Mind & Body – Page 2 – Aligning Within

Regaining A New Start

At one time or another, most of us will encounter impossible circumstances: job loss, relationship break-up, economic struggles, loss of a loved one, physical trauma – the list goes on. They are defining moments in life that can either knock us down or make us stronger. While we can’t always control our circumstances (life’s curveballs […]

The Sun is Always Shining

If darkness has fallen, know that the Sun is shining at this very moment, somewhere not too far away. There are times when gloom or darkness causes us to momentarily lose sight of the light. Although it is at these times when the thought of the sun can help us. Its warm, glowing rays […]

How To Deal With UnComfortable Feelings and Create Positive Ones

“Hope is the feeling that the feeling you have isn’t permanent.” ~Jean Kerr For most of my life, I was a fugitive from my feelings. Psychologists suggest that we are driven by two connected motivations: to feel pleasure and avoid pain. Most of us devote more energy to the latter than the former. Instead of […]

Get to Know Your Monsters: A Playful Mindfulness Practice to Work With Difficult Emotions

I can see it clearly, a big gray blob cartoon monster pulling a chain with a heavy block of cement attached at the end. This is my self-doubt monster. The cement block is made of stories about why I am not good enough, should not even try to do something, or maybe should just hide […]

How Many Times Have You Thought

How many times have you thought, I can’t get through this. How many times have you thought, I’m not strong enough to win the battle this time. How many times have you felt so broken, you thought the sun would never rise again. And yet, here you are. through it. Here you are, on the […]

Creativity in Journaling

There are many kinds of journals. Some people record their innermost thoughts and feelings daily. Others write a single poem or a few lines of an essay once a week, every few months, or simply “whenever”. The wonderful thing about journaling is that there are no rules or restrictions. To get your creative juices flowing, […]

Why Perfectionism Stops Us from Creating New Habits

When we decide to create a new habit — exercise, healthy eating, meditation, writing — we can get excited and optimistic and know how it will go perfectly. This is such a hopeful time! Unfortunately, reality has other plans. Our perfect idea of how our new habit will go is pretty much never how it […]

The 5 Dharma Types

The Educator Educators are the wisdom keepers of the Dharma Type family… but they also have a secret… They are creatures of great wisdom and often great lust. From Ben Franklin to Tiger Woods, famous Educators embody both an image of purity and trust as well as a somewhat scandalous carnal desire. With one foot […]

A Trailblazing Black Architect Who Helped Shape L.A.

Paul Revere Williams began designing homes and commercial buildings in the early 1920s. By the time he died in 1980, he had created some 2,500 buildings, most of them in and around Los Angeles, but also around the globe. And he did it as a pioneer: Paul Williams was African-American. He was the first black […]

Try And Change Others

If you tend to try and change other people, take some time to explore why you feel the need to do so. Our perception of humanity as a whole is dualistic to a large extent. We paint people with a broad brush — some are like us, sharing our opinions and attitudes, while others […]