barb crosses her arms and raises her voice, “you never take out the trash!” harry sighs and says, “i really should stop worrying about this.” raj keeps on playing his computer game and grunts, “sure!” what do these three have in common? barb, harry and raj find themselves in an uncomfortable situation, and they use… Continue reading 5 ways to better communication
Category: emotional health
thank you, body
a poem written in the early 1990’s, at a time of being very ungrounded and spaced out: oh body, bloodfilled one, redeem my soul redeem my burning, ashen soul please turn me inside out rescue me, body, from my thoughts. please, hands, please, wake me up let me fall prey to sensing sharper glass and… Continue reading thank you, body
attracted to the law of attraction
are you attracted to the law of attraction? everyone seems to be talking about the movie the secret lately, and the law of attraction. are you one of them? if so, i wonder whether you’d like to
valentine’s day – a day of germination
valentine’s day, similar to groundhog day, the celtic imbolc and the carnival festivities in western europe, is a celebration that heralds the slowly awakening forces of spring. it’s still cold and nasty outside but we can all feel that stirring deep down, we all know that the seeds in the ground are starting to send… Continue reading valentine’s day – a day of germination
chinese love poetry
to celebrate chinese new year these two days before valentine’s day, and to continue this series of articles about love, let us enjoy chinese poet kuan tao-sheng’s words about love in married life. she lived from 1262 to 1319 but her words are timeless: you and i have so much love, that it burns like… Continue reading chinese love poetry
going to a place that is love
over the next few days, as we are approaching valentine’s day, let’s talk about love. here is an excerpt of what ram dass in his book the only dance there is says about being in love: love and consciousness are one and the same thing. as you get into a higher state of consciousness you… Continue reading going to a place that is love
understanding expectations
the other day someone said that i was a picky eater. this was after telling them that i can’t have any dairy products in the morning – it gives me bad cramps. i was hurt that i was called picky and defended myself by saying that it wasn’t that i was rejecting their food, or… Continue reading understanding expectations
journaling: a dialogue
how can you best use a journal to help you with self-discovery and healing? one method that moves people forward is the self-parenting program developed by dr. john pollard. the idea is to write out dialogues between your inner child and your inner parent. it starts out with a few weeks of a very scripted… Continue reading journaling: a dialogue
the first step
i’ve been interested in the 12 steps for almost as long as i’ve been a counsellor – 15 years now. what first attracted me to them was their fierce commitment to honesty and being real, to be humble, and to follow an ethical and spiritual way of life. the 12 steps came originally from alcoholics… Continue reading the first step
illness? normal? i just want to feel good.
“isn’t even negative thinking a mental illness? so we all have some form of mental illness.” that was michelle’s comment on the vote for mental health posting. mental illness. what is that? let’s say illness is a deviation from normal functioning and well-being. so then the question is – what is normal? “normal” is entirely… Continue reading illness? normal? i just want to feel good.