Introduction to Mothering in the Field
“Birthing the Social Scientist as Mother”, excerpt from Ch. 14 in Mothering in the Field: the impact of motherhood on site-based research, Rutgers Press. 2019. IntroductionThis work describes how my own definition, process, and experienc ...
Design your own ritual space
With our lives so compressed, I’ve had many discussions lately among my female friends of the vital importance of establishing or maintaining a “room of one’s own” in order to create. Of course, this phrase was coined by Virginia Woolf, who also acknowle ...
MINDFUL EATING TIPS
Chew your food slowly: Remember the raisin mindfulness meditation? Pre-digest and savor each morsel. Your tummy will love you for it!Eat with a grateful heart: Consider all the hands that seeded, planted, harvested, shipped and prep ...
Unfolding Joy: Haiku
As a mindfulness practice, Haiku, the elegant Japanese three-line poem consisting of five syllables in the first and final lines and seven syllables in the middle line, anchors us in the present as we telescope in on the details of a mundane moment.
Walking in the woods
I love walking in the woods upon layers of pine needles, cones, branches and moss quilted together on the forest floor. Since she took her first steps, my daughter has helped me become a more observant tracker in the woods, pointing out the micro-evidenc ...
Friction and Flow
This reflection on "the good life" draws upon my research on the science of wellbeing and my lived experience in two places: a Caribbean island and Chiapas, Mexico. It compares two different "takes" on the topic: hedonic well being (happiness based on pl ...
Thoughts on the Rewards of Growing Bonsai by Jack Wikle
This past weekend, after being invited to a beautiful Mindfulness session for Caregivers at the Matthaei Botanical Garden, I struck up a conversation with Jack Wikle, who was patiently pruning a bonsai. Turns out he has donated several "li ...
Mindfulness for skeptical CEOs
Want to reduce stress, become a better leader and strengthen your company’s bottom line? Start paying more attention to your thoughts, says mindfulness expert Deirdre Guthrie. No soft science, mindfulness is a heightened form of attention and presence ...
Mothering from the Field : The Impact of Motherhood on Site-Based Research
Artist: Beatriz Aurora, Chiapas, Mexico. This work describes how my own definition, process, and experience of caring and fieldwork have evolved over the past twenty years, from the time my mother passed away and I entered the professional world to wh ...