(Thoughts from an ally – Intro/Pt. 1) The first chapter of Genesis (B’reshit in Hebrew) written on an egg in the Israel Museum. ** Caveat Emptor: This post is for those interested in re-thinking the “God wants you to keep yourself pure” message of the (predominantly) Christian Purity Culture. It’s a post about Spiritual Trauma, and thus a…
Recently, I read Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, by Kate Manne, Ph.D. If you think you have room to criticize Simone Biles, I refer you to both Manne’s exceptionally rigorous treatment of the commoditization and dehumanization of women, and to the slightly less academic, yet equally astute decision tree below. The notion that anyone…
“My boy. My beautiful boy.” It’s the last line from Naima Coster’s novel, What’s Mine and Yours. It’s a line full of angst and irony, a mother deeply and inexorably in love with her adult son, who has made a complete mess of his life and relationships. First, this book is simply fantastic! But beyond the…
Here is a marvelous article from Huffington Post – What Therapists Tell Patients Who Are Anxious About Coronavirus
Oh, my – yes! The Centers for Disease Control conducted a famous study on Adverse Childhood Experiences, which demonstrated clear links between such experiences (from the categories of Abuse, Neglect and Family Dysfunction) and problematic behavior, as well as negative physical and mental health problems. The good news, though, is that trauma-informed therapy and practices (like…
A great article on the impact of strong maternal behavior (licking) from rat mommas. The implications for EMDR, especially the Pre-Verbal Trauma protocols produced by Sandra Paulsen, are fascinating to consider. I LOVE neurobiology and the brain’s (even DNA’s) capacity to heal. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/rats/
Here’s one of my best memories – feeding apples to Greater One-Horned Rhinos at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Any time I think of this moment, I simply can’t keep myself from smiling. It was such a sweet thing to see these huge beasts act so gently and socially with my daughter and me….
Breathing is at the core of our lives, and because it is automatic, we so seldom give breathing the place it deserves in our thoughts. Yet, think of how often the breath invades our everyday, and not so everyday language… Breath takes on spiritual dimensions and importance in so many walks of faith. “The breath of…
It doesn’t take a whole new routine to instill a dose of joy into your day—it’s about embracing the whole picture. 1. Practicing Gratitude as a Key Part of Life. Research shows, grateful people are happy people. It’s also important to understand that happiness is not the absence of negative feelings. Gratitude is a focus…
