Practices for Recovering Resilience
The Perils of Being Co-Opted
I still receive weekly physical therapy for my shoulder fracture last winter; a blessing to still be regaining range of motion and flexibility. Most of the costs are covered through my HMO health insurance and Medicare – definitely a blessing. I thoroughly enjoy working with my physical therapist; we share a love of swimming and […]
“I Have the Power to Make Wise Choices”
5-year old Darien had already learned the mindfulness exercise of “I have the power to make wise choices” through the Inner Explorer program at his school. One day, frustrated by another student and angry, he picked up a box of toys to throw it at the other child. His teacher watched him as he scrunched […]
Awe and Ache
Awe and ache – one of those examples of the yin-yang of the human condition, these days, in all days. The fullness of one always containing the seed of the other. Gratitude and grief is another example – dive deep enough into gratitude for what is; there will come grief for its eventual, inevitable loss. […]
Resilience Beyond the Personal Self
Arguably, the most important lesson from the recent (and continuing!) global pandemic was how deeply inter-connected everyone on our planet is to everyone else. The tragic losses of the pandemic weren’t rooted in nationalism or racism or classism, nor in gender, sexual preference, or ability/disability. (Though the devastating impacts varied from country to country, among […]
The Privilege of Innocence
The phrase “the privilege of innocence” bubbled up in my mind last week, about the high cost in integrity and intention of simply not knowing, and the utter necessity of “staying woke” once we do know. I can know that 1 in 5 residents on my own county doesn’t always know where their next meal […]
If No One Shows Up, We Can Help Each Other
I was early for my physical therapy appointment last week; receptionist and practitioners hadn’t yet arrived. When someone else waiting in the lobby said, “I guess if no one shows up, we can help each other,” I was struck by how universally applicable that sentiment was. If we trip and fall on the sidewalk (why […]
From Fear and Fragility to Serenity and Strength
Among the many offerings these days to help people re-emerge from the pandemic and find their way to hope, joy, and ease in their world again, my own upcoming Cultivating Resilience with Compassion, Clarity, and Courage may be particularly relevant and life-giving right now. The two-day training (July 31-August 1, 2021; 10am-1pmPDT each day) addresses […]
I Worried, I Grieved, and Then I Sang
My friend Doug von Koss, an excellent poet in his own right, would teach in his workshops that it was truly a good practice to read a poem every morning at breakfast, vitamins for the heart and soul. Here’s a double dose of vitamins: I came upon Mary Oliver’s poem as the opening poem in […]
No Bad Parts
I believe it was Maya Angelou who said if you can’t find the book you want to read, write it yourself. At the time I heard her (or someone) say that, I was wanting to have a book about resilience that I could hand my clients and say, “Here, this will be really helpful.” I […]
Renew Your Energy for Recovering Your Resilience
I want to alert you to a special training coming up on Cultivating Resilience with Compassion, Clarity, and Courage, July 31-August 1, 2021. We all may be a little pooped out from coping with more than a year of sheltering from a global pandemic. We may be a little Zoomed out from connecting with […]