicated group of people atop a huge hill at the edge of Rancho Palos Verdes – just blocks from a spectacular view of the ocean in 3 directions – at a retreat...
View ArticleHow Body Language Affects Our Thoughts, Feelings, and Communication
I’ve always been interested in body language – especially when I first encountered other cultures in my teens. I was interacting with people who moved and related to each other physically in ways that...
View ArticleThe Keurig Mindfulness Bell
My meditation teacher has a big Japanese bowl or bell that is used at every retreat. It’s a wonderful bell, with a magical, clear, rich tone. Once, a friend and I timed the length of the ring to 3x...
View ArticleAn Actress Confesses … and Discovers
For the first time in many years, I have 2 national commercials that both “star” me running at the same time. Sometimes they even run back-to-back, I’ve been told. A 3rd one will start airing soon, so...
View ArticleGoals, Touchdowns, and Being “Off-Target”
Every offensive play in football is designed for a touchdown. When I first learned this, I gasped. How is that possible?! (I was from Ohio, and had experienced intense jubulation over a game with only...
View ArticleNight Blooming Jasmine Meditation
I am enveloped in a sensorial delight created by Night Blooming Jasmine. There is a term often given to people like me – “Night Owl”. Don’t know a lot of day owls, but I get the point. I’ve always been...
View ArticleA Full Presence that is Empty
Packing up after 9 days alone on this hilltop overlooking the ocean, I pause for a moment to write and send this. I did some writing on this trip which I will post anon, but as I now reflect on the...
View ArticleCheck Out Neat New Meditation
So during a private session this week (which we did via FaceTime as my client is across the country), I guided a meditation that I ended up listening to again because I had to fix a sound issue. During...
View ArticleLetter to my Mother about Mindfulness (with Fluidity) for Grief
My mother recently finished her dissertation for her PhD in Health Psychology. She would sometimes comment on how she was the oldest person in the program – to which I’d respond, “You’re 83 years old!...
View ArticleUPCOMING PRESENTATIONS & SPEAKING EVENTS in LA AREA
Well, I haven’t written any blogs in a while because I’m in the midst of training participants in a Harvard Medical School brain study. (It’s really cool and I’ll write about it when I get the okay...
View ArticleHealing the Habit of Negative Judgement
I’ve been working with several private clients – some with eating disorders, some dealing with stress or irritability, and some who have physical discomforts that they need to work with. Often, in my...
View ArticleHow to Quickly Create Concentration & Sensory Clarity
This was an email I wrote to a client who was complaining that he wasn’t able to keep his focus on anything – nor was he able to identify physical sensations associated with emotions. He is also quite...
View ArticleThe Rain as a Spiritual Path
The rain is pouring, and I have all the windows open in my 2nd floor studio above a garage – so that I feel it from 3 sides. Not as “sense-surround” as camping, but pretty darned cool. It’s night and...
View ArticleSeaweed & Coconut
I grew up in a small town in Ohio. Everyone had modest dreams and winters were long and cold. Then, through a series of conditions, I ended up in a private school in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for my...
View ArticleHow Past & Future Affect Our Present – and How Fascination Can Help
The Past and the Future are only present in our thoughts. We often fill our days with these thoughts – totally missing our Present moment experience. And often, when we do “arrive” to what is...
View ArticleA Personal Story of Processing or Digesting Negative Emotions
This is an excerpt from an email to a private client who was wanting a session to “work through” issues before making a decision of whether to commit to a partner or leave the relationship (in response...
View ArticleWhale Watching from my Tent
Killer whales have been frolicking & feeding right in front of me for at least 3 days now. Whale watching, here in Southern California, usually involves renting a boat with some friends (one of...
View ArticlePulled Over While Meditating
The blue, red, and extremely white flashing lights suddenly lit up behind me – at car level but also up quite high – was this an SUV or a truck? It was such overkill in the midst of this dark highway...
View ArticleA Special Kind of Blessing ~ with Mother Meera
I walked into the long room and could feel the sweet energy that lingered from the 2 previous events that day. This would be the 3rd and final special gathering or darshan. I was glad I made it. A...
View ArticleMindful Eating – a History of Teaching it
While I was leading my first big meditation class many (over 16) years ago for about 30 people, I was, at one point, describing some of the real life issues that mindfulness could help with. When I...
View ArticleAnd the “Best Unconscious Acting” Award Goes to ….
You know, I’ve been a professional actress for a few decades now – performing on stage and in TV/Film. The daily life of an actor is not one where heaps of appreciation are showered upon you. It is...
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What is Your Definition of Mindfulness?
This is a text exchange I had with a private client late last night. She was preparing a proposal to bring mindfulness into her kids’ school. Sorry to bug u. What is ur definition of mindfulness? My...
View ArticleHow is “Flow” Not Overwhelming for You?
On a Facebook page dedicated to facilitators and practitioners of my meditation teacher, Shinzen Young, the discourse can be a wonderful event – ranging from experienced facilitators all kindly...
View ArticleBig Dog Gallops on the Freeway – What to Do …
I was commuting down to Palos Verdes for Shinzen Young’s mindfulness retreat (where I was recording, offering posture classes, private sessions and yes, meditating.) I missed the first two and a half...
View ArticleHelping My Best Friend Through the End of His Life
If you’ve ever helped take care of someone towards the end of their life – you will be quite familiar with the skill of organizing medications that develops. I have taken to writing in a sharpie on top...
View ArticleThe Perfect Time to Meditate
You know that first instant that you know you’re awake in the morning? The moment you realize where you are, and that you are awake? This may, for some, be a disappointing moment, depending on what you...
View ArticleSeeing a Warm Reflection
I was walking down the street yesterday. I wasn’t applying any specific mindfulness technique, I was simply walking. I had long periods where I simply let my mind wander – into reviewing past events,...
View ArticleWanna Go to a Meditation Retreat? Why?
As a meditation teacher, if someone comes up to me and says they want to go to a meditation retreat, you would assume that I’d enthusiastically list places for them to go. I mean, do I want the world...
View ArticleHow Acting & Teaching Body Language Give Me a Unique Perspective as a...
I was recently asked how my approach to teaching mindfulness is unique. The following is what I wrote in response: How I typically respond when asked what makes my teaching unique – is that I have...
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Resources for Learning about Mindfulness
I was recently on a panel about Integrative Medicine at USC, and afterwards, a young man came up and earnestly asked how he could learn more about mindfulness and meditation. He had been advised...
View ArticleMindfulness for Creativity – 2 hr phone retreat – May 12, 2017
This is more of a notice of an upcoming “MINDFULNESS for CREATIVITY” 2-hour PHONE RETREAT that I will be leading for Shinzen Young’s Home Practice Program on Friday, MAY 12 – from 5-7pm PST. The...
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Pulling Apart the Thinking Mind – an Effective Meditation
I have a new private client who is dealing with sleep issues. He sleeps fine one night but the next night means no sleep and this cycle of sleep – no sleep – sleep – no sleep is exhausting him and...
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Special Phone Meditation – AUG 11th – Register by WED, AUG 9th
Next Friday night, AUG 11, from 7-9pm PST (with a recording made available later), I will be leading a PHONE MEDITATION workshop (only $10) for Shinzen Young’s “Home Practice Program.” What I’ll be...
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How Labeling Content of Thinking Can Lead to Freedom
I responded recently to a question on-line of whether or not there was any possible benefit to noting (and possibly categorizing or labeling) the content of our internal thinking process. In general,...
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Kasinas ~ Light & Dark: a Different Perspective
There is a Facebook community that I created years ago as a place for people who studied and practiced Shinzen Young’s Unified Mindfulness (which is a uniquely concise yet vast – and practical system...
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How to Work with the Agitation in Body & Mind when Starting a Meditation...
I recently led a weekend retreat in Arizona during which I worked privately with each participant – especially helping with the physicality of the sitting practice. Afterwards, one meditator wrote to...
View ArticleStrategies for Working Mindfully with Anger
A regular client of mine, who happens to live on the other side of the planet, sent me an email last night saying that he was having a particularly challenging day with the presence of unpleasant...
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Holiday Over-Eating, Anyone?
“It’s only 1 day till Thanksgiving. I wonder how much I’m going to over-eat.” Yeah, I said that in 1990. Over-eating was a given – that’s what I was taught Thanksgiving was all about – feasting!...
View ArticleTell Me About Your Challenges with Food & Eating
Do you know what it’s like to have eaten too much? With the holidays here, we will all be facing this to some extent – but for many of us, this is an ongoing issue that’s simply made worse during the...
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How Does Your “Rewire Eating” Program Compare to Judson Brewer’s “Eat Right...
I now offer online coaching programs through Strategic Mindfulness and I’m now offering one on rewiring eating habits (called “A New Normal: Changing your Relationship to Food & Eating“) that is...
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Seeking Solitude In Nature: A Meditation Teacher Shares Her Story
“By the time we’re 60, we will have been alive for almost 22,000 days on this planet, rarely, if ever, stopping to watch just one. It is this total immersion into nature and commitment to simply being...
View ArticleSome Meditations for You in this Time of Covid-19 Stress & Isolation
Well, this is a challenging time, no question about it. I will be writing more about it, but in the meantime, I wanted to offer 5-6 meditations to help practically with what we are dealing with. I...
View ArticleA Letter to My Mother about Grief
My mother finished her dissertation for her PhD in Health Psychology a few years ago. She would sometimes comment on how she was the oldest person in the program – to which I’d respond, “You’re 83...
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How Labeling Content of Thinking Can Lead to Liberation: A Personal Story
I responded recently to a question online of whether or not there was any possible benefit to noting (and possibly categorizing or labeling) the content of our internal thinking process. In general,...
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