I am guilty. I often make myself the martyr. I don't necessarily do this to people please, but because I feel like it is the only right thing to do in the moment. When things are tough, I am often the one who steps up and finds solutions, who sacrifices and shifts into overdrive, immersing myself in the needs of others. Over time I become exhausted, feel unappreciated, and ultimately, bitter. Recently I wrote about Extreme Self-Care and I do believe this to be true primary ca

Yesterday I took a hike with a gal who needed to move in #nature for many of the same reasons I often find myself working through life's trials in the woods. My own therapist calls this adventure therapy; we walk the trails while she guides me through self-reflection and helps me implement healthier coping strategies. My teenage son also enjoys adventure therapy with his own therapist, often fishing, kayaking, or even throwing eggs at trees. Don't let me confuse you; I am not

There are concerns that traditional #herbal medicine lacks sufficient scientific validation and may not meet basic standards of safety and efficacy, but there is also concern that mainstreaming herbal medicine will threaten or uproot it from its classical foundation. There is tremendous need for a comprehensive way to evaluate herbal medicine efficacy and safety while integrating the concerns and experiences of medical providers, scientists, traditional practitioners, and tho

I was so excited to start offering #hikes with the little ones this spring, with some #yoga and nature art, but I see many of you are sharing pictures of your hikes ("bear hunts") on facebook. I am loving it! Since I can't be with you quite yet, I thought I would encourage you to consider keeping a nature #journal. "As soon as he is able to keep it himself, a nature-diary is a source of delight to a child." Charlotte Mason My older children and I always had a journal with us

Often we ask ourselves what risks might we face if we step out of our comfort zone, but we don't often enough ask ourselves if we will survive our current comfort zone. It hurts me as a clinician to see clients so desperately wanting a new way, but too afraid to step up for themselves. They're scared, and not quite ready to be honest with themselves. Many are afraid of losing their status quo even when that status quo is making them rather miserable. Our comfort zone is cozy

I know #selfcare and #selflove are the new catch phrases or even the new fad, particularly among mothers and women in their forties and fifties, but I could not be more serious about how very important this is for health and well-being. It is quite literally the top priority of my new practice. I want to help bring people back into both physical and emotional physiologic balance. I would argue that most haven't fully realized how much their own needs go neglected and how detr