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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Keeping Hope Afloat
Hope is an inside job. Although poet Alexander Pope said, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” hope springs faster and more consistently when we consciously encourage and consistently practice keeping hope afloat in our hearts and souls. In order to keep hope alive, it’s extremely important that we monitor what we allow ourselves to see, hear, and feel, especially in regards to the media. Because our subconscious minds accept as real not only our personal experiences but also those we watch or imagine vividly, it’s up to us to choose mindfully and wisely what we watch and read. Because images imprint deeply, the disturbing pictures and commentary favored by the media can act as an emotional acid, etching the pain and suffering we witness into our own psyches. Such images can pull the plug on our reserves of hope. Limiting your exposure to sensationalism of all kinds is wise. Allow yourself to be as informed as you feel the need to be but not deformed by overexposure and overs...
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Posted By newharb / 12:00 AM / Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Beautiful Bellies
We know strong abdomens are good for our backs and spines, so we do our push-ups and abdominal curls. Our rectus abdominus and obliques are strong but, oh dear, the belly’s still there. Maybe it’s telling us we should honor the mature belly. The round, full stomach is the place from which life springs. It is our little incubator, our all-important center, our hub. As mothers we used it in the way it was intended. During pregnancy, the bigger the belly, the better. Husbands and big brothers, even perfect strangers would touch our bellies and bend over and talk to the creature inside. Then once the baby was out, we started in again complaining about our damn stomachs. It starts early. We think it’s adorable the way little kids walk with their stomachs out for balance. We love those bellies. Then we force those jolly little tummies into designer jeans and the poor kid starts thinking, “I gotta do something about this gut.” No matter how much we women exercise, there will always b...
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Posted By newharb / 12:00 AM / Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Loving-kindness toward difficult emotions: Be still
If you're restless and don't know what to do with yourself, stay where you are. Just be still, be quiet. Let the eagerness to do something cool down. Let the pull of the outside world release its grip on you. Just as the sediment in a bottle settles to the bottom, so will your emotions if you let them be still. Wherever you are in this moment, stay there. Don't go anywhere. You are right where you need to be. Bring your attention to your breath. Take three or four deep breaths. When you inhale, let it be deep. When you exhale, let the breath out slowly. Now repeat the following phrases to yourself a few times. Every time you say the words, let them penetrate your restlessness. May I have courage. May I trust myself. May I have patience. May I be free from fear. Remember, you are right where you need to be. from The Gift of Loving-Kindness: 100 Meditations on Compassion, Generosi...
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Posted By newharb / 12:00 AM / Thursday, April 23, 2009
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Russ Federman, Ph.D., ABPP
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Russ Harris, MD
"The Happiness Trap"

 
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Susan Albers, Psy.D.
"Comfort Cravings"

 
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