Sustainable Swaps for Bath and Beauty

There are so many great posts and suggestions out there for reducing your environmental footprint. In fact, almost too much. It's overwhelming trying to figure out where to start and what to prioritize when selecting a sustainable product. Do you want to focus on ingredients, packaging, animal testing, etc? That's up to you (you can …

Choosing Cruelty-Free

I have made many conscious efforts in the past few years to minimize my environmental footprint. Some of these actions were easy and instantaneous - carrying around a reusable water bottle, for example. I bought the water bottle about five years ago, and have taken it with me everywhere ever since. Other changes have not …

My Most Memorable Books of 2018

I've been keeping a list of all the books I read for many years. The first notebook had a fold-over snap front with pastel blue and purple flowers on a white background. I can't recall the exact year, but I think I started it in 6th grade or junior high. As I've moved around, the …

Meditation Resources for Beginners

As a follow-up for the post earlier this week (ICYMI: Saturn's Return), I thought I'd talk a little bit more about meditation and some of the resources I have found helpful. Meditation is about cultivating mindfulness and awareness so that you can be fully present in your daily life. It is not, as often misconstrued …

Saturn’s Return

I truly believe I am in the throes of Saturn's Return, and have been for quite some time. For those who don't know, Saturn's Return is the time in your life when Saturn returns to same place in the sky where it was when you were born. This generally happens at age 29-30, although the …

12 Habits I Learned from Japan That Did Not Help Me Back Home

12 Habits I Learned from Japan that Did Not Help Me Back Home 1)      It’s okay not to pay your bills on time, and not doing so results in no, or next to no, consequences 2)      Always run the yellow light, and most of the time run the red 3)      All You Can Eat doesn’t …

Building and Breaking of a Sand Mandala

For five days, Tibetan monks work tirelessly to arrange millions of grains of colored sands into a stunning mandala. Then, they sweep it all away. It's a powerful symbol of the impermanence of things. A mandala is a complex abstract design, each element chosen for its significance. In the center of this mandala sits a …