How Movies, Music and Books Help Us Be Happy

This Guest Post graciously submitted by Allison Moody Though depression is a serious medical condition and is difficult to fight, there are things that people with this diagnosis, or people who just feel depressed from time to time, can do to alleviate their pain. Art is Not Just Some Pretty Pointless Pastime Many people consider [...]

All This Talk of Mindfulness … What IS IT?

Partially re-posted from my “Eating Disorders in Schools” blog on Gurze publications. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn of the Center for Mindfulness at University of Massachusetts, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”*  When I teach students about mindfulness I explain that it is an important part [...]

Coffee, Talk, and a Walk!

One of the best mantras that I have incorporated into my life over the past several years is what I call “Coffee, Talk, and a Walk.” If you are stressed, need to sort out an issue, or just want to feel even better overall, I suggest you take part in this mantra as well. Some [...]

The Health Benefits of Owning a Pet

This post is written by Erica Moss, who is the community manager for the online Masters degree in nursing program at Georgetown University, offering one of the nation’s leading nurse midwife programs. She also enjoys photography and meeting new people. Humans have always enjoyed emotional benefits from their relationships with animals, but in recent decades [...]

Breathe.

This fabulous Guest-Post is graciously submitted by Anne-Sophie Reinhardt. Living in a world that is so focused on performance, looks and competition with others, we often forget to breathe. By breathing, I don’t mean the the process that moves air in and out of the lungs, but the art of taking the time to concentrate [...]

My Personal Challenge: No Gym for One Year

Over the last year I have been engaged in a personal experiment and challenge: to stop working out in a gym for one year, while simultaneously eating what I love (aka NOT dieting), and eat those foods when I want to.  My little self-imposed test has led to many surprising results … Blog this!Bookmark on [...]

Remembering Mindfulness

Being mindful is one of the greatest coping skills in dealing with stress.  A nice walk in the park, an easy moment journaling, a relaxing breath of fresh air … Sometimes half the battle is actually REMEMBERING to do it!  Eric Schiffmann in his brilliant book, Moving Into Stillness, provides keen insights to help us [...]

Breathe to Relieve Stress!

You’d never think it, but breathing exercises are great (and easy) ways to manage stress, stay balanced and find more joy in life.  Here are a few fun facts that might help you take a moment to breathe even deeper next time …  (Excerpts borrowed from my Eating Disorder Recovery Yoga blog and Healthy Selfitude) Benefits [...]