I’ve been debating whether or not to include poetry here at the blog as another thread in the rich tapestry of psychological healing. After all, it’s another mirror to the self, in the same way Yoga and good therapy are mirrors to the inner dimensions of experience. While I see it as a valuable addition, perhaps you do not. So I’ll leave it with you to decide whether the poetry offered here will be something worth reading and reflecting on, something else worth using as your own private mirror to yourself.

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The Woman in the Ordinary
Marge Piercy

The woman in the ordinary pudgy downcast girl
is crouching with eyes and muscles clenched.
Round and pebble smooth she effaces herself
under ripples of conversation and debate.
The woman in the block of ivory soap
has massive thighs that neigh,
great breasts that blare and strong arms that trumpet.
The woman of the golden fleece
laughs uproariously from the belly
inside the girl who imitates
a Christmas card virgin with glued hands,
who fishes for herself in other’s eyes,
who stoops and creeps to make herself smaller.
In her bottled up is a woman peppery as curry,
a yam of a woman of butter and brass,
compounded of acid and sweet like a pineapple,
like a handgrenade set to explode,
like goldenrod ready to bloom.

Ever wanted to connect emotionally with a professional you can trust, in a way that fits conveniently into your lifestyle? The internet affords all of us opportunities to get practically anything we want and need delivered directly to our inbox or door. Whether it’s a bargain airline ticket, a hot new pair of shoes, business advice, a new friendship, or even a hand crafted tepee, if that’s what we’re looking for! getting what we want and need at our convenience is possible now with the advent of the internet. And it’s equally possible with personal services like psychological support. For more information please click on the Studio Peace button at the top of the page.

Okay, you’ve read the e-book. Its words are settling in. What’s happening now? Is there anything lingering in your mind? Touching your heart? Moving you from within? Is there a section you’d recommend? Let your voice be heard! Perhaps in the comments section below, or perhaps more privately at gloria@psychologicalhealingandyoga.com. Either way, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

In healing,
Gloria

I’m sooo excited! It’s been a long time coming. Our new e-book is finally here! It’s called “Becoming Peaceful” and it’s a rich compilation of new writings and previous posts about the road to becoming more peaceful inside. It includes writings about what you may find along the way and what you can do to help yourself as you journey on. This modest publication is a way of bringing new life into the world, only this one is digital rather than flesh and bones. :) To get your free copy today, go to the ‘Free E-book!’ button at the top of this page and click on through. And let me know what you think at the post titled ‘Reflections ~ “Becoming Peaceful” e-book’. Your thoughts matter to me. I’d really love to hear from you.

‘The mind’s first step to self-awareness must be through the body’ George Sheehan

If you’re thinking about doing some personal growth work, consider including your body in the healing process. It has alot of wisdom to offer that traditional talk therapies wouldn’t tap into. The two modalities together, for example talk therapies and a body centered practice like Yoga, would be potent agents for self-understanding, self-acceptance and personal change. It’s something to think about.

I’m sooo excited to announce our very first e-book is coming soon! I’ve been working so hard behind the scenes to put it all together. And now it’s finally just about ready for release!

This special e-book will show you the whys and hows of finding your way out of your pain and becoming more peaceful inside. After all this is what it’s all about here at psychologicalhealingandyoga.com: becoming more peaceful inside. So what better title to give to our inaugural publication than just that ~ “Becoming Peaceful”.

There’s so much more I want to tell you. I’ll be sharing more in the posts to come, including how you can get your own free copy, if you’re interested. So stay tuned! There’s more exciting news on the horizon about our first digital publication, “Becoming Peaceful”!

In healing,

Gloria

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to learn how to breathe through your belly. It’s a simple way of calming your nervous system and cultivating a deep sense of relaxation and inner peace.

Your breath is always there with you. There’s nothing to buy, no place to get it from, no special clothes to put on. You can tap into it at any moment. It’s better than a chemical substance or acting out compulsively to shift how you feel inside, and without any negative side effects to boot. All that breathing through your belly will cost you is your time, your attention, and your patience. And if you don’t think you have much of the latter, it’ll help you to cultivate it, with each rhythmic breath that is breathed in the practice.

Belly breathing is done when you allow your breath to move in and out of your belly with a soft, focused attention. It can be done lying down on the floor or sitting up in a chair. It’s a popular practice with those who want to enhance their connection to their breath, to detoxify at a cellular level, to learn to relax and to deepen their connection to the Stillness within.

It’s also a practice that is particularly important for those who have experienced psychological trauma or who are recovering from addiction. It’s deeply relaxing, and helps to create a feeling of psychological safety inside. And besides, breathing through the belly in a slow and rhythmic way simply feels good to the bodymind. This is reason enough to practice.

You’d need nothing in particular to get started. No special outfit or fashionable water bottle (not that there’s anything wrong with either). Just the willingness to travel inward and be present to your breath in your body.

Would you like to give it a go and see what it’s like to belly breathe? If you do, then here’s what you can do. If you have a Yoga mat, consider lying it down in a favorite spot where you can be alone with yourself without distraction. If you don’t have a mat, then laying down a blanket on the floor would work just fine. You can gather up a foam block or a pillow and put it beneath your head, that would be okay too. You might even want to cover yourself with a blanket. Once you’ve got everything together, then click on the link below. It’ll take you to a special (unedited) audio recording, close to 15 minutes in length, that’ll guide you through a belly breathing practice. So, if you’re up for it, do what you need to do to get ready, and I’ll meet you on your mat. Note: This is a slow moving practice. Please give it your undivided attention -and stay safe.

Belly Breathing1

At the end of your practice, consider taking a moment to reflect on what the experience was like for you. How did it feel to be breathing through your belly? Where did your mind go? How did you feel after the practice was over? I welcome any thoughts you may have about belly breathing in general, or the audio practice in particular. Reflecting on how a practice makes you feel is as important a part of a Yoga practice as is the practice itself.

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If you love your body, it’ll love you back with good health. If you love your breath, it’ll love you back with inner peace.  If you love your breath as it moves in, and through and out of your body, and do so with the same devotion you’d give to a beloved friend, you’ll have started a love affair that’ll only deepen over time.

In healing,

Gloria

Do you think it’s possible to move out of the conditions of mind called addict and trauma survivor? While each carry the burden of feeling trapped in a world of unending pain and suffering, each also holds the potential for relief and transformative change. The question is how willing are you to do what you can for yourself to grow out from where you are now and into a new way of thinking about yourself?  It’s a big question.  And for some, one that stimulates a genuine fear of the unknown.

What would happen if you were to do an experiment?   An experiment that would explore what it might be like to step out of an identity you’ve been tending for a long time (without knowing it) and into a new one?  In fact how about doing the experiment right now?  If you’re okay with it allow yourself to close your eyes, pause, exhale deeply, and take a moment to imagine what it might look like if you were to no longer be living with the pain you’re living with now?  How would you feel?  What would you be doing with your time?  Who would you be hanging out with? What would matter in your life now?  Who could you become?  It’s all worth imagining, as doing so could be the beginning of a whole new life and a whole new you.

For many of us however, the thought of change can feel oh so frightening.  It can keep us trapped where we are, even when we know we don’t want to be here anymore.   I’m going to let you in on a little secret:   To change is safe.  It’s built into the design of our being to move forward in life.  Some would say it’s why we’re here on this planet to begin with, to learn how to flow with the energy of life that is within us and all around us all the time.  It’s not change itself, but the resistance to change, that can prove to be so threatening to our health and well-being.  It stimulates suffering and stress in a way that can compromise our health overtime, not to mention prevent us from being present to life in the here and now.

So, where are you at with the thought of moving out of familiar pain?  Do you resist it?  If so, why might that be?  Big questions.  I welcome your thoughts below.

In healing,

Gloria

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Consider love. What is it anyway, and why isn’t there more of it in our life?  One of the potentially life changing effects of real healing work is it reconnects us to the love that is inside us and all around us all the time.  At this time of year when our media titilates us with romantic images of happy lovers and the sweet temptations of heavenly chocolates, it may also be a time to be reminded of what love really is:  an energy.  An energy the wisdom teachers say we are all made of at the core of our being.  So, in the words of a popular rock song, “What about love?”  Are you doing what you can do to clear away the emotional clutter and experience the love that is inside you?  I sure hope so.  Otherwise you miss out on the exquisite experience of being in the presence of the essence of your own being.