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- STAYING POSITIVE REGARDLESS - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2018 from Dean FraserSTRESS FREE LIVING EVERY DAY Part of our experience of living on this bluey green planet of ours is that from time to time we all find ourselves feeling either a little or perhaps even rather a lot stressed. If this is going to be just a short-term situation, more often than not it is ...
Views: 16 - Find Your North Star. - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2018 from Rick HansonI did a meditation retreat (at Spirit Rock, wonderful place, including for workshops). One evening as we walked out of the hall after the last sit, I was feeling rattled and discombobulated. (One of the benefits of a retreat - though it can be uncomfortable - is that it stirs up of the sediments ...
Views: 13 - Results of Positive Thinking - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2018 from Aarrron SainiEveryone faces difficulties in life such as loss of job, loss of family member, ill-health, financial crisis etc.; we too would have faced many. But we may not have faced them with a positive thinking, as we usually get trapped into negative thoughts, the moment we come across any difficult ...
Views: 23 - Negative to Positive Mindset - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2018 from Aarrron SainiOur life feels so fulfilling when our mindset is positive, whereas negative thoughts and feelings drag us into suffering. So if our mindset is already negative, we should look at changing it into positive, at the earliest. What can we do to bring about this change? Let’s see… 1.Fight ...
Views: 34 - Why Mental Illnesses Require Attention Even When You Feel Well - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2018 from Brooke ChaplanMany people suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives. For some people, the illness is relatively short-lived, but many people must receive some type of treatment for their mental illness for many long years or even for the rest of their lives. Some people may be inclined to stop ...
Views: 51 - Cling Less, Love More - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2018 from Rick HansonAs a rock climber and a parent, I know some physical kinds of clinging are good - like to small holds or small hands! But clinging as a psychological state has a feeling of tension in it, and drivenness, insistence, obsession, or compulsion. As experiences flow through the mind - seeing, ...
Views: 59 - "Can We Ever Be 'Too Much'" - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2018 from Barry and Joyce VissellAt our recent retreat in Assisi, Italy, besides visiting powerful spiritual places, our group entered into an atmosphere of deep healing. Sometimes Joyce and I have the opportunity not only to lead the retreat, but also to participate in some of the exercises for our own continual healing, which ...
Views: 44 - Positive Thinking – The Key to Absolute Bliss - by Submitted on Oct 30, 2018 from Aarrron SainiThere are many situations in life like ill-health, loss of job, lack of money, relationship issues, bringing up children, lack of appreciation or motivation at the office or home, harsh weather, car breakdown, heavy traffic and many more. How do we deal with such situations in our daily life? ...
Views: 68 - Pay Attention. - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2018 from Rick HansonMoment to moment, the flows of thoughts and feelings, sensations and desires, and conscious and unconscious processes sculpt your nervous system like water gradually carving furrows and eventually gullies on a hillside. Your brain is continually changing its structure. The only question is: Is ...
Views: 45 - This Strange Journey of Aging - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2018 from Nicole AI'm in my late twenties, and that feels strange to write. For so long, I was the youngest everywhere I went. The youngest in my classes, the youngest in my workplace, the youngest of all my friends. I've always been told that I'm mature for my age. That I'm "wise beyond my years." That I was ...
Views: 57 - ***Staying Positive in a Negative World - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2018 from Judi MoreoWhen the nightly news is filled with the major tragedies of today, it is very hard to stay positive and upbeat. Even if these terrible things weren’t done to us or to someone we love, they still affect us. They are all around us. They are being done to people who are like us, who have ...
Views: 70 - Leave the Red Zone. - by Submitted on Oct 22, 2018 from Rick HansonThere I was recently, my mind darting in different directions about projects in process, frazzled about little tasks backing up, uneasy about a tax record from 2010 we couldn’t find, feeling irritated about being irritable, hurrying to get to work, body keyed up, internal sense of pressure. Not ...
Views: 49 - JUPITER IN SAGITTARIUS: The Kingdom of Heaven is Within the Heart of the World - by Submitted on Oct 18, 2018 from joan pancoeTo view in your browser and see all the images and activate all the links CLICK HERE: http://joanpancoe.com/page-newsletter-details.php?nl=130 “There’s no situation in which you can be without a partner. If you have no human partner, then the whole of phenomenal reality is your partner.” ...
Views: 129 - How can i avoid negativity - by Submitted on Oct 18, 2018 from Aarrron SainiNegative thoughts take away all the good and happiness that we experience in our daily life. The negative things that the intellect shows is actually of no use to us. Highlighted below are few of the ways to combat the negativity that may arise in you: 1.Drive out the Negative ...
Views: 83 - Be Benevolent. - by Submitted on Oct 15, 2018 from Rick HansonBenevolence is a fancy word that means something simple: good intentions toward living beings, including oneself. This goodwill is present in warmth, friendliness, compassion, ordinary decency, fair play, kindness, altruism, generosity, and love. The benevolent heart leans toward others; it ...
Views: 68 - Top Tips for Caring for Your Mental Well-Being - by Submitted on Oct 11, 2018 from Pie chanGenerally speaking, the phrase mental well-being describes how well a person can cope with his or her everyday life. Caring for your mental well-being is possibly the most important thing you can do. A positive mental well-being can make you feel safer in your own body and help you to make ...
Views: 165(1 vote) - Make The Offering. - by Submitted on Oct 08, 2018 from Rick HansonOne of the strangest and most meaningful experiences of my life occurred when I going through Rolfing (ten brilliant sessions of deep-tissue bodywork) in my early 20's. The fifth session works on the stomach area, and I was anticipating (= dreading) the release of buried sadness. Instead, there ...
Views: 78 - Don't Beat Yourself Up - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2018 from Rick HansonThe previous JOT - admit fault and move on - was about our relationship with other people. This JOT applies the same practice to ourselves. Most people know their less than wonderful qualities, such as too much ambition (or too little), a weakness for wine or cookies, something of a temper, ...
Views: 70 - Admit Fault and Move On. - by Submitted on Sep 26, 2018 from Rick HansonHave you ever watched two people quarrel, or otherwise be stuck in a conflict with each other? Usually, if either or both of them simply acknowledged one or more things, that would end the fight. Recall a time someone mistreated you, let you down, dropped the ball, made an error, spoke ...
Views: 82 - Cultivating Good Sleep Hygiene - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2018 from Pax TandonGet rid of any electronics or devices in the bedroom. It’s meant for two things: sleeping and sexing (I said sexing, not sexting). When you allow too much of the outside world into the bedroom, distractions infiltrate the sacred space meant solely for rest, relaxation, and procreation. Shut ...
Views: 108 - Be The Body. - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2018 from Rick HansonAs a kid, I was really out of touch with my body. I hardly noticed it most of the time, and when I did, I prodded it like a mule to do a better job of hauling "me" - the head - around. This approach helped me soldier through some tough times. But there were costs. Many pleasures were numbed, ...
Views: 82 - Getting Help: 3 Ways Therapy Can Keep You out of Trouble - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2018 from Brooke ChaplanWhen you break a bone or become ill, most people wouldn’t think twice about going to see a doctor. When it comes to trauma or other mental health issues, however, there seems to still be a great deal of shame that surrounds the idea of seeking out the help of a counselor, therapist or other ...
Views: 116 - Back to Basics. - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2018 from Rick HansonIn middle school, I thought it would be cool to play a musical instrument and picked the clarinet. My wise parents rented one rather than buying it, and I started practicing. (In the garage because it sounded pretty screechy.) After a week or two of doing scales, I got bored and picked my way ...
Views: 95 - Caught in a Thought - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2018 from Sheryl PaulA coaching client recently shared the following (shared here with her permission): A few weeks ago, I found myself obsessively thinking about a situation with a friend of mine – someone to whom I’ve given my power for many years. I was completely caught by this theme and I couldn’t get out ...
Views: 153 - Know You're a Good Person. - by Submitted on Sep 04, 2018 from Rick HansonFor many of us, perhaps the hardest thing of all is to believe that "I am a good person." We can climb mountains, work hard, acquire many skills, act ethically - but truly feel that one is good deep down? Nah! We end up not feeling like a good person in a number of ways. For example, I once ...
Views: 111 - Whose Feelings Are You Responsible For - Yours or Others? - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2018 from Margaret PaulDo you believe you are responsible for causing others' anger, hurt, sadness or anxiety? Is this causing you to feel guilty? "My wife is so upset that I have to travel more on my new job," Chuck told me in our phone counseling session. "She feels so alone and lost when I'm gone. When I talk ...
Views: 227 - Feed The Wolf Of Love. - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2018 from Rick HansonI once heard a Native American teaching story in which an elder, a grandmother, was asked what she had done to become so happy, so wise, so loved and respected. She replied: "It's because I know that there are two wolves in my heart, a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. And I know that everything ...
Views: 104 - Seven reasons to stop being a doormat! - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2018 from Lynda HudsonPeople may be taking advantage of your good nature But perhaps you are letting them do it! Maybe you are too ready to say ‘yes’ when people ask you to do something even when it isn’t what you want. Or even when it is really inconvenient. You may begin to feel very resentful after a ...
Views: 186 - Drop Tart Tone. - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2018 from Rick HansonTone matters. I remember times I felt frazzled or aggravated and then said something with an edge to it that just wasn't necessary or useful. Sometimes it was the words themselves: such as absolutes like "never" or always," or over-the-top phrases like "you're such a flake" or "that was ...
Views: 106 - Lower The Pressure. - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2018 from Rick HansonThings come at us with so much urgency and demand these days. Phones ring, texts buzz, emails pile up, new balls have to be juggled, work days lengthen and move into evenings and weekends, traffic gets denser, financial demands feel like a knife at the neck, ads and news clamor for attention, ...
Views: 111 - See Beings, Not Bodies. - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2018 from Rick HansonWhen we encounter someone, usually the mind automatically slots the person into a category: man, woman, your friend Tom, the kid next door, etc. Watch this happen in your own mind as you meet or talk with a co-worker, salesclerk, or family member. In effect, the mind summarizes and simplifies ...
Views: 129 - Step Into The Cloud. - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2018 from Rick HansonI had a lightbulb moment recently: I was feeling stressed about all the stuff I had to do (you probably know the feeling). After this went on for a while, I stepped back and kind of watched my mind, and could see that I was thinking of these various tasks as things, like big rocks that were ...
Views: 129 - Positive Health Effects of Having a Garden - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2018 from Ronald WolfThere is no greater way to combine a complete body workout, get mental tranquility and produce nutritional products for your dinner table than to do gardening. By having your little private green heaven, you will not only reap what you've sowed but also you will have a chance to blend in with ...
Views: 139 - Love The World. - by Submitted on Jul 23, 2018 from Rick HansonYour brain evolved in three stages (to simplify a complex process): Reptile - Brainstem, focused on AVOIDING harm Mammal - Limbic system, focused on APPROACHING rewards Primate - Cortex, focused on ATTACHING to "us" With a fun use (to me, at least) of animal themes, the first JOT ...
Views: 153 - Hug The Monkey. - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2018 from Rick HansonTo simplify a complex process spanning 600 million years, your brain developed in ways that are loosely related to three major stages of vertebrate evolution: Reptile - Brainstem, focused on avoiding harms Mammal - Subcortex, focused on approaching rewards Primate/human – Neocortex, ...
Views: 164 - Feed the Mouse. - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2018 from Rick HansonGot cheese? The Practice: Feed the mouse. Why? As the nervous system evolved, your brain developed in three stages: Reptile - Brainstem, focused on avoiding harm Mammal - Subcortex, focused on approaching rewards Primate/human – Neocortex, focused on attaching to ...
Views: 171 - 3 Tips for Better Connections - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2018 from Daydree HornerRelationships are built on many things, one of which is communication. Love is the easy part, as my mom would say. It’s easy to fall in love. But how do we stay in love? How do we remain happy together? And, how do we handle the bumps of life and yet, continue on the road? Staying connected can ...
Views: 238 - Pet the Lizard. - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2018 from Rick HansonI've always liked lizards. Growing up in the outskirts of Los Angeles, I played in the foothills near our home. Sometimes I'd catch a lizard and stroke its belly, so it would relax in my hands, seeming to feel at ease. In my early 20's, I found a lizard one chilly morning in the mountains. ...
Views: 183 - 3 Ways to Make Check-Ups Easier on Your Pets and Vets - by Submitted on Jun 27, 2018 from Brooke ChaplanTaking your pet for a veterinarian checkup should not result in all-out war between you and your pet, or the pet and vet. A routine exam or vaccination visit should go smoothly for everyone involved. However, if your pet balks at going to the vet, here are a few tips that may help. Schedule ...
Views: 693 - Empty the Cup - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2018 from Rick HansonOnce upon a time, a scholar came to visit a saint. After the scholar had been orating and propounding for a while, the saint proposed some tea. She slowly filled the scholar's cup: gradually the tea rose to the very brim and began spilling over onto the table, yet she kept pouring and pouring. ...
Views: 216 - Are you making this HUGE happiness mistake? - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2018 from Martha BodyfeltI thought my world had ended back in January. I had this job and career that made me comfortable and paid well. It was not necessarily a job that I loved, but it made me feel secure and gave me the validation that I thought I needed. Until I was laid off. I started to panic, because ...
Views: 200 - Remember The Big Things. - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2018 from Rick HansonIn every life, reminders arrive about what's really important. I’ve received some myself, as I’m sure you have, too. Perhaps it was news of a potentially serious health problem, the death of a loved one, or an accident that could have turned fatal. These are uncomfortably concrete message ...
Views: 167 - Backbone Power | Newsletter Sign Up - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2018 from Dr. Anne BrownSUBSCRIBE TO GET THE LATEST BLOG POSTS, NEWS, & MORE UPDATES FROM DR. ANNE BROWN. http://backbonepower.com/newsletter-signup Dr. Anne Brown, PhD, RN of Sausalito, California, formerly from Aspen, Colorado in her private practice has served as the trusted advocate and advisor to Influential ...
Views: 570(1 vote) - Making This Summer Your Best Summer - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2018 from Nicole ASummer has always been my favorite season. I grew up on the beach, and summer entailed long days in the ocean followed by long evenings on my bike. To me, summer is synonymous with both a sense of freedom and a sense of hope and possibility. Always another adventure, another barbecue, another ...
Views: 242 - HOW TO DEAL WITH THOUGHTS LEADING TO NOUGHT - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2018 from Dean FraserOccasionally we all get those moments when we feel a little sorry for ourselves or that the world is not always quite so fair. Happens to all of us, certainly has done to me and I am sure it is the same for you as well. Having the odd moments of Thoughts Leading to Nought are part and parcel of ...
Views: 230 - Rest. - by Submitted on Jun 12, 2018 from Rick HansonThis practice is definitely a case of teaching what you need to learn: I've been working through a big bucket of tasks lately with little chance to rest. (I console myself with knowing that the bucket is emptying a lot faster than it's filling with new tasks.) Sometimes you can really feel ...
Views: 163 - Relax, You’ve Arrived - by Submitted on Jun 04, 2018 from Rick HansonWe spend so much of our time trying to get somewhere. Part of this comes from our biological nature. To survive, animals – including us – have to be goal-directed, leaning into the future. It’s certainly healthy to pursue wholesome aims, like paying the rent on time, raising children well, ...
Views: 168 - Why Are We Obsessed With Perfectionism? - by Submitted on May 31, 2018 from Irving SchattnerMerriam-Webster dictionary defines perfectionism as “the setting of unrealistically demanding goals accompanied by a disposition to regard failure to achieve them as unacceptable and a sign of personal worthlessness. You may want to ask yourself if your goals are so unreachable as to cause ...
Views: 206 - Are you over programmed in life? - by Submitted on May 30, 2018 from Joan Marie WhelanAre you one of those people who have made so many commitments that you are having a hard time keeping them? You have compromised your health and sacrificed your family life because you had a strong need to help others. You are a leader in your community, but you fail your family. So how do ...
Views: 253 - See Your Part. - by Submitted on May 28, 2018 from Rick HansonIn situations or relationships with any kind of difficulty - tension, feeling hurt, conflicts, mismatches of wants . . . the usual crud - it's natural to focus on what others have done that's problematic. This could be useful for a while: it can energize you, bring insight into what the real ...
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