As a child my best friend for quite a few years was a Tree. We played together for hours and I learned many things. As an adult I am still learning and Trees are still teaching.

18 Sunday Dec 2022
Posted Gratitude
in11 Sunday Dec 2022
52 weeks of Gratitude posts …. starting 3 weeks early …. 55 weeks of Gratitude posts.
This week I am grateful for Prayer. I have been practicing beautiful and powerful forms of prayer since I was a tween. Centering prayer, zikr, chant, sung, danced, and more.
27 Tuesday Sep 2022
Posted About
in25 Wednesday May 2022
Since the late 1990’s I have had some sort of web site(s) or blog(s) hosted on a variety of platforms. To help facilitate this I have collected a massive library of story/post ideas, images and quotes. Below are five (5) of my favorite quotes that express in part who I am.
“Real devotion is an unbroken receptivity to the truth. Real devotion is rooted in an awed and reverent gratitude, but one that is lucid, grounded, and intelligent.” Sogyal Rinpoche
“There must exist a paradigm, a practical model for social change that includes an understanding of ways to transform consciousness that are linked to efforts to transform structures.” Bell Hooks, Killing Rage: Ending Racism.
“Wounding and healing are not opposites. They’re part of the same thing. It is our wounds that enable us to be compassionate with the wounds of others. It is our limitations that make us kind to the limitations of other people. It is our loneliness that helps us to find other people or to even know they’re alone with an illness. I think I have served people perfectly with parts of myself I used to be ashamed of.” Rachel Naomi Remen
“If there is no friendship with the poor and no sharing of the life of the poor, then there is no authentic commitment to liberation, because love exists only among equals.” Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation.
“We only believe those thoughts which have been conceived not in the brain but in the whole body.” W.B. Yeats
06 Thursday Aug 2020
Posted Creativity, Meditation, mindfulness, Wellness
inTags
Mindfulness is a concentrated state of awareness that can help us see and respond to situations with clarity and without getting carried away by emotions or the constant chatter in our heads. Mindfulness enables us to:
· Better manage tension and stress
· Enhance objectivity, mental focus
· Communicate and make decisions more effectively
· Improve productivity
· Quiet’s noise in the mind
Meditation
Meditation is the tool we use to cultivate mindfulness. With meditation, you intentionally pay attention to a particular object as a way to strengthen concentration. There are thousands of meditative techniques: Tai Chi, yoga, focusing on the breath and using a mantra are all examples. People often think that meditating “correctly” means clearing all thought from the mind. This is a myth. The mind never stops thinking – it’s when we get caught up in our thoughts that we lose mindfulness. By witnessing thoughts, allowing them to pass, and returning to your chosen object of focus, you can actually build the muscle of concentration. Think of meditation as a fitness routine for the mind.
Are there other benefits to mindfulness?
In addition to boosting brain power, numerous research studies have shown significant physical benefits including:
· Reduced blood pressure
· Lowered cholesterol levels
· Enhanced immune function
· Reduced headache, migraine, back pain
· Improved respiratory function
Mindfulness does not require a particular set of beliefs in order to learn and practice – it is a quality of mind, accessible and available to all.
Mindfulness allows us to live every moment fully without the filters of bias, judgment or emotional reaction.
Mindfulness helps the body cope with physical challenges such as headaches, back pain and even heart disease.
Mindfulness keeps us from reacting too quickly – it helps increase the gap between impulse and action.
23 Saturday Mar 2019
Posted creative arts therapy
inTags
Creative Arts Therapists are human service professionals that help individuals, families, and groups improve their overall physical and mental health. They apply the principles and techniques of each art form in an effort to improve communications, allow expression of feelings, improve coordination, and increase cognitive and social function. Creative arts therapists sometimes specialize in a single area such as dance and movement therapy, drama therapy, art therapy, music therapy, or poetry therapy. They begin by interviewing patients and consulting other health professional to determine the psychotherapeutic needs of the patient. They then develop and implement a customized creative arts therapy program. They observe patients and maintain accurate records so they can consult with the rest of the therapeutic team, which may include physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, counselors, and teachers. Creative arts therapists work with a variety of patients including those with learning disorders, emotional problems, mental retardation, substance abuse/dependency, and physical disabilities. They may also be called upon to conduct scientific research and teach students and other professionals the latest therapeutic methods.
American Art Therapy Association
American Dance Therapy Association