Easing Physical or Emotional Pain…Mindfully
October 7, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Addiction, Body Image, Eating Disorders, Empowerment, Expressive Arts Therapies, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Healthy Coping, Loving Your Body, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Prevention, Recovery, Self Esteem, Self-Care, Stress Management, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Therapy
In our society, we have almost become “programmed” to view pain as a bad thing. Actually, physical pain serves a very helpful purpose as a messenger. If we didn’t feel it, just think of the damage that could be done from, say, a hot stove or a broken bone! As well, we also tend to […]
Finding Your Sanctuary
September 19, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under ADHD, Anxiety, Bi-Polar Disorder, Depression, Empowerment, Exercise, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Freedom, Healthy Communication, Healthy Coping, Loving Your Body, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Movement, Music, OCD, Parents, PTSD, Recovery, Role Models, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Spirituality, Stress Management, Treatment, Wellness, Writing and Poetry, Yoga and Meditation
Recently, my family and I were fortunate enough to discover The Wild Animal Sanctuary, a place in Colorado in which animals (carnivores like lions, tigers, and bears…oh my!) are rescued, often from misinformed people who attempt to keep such animals as pets. The animals are taken to an amazing facility of over 700 acres, in […]
High School Reunion: Friend or Foe?
July 1, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Anxiety, Body Image, Depression, Empowerment, Expressive Arts, Fat Acceptance, Fat Talk, Featured, Guys, Loving Your Body, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Obesity, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Stress Management, Weight Stigma, Wellness, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation
About a year ago, I was approached by my high school class president about heading up a committee for our class reunion (okay, I actually brought the subject up to him, so technically I volunteered…WHY do I bring these things on myself?!). Fast-forward 6 months, and things were shaping up well, including my creating a […]
Is yoga like stand-up comedy?
June 10, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Addiction, ADHD, Anxiety, Bi-Polar Disorder, Body Image, Depression, Eating Disorders, Empowerment, Exercise, Expressive Arts Therapies, Fat Talk, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Healthy Coping, Loving Your Body, Males with Eating Disorders, Mental Health, Mindfulness, OCD, Parents, Prevention, PTSD, Recovery, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Spirituality, Stress Management, Treatment, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Therapy
“You’re a yoga teacher? Cool…show me something really impressive!” This is a typical response when I share that I teach yoga (and teach the teachers!). I think that it must be what stand-up comedians feel when they divulge what they do, and hear the inevitable “Say something funny!” Oh, the pressure! When I get that […]
Birds-Eye View
May 6, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Empowerment, Exercise, Expressive Arts, Expressive Arts Therapies, Featured, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Self Esteem, Self-Care, Spirituality, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Therapy
The last time I went to Pikes Peak (not far from the place that I now call home), I had no intention of doing anything other than hiking and enjoying the scenery with my husband. Little did I know that I would have two experiences that changed how I feel about the world around me, […]
The Blessing of Affirmations
April 9, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Activism, Anxiety, Body Dysmorphia, Body Image, Eating Disorders, Empowerment, Expressive Arts, Expressive Arts Therapies, Fat Talk, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Freedom, Healthy Communication, Healthy Coping, Livin in the Moment, Media Literacy, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Prevention, Recovery, Role Models, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Spirituality, Stress Management, Treatment, Weight Stigma, Wellness, Wellness, Writing and Poetry, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Therapy
When you look in the mirror, what’s the first thing you say to yourself? If you are like most women, it’s not something kind or complimentary. Most of us are WAY too hard on ourselves, and the media doesn’t help with that. Think about it…can you recall ONE company that promotes happiness with what IS […]
Worth the “Weight”?
March 4, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Anxiety, Body Image, Depression, Eating Disorders, Empowerment, Exercise, Expressive Arts, Expressive Arts Therapies, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Healthy Communication, Healthy Communication, Healthy Coping, Loving Your Body, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Recovery, Role Models, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Sharing Feelings, Stress Management, Weight Stigma, Wellness, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Therapy
I never thought I could learn so much about myself from a cactus! Upon a recent trip to Arizona, I learned something about the Saguaro cactus (the really tall ones that can have a bunch of “arms”, once they are 75 years old). They can shrink and expand, based on how much moisture they hold […]
Releasing Emotion Can Set You FREE!
February 11, 2013 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Anxiety, Depression, Empowerment, Exercise, Expressive Arts, Featured, Freedom, Healthy Coping, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Recovery, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Sharing Feelings, Stress Management, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation
Is it just me, or does it seem as if violence in our country has reached a pace at which it is the ONLY topic of news these days? I must admit that I am almost frightened to leave my house some days, in anticipation of being a victim myself. What’s almost MORE scary to […]
A Change Could Do You Good
August 20, 2012 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Body Image, Exercise, Expressive Arts Therapies, Featured, Loving Your Body, Role Models, Self-Care, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation
“Mom, I had a bad dream.” I heard this all-too-familiar whisper in my ear, from my 6-year-old son, at 4am this morning. It woke me physically from a deep sleep, but mentally with a smile on the inside. I hate that he has had such a jolting dream that he feels he must find a […]
Don’t Pause for the Flaws
June 25, 2012 by Debra Hennesy
Filed under Body Image, Exercise, Featured, Livin in the Moment, Loving Your Body, Mindfulness, Role Models, Self Esteem, Self-Acceptance, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, Wellness, Yoga, Yoga and Meditation
“I wonder how I would look with pink extensions in my hair? That is a really cute pair of yoga pants…I wonder where she got them. I could never wear those with these hips. Oh my gosh, did everyone in class just hear my stomach growl? I could really go for a smoothie after this. […]