Too many of us believe we can’t sing, or can’t sing well enough, or at least need to improve our voices in some way. Whether singing or speaking, we manipulate our voices to sound softer, stronger, clearer, calmer, or otherwise more “socially acceptable” than our unimpeded voices. In addition to controlling how we sound, we… Read More
Self-Trust
Many Voices, All Valid
We all need validation. If everyone received the full acceptance and acknowledgment we require, I imagine the world would fill with an immense, sudden, satisfied stillness. While growing up, too many of us were surrounded by invalidation instead. When conflicts arose, we learned to argue, defend, and prove our point, or perhaps yield quickly to… Read More
Needs Amnesty Day
Have you noticed the gauntlet a need has to pass through before it can be internally acknowledged, much less spoken aloud? We often require our needs to be: Reasonably sized Age-appropriate Achievable Approved by “Them”, also known as the internal committee Bearable – some needs trigger old pain Consistent with other needs and beliefs Justified… Read More
Invite Your Longing to Tea
When you feel longing for something, do you take immediate action? We often move reflexively either to fulfill a longing or to suppress it, rarely taking time to sit with the longing itself. Are you willing to connect to your feeling of longing? Not the subject, not the thing longed for, but the feeling itself…. Read More
Sensitivities: Your Self-Care Guide
My friend Dinh raises many varieties of small, colorful killifish. He carefully adjusts the conditions in each aquarium to meet the needs of its inhabitants, and provides the food each fish likes best. After years of observing and learning about killifish, he can identify a fish’s species, age, and general health at a glance. At… Read More