I've said it before and I'll say it again: for many people the holiday season is an exciting time of year. It provides an opportunity to reconnect with friends and family. To celebrate. To give to those who matter most to us, and to be generous to those who struggle. And yet, the holiday season can also leave us vulnerable to burnout;

Holistic HealthNikolai BlinowDecember 19, 2017burnout, Self-Care, Stress

Holiday Self-Care 101

The holidays can bring stressors that we don’t normally experience during the rest of the year: the pressure to spend time with family members who may be challenging for us, to navigate the logistics of traveling, or to come up with excess money to spend on holiday parties, gifts, or elaborate meals (to name a few).

Holistic HealthNikolai BlinowNovember 10, 2017Self-Care, Self-Help, thanksgiving, holidays, DBT, anxiety, Stress

Emotional-Support Animals & Psychiatric Service Animals: What You Need to Know

With such longstanding history of human-animal partnership, and even some genetic similarities, it’s no surprise that many of us look to animals for emotional support.

Holistic HealthNikolai BlinowOctober 21, 2017Therapy Animal, Anxiety, Depression, Self-Care

Thai Yoga Massage as Self-care & Supplement to Positive Mental Health

Recently, I treated myself to a Thai Yoga Massage at Santosha Yoga & Holistic Health Center in Cranston. My reasons for exploring this modality were two-fold:

As self-care, I’d heard through word-of-mouth that Thai Yoga Massage (TYM) was relaxing , increased mobility, and provided relief from chronic tension.
As a holistic health practitioner, I am always looking for practices that improve mental health and well-being. I believe that before anyone can recommend anything, however, one must try it firsthand. This allows us as providers to share concrete and authentic feedback about experiences and expectations.

Holistic HealthNikolai BlinowJuly 19, 2016Self-Care, Yoga, Massage

Morning Mindfulness

When I speak with people about meditation or Mindfulness, I often run into so many conflicting ideas. People tell me the point of meditation is to be relaxed. Or they tell me they can’t meditate because “I can’t get my thoughts to stop.”

Holistic HealthNikolai BlinowSeptember 27, 2015mindfulness, Self-Care, Observing

The Power of Vulnerability

Brene Brown is a social worker by trade who researched “wholehearted” people.

Holistic HealthNikolai BlinowSeptember 22, 2015Self-Help, Self-Care, Depression