November 2022

Love and family can heal holiday struggles

It is officially the Holiday Season!

Lots of people struggle with holiday stress – it’s as if there’s a national competition going on for who can be the most anxious person over the never-ending details of celebrating our winter holidays.  We start from the premise that perfection is possible (it’s not, no matter what the well-curated magazine covers portray).  The sooner we let go of that notion of the “perfect” holiday, the more breathing space we’ll make for ourselves and others with whom we share the season.

Minnesota health coach self compassion book

Mindful Self-Compassion. . .

I bought myself Kristin Neff’s book, Self-Compassion, this week with the intention of reading it before year’s end and using its wisdom with my clients. Little did I realize how much I have to learn about being self-compassionate; this book may become a good tool for my clients, but for now, it is an excellent tool for me!

Close knit community gathers for a meal in gratitude

Simple Gratitude

It’s the start of November and a marvelous time of year to reimagine our gratitude practices. We celebrate our national Thanksgiving Holiday this month, acknowledging its historical roots in the 1620s when members of the Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag tribe gathered together to celebrate the harvest that would see them through the coming winter – their abundance.