"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." ~ William Faulkner Happy day-after Independence Day (if you’re living in or are from the United States)! Yesterday, when I hopped onto my Instagram account, I paused, feeling an opportunity to potentially offer something a little more than a Happy 4th fun [...]
"Social connectivity does more for your health than quitting smoking." ~ Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) We all want to be resilient. (Right???) Resilience is built by cultivating: Self-Care Spiritual Practices Social Support Therefore, we suffer when we don’t do the following: Invest in healthy habits for ourselves Cultivate spiritual practices [...]
Our progressive Veterans of Foreign Wars Post-1 in Denver has been featured yet again, this time in the Christian Science Monitor. You know why? 'Cause we're rocking it with gender equality, gay rights, yoga, meditation, child care, art shows, and much more at this Post! Healing happens together, folks. :) So, as the article goes... "In [...]
Integrate, don't isolate. Healing happens together because healing happens in the very place the initial trauma or stress occurs - in relationship. I know this might initially sound contradictory, but think about it - healing cannot happen in isolation because we are relational creatures. Of course, we often want to retreat at the very times we [...]
While clinical health services exist for service members with existing mental health conditions like posttraumatic stress, they are not stemming the rising tide of service suicides. A new approach to mental health intervention and suicide prevention in military-connected personnel is required, one that speaks to the participatory, hard-working ethos of military culture. Social work and [...]
Simply put, meaningful connections are invaluable. I’m not a licensed psychotherapist, but in the work I’ve done with suicide prevention, one of the most common threads among those who take their lives or have felt the pull of that fine line, is a feeling of separation...of disconnectedness. In a yogic sense, we talk about this [...]
"Healing doesn't mean you arrive at happiness and stay there; it means becoming strong enough to take each mountain as it comes. When we are in pain, we are afraid that we'll stay there forever. Yet, when we're happy, it's like we think it's bad luck to mention it. Both are temporary. Go with the [...]
