February 8, 2023 -   Going through a divorce isn’t an easy thing and there are times when you can’t sleep worrying about it. Or when your mind is racing and you can’t concentrate. Or strong emotions overwhelm. And this almost always happens when your usual support resources are not available. What do you do? This blog suggests that the practice of meditation may be very helpful. If you would like more information about mediation, prenups, and family law, check ou [...]

January 10, 2023 -   Do you find yourself using a very negative voice that speaks to you in a way that you would never speak to anyone else? In this video, I offer some insights that I picked up in a meditation on cultivating self-compassion. Taking a moment to stop, take a breath and think of what a friend might say to you can lead to some healthy self-reflection and a more productive discussion with yourself.If you would like more information about mediation, prenups and family l [...]

January 15, 2021 - {2 minutes to read} Like everyone else in the world, I looked forward to 2021 and the opportunity to put 2020 behind me. While we all hoped that the new year would bring something better — in health, in politics, and in regaining in-person connections to friends and family — of course, nothing changed at the stroke of midnight. And then I thought about expectations. The meditation teacher, Joseph Goldstein, speaks about “the next pleasant thing.&rdquo [...]

November 11, 2020 - {4 minutes to read} I recently attended a virtual lecture presented by Maryellen Dance, LMHC from Rochester, NY, focusing on fact versus fiction in terms of anxiety. She had some very interesting suggestions to deal with anxiety that may be helpful, especially when you’re in a particularly anxious time of your life like separating from your spouse. Your fears of the future, or focus on the past, can hinder your progress in a mediation if they hijack your ability t [...]

April 2, 2020 - {7 minutes to read}  As is the same for all of us now, we are struggling to maintain a sense of calm, not just for ourselves but for our families. Clearly, this would be the perfect time to meditate, but the craziness of the moment has disrupted my routine and my practice—making the thing that would help feel just too hard to do right now. Thankfully, my meditation teacher, Cheryl Brause, has written this blog providing practical advice to help keep all of us [...]

September 28, 2018 - {3:40 minutes to read} There is a mindfulness meditation that I enjoy doing that focuses on the inner critic we all have — that voice in your head that tells you that you messed up, made a fool of yourself or just don’t know what you’re doing. The suggestion is to create a picture in your mind of the critic to aid in recognizing that it is your inner critic speaking so you are not derailed. (My favorite is of a stern judge in dark robes frowning from a [...]

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November 10, 2015 - {3:18 minutes to read} I am attending a series of workshops for mediators who are interested in practicing mindfulness tools to help alleviate stress, impart focus and extend compassion not just to others but also to ourselves. To start in a small way, our trainer suggested as an exercise, to practice mindfulness while brushing your teeth–to really think about how the toothpaste tastes, how it feels against each tooth, the sounds.  I had to laugh because as t [...]