Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
It’s interesting when we Americans attempt to define happiness we often equate it to the individual freedoms we possess associated with a democratic society. Our bumper stickers and our favorite Lee Greenwood anthem proudly declare our good fortune...
I woke up thinking about “LOVE” today. It is just another word, yet it can evoke incredible emotion as well as a variety of connotations. Just consider how many contexts it can be used in. I love the beach! He says, “I love ice...
We Homo sapiens are quite an amazing species. In just a little over 100 years our advanced, large brains have enabled us to literally reach for the stars and see far beyond our own galaxy. And simultaneously as we sought to understand the great...
Is it possible to have an open heart and a closed fist? Is it possible to have an open mind and a closed door? Can one have a humble, meek, lowly spirit one moment and then a spirit of contention, divisiveness, arrogance and intolerance in the next...
Do you have a soul gardener in your life? Soul gardeners live a life of intentional nurturing of others. To these compassionate connectors “you reap what you sow” isn’t just a salient quip to point out the negative consequences of one’s actions; it...
The words we speak conjoined with the tone with which we deliver them can either be a force that inspires good feelings and open hearted interaction or little land mines which ignite negativity, reinforce reactivity and spark conflict. The Blurt...
“You Can’t Control the Wind but You Can Adjust Your Sails” Between the stay at home orders and the frozen tundra which shutdown most of Texas, like many of you, I have had plenty of quiet time to reflect on my life; where I’ve been, where I am now...
Ok, I have a confession. I’m not gonna lie . . . Mother’s Day weekend has hit me smack dab in the heart since 1979. The pain of losing my mom at 19 and the annual May reminder of my deep loss inevitably gets triggered by emotional mother/daughter...
If there is one significant outcome of surviving the pandemic and the Texas ice storm of the century – for me it has been this: the desire and intention to live each day as if it is my last, to slow down and savor the moments. It’s amazing how in...
Just like a box of 64 crayons, everything about our shared experience of this magnificent orb is nuanced and colored by our own filters and perspectives. And yet, so many of us are trapped in a mindset of black and white. The larger stories which...