When it was time for me to post about emotional expression as an alternative to emotional repression, I got smacked with plenty of my own practice to do!

I was excited to bring some of my favorite practices to some of the most beautiful settings, in nature, my favorite place for self-reflection and meaningful connections. I had been planning for months to put on mini retreats and weekend retreats. I had even made hefty deposits a few years ago. But registrations weren't flowing in like they had for previous retreats. Workshops I was excited to give were cancelling due to lack of interest.

As a working mom raised in a culture of rugged individualism and relentless striving, I used to spend most of my energy “pushing through.” I took pride in barreling through

What better way to celebrate the month of love than to improve your ability to bounce back from upsets with authenticity, clarity, and compassion?

At the first sign of distress, give your body the all-clear signal with some slow deep breaths. When you notice that a situation is causing you stress,

Oftentimes we unknowingly use persuasive speech in an effort to get our needs met. If you read our previous post with the I’m Telling Myself practice, you may remember that there are layers of perceptions and judgments loading our thoughts. When left unchecked, these pour out into our speech

One day while wondering why they jump right on electronics, I put a needs wheel* in front of Chase and asked, “Using this word list what do you get out of playing video games?” I couldn’t believe the long list that he immediately rattled off. “Inspiration, Space, Celebration, Relaxing, Play, Connection, Belonging, Teamwork, Inclusion, Respect, Consideration, To Matter, Choice, To Be Seen,

We've likely all heard the quip, "Don't believe everything you think." Often our thoughts affect our feelings and our reactions without our knowing about it. Our limiting core beliefs, personality orientations, coping mechanisms, and the state we are in physically, emotionally, and mentally feed our perceptions and drive our thoughts. When we

I invested in my growth and transformation out of desperation. Enough loss happened all at once for me to realize that life was precious and there was a big disconnect between “Having it all” on paper, and “Being happy and satisfied.” I knew the methods I was using were not working. I didn't yet have new methods.

Help. Little wary.

Experimental gift, meaning knowledge communicating.

Acknowledgements,

When I was architecture school, I preferred projects that had more limitations than others. I felt completely lost and stuck when there were little to no parameters. Maybe it was because I came into the program with a lot of curiosity about what people long for. I already had a degree in psychology, or better

Creative practices lead us to curiosity.
Curiosity helps us practice beginner's mind.
Beginner's mind

by Brooke Summers-Perry
How do you process loss? What do you consider loss? What happens when you don’t process it?

by Jodie Gonzalez, LCSW
In my years both as a bereaved person and as a grief professional, I know the power of sharing our stories of loss with others. In a culture where we're often expected to mask our grief, it's easy to use avoidance or numbing to avoid the pain.

Gifting myself with a creative community
by Brooke Summers-Perry

I get encouraged to take meaningful risks that my heart desires.
by Kiara Carter

It’s like gathering in the alaskan wilderness
by Kelly Penrod