stress

I write a lot about this because it’s so crucial to health. When we live in a state or chronic dysregulation, ongoing stress, and consistent unease, all of our bodily systems are compromised. Learning to embody calm and a sense of safety is essential to reclaim optimal health.

I also talk a lot about Reiki, partly because I find it the most useful tool for regulating my nervous system. It does other wonderful things too, but for the sake of writing an article and not an encyclopedia, I’ll try to stay on topic.

We start with knowing that it’s important to do, necessary even, if we’d like to optimize health, happiness, and creativity. For me, that means making it a priority.

So I’ve made a commitment to do the work. Yes, it is work. Not hard work, but it takes consistent time and attention. I can assure you that it is a worthy investment.

Next, I want to acknowledge that this is DOABLE. It’s simple, accessible, and practical. You might not know how, might never have even known it was possible, but you can learn.

I’ll add here that learning new things can be activating for the nervous system because it likes to keep us in the familiar zone. It confuses unsafe with unfamiliar, so you’ll probably need to use these tools while you’re in the process of learning to use these tools.

Welcome to the complex and spiral nature of healing!

I’ll assume that if you continue to read, you recognize that you want to do this, can do this, and are rolling up your metaphorical sleeves at this moment.

In short, you are ready, willing, and able. Right?

The first step is recognizing a sense of unease in the body. If this is your home base, not to worry, this is a pattern that can be reprogrammed. It will help to add a 5-10 minute awareness practice to your day (morning is especially effective) to sort through the feelings, sensations, and thoughts to reestablish a new baseline.

But today I’m talking about how to interrupt an acute experience of distress.

My goal for today is focused on self-care. It’s a day off and I have planned to have a restful afternoon with a few enjoyable activities scattered throughout. In reality, I had too many to-do items for the day to be relaxing and I started to feel anxious.

Enter Reiki. For me, it helps to prevent a snowball effect and gives me enough space and clarity to recognize what’s really going on.

OK, too many activities means I need to let go of one of them or decide that it’s more important than the ease and rest I am really craving. There’s dissonance between my schedule and my desire and it’s a no brainer to skip the webinar on myofascial release. Maybe I’ll catch the replay. Maybe not.

Great, so now I’m back in harmony on one level, but I’m still feeling anxious. That’s the thing- you can’t reason your way into a regulated state. This is a physiological condition and needs a physiological repair.

Fine. So what is it exactly that I’m feeling? I call it anxiety, but what are the sensations? There’s a buzzing in my upper abdomen. I call it hornets in my gut. Most unpleasant! And my quads are contracted as if I’m prepared to flee.

What does my body need? To know that I am safe. It’s a maladaptive response to confuse a full schedule with danger, but them’s the breaks. That’s how we are wired and better to know this and learn to work with it than to ignore it.

I can use my senses to log data in my environment and send a signal to my brain that there is literally noting to be afraid of at this time. I look around the room, notice there is no fire, no tiger, no mean girls, and my shoulders drop away from my ears.

What else?

An outlet for this energy. I know from previous experience that focusing on my breath, particularly extending exhales and adding an audible sigh can work miracles.

Now my mind jumps in suggesting that this is too simple, too easy to work against such a major activation. That everyone is always talking about the breath as a form of embodiment practice, but really what do those experts of ancient healing systems really know? Yeah, sometimes my mind is an arrogant jerk.

I override this little ego trip and spend a mere three minutes sighing heavily over a cup of herbal tea. I wonder what the neighbors think, then remember that one of them played Dancing Queen loudly, twice this morning before 7:00 and decide I don’t care.

Three minutes and the hornets are subdued. Like 90%. They might actually be butterflies now. It’s that transformational.

The energy is still alive in my legs and I know from previous experimentation that I need to move. I love the rebounder (it’s a mini trampoline that fits easily in my apartment) for shaking out angst, but many forms of movement are also effective.

Now that I feel like I’m no longer going to crawl out of my own skin, I can sit and give myself a Reiki treatment to reach complete resolution. I can also have a look at my calendar from my now-calm state of being and make sure my daily activities are aligned with my priority of maintaining this regulation.

I can also acknowledge that living fully means ups and downs and that there is very likely to be upset in my future. Knowing this, I can refine my plan for meeting whatever comes my way. Generally, I want to be compassionate and aware, tuned in to my body, and well resourced so that I can respond accordingly.

Healing does not mean ubiquitous calm. How dull would that be?! It does, however, mean that I want to address energy leaks and unnecessary upset, bounce back from minor upsets with ease, and be in touch with my needs and how to meet them.

If you already have Reiki, you can apply it towards your intention to regulate and repair your nervous system.

If you’d like to learn how to do this, know that anyone, even the most stressed of us, can learn how to do Reiki for ourselves and share it with our loved ones. I have a beginners level training coming up soon if you’re in the Philly area.

Booking a session can also provide a wonderful reset, giving you a sense of calm and access to your inner wisdom and intuition.

I spent much of my life with the hornets in my gut, never really at ease, slightly on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop even when there was zero reason to be unsettled. Learning how to calm my nerves has been utterly invaluable to my wellbeing and creativity. I have faith that if you’re in that same boat, there is hope for you too.

Nervous System Basics

I write a lot about this because it’s so crucial to health. When we live in…
I saw this question raised online last week. A woman was inquiring about the dreadful statistics of Americans given that everyone she asks claims to eat healthfully.

It really got me thinking about the state of the world in which people try their best to look after themselves and fail.

Unsurprisingly, I have a lot to say about this!

In fact, I could probably write a book about my thoughts on this subject. I don’t have the energy to do that as I spend some much time on cultivating my own health. But as I pondered, two key factors have floated up to the top of my list of key offenders.

One. Chronic stress. Stress is normalized, even celebrated in our culture. It’s normal for people to spend more than half of their waking hours in a toxic work environment. The more you work, the busier you are, the more stress you have, the better. That’s the upside-down message we receive in this crazy society.

This is not healthy! If this describes your everyday reality, know that you’re going to need to take action to mitigate the effects of chronic stress by learning to regulate your nervous system and/or metabolize the physiological impact of being chronically disregulated.

We now know the damaging effects of a constant cortisol drip, but for many of us, there doesn’t seem to be an alternative. The system is rigged against us. Dropouts, misfits, and revolutionaries are able to escape this insanity, but you need to be a risk-taker to go this route.

Two. We’ve lost touch with our inner wisdom and turn to external “experts” for strategies about health. With so many doctors being specialists in one narrow corner of medicine, few have the big picture of wellness in mind. If you’re lucky enough to be able to afford a functional medicine doctor or homeopath, you’re still having to battle uphill against societal norms.

So often I hear people talking about their “healthy choices” and feel surprised at what they consider to be healthy. Low fat? Low carb? There’s so much conflicting information out there. So many of our strategies are influenced by advertisements sneakily disguised and normalized by repetition.

Milk- it does a body good. Remember this campaign from the 80’s? It an advertisement paid for by the dairy council! Milk may or may not be good for your body- we’re all different. But that isn’t a catchy slogan that people will recall for decades.

Trident- it’s what 2 out of 3 dentists recommend for their patients who chew gum. Another ad from my childhood. It sounds like dentists are promoting sugar-free gum, right? But I don’t think any dentist suggests chewing gum. They are definitely opposed to sugar-laden gum like good-ole Hubba Bubba, but I can’t see that any are promoting gum itself.

And 2 out of 3? Not out of every dentist, just those surveyed. Do you think that Trident was careful in its selection of dentists to survey? Yeah.

I don’t remember much from my college days, but I took Statistics and the professor spelled out all the different ways you can lie with numbers by carefully crafting statements to reflect the preferred outcome.

We’ve been overtly and covertly influenced by information that is designed to mislead us, to make us feed bad about ourselves, to believe that if we just purchase this or that, all will be well. But capitalism is about selling stuff, not creating wellness, and there’s a heck of a lot more purchasing going on by people who want to be well than by people who are well.

Ok, one more reason I can’t ignore.

Three. Our food supply is full of crap. We tinker with the genetic material of plants in a lab. If that doesn’t freak you out, one of the reasons for this tinkering is to make plants strong enough to survive a chemical pesticide that is so deadly, it would kill the plant otherwise. Then those plants are manufactured into “food”, along with residue of that toxic chemical.

Yum.

Labels are deliberately misleading. Recipes are engineered to be super-addictive so people buy more and more and more.

The whole system is whacked.

If you’re struggling with health despite doing your best, it’s not your fault. Billions of dollars are invested to fool you.

Please don’t despair! That’s not good for your health either. The situation isn’t hopeless. I wouldn’t be writing this post just to leave you feeling depressed.

Reiki can help.

It can help relieve stress, detoxify your body, and amplify your connection to your inner wisdom, clarity, motivation and intuition. Every day it helps me figure out my priorities and move in the direction I want to go.

It’s not your fault that this world is so unhealthy. But if you want to have a different experience than the one you’ve been having, it is your responsibility to do something different. That could mean changing your job, shopping at a farmers market and preparing more of your meals at home, or working with a naturopath.

Or schedule a Reiki session for yourself once or twice each month to build up your life-force energy and manage your stress. You don’t even need to go anywhere- distance treatments can be received from wherever you are with very little effort. Just click a few buttons, share your goals, and sit back to soak it all up.

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Why are so many people unhealthy?

I saw this question raised online last week. A woman was inquiring about the dreadful statistics…
I just loved this TedTalk from The Minimalists! And not because it’s the only TT I’ve ever seen accompanied by pantomime.

The message of simplification speaks to me as a path to healthier living. Compulsive consumption leads to excess stuff which is a distraction at best, highly stressful or downright overwhelming at worst. That’s before we factor in spending, debt, and wastefulness.

They ask questions like, “How might my life be better with less?” and “Does this thing add value to my life?”. I think we’d all be happier and enjoy greater wellness if we asked ourselves these types of things.

The art of letting go seems to be the art of freedom in my eyes. I’m going to start the one thing/day for 30 day challenge today with some old paperwork in my desk. I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me over the next month.

What can you let go of to create more space in your world?

Consume Less, Live More

I just loved this TedTalk from The Minimalists! And not because it’s the only TT I’ve…
The word is getting out about this amazing healing modality and lots of people are curious and eager. I mean, what’s not to like about an infusion of life-force energy that can be directed towards healing any malady or supporting any goal?

Chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, procrastination; developing intuition, patience, compassion, motivation, productivity; releasing stress, anger, grief, resentment; healing old wounds, psoriasis, digestive issues. These are just some of the reasons people come to me.

Taking the first step towards experiencing Reiki can seem daunting to folks. Just like anything new, there might be some hesitance. Often clients come for their first session and say something along the lines of, “I’ve wanted to try this for years and now I finally am.”

If you have a friend, colleague or loved one who fits in this category, consider gifting them with a remote Reiki session. It’s the most wonderful treatment! Folks can stay at home with all their creature comforts. They don’t even have to get dressed or comb their hair or navigate to an unknown place in the rain.

Remote Reiki sessions begin with a phone call to discuss the goals of the session. I’m a compassionate listener and it’s pretty difficult to shock me with statements like: I know it sounds weird, but…

I’ve pretty much heard it all in my 20 years of practice!

So, a brief phone call with a kind person (that’s me!) to clarify the intention. No judgment, no advice, no trying to turn the spotlight back on myself. Many people find this short conversation to be as healing as the treatment itself.

Then we disconnect the call so I can focus on the energetic connection and applying Reiki towards the goals we discussed.

That’s it! There’s nothing that needs to be done other than a willingness to receive the energy. Some people like to light a candle or burn some incense, meditate or listen to soothing music. Others just carry on about their day.

IMO, it’s the simplest, most user-friendly introduction into a brand new world. A world in which the flow of life-force can enhance and support any desire that is in one’s best interest.

Now, if $100 (that’s the minimum as it’s the cost of a session and I think it’s uncool to give a gift that requires the recipient to shell out their own money) is more than you want to spend, there’s nifty feature on the site that allows you to share the cost with others. You’ll see the “Group Gift Card” option on the first page.

A screenshot of the webpage. There are a wide variety of themes to choose from.

And if you’re thinking, wow, that sounds great, I wish someone would gift me a Reiki treatment, now is the time to share this valuable information with your inner circle. You can take the pressure off someone trying to choose the right gift out of an endless sea of possibilities.

If you’ve already received a gift and want to schedule a session, you’ll just need to send me a message. You can have a look at the online calendar to see what’s available if you like, but sadly the system won’t let you schedule it yourself. No worries, I can handle it from my end quickly and easily.

Gifts are easily purchased online and you can even decide when the email notification goes out to recipient. Supply is limited: I only offer as many as I can absorb into my schedule in a timely fashion. I don’t want anyone having to wait for months to experience their gift.

Certificates can be used for any service I offer, including coaching, in-person Reiki and massage. If you’re outside the Philly area, you might like to share with your recipient that you’re gifting them a remote Reiki treatment to avoid any confusion.

Feel free to message me with any questions.

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Reiki Gift Certificates!

The word is getting out about this amazing healing modality and lots of people are curious…
I recently had a chat with my friend’s husband. He said he doesn’t get massages because the relaxation doesn’t last. As soon as he returns to work, the stress is waiting to pounce.

Fair enough! I appreciate honest feedback and it gives me a chance to address an issue that is likely common, but generally unspoken.

First, I want to point out that the health benefits of massage and Reiki remain even after the peaceful feeling wears off. Just like all deposits to your bank account are important, even if that money flows out immediately, so do all deposits to your wellness account help.

I can get nerdy and talk about nervous system regulation, neurochemistry, oxytocin and healing touch. I’ll just say for now that every investment, big or small, towards your health counts.

Second, there are ways that you can plan your session to get the most out of it. Why not set yourself up for success as much as you possibly can? It’s an act of kindness toward yourself to protect the yummy, relaxed sensations that massage and Reiki are famous for.

Here are some ideas:
- If possible, schedule your treatment on a day off or after work. Many of us practitioners have evening and weekend hours. Sure, there is no punching out for parents or caregivers, but do your best to choose a time when you’ll have minimal responsibilities.
- Give yourself some time afterwards so you’re not rushing to your next appointment.
- Leave your phone on silent mode when you leave.
- Avoid the news, emails, and social media for as long as possible.
- Tell your people in advance that you’ll be unavailable for a few hours except for emergencies. Define what an emergency actually is!
- Have a meal prepared, or at least planned, so you’re not wandering the grocery store aisles or the GrubHub menu in a foggy, hungry state.
And if none of that is possible, know that the relaxed feeling is just the tip of the iceberg of the benefits of massage. The majority of the benefits are much more subtle. The reduction of stress chemicals in your bloodstream, the boost to parasympathetic resilience, the increased circulation of the lymphatic system and blood, enhanced assimilation of nutrients, detoxification… I’ll stop there or else we’ll be here all night.

Third, an interesting point is that when you get bodywork on a consistent basis, you’re training your body and mind to relax more easily and quickly. There’s a sort of knowing that happens on an unconscious level for the folks who visit me regularly, that when they step into my office, the magic is already happening. It’s like a Pavlovian response- seeing the massage table triggers the benefits before the actual session begins. Clients frequently comment on this. So much so that I’ve considered adding a “napping” service to my menu so people can take a break from the real world.

Finally, I’ll wrap this up by saying the wellness effects DO last and we can work together so that the tangible effects do too. It’s always wise to engage in stress management. Not to make it miraculously disappear, but because we deserve some support in a stressful world. No treatment is going to erase the stress from our lives, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the moments of relief that are available to us.

If you’re ready to schedule a massage or Reiki session, I’m here to help!

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How to Get the Most Out of Your Healing Session

I recently had a chat with my friend’s husband. He said he doesn’t get massages because…
Managing stress is my number one strategy for being happy, healthy, and creative. It’s my long-term plan for healthy aging and what keeps me sane in a chaotic world.

Let’s start with what I actually mean by “managing” stress. I’m not talking about avoiding it altogether. As if! While I do make targeted efforts to minimize external stressors (by saying no to voluntary tasks that don’t bring me joy and being mindful about the amount of sensory stimulation I expose myself to), it’s not possible to avoid it completely. Certain kinds of stress, such as some challenges and physical exercise are even beneficial.

I’m also not talking about tropical vacations or spa days. These may or may not be helpful in managing stress, but they are too few and far in between to be relied upon. If you experience stress on a daily basis, you need a tool in your back pocket ready to go at all times.

What I am talking about is working with the stress that occurs in your life to prevent the potential damaging effects on your body and psyche. It’s not so much the stress itself that’s the problem, but the way your body instinctively responds to it, specifically via the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn (or the 4 Fs) mechanism. When you get stuck in a perpetual state of hyperawareness and survival, you’ve got all the ingredients necessary for chronic pain, fatigue, tension, anxiety, depression, illness, and burnout.

Why? When your primitive brain perceives a threat, it responds by preparing to run away, attack, hide, or … (insert other survival strategy that would have made sense to a cave dweller, but is not so much helpful to a modern day person) to survive. It deliberately shunts life force energy to the extremities, the heart and lungs, and senses. Digestion, detoxification, cellular repair, elimination, fertility, sexuality, focus, clarity, creativity, and all systems that are not essential in a crisis go offline. It’s not a problem when this happens occasionally, but many of us live in this state of having nearly all our energy usurped for action that never actually occurs.

Learning how to activate your body’s natural antidote to the 4Fs will allow you to experience more ease, vitality, joy, and peace despite outer circumstances. You can learn to become the eye of the hurricane rather than reacting to every dumpster fire that those around you might be starting, fanning, or lamenting. (I’d enjoy having more company here in the eye of the hurricane! There’s plenty of room for you in here.)

Popular culture would have us believe that turning to alcohol, comfort foods or social media is such a remedy. This is a myth. While there’s nothing wrong with mashed potatoes, wine or Instagram, in general, these are tools for distracting ourselves and have absolutely zero impact (make that zero positive impact) on how your body metabolizes stress hormones. They might make you feel better for a quick minute, but the 4Fs remain unchanged.

Instead, I’m inviting you to try something different. Something somewhat radical. Something that will actually help you feel better, not just feel less.
1. Notice. The first step is paying attention to your inner landscape, so that you can recognize when one of the 4Fs gets activated. This means slowing down, tuning in, and developing a relationship with yourself so that you can recognize when the survival urges kick in. I’ve yet to meet anyone who learned this growing up, so it will take a bit of practice. Believe me, having access to this early warning system is immensely beneficial.
2. Breathe. Breathing into your belly and gently extending your exhales sends a signal to the nervous system that you are safe. Adding an audible sigh is even more potent. Unless you’re in a business meeting, that is! Getting fired is unlikely to help your stress level.
3. Shake. This is what animals do in nature, but generally we humans are too self-conscious to allow this impulse to manifest. It might not be appropriate in the situation you find yourself in, but as soon as possible, make your way to a private space, such as the restroom, and shake it out. Start with jazz hands, turn it up, let that movement spread to your arms, into your shoulders, neck and head. Let it flow down into the hips, let your knees jiggle, and and maybe lift and lower your heels, letting them thump on the floor. Keep breathing and keep shaking as long as time allows or until you feel a shift in your body.
Once you’ve turned off the alarm bells, it’s much easier to move to the next stage: prevention. Now that you have a strategy in place for dealing with stress in urgent situations, I’d suggest a follow-up; creating a daily practice to build up your resilience, a preventative strategy to minimize the amount of time you need to recover from an activated 4F situation. There are lots of ways to do this, and the only “right” way is the one that works for you and is enjoyable enough to keep you coming back.

Massage, Reiki, meditation, mantra, yoga and nature are tools that give me tremendous benefit. You might already have some tools ready to go or a list of things in your head that you’ve heard about and would like to try. Once you get out of the chronic survival mode that 21^st century living seems to inspire, you’ll have a much better chance of following through and implementing any plan you make.

If your plate is overflowing and you just want to lie back and receive some nourishment and healing, that’s exactly what I do for my clients. Reiki and gentle massage are both incredible remedies for chronic 4F activation. You could schedule a remote Reiki treatment from anywhere in the world or a Reiki-massage or in-person Reiki in Philadelphia if you’d like some support managing stress and moving beyond survival mode. Or get on the mailing list to be informed about upcoming classes and learn how to heal yourself with Reiki.

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Three Simple Ways to Manage Stress

Managing stress is my number one strategy for being happy, healthy, and creative. It’s my long-term…
A friend recently shared about the new skincare products she was considering to combat the stubborn outbreaks she’d be experiencing. When I expressed my belief that the likely culprit was intense stress due to a major life transition, her response could only be described as “dagger eyes”.

Clearly she knew that she was stressed, teetering on overwhelm. The thought of taking action to manage said stress would only be yet another complication in her already complicated life. Simple tasks like meal planning and laundry were already emotionally draining. There was no more room on her to-do list; even for something that would be of great benefit.

Photo by Mizuno K on Pexels.com

It seemed obvious to me that buying expensive creams would not solve the problem considering that the problem was not a shortage of expensive creams. Her nervous system was overloaded from chronic stress, and sending out a cry for help via her skin. Other folks might get messages from digestive issues, headaches or migraines, insomnia or other symptoms of imbalance. Given that treating stress is my forte, I developed a plan.

Reiki is a brilliant strategy for just this sort of thing. Not only does it relieve stress, tension, and pain, but also saturates the body in healing life-force energy, bolstering whatever systems have become depleted. Even better, it can be performed remotely, eliminating the need to show up for any more appointments. Clients don’t need to even make time in their busy schedules. How cool is that?!

I came up with a plan to offer 30 minute bursts of Reiki on a weekly basis, to be done on my part during working hours, but to be delivered when she was retired for the evening. (Yes, Reiki delivery can be scheduled in advance, just like Grubhub!) I frequently use this strategy to maximize efficacy by setting up the session during a time of maximum receptivity, often after the client has gone to bed.

I created an 8-pack special so she could have consistent treatment over two months. Reversing the effects chronic stress can take time, especially when it is ongoing. It’s like trying to get out of debt without curbing spending; challenging but not impossible. It’s a matter of making more deposits than withdrawals. In this case we’d be making weekly deposits into her life-force energy account.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out and unable to see your way through, a remote Reiki treatment series might be just the thing. It’s like a subscribe-and-save deal for wellness. Contact me to see if your goals are a good match for this program. It’s the most affordable package I offer; 8 treatments for the price of 7. I provide a weekly reminder and an opportunity to amend the session’s intentions. If you can’t or don’t wish to respond, I carry on with the intention we discussed at the beginning of our arrangement. You sit back (or not!) and do nothing but soak up the energy.

Set-it-and-Forget-it Reiki, a strategy for the chaotic modern world. Like many of the special treatments I offer, it was born of necessity. I see a need and a strategy to meet that need organically unfolds. Eight 30-minute remote Reiki sessions, designed to be delivered weekly at the time that suits you best without any effort on your part. $350 if purchased by the end of September 2022.

September Special: Set-it-and-Forget-it Reiki Package

A friend recently shared about the new skincare products she was considering to combat the stubborn…
As I was trying and failing to concentrate this morning, I realized that I was trying, and again failing, to use my willpower to override an emerging antsy-ness. I recognized the warning signs of my sympathetic nervous system activating and the need to intervene if I wanted to focus.

I have a rich and rewarding spiritual practice that nourishes me daily. My toolbox is overflowing with tools (outlined below) that support me on my wellness journey. Yoda himself would be impressed with all the tricks up my sleeve!

Yet, even with all this support, stress seeps through. Naturally empathic, I’ve learned to ground and shield myself every morning and clear my auric field each evening. Still, the collective fear of death, suffering, and loss occasionally affects me. For those who aren’t actively engaged in mitigated the psychological and physiological consequences of these strange times, the impact is even stronger.

Here’s the kicker: stress dampens the immune system. Immune systems are perhaps our most valuable resource, particularly these days. I don’t think it’s possible to avoid stress, but we can manage it and work towards minimizing its effects. Why this is not being shouted from the rooftops is a mystery to me!

I chose one of my favorite strategies to get energy flowing. Movement. Any form that is pleasurable can help. I have a particular affinity for rebounding coupled with electronic swing music. While I was dance-bouncing, this blog post began to emerge, a good sign that concentration and creativity were back online, and my efforts were being rewarded after just a few minutes.

A Reiki chaser really cemented in a delightful state of ease and calmness. Anyone can learn Reiki in a short amount of time and gain lifetime access to infinite healing energy. I have an upcoming online class starting in a few days for anyone who wants to begin a journey of transformation.

Star of Bethlehem, a Bach flower remedy for energetic trauma, was the icing on top. I’m thrilled to have learned over the past two years that it is effective for absorbed trauma as well as the real deal. Plant medicine, including essential oils and herbal teas are a popular go-to in my house for all sorts of ailments.

I was back to my usual self in under 30 minutes.

Here’s a peak at what else resides in my toolbox, including links when possible.

Astrology. Knowing what’s happening in the cosmos and how it affects the collective and personal energies is fantastically helpful information.

Lee Harris provides super-useful energy updates every month that share pointers from the energetic realm.

Nature. Fresh air, trees, and running water are incredibly restorative and great medicine for me and my sanity. This tree-hugger needs to get her boots muddy at least once per week.

Meditation. There are countless forms of this ancient art and something for everybody. In particular, I’ve been enjoying Mindful Self-Compassion practices lately.

Pranayama. An ancient technology for activating body-mind-spirit health. I stumbled upon this gem in yoga classes, which have been a backbone of my wellness routine for almost 30 years.

Mantra. Deva Premal and Krishna Das are a few of my favorite sacred sound vibration purveyors. Simply listening creates a shift in my consciousness. Chanting along is like dynamite for stuck patterns.

Connection with like-minded, open-hearted folks. ‘Nuff said! Even if it’s virtual, the sense of being seen and understood is a tremendous balm.

Laughter. I laugh at myself quite a bit! Sometimes my thoughts are utterly ridiculous. At least I can have some fun while choosing to think differently. Type “funny animal videos” in your search bar if you need to lighten up.

Nutrition. Many, if not most, of those hospitalized with the dreaded virus have similar nutritional deficiencies. I’m aiming to have zero factors in common with these people by using high quality supplements. It’s good to have an expert in your corner, such as a naturopath. Sadly, the medical system is severely lacking in this department.

Understanding trauma’s impact. Peter Levine’s work is relatively accessible to the layperson.

Understanding how the mind works. Rick Hanson’s classes and books are very useful. Thanks to him, I am aware that the mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. Knowing this encourages me to pay extra attention to all the good in my life in order to enhance its effect on my neurochemistry.

Access to inner wisdom and spiritual guidance. Robert Moss and Sonia Choquette each have multiple books and classes that are invaluable for tapping into unseen resources.

Awareness of the power of thoughts and intentions. Louise Hay and Lynn McTaggart. (Forgive me, I’ve run out of patience for adding links! You can easily find all these wonderful people on your own.)

Teachers who have deeply influenced me include Tosha Silver, Caroline Myss, Marianne Williamson, Chameli Ardagh, Sharon Blackie, and Layla Martin. They all have an online presence for easy access.

This is hardly a comprehensive list. I do need to finish my project that got waylaid by the need to counteract the stress response. I really hope something above resonates with you and that you find some ease and calmness in your life by choosing to take action. It’s going to be a long winter, and it doesn’t hurt to have some tricks up your sleeve!

Coping with Ongoing Pandemic Trauma

As I was trying and failing to concentrate this morning, I realized that I was trying,…
Answering for myself, yes! Lately I have been finding myself in frustrating and unproductive thought loops much more than I’d like. Today, a message from Dr. Rick Hanson, neuropsychologist and meditation teacher, turned up in my inbox. Just when I needed it!

If you could use a break from perpetual overthinking, you might enjoy his blog post, Rest Your Weary Head. It’s full of simple, yet powerful tips for breaking the cycle. And if you need the CliffsNotes, just extend your exhales. It’s the easiest way to calm the nervous system down. Long, slow, full exhales are fantastic hacks when you need to bring it down a few notches quickly.

If at all possible, though, I highly recommend checking out his blog. I find his work to be easily accessible (meaning you don’t need a PhD to follow it!) and immensely beneficial. I’ve you’re wanting a more thorough intervention, I very much enjoyed his book, Hardwiring Happiness. A daily meditation practice has contributed greatly to the sense of peace I experience most of the time. It also helps me notice when I’m thinking too much and motivates me to intervene so I can return to the peaceful place. For me, the rewards are definitely worth the investment!

Are You Thinking Too Much?

Answering for myself, yes! Lately I have been finding myself in frustrating and unproductive thought loops…