Most of us think that meditation is an esoteric practice, perhaps a spiritual practice and the province only of the enlightened. I’ve been a meditator for most of my adult life and I find it amusing that science is finally catching up with what millions of meditators know intuitively: Meditation helps us to cope with … Read more
I am of the firm belief that everyone needs a pet. Whether it’s a dog, cat, bird or goldfish, I’ll go farther to say that a house is not a home without a pet. A huge body of research confirms that people with pets have healthier hearts, stay home sick less often, make fewer visits … Read more
I’m an avid walker. I mean, I am a really serious walker. I wear an Apple and I aim for 10,000 steps a day. Most days I meet or exceed my goal. Only on rare occasions do I fall short, usually because of weather constraints. I guess you could say I am addicted to walking. … Read more
From Dr. Hyla Cass and Kathleen Barnes, authors of 8 weeks To Vibrant Health: A Take Charge Plan for Women. It’s almost impossible to exist in today’s world without stress. We all feel it. The pressure of job, home, kids, health, finances go on and on. And now we’re “lucky” enough to have cell phones … Read more
Note from Kathleen: This is the final entry in the stress management month series, based on my book, Ten Best Ways to Manage Stress but it is far from the last we will be talking about stress, since stress is unquestionably the greatest threat to health. Stress is almost always related to time pressure. You’ve … Read more
This is an excerpt from my book, 10 Best Ways to Manage Stress. It’s good to remember these skills in stressful times! Breath is life. Quite literally without breath, life ends in just a few minutes. Some Eastern traditions believe that we are born with a finite numbers of breaths allotted to us, so the more … Read more
Note from Kathleen: It’s that time of year to give and give back. This chapter from my book, 10 Best Ways to Manage Stress, is my gift to you. I hope it will spark some thought for you and maybe give you some ideas to pay it forward. The virus has gotten us all … Read more
This is an article written by Kathleen and was originally published in Natural Awakenings magazine in 2014. A whiff of lemon oil can be an instant energizer. A deep breath of sweet lavender oil can lower your blood pressure. A few drops of tea tree oil can stop an infection in its tracks. And try … Read more
New Year’s resolutions usually are based on guilt over something you’ve done in the past. Maybe you ate too much or smoked or didn’t exercise or whatever you feel bad about. How about if we turn it around this year and commit to doing something that nurtures your soul and lights up your being? Think … Read more
I’ve long been a fan and practitioner of aromatherapy. Of course, I’m not being scientific here, but from practical experience, I know that lavender relaxes me, peppermint stimulates me and cures (yes, cures) headaches and lemon always energizes me. There is most likely a memory factor here. I’ll always link the scent of cloves to … Read more