Mindfulness
Gratitude Goulash
[apropos of the sustenance offered by gratitude in a time of loss and uncertainty, from Gratitude Goulash that figured prominently in the coping with the mis-adventures of two weeks ago [see Thanksgiving Day post: Giving Thanks – for Losses and Lessons] :] TRUE NORTH That other compass you bought in the city is no good […]
Hope While Rebuilding
[apropos of last week’s Resourcing, Reframing, and Rebuilding post, this poem arrived in my inbox within moments of completing that post. Such synchronicity!] The Gates of Hope Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of Hope— Not the prudent gates of Optimism, Which are somewhat narrower Not the stalwart, boring gates of Common […]
Gaining Perspective When the World Goes Off-Kilter
Right after 9/11, I got some sage advice from my meditation teacher James Baraz about how to cope with the sudden shock of so much loss and devastation in a world gone crazy with hatred and fear. Just as wise and timely today for coping with the ongoing disasters in our world, natural and unnatural. […]
Mindful Parenting in a Messy World
INTRO I’ve spent more than 20 years as a licensed marriage and family therapist helping scores of parents become better parents and hundreds of people recover from the less-than-optimal parenting they had received. What a delight to discover Mindful Parenting in a Messy World, Michelle Gale’s deftly delightful exploration of “living with presence and parenting […]
Not Power Over Others, But Power Over Self
(This week’s quotes are the third in a series following up on three Resources for Recovering Resilience posts on shifting out of the mindsets of the drama triangle of victim, rescuer, persecutor. This week’s quotes focus on the positive empowerment of self to stand up to the power-over of others.) You cannot control what happens […]
Choosing to Choose
(The second in a series of Weekly Quotes following up on the series of three Resources for Recovering Resilience posts on shifting out of the mindsets of the drama triangle of victim, rescuer, persecutor. This week’s quotes focus on the power of choice to shift one’s mindset, shift one’s life.) Catch the moment; make a […]
The Triangle of Victim, Rescuer, Persecutor – What It Is and How to Get Out.
Stephen Karpman, M.D., developed his “drama triangle” – victim, rescuer, persecutor – almost 40 years ago, and I find it’s just as relevant – and just as new to many people – as it was 40 years ago. Even if you don’t spend much time yourself playing any of these three roles – you probably […]
Judy Collins treated her depression
Even in the busiest of lives, a few precious moments of meditation can have a profound and lasting effect. Take some time for yourself today, and ponder the wisdom of the ages about meditation.) You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes a day, unless you are too busy – then you should sit for […]
Our Practice Is Essential to Dealing Skillfully with Disappointments, Difficulties, even Disasters
To meditate means to go home to yourself. Then you know how to take care of the things that are happening inside you, and you know how to take care of the things that happen around you. – Thich Nhat Hanh The mindfulness we practice on our cushion in the morning is the same mindfulness we […]
Sure-Fire Practices to Free Yourself from Your Inner Critic
In teaching people resources and practices for recovering resilience, I often teach that there is no more powerful a derailer of that resilience than the shaming of our inner critic, and that there is no more powerful protocol for healing the pain and suffering inflicted by the inner critic than practices of mindfulness and self-compassion. […]