Linda Ciotola

The Healing Power of Art

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What if you were able to reduce the stress in your everyday life just by looking? Or what about improving one’s mood? How would you do that?

The answer may be Art!

In my journey as an artist, I believe that Art and Healing are connected. Through my gift of art, I have found a way to convey this belief. For me, “looking at nature” is an amazing way to de-stress, and change one’s mood. It’s a way of taking the natural environment and using it to transcend the hustle, and bustle. Our busy lives don’t often allow us time to get away, but I find that “looking at a beautiful piece of Art”  can produce these results, too.

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Linda Ciotola

Transformation Through Action Methods

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Most commonly asked questions:

What are Action Methods?
Action Methods refer to forms of experiential learning derived from psychodrama, experiential and expressive arts therapies, engaging the right side of the brain as well as the left side. Powerful outcomes can result from single well-executed session.

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Linda Ciotola

Down-to-earth mindfulness: Mindful eating

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Active Pause is about the simple, down-to-earth ways in which we step out of “automatic pilot” to be more actively involved in what we do. In other words, we see “mindful” as “engaged” – – the opposite of being disengaged, of doing a task mindlessly. Read more

Linda Ciotola

Recognizing & Treating Depression

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Linda Ciotola, M. Ed.,CHES, TEP

Sources: National Institutes of Mental Health; Blue Cross/Blue Shield (Vitality); American Counseling Association; Wellness Networking Group

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, depression affects about 19 million Americans. The effects are far-reaching, impacting not only personal well-being, but family interactions, work place performance, and even financial security.

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Linda Ciotola

Taking the Holidays to Heart

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The holidays are here with an abundance of challenges as well as gifts for the heart.  Bombardment with artery clogging food choices, time-pressured stress, and emotional ups and downs can take a toll on your cardiovascular health while stealing the joy from the holiday season.  And the true meaning of the holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza) can get buried in the fray. Read more

Linda Ciotola

Body Gratitude

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November brings Thanksgiving and a time when we may focus more on food – fixing it, eating it, and feeling guilty afterwards – than on counting our blessings.  If you have been caught in this pattern and would like to change, try practicing mindfulness as you prepare and eat your food and consciously give thanks to nature and all the elements and people who contributed to bringing it to the table.  Read more

Linda Ciotola

Gather the Abundance

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It’s October ~ the harvest season and time for Baltimore’s annual Race for the Cure to raise awareness of and funds for breast cancer treatment, and prevention, and to celebrate breast cancer survivors.

The harvest season is a great time for the Race for the Cure because it unites two powerful cancer-prevention strategies:  nutrition and exercise.  Read more

Linda Ciotola

Healthy Aging

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September is National Healthy Aging Month.  I’m delighted, since it is also my birthday month and the time of year when I re-evaluate my health and fitness goals.  As a long time educator, I have always viewed September as the start of a new year – time to set new learning goals and to develop strategies to achieve them. Read more

Linda Ciotola

Cornerstone of Healthy Living

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What better time than the abundant harvest of August to include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet?  Nature’s bounty is brimming with colorful baskets of good nutrition ~ delicious ways to decrease your risk of heart disease, and many cancers, and to increase your chances of living a long and healthy life. Read more

Linda Ciotola

A Summer Salute to Health & Fitness

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The arrival of summer brings plans for vacations, picnics, and summertime fun.  While summer can provide opportunities for more and varied physical activities like beach volleyball, swimming and tennis, it can   present some health and fitness   challenges as well. Read more