One of the worst things about sitting all day with little variation is how stiff and tense our bodies become. When that happens, it's not long before our minds start feeling that tension too. However, it only takes a few minutes to help ease that tension and continue with a productive day.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who occasionally struggles with a little mind-racing keeping them from getting to sleep. Unfortunately, not everyone can do an hour of restorative yoga before bed to help them wind down. So, I came up with a short sequence of four poses that you can do not only before bed but in bed!

Do you remember the saying that if you repeat a lie enough times, you and others will eventually believe it? Well, positive affirmations are the same idea with a much more beneficial result. Keep repeating your affirmations, and you'll train your brain to believe them and perhaps, even manifest them.

Without fail, whenever I meet someone new, and they find out I teach meditation, the first thing they say is, "Oh, that's amazing! I can't meditate, though, because I can't clear my mind." Cue my internal scream.

This is the meditation equivalent of "I can't do yoga because I'm not flexible enough." Yes, I'm a yoga teacher too, and no, I can't put my leg behind my head either!

Many beginner meditators become intimidated or frustrated because they don't know how or where to start. Some quit before they even try.

However, there is one method that is welcoming to beginners. Mindfulness.

Clearing your mind and sitting for hours is not required.

An effective meditation practice doesn't mean you have to clear your mind of all thoughts, sit for long periods, or have a profound spiritual experience. Yes, it can be all those things, but it doesn't have to be. I want to dispel the belief that if you don't experience that, you're not meditating or that it's not going to work for you. Especially if you’re busy and have limited time during the day.

"Self-care is not selfish." You've seen and heard this a thousand times, right? But, do you believe it?

Is taking care of yourself the first thing you move to the bottom of your priority list? Do you feel guilty for taking time for yourself? Do you feel like you don't deserve the pleasure of self-care unless you've taken care of everything and everyone else first? Do you believe self-care is a reward and not a necessity?

That's right. I said it. Stress is not bad. How can someone who specializes in helping people manage stress say such a thing? Well, hear me out.

I champion the benefits of mindfulness practice in my work. There's no arguing that there is a mindfulness movement in full swing right now, and this is a good thing. In our current "Go! Go! Go! culture", we've become conditioned to move through our lives almost on auto-pilot. We focus on the task in front of us, the one ahead of us, and check them off our lists without even thinking, it seems. Accomplishing the mission is essential, not why we are doing it or how we do it, especially not how we feel doing it. Too many of us are going through the motions of our daily lives and not engaging with them.

Everyone has fears. It's part of the human condition. Some of us are more willing to admit to them, let alone share them, than others. Some of us tackle them head-on, while others get tackled and stopped by them.