Monkey Business
Monkey Business Mind monkey or monkey mind, from Chinese xinyuan and Sino-Japanese shin’en 心猿 [lit. “heart-/mind-monkey”], is a Buddhist term meaning “unsettled; restless; capricious; whimsical; fanciful; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable”. The Buddha referred to the mental state as “kapicitta”. We all have a monkey mind that causes us to ruminate on fears and stressors. They sound like; “my boss […]
Hygge
Hygge Pronouced Hoo-gha, Hygge is a Danish term that means a quality of coziness and the feeling of contentment that comes from warm spaces and enjoying the good things in life with those you care about. Hygge is a means of enhancing our well-being. It is about atmosphere and experience. It is a felt sense […]
The Importance of Play
The Importance of Play Play may seem like “kid stuff”, but it is paramount to our well-being. Research by Dr. Stuart Brown found a strong correlation between success and playful activity (interestingly, Dr. Brown’s previous research on murderers illuminated that a lack of play in childhood was a common characteristic in killers’ backgrounds…it seems all […]
What’s the Deal with Dreams?
What’s the Deal with Dreams? I have long been fascinated by dreams. I still remember a recurring dream I had that commenced around the age of three that incited YEARS of my own dream analysis. My partner is so accustomed to hearing me state “I had the strangest dream last night…”, that the absence […]
Intention Without Expectation
Intention Without Expectation Counsellors and other health practitioners are often touting the importance of “living mindfully”. Mindfulness practices can be described as many things (e.g: being present, noticing without judgment, labeling emotions, meditating, body scans – the list goes on), so it can feel intimidating to know where to, or what to, prioritize. Rather than […]
Sawubona
Sawubona Sawubona is a Zulu greeting that translates to “I see you, you are important to me and I value you”. While us Westerners are accustomed to a greeting of “How you doing?” or “How’s it going?” with the usual perfunctory response of “Fine, how are you?”, Sawubona conveys acceptance at where the other person […]
YET
YET… I love the word “YET”. It is full of hope. Why? Think of “yet” in the context of these examples: You’re not comfortable with public speaking….YET. You’re not good at math/guitar/basketball/essay writing/cooking/____________….YET. You haven’t mastered sober living/the practice of self-compassion/enhanced communication with your partner/healed some wounded parts of yourself/_________….YET. Just because you are not […]
Vigorous Stir
Vigorous Stir What the heck is a “vigorous stir”, you ask? A “vigorous stir” has become an inside joke between me and my partner. When we first got together, I was incredulous about the amount of vigor in which he stirred his coffee (for a person that can be so quiet in the morning, his […]
Tattoo You
Tattoo You The above picture is one of my tattoos. Like most people, my tattoo holds personal meaning. “Eigenwelt” is a German word for an existentialist mode of personality development that focuses on the Self. Umwelt, Mitwelt, and Eignewelt are thought to be the three needed levels comprising healthy personality development – one’s “being-in-the-world”. Mitwelt […]
True Patriot Love
True Patriot Love I spent the last week cottaging. That is not a statement I ever thought I would make. It’s funny how in Ontario our vacation property is a cottage, on the Canadian prairies we stay in a cabin, and in the mountains of BC we vacation in a chalet….but I digress. How was […]
