You know how it is when you want to change an unwelcome habit. You make resolutions, think positively and hope for the best. The problem is that habits are hard to change. And new habits take a lot of effort to establish. What helps sustain the momentum for change? First let's review some mindfulness instructions [...]
Mindfulness is intended to increase our happiness and put an end to our distress. It starts with being alert to what is happening in the moment with our body and mind. The therapeutic approach of Somatic Experiencing engages this inquiry in a similar way. Soma means body - we experience our bodies from the inside-out [...]
I recently completed a Somatic Touch Training module taught by Kathy Kain, a Somatic Touch specialist and Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute faculty member. Ms. Kain taught how healing of past traumas is possible through respectful and intentional touch with different layers of our bodies such as skin, muscle, bones, and organs. During the training, participants [...]
Not long ago Rick*, a long-time Buddhist meditator, was telling me what happened one day when he was thinking about a problem that didn't have an easy answer. He saw how his thoughts were coupled with feelings of frustration. Upon realizing this, he spontaneously looked out his window and discovered a beautiful sunny day. "Looking at [...]