Blog
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The Courage to Feel Fear
How often do you avoid new experiences because you feel worried or afraid that something might go wrong? We have all had the experience of thinking, “I wish I had…” Fear of failure, fear of being noticed, fear of being successful…whatever holds you back, the fearful anticipation of a potentially negative situation prevents you from…
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What Triggers Anxiety and How to Heal It
The fearful, stressed state known as anxiety can be triggered by our thoughts and emotional reactions to events, as well as by food, environment, and medications. It takes the form of emotional and physical tension, fearful thoughts, and often, avoidance of life situations. However, anxiety is not an all-or-nothing condition; there are different types, activated…
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Do Dreams Really Have Meaning?
For centuries, people have theorized and speculated about what causes dreaming and what role dreams play in our lives. You may take a spiritual approach and feel that dreams are messages from our visits to other realms. Or you may have a more practical viewpoint and believe that they reveal messages from our own subconscious…
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Finding Your Treasure Under the Responsibilities
Our lives are busy, full of commitments, responsibilities, schedules and roles. Many of us are on the run from early morning to late at night, with little awareness of our own physical, mental or emotional needs. We have responsibilities to our loved ones: children’s school and activities, aging parents needing attention and care, urgent situations…
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What Does It Mean to Be an Introvert?
We each interact with other people in different ways. We may enjoy being in groups of people (an extrovert tendency), or we may feel more comfortable in solitude (an introvert tendency). These two tendencies are opposite ends of a range of personality styles, and you may fall anywhere in that range. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator…
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What Does it Mean to be Emotionally Flexible?
What happens when things don’t go as expected? How do you handle disagreements or conflict? Are you interested in other people’s opinions? Do you have a set way to do things that does not vary? Emotional flexibility (or adaptability) is the capacity to adjust your reactions to the environment at hand. Your life is constantly…
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“Earthing” as a Healing Tool
Our being contains mind, body and soul, and some believe the earth is a living being with mind, body and soul as well. Think about this: Both the earth and your body are made up of about 70% water. Most of our mass contains the same elements that the earth contains. Our lungs allow us…
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Resolutions or Intentions?
Our culture often stresses the value of making “resolutions” for the new year, a to-do list of “do” and “don’t” for our lives. We suggest a slightly different approach. As the end of the year approaches, many people go within, seeking peace, healing, and understanding. Rather than resolving to do or not do something, set…
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What Is Your Love Language?
At the root of many relationship misunderstandings is the use of different “love languages,” how you express love to another. For some, physical affection is their love language; for others, doing chores or buying gifts may be their way. Consider your childhood. Most of us learned from our caregivers how love was expressed, and that…
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Managing Grief at Holiday Time
We often hold an image at the end of the year of gatherings of family and friends, laughter and sharing, warmth and love. While these images may hold true for some families, for those with a recent loss the holiday season can be especially painful. The holiday season is not always full of joy and…
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How to Avoid Past Relationship Mistakes
It is rare to find a couple who connect quickly and carry on with a healthy, happy relationship. Most of us carry some baggage from childhood, family relationships, or past romantic relationships which can affect how we show up in a new relationship. That baggage is both neurological and emotional. Current research seems to indicate…
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The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study
Last month I wrote about the effects of childhood trauma on the autoimmune system. This month, I will go a bit more in-depth and look at the results of a major study of more than 17,000 people, beginning in 1995, to study reasons why obese patients found it challenging to lose weight – the results…