Have you ever noticed yourself playing the same story over and over in your head? Have you found yourself trying to defend, make sense of, or justify your feelings? Do you get stuck processing the same feedback loop ad nauseam?   You definitely are not alone. I have recently noticed this within myself, as well as with my clients.   Intellectualizing our emotions is a defense mechanism that keeps us from having to feel the discomfort of our feelings. That’s not to say that the

The first noble truth in Buddhism is that suffering is universal and unavoidable. Referred to as dukkha , the teaching states that we will all be exposed to, and experience, various states of suffering throughout our lives.  Buddhists also believe that suffering is in a constant state of flow and is impermanent; meaning it is always changing. Therefore it is our attachment to the constructs, or meaning we give the suffering, that allows it to continue. As I sit here writing t

Have you ever experienced imposters syndrome? It’s that feeling that you don’t belong and that everyone else around you is much more...

One of my spiritual teachers, a Buddhist psychotherapist, Ralph De La Rosa recently passed away at the age of 47. I took an online...

We are constantly looking outside of ourselves for the answers to our problems. Rarely do we pause to look within and see what wisdom and...

How running has helped remind me of my inner strength picture of a runner I ran sixteen miles this morning. It felt like one of the...

The last few months have fueled a lot of anger in people. Any time I open my social media or the news I’m inundated with things that are...

You are not broken and you do not need to be fixed.  When a tree has an injury (such as having a broken branch or by being hit by...

I just returned from hosting a 7 day yoga retreat in one of my favorite places in the world. It was an honor to travel with 13 other...

There has been a lot of hate singling out the LGBTQ+ community throughout the election. It has been present in our society for far too...

This past year has challenged me in ways I never could have comprehended and ways I didn’t feel prepared for. As a therapist and yoga...

When I first started practicing yoga I remember being surprised by how relaxed I felt during savasana. I can recall how my mind had...

Minnesota winters are beautiful. A dusting of snow and building a snowman or sledding down a hill always brings a smile to my face. The...

Change in our lives is inevitable, and it is also one of the most challenging experiences for us to accept. If we look to nature, we see...

As I pour my morning cup of coffee I notice my mood begins to lift and my body begin to wake up with anticipation. If, however, I decide...

When I first started taking yoga classes it was to help better manage the daily stress of life and to get into better shape. Now that...

Tis’ the season for holiday stress. This time of year can be wonderful in many ways, yet it can also be a time of increased stress and...

Fear is a strong emotion that demands to be listened to, and, for good reason. When we experience fear (real or perceived) our body...

It might start with a simple worry. The next thing you know your mind is spinning, your heart is racing and you feel tense all over. You...

As a therapist, I often have conversations with clients about how they think about and see themselves as an individual. It has come up...