Heidi E. Spear

Oftentimes a better night’s sleep is only a few small changes away. Especially in the spring and summer months when daylight lasts longer, it can be easy to fall out of a supportive pattern before bedtime. Here are 3 tips that can promote deeper sleep. Create a Calming Bedroom The bedroom should be a safe…

As hard as it might be to believe, the holiday season is near, and we find ourselves in November. For many, the hustle and bustle of planning, shopping, and scheduling is well underway. Along with the extra lists, now is the perfect time to set the intention to maintain or add mindfulness practices into your…

1. Meditate  The Science  Several studies, including those by the National Institutes for Health, have shown that practicing meditation can reduce anxiety, depression, and the negative effects of stress.  https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth The Practice  Sit up tall and comfortably. Set a timer for 5 – 20 minutes depending on how new you are to the practice. Release any expectations of how this should feel. As you sit still, close your eyes.…

Have you felt more stressed than usual, lately? Are you having trouble sleeping, concentrating, or relaxing? Do you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or scattered? If so, belly breathing could be exactly what you need to feel relaxed. A study conducted in May 2020 by a group of researchers from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill…

The energy of new beginnings is in full swing. Life feels vibrant in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, as we experience warm temperatures. People are out walking, walking, walking and smiling, smiling, smiling at each other. No longer bundled up in layers, arms swing wide, and legs reach-and-land in long, rhythmic strides. Families walk…

The holiday season is here, and many of us find ourselves with a long list of preparations that include: making travel arrangements, mailing stacks of “Season’s Greetings” cards, and planning meals for family and friends. While focusing our energy primarily on preparations to make the season merry and bright, we might attempt to push “negative”…

In the foreword to Tulku Thondup’s book Boundless Healing: Meditation Exercises to Enlighten the Mind and Heal the Body, psychologist, science journalist, and Pulitzer-Prize nominee Daniel Goleman, PhD, explains what psychologists call the state of flow: “another mode of being — one where day-to-day preoccupations or anxieties fall away, where we are somehow lifted out…