Find information or skills you can use! Our team shares insights and strategies with you via videos and writings.
The Therapeutic Power of Breathing
Few things rival diaphragmatic breathing for its simplicity and therapeutic payoff. I’ve made a short video to share some of the health benefits of deep breathing with you, including how it helps us to move out of the stress response, aka “fight or flight,” and into the relaxation response. And I’ve included a short demonstration. Enjoy!
Managing Stress in a Time of Crisis
Today I write during what is an unprecedented time of new experience as we cope with the changes brought about by the novel Coronavirus. It can be scary and humbling to see daily reports of the disease’s spread, and to have widespread cancelation of our usual, everyday activities.
Keys to Living Your Authentic Life
For me, the start of a new year and the relatively quiet, slow pace of winter create a wonderful opportunity to spend time reflecting on the year past and the months to come, and checking in with my values and course in life…
Mind Over Matter- Placebo or "Real" Effect?
The placebo effect -getting better from an illness when taking an inactive, or “sugar,” pill or treatment that a person thinks is medicine — has been found to hover around 30% in some large-scale studies. In medicine, that’s a major effect, and any drug that could pull those numbers in clinical trials would be celebrated
Mindfulness Meditation and Anxiety Management Skills Groups for Fall
As the fall is well underway, many of us find ourselves returning to goals for growth, as well as the stress of a busy schedule. I’m pleased to offer short-term skills groups in my Brookline office, with a few perspectives for managing our daily burdens.
Discovering Ourselves: Reflections from a Bungalow
“I’d love to get away from it all….”
Have you ever imagined just taking off, maybe to a beach or mountain retreat, to be free of the business of daily life? Recently I had the opportunity to do just that. I spent time in a quiet beachside bungalow near the Equator, where I had time alone every day. No television or radio, very limited phone and internet, and only a few, simple chores to do. Time to relax, read, rest….just be, with no one looking for me. Total relaxation. Only, it was often quite stressful….
Mindfulness for Parents
I’m excited to share the launch of our VitalMind Parenting project together with my friend and colleague Dr. Matt Hersh. We had the pleasure of speaking recently at Harvard’s Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, where we enjoyed sharing simple yet powerful strategies for parenting mindfully with fellow parents and colleagues…
When is it Time to Let Go?
One of the great markers of spring for me is the first time I take my bike out for a ride. I ride along the Charles River and through Boston, early on a weekend morning, when all is quiet and spring is in full bloom. That long-awaited day this year came last weekend.
Worrying about not worrying
Some time ago, I wrote about strategies for recognizing and reducing worry in our lives. Today I write an epilogue to that post, which could also be titled “what to do when you’re not worrying……”