MINDFUL WALKING In winter, a practice I use to bookend my days is mindful walking. I focus on the feeling of my feet striking and pushing off the pavement that lies between the train and my destination. Tasks and memories and judgments and desires surface and distract me. I notice the distractions, accept my distractibility,…
The Wildflower Blog
Venture into the heart of therapy with the Wildflower blog. We delve into topics that matter, blending therapeutic expertise with genuine stories of hope and transformation. *Please note that our blogs are designed to inform only and are not intended to diagnose or treat mental health disorders.
Mindfulness Challenge: Day 5
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE When thinking about a mindfulness exercise to practice today, I suddenly had a chuckle, remembering a time I tried to practice a mindful breathing exercise on the bus and immediately gave up after the driver slammed on the breaks. “Clearly this isn’t the right time to do mindfulness. It’s too hard,” I thought…
Mindfulness Challenge: Day 4
TOUCH Today’s exercise utilizes our sense of touch. Mindfulness – non-judgmental observation – often comes readily when we focus on tactile sensations. Anxiety, stress, and heightened emotion can take our mental presence outside of our physical space. To return to where we actually are, it can be grounding to recognize and connect with our physical…
Mindfulness Challenge: Day 2
JUST LISTEN Today’s mindfulness challenge is beautiful in its simplicity. How often do we find ourselves multitasking, leaving on music or TV for company or distraction, or somehow avoiding being alone with ourselves? This exercise is meant to be different from our usual ways of being, without too many detailed instructions. To start, set a…
Mindfulness Challenge: Day 1
Welcome to Wildflower’s 10-Day Mindfulness Challenge! Our team has made a commitment to completing at least one mindfulness exercise per day over the next ten days and sharing our experiences in the comments section of this blog. We invite our colleagues, clients and friends to join us in this endeavor! Every day you will see…
Join us in a 10-day mindfulness challenge starting January 15!
“And, I hate my body”
As a psychotherapist, I have the privilege of hearing the thoughts and feelings people often share with no one else. I listen while they discuss doubts about relationships, question commitment to their careers, and voice guilt over frustration or disappointment in those they love most. The topics addressed in my office range from anxiety over…
Calm within the storm: Six mindful practices that can reduce stress during your workday
There is no denying that we are a nation of busy-bodies and workaholics. As a therapist, I have worked with countless overstressed employees and seen how unchecked work stress can lead to burnout or troubling performance issues. At its worst, work stress can contribute to the development of physical illness, substance abuse problems, and mental…
Expectations, Perspectives and Well-being: Cognitive Strategies to Enhance Emotional Health during Pregnancy and Postpartum
Is the crib assembled? Check. Hospital bag packed? Check. Baby’s clothes washed and neatly folded? Check. Pediatrician selected? Check. Car seat purchased? Check. Birthing classes attended? Check. There are so many things moms and dads-to-be do in order to prepare for their baby’s arrival. We are inundated with information about what we need and cannot…
Mindfulness in psychotherapy: Reflections on the therapeutic value of an age-old practice
It is not an exaggeration to say that our Western culture has come to claim mindfulness meditation as one of the chief resources for coping with stress and all sorts of other modern-day conditions and problems. Not a week goes by without a major magazine, public figure, or scientific journal extolling its virtues and powers:…
