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Tea With Your Inner Critic

Inspiration

Join me at my October online workshop, Tea with Your Inner Critic.

Are you tired of battling or feeling belittled by your “inner critic?” I was!

For some time, I’ve worked to pay attention to that critical voice I often hear inside my head–the voice that critiques, questions, and makes me feel or act small. What’s more, I’ve managed to befriend my inner critic.

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Blog

My Week Ran Me

When my week ran me, I was stressed, tired, and demoralized. This post share the approaches I tried until I finally learned how to schedule my time in a more humane, joyful, and productive way.

Hand holding a white teacup that is mostly empty and tilted sideways. Inside the cup it says "I felt depleted when my week ran me."

I used to feel like my week ran me instead of like I ran my week.

I was productive–writing, teaching, grading, attending committee meetings, meal planning, organizing my kids’ activities, and so on. But, it all felt disorienting and exhausting.

I always knew, for example, that work was stressful. But, I vividly remember the day I deeply realized how it was impacting me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was walking from my car to my office. It was a beautiful day. I was walking at a leisurely pace. Suddenly, I realized my heart was pounding in my chest as if I had had been sprinting instead of walking. My body was responding powerfully to the anticipated stress. I knew I HAD to make a change.

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Events

Sunday Serenity Series

Register for my Sunday Serenity Series to end one week and begin the next with reflection, meditation, and a plan! 

This interactive workshop experience includes four, online gatherings. With intention and support, we’ll end one week and begin the next with reflection, meditation, and a plan!

Green clay teapot, yellow flowers, and green flower on dark walnut board with words "Sunday Serenity Series."

I offer sliding-scale pricing to make this experience more financially accessible.

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Blog Tasting Notes

10 Days One Tea

In this post, I share reflections on my experience with a self-designed project: “10 days, one tea.” Read on to learn my discoveries drinking the same tea every morning for 10 days.

Background for the Experiment

Amber-colored tea in a white speckled teacup sits on a sky blue tray

If you are a casual or more focused tea drinker you, might wonder why it would be anything new to drink the same tea every day. Many folks drink tea that way.

I’ll share why it is for me. I have dozens and dozens of teas at home. This is a benefit/challenge of being so enthusiastic about trying new teas. No judgment for anyone who doesn’t share the same tea goals!

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Blog

My Experience with an Interactive Guided Meditation Course

In this post, I share my initial disappointment and eventual appreciation of my experience with an Interactive Guided Meditation course from Jack Kornfield.

In April 2025, I finished an online Masterclass in Interactive Guided Meditation led by Jack Kornfield. Initially, I was disappointed. I misunderstood the nature of the “cohort” system for this course. Despite that, I was fascinated and, at times, moved by the new tools and the deeper dives into some of the techniques I learned.

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Blog

My First Visit to a Buddhist Monastery

A few weeks ago, I was lucky to enjoy my first visit to a Buddhist monastery. I spent a weekend at Blue Cliff Monastery in upstate New York. The monastery is part of the Plum Village Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.

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Blog

Five-Minute Tea Bubble Meditation

This post shares a short tea-bubble meditation. You can do it in as few as five minutes.

It uses the bubbles from pouring certain teas–NOT bubble tea–as the focal point of the meditation.

Does a particular tea that you drink tend to make more bubbles when poured? If so, that’s a great tea to choose.

Examples could include chai, Darjeeling, etc.

tea-bubbles in a frothy mug of masala chai on a wooden table next to a brown cloth napkin. Nearby is a clay tray with two rabbit tea pets.
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Blog Events

Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers

Make it easy to have restorative and mindful tea sessions this spring: purchase your Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers!

Imagine carving out time to enjoy a peaceful, mindful tea session. You spend a few moments using a practice to ground yourself. Then, you mindfully drink your tea and take time to journal. Maybe there is even music playing. At the end, you notice that you feel more at ease and peaceful.

I designed this Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers to help you have experiences like this!

The words "Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers" and "Tea Infusiast" appear in a teacup nestled into purple phlox flowers.
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Blog

What’s Mindful Tea?

Ever wonder what people mean when they refer to “mindful tea” or a “mindful tea session?” This post shares one vision of what that could look like.

You carve out 10 minutes. Or 20 minutes. Or 30.

Imagine sitting down in front of your tea things with resources to help you have a convenient, restful, and mindful tea session. Or, you just have your cup of tea.

Glass fairness pitcher of amber tea with sun shining on it next to blooming white orchids.

Maybe the sun is streaming through a nearby window. Maybe the rain is sliding down it.

Perhaps you’ve arranged your tea space with intention. A smooth rock from a beach vacation is next to your teacup. Blooming flowers are nearby, as is your journal.

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Blog

Tea, Flowers, and Happiness

Tea, flowers, and happiness (I mean sunshine!) can help me slide more easily into presence. Please allow me to explain.

tea leaves in a  white dish with a gold border on a bamboo mat. Sunshine is coming through a nearby window and falling on the orchid flowers.

In my regular meditation practice, I meditate in all kinds of spaces–my living room, a doctor’s office, in a meditation center, and in my car. The list goes on.

One of my favorite places to meditate when I am not practicing with others is at my kitchen table in the morning with my tea things. Taking a few minutes to set up this space is a great enhancer of the experience.