Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there’s a field. I’ll meet you there ~ Rumi
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Hello and welcome to my little corner. I have an eclectic background in arts, law and nutrition (more official blurb here) but the teachings that resonate most with me today were assembled from a fairly random 26 week stint hanging out in the basement of a ramshackle Buddhist center with a rotating group of people I didn’t know at an optional chip in rate of $2 a session. A place of quiet that challenged everything that came before it and allowed me to reconsider some well-entrenched and commonly held (yet not so helpful) beliefs about love, happiness, compassion and forgiveness.
Understanding how these pieces come together to inform the larger picture of health for each of us is at the core of my approach to health and wellness. As a holistic nutritionist, I am not merely interested in the food that we put in our bodies but also the thoughts that we put in our minds and how these patterns manifest in our day to day lives to profoundly affect our energy levels, motivation and capacity for joy.
I don’t believe in a singular approach to health; if there is one I haven’t found it. Each of us has a unique biochemistry, upbringing and set of life experiences that inform our story. It’s not surprising then that different approaches work for different people and things change over time calling on us to make adjustments as we go along. Some of these changes express themselves on the physical/dietary side while others feel more like stuff of life shifts. Have you ever had the experience of hearing a message over and over again only to have it become meaningful the twentieth time? Me too. So what was different? The person delivering the message, the way they communicated it or the particular timing of the message in our lives; hard to know, but the key may be our willingness to remain open and to keep trying. Some days (years) are tough and as someone who’s spent a good deal of time in the penitentiary of her own mind, I can tell you you’re not alone.
This blog is a place where I share snippets of my life and some of the experience I’ve gathered along the way. In these pages, you will find simple whole foods recipes, nutrition & wellness features, personal reflections and storytelling.
It’s a living breathing work that continues to evolve just as each of us does.
Originally from Montreal, our family moved to Silicon Valley a decade ago. An atypical part of the world in many respects, I am nevertheless inspired by the gorgeous climate (including the twelve month growing season) and the mad luck of being surrounded by water, mountains, desert and forest. As for the self-driving cars that perambulate up and down our street, I want Google to know that I really like driving my own.
My husband and I raised two sprouts, now young adults, who remain the center of our lives and hearts. Posing here in matching pajamas that will forever mark the high point of my sewing career (the youngest visibly impressed with his floods).
Rounding out the crew is our relentlessly exuberant golden retriever girl and our domestic black cat (Monsieur Black) who, we all generally agree, is the smartest being in our family.
I hope you enjoy journeying with me and I invite you to drop in and say hello, let me know what interests you and what you’d love to read about!
You’ll find me mostly on the blog and Pinterest (my therapy) and occasionally on Facebook & Twitter– thank you for being here, it makes it a lot more fun.