Being Grateful (Karmaspot)

In our materialistic culture, it is sometimes difficult to teach children to be grateful.  A child’s world is very small, and they can’t visualize all they have when compared to others.  We’ve all been there as children ourselves.  Our parents forced us to clear our dinner plates, by feeding us stories of starving children in [...]

I Grow With Yoga (The Kids Yoga Resource)

This spring, my kids and I have returned to “Little Family” Yoga Class with ChildLight Yoga.  It has prompted me to reflect on the impact this company has had on my family’s wellness, and I’ve done so on The Kids Yoga Resource, the ChildLight Yoga blog for which I am a regular contributor.
It’s really amazing [...]

Breaking Out of The Comfort Zone

Facing the dilemma of what to write about tonight, it was going to be one of two possible topics.
One: a recent weekend getaway with friends and family to an area never before visited.  Two: a new recipe using tempeh, an ingredient never before introduced at my dinner table.
As I procastinated a bit, switching between the [...]

Too Young to Run? (Ask Coach Jenny: Runner’s World)

If you’ve participated in a few road races, you may have noticed some of them offer a “Fun Run” for kids.  I have personally wondered how old a child should be before running for anything but the ice cream truck.  This is a very insightful Q&A initiated by a mom with concern for her 2-year-old’s [...]

Fitness Tips for Families (Active.com)

The family that plays together stays together!  This brief video gives some good ideas for families, especially those with older kids.  Fitness Tips for Families (Active.com)

Back to Basics with Healthy, Delicious & Fast Comfort Food

Ahhh, the holidays are behind us.  Don’t get me wrong – having two little kids was a ball this year.  My son delighted in the season’s sweets and was thrilled with Santa’s bounty, and my daughter, although old enough to absorb every minute of commercialism surrounding her since Halloween, was gracious and thankful for Christmas [...]

In 2010, Listen to your Inner Child

It’s a new year.  A new beginning.  Time to reflect on your past and make plans for the future.  2009 brought The PranaMama to life, as I began to listen to my heart and do more for myself than ever before.   As a result, I am a happier mother than I was one year [...]

Christmas Presence

OK, I admit it.  For all of my thoughts about wellness and suggestions for ways we moms can make time for ourselves, this month finds me feeling like a failure.  I’m totally not living up to my own standards.
Three weeks ago I wrote about Tapas (discipline), and vowed to train for a New Year’s Day [...]

Off the Mat Moms-Lesson 4: Tapas (Discipline)

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to get down to business.  Although I try to avoid thinking about the holidays until after the four-day weekend is over, I admit, in recent days I’ve made mental gift lists, touched base with relatives to plan get-togethers, volunteered for the school’s Christmas craft fair and attended [...]

Reflections of Gratitude

If there is one thing that makes teaching yoga to children easy, it’s a holiday.  As a former kids instructor, I enjoyed lesson planning immensely, perhaps sometimes more than carrying out the lesson in the studio or classroom!  (It must have been the creative side of me eeking its way out to the world)  Nothing [...]

Off the Mat Moms: Lesson 3 Asteya

Last year, my good friend Carrie was expecting a baby.  She and her husband John were over the moon with excitement, and couldn’t wait to dive head first into their new role as parents.   John comes from a big family, and as the first to marry, his parents had been asking bluntly “so when are [...]

Eating Local Tips for Busy Moms on a Budget

I recently asked Tracey Miller, of Tracey Miller Wellness, what a busy mom on a budget can do when she wants to eat locally and minimize packaged foods.  Tracey, a holistic health counselor, health and wellness educator, cooking instructor,  and a freelance journalist, not to mention a busy mom herself, had some great ideas to share, [...]

Running is Child’s Play!

It was late afternoon, around 4:30…that magical time of day when I can look back at the day’s events with a sense of accomplishment (as my dad used to say, “made another one!”) as my kids have had adequate learning, playing, resting, social and alone time, have been fed two square meals and one or [...]

Are you an Alpha Mom or a Beta Mom?

I just found this great clip from The Today Show, discussing the differences between Alpha Moms (everything must be perfect!) and the Beta (Slacker) Mom (living in the moment, accepts that she cannot be perfect.). The women interviewed give wonderful insight into both worlds!
Which kind of mom are you? Which do you aspire [...]

My Omazing Spaghetti Sauce

This weekend I made a mad dash to the grocery store without my usual menu and list in hand.   It’s impossible to shop and menu plan with the kids in tow, but I had an hour to myself, so I was able to wing it.   Fall had made an early arrival and it [...]

Is it Fun Being a Mommy?

One of the best parts about writing this blog is having no official instructions to follow or demands to meet.  I definitely try to balance the topics between the various subcategories of yoga, fitness, food, and overall wellness, but as a general rule, I wait for inspiration from events of my own life as a [...]

Gratitude and My “SuperDad” Husband

I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude this week.   I took a road trip to my father and step-mother’s house with my kids, but without my husband.  It was a mid-week visit, and so even though my parents are still working, they are more flexible with their schedule and it was easier to visit [...]

And Miles to Go Before We Sleep…

Ahhhhhh.  I am sitting down for what could honestly be the first time in three days.  It’s been one of those non-stop social weeks, the kind that makes for great memories but can totally wipe you out.   This has been the first stretch of sunny summer weather we’ve had all season, so naturally, we [...]

Social Networking: What’s Your Emotional “Status?”

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc….social networking is all the rage these days. Yes, it’s hard to avoid them. You are either coerced into joining by distant friends or relatives, you want to look up an old college roommate and see what she is up to at age 35, or it could be a marketing [...]

Men are from Mars, Women love their Veggies

“I’m not eating that!”
Sound familiar?  I bet you’ve heard this from your child more times than you care to remember.  But how about your husband or partner?
Some guys are strictly the meat-and-potatoes type.   What’s a veggie-loving girl to do?  You want to prepare healthy meals you can both enjoy together.  You also need ideas [...]

Next Page »