Use Your Triggers to Do Something Beneficial for You AND Your Nervous System I am excited to resume my conversations with Trauma Awareness activist, Shay Seaborne in which we talk about many and varied aspects of stress, trauma and neuroscience, and how the Alexander Technique has enabled her to put key concepts into practice in her…
Chronic stress is the source of considerable emotional and mental distress. Left unchecked, stress will manifest as physical illness in the body. In fact, stress is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Mindfulness and meditation, inspired by stress quotes, can significantly reduce stress, for a healthier, happier life. May the following quotes about stress…
What is an open heart? The Practice: Put no one out of your heart. Why? We all know people who are, ah, . . . challenging. It could be a critical parent, a bossy supervisor, a relative who has you walking on eggshells, a nice but flaky friend, a co-worker who just doesn’t like you,…
I get this question all the time: “How do I create better boundaries?” Clients who come to me are searching for strategies and systems that they can implement to ditch the overwhelm of all the to-do’s and commitments that are on their plate. They want to waste less time, become better at time management, and…
Have you ever fallen asleep in class? There’s no need to be ashamed about dozing off in class. It is actually a natural phenomenon. Studies have shown that people can only stay completely focused on something for a maximum of 10 minutes. Unfortunately, most classes last longer (often waaaay longer) than 10 minutes. In addition,…
In the growing constellation of wellness practices—from mindfulness meditation and somatic therapy to breathwork and digital detoxes—Bijal Shah’s work offers a quiet, luminous star: bibliotherapy. Shah is the founder of Book Therapy, a speaker and commentator on mental health, and the author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading, a new book that weaves together…
The idea of being conscious of your own breathing and just letting it happen seems like a paradox. This is the conundrum one of the participants in my recent Guided Constructive Rest session presented me with. And she wanted to know what to do about it. I know what she means. When I first tried…
In the midst of work, school, family, and relationships, it can be hard to remember exactly where we fit into our own lives. We can often become so occupied with everything and everyone else, that we sometimes forget to find joy in life’s simplest pleasures. However, our lives are so much more than what we…
In a world that frequently assesses our value based on external factors like appearance, achievements, and social status, many of us live disconnected from our inherent self-worth. The truth is that no matter what you possess, look like, or achieve, you are unconditionally worthy of all the good things that life has to offer. Independent…
Some years ago, I was doing some contractual work for a small company and found myself in an extremely stressful situation that went on for several months. I experienced weekly excruciatingly harsh feedback sessions from my employer. There’d be a nod to something I was doing well for a minute at the beginning, followed by…