Who would you be if nothing was wrong?  This is a question I ask myself from time to time.  It’s a therapeutic question I drop in there from time to time because my habitual thinking tendency is to look for what’s wrong - it’s a way I survived.  It’s a way I made sure to keep track of anything that could go wrong, so I could get away from it or fix it or protect myself in some way if I needed to.

If you didn't see my first post from last week titled, "Fight for Me", go back and start there. This is the second part of that where we'll dig deeper into how to identify what you are feeling and why. We'll start with the following questions. 

I want to hear your stories!  I’m creating an online video series to assist facilitators in learning how to help people with trauma feel welcome and able to learn.  

Despite the best intentions and kindest hearts, intuition isn’t enough. The more people can learn how to create safer space for EVERYONE, the more people can LIVE CONNECTED in their hearts, bodies and interpersonally.

This series will be for all types of facilitators of groups and 1:1 sessions (I.e. massage therapists, workshop leaders, meditation teachers, yoga teachers, therapists, coaches, breathwork facilitators, and the list goes ON).
 

Are you feeling lost for WHICH DANG PRACTICE TO CHOOSE?  Lately I’ve been feeling all of these shoulds on my shoulders and, with such a huge basket of tools and practices, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with choice because they’re ALL SO GOOD.  Which, in turn, leaves me wanting to do nothing besides pace around my house shuffling papers around to see if I can get ORGANIZED! Cause, if I can get everything organized, everything will feel in control, right?!  NOPE.
 

• Do you find yourself often focusing on what's wrong or what's missing?  
• Do you get stuck in anxiety and sadness, feeling weighed down by patterns of negative thoughts?

We can use our minds to create new experiences that include more ease, peace, contentment and even happiness.  In this video, I introduce Rick Hanson's amazing work on neural plasticity and using our minds to change our brains with a very simple and easy process that can be used just a few minutes here and there throughout your day.

• Could you use some spacious time to come back to your heart?
• Are you stuck in your head and not feeling very connected to your body?
• Have you been bombarded by criticism, judgment and shame?

This 26-minute spacious guided audio practice offers simple instruction in mindfulness meditation and includes offering loving-kindness (Metta in Pali) for yourself.  It has been said to be an antidote for fear, hatred and greed.  A protection from all those negative, critical and judgmental thoughts the mind creates.

• Got a mind full of shame and blame and judgment?  
• Are you down on yourself because you can't get yourself to stop being so hard on yourself and others?
• Focusing on what's wrong all the time?

Guess what??? You're not stuck like this. You're not broken. Mindfulness and self-compassion offers a sustainable path towards creating more space inside yourself to feel a little more gentle, accepting and even FREE from being taken out by these heavy moments with yourself.  

I offer this talk as an easy process to practice being in a new way with yourself. It's 13-minutes. Got some time to sit down, put aside any distractions and ponder this with me? If so...  here it is...