holistic healing

You can’t help but FEEL this in your bones.

Have a listen.

You’re welcome. 😉

Peace Somehow

You can’t help but FEEL this in your bones. Have a listen. You’re welcome. 😉
Another insightful and inspiring post by a man I much admire. Without further ado, may I present Jeff Foster on “The Myth of Rising Above”.

There’s a comforting myth about healing, isn’t there – that it means “rising above” our vulnerable human hearts.

Spiritual awakening is often seen as some kind of “shedding” of our humanity, a realm of untouchable stillness.

But this story is a lie.

And this is what I’ve discovered, the hard way:

Peace is not the absence of deep feeling.

Strength is not the absence of trembling.

In our rush to “transcend” and “rise”, we silence our anger in the name of kindness, mask our grief with spiritual smiles. We dismiss our fear as an illusion, our wounded hearts as the ego’s noise. And we call it all… love.

We follow gurus who claim to have ended suffering. Lost their egos. Transcended their pain.

“I never get angry”, they say.

“I only have loving thoughts”.

“My ego vanished in March 1964”.

In chasing enlightenment like this, we abandon the messy truth of our own aliveness.

But what we suppress does not disappear. It lodges within us, as trauma, in the ache of our chests, the tension in our shoulders, the restless beat of our hearts. The shadows we deny grow louder and darker.

The pain we avoid festers in the deep.

Neuroscience tells us that chronically suppressing our emotions activates a stress response, flooding our bodies with cortisol, inflammation, fear. Over time this can weaken our immune system, disrupt our sleep, and increase the risk of all kinds of illness.

The body remembers what the mind tries to forget.

True healing is not an escape from this mess of earth and sweat and trembling, but the courage to step into it all.

Not a rising above, but a rooting down:

To touch the fire of grief.

To liberate the roar of anger.

To stand in the trembling truth:

“I am not okay, and it is so damn okay.”

Healing is the painful sob that cracks you open, the soft rain on your face in the early morning, the earth beneath your knees when you fall.

Healing is the raw, holy ache of being alive.

You are not broken for feeling life so deeply. Your sorrow, your fear, your shame – they are not mistakes. These are invitations from God.

To awaken is not to transcend, but to descend, consciously, into the depths you once decided you could not bear.

And yes, the descent may shatter your old illusions. Your old life. But beyond the breaking lies a strength you have not lost, a wholeness that comes not from escaping pain, but from holding it so close.

No more pretending. No more forced smiles.

Let the anger rise. Let the tears fall.

Let your pain soften you, until it cracks you open to grace.

Let your trembling truth speak at last.

This is, I believe, what it means to be fully, fiercely alive.

With love,

Jeff Foster

The Myth of Rising Above by Jeff Foster

Another insightful and inspiring post by a man I much admire. Without further ado, may I…
Whether you’re unsure of how to get your healing journey started or stalled somewhere along the way, it can help to have a simple, daily practice to rely on. Something to sink your teeth into.

There’s so much information available to us these days that’s it’s easy to get lost down never-ending rabbit holes, exploring all the options, but never actually taking the first step.

I love kundalini yoga. I find it to be immensely transformative. Mantra, mudra, breathwork, movement, and meditation are all basic components that are combined for synergistic rewards.

You’ll have to leave your need to know at the door. While there are indeed reasons why making particular sounds and hand gestures creates a particular effect, the learning of these reasons often leads to years of study. Study is not practice. It produces information, not results.

I will say that chanting produces a vibration in the head that is said to affect the pineal gland. If that means nothing to you, don’t worry. It’s not necessary to understand to reap the rewards.

I’m not going to get into the history of kundalini yoga. Let’s just say it’s THOUSANDS of years old. From a time when there were fewer distractions and adepts could more easily drop into the moment and their bodies and notice the changes brought about by their efforts.

Nor will I get into the potential benefits of this particular practice other than to say it can help you get unstuck. But only if you do it.

I’ve chosen share kirtan kriya because it is so easy to do. It requires a mere 12 minutes of your time. It has four simple syllables, to be combined with four simple hand gestures.

This video does a good job of guiding the way. The chant is done aloud, then whispered, then silently, then whispered again, and finally aloud. Just follow along.

Traditionally a practice like this is performed for 40 consecutive days for maximum benefit. If that seems like a big commitment, ask yourself how much you’d like to experience relief. If you want to feel differently, you must do something different.

If you have access to Reiki, activate it before you begin and enjoy the bonus of marinating in healing life-force energy. While Reiki remains my number one all time suggestion for healing, for those who haven’t yet been trained or don’t want to or have access to a practitioner, this is a fantastic alternative.

It’s especially great for folks who find meditation or resting in stillness to be torturous. The movements and chanting give the mind something to focus on. This can be done sitting in a chair or standing, even lying down, if that’s necessary.

What do you have to lose? Twelve minutes a day is a pretty minimal investment. Give it a try and see how it feels. Showing up for yourself on a consistent basis is one of the most compassionate and empowering acts possible.

And you’re worth it.

Feeling Stuck? Try This.

Whether you’re unsure of how to get your healing journey started or stalled somewhere along the…
I don’t normally post twice in a day, but when I do, it’s because of diving timing.

What the heck does that mean?

For starters, there’s an element of something bigger than me wanting to be shared. Something not a part of a marketing plan or an agenda my mind conjured.

Nope. There’s an inner tingle telling me this is the right thing to do.

Also, it’s a real life story of divine timing and how it unfolded in my life two days in a row.

Yesterday I arranged to meet a friend for a hike. Because we were going together, it was a different time and different place than I would have chosen if it were just me.

The trail we frequent is a loop and she deferred to me to choose the direction.

I felt a pull to go to the right.

We had a lovely chat and came up with solutions to solve most of the world’s problems, should anyone in authority care to ask.

When we got to the creek, there was a big SPLASH!

It sounded like someone fell in. It was a big enough disturbance that we stopped to look around.

There were geese nearby but they were just minding their own business and seemingly innocent of any excessive splashing.

Then I saw it. A large bird perched in a tree. With a white head.

As far as I know there’s only one kind of white-headed large bird in this area and that’s a bald eagle.

A rare and majestic sight! And we had front row seats.

We went on about our hike and that was that.

Until today.

A new client cancelled her appointment. She called this morning, all apologetic and distressed. I wasn’t concerned because I had sensed it was going to happen.

I can’t explain it, but I was waiting for that call.

And here’s the interesting part. I knew I wouldn’t be doing that session today, but I left it on my calendar. It was a placeholder. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to open that slot for another client or make lunch plans.

After we rescheduled her appointment, my day organically rearranged itself. I found myself catching up on admin tasks and enjoying a slow start rather than heading out for an early walk as I had planned.

Which put me at my usual spot on that same creek, but about two miles downstream, but a different time than usual.

Just in time to cross paths with a stranger who pointed out the large bird with the white head looking down at us from a tree.

Just in time for other people to cross my path so I could share the magic with them.

I could have been irritated by the change in my workday. I could have tried to force some kind of productivity.

Instead, I followed the breadcrumbs and was rewarded with a beautiful and unusual sight.

Of course I texted my friend to tell her I saw an eagle (the same one?) again. She replied that perhaps there was a doubly strong message for me in this synchronous rendezvous. That’s exactly something I would have said! But I hadn’t yet had that thought.

So I’m letting it simmer.

The bald eagle, as you likely know, is a symbol of America. A proud, strong, bird. A bird of prey. An endangered species.

There’s a lot to work with here, but I’m taking it as a positive omen as well as a reminder to follow my instincts.

Divine Timing

I don’t normally post twice in a day, but when I do, it’s because of diving…
We have so much information at our fingertips today that it can be overwhelming. If you’ve ever attended Google University seeking a self-diagnosis and treatment, you’ve likely come up with tons of contradictory information.

How I Healed XYZ in 5 Days

7 Easy Steps to Cure XYZ

The One Thing That Fixed Everything

Headlines like these abound. They often lead to confusion, frustration, and sadly even a worsening of the situation.

Why? Because they are addressing symptoms, not the root cause.

Let’s use insomnia as an example.

There are a gazillion reasons people don’t sleep well. It could be churning thoughts, physical discomfort, a lumpy mattress, a snoring spouse, or excess caffeine.

(Not an Ambien deficiency. You might find relief through a prescription, but the side effects often outweigh the benefits. Please consider exploring the underlying condition while you’re taking the pills so maybe you won’t need them someday in the future.)

Each of these causes will obviously have a different plan of treatment.

So when I read about someone who quit drinking coffee, improved their sleep patterns, and touts this as the number one cure, I’m a bit tetchy. I don’t even drink coffee, so who’s that going to help me?

Whether you’re dealing with insomnia or back pain (two conditions I’m intimately familiar with on a personal and professional level), psoriasis, headaches, or fatigue, there are a few things I can suggest that will always be beneficial as they help uncover the root cause.
1. Stress management. There are countless practices that help the body digest the physiological consequences of chronic stress. They will calm the mind, reduce tension, and support all the body’s systems.
2. Curiosity. Be your own detective and explore what’s going on in your life, in your psyche, in your body. If you’re trying to quit a problematic habit, get curious about what’s underneath and why you reach for the behavior or substance and how you might circumvent that pattern.
3. Compassion. Be kind to yourself! Especially if you’re struggling and suffering. Your inner dialog has a direct impact on your physiology. Berating yourself or stewing in resentment will increase your stress response, cortisol levels, tension, and inflammation.
4. Reduce exposure to toxins. Including emotional toxins in the form of unhealthy relationships, doomscrolling, and the compare and despair dynamic so prevalent on Instagram.
5. Presence. Learn to be with yourself, especially during difficult times. Develop a daily practice of turning inwards, with compassion and curiosity, and check in rather than checking out. This can be uncomfortable, so start small. Three minutes can go a long way.
6. Breathe. Obviously you are breathing or you wouldn’t be reading this. But what is the quality of your breath? Shallow and rapid? Can you drop into presence and cultivate a calming, nourishing pattern? Some people swear by “box” breath; I’m partial to extending the exhales so they’re slightly longer than the inhales.
7. Boost your life-force. This is big. And overlooked completely in our medical system. If you are chronically depleted, running on empty, burning the candle at both ends, taking care of everybody but yourself, your body will try to communicate its distress with you. I recommend listening before the consequences amplify!
Insight Timer is a free app and a wonderful resource for simple, guided practices that will help you do many of these things. I found the yoga nidra (a sort of meditation where you systematically bring attention to areas of the body) to be invaluable.

My all-time favorite and go-to remedy is Reiki. Reiki treatments offer an infusion of spiritually-guided life-force energy that relieves stress, tension, anxiety, and pain and promotes the body’s innate healing abilities.

It won’t, however, address your spouse’s snoring-like-a-chainsaw issue. For that you’re going to need some hefty earplugs or a separate bedroom. I’ve heard about successful elimination of snoring by diffusing sweet marjoram essential oil, or changing pillows or sleeping position.

While Reiki is amazing and can help with a lot of problems, it really depends on the root cause. It won’t make you sleep soundly after a late-night triple espresso, but it can help you build better sleep habits.

There is no such thing as a miracle cure. But there are numerous ways to address the root problem. All of them will require your participation and willingness to make changes.

If you’d like some support in this arena, you can use this button to book a session.

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Getting to the Root

We have so much information at our fingertips today that it can be overwhelming. If you’ve…
This is an amazing article from a therapist on Substack. If you’re overwhelmed by your role as a caregiver in any form, facing burn out, or stuck in an ongoing pattern of over-giving and under-receiving, I hope you’ll find it helpful.

“Remember this: in nature, no single tree holds up the forest alone. Sometimes the strongest roots are the ones that know how to rest.”

I can’t seem to embed it here, so you’ll have to use the link above. I posted the photo for relatability.

Support for Caregivers

This is an amazing article from a therapist on Substack. If you’re overwhelmed by your role…
Maybe you’ve heard about the amazing health benefits of ginger. It’s been shown to support better digestion and decrease inflammation.

Yes please!

To get the rewards though, you need to be consistent with your efforts. A client tells me she eats lots of ginger because they get Indian takeout every week. While that is no doubt delicious, it’s far from medicinal.

Fresh is more effective than dried. So even sprinkling some powder on every meal will have questionable results.

What about prepackaged teabags? Meh. It’s pretty weak, most likely pretty old, and don’t get me started on the bag itself. Why are they shiny? Plastic. Hard pass!

If you’ve ever bought fresh ginger with good intentions only to throw it out a few months later when it’s all shriveled up, I get it.

It’s shaped weird. Why can’t it just be smooth and … organized? It’s all lumpy and chaotic.

Well, for starters, it’s a root. That’s what roots do.

But it doesn’t have to be as complicated as you might think.

First of all, you don’t need to peel it. Whew! I give it a good scrub with a vegetable brush under cold running water.

You don’t have to grate it either. Pu-lease! After massaging people all day, the last thing I want or my arms and hands need is intensive kitchen labor. And I could go the rest of my life without ever cleaning the grater again and be quite happy.

I slice it thinly. Easy peasy.

You don’t even have to simmer it on the stove if you have an Instant Pot. (btw consider getting one if you don’t! I use mine several times a week.)

The problem with simmering is you need to keep an eye on it, adjusting the temperature, making sure it doesn’t boil over or boil dry. I don’t have the energy for babysitting my tea.

But you can pop it in the IP, pressure cook it on high for 12 minutes, and enjoy tea for days.

I like to make my extra spicy and use it as a concentrate. I fill up half my mug with the ginger juice and top it off with hot filtered water. Voila!

The day that I finish the last drop, I start a new batch. It’s become second nature and now I almost always have some on hand. If it’s there, I’ll gladly drink a cup or two every day.

I’m all for healthy living, but it has to be simple and doable if I’m going to keep it up. This is my latest shortcut victory. What’s yours?

Ginger Tea- the Easy Way

Maybe you’ve heard about the amazing health benefits of ginger. It’s been shown to support better…
So many people suffer from itchy eyes and nonstop sneezing this time of year. Sadly, there’s not much allopathic medicine can do for them other than allergy pills that are woefully inadequate, temporary, and laden with side effects.

I have a different perspective. What if pollen is not your enemy?

Huh?!

Humor me for a moment.

What if pollen is like the straw that broke the camel’s back?

What if lowering the overall burden placed on the body and its detoxification system would lessen the impact of the triggers of seasonal allergies?

The way I see it, we can do our best to reduce the toxins we’re exposed to daily. I’m talking about toxins in body care and cleaning products as well as food and water. (Body sprays, air fresheners, anything with “fragrance” on the label would be my #1 suggestion for the elimination pile.)

We can support our body’s capacity to function optimally by metabolizing stress and saturating ourselves with life-force energy.

I’ve just recently learned that some foods have been reported to have higher levels of histamine and some have been reported to release histamine.

Adjusting one’s menu, reducing toxic exposure, stockpiling life-force, and managing stress are things that can be done with a little effort and don’t require a big financial investment. The side effects are all positive and the results could last indefinitely instead of 12 hours.

I’ll add that there are herbs and homeopathic remedies that work for some as well. Although that’s beyond the scope of this post, you can easily find this info online.

If you’re tired of suffering and unsatisfied with the current regime, why not give something new a try?

Reiki supports stress relief and the body’s innate detox process and is a safe, yet powerful, source of healing energy. If that’s something that interests you, go ahead and book a treatment and we can get started on clearing off the proverbial camel’s back so that a few specks of pollen won’t cause so much harm.

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Seasonal Allergies: A Holistic Approach

So many people suffer from itchy eyes and nonstop sneezing this time of year. Sadly, there’s…
Today marks the official first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Here in Philly, we’ve had a few weeks of warmer weather already and the first-to-bloom flowers are out in full force. I love how they pop up out of last year’s leaves decaying on the forest floor.

‘Tis the season for spring cleaning. I’m not feeling the usual pull to wash the windows and sweep the baseboards. The green juices and cleansing herbs aren’t appealing to me this year either.

What I’m really sensing is an urge to clean up my calendar. Where am I wasting time? Frittering it away in 3 minute chunks of absentminded scrolling? How do I spend my precious energy in ways that aren’t fulfilling or are downright detracting from my life-force?

I’m interested in cleaning up my energetic output and that requires a brutally honest assessment of impulsive and unconscious behaviors. It helps to know what I truly value and how that time might be better spent. I have a date with my journal to explore how I’m investing my priceless attention and how to maximize my returns.

Side note: we’re entering the light half of the year. Many are cheering the longer days, higher temps, and upcoming summer season. For all the weirdos like myself who prefer the darker, colder months, it helps me to remember that I’ll enjoy the fall so much more after having experienced the heat and humidity of August.

I’m attempting to adapt more gracefully to the rhythms of nature and it all starts with my attitude. So, dear summer, I know you’re coming and I’m going to do my very best to make friends with you this year.

Wherever you are, in the world or in your preferences, I wish you a peaceful transition on this day that is such a powerful turning point.

Happy equinox!

Happy Equinox!

Today marks the official first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Here in Philly, we’ve…