Menu

Music for Painters by Michael Spivack

By in Community Creations

As a composer and producer I’ve always felt my path would lead to some kind of deeper connection with the mindfulness movement and that my work was meant to provide healing and nourishment to others while offering me the joyous vehicle of benevolent creation.

The seed for my recently debuted functional ambient music project, Music for Painters, was planted in early 2006 when I ran into a simple problem: I needed to find a way to use music as a protective bubble so that I could focus on pen and ink drawings in busy parks, coffee shops, and subway cars …

Beyond Sorry: A Better Way to Handle Conflict in Your Relationship

By in Blog, love & relationships

“Sorry isn’t always enough. Sometimes you actually have to change.” ~Unknown

When I was young I was like every other kid, always in and out of trouble. I pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in order to see what I could get away with. When I pushed, I’d often keep on pushing until someone said “stop.”

During my childhood I heard lots of:

“STOP!!” 

Quickly followed by:

“Say you’re sorry.”

Say those two magical words, “I’m sorry,” and all the pain will go away. Then I’ll be back in the good books and can go play with my friends …

You Will Be Okay

By in Fun & Inspiring

Finding Yourself Is Not Really How It Works

By in Fun & Inspiring

You Don’t Have to Maximize the Potential of Every Day

By in Fun & Inspiring

The Healing Power of Nature: How Walking in the Rain Saved My Life

By in Blog, change & challenges, healthy habits, mindfulness & peace

“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” ~Nietzsche

A recent study by the National Academy of Sciences found that a ninety-minute walk in nature slows our worried, troublesome thoughts about ourselves and our lives. Even better, it reduces the neural activity in parts of the brain linked to mental illness.

On the other hand, if you spend your time walking down city sidewalks, don’t expect much. The science says you’ll have no change whatsoever in your neural activity. Or even in your thoughts about yourself.

This means that if you’re inclined to be anxious, depressed, grieving, or …

How to Set Better Boundaries: 9 Tips for People-Pleasers

By in Blog, love & relationships

“Boundaries are a part of self-care. They are healthy, normal, and necessary.” ~Doreen Virtue

I still have the journal entry that sparked my journey into boundary setting. It says, in striking black pen, “I wish I could speak my truth. If I can learn to speak my truth before I die, I will die a happy woman.”

Dramatic? Maybe. But I was tired of being a pushover, a people-pleaser.

I’d written it the day after I’d been the recipient of unwanted advances at a bar. For thirty minutes, a stranger had engaged me in aggressive conversation, peppered in flirtation, and …

Just Take It One Day at a Time

By in Fun & Inspiring

What Expecting to Die Young Taught Me About Living a Happy Life

By in Blog, happiness & fun

“I’ve come to trust not that events will always unfold exactly as I want, but that I will be fine either way. The challenges we face in life are always lessons that serve our soul’s growth.” ~ Marianne Williamson

At the age of nine, I was sitting in a doctor’s office at Baylor University with both of my parents when we were all told I wouldn’t live to see twenty-three. The doctor casually told us my dad would probably never get to walk me down the aisle and I’d likely never make my mom a grandmother, but there was great …

It’s Not Either/Or: The Power of Opening Your Mind and Seeing Both Sides

By in Blog, change & challenges, love & relationships

“Compassionate listening is to help the other side suffer less.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

In late 2017 my husband and I were both getting ready for work one morning when I casually said, “Hey, I think I’m going to start teaching yoga in the jail.”

Without missing a beat my husband said, “Well, that’s a terrible idea. Why would you do that?”

He gave this comment as a statement, flat and decisive. I had suspected I would get this type of response, so I tried to play it cool, like it didn’t bother me. But it still stung a bit, since …

May Your Coming Year Be Filled With…

By in Fun & Inspiring

Ditch the Resolutions

By in Fun & Inspiring

I’m Proud of How I Handled This Year

By in Fun & Inspiring

Tomorrow Is the First Blank Page of a 365 Page Book

By in Fun & Inspiring

Adapting to Feeling Unseen: How I’m Navigating a World That Overlooks the Aging

By in Blog, change & challenges

Older
Beautiful inside and out—
Invisible

I gave a little start when those words flashed onto the screen during a presentation by the poet Elizabeth Bradfield. Liz was in the process of describing six-word memoirs, modeled on Hemingway’s heartbreaking story For sale: Baby shoes. Never used.

The photograph showed a wall from the 6 Words Minneapolis project, in which city residents were asked to briefly describe themselves. This entry spoke directly to an experience I’d been having of late but hadn’t quite been able to name.

Consider: I smile at a young couple who are walking with their baby out …

How I Learned to Stop Pushing So Hard and Enjoy the Moment

By in Blog, letting go

“Life is a balance between what we can control and what we cannot. I am learning to live between effort and surrender.” ~Danielle Orner

Over a year ago, I boarded a plane and found myself on the beautiful beaches of southeast Asia. My dream was to travel the world, indefinitely, while working independently and living out of a suitcase. I had worked hard in my life to come to this place, and there couldn’t have been a moment that was more positive for me.

However, as I enjoyed sunbathing on the beautiful beaches, I started to feel weary. It’s hard …

Grow. It’s a Big World. You’ll Fit.

By in Fun & Inspiring

When You Are Absolutely Not Okay

By in Fun & Inspiring

May Your Day Be Filled with Peace, Love, and Joy

By in Fun & Inspiring

Escape Isn’t Self-Care: What We Really Need to Feel at Peace

By in Blog, mindfulness & peace

“A pause gives you breathing space so listen to the whispers of the real you waiting to happen.” ~Tara Estacaan

You and I, we’re much too busy. We’re doing too much. We’re stressed. We’re overscheduled and overwhelmed. And we’re not doing enough self-care.

The good thing is there’s help. There are headlines, hacks, and half-baked gurus who promise to bring us to the less-stressed light. And there’s a vast supply of products to help too. Bath salts, wine, essential oils, yoga classes, massages, chocolate cake, books, life coach packages, etc. But sometimes I wonder, are all the articles and products …