On Listening

As I write, we as humans on this planet are in the midst of holiday festivities—or perhaps a quieter, more contemplative time. As you read this, you may be in recovery from the holidays. I can’t help but notice what my inbox looks like this time of year, when “Primary” feels more like “Promotions,” and “Promotions” feels completely out of control. By sending my monthly(ish) newsletter, I realize I’m adding to that noise. What does that mean? Maybe it points to something universal: a need to be heard. The human cry goes up—just listen to me! (Though right now there’s also a lot of just buy me.) Despite broadcasting my thoughts here (yes, I see the irony), I want [...]

On Listening2026-02-11T07:58:50-07:00

Gratitude Isn’t Always Simple

For many, gratitude comes easily this week. For others, this season stirs up complicated memories — and both experiences are real. Some hurts are small and fade quickly; others shape us in profound ways. Even those deeper wounds can reveal surprising gifts when we’re ready to look at them. What Research Tells Us Much has been written about the uplifting effects of gratitude, making lists, counting our blessings, and some research shows that gratitude practices can reduce depression. When compared to neutral writing (journaling), the effect was small, but significant. So, it may help, especially in times of confusion and uncertainty, times like these. Reframing Changes Everything A technique I learned when I read The Goddess Within by Jungian psychologist Roger [...]

Gratitude Isn’t Always Simple2025-11-28T08:24:41-07:00

Awakening Through Depression ✨

Who is the “I am” you tell yourself you are? What is your mission—your dharma, your raison d’être? The journey begins by discovering who this “I am” truly is. It isn’t as hard as it seems when you have tools that help clear the constrictions of story and mood. Even for a moment, you can glimpse your own true nature. True nature is called by many names in many cultures. But it is not just a concept. Thoughts and beliefs about true nature are still too small to contain it. True nature is a felt sense—wordless and profound. Paths and Silence My own journey of discovery has followed many paths. What they share is a settling into the silence [...]

Awakening Through Depression ✨2025-10-15T11:13:38-07:00

SAGE Wisdom: An Evening of Healing, Expert Insights, and Community A Benefit

Online Registration SAGE Wisdom: An Evening of Healing, Expert Insights, and Community You're invited to a virtual gathering on September 30th to enjoy gentle yoga, hear from a panel of grief and trauma experts, and discover LIGHT's upcoming events, including a grief retreat, YTT, and professional trainings in Colorado, Springs. This learning benefit raises money for SAGE event scholarships. Your expert panel are leaders in grief & trauma healing. Don't miss this time with Arielle Schwartz, Amy Weintraub, Amy Pickett-Williams, Katie Mattei , PsyD, Joann Lutz, LICSW, E-RYT, C-IAYT, Matthew McKay, PhD, and Wendy Black Stern, C-IAYT. 5:30 - 6pm: Gentle practice to open hearts and bodies. 6-7 pm: Expert panel for wisdom-sharing and inspiration. 7-7:30 pm: [...]

SAGE Wisdom: An Evening of Healing, Expert Insights, and Community A Benefit2025-09-17T14:56:07-07:00

Yoga for Depression & Anxiety

Online Registration Nov 5-6, 2025, 9:30am-5:15pm each day. Hosted in person, livestream and via recording at the beautiful Soul of Yoga in Encinitas, CA. Yoga for mood works. We live in challenging times and incidence of anxiety and depression, stress and anger are on the rise. We know a steady yoga practice can help us navigate these difficulties and gain emotional resilience. This workshop goes a step further to illuminate specific therapeutic techniques that can shift one's mood in the moment. Amy’s compassionate model of therapeutic tools will impact your growth as a teacher and expand your understanding of yoga for emotional health. Amy will share her evidenced-based protocols in this experiential immersion. Teaching through the lenses of [...]

Yoga for Depression & Anxiety2025-09-17T14:38:00-07:00

Dancing Through Self-Limiting Beliefs

Although I lived by the Atlantic Ocean for much of my adult life, I never learned to surf or sail. My childhood clumsiness created a self-limiting belief that followed me for decades—one I finally released through IFS and Yoga. I CAN'T SO I WON'T   As a kid, being picked last for dodgeball was the norm. With athletic parents and an undiagnosed eye-muscle disorder, awkwardness on the playing field felt unavoidable. Labeled the “family klutz,” the safe choice became solo activities where no one else depended on performance—first dance, later yoga. Fast forward to today: in the early 70s, dancing is a joy-filled part of life. After years of believing partner dance was off-limits, Zydeco, Swing, and Salsa now prove [...]

Dancing Through Self-Limiting Beliefs2025-09-07T18:42:41-07:00

When Outer Turmoil Moves Inside

Managing a Crisis - When Outer Turmoil Moves Inside...    In a crisis, do you have a part that rises to the occasion, maybe even garnering praise from others for how well you are managing a major change? That’s certainly the case with me. That manager part kicks into action, and I feel focused and at the top of my game. There is neither time nor the desire for introspection or deep feelings. Then, when the outer turmoil subsides, what happens? If you’re like me, when things finally settle down, and I have the time to go inside, and that’s when the inner turmoil rises to the surface. Boy, it’s uncomfortable! But for me, it’s necessary. This is when [...]

When Outer Turmoil Moves Inside2025-08-11T07:21:27-07:00

LIFEFORCE YOGA & IFS: New Tools to Bring Balance to Your Life

  Online Registration LIFEFORCE YOGA & INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS New Tools To Bring Balance To Your Life   September 14-19. 2024 A Fall Retreat at Kripalu. We all have a Precious Center. A place within that is unsullied by life’s traumatic events. LifeForce Yoga skills remove restrictions and help us access the compassion we need to explore our wounds with clarity and wisdom. IFS teaches us how to relate to ourselves and others from a place of inclusion, empathy, and curiosity, and the two modalities dovetail beautifully. You will experience the blend of a gentle, evidence-based yoga protocol to help you self-soothe and clear your mind as you work with your IFS parts. The manager parts, reactive parts, and those tender young parts from a place of compassionate self-awareness [...]

LIFEFORCE YOGA & IFS: New Tools to Bring Balance to Your Life2025-03-29T08:30:30-07:00

Practices to Shift Depression and Anxiety

Online Registration Practices to Shift Depression and Anxiety A Spring Reset at Kripalu. https://kripalu.org/presenters-programs/yoga-skills-shift-depression-and-anxiety Stuck in a bad mood, or replaying thoughts that limit you? Learn yoga practices that help you—and those you serve—achieve and sustain emotional well-being. Strip away the obstacles that keep you from knowing the joy beneath your mood and story. Return home feeling refreshed, renewed, and excited about incorporating these new tools into your home, teaching, or clinical practice. Through her accessible LifeForce Yoga practices, breathwork, and experiential sessions, you will discover: Pranayama and kriya, breathing techniques, that regulate the emotions Meditations that lift the mood Sankalpa, affirmations Bhavana, guided visualizations Mantras, tones, that manage the emotions Mudras, hand gestures, that affect [...]

Practices to Shift Depression and Anxiety2024-12-23T13:06:23-07:00

2025 NJIMHC Keynote

The NJIMHC is an engaging and insightful mental health conference at the beautiful Oceanfront in Asbury Park, NJ, May 27-28, 2025. This year’s focus is on a return to the family as a refuge of belongingness. Connect with industry leaders, refresh your skills, and enjoy an extended holiday weekend on the Jersey shore. This is your opportunity to share, learn, and grow in a supportive and collaborative environment.

2025 NJIMHC Keynote2024-12-23T12:24:28-07:00
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