Tools for Living

As of Wednesday afternoon, May 27th, 2020 the United States has experienced the loss of 100,000 people due to Covid-19. Communities have lost mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, spouses and even children. Families are shattered, and many of the dying have had to breathe their one last breath a

"I find that if you walk, you start to integrate things. You might walk out with a problem, but as you walk, you come into a solution. You just get a different perspective. Walking is very powerful." Julia Cameron Set aside a half hour for yourself to go for a walk. Head out the door and walk for tw

Story-telling is an important part of self development. To construct a story of our life is to make meaning of it.To compose memory, emotion and internal experience as well as autobiographical facts into a story helps us to become who we are. Story-telling is taught in school very early: in pre-scho

When your body detects a threat, your autonomic nervous system sounds like an alarm telling you something is wrong. The amygdala, an area of the brain involved with emotions, memory, and survival instincts, is activated like a gas pedal hitting the floor. Stress hormones are automatically released,

“Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.”~Rumi People can often feel awkward expressing gratitude. However, being able to say thank you to others nicely is a strong social skill, a skill that is well worth cultivating, a skill you need. We si

The energy and vitality of body, mind and spirit are continuously affected by the energy around us: weather, the environment, daily news, violence and challenges, the moods and struggles of our family and friends, the negative or angry energy in groups. Learning how to be present to ourselves and ot

David Richo, in his book Shadow Dance writes, “The shadow is everything about ourselves that we do not know or refuse to know, both dark and light. It is the sum total of the positive and negative traits, feelings, beliefs, and potentials that we refuse to identify as our own.” David Richo from his

"When we form heart-centered beliefs within our bodies, in the language of physics we’re creating the electrical and magnetic expression of them as waves of energy, which aren’t confined to our hearts or limited by the physical barrier of our skin and bones. So clearly we’re speaking to the world ar

Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep. Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while

Switching • Sit comfortably and breathe deeply. • Cross your left ankle over your right ankle. • Extend your hands forward and turn your hands over so that the thumbs are directed toward the ground. Cross your right hand over the left hand and interlace your fingers. • With interlaced fingers touch

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system and is one of the most important nerves in the body. The vagus nerve helps to regulate many critical aspects of human physiology, including the heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, digestion. It tells the brain what’s going on in

When we cultivate our emotional intelligence and self-awareness. When we develop the ability to regulate our emotions that are ever so often unruly and life-diminishing, and transcend our rigid defense mechanisms. We can manifest our innate life-enhancing attributes in our families, work, and societ

Drawing is one of the effective ways to release feelings and connect with inner wisdom. Drawing can be a way to let go of the energy blocked in the mind and the body without having to use words to name inner experiences. Children and youth, in particular, can benefit from drawing their feelings and