Montessori says: "Freedom in intellectual work is found to be the basis of internal discipline." A young child's ability to exercise decisions in their environment whether at home or at school is something that needs to be practiced. Listening to their inner teacher is the foundation of empowerment and builds emotional intelligence.

As parents, how do we best help children to learn self-discipline while also honoring their freedom? We need to learn how to allow a child to guide their actions by their inner teacher within a framework that keeps them safe. How do we best accomplish this goal? 

Every holiday season, I tell myself that I’m going to get Christmas shopping done early so I can focus on spending quality time with my family. Sound familiar? It doesn’t always happen, but I’ve found that setting an intention to create rituals that support that goal is helpful. It’s easy to lose sight of the spirit of Christmas (or Hanukkah) when our to-do and shopping lists devour our time, energy, and pocketbooks.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

“Upon entry I feel peace and acceptance! Congratulations on your beautiful new location.” —A “Love Note” left at the Heartmanity Center Grand OpeningHeartmanity opened its nearly 1,900 square feet center in the autumn of 2013 with a celebratory Open House. It was a remarkable event and a wonderful gathering of growth-minded people.

Quick read!

A woman came to me with a caring question on how to alleviate the stress of a major move with small children. She had a friend in the midst of moving who had a 3-year-old son in tow and had been acting out a lot. She asked, "Do you have any suggestions that might help make their move easier?"

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Thank you for joining us for the Heartmanity Center's grand opening celebration!

We are so grateful to everyone for all your encouragement and support.Thank you for sharing our celebration with us! We had lots of fun with the great connections and such a fantastic turn-out along with raffle items, door prizes and yummy treats from our favorite chef, Sarah Knecht.

Have you ever had one of those serendipitous days when you had a pleasant surprise change your mood instantly?

Last Saturday, I had a zillion things on my to-do list. The house was deserted—a perfect time to get a ton of work accomplished. But not that day! My brain circuitry was on overload. I headed to Dailey Lake for a quick swim, and I took our golden retrievers along for some exercise.

Arriving at the lake 45 minutes later, I found it busy with vacationers. Driving around looking for a good spot to park, I counted eight dogs along the beach. Parking the car, I opened up the backend and [...]

Heartmanity has a new home! We're so excited to share with you a fantastic office space in downtown Bozeman, with giant windows and a large room for conducting group programs and classes. This new Heartmanity Center will allow us to serve more people, start new programs that have been in the wings for several years, and support the community in a much bigger way.

Relationships are perhaps the most difficult yoga there is. Even though love connects us together, the stresses of our busy lives work against us. Add to this stress the multitude of differences, getting along in marriage can be challenging.

We might even begin to wonder why we're in the relationship at all. Have you ever said, "My messy husband is driving me crazy!"? Or "The fighting is driving me crazy!" when you're referring to a daily argument? Or "Why is relationship so hard!?"

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

At a business conference a few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Mark Waldman speak. Mark is a prolific author and considered an expert in the fields of neuroscience, communication, and personal development.

Early in his presentation he asked a simple question: “If you could only have one or the other—money or happiness—which would you choose?” (Answer before you read further.)

Parents often tell me they don't understand why their preteens react over "nothing" or why their teens are so disrespectful and "in your face." Teenage emotions run the gamut. They can range from elation to depression, from giddiness to gloom, from sullenness to intense anger, and quickly from pouting to a blowup. So how does a parent help a teen deal with their emotions effectively?

Teaching emotional intelligence to teens is a monumental task given their raging hormones, a brain still under construction, school pressures, peer influence, cultural mixed messages, and tech addiction. It's no [...]