Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!
~William Arthur Ward~
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
Intentions & Resolutions.....
T''s the last friday of 2012. In a couple of days a new year begins. I feel like this year has flown by so quickly - almost like the blink of an eye. Yet if I actually take the time to really note down significant milestones as well as things that on the surface may not be so significant, i find that i have so much to be blessed about and grown so much as a result of all these experiences.
Every new years' eve, my husband and i will do a writing piece on the year in review( or he lists rather) and after doing that, we will write out our resolutions. We follow this by reading it out loud to each other - mine is usually a monologue, but the act of reading out loud what we wrote is very powerful. This ritual is very important to me because it gets me to remember what may have passed and help me move forward to what is to come. It gets me to understand where I am in this place on earth, and analyze for me my vision for the future. It sets the tone, the intention for coming year.
The key word here is intention - our intentions guide us towards our resolutions - but our intentions are often clouded by our emotions and a writing ritual often helps overcome our clouded judegment. AN example - if our resolution for the coming year is to lose weight - which for many of us it is is - it is not enough to simply state I want to lose weight this year - it has to be specific - i intend on exercising more and eating healthy in the coming year - writing out the plan helps because it allows us to actually visualize what we intend to do in the coming year. Another resolution - is make more money - it is not enough to simply state - I want to make more money - there has to be an intention of some sort - i plan on creating more opportunities for financial gains by ......xyz.....
. I remember last year when i made my resolutions, i was very specific with what i wanted for myself in the coming year - i had done an inventory of what i felt was lacking for me spiritually, materially, personally and also how i felt fulfilled in those areas and doing that consciously made me be more aware of what i want for myself this year....i haven't done my year end this year but as i sit and write about it, i am amazed at all that i intended to do for myself was accomplished and even more - so i can't speak enough of the power of intention and how intention can drive our thoughts, our visualization and our path. Another piece here is that it is not just enough to set out ur plans for the year ahead but it is also importnat to list how and the supports we will use to get us through. We are not alone and if we know how to ask for help, the right kind of guidance comes to us when we ask....all we have to do is learn how to ask for that help ---and figure out people in our lives who are supportive - it could be a stranger to a family member to a co worker - identifying them is key.
Writing out the resolution helps you visualize what you intend to happen and reading it out loud helps you internalize the resolution sort of like an affirmation.
One may aske why do a year in review? A year in review whether you do it in list form or you do it in narrative form and reading it out loud is that we can really see how blessed we all are in the simple ways. Yes from a global perspective this has been an intense year filled with all sorts of natural and man made catastrophes. But in the middle of it all if we look at our lives individually and list it out we really see how blessed we are- it can start with the simple fact that we woke up this morning with a roof over our heads and being warm with food in our stomachs and our families by our side. It can even start with being unemployed for over a year and still managing to keep the sanity and the smile and accept what may come ...the lesson of that is acceptance...or perserverence. It can start with someone breaking free from a relaitonship that is hurtful and harmful and even though being alone can be very difficult - being free is even more liberating....it can start with families not talking to each other and how at the end of the year u see that they can still be in the same room with each other for the sake of their children. It can start with starting a new job and waking up everyday not knowing whether you are going to be laid of or no and keeping your positivity regardless of that....all these are lessons ----lessons to make us grow - they may not be measured in terms of outcomes. For those that like lists - make a column - Highlights & Challenges and list out in each column things that came up - look at lessons learned, look at blessings....write it out...
Sometimes the act of writing out a year in review puts things in persepctive for us -it allows us to look at our lives from a hawks point of view and we begin to see that nothing is really insignificant. Every little thing leads us closer to our goal, our idea of where we want to be in our lives and it is a shame if we fail to realize that as the years fly in front of us.&- but they are the baby steps that teach us how to really live.
So as the new year approaches take the time to reflect and renew for the year to come ahead. Some ideas to put for you...
- This year for me was....
- For the coming year I intend on
- For the more creative ones do a vision board - you can even do it with your kids - i love collaging and i do it with my son - have them cut out images that are appealing to them and to you and paste it on a board - for the younger ones it is more a fun activity - but for you - i ask you to imagine the life you want for yourself and have that image in the version of a vision board in front of you--everymorning look at that poster/board....see what happens with it....
-pick an affirmation that will get you through 2013...a prayer....anything that in the midst of that chaotic/emotional/unbalanced moment, you have a mantra to go to that will center you.....
And above all a happy healthy, peaceful, joyful, love-filled, abundance-filled new year.....
 |
| allnaturalme.com |
Every new years' eve, my husband and i will do a writing piece on the year in review( or he lists rather) and after doing that, we will write out our resolutions. We follow this by reading it out loud to each other - mine is usually a monologue, but the act of reading out loud what we wrote is very powerful. This ritual is very important to me because it gets me to remember what may have passed and help me move forward to what is to come. It gets me to understand where I am in this place on earth, and analyze for me my vision for the future. It sets the tone, the intention for coming year.
The key word here is intention - our intentions guide us towards our resolutions - but our intentions are often clouded by our emotions and a writing ritual often helps overcome our clouded judegment. AN example - if our resolution for the coming year is to lose weight - which for many of us it is is - it is not enough to simply state I want to lose weight this year - it has to be specific - i intend on exercising more and eating healthy in the coming year - writing out the plan helps because it allows us to actually visualize what we intend to do in the coming year. Another resolution - is make more money - it is not enough to simply state - I want to make more money - there has to be an intention of some sort - i plan on creating more opportunities for financial gains by ......xyz.....
. I remember last year when i made my resolutions, i was very specific with what i wanted for myself in the coming year - i had done an inventory of what i felt was lacking for me spiritually, materially, personally and also how i felt fulfilled in those areas and doing that consciously made me be more aware of what i want for myself this year....i haven't done my year end this year but as i sit and write about it, i am amazed at all that i intended to do for myself was accomplished and even more - so i can't speak enough of the power of intention and how intention can drive our thoughts, our visualization and our path. Another piece here is that it is not just enough to set out ur plans for the year ahead but it is also importnat to list how and the supports we will use to get us through. We are not alone and if we know how to ask for help, the right kind of guidance comes to us when we ask....all we have to do is learn how to ask for that help ---and figure out people in our lives who are supportive - it could be a stranger to a family member to a co worker - identifying them is key.
Writing out the resolution helps you visualize what you intend to happen and reading it out loud helps you internalize the resolution sort of like an affirmation.
One may aske why do a year in review? A year in review whether you do it in list form or you do it in narrative form and reading it out loud is that we can really see how blessed we all are in the simple ways. Yes from a global perspective this has been an intense year filled with all sorts of natural and man made catastrophes. But in the middle of it all if we look at our lives individually and list it out we really see how blessed we are- it can start with the simple fact that we woke up this morning with a roof over our heads and being warm with food in our stomachs and our families by our side. It can even start with being unemployed for over a year and still managing to keep the sanity and the smile and accept what may come ...the lesson of that is acceptance...or perserverence. It can start with someone breaking free from a relaitonship that is hurtful and harmful and even though being alone can be very difficult - being free is even more liberating....it can start with families not talking to each other and how at the end of the year u see that they can still be in the same room with each other for the sake of their children. It can start with starting a new job and waking up everyday not knowing whether you are going to be laid of or no and keeping your positivity regardless of that....all these are lessons ----lessons to make us grow - they may not be measured in terms of outcomes. For those that like lists - make a column - Highlights & Challenges and list out in each column things that came up - look at lessons learned, look at blessings....write it out...
 |
| dave.rowley.com |
So as the new year approaches take the time to reflect and renew for the year to come ahead. Some ideas to put for you...
- This year for me was....
- For the coming year I intend on
- For the more creative ones do a vision board - you can even do it with your kids - i love collaging and i do it with my son - have them cut out images that are appealing to them and to you and paste it on a board - for the younger ones it is more a fun activity - but for you - i ask you to imagine the life you want for yourself and have that image in the version of a vision board in front of you--everymorning look at that poster/board....see what happens with it....
-pick an affirmation that will get you through 2013...a prayer....anything that in the midst of that chaotic/emotional/unbalanced moment, you have a mantra to go to that will center you.....
And above all a happy healthy, peaceful, joyful, love-filled, abundance-filled new year.....
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Reflections on the Sandy Hook Tragedy ---words cannot describe what emotions ran through me as I heard the horrid news. How could somebody do this-is what ran through my mind? those poor kids, and those teachers - how scary it must have been for anyone at that scene. I felt goosebumps on my skin - and even though silence and prayer was the only thing i felt i could do at that time, deep inside me there was a push, a pull to do something more.
My son who is five could have been in that school. Everyday I drop him off, and I pray that he is okay in school and is given the strength to face whatever life puts in front of him, but not once did i imagine that there is a strong possibility that he too could have been one of those children - and that is a hard thing to digest. A very difficult thing to digest. So it got me thinking--what do we do with our children? How do we teach our children to still "BELIEVE" and be realistic about life. There are so many things that we as parents in this day and age have to do that our parents may or may not have done. For example - sexual abuse - how many of our parents talked to us about "GOOD TOUCH/BAD TOUCH?" Today, as a parent, i am forced to at a very young age to teach my son about that, to teach him how to yell for "HELP" if there are strangers out there and to be honest about social issues without instilling a sense of fear in him.
Do we then let them lose their innocence at such a young age - they say kids grow up too fast - they know so much more now than they did back then -but part of it is because of technology, because of the media, because of an EVENT like this or 9/11 or hurricane sandy that will make each one of us in our own way wake up and say we need to find a way to take care of our kids and find a way to protect them in some way. It's our way of feeling in control and trying to make sense of a senseless world. The reality is that all this is around us, but we still can make them BELIEVE.
So today's post is not so much about journaling, but it is about us as humans - to not take each day for granted - The Hindu scriptures always tell us again and again that this human birth has been given to us for a special purpose- we need to make use of that purpose, to realize our true purpose on earth and how we can contribute to making it a better place - not working to destroy it....AND that when tragedies like this happen, it is a call to the human spirit - it is almost like a soul crying out -and as a society i feel that we are crying out for help -
So while yes - there needs to be better systemic changes in our society - as individuals we need to be conscious of our thoughts, our behaviors, our patterns - if each one of us worked on that - collectively think about how much of an impact we can make. Our thoughts need to be positive - we need to send that positive energy out - because as I see it - there will be more tragedies - this is just one of them -don't get me wrong - it was horrific- but so was columbine, so was arizona. -----and if we don't begin with our selves now, as a society things will continue to deteriorate. They say kindness spreads - love spreads- smiles spreads - the power of love can change people - why not focus on those things instead - the ripple effects will be enormous.
lets' start with our children - lets' start with our selves -
They say affirmations and the power of positive self talk works wonders - lets do that for ourselves as we wake up in the morning - choose one affirmation - for the day - and repeat it to yourself throughout the day - write about that and slowly you will see small changes in your lives.
Every day we have a choice no matter how bad our situation is - to be happy - lets choose that today regardless of our circumstance and lets spread that to those around us.
My son who is five could have been in that school. Everyday I drop him off, and I pray that he is okay in school and is given the strength to face whatever life puts in front of him, but not once did i imagine that there is a strong possibility that he too could have been one of those children - and that is a hard thing to digest. A very difficult thing to digest. So it got me thinking--what do we do with our children? How do we teach our children to still "BELIEVE" and be realistic about life. There are so many things that we as parents in this day and age have to do that our parents may or may not have done. For example - sexual abuse - how many of our parents talked to us about "GOOD TOUCH/BAD TOUCH?" Today, as a parent, i am forced to at a very young age to teach my son about that, to teach him how to yell for "HELP" if there are strangers out there and to be honest about social issues without instilling a sense of fear in him.
Do we then let them lose their innocence at such a young age - they say kids grow up too fast - they know so much more now than they did back then -but part of it is because of technology, because of the media, because of an EVENT like this or 9/11 or hurricane sandy that will make each one of us in our own way wake up and say we need to find a way to take care of our kids and find a way to protect them in some way. It's our way of feeling in control and trying to make sense of a senseless world. The reality is that all this is around us, but we still can make them BELIEVE.
So today's post is not so much about journaling, but it is about us as humans - to not take each day for granted - The Hindu scriptures always tell us again and again that this human birth has been given to us for a special purpose- we need to make use of that purpose, to realize our true purpose on earth and how we can contribute to making it a better place - not working to destroy it....AND that when tragedies like this happen, it is a call to the human spirit - it is almost like a soul crying out -and as a society i feel that we are crying out for help -
So while yes - there needs to be better systemic changes in our society - as individuals we need to be conscious of our thoughts, our behaviors, our patterns - if each one of us worked on that - collectively think about how much of an impact we can make. Our thoughts need to be positive - we need to send that positive energy out - because as I see it - there will be more tragedies - this is just one of them -don't get me wrong - it was horrific- but so was columbine, so was arizona. -----and if we don't begin with our selves now, as a society things will continue to deteriorate. They say kindness spreads - love spreads- smiles spreads - the power of love can change people - why not focus on those things instead - the ripple effects will be enormous.
lets' start with our children - lets' start with our selves -
They say affirmations and the power of positive self talk works wonders - lets do that for ourselves as we wake up in the morning - choose one affirmation - for the day - and repeat it to yourself throughout the day - write about that and slowly you will see small changes in your lives.
Every day we have a choice no matter how bad our situation is - to be happy - lets choose that today regardless of our circumstance and lets spread that to those around us.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
A Psychotherapists' perspective on journaling....
Entering into therapy is the conscious act of an individual to face change and begin the healing process. Similar to journaling, it is making the time to talk about undoing habits, making positive change, and accomplishing goals. Today’s piece revolves around the combination of Journaling and Therapy from a psychotherapist’s point of view.
Noelia Rosado, LCSW, began her private practice in 2008. She specializes in working with Teenagers and Adults in various areas – from depression, to anxiety, to parenting issues, Sexual Abuse an Domestic Violence and Trauma. Something unique to her practice is providing journals to her clients at the onset of therapy. She states that "clients often hold onto therapy like a cane or a clutch" – combined with therapy, journaling helps someone develop their own tools and helps them come up with their answers.
Below is an interview with Ms. Rosado on the benefits of journaling.
What made you begin incorporating journaling into your practice?
Clients are only with me for 45 minutes a week, but life happens and continues to outside of therapy. They have their journals 24 hours a day. The journal is like their toolkit. Something they can go back to, something they can use in a moment of confusion, something they can use for clarity.
Within the first three sessions, all my clients will get their own journal. Sometimes, they may be reluctant, but I tell them, that Journaling is anything they want them to be, anything that shares who they are. There is no prior writing experience that someone needs, but more so making the time to do it. I think most of my clients will see the benefit, but the hardest part is making and finding the time to journal.
What are some benefits of journaling to assist in depression?
Can you give me some examples of writing exercises that you do with your clients?
It can be helpful only if you stop writing about how depressed you are. Writing about things you look forward to, goal setting, positive self-talk, all those things can help with alleviating symptoms of depression when used with journaling
Can you give me some examples of writing exercises that you do with your clients?
- A letter to someone who is deceased
- 3 goals with specific dates and time you want to accomplish those goals.
- Positive Talk on an everyday basis.
- Writing for 10 minutes straight...and then reading out loud.
- Writing for 10 minutes straight...and then reading out loud.
Each client is on a case by case basis. I tell them that journaling is there for them to keep track of your thought process. Often times in therapy, clients may feel stuck and feel that they are not getting anywhere. But accompanied with journaling, they can monitor their words, they can see where they were, and where they are now. An example – an exercise I use is have the clients write for 10 minutes straight and often will have them read out loud what they have written. Often before beginning the exercise, they may not see the benefit or even after completing the exercise, they may feel that what they have written may be insignificant. However, I encourage the act of reading out loud what they have written. Reading out loud lets you see YOUR growth, your words, see where you were, and where you are now. Processing aloud what has been written can show the benefits and progress made.
Other benefits of journaling that you would like to add…
Sometimes we can get so confused and often writing about the issue, it may not appear “big” anymore. IT may be big in our minds, but writing it out, one can grasp the issue, put your hands on it. For those that are reluctant to try it, I would say JUST DO IT!!! You are never going to know if something works for you until you try it. You have to give it a chance :)
For more information on Ms. Rosado's practice see link below...
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
3riversepiscopal.blogspot.com
I have been thinking alot about the word "Forgiveness." What does it really mean to forgive? As humans are we really capable of forgiving "the wrong" that has been done to us. We go through life holding onto it on many levels- sometimes we think we have really forgiven, only to be triggered by something else to bring back the grudge that we hold. The grudge we hold is resentment and in this resentment - we are held back on so many levels from being the person we are capable of being. This is no way saying that the actual act is excusable, however holding onto that act- whatever it may be -can create life long issues for us in many areas of our lives.
What if we could be all that we really imagine ourselves to be? What if we take that time to really sit down and say to ourselves - Who am I ? Am i where i want to be in life - spiritually, physically, emotionally? What if we look and see that there are certain expereinces that keep repeating itself in various ways and those experiences hold us back from being our true selves. Sometimes those experiences are the cause of the resentment we hold - subconcsiously or consciously. Writing down what we really want to be and what prevents us from that is key to letting go.
My definition of Forgiveness is accepting what occured to us without judgement and blame so that i could move on to higher levels and planes. What is yours? How would you define Forgiveness.
Oftentimes we think we have let go - we think we have really forgiven the person, but an event can trigger the whole experience, the feelings, the anger, the resentment to resurface all over again, often clouding our judgement and preventing us from really viewing a situation for what it is. How do we move beyond that? Anyone in a relationship that was based on infidelity, to business transactions that are based on mistrust, to family disputes that often leave longlasting scars -all these mark us and hold us down if we hold onto to them and keep on brooding of the wrong that has been done. Yes, the wrong was done, but in order to move forward, we need to ask ourselves - what can we learn from it? What can that teach us about ourselves? And how can i not repeat that again? It is also coming face to face with the truth and accepting Our truth whatever is without judgment.
One of the fathers of research on the benefits of journaling is James W. Pennebaker, PhD. Here is an excerpt from his book, Discovering the Secret Life of the Most Forgettable Words:
“We began running experiments where people were asked to write about traumatic experiences for 15 to 20 minutes a day for three or four consecutive days. Compared to people who were told to write about non-emotional topics, those who wrote about trauma evidenced improved physical health. Later studies found that emotional writing boosted immune function, brought about drops in blood pressure, and reduced feelings of depression and elevated daily moods. While the effects are often modest, the mere act of translating emotional upheaval into words is consistenly associated with improvements in physical and mental health. http://www.utexas.edu/features/2005/writing/
A wrong act that has been commtted to us can be traumatic - and leave long lasting impressions on us that mark us for life. Writing about that event can help in releasing that mark. I will say that it is important to seek professional help for more serious symptoms as a result of a trauma and journaling can be in addition to that. Meditation also works wonders as do massage and exercise amongst others.
For those who have tried writing and feels like it doesn't help, perhaps the approach to writing and the prompts need to change. For some having open ended writing prompts works fine, whereas for others having it more contained with structured writing exercises help.
Some exercises that I have found helpful:
-Write a letter to your past self—the self that went through the loss or trauma—from your today self. What would you say to comfort her? What advice would you give? Offer your past self the acceptance and love that s/he needs.
-If you’ve suffered as a result of someone else’s actions, write about the event from his or her perspective. What was his/her background and what was going on in his life at the time? What does forgiving another person mean, and what would it take for you to forgive him or her?
-Write for twenty minutes, beginning with, "If that hadn't happened, I..." ...whatever comes up allow it to come and allow yourself to write about it.
- Write only what you can handle at this moment. Don't worry about grammar.
- Journaling a Dialogue with the person can also be extremely helpful. Write down a dialogue with the person noting the experience, the feelings, -the dialgoue is probably one of the most healing tools there are and often times you may have to do this more than once.
There was a beautiful article I read recently on Forgiveness - although there was no mention to journaling -it was a beautiful piece and hit the heart - so i wanted to share with you. http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=354..
If you have specific questions related to each of these exercises, please do not hesitate to email me.....
Happy Journaling:)
verybestquotes.com
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Writing our way through physical ailments.....
This weekend marked 11 years that my father passed away due to lung cancer. Co-incidently, my sister found a journal of his that he kept during during his illness. During that time, i had completed Julia Cameron's The Artists' Way - actually both me and my sister worked on it together, and part of the process was writing 3 full pages every morning when we woke up. http://juliacameronlive.com/the-artists-way/. During that time, my father was undergoing chemotherapy and coming to terms with his illness - on many levels - physical changes, the reality of his mortality, and more than anything learning to accept/understand himself and let go of the past. I am a firm believer that stress if uncontained can have multitude effects on the body and i believe that although he was a smoker, he led a very stressful life - emotinally and physically ....Holding all these issues in one's body while still struggling to fight the disease can have consequences on spirit/body and so we suggested that he also start the morning pages -more so to help him move through all these issues. 11 years later, reading these pages, i have no doubt in my mind that writing out his physical processes helped his body/mind/soul come to terms with the inevitable and his passing was more peaceful and less painful.....
So today's post is about writing and its benefits on your physical ailments ---whether it be a headache, lower back pain, recurrent fevers, a terminal illness - whatever it may be - the origin is in stress, and writing out the pain helps one discover the real source of the disorder. I can imagine people saying to me -"I'm in pain, i don't want to write about it." and i really don't want to go there...it's too painful..." My answer to those who don't want to go there is this - "Don't avoid it, because sooner or later it will catch up with you."....I cannot emphasize that enough!!!. Studies have shown that people who write about their traumatic experiences feel better overall and visit doctors less frequently. Just like eating an apple has such wonderful health benefits, similarly, picking up a pen and paper or even typing on your computer for a couple of minutes a day could have tremendous health benefits. Below are some exercises that I have found particularly helpful to me and i would like to share with you:
1. Make a chronological history of your health - and be specific to the pain - make a note of incidences, illness, injury, or difficulty, and treatment options including alternative/natural and medications. It is important to gain a picture of the origins and understand your body in order to help it.
2. Move your direction of writing inward ---understand that your body is reacting to something internally and it is important to dialogue that with your body. Pick a part of your body - your head, your chest, ur back that is in discomfort and begin with the following sentence "MY Head Feels __________ ...u can keep it simple by having one word answers or you can let yourself go in sentence format ......then the next sentence will be - My Head wants to say...........and again you can give short one word answers or sentence format......lastly, Today I was aware of ........
2. Just like the process in progressive muscle relaxation one tenses and relaxes muscles in our body as part of stress management, similarly, one can do a journaling exercise similar to that.....Tense and relax your muscles starting with your toes feet, legs, stomach, shoulders, neck, face, eyes and as you relax, begin a five minute writing piece with the following heading "My feet are ........" You can start with your feet or your head...whatever it is and just let yourself write out what u are feeling......And at the end "Ask yourself - How Am i Feeling right now?
3. Just like people keep a food log, similarly keeping a pain log - jotting down the frequency of the pain, the intensity, after/before meals, if there are any triggers can also help. http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/headache-diary
4 For those on the artistic side -close your eyes and try to visualize an image of your illness/pain....and now try to have a dialogue with that illness....this takes longer - at least 30 minutes --so you need to keep time aside for that.....
For those of you putting this off, i urge you to try one of these exercises on a daily basis....it's good for the soul:)
This weekend marked 11 years that my father passed away due to lung cancer. Co-incidently, my sister found a journal of his that he kept during during his illness. During that time, i had completed Julia Cameron's The Artists' Way - actually both me and my sister worked on it together, and part of the process was writing 3 full pages every morning when we woke up. http://juliacameronlive.com/the-artists-way/. During that time, my father was undergoing chemotherapy and coming to terms with his illness - on many levels - physical changes, the reality of his mortality, and more than anything learning to accept/understand himself and let go of the past. I am a firm believer that stress if uncontained can have multitude effects on the body and i believe that although he was a smoker, he led a very stressful life - emotinally and physically ....Holding all these issues in one's body while still struggling to fight the disease can have consequences on spirit/body and so we suggested that he also start the morning pages -more so to help him move through all these issues. 11 years later, reading these pages, i have no doubt in my mind that writing out his physical processes helped his body/mind/soul come to terms with the inevitable and his passing was more peaceful and less painful.....
So today's post is about writing and its benefits on your physical ailments ---whether it be a headache, lower back pain, recurrent fevers, a terminal illness - whatever it may be - the origin is in stress, and writing out the pain helps one discover the real source of the disorder. I can imagine people saying to me -"I'm in pain, i don't want to write about it." and i really don't want to go there...it's too painful..." My answer to those who don't want to go there is this - "Don't avoid it, because sooner or later it will catch up with you."....I cannot emphasize that enough!!!. Studies have shown that people who write about their traumatic experiences feel better overall and visit doctors less frequently. Just like eating an apple has such wonderful health benefits, similarly, picking up a pen and paper or even typing on your computer for a couple of minutes a day could have tremendous health benefits. Below are some exercises that I have found particularly helpful to me and i would like to share with you:
1. Make a chronological history of your health - and be specific to the pain - make a note of incidences, illness, injury, or difficulty, and treatment options including alternative/natural and medications. It is important to gain a picture of the origins and understand your body in order to help it.
2. Move your direction of writing inward ---understand that your body is reacting to something internally and it is important to dialogue that with your body. Pick a part of your body - your head, your chest, ur back that is in discomfort and begin with the following sentence "MY Head Feels __________ ...u can keep it simple by having one word answers or you can let yourself go in sentence format ......then the next sentence will be - My Head wants to say...........and again you can give short one word answers or sentence format......lastly, Today I was aware of ........
2. Just like the process in progressive muscle relaxation one tenses and relaxes muscles in our body as part of stress management, similarly, one can do a journaling exercise similar to that.....Tense and relax your muscles starting with your toes feet, legs, stomach, shoulders, neck, face, eyes and as you relax, begin a five minute writing piece with the following heading "My feet are ........" You can start with your feet or your head...whatever it is and just let yourself write out what u are feeling......And at the end "Ask yourself - How Am i Feeling right now?
3. Just like people keep a food log, similarly keeping a pain log - jotting down the frequency of the pain, the intensity, after/before meals, if there are any triggers can also help. http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/headache-diary
4 For those on the artistic side -close your eyes and try to visualize an image of your illness/pain....and now try to have a dialogue with that illness....this takes longer - at least 30 minutes --so you need to keep time aside for that.....
For those of you putting this off, i urge you to try one of these exercises on a daily basis....it's good for the soul:)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Today's post is on expressing gratitude on the eve of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving comes at a time of the year where family come together and really give thanks for the blessings in life. Lets take it a step further. I come from a tradition where from a very young age, i was taught that the word "shukhur" or "thank you" was part of my daily prayers. Something on a subconscious level i have passed on to my son. The word Thank you is uttered when we pray, and it has stuck to me and stuck within my family too. So when i moved to this country at the age of 13 and began to take in the american tradition of thanksgiving, i have to admit to myself, it was odd. Odd not because i didn't find the holiday beautiful, but because giving thanks is something that we do every day.
Lets take this another step further - the concept of gratitude and what does that do for our spirit - and the shift in "our mindset" when we practice it on a regular basis.
It is very very possible to get absorbed in our lives - and sometimes we are so stuck in its madness that we can't see past it - practicing gratitude helps us take a step back and really appreciate the simple things that we take for granted -first and foremost the people that are closest to us, that live with us and that work with us. I've come across so many individuals who get frustrated because they do not feel that the people closest to them appreciate them enough. Misunderstandings and assumptions occur because of this and resentment begin as a result. Imagine if we all practiced naming what we are grateful for. Imagine the possibilities. And the impact that it could have on others and ourselves.
There is a saying, so we think, so we become. Keeping a gratitude journal keeps us in check of our thoughts, and keeps us mindful as to how much of what we think is self-harming, negative, sabotaging - if we practiced the concept of positivity and named those things that keep us alive on a daily basis, imagine the magnitude and the power of that.....
Every day list five things that you are grateful for -and you can do this in creative ways - it doesn't have to be a long 5 page entry. it can be a notecard and you could list 5 things that you are grateful for.
If you are looking for something more creative - you can get a blank notebook and collect pictures/images, quotes, poems that simply remind you of the word gratitude.
You can do a gratitude journal for a whole year - and organize it by month - so that at the end of the year, u can look at all that you can be grateful for.
Doing research on the different ways to express gratitude - i came across something called the Gratitude Tree - which i found quite creative and also to the point - simple reminders of what we are thankful for.
A gratitude journal helps keep a positive perspective in our lives. It allows us to take a step back from our lives that our crazed lives and really appreciate the little things that we often times take for granted. The act of writing out what we may be grateful for or thankful for puts ourselves in perspective and we can look at ourselves from a hawk's eye view. In order to move forward to any direction, gratitude is important. It gives us a higher reason to live, it broadens the purpose of our existence, and makes us enjoy the little things in life.
The Huffington Post has an article on 12 quotes that reflect the essence of gratitude. As thanksgiving approaches, take the time to read these quotes. Each of them is unique and speaks to us the importance of gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving and Thank you for taking the time to read me:)
Lets take this another step further - the concept of gratitude and what does that do for our spirit - and the shift in "our mindset" when we practice it on a regular basis.
It is very very possible to get absorbed in our lives - and sometimes we are so stuck in its madness that we can't see past it - practicing gratitude helps us take a step back and really appreciate the simple things that we take for granted -first and foremost the people that are closest to us, that live with us and that work with us. I've come across so many individuals who get frustrated because they do not feel that the people closest to them appreciate them enough. Misunderstandings and assumptions occur because of this and resentment begin as a result. Imagine if we all practiced naming what we are grateful for. Imagine the possibilities. And the impact that it could have on others and ourselves.
There is a saying, so we think, so we become. Keeping a gratitude journal keeps us in check of our thoughts, and keeps us mindful as to how much of what we think is self-harming, negative, sabotaging - if we practiced the concept of positivity and named those things that keep us alive on a daily basis, imagine the magnitude and the power of that.....
Every day list five things that you are grateful for -and you can do this in creative ways - it doesn't have to be a long 5 page entry. it can be a notecard and you could list 5 things that you are grateful for.
If you are looking for something more creative - you can get a blank notebook and collect pictures/images, quotes, poems that simply remind you of the word gratitude.
You can do a gratitude journal for a whole year - and organize it by month - so that at the end of the year, u can look at all that you can be grateful for.
Doing research on the different ways to express gratitude - i came across something called the Gratitude Tree - which i found quite creative and also to the point - simple reminders of what we are thankful for.
A gratitude journal helps keep a positive perspective in our lives. It allows us to take a step back from our lives that our crazed lives and really appreciate the little things that we often times take for granted. The act of writing out what we may be grateful for or thankful for puts ourselves in perspective and we can look at ourselves from a hawk's eye view. In order to move forward to any direction, gratitude is important. It gives us a higher reason to live, it broadens the purpose of our existence, and makes us enjoy the little things in life.
The Huffington Post has an article on 12 quotes that reflect the essence of gratitude. As thanksgiving approaches, take the time to read these quotes. Each of them is unique and speaks to us the importance of gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving and Thank you for taking the time to read me:)
Friday, November 16, 2012
Anger -i've been thinking lately about the word anger, the things it does to people, and what some of the root causes of Anger may be. Imagine someone has rubbed you the wrong way - what is ur immediate response? to fight back, to lash out, to attack? or is it to retreat, become silent, and remain passive. Both are forms of anger, but just different ways of expressing it. For me the question that arises is where does it come from and how can it be conquered? It is such a powerful emotion that when we are in it, we cannot think/feel clearly. Our judgement is clouded and we operate on pure instinct. The end result is we either end up hurting others or ourselves. We hold onto the grudges inside and let them be built until it becomes a thick layer that is so difficult to undo. We sabotage subconsciously or unconsciously relationships with people that are close to us, and we turn people away from us. How can such an emotion take such a hold of us, and what can we do to undo it? Philospohers, Saints, Sages, religious books have all said to forgive and forget, but doing that really means letting go of the anger inside us that we may not even be conscious of and really forgetting the "so called wrong" that has been done to us. The most importnat thing is learning to forgive ourselves once we realize that the "So Called Wrong" is two fold - I am as responsible for my actions as the other person and facing that truth is sometimes extremely painful and unsettling.
Now onto the practical part - to get to that point, sometimes talking about it can be too painful, and in my opinion, it really doesn't allow one to fully let go - the act of writing is cathartic and can really give someone that release. How can journaling help with that. In my earlier days, one of the most famous Journaling teachers ever was Ira Progroff who came up with the "Intensive Journaling Method". I was working in the Family Court Systems and saw the intense burnout amongst case workers, as well as myself, and i felt i needed an outlet beside exercise, beside meditation....So i took one of the workshops from Ira Progroff and that started by passion with journaling. The techniques provided were so simple yet so profound.
One of the ones i would like to share with you is called "The Dialogue". The Dialogue can be done with Persons, with an issue, with your job, with your body, anything....that u may be having conflict/confusion/anger towards. It sounds bizarre initially but it gets you to really tune into what is going on with you on a subconscious level. So u begin with a dialogue about the conflict/issue u are having and allow the person's response and/or issues/emotions response to respond to you back. Allow the process to happen as if it is a conversation and let every thought that comes to you flow naturally without stopping yourself. If it is easier give yourself a time limit - or if it the words are flowing, then stop when u feel the need to.
This process can really help in clarifying relationships, it can clarify ur reaction to issues and it really is one of the most moving and rewarding exercise in journaling. I utilize it on a regular basis and i have found that it has helped tremendously in my relationship with individuals, and more so in keeping track of my emotions.
Till the next time.....
Here is the link to those who may be interested:
http://intensivejournal.org/index.php
Now onto the practical part - to get to that point, sometimes talking about it can be too painful, and in my opinion, it really doesn't allow one to fully let go - the act of writing is cathartic and can really give someone that release. How can journaling help with that. In my earlier days, one of the most famous Journaling teachers ever was Ira Progroff who came up with the "Intensive Journaling Method". I was working in the Family Court Systems and saw the intense burnout amongst case workers, as well as myself, and i felt i needed an outlet beside exercise, beside meditation....So i took one of the workshops from Ira Progroff and that started by passion with journaling. The techniques provided were so simple yet so profound.
One of the ones i would like to share with you is called "The Dialogue". The Dialogue can be done with Persons, with an issue, with your job, with your body, anything....that u may be having conflict/confusion/anger towards. It sounds bizarre initially but it gets you to really tune into what is going on with you on a subconscious level. So u begin with a dialogue about the conflict/issue u are having and allow the person's response and/or issues/emotions response to respond to you back. Allow the process to happen as if it is a conversation and let every thought that comes to you flow naturally without stopping yourself. If it is easier give yourself a time limit - or if it the words are flowing, then stop when u feel the need to.
This process can really help in clarifying relationships, it can clarify ur reaction to issues and it really is one of the most moving and rewarding exercise in journaling. I utilize it on a regular basis and i have found that it has helped tremendously in my relationship with individuals, and more so in keeping track of my emotions.
Till the next time.....
Here is the link to those who may be interested:
http://intensivejournal.org/index.php
Friday, November 9, 2012
YOU!!!
So I woke up a couple of days ago saying to myself, i want to blog about journaling. I have been keeping a journal since forever and it has been my best friend, companion, my therapist, and the inner voice in me throughout these years. There is something about picking up a pen and letting the ink run without stopping, without judgement and letting the words run through. during the period of writing, one is simply in the moment focusing on the act of writing rather than focusing on how it will sound. Kind of like breathing. We breathe like it is natural to us, but when we really focus on our breathing, like a deep inhale let all the air out, journaling is like that...we are letting out the stuff out of us. The stuff that sits in our bodies without us being fulling aware, the stuff that is in our head that can make us go crazy, and the stuff in our hearts that can stop make us numb at times to what is going on around us. Life is about really being present in the moment - keeping a journal has helped me move further towards that goal - we spend so much of our time worrying about the past, worrying about the future, and we forget what's right in front of us....
So this blog is about the beauty of keeping a journal.
Yesterday i saw the most beautiful sunset ever --the sky was changing colors - it started from a yellow, to a deep fushia ---watching the sunset was very stilling -what is it about a sunset that can just change your mood in an instant. I began to think -if i had written for five minutes after watching the sun fade away, i wonder about the journal entry i would have made - what would i have to say - i didn't end up doing an entry but i ask you today, if you see something from nature that takes your breath away for a split second - for five minutes grab a piece of paper and a pen and write - see what happens. I have done that before in the past and was amazed to see what came out - i'm not claiming to be a literary genius/writer - but what i did find is that in journaling one finds ur own unique true voice that makes u "YOU." And you begin to fall in love with yourself, laugh at yourself, or even at times cry with yourself when u begin to accept the real "YOU."....
So i end with the famous Dr. Seuss quote - "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is noone alive who is Youer than YOU!!!
So this blog is about the beauty of keeping a journal.
Yesterday i saw the most beautiful sunset ever --the sky was changing colors - it started from a yellow, to a deep fushia ---watching the sunset was very stilling -what is it about a sunset that can just change your mood in an instant. I began to think -if i had written for five minutes after watching the sun fade away, i wonder about the journal entry i would have made - what would i have to say - i didn't end up doing an entry but i ask you today, if you see something from nature that takes your breath away for a split second - for five minutes grab a piece of paper and a pen and write - see what happens. I have done that before in the past and was amazed to see what came out - i'm not claiming to be a literary genius/writer - but what i did find is that in journaling one finds ur own unique true voice that makes u "YOU." And you begin to fall in love with yourself, laugh at yourself, or even at times cry with yourself when u begin to accept the real "YOU."....
So i end with the famous Dr. Seuss quote - "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is noone alive who is Youer than YOU!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)