Have you heard the birds? It’s spring migration time for most birds and also mating time (hey baby!). Listen to them! Science tells us that birdsong can reduces stress, promote positivity, and improve our observational skills. It can also be good for our productivity. Who knew? My sound therapist friend, Michael Reiley, shared this excerpt with me: “Human earsContinue reading “Have you heard?”
Author Archives: Michelle
It’s Mindful March!
What would a mindful month look like for you? Maybe you practice washing dishes without thinking about anything, just feeling warm soapy water and the shape of the bowl. Maybe you listen to your partner with your whole body, not thinking a bunch of thoughts about what they’re saying. Just listening completely, being fully present. Maybe it’s pausingContinue reading “It’s Mindful March!”
How NOT to give the Stink Eye
Here’s a story for ya . . . I was starting to write a little something for my newsletter – a piece about heart practices for Heart Month. It was about how practicing attitudes like kindness, gratitude, joy, compassion, etc., is good for your overall health and especially your heart health. I put the writing on the back burnerContinue reading “How NOT to give the Stink Eye”
Your Cousins
Every breath you take comes from a tree (sorry if I just planted an earworm in your head). Think about that.It’s easy to forget, isn’t it? Every breath you take is oxygen that was released from a tree. We have a symbiotic relationship with trees. Our every exhale is an offering to them. It’s like a constant gift exchange! It’s easy to forget that ourContinue reading “Your Cousins”
This won’t happen quite like this ever again.
Noticing.Paying attention. Are you noticing . . . the trees changing, their color show just beginning. The birds are migrating and doing funny bird things. I’ve seen squirrels outside my window performing crazy acrobatics to get the farthest berry on the limb. The light’s becoming more golden, the sun lower in the sky, blinding meContinue reading “This won’t happen quite like this ever again.”
Rapid Restoration – Napping 101
You may think napping is just sleeping. But there’s so much more to this afternoon rest! According to Arianna Huffington, in her book, The Sleep Revolution, research shows that napping boosts your learning power and lowers your blood pressure. Huffington also reports that older adults who take a thirty-minute nap and engage in moderate exerciseContinue reading “Rapid Restoration – Napping 101”
Your Home Yoga Practice
Think of your home yoga practice as basic self-care. Self-care is taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. As well as attending to the body, mind, and emotions, regular yoga practice creates a container for developing interoception – your ability to hear your body’s signals, messages and intuitions. Remember that yoga means the unionContinue reading “Your Home Yoga Practice”
Breath-Centered Meditation
Using Your Breath as the Focus of Your Meditation Breath-centered meditation is one of the most common forms of meditation. In this sequence below, I point out aspects of the breath to pay attention to. Focusing on these subtle sensations will pull your attention inward and help to keep you from wandering off. Notice theContinue reading “Breath-Centered Meditation”
Post Traumatic Growth
A cancer diagnosis can be traumatic and scary! It can make you want to run and hide under the covers or put your boxing gloves on. Or both. Yoga can help. The word Yoga means union. It means to bring all parts of yourself – your body, mind, emotions, and spirit – into union, intoContinue reading “Post Traumatic Growth”
Take a Peek Inside Your Mind
I’ve been so excited about neuroscience lately! I’m learning about things like neuroplasticity which is our ability to change our habits no matter how old we are. I’m learning that we all have negative bias which means we’re hard-wired to dwell on our negative experiences instead of the positive ones (it’s a problem-solving mechanism for us humans). And then there’sContinue reading “Take a Peek Inside Your Mind”
Michelle Stortz 