Blog
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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…
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A Link Between Trauma and Autoimmune Disorders
A recent New York Times article explores a study on a link between Lupus and stress. One of the authors of the study, Andrea Roberts, is a research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Roberts explains, “There is a lot of research showing that mental health, stress and trauma affect physical…
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Don’t Let Fear Win – How to Stand Strong
It can be tempting to turn away when faced with seemingly overwhelming challenges. But there is great power and transformation when you find the courage to stand strong in the face of fear and anxiety. I am not referring to the kind of immediate fear generated by a crisis, but instead of the kind of…
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How to Silence Your Inner Critic
We all know that there is a great deal of discord between individuals with different lifestyles and beliefs. It is easy to become stuck in our perspectives about the world and how we and others should live our lives. In doing so, we lose our connections with a greater truth, and how we can be…
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Breathing Practices for Calm
No matter how stable or grounded you are, there will no doubt be times in your life when you feel stressed, anxious, or upset. At times like this, your breathing becomes shallow (or you may even unconsciously hold your breath), and there is an increased release of stress hormones in the body. Your chest may…