Shortly after I graduated with a masters degree in clinical psychology, we had a major earthquake in Adapazari, Turkey, a town close enough to my home-city of Istanbul that resulted in a death toll of 35,000, and many more that were wounded and/or traumatized. I was part of a group of private practitioners, and overnight our office space expanded to include hospitals and tent cities.
Changing the Face of Death: The positive death movement brings light to what has been taboo
America has been described as a society that is at the same time death-obsessed and death-denying. Mainstream media, in its efforts to capture and hold our attention, focuses on the sensational and feeds us endless stories and images of people being killed and we can’t seem to help but devour them all in a sort of dark obsession. At the same time, most people have a very hard time talking with depth about the idea of their own death and the topic is often treated as taboo.
Big Magic Indeed
Some magic is small, like how the laugh of a baby can melt your heart regardless of your state of mind. Some magic is big, like when you run into an old friend in a city of 15 million people you are only visiting for a week. When the likelihood of something happening is way smaller then it not happening, it is called synchronicity.
Water Works
I never leave the house without it. If I forget it, guess what? I’m going back for it. I take it everywhere I go. It even sits on my bedside table each night. It has become my staple. I’m lost without it. It’s refreshing, tastes great (especially infused!) and the best part is, it’s doing wonders for my body. I’m talking about water, of course.
5 Tips for Making Healthier Choices at Summer BBQs
Summer is a wonderful time for getting outside and being active. But when it comes to eating healthy, there can be an awful lot of temptation — especially with summer holidays and BBQs. By following the tips below, you can have fun and feel good about your choices at the same time.
Before I Was A Psychologist
The person I looked up to most at the tennis club was a part-time instructor named Lou Graves. He was a teacher in a juvenile detention center and would kid me that I reminded him of some of his delinquents. What he meant was that I had a temper, even though my temper hadn’t gotten me into any legal trouble. It just got me into an occasional fight, including with some of my tennis opponents when I began competing in tournaments.
Is it Sacred? Is it Safe?
Over the past several months, I’ve had several conversations around sacred, ritual, and safe space. Some conversation were with others, and many were with myself in deep contemplation. I think in these times of rapid evolution and redefinition, it is important to revisit our thoughts, ideas, and understanding about some basic principles. For me, this inquiry is both pragmatic and philosophical.
Community, Connections, and Ceremony
Smartphones and social media have a major impact on the way I connect with family, friends, and social groups, but I am often left with a feeling of being less connected using these platforms. Isn't it interesting how these tools that can connect us instantly with others can also leave us feeling even more disconnected? Our core craves for a more meaningful and tangible community. Let’s build one!
Goddesses –Who are they, really?
I’ve been taking online art classes offered by the Art of Allowing Academy for over a year, learning to paint the female face through connecting to the Divine Feminine. Connecting to the intangible happens through the allowing process, letting of the feminine form appear on the canvas and following it with your hands. In other words, going with the flow as opposed to a planned execution. And making an appearance She has been!
Dreaming a Bridge: Merging Human Imagination with the Living World
A fire is dying to rose-colored embers in a brazier. A sound like branches being broken drifts down to us from high overhead. We cannot see the blue heron flying above us. It calls, wrapped in folds of night, and its dream touches ours.
Amplifying Your Intentions with Prosperity Grids
To create a prosperity grid, there are no hard and fast rules — these are only some guidelines to help get you started in five easy steps. Allow intuition to guide you, and, as an added bonus, the more often you work with crystals and grids, the more elevated your intuition will become.
Cooking — A Spiritual Practice
According to Sophie Egan in her book Devoured, March 2015 was a watershed moment in the eating lives of Americans: for the first time since the government began tracking our spending habits around food, we spent more money on food prepared outside the home (restaurants, takeout, etc.) than on groceries that we cooked at home.
Looking Beyond the Pink Ribbon
Recently, I was invited to take part in an exhibit presented by artists and healers in a local hospital setting. The exhibit was called Art Heals. A few days after a lovely opening reception, I received an email from the executive office informing me that they removed 2 of my 11 paintings. They had received a lengthy message from a patient who complained that the exposure of breasts was offensive.
shadows
the shadows that chase you in the night are merely cast from the glow of the light.
they can’t hurt you. they’re not to be feared.
they’re the places we tuck
ourselves into when we’re not quite ready to be known.
to be seen.
to be heard.
Me, My Guitar, and I
When the twins came along, in a flurry of nappies, no sleep, and baby-related chaos, I put my career to one side for a little while. Having babies is a full-time job and all-consuming, but as any parent will tell you — it is so worth it. The boys became the center of our universe and for a long while all dreams were put on hold, until I bought my guitar.
A 21st Century “Sabbath Day” Experiment
What if taking a Sabbath actually made all that is on your plate easier and relationships more fulfilling? Instead of a full plate feeling heavy, it could feel nourishing. I used to feel resistant to taking a day off, and now I don’t know how I could live without a Sabbath. If you are thinking that by Sabbath I mean a highly rule-oriented day of do’s and don’ts based on a religion, please keep reading because that is far from what I mean. Yes, a Sabbath does involve slowing down and refraining from constant activity, but it is more about a state of mind than said actions or non-actions.
Cretan Labyrinth
The last sentence of my last blog almost a year ago was: “Oh, the discoveries that await!,” referring to the permanent walking labyrinth I was hoping to create the coming spring. Boy, did that turn out to be prophetic! I did create the labyrinth, last spring, and have been walking it, if not daily, regularly. It is one of my proudest creations because I was so convinced initially that I couldn’t do it.
Crystal Alchemy: Sweet Selenite
Selenite is named after the Greek Goddess of the moon, Selene. This delicate, soft, and serene crystal is one of "the" crystals to have around you to create peace, serenity, and calm. Some crystals can disturb your sleep, but you can put this gem on your bedside table. Because Selenite is restful and soothing, it can be used for helping with insomnia. Try it out and see. Use it for clearing your mind and emotions, and to release stress. It does wonders for relaxation and meditation.
The Extraordinary Power of Writing
The effects of writing are cumulative: what you write today may not tell you yet about yourself as a whole, but taken together with hundreds of other bits of writing, this piece of writing will eventually present you with a picture of yourself, and solutions to many of your problems. And sharing your writing with others only intensifies all of these results. How does writing do this?
Align with the Universal Vibration of 2017: the Year of New Beginnings
Excitingly, after an intense year of cleansing and completion in 2016, 2017 heralds a cycle for promising beginnings birthed from the heart. According to the ancient metaphysical science of numerology, 2017 has a universal vibration of a one (2+0+1+7=10, 1+0=1). This is a collective influence that affects everybody. Perhaps, in some way, we can breathe a sigh of relief as 2017 will feel more vibrant and alive, and we will probably have more get up and go.
