Mind And Mood on Shine

Is television your therapist?

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My parents are frantic, trying to get caught up on their favorite show, "In Treatment", before a new season starts. With five episodes a week, that's no easy task. And the way my parents watch this show, each episode is more of an emotional undertaking than passive entertaining.

I get it.

Can you talk yourself into more happiness?

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You know how when you buy a silver car, you suddenly see a thousand silver cars driving on the expressway? Or how you will hear a lovely new word you need to rush to look up in an online dictionary, only to hear it again and again in random conversations over the next few days? Or how a friend will mention some girl with braces from sixth grade and suddenly she will request friendship from you on Facebook or you will run into her at Whole Foods?

In my family, we call that "conjuring up."

Wine, chocolate, music, and not-so-serious yoga are the keys to living well: Shine's cute guy yogi tells us why

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Meet David Romanelli. You probably already know him as Yeah Dave. He's our resident cute guy yogi, putting a relatable spin on big spiritual issues and somehow connecting hugs from unattainable hot women and the Super Bowl to time on the yoga mat.

Now Dave has a new book out, where he shares more of his unique perspective on practicing yoga without being vegan, snobby, or too serious. He also spills a lot of stories from his own journey into yoga, and why he thinks wine, chocolate, and a great iPod playlist make a practicing all those asanas even more perfect.

What are your words to live by?

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On the refrigerator at my mom and dad's house, there is a well-worn piece of paper. At one point, it had vibrant graphics and a bright border and fancy fonts in primary colors. The sun from the kitchen window has faded all of that over time. And if the text carefully typed on it could have been…

What is your biggest single parent worry?

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For the last week or so, I've been working, taking my son to school, planning play dates, making lunches and doing laundry, just like normal. Except that I've been filled with fear that I might die. It sounds dramatic. Perhaps it is.

User Post: 15 Simple, Inexpensive Ways to Care for Yourself

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It is a falsehood that self-care is extravagant and expensive. Many women neglect themselves due to this black and white thinking, believing only the wealthy can afford to take care of themselves. But self-care is a mindset; not a bank account --- a good thing in our current economy.

5 instant soothers for high stress times

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Be a better breather. "When you make a conscious effort to breathe deeper, it naturally brings your body back to a more relaxed state," explains Frederic Luskin, Ph.D., author of Stress Free for Good (HarperOne). Place your hand on your stomach and watch it rise…

Healing Hearts

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I just returned from Calistoga, California, where I was teaching a four-day retreat called 'Neptune's Gifts: Cultivating Intuition and Compassion'. Although originally designed for astrologers and healing professionals, I opened up the registration for anyone because, frankly, we can all use more intuition and compassion in our lives and it doesn't matter if we're working with people professionally or not. We had a wonderful time, soaking in the mineral pools, sharing meals, and deepening clear intuition and compassion.

The group bonded beautifully and I hope to offer this retreat again before long. On some level we are all healers; we are all counselors.

Be honest: What do you lie about?

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There's a fun little post up on CNN.com that is just a list of 25 things it is just fine to lie about. The appeal here, of course, is that we all lie. One older (from 2002) but interesting study noted that 60% of participants lied at least once in a ten-minute conversation, and on average told two to three lies. Even the participants who watched their own conversations back on video were surprised at how many times they fibbed. A newer British study (from 2008) says that people lie four times a day on average, which doesn't sound that bad until your consider that totals up to 1,460 untruths per year. Men, the study says, lie a bit more than women and, not surprisingly, that the most common misstatement is

Do you need a New Year's resolution or just a really good intention?

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I crawled into bed early last night, set my alarm for earlier than usual, inhaled deeply, curled up with my pillow, and then...was still and quiet and snuggled up and wide awake. I made all this room for a full night's sleep and instead, all I could do was think. And think and think and think.

Once the to do list and grocery list and panic about how little holiday shopping I've done all dissipated, one question lingered in my thoughts, in the dark, as the clock ticked toward midnight: What about next year?