There has been a recent shift away from playtime in our culture. Educational toys in elementary classrooms have been replaced by computers, and some schools have even cut or shortened recess time. This trend is also happening at home, with the increase of computers and video games. According to t...

I recently was inspired by attending a discussion for parents with Jessica Laher about the ideas from her book “The Gift of Failure.” The book highlights how many parents do not allow their kids to fail, struggle and help themselves. They often are misguided by their desire to make their ki...

I recently attended a day-long silent meditation retreat as a part of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course. It was an insightful experience that left me with a “hangover” of peace and inner calm. During the past several years I had the best intentions to care for myself by diet...

What makes summer so great, and gives us that happier, more relaxed way of thinking?  BBQ's, fireworks, and carefree fun, to name a few things. It seems that taking time to enjoy the weather, family and friends gets lost as the days become shorter and people go back to busy schedules and structure...