I know sometimes life feels overwhelming or painful or dull or just flat out unenjoyable. So let me start by saying that gratitude is not about putting on rose-colored glasses and pretending life is perfect and all of our needs are met and we’re just so lucky, and we shouldn’t complain because other peoples lives are harder, etc. etc. Doesn’t that feel more like gaslighting than gratitude?
Gratitude is not about covering up the hard stuff. It’s about orienting towards what’s good…
Read MoreThis weekend, I’m going to a memorial service for my beloved mother-in-law, Sylvia Kurth. She died last April and I am still missing her like crazy. Not just missing her, but missing my experience of myself with her. She was a person who would naturally and with total ease, shine a light on your goodness. She was generous with her support, with her acknowledgements and with her spirit. And she made a point of letting you know exactly how wonderful she thought you were. She embodied the sanskrit word, “mudita” - taking absolute delight in the light and accomplishments of others - and she embodied gratitude…
Read MoreYour are safer than you think!
Another key to nervous system regulation is cultivating calm - hence, the name of the course:)
Moving into a state of calm requires that we feel safe. We all need a "safe space" - a place where we can relax, let down our guard and feel restored. But this requires that we are safe - not just rationally/cognitively but physically and emotionally.
Read MoreThis is one of the underlying messages of Cultivating Calm and Connection: 30 Days To Rewire Your Nervous System. and if I haven’t mentioned this yet, I am beyond excited to offer this 30 day intensive to rewire our nervous systems and grow states of calm, connection and self-compassion!
Embodying that understanding - that you are not alone - is an essential part of feeling safe in the world. And when we feel safe in the world, we're able to follow our curiosity, our lives expand and so much more is possible.
One of the most direct ways to calm your nervous system, and get grounded and present, is to feel connected and supported.
Read MoreI'm at it again so if you missed it last April, here's your chance to jump in!
I’ve channeled my deepening mission to help all people feel safe and supported into a 30-day intensive that is wholly focused on supporting a healthy nervous system and the experience of calm and connection that comes with it. Here’s what you’ll learn….
Read MoreA few important questions:
Where do you go to feel held, nourished, supported and protected?
Where do you go to take a deep breath?
Do you have a place in the world where all of your fears, worries, and disturbances are held at bay?
For some of us, that's a special place in nature, seemingly far away from the demands of life, for others, it's our favorite reading chair where we escape into other adventures and sometimes, it's in the arms of a loved one. We all need a "safe space"….
You may have noticed that I've been talking a lot about cultivating states of calm and connection these days.
In times of stress, this is essential.
The most direct way to regulate your nervous system - in other words, to get out of fight/flight/freeze and into rest/digest - is to pay attention to all of the ways you are both safe and connected. And when we are worried (about the state of the world, our health, our jobs - take your pick) or feeling alone (isolated, separated from our family, friends, and communities - i.e. pandemic life) we are more likely to become dysregulated. Enter fight/flight/freeze.
As I watch the news in Ukraine unfold, I’m aware of a tightness in my chest, and butterflies in my belly. When I imagine what the Ukrainian people are going through, I feel the physiological sensations of fear creep in and distress and suffering arises in my body and mind. Empathy, the felt sense of someone else's suffering leaves me uncomfortable, afraid and deeply worried. While I’m not in any danger myself, my nervous system responds as though I am.
When I’m able to notice this, I can reorient.
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