…d the almost unbearable beauty of life around us, along with its troubles… We can either be lost in a smaller state of consciousness — what in Buddhist psychology is called the ‘body of fear,’ which brings suffering to us and to others — or we can bring the quality of love and appreciation, which I would call gratitude, to life.”…
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…ation of the amygdala (within emotional center of the brain that registers fear), and with Mindfulness, we increase our Middle Pre Frontal Cortex functions, one of which is our ability to respond versus react. My response was to take a deep breath and begin again, and in fact, the experience allowed me to write from truth, to walk my talk, and helped me to write from the reality of experience versus abstract notions. (There was possibility in the…
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…at is fueled by love of yourself versus one that is based on rejection and fear of who you have become. What is Mindfulness? Simply, it is the non-judgmental awareness of the present moment. Sounds pretty basic right? But how, in the middle of strong emotion or circumstances that seem unjust, relationship struggles, physical disease, pain, both emotional and within our bodies, can we develop Mindfulness? Let’s break it down. Non-judgmental: we are…
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…this process we may experience many emotions, such as sadness, confusion, fear, guilt, hopelessness and so much more. These feelings will vary in intensity according to the nature of the relationship, and ways in which we process our feelings. As for the lack of support you are experiencing, the recovery community is designed to be a place of refuge, growth, and connection without judgment. Do you feel like you had specific expectations and someo…
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…r things are good or things are bad…. You can motivate yourself not out of fear of being inadequate, but because you care about yourself.” Instead of condemning yourself, ask what you’re learning and what you can do to reach your goals, while taking care of you. How Self-Care Is Not Selfish Some people grow up with the idea that self-care is selfish. But taking care of yourself first is important, especially if you are dedicated to taking care of…
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…f. “My father’s method of upbringing had saddled me with a general load of fear, weakness and self-contempt.” As an adult, Kafka was haunted by his father’s hostile and impatient presence in his mind. The American writer and poet, Robert Bly, gave voice to similar sentiments in his poem, “My Father’s Wedding 1924”, “…his skin was bark-like then, made rough to repel the sympathy he longer for, refused, and didn’t need.” These descriptions are repre…
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…and often, for much of her days. As she wrote down and acknowledged these fears, she began to deal with them on a conscious and “feeling” level. Alleviating her fear of the anxiety in itself helped this woman to take control of her sleep disorder. Through dedication and bravery, she was able to overcome a problem that had plagued her for decades. This is not to say that carefully used and professionally monitored medications are not of value. It…
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…elebrate encourages our children to pursue their next aspiration. Often we fear the distress, despair or tantrums that our children express and we must endure when they are unhappy. Challenges avoided or never faced put the child at risk for being vulnerable, insecure, defensive, fearful, or confused. Mindful parenting that considers the growing edge of our child’s development, like a good coach does when training an athlete, facilitates resilienc…
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…how she is and allowing her to open up about her thoughts, impressions and fears. In general, many of our children’s emotions get overlooked, as we tend to pay more attention to how they are behaving than how they are feeling. By maintaining an awareness of our children’s psychological state and keeping in mind the following parenting principles, we can become more attuned to our children and learn ways to raise an emotionally healthy child. – Don…
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…alized negative self-concept. It is understandable that most people have a fear of change, uncertainty, and the unfamiliar. It takes a good deal of courage to live without our customary defenses and the certainty of knowing who we are, even if the definition is negative. However, we have found that people can become accustomed to continual change; in the process, they become more interested in finding themselves rather than defining themselves in…
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