These are lyrics by Canadian singer songwriter Shawn Mendes. An awesome younger person I’m close with recently shared this song with me at a poignant moment. I was moved to tears when I heard it. This song speaks to the fact that we all have pain and suffering. We so often choose the route of hiding ...read more
Hack your anxiety in 3 simple ways
Let’s face it - there is a lot of anxiety in the world. Here are a few tools to reduce your anxiety RIGHT NOW: #1 Breathe. A simple trick to help focus on your breath is to remember the number 4-7-8. Breathe in for 4 counts, hold breath for 7, and exhale for 8. And repeat the cycle until it ...read more
First Responders Resilience, Inc.
Last week I did yoga in a crowded room with over 40 sweaty firefighters, police officers, and paramedics from all over California. This memorable moment was at a First Responders Resiliency training. I received an invite because I’m currently volunteering as a chaplain with my local police and fire ...read more
Mothers of the Mentally Ill
“1 in 5 children ages 13-18 have, or will have a serious mental illness.” (found on www.nami.org) I love to listen to talk radio. It connects me to the world outside the chatter of my own soul and sometimes I can be deeply moved by a story that I stumble across. This was definitely the case when ...read more
How a Joyful Japanese Woman Reduced My Anxiety
Every new year my wife and I go on an intense cleaning and organizing spree. We believe that tidying and organizing the clutter of our surroundings is a great way to reduce the clutter and anxiety in our internal world. This year, we stumbled upon a Netflix series featuring Marie Kondo, a ...read more
The Beginnings of All Things Are Small
"The beginnings of all things are small." This quote from Cicero was given to me by a friend when I was a student at Texas A&M University over 30 years ago. These words continue to remind me of the importance of starting with small changes instead of overdoing it when I want to make a change. ...read more
Christians, Mindfulness, and Meditation
Christians, Mindfulness and Meditation Abide App Review “...the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.” - Psalm 49:3 “If you continue in my [Jesus] word...then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:31,32 I discovered this great Christian meditation ...read more
Finding a Path to Peace
As we enter into the holiday season, I encourage you to mindfully consider how you will choose to experience these next 50 days until January 1, 2019. How can we move through these holidays and develop a peacefulness in our minds? I think all of us yearn for peace in the midst of difficult times in ...read more
Suffering in Silence – Anxiety’s Stronghold
Anxiety can be a complicated thing, both in its origins and outcomes. From mild butterflies in the pit of our stomach, to retching and heaving over a toilet bowl—and a multitude of in betweens: a flushed face, stuttering and stumbling over words, racing thoughts, trembling knees, itchy rashes, ...read more
EMDR – Could it help you?
If you are looking to improve performance at work or in life, or you are needing practical and real relief from anxiety or phobias, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing - EMDR - could be right for you. EMDR and trauma Life experiences and memories are normally processed and stored based ...read more