Browsed by
Author: Mariya Nariychuk

When the Body Speaks: Inflammation, Digestion, and the Art of Listening

When the Body Speaks: Inflammation, Digestion, and the Art of Listening

A reflection on traditional wisdom, personal experimentation, and how to listen to your body without turning every sensation into a diagnosis. I recently read a thoughtful post by Scott Blossom that stayed with me because it named something many of us are tempted to brush aside: persistent fatigue, unexplained muscle or joint discomfort, recurring digestive problems, and brain fog. The article is a useful reminder to notice patterns in the body instead of dismissing fatigue, discomfort, or digestive changes as…

Read More Read More

Vacation Without a Vacation: How I Learned to Rest Without Taking One

Vacation Without a Vacation: How I Learned to Rest Without Taking One

A vacation without a vacation sounded impossible to me for a long time. I didn’t take a real trip for five years, not because I didn’t want to, but because life kept giving me perfectly reasonable excuses: Work. Family. Finances. “Next year.” Then another year passed. And another. Before I knew it, five years had gone by without packing a suitcase or stepping away from my everyday life. For a long time, I thought rest had to wait until I…

Read More Read More

More Than Medals: Women Shaping the Olympic Story

More Than Medals: Women Shaping the Olympic Story

My Personal Story As a little girl, I watched the Olympics from one country. Years later, after moving countries and even changing citizenships, I began cheering for every nation that had ever felt like home. The flags changed, my loyalty expanded, but my fascination with the Games remained constant – especially with figure skating and hockey (yes, cultural bias). In our home, the Olympics were sacred. I still have a small ceramic Misha the Bear, the official mascot of the…

Read More Read More

New Year Resolutions: Why Words Matter More Than Willpower

New Year Resolutions: Why Words Matter More Than Willpower

Why New Year resolutions fail and how changing your language creates lasting change? I started working on a New Year’s newsletter for my students and realized quickly that it needed more space. What was intended to be a short reflection became a deeper look at why words matter more than willpower when we set intentions. Once the Twelve Holy Nights are over and the first week of the new year settles, something always shifts for me. The urgency of January…

Read More Read More

Remembering the Dead: Four Traditions, One Human Heart

Remembering the Dead: Four Traditions, One Human Heart

When we honor the dead, we celebrate life itself. It all began when my son came home with a Día de los Muertos project – one of those beautiful perks of studying at a trilingual immersion school. As I helped him research, my curiosity expanded. I started wondering: do other cultures have their own ways of remembering those who’ve passed, honoring their ancestors? I thought about China, since it’s part of his school program, and Ukraine – my own roots. Then India…

Read More Read More

Diwali: Finding Light in the Everyday

Diwali: Finding Light in the Everyday

A Personal Beginning: How I Learned to Treat Diwali with Intention When I first started celebrating Diwali, I didn’t know much about the meaning of Diwali or how to celebrate mindfully. I simply treated it as a day to start fresh and set new intentions. For a few years, I would release a heart-shaped balloon with a candle inside, light candles around my home, and watch the fireworks. At that time, it was more about creating a personal ritual –…

Read More Read More

Ukrainian Grammar Spotlight: The Accusative Case Explained

Ukrainian Grammar Spotlight: The Accusative Case Explained

“When your verb finally finds its object, that’s true grammatical chemistry.” – The Case Whisperer Have you ever bought a book, met a friend, or fed the cat?Congrats! You’ve just used the Accusative case, one of the most dynamic parts of Ukrainian grammar. In fact, in Ukrainian, it’s called Знахідний відмінок, and it shows who or what the action hits. The word “Знахідний” comes from “знаходити” – meaning to find or to come upon. It’s called this because the Accusative…

Read More Read More

Are You Sending Mixed Signals? Mastering Tone in Text

Are You Sending Mixed Signals? Mastering Tone in Text

In a world where more than 70% of workplace communication now happens digitally, digital tone in remote communication has become just as important as the words themselves. Studies show that over half of misunderstandings in professional settings stem from unclear tone in emails or messages. How we text, punctuate, or choose an emoji can completely reshape how our message feels—and how it’s received. As tone now travels through pixels instead of voices, mastering this subtle language of digital expression is…

Read More Read More

Enchanted Review: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Enchanted Review: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Suppose Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle introduced you to its enchanting world. In that case, diving into Diana Wynne Jones’s book feels like uncovering a hidden manuscript inside your own imagination—perfect for anyone searching for a detailed Howl’s Moving Castle book review. I’ll admit it—when Wizard Howl became my favorite fictional crush, I knew this book review would be written under his spell. Reading it feels like being caught between two realities—one built of ink, the other of watercolor light. Each…

Read More Read More

Miso Paste: The One-in-All Spice That Simplifies Healthy Cooking

Miso Paste: The One-in-All Spice That Simplifies Healthy Cooking

As someone who wears many hats—balancing work, family, projects, and the desire to still get out into the world—time is precious. Cooking can easily feel overwhelming. Yet, I’ve learned that caring for myself and my loved ones through food doesn’t need to be complicated. With a few smart, versatile ingredients, like miso paste, healthy meals become simple and satisfying. Why Miso Is a Game-Changer Fortunately, that’s where miso paste comes in. In fact, it’s not just healthy-it’s delicious and rich…

Read More Read More