Heart and Soul Healing Reflections

Reflections on research-based healing benefits of yoga, neurofeedback & talk therapy

Yoga and Your Heart

When I turned 40, I was overweight and showing signs of being diagnosed with hypertension and high cholesterol, all considered precursors for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). I feel blessed as it was the same year that I discovered yoga! By showing up on my mat for myself on a regular basis, I was […]

Can two decades of research be wrong about the benefits of direct neurofeedback for neuropsychiatric disorders?

I don’t think so! With the growing awareness around complex trauma and the corresponding increase in mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and addiction, it is mission critical that the healthcare system take off the blinders and drop the belief that prescription medications are the first line of attack to address such challenges. Most […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Make Space

This is the time of year that most people begin to formulate their New Year resolutions.  However, before we can add something to our lives, it is a good idea to get rid of something that no longer serves us to create space, and I’m not necessarily suggesting tangible, physical items, although the idea also […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Honor a Rich and Diverse Culture!

November is Native American Heritage Month! In 1990, the President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage Month to honor the traditions, languages, and stories and ensure the rich histories and contributions thrive with each […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Support Others Navigating This Storm

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Two of my dear friends are currently navigating this more intimate, personal storm of breast cancer as I send this newsletter this month.  I know I am not alone.  With the prevalence of this disease, most likely everyone knows someone that has or is attempting to deal with this constant […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Help Save Lives

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. (Reprint from September 2021)Suicide is not an easy topic to talk about and yet that is exactly what is needed in order to reduce the growing rate of this tragedy.  Conversations can make a difference when someone is thinking about suicide. Did […]

How might compassion factor into suicide prevention?

I think most, if not all, adolescents experience some level of dissatisfaction with their bodies, especially now with the advent of social media. I remember when I went through puberty (yes, before social media), I was constantly comparing myself to my friends and the images I saw in magazines and on TV. I was born […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas (per day!) to Express Kindness

Be Kind to Humankind Week! I’m grateful for this annual worldwide celebration, that occurs the last week of August (starting 8/25), yet I also have to admit I wish it wasn’t necessary.  My hope is that we are kind to each other every day! Each day of this week has a focus, an area where you can […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Support Powerful Emotions

When the United States was born in 1776 during the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Pluto, the planet of rebirth and transformation, was located at 27 degrees Capricorn.  More recently, Pluto entered Capricorn, a sign that signifies money, dominance, power, authority and ambition in late 2008 and leaves Capricorn on January 21, 2024.  Pluto […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Honor Juneteenth

Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, a new federal holiday was honored by legislation that signed it into law, even though it has been celebrated for over 150 years.  Juneteenth is the holiday that commemorates and celebrates the freedom of all Black people in the South that were enslaved.  Although the Emancipation Proclamation […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Reduce Microplastics in Your Life

In preparing for a screening colonoscopy this year, I met with my gastroenterologist recently to schedule the procedure.  I told him I was on the “every 10 year plan” since I had changed my diet.  He said “You can do everything right” like reducing the amount of red meat you are eating, avoiding processed foods, […]

Benefits of Integrating Yoga Into Postgraduate Mental Health Curriculums

As we find ourselves in a bit of a lull in the Covid-19 outbreak here in southern California, I have found my way back to teaching yoga in-person in a local yoga studio. My heart is full as I have greatly missed the opportunity to bring this healing modality back in-person to a larger audience. […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Reduce Stress

April is Stress Awareness Month! The month of April, among other things, has been designated Stress Awareness Month.  The first step to making any change in our life is awareness.  Without awareness, we tend to  continue on our journeys doing the same old things, repeating old patterns, all while hoping the results will be different.  The […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Celebrate a World of Flavors

March is National Nutrition Month! As the weather begins to warm up, we begin to feel called outdoors more.  The crocuses, daffodils, pansies, and violets begin to bloom inviting our sense of sight to enjoy the colors.  As the fruit trees blossom, the sweet smells floating in the air remind us of the delicious bounty […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Honor Friendship

February is International Friendship Month! Friends are our family of choice and this month we get to celebrate that family!  Over the past two years, we have needed our friends more than ever, whether they speak, bark or purr.  Such connections can warm our hearts and calm our minds.  And the power of these connections […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Manifest Radical Self Acceptance as Your New Year Intention

Perhaps, with the advent of the pandemic, this is THE year that we stop setting New Year resolutions that set us up for failure and challenge our mental health and, instead, consider the only intention that will support lasting health, mind, body and spirit – self-acceptance. When we can truly accept ourselves, both our light and […]

Recovery from alcohol use disorder is a crooked road – can direct neurofeedback help ease the journey?

The high levels of stress, loss and isolation due to the pandemic have been challenging to everyone’s mental health, but perhaps much more so for those of us that suffer from symptoms that accompany alcohol use disorder, specifically craving and consumption. With no end in sight for the continued spread of the virus, what options […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Support Leaning In

‘Tis the Season! Although the great marketers of the world want us to believe this is the season of peace, December brings mixed emotions and feelings for most of us and this year continues in that same tradition.  Due to the pandemic, we yearn for a deeper connection with our loved ones more than ever, yet reality […]

Can cultivating compassion improve the process of psychotherapy?

Prior to becoming a therapist myself, I spent a significant amount of time on the couch as a client.  I am forever grateful for the encouragement and compassion I received on those couches as the therapists supported my journey of growth.  However, for all of the compassion they may have offered me, none of them […]

5 Intention-setting Ideas to Open Your Heart

The Attitude of Gratitude:  November is National Gratitude Month! I love the fact that November has been designated as National Gratitude Month, giving the practice of gratitude the attention it deserves! I have amped up my practice of gratitude this year as a way to keep my heart open.  I could feel myself pulling back […]