Health and Wellness

There's a shift that happens in late summer. The light changes. The air loses that thick, heavy edge. School supplies show up in stores. Pumpkin spice starts creeping onto menus.

And somewhere in the back of your mind, a quiet voice says, okay, this is my moment. I want you to listen to that voice this time. Not with a crash diet or a punishing workout plan you'll abandon by week three.

I'm talking about something smaller, steadier, and — this is the part that matters most—something that actually protects your heart.

You're juggling client calls, team meetings, and family dinner. You're building something meaningful while keeping everyone else's world spinning. You're strong, capable, and used to pushing through when things get tough. But here's a truth that might stop you in your tracks: while you're busy conquering your business goals, heart disease is quietly becoming the biggest threat to everything you're building. 

I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to wake you up to something that could save your life.

In the spirit of talking about foundations this month in my yoga and movement classes, I wanted to start with something practical: How you set up the foundation of your day. 

I know. There are approximately 47,000 articles about morning routines:

In the summer of 2021, in an attempt to avoid crowded waiting rooms, I decided to investigate online a bit before visiting the doctor about a urinary tract infection (UTI). From the bottom of my heart I thank the Dublin ladies behind liveutifree.com for helping me survive this ordeal.

Many of you have probably heard the phrase “Death Doula” in articles and on social media and said to yourself, “What does that even mean? Sounds a bit ominous.” I am here to explain.

Most people think burnout is about being tired. It shows up in long hours at the office, in the loss of drive on personal projects, and in waking up exhausted no matter how much rest has been taken. In businesses, burnout takes the shape of stalled creativity and tense teams. At home it might look like irritability, emotional distance, and health that slowly slips away.
 

The World Health Organization gives burnout a narrow definition; workplace exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. The reality most people live with reaches further. People suffer from fatigue that sleep does not fix, dissociation and depression that creep into daily life, brain fog that erodes concentration, and loss of drive in both professional and personal spaces.

Do you ever wonder where to start on your path to a healthier lifestyle? Supporting your immune system is a great place to begin.

Your immune system is working for you every day, helping your body recognize and respond to potential threats. While there is no single food, supplement, therapy, or wellness practice that can guarantee you won’t get sick, the everyday choices you make can help support healthy immune function and your overall well-being.

Are you having trouble staying in a positive state of mind when challenging circumstances present themselves? The Universal Laws state: so without, so within. Everything is a mirror. We cannot change the reflection, but we can change the origin (ourselves), and then automatically, the reflection changes. 

Here are five steps that can help you cultivate not only a positive mindset, but also the feeling state necessary for the positive Law of Attraction. The more you focus on bringing awareness to accepting and loving yourself, the more your inner beauty and harmony is reflected in your outer circumstances. 

The special knack of meditation is to develop the one who pays attention, the watcher. When we do a simple sitting meditation, we sit comfortably with our eyes closed and just begin to watch the energies that move within us all the time: thoughts, sensations, emotions. We develop the knack of simply watching these distractions go by with a feeling of friendly acceptance. 

How do we acquire this knack? We begin by being a witness to the mind, by becoming separate from the mind.

Energy is a hot topic these days. Not like it was in the 70’s when we had to line up for gasoline, but much closer to home, so to speak.

Today, we are more focused on our own internal energy, the subtle energies around us, and also how much physical energy we have to get us through our day! Unfortunately, western medicine is ill-equipped to help us with any of these. And yet, our energy matters. It is of vital importance in our lives. 

So what steps can we take to properly assess and then enhance our energy?

To grasp the depth of the statement "Love is life and life is love," we must first explore our individual truth about love. Love is a concept that has been defined in various ways — ranging from biblical interpretations to modern-day perspectives. For instance, Wikipedia describes love as "a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure." The dictionary also defines love as both a noun — an intense feeling of deep affection or a great interest or pleasure,  and a verb— to feel deep affection for someone or to greatly enjoy something.

For me, love is more than just an emotion or feeling; it is the energy, force, or frequency that created all that is. I call it Intelligent Love, a concept I learned from Dr. Joe Dispenza, a researcher, lecturer, and New York Times best-selling author known for his work on the mind-body connection and the impact of meditation on health and well-being. In my eyes, love is the Creator or what many call God.

The holiday season is often depicted as a time of togetherness, joy, and family closeness. For many, however, this narrative intensifies feelings of loss and grief, especially for those who are estranged from family members. 

Estrangement from family can be complex, painful, and multifaceted, especially when the disconnect is permanent or indefinitely unresolved. When a person feels disconnected from their family, they might wrestle with deep feelings of sadness, anger, or betrayal — emotions that often surge during the holiday season. 

Examining this topic from a therapeutic lens can provide insight into understanding, validating, and ultimately supporting individuals as they navigate these challenges.