The Yogi Therapist

  Welcome and welcome back! Life can feel kind of swirly sometimes. With everything going on in the world, on the news, and in our own lives, I think it's about time to have a conversation about what to do when everything just feels hard. So tuck in, get comfortable, and let's figure this out. The Concept To be totally honest with you, the phrase 'get your mind right' kind of irritates me. I hate when I'm upset and feeling emotional and someone says, 'you need to get your mind right'. I mean...They're right, but that's kind of like telling an upset person to 'calm down'. It's accurate, but obviously I'm not the most receptive at that moment. Yes, I know, I need to take more responsibility to make myself available and receptive to helpful bits of wisdom. Sometimes it's hard. So let's talk about when it's hard. Distorted is a word that means that the way you're seeing something isn't true to how it actually is. There...

           Welcome and welcome back! A few weeks ago I published 'Improving Your Relationship through Conflict' and it just didn't feel complete, so I wanted to go back and revisit a few things. I encourage you to check out the original if you haven't, but here's a few things to note: the way you and your partner interact during conflict affects your entire relationship; your personal well-being affects the well-being of your relationship (and vice versa); and the most important things to remember during a conflict are to prioritize loving kindness for yourself and your partner and to stay relaxed. Essentially, it boils down to a spinoff of Winston Churchill's famous saying, 'keep calm and be kind to yourself and others'. That's all true. Now I want to get a little more specific about some important behaviors during conflict and why it matters.  The Concept There is a scale specifically designed to measure the presence of a variety of behaviors that ...

  Welcome and welcome back! I could say that year long break was because I was busy with work, school, the holidays, COVID, and the daily grind of life - which is true! The deeper truth is, I just haven't been making time for the things that I truly like to do. I've been checking off my "Have to" list and doing some self-care along the way, but haven't really been good about making the time for myself to do the things that really make me...well, me. I suspect that most of you haven't either which is why it's time for a real conversation about hobbies. The Concept Webster defines hobby as...blah blah blah. Okay, for real though. We all have a basic grasp on what a hobby is , but I honestly don't think we realize the importance of what a hobby does for us and our relationships. At this time, I'd like to refer you back to my blog posts on boundaries (https://theyogitherapist.blogspot.com/2020/08/boundaries-defining-and-protecting-me.html) and stress m...

       Welcome and welcome back! The title might sound a little counter-intuitive. It might even go against your beliefs about relationships and how they work. Conflict is a bad thing, right? That means we're arguing and angry. Conflict means our relationship isn't going well. Have no fear! Over the next couple of minutes, we're going on a roller coaster ride through false information about relationships and on to destination peace and harmony.  The Concept      Everything I talk about here is going to be directed at adult romantic relationships; however, the same principles can be applied with only slight modification to friendships, coworker relationships, family relationships, and so forth even down to your grocery store cashier. At its core, 'relationship' is just a word that means there is some type of connection between two things. According to Robert Sternberg, adult romantic relationships ideally consist of three things: passion (sex), com...

Hey, everyone! I know it's been awhile, but I'm excited to be back! I've spent the last year researching mindfulness, meditation, psychology (brains, behaviors, thoughts, emotions - the whole shabang), adult romantic relationships, and a bunch of other stuff! Believe it or not, I actually wrote a book about mindfulness. It's called Mindfulness and Me: A Practical Guide for Living. It's in publication now, but no release date yet - stay tuned for details! I know when people hear mindfulness there's usually one of two mental images - soccer moms doing yoga or Buddhist monks in orange robes sitting silently for hours. Speaking as a yoga/meditation teacher, mental health therapist, and psychologist, believe me when I tell you that mindfulness isn't just a fad. Let's take a closer look at why mindfulness is becoming so popular.  The Concept     Mindfulness is actually one translation of an ancient Indian word that is also sometimes translated as 'being in...

    Welcome and welcome back! I'm so glad you've taken time to explore one of my all time favorite topics! In my opinion (and this is a blog, so that's okay), this is probably the most important topic. The key to stress management. The key to healthier relationships. The key to experiencing inner peace. Apparently lots of doors have the same lock. For real though, stick with me here and I hope you'll see how revolutionary this topic is. The Concept     Let's just start by defining the word. Simply stated, a boundary is a point of separation. It separates one thing from another. Imagine the boundary that separates North from South Korea. Heavily armed armed and guarded - no one comes in and no one goes out. No communication. No relationship. Now imagine the line between Maryland and Pennsylvania. If your GPS didn't say, "Welcome to Pennsylvania", would you even know you crossed over? There are different laws in the areas, and when you move from one to t...