Practice, noun: the repeated exercise in, or performance of, an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it. A foundational tenet of our program is that in order to change habits, a person must have “a practice.” We borrowed the idea of a practice from the Eastern traditions of yoga, meditation, and… Read More »
One of the most common problems we see in our groups is not having enough time. People’s lives are filled to the max, and sometimes overflowing. Times are tough. We frequently hear people say they are “stretched thin,” “putting out fires all day,” “don’t have time to breathe,” and “pulled in all directions” — and… Read More »
Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. “Patience guards us against losing our presence of mind so we can remain undisturbed even when the situation is really difficult.” 14th Dalai Lama The field of psychology does not contain many references to patience, but the spiritual traditions… Read More »
Community is an important focus at Mindful Life Weight Loss. To that end, we love to connect with like-minded people in the community who share our goal of improving health. I am honored to have had the opportunity to interview Chef Leslie Woodward of Edenesque, local whole foods chef and entrepreneur. Here is our discussion,… Read More »
I was recently told “You’re so positive” by a client. That is a very nice compliment, but the surprising truth is that the road to staying positive is paved with honoring the negative. Mental and spiritual health involves the integration of all parts of ourselves—conscious/unconscious, dark/light—into a whole. The quote “What you resist, persists” although… Read More »
Habits don’t die quickly. Especially habits related to binge eating or emotional eating. These habits cling on for dear life, gasp for their last breath, and keep on going. They are like a movie villain who is left for dead, but then pops up with renewed vigor later in the movie. But eventually, these habits–like… Read More »
Think of any skill you have ever learned. Whether it was cooking, dancing, or driving a car, it was necessary to practice that skill regularly to see improvement. Mindfulness is a skill like any other, and needs the same type of regular practice. The first step toward learning mindfulness is to find a good teacher. Start… Read More »
There is a common belief that if people could just “control themselves” they wouldn’t gain weight. This ties in closely with our American ethic of personal responsibility. As a self-reliant, individualistic society, we don’t like to blame others for our problems. It is no surprise that public discourse around food so often lands squarely in… Read More »
Does this sound familiar? You have encountered a fair share of obstacles along the way. Your weight loss journey feels like two steps forward and one step back (well…maybe five steps back). Your motivation started high, faltered a few times, and still feels kind of anemic. Maybe you have have walked away from the whole… Read More »
“Mindful” emotional eating. Isn’t that a contradiction? We usually refer to emotional eating as a loss of control triggered by intense emotions. Can that ever be “mindful? Well, there is no simple answer because our relationship to food is not simple. Try as we may to simply equate food with fuel, we are emotional beings… Read More »