mindfulness

Grief: A Year Later

Grief: A Year Later

A year has passed since my hero died.

I bought a car. I got promoted. I married the love of my life. I started psychotherapy and switched therapists. I got a cat. I suffered a bad ear infection.

In all the things—the mundane and the extraordinary—I missed my brother. He wasn’t in the passenger seat with me in my new corolla, singing like nobody was listening. He never called and congratulated me on my new position at work. There was an empty chair for him at my wedding, one covered in yellow roses for him, but that no amount of beauty could fill. My ear hurt more from not hearing his voice than from the bacteria inflaming it.

The Life Cycle of a Leaf

The Life Cycle of a Leaf

Recently, as I sat under the marvelous tree behind my apartment, I thought about its full, summer emerald leaves, now matured into vibrant crimson reds. These leaves were once buds in spring, working as self-sufficient producers in summer and quietly shifting into vibrant arrays of ruby in autumn. I pondered the seasons of my own life as the tree behind my house entered its own preparation for change, with those beautiful leaves preparing for winter by falling to the ground. What might the life cycle of a leaf help us notice about our own relationship with change? 

From Dropout to Doctorate

From Dropout to Doctorate

To say my freshman year of college was rough is an understatement. A mix of—too many things to share in a blog post—made adapting to daily living and completing assignments difficult. I was so exhausted following that first year, that I only lasted three days of sophomore year before dropping out. So, I left college. And, it was arguably one of the best things to ever happen to me.  

Musical Medicine and the Lessons I’ve Learned from It

Musical Medicine and the Lessons I’ve Learned from It

Recently, I’ve been on a kick listening to music that holds deep messages about life, learning, and growth. Listening to these songs has had a unique healing effect on some negative thoughts, emotions, and experiences that I have been having, while others have further amplified positive feelings in my life. Because it has been so powerful for me, I want to share it with you. A few have stood out to me, and through them, I’ve started to realize that music is more than just something we listen to; it can act as a form of emotional processing, reflection, and even healing. 

Five Minute Mornings

Five Minute Mornings

I’m overstimulated. 

Some days I wish I had been born into a quieter decade where my attention wasn’t on constant assignment to (what feels like) one hundred million different tasks. It’s easy to lament the increasingly distracting world: being continuously bombarded with a slew of notifications from Apple News, pop-up advertisements, email dings, group-me pings, and text messages. While it’s thrilling to hear which states federal agents are being deployed to and the recap of the 2026 golden globes within the span of 30-seconds, I’m afraid my life would be a lot less noisy without these buzzes on my phone.‍  ‍

Demon-Hunting & Mindfulness

Demon-Hunting & Mindfulness

I will spare you the preamble, you read this correctly. Stay with me here.

I posit that there is a WEALTH—nay—a TREASURE TROVE of amazing mindfulness advice being shared in our modern demon-slaying media. I will look at the sensational K-Pop Demon Hunters, as well as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, (Demon Slayer) which are two of the most popular movies at the time of writing. Let’s begin:

Inviting Awe into Our Everyday Lives

Inviting Awe into Our Everyday Lives

One of my favorite family traditions that I had growing up was camping around Christmas time! We would go up into the mountains and spend a few days hiking around in the snow and playing card games as a family. It felt so cozy to be surrounded by the tall evergreen trees and the snow covered mountains. My favorite part about our trips was at night. There was this dock close by that was used in the summer. It afforded a nice view of the wide river that connected all the mountains. At night, it was the perfect stargazing spot. Looking up you could watch the night sky spin.

Prayer, are there benefits for the non-religious?

Prayer, are there benefits for the non-religious?

Many of us think of prayer as a way to communicate with a higher power, God, nature, etc… We rarely think of prayer as a researched practice to enhance mental and physical health benefits. Regardless of the beliefs of each reader, prayer proves to be a powerful principle of positive psychology and puts forth results for millions of people around the world.

Creating a Living Relationship with Nature

Creating a Living Relationship with Nature

As spring has begun, the weather has been pleasant enough to leave my window cracked open. Nature’s morning alarm, the sounds of birds outside my apartment, gently makes its wake-up call, setting me up for a more mindful morning. It is an immediate reminder when I wake that I am connected to the world around me.  The birdsong helps me to not be so caught up in my own busy schedule—rather be prepared to notice and enjoy what’s around me.