In the presentation that launched this 30-day practice, for my part on meditation, I spoke about two things that seemed like fairly radical ideas.
The first was to underscore that quieting your mind is a challenge, and that’s normal. It’s normal that a new thought crosses your mind every 1.5 seconds on average, and it’s normal that every new thought is a psychological release. <<click on the image to read more>>
At Cathy’s kind invitation, earlier this week I spoke to a group of MBA students at Bologna University on the importance of narrative in wine storytelling. Storytelling one of my favorite subjects to study and share, and I truly believe compelling stories can take a wine brand from good to great. <<click on the image to read more>>
“Stand with all four corners of your feet on the floor. Rock a little forward. Then rock a little backward. Then forward again, and backward again, a few times. Find your center.”
Sound familiar? <<click image to read more>>
For the 6% of the population who never suffer jetlag, you are truly superheroes in my mind.
But for the other 94% of us, the sleepy, foggy, groggy feeling of jetlag can strike at the most inopportune times when traveling on business. <<click image to read more>>
As I’m traveling abroad this week for work, I’ve realized something about my meditation practice that I’m probably not supposed to say.
But here goes.
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Ever felt like you’re walking a tightrope? Balancing high up in the air, barely putting one foot in front of the other, with only your focus, determination, unending nerve, and a balancing pole to get you through? <<click the image to read more>>
"Sit with your hands in your lap."
That is, normally, the instruction we hear regarding what to do with our hands when we meditate. Today I'd like to draw your attention to a very subtle movement, and encourage you to experiment with how it impacts your practice. <<click image to read more>>
It’s five minutes to show-time. Peeking out from backstage, you see the prior conference speaker wrapping up, your stage time looming and the opening line you’ve prepared since the beginning of time ready to go.
Then “glossophobia” sets in. <<click image to read more>>
Today I'd like to share with you a post I wrote for my "home base" of yoga, on the six steps of applying the practice of meditation to my work, and especially my career as a writer. <<click image to read more>>
Spring has sprung and for many it means packing the carry-on for the marathon that is multi-day trade fairs. Between the jetlag, relentless meetings, tastings, and long hospitality nights, your body can take the brunt. <<click image to read more>>
Making Space is a tiny little book, written by Thich Nhat Hanh.
It somehow manages to be both full-to-the-brim powerful and gently encouraging, all at the same time.
Its message is about creating a home meditation practice, and I'd like to share five highlights with you here today. <<click image to read more>>
Rise and shine!
Every morning we step out of bed ready for the new day and the opportunities ahead, but how do we approach each and every moment from a grounded, solid, centered place so we can be more mindful in our daily lives? <<click on the image to read more>>
How many of you have heard of Kevin Zraly's 30-second practice?
I have no idea if Kevin himself would call it a "practice," but it feels like a practice and it's a neat thing to know about in any case. <<click the image to read more>>
Kumbhakasana, dhanurasana, malasana and the crowd favorite, shavasana.
If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you have likely heard these poses or positions called by teachers as you have moved your body and breath through class. But yoga goes so far beyond the physical practice represented in much of mainstream America. <<click image to read more>>
Drink while you pour.
It’s another of my favorite takeaways from my teacher, at home in Atlanta, that also happens to resonate at the personal level for those of us in the wine business. <<click the image to read more>>
I find that keeping the body mobile when traveling for work one of the toughest parts. Constant flights, taxis, hunching over laptops and the onslaught of emails and phone calls can leave you physically exhausted. <<click image for more>>
Earlier this week I spoke to a women's networking group, here in Atlanta, about how women succeed in male-dominated industries, using my experience as an entrepreneur in both wine and technology as the basis for the conversation. <<click image to read more>>
In modern society and an uncertain world, we tend to cling to what we know. Our materials possessions, homes, cars, our relationships with lovers, family, colleagues and friends, carefully curating our lives to be exactly as we want or think it should be. But in yoga we learn impermanence; not to grasp, to stay present and open so we can experience the present moment with open eyes and ears. Easier said than done in our busy lives! <<click image to read more>>
Earlier this week I introduced you to the whirling dervishes.
That's how I think about the flurry of thoughts racing through my mind every time -- every single time -- that I sit down to meditate. There's no escaping them, so I suggest that we make friends with them instead. << click on the image to read more>>
By nature, the human self is constantly in a state of doing, creating, managing, and evolving. But we must also make space for our spiritual selves, where we can silence the mind’s busyness, find space to return to our true selves, and connect back to what our spirit and soul truly craves. <<click image to read more>>
