Negative emotions are like weeds in a garden. No matter how often we try to pull them out, they inevitably grow back. While it’s easy to become frustrated by the stubbornness of emotional pain, that frustration often leads to unnecessary suffering. The more energy we expend trying to fight against our negative emotions, the bigger they tend to become. When we blindly resist all negative emotions, we also miss out on the usefulness of our feelings and sensations. Though many v

As I sat down Saturday night, it suddenly dawned on me that next week is Rosh Chodesh Adar. Since I was little I’ve heard, mi shenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha , that when the month of Adar comes around, we should increase our happiness. I don’t know about you, but this has always felt a little daunting to me. How should I increase my happiness? What if I’m just not feeling it? What does happiness even mean? I was looking for concrete actions that I could do to raise my happin

If you ever scroll through social media reels or read a self-help book these days, odds are you’ve come across the word validation. Whether or not we can define the word off-the-cuff, most of us have felt its power at one point in our lives: the comfort and relief that comes from someone recognizing our internal experience and confirming that our thoughts or feelings are understandable and real. As relational beings, we knowingly or unknowingly crave this recognition from bir

It’s that time of year – school is heading out and sunscreen is coming on. Whether vacation just passed, is actively happening, or is rapidly approaching, this time of year brings its own kind of challenges. Rained out activities, kids fighting, and lack of structure may end up leaving you frustrated. The question becomes, how do we cope when expectations and realities don’t line up? 1. Clarify expectations in advance It is hard to not get caught up in the nitty gritty detai

Did you ever find yourself halfway through your day and realize… you weren’t really there for most of it? Maybe your body was in the meeting, on the call, or driving the car, but your mind? Somewhere between your to-do list, a weird comment someone made, and what you’re going to cook for dinner. You are not alone. Most of us are living in fast-forward. We are fast-paced, multitasking, and always thinking about something else. And that’s exactly where mindfulness comes in. In