My own experience with becoming more mindful was genuinely uncomfortable. Every single thought seemed to echo in my physical being. I was amazed to discover how unconscious conditioning ruled both my perceptions and sensations. I decided very early on that working directly with my mind through mindfulness and meditation, was just as important as working with the history trapped in my physiology.

A few weeks ago, I went on a relatively short and easy hike in the woods, a trail I had been on before. It led to a beautiful watering hole where a stream became a waterfall, ultimately flowing into a large pool for swimming before continuing onward. The trail was quite wide and did not have many obstructions to deal with; it was also relatively flat.

Along I plodded, anxious to reach the water to cool off as it was an exceptionally hot and muggy day. Halfway there and my feet and back were already tiring. By the time I reached all the action, which was only a mile in, my feet had moved past tiring to aching.

When you think of meditation, you probably don’t associate it with better digestion and gut health. I know I didn’t until I learned just how much unresolved stress influences our gut health and just how powerful meditation is for decreasing stress and improving our ability to digest.

In this video, Kelly McGonigal does a beautiful job of covering some of the research looking at how our beliefs about stress change our physiological reactions to stress and how the stress response has a built-in social aspect. She discusses three studies that shed new light on the stress response, and how our beliefs and relationships to stress may improve our health.

We all have a way to which we hold ourselves back. Ways in which we keep ourselves safe by settling for what is familiar. For example, try simply noticing that voice inside your head that gets very chatty whenever you are about to make a decision or do something new, especially something that could result in change. Is it telling you that you’re nuts to consider what you are thinking of doing? Does it say that you failed once before and will probably do so again? Or is your voice like a sly cat, sweetly seducing you to eat those fries and chocolate shake?

Have you ever had a moment of subtle resistance? Well, of course, we all have. Here is a little trick I learned while exploring Awareness Through Movement and again while sitting on my cushion. To be frank, it has helped me in just about everything I do.

Recently I noticed I was reluctant to start dinner. Strange. I love to cook. I love to eat. I have a big beautiful box of fresh veggies from my local CSA. So, why on earth was I resisting this?

Are you moving through your day without fully living? It is easy to pass through daily activities and wait for something to happen — to wake us up and grab our attention. I have fallen into this mindless trap, caught in a place where I feel as if my subconscious was always preparing for something else.

One way to fully live today is by being mindful and practicing a bit of everyday awareness. I realize this is easier said than done — awareness is a habit that’s not easily picked up.  So, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite mindfulness rituals to help you appreciate the mundane and to live more fully into the moment.

Mental health issues have a significant impact on society. Some suggest that their influence is more significant than any other chronic disease, including heart disease or diabetes. And if you suffer from persistent pain, then you're four times as likely to have depression or anxiety than those who are pain-free.

There are so many factors involved in complex conditions like mental health issues and persistent pain. But today, we're going to look at just one of these factors — inflammation.

Did you know that conscious attention can actually change your brain and your whole life experience?

You see, your thoughts create patterns and images in your mind that directly influence your body and vice versa. It’s all a matter of where you put your attention. For instance, you might look at the horizon or the feel of the ground beneath your feet, is going to produce a completely different chemical reaction, and inspire a different physical stance then if you focus on what you lack or what is wrong.