Five playful and unexpected ways to make new connections As a six year old, I was an expert at making friends. At recess I would brazenly walk up to other kids and just ask, “Wanna play?” Then after an hour of tag, four-square, or some creation of our collective imaginations…

The beliefs that kept me stuck in place — and what I replaced them with At a low point in my health late last year, my Dad suggested I see a therapist. In the state I was in, the comment stung — after years of dismissive doctors and struggling to…

Reflections on the good, the bad, and the idea of living abroad for life A few evenings ago, the sight of a glowing church at sunset made me stop in awe. …

Ideas that changed my perspective on nutrition and health overall — Of all the approaches I’ve tried to heal Lyme disease arthritis and inflammation, the most effective by far has been focusing on nutrition and changing my diet. After working with a nutritionist who tested me for food sensitivities, examined my deficiencies, and created a diet plan, my worst arthritis symptoms…

Six ways to shift into a state of curiosity, play, and presence — If there’s anything I’ve learned through chronic Lyme disease and arthritis, it’s that the hardest parts of a chronic illness are often not physical challenges — they’re the loss of joy and narrowing of the world that those challenges can lead to. …

Surprising insights from the treatments that didn’t help me heal — and how they shifted my approach Over the past four years, I’ve tried everything on the spectrum from scientific to holistic to spiritual to heal Lyme disease and then rheumatoid arthritis. Though I’ve had some amazing breakthroughs and success…

And what the decision showed me about the dark side of natural healing The Mantra of Natural Healing For much of my adult life, I’ve had a complicated relationship with doctors. After years of struggling with chronic Lyme disease and being misdiagnosed, ignored, and often charged $300 per visit, I lost the last shreds of…

What reaching the end of my 20s has taught me about success and growing up As I get closer to turning 30 this year, age doesn’t make me nervous the way it used to. It no longer seems like the end of something or a judgment point for certain milestones…

And how they’ve helped me calm flare-ups of Rheumatoid Arthritis Introduction After a sudden flare-up of arthritis a couple of months ago, my doctor kindly looked me in the eyes and said, “Until we get the information we need to proceed with other treatments for arthritis, the main advice I can…