Tagged With "Hope for Healing"
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Polyvagal Theory and Hope In Healing from Childhood Trauma
The Vagal Nerve is the longest cranial nerve controlling a human’s inner nerve center, the parasympathetic nervous system. It oversees a vast range of vital functions communicating sensory input from outside triggers to the rest of the body.
Polyvagal theory emphasizes the evolutionary development of two systems: the parasympathetic nervous system which is ultimately connected to the vagal nerve and the sympathetic nervous system.
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Healing, Resilience, and Power: A Resilient Strategies Webinar
The team at Resilient Strategies share their perspectives on trauma and resilience under conditions of oppression, and how to heal. Link to full podcast is within this blog post.
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Unbecoming an Armadillo: Recovering from Trauma with EMDR
Unbecoming an Armadillo By: Victoria F. Burns, PhD, LSW Victoriafrances49@gmail.com Instagram: @betesandbites “When you are traumatized, you are basically in a permanent defensive mode” — Gabor Mate I’m sitting across from Meg on her charcoal grey love seat. My forearms are resting on a velvety mustard-yellow throw cushion and I’m holding crescent shaped pulsers in each hand. Meg’s my psychologist; a rare gem who specializes in chronic illness and trauma. Every two weeks, we spend an hour...
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My mom asked me to name the top things I wish she would have done better as a parent. My answer might surprise you.
Because I work in the field of child trauma and ACEs science education and prevention here at ACEs Connection, I end up talking about the subject nonstop. I am passionate about this field and making change so I enthusiastically share what I'm reading and learning with everyone who will listen. Those who will listen are often my parents. (This blog, by the way, is a personal piece of writing and does not necessarily reflect the views nor represent ACEs Connection.) I know not everyone's...
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Rebecca Lewis Pankratz: Breaking Generational Poverty, Poverty Circles, & Poverty Programs
"A CEs Connection is the curator of incredible hope, healing and possibility. Parents are not the bad guys. Most of us are just kids with ACEs who grew up..." Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz Last Friday, @Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz joined our A Better Normal series to discuss poverty circles and programs. Rebecca is the Director of Learning Centers as Essdack, as well as a poverty consultant, and we met online, via Twitter (her handle is @pOVERty’s Edge. Rebecca is a brilliant speaker, gifted writer, and...
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Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager
Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager
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How to Heal Emotional Trauma (wakeup-world.com)
Understanding Emotional Wounds We tend to think of an emotional wound as the original traumatic experience – as the “thing” that happened to us, but the wound is actually the dis-empowering belief that we developed as a result of the traumatic experience. In the search for emotional security, our natural response to any traumatic event is to make sense of it. We “make sense” of things by creating beliefs. Beliefs that we develop in response to traumatic experiences are Traumatic Beliefs.
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Special Guests Graham Bodie & Erahm Christopher 8/27/20 12 p.m. PST for A Better Normal/Education Upended
"I have toured the country for the past 10 years to talk to our young people. I’ve learned that the biggest threat to our humanity is not guns, mental illness or our government. It is that everyone is talking and no one is listening. ” Erahm Christopher, The Washington Post Please join us on Thursday, August 27th as we host special guests Erahm Christopher and Graham Bodie to discuss the power of listening as part of our A Better Normal / Education Upended community conversation series.
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Introducing the Transform Trauma with ACEs Science Film Festival & Follow-Up Discussions
Transform Trauma with ACEs Sciences Film Festival & Follow-Up Discussions The following weekend watch parties and follow-up discussions are co-hosted by ACEs Connection, The Relentless School Nurse , and The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice (CTIPP) . We appreciated the filmmakers for making these films free to watch for our members and for the public programming of PBS. The films we’ll feature are as follows: Portraits of Professional Caregivers Whole People Part 1...
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Using Self Compassion and Acceptance to Heal from Trauma and PTSD (wakeup-world.com)
If you have gone through a traumatic experience, then you have experienced something that is extremely difficult and may have symptoms of PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD include: 1. Intrusive thoughts, memories, flashbacks or nightmares about the traumatic experience 2. Avoidance of internal and external reminders of the traumatic experience such as memories, feelings, people, places, or things. 3. Negative thoughts and emotions related to the traumatic experience such as believing the traumatic...
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Freedom From Trauma – Powerful & Profound Practices To Heal Trauma & Consciously Create The Body, Mind, Spirit You Truly Desire
We are living in complicated and stressful times. What needs to be healed seems more palpable than ever. It feels like the call to release what no longer serves has never been louder and we are feeling that tug at our core. While the founder of The League of Extraordinary People, Alfred White, has been gaining more clarity everyday on this, he was invited to be part of an event, more like a movement, to help others find freedom from what has been holding them back. It is a free, online...
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4 Simple Phrases to Halt Anxious Thoughts
Anxiety is a fact of life. There's much we can do to calm ourselves in the short and long-term. Here are some tips for immediate relief.
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A Time for Change
The magnificent fall foliage displayed during the month of October reminds me of transition and forward momentum. Ideally, as humans, we grow and change along with the seasons to find meaning and purpose in life and flourish. Unfortunately, the progression of our lives isn't always smooth and people aren't always kind. There are essential life skills that we can learn, however, that can help us grow through struggle and choose love in our thoughtful responses. We have had varied reactions to...
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COVID, ACES, and Radical Self-Care
COVID, ACES and Radical Self-Care Dr. LateshIa Woodley, LPC, NCC & Alexis Kelly, MPA COVID Thursday, March 13, 2020, I woke up thinking I love my life, I have the best job in the world, I get to wake up every day and strive to make a difference in the lives of students and families. Little did I know that a few hours later my life, the lives of my family, and the lives of the families that I serve would forever be changed due to the COVID pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, I was leading...
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New episode of Transforming Trauma!NARM and the Role of Consent in Trauma-Informed Yoga with Colleen Millen
NARM and the Role of Consent in Trauma-Informed Yoga with Colleen Millen In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Sarah Buino welcomes NARM Therapist and Accessible Yoga instructor Colleen Millen to dive into and discuss the theme of consent. Throughout the episode, Colleen shares how her understanding of what consent means has deepened through her relationship with yoga and through her ongoing study of the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM). Each episode of Transforming Trauma...
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Sarah Peyton discusses her book & leads a guided meditation / Tuesday, Nov. 10th, 2020
I am thrilled to announce that we have a special A Better Normal session which will be part conversation and part meditation practice for those who wish to participate. Our special guest is Sarah Peyton who is the author of Your Resonant Self: Guided Meditations and Exercise to Engage Your Brain’s Capacity for Healing. This event will be held on Tuesday, November 10th, at 12p.m. PST and 3p.m. EST. Registration link:...
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New Resource: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic One-Pager (English & Spanish!)
English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance have co-created a newly developed resource, “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe...
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CANCELED: A Better Normal with Sarah Peyton & ACEs Connection on 11/10/20
I apologize for the short notice but want to let you know that this A Better Normal event, scheduled for Tuesday, 11/10/20, with special guest, @Sarah Peyton , is canceled. We hope to host this event at a future date. For now, please find more about Sarah Peyton, her most recent book, Your Resonant Self: Guided Meditations and Exercise to Engage Your Brain’s Capacity for Healing , her website and access to free guided meditations all below: Peyton’s book: Y our Resonant Self...
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New Resource: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic One-Pager (English & Spanish!)
English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance have co-created a newly developed resource, “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe...
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How Seattle Therapists Make Space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color [southseattleemerald.com]
By Suhani Dalal, South Seattle Emerald, November 11, 2020 Since the start of the global pandemic, one Seattle therapist said that roughly 90% of her new clients are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC), compared to before, when about 70% were white. “There are so many people coming into therapy for their first time — first in their family, first in their history,” said Asian American psychotherapist and codependency therapist Ivy Kwong . “I always tell them: ‘I’m so grateful you’re...
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If you want to heal childhood trauma, you have to heal your body.
356 pounds?! Are you kidding me, Michael? What the fuck are you doing to yourself? Every morning I would wake up and watch the number on the scale tick up as I slowly allowed obesity to run wild and consume my body. Fat . I was always the chubby kid. I shopped in the boy's husky section at Walmart as a preteen. Husky for the unware is the polite nomenclature for fat kids. I spent summers running around with my shirt on. I ate entire boxes of gummy bears for dinner. I never ordered just one...
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The Surviving Spirit Newsletter November 2020
Hi Folks, The latest edition of the Surviving Spirit Newsletter is posted at the website - http://newsletters.survivingspirit.com/index.php or PDF - http://newsletters.survivingspirit.com/pdfs/2020-11-The_Surviving_Spirit_Newsletter_November_2020.pdf To sign up for an e-mail copy, please write to me @ mikeskinner@comcast.net or sign up @ Website via Contact Us. Thank you & take care, Michael. Newsletter Contents : 1] People Constantly Underestimate How Much They Benefit From Being Kind...
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A Safe Place For Men
Each day from Thanksgiving until Christmas, hear the voices of male survivors of childhood, adolescent or adult sexual abuse share their stories of hurt, pain, joy and triumph as they heal from the aftermath of betrayal and trauma. You are not alone https://www.safeplaceformen.com/30days Thank you Thomas! Honored to help kick this series off – gifts of healing. Take care, Michael Skinner https://safeplaceformen.podbean.com/ www.safeplaceformen.com #safeplaceformen #malesexualabuserecovery
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Virtual Viewing of Whole People from Dec. 11th-13th with Follow-Up Discussion on Dec. 15th at 7p.m. EST
As part of the Transform Trauma with ACEs Sciences FREE Film Festival & Follow-Up Discussion Series we bring you Whole People (parts 1 & 2 & 3). The documentary viewing will take place in the Transform Trauma with ACEs Science Film Festival Community on ACEs Connection . Each of our first three sections is just under twenty-seven minutes long and the topics are as follows: Preview: Whole People | 101 | Childhood Trauma | Episode 1 | PBS Preview: Whole People | 102 | Healing...
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Whole People Watch Weekend on ACEs Connection (Dec. 11th - 13th)
The Transform Trauma with ACEs Sciences FREE Film Festival continues this weekend. Please join us to watch parts 1, 2, and 3 of the PBS Whole People series at your convenience, on ACEs Connection, by clicking play on the videos below: Whole People | 101 | Childhood Trauma | Episode 1 (27 min) Preview: Whole People | 102 | Healing Communities | Preview | Episode 2 Whole People | 102 |Healing Communities Episode 2 (27 min) Whole People | 103 |A New Response | Episode 3 (27 min) This is one of...
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The Surviving Spirit Newsletter December 2020
Healing the Heart Through the Creative Arts, Education & Advocacy Hope, Healing & Help for Trauma, Abuse & Mental Health “ Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars”. Kahlil Gibran The Surviving Spirit Newsletter December 2020 Hi Folks, Hoping this finds you well and safe. Wow, coming to the end of a very challenging year...I do hope that 2021 brings forth healing and hope for all of us. Life can be hard, a pandemic...
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CPTSD, Food and BRAIN FOG: How to Get Clear
If you're ever going to heal from childhood trauma, to become happy, connected, and doing work you love, you'll need to get out of brain fog. Brain fog is common for people who grew up with abuse and neglect. It's a feeling of fuzzy-headedness where you can't hold a thought or focus. It's almost as if your memory isn't working properly, or you’re sleepy and out of it. It can feel like there's a membrane between you and the world. It may not seem like it, but brain fog is one of the worst...
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Your Healing Narrative: Write-to-Heal With Neural Re-Narrating
Happy 2021! 2020 was a year unlike any other. But it also brought home for many of us what matters most, including the importance of nurturing and harnessing the power of our nervous system and brain toward equanimity so that we can flourish even in the face of adversity. Your Healing Narrative: Write-to-Heal With Neural Re-Narrating i s my 2021 offering for individuals, parents, teachers, social workers, therapists, and health care professionals, to help ease a little bit of the anxiety,...
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Mindfulness: Panacea or Hucksterism?
Psychology and spirituality are viewed as separate disciplines, but they shouldn't be. Healing is grounded in the place where they meet.
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The Adverse Childhood Experiences Recovery Workbook (Dr. Glenn Schiraldi)
A new guide for healing the hidden wounds from ACEs The Adverse Childhood Experiences Recovery Workbook Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2021, 232 pages Practical, powerful skills for healing the hidden wounds of childhood trauma “ Dr. Glenn Schiraldi is one of the world’s most trusted experts on stress and resilience. His Adverse Childhood Experiences Recovery Wor kbook is the most complete, accessible, and evidence-based healing resource available.
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Join us for Choose Love Awareness Month for Hope, Healing, and Connection
As we are all living under the mandate of social distancing we find almost everyone struggling with the ethos of our current stressful environment. As human beings, we were created to connect with one another. Our brains have mirror neurons that help us socialize and communicate by reading the expressions of others. The famous evolutionist Charles Darwin concluded that it would be those who were most ‘sympathetic’ to each other, in other words generous, altruistic, and compassionate, that...
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How to care for yourself during difficult times
Many people with #ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) are finding that the early #trauma and sense of unsafety they endured growing up are being re-triggered during these fear-laded times, amidst the #Covid #pandemic, political upheaval, and feeling isolated. Stress and uncertainty can trigger old, sticky feelings of fear, anxiety, or loss from long ago and bring up new, painful negative thoughts and physical symptoms. This can be true even when we’ve worked really hard to resolve our...
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Doctors, Facing Burnout, Turn to Self-Care [nytimes.com]
By Abby Ellin, The New York Times, January 26, 2021 Dr. Michelle Thompson knows a lot about self-care. A family medicine physician in Vienna, Ohio, she specializes in lifestyle and integrative care, using both conventional and alternative therapies to help her patients heal. She also teaches medical personnel how to prevent and treat burnout. But despite what she recommends to others, taking care of her own emotional well-being hasn’t been easy during the pandemic. When the pandemic hit in...
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Why I Promote the Science of Hope over Resilience
I said then what I believe even more strongly now: "Hope is the belief that your future can be brighter and better than your past and that you actually have a role to play in making it better."
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List of Books, Therapies & Resources for Healing Chronic Illness and Other Effects of Trauma (Free Downloadable PDF)
These are the books, therapies and resources I wish I'd known about when I was a family doctor and when I first started getting sick with what would turn out to be a disabling chronic illness. This compilation includes the most helpful resources I’ve found over the past 20 years of learning about the science of adversity, why it's not psychological and how to heal the effects of trauma.
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The Journey of Healing – De-stigmatizing the Discussion of Trauma and New Related Think Round Exhibition
t is all too common to be closed off when discussing the worst experiences we have faced in life. Feeling scared, embarrassed, emotional, or that no one else can understand are all-natural reactions when approaching the difficult discussion of trauma.
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How adverse childhood experiences or ACEs impact your current wellbeing
Often, people who have a history of trauma in childhood find themselves struggling to flourish in adulthood. Trauma affects the brain in ways that can make you more likely to experience difficulty when faced with emotionally stressful and demanding situations in your relationships, at work, and as a parent. Throughout my life, both growing up and as an adult, I’ve faced a number of challenging life experiences, stressors, and traumas, and I understand this struggle on a deep, intrinsic...
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'A Better Normal' Conversation with the Authors of 'We've Been Too Patient' - Friday, February 26th
Please join us for our next episode of our ‘A Better Normal’ Community Discussion where we envision the future as trauma-informed! We are honored to be joined by the authors and editors of ‘We've Been Too Patient: Voices from Radical Mental Health--Stories and Research Challenging the Biomedical Model’ , Kelechi Ubozoh and L.D. Green. Hosted by @Jenna Quinn (ACEs Connection Staff) and facilitated by @Alison Cebulla (ACEs Connection Staff) of ACEs Connection. Friday, February 26th, 2021 12pm...
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Hope, Healing & Help - The Surviving Spirit Newsletter February 2021
“ Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch.” - Judy Blume Hope, healing & help for trauma, abuse & mental health. The latest edition of the Surviving Spirit Newsletter is posted at the website - http://newsletters.survivingspirit.com/index.php & here's the PDF - http://newsletters.survivingspirit.com/pdfs/2021-02-The_Surviving_Spirit_Newsletter_February_2021.pdf “ Our brains developed along with music and singing as a survival mechanism.” - Tania De Jong To sign up for...
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Healing the Hidden Wounds from Childhood The Promise of Healing (Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D., Lt. Col. (USAR, Ret.)
Far too many people are walking around with unhealed, hidden wounds from toxic childhood stress. For some the pain is obvious. Others might look outwardly strong, capable, and in control. However, unhealed inner wounds inevitably cause untold and needless suffering and can lead to a dizzying array of psychological, medical, and functional problems. In this three-part blog, we’ll discuss the road to recovery. This blog is Part I: The Principles of Healing. Part II will explain why traditional...
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The Disconnect of Trauma and the Lies We Follow
Honored to be part of the Survivor Stories event hosted by Michael Broussard of Ask a Survivor. Performing two songs of mine and sharing the back story to their creation - "Songs For The Keys To Your Life"and "When Your Heart Follows A Lie" “ Go to where the silence is and say something.” - Amy Goodman Survivor Stories- Michael Skinner - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehkz2kkkIa4&t=40s Take care and share as you wish...Michael Skinner A diagnosis is not a destiny “ Our lives begin to...
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Heal the Forest for the Tree
“ Trauma always happens within a context, and so does healing. To understand the impact of trauma means being acutely sensitive to the environment—to the conditions under which people grew up, to how they live today, and to the journeys they have taken along the way .” Creating an environment that exudes calm, safety, and compassion is a goal of trauma-informed systems. It is a profound paradigm shift in knowledge, perspective, attitudes and skills that continues to deepen and unfold over...
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Healing the Hidden Wounds from Childhood: The Promise of Healing, Part II (Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D., Lt. Col., USAR, Ret.)
So many people are struggling with unhealed, hidden wounds from toxic childhood stress. For some the pain is obvious. Others might look outwardly strong, capable, and in control. However, unhealed inner wounds cause needless suffering and can lead to a dizzying array of psychological, medical, and functional problems. This three-part blog discusses the road to recovery. Part I explained “The Principles of Healing.” This part explains why traditional treatments are not usually the best...
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Learn How to Truly Forgive – and Truly Heal (wakeup-world.com)
Learning how to truly forgive is something we all need to learn, just as we learn lessons in school. And we are in a school of sorts. We come to this earth reality to evolve and remember who we are as divine beings. Forgiveness is a critical step in this growth. But the ego wants vengeance. It tells us we have been wronged — that we are justified in not wanting to forgive. The ego tells us that by forgiving, we let the other person off the hook, which means they won’t suffer, but we will.
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Healing Meditation: 21 Ways to Soothe Your Mind and Body (wakeup-world.com)
Healing is a force of nature. It’s only natural for us to seek it out. Just as white blood cells flood to a wound to heal it and a tree releases sap to protect and cover damage and breakage, all of life is oriented to self-nourishment and repair. We are multi-layered beings living in a complex universe. Without actively taking care of our bodies, hearts, minds, and souls, we become sick. Perhaps one of the simplest and easiest ways we can call on the healing force within and around us is...
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Discover Your Heart's Four Levels of Consciousness to Heal and Liberate Your Life (wakeup-world.com)
If you’re feeling inspired to ignite your self-healing and liberate your life, it’s essential to understand that the gateway between your spiritual longings and your physical, everyday life lies within your heart – indeed, connecting with your heart is essential for healing and transformation. That’s why we’re delighted to invite you to a free online event which will open your hearth from within: Discover Your Heart’s 4 Levels of Consciousness to Heal and Liberate Your Life: Explore Biofield...
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Re: Learn How to Truly Forgive – and Truly Heal (wakeup-world.com)
I came to this subject late, and yes there will always be strong emotions, but that does not mean we cannot understand someone else's pain and heal from our own. As a non religious person, there is no one to come and take my experiences and pain away. I have had to work on that since childhood, sometimes alone, sometimes with a therapist, but I don't really think that there was a "Forgiveness" moment per se in my case. I went through the early stages of self pity and why me when I was a...
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Re: "Brush Away Your Tears" - to all the survivors of childhood abuse-past and present
Thank you so much Michael. I listened to you on the YouTube link, you have a wonderful caring voice and I am sure you have helped many people since you began to Help Heal Trauma MM
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Beyond Anger to Healing (wakeup-world.com)
We are beginning to see what our anger can do to relationships and, even more so, to ourselves. This feeling/seeing/knowing is for our personal development and understanding of energy and responsibility. Believe it or not – our increasing awareness is good, albeit sometimes uncomfortable. Learning to know ourselves is necessary to humanity’s evolutionary progress. If we slow down, we can feel the emotions/beliefs we hold in our bodies. Our emotions/beliefs can heal when we feel and...
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Re: Can Gratitude Be Good for Your Heart? [greatergood.berkeley.edu]
This is sure good news for all of us, but in the context of this group, it’s especially useful to anyone hoping to combat the possible long-term effects of ACEs/trauma on cardiovascular health (and just wanting to heal). My concern for ACEs/trauma survivors (or anyone, really) is that sometimes cultivating gratitude can come at the cost of fully acknowledging and processing traumas. There can be a sense guilt just for admitting to oneself — not to mention others — that some very bad things...