Nicole Lovald

This morning as I was strolling down the beach in Manzanillo Bay, Mexico, I saw a surfer riding the waves out into the distance. As I stood there and watched her, I saw beauty, grace and strength. As she rode the wave in and started to get closer to the shore I realized I actually knew her. She is a local yogi and Thai Bodyworker who I’ve known and respected for years. As she came to shore we connected with morning greetings and she asked what time it was. She was due to be teaching yoga in...

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 feedback loops...

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 this my trans...