Emphasizing “Restorative Practices in Nature” at camps & retreat centers to spotlight the natural settings where individuals and groups can stay, play, meet, eat, and relax is a vital invitation to guests. In 2015, Stanford University conducted a study (published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science) which showed getting out into nature reduces risk Read More …
AMAZING PEACE: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses. Flood waters await us in our avenues. Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche Over unprotected villages. The sky slips low and grey and threatening. We question ourselves. What have we Read More …
ON BEING ROOTED My father died recently and the roots upon which I was born and grew from were suddenly gone. From those ancients roots my own grew and I was left wondering, “Am I now rootless? If not, what are mine?” Our roots grow deeper, slowly, overtime, in relationship with what is around us, Read More …
Tiny houses, positive psychology, and hoarding intervention might seem like three distinct unrelated things, but they all played a meaningful role in shaping the idea behind a new self-guided well-being retreat in Philadelphia called The Tiny House of Happiness. The concept for The Tiny House of Happiness unfolded over a number of years as founder Read More …
What type of listening vessel am I? This summer as I was listening to one of my children express their emotional and physical pain, I found myself listening with great care and love but also with tremendous worry and anguish. Was I listening well? Did my listening help? Looking back at that moment, I Read More …
Stop – Breathe – ListenWorkout for the listening muscle. Listening to the sounds that surround us, paying close attention to their pitch, melody, rhythm, and follow them as they expand is a good practice to develop our listening muscle and get it ready to listen to the “big stuff”. STOPWherever you are, whatever you are Read More …