Getting to Know Your Anger- Invite Your Monster to a Holiday Tea Party!

I am passionate and constantly curious about the way our minds work! I worked as a Physician Assistant at Johns Hopkins, Department of Neurosciences for 10 years, became a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction instructor in 2018, and began teaching the course at Ramapo College of NJ. I also obtained certification from mindfulschools.org to teach mindfulness in schools. 

Brain Science has always been my thing! What I didn't expect in learning about the brain and mind, is the incredible fact that we cannot separate them from the body. This is where mindfulness of emotions come in; anxiety, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, happiness, they are all intricate ways for the mind to communicate with the brain and body. We've all been taught to turn off "bad" emotions and seek "good" ones. 

But there is there is a wisdom to anxiety, fear, sadness, even happiness- if we can just shift attention to "tune-in" to their amazing language, something life-changing happens; we become resilient, adaptable and capable of transforming into Jeti masters of our own experiences. 

I believe the best way to learn is experientially. How do we shift attention? I teach that. Yes, it is a physical skill we can learn and practice until it becomes a common neural pathway (neuroplasticity is the way the brain changes and grows). Neuroscientists say "neurons that fire together, wire together," and my classes work to teach kids and teens not only the basic science of it all, but also HOW to change their brains to be wired in new, balanced ways. Emotions can become overwhelming not because they exist, but because we get caught up in the unhealthy cycle of emotional stress and don't have the skills to get out. If we can learn what's happening inside our brains and bodies, diving deeper into WHY it is happening, then we can learn the transformative, practical skills to honor the emotions and how to break free from the cycle, and let them pass. 

If your child or teen enjoys interesting, fun, yet practical ways of learning about themselves, this is what I provide. Oh how I wish I learned this stuff when I was in grade school; it is truly transformative and the earlier we learn to see choices in our reactions, the sooner we can choose wisely. 

I am a mom of 3 kids; a 7 year old daughter and 2 teen boys. I love teaching them all about mindfulness and the brain, and the joy of living in that sweet spot of presence; especially when we are off adventuring and traveling the country in search of new mountains to climb up or ski down.