Stay Gold is defined by the Urban Dictionary as “being true to yourself, innocent, uncorrupted, unblemished”. Lavender Counselling is honoured to introduce the Stay Gold Ju Jitsu and Fitness Academy where they are deeply committed to destigmatizing mental health challenges and to helping those who train there ‘Stay Gold’.
Losing a loved one is an indelibly painful experience that can feel like being submerged in the depths of an unforgiving ocean. Profound loss can cause you to question everything you know, or thought you knew. The world can feel surreal and you may experience intense waves of anger, loss of purpose or direction, and intense isolation.
The Simple Meditation. Meditate Everywhere Anytime...
Mingyur Rinpoche, a Buddhist Monk, taught a simple meditation training in our last post. As you might have noticed, he is not the same monk who coined the idea of the puppy mind I mentioned in our first blog post on mediation. Mingyur uses the term ‘monkey mind’ to describe the all over the place, and into everything way our mind wanders in the same way that the Vancouver monk I worked with used the idea of a puppy mind. Both monkeys and puppies have a playfulness about them. There is a lightness to them.
If you've had one significant traumatic event, or several traumatic events occur in your life, finding a skilled trauma therapist is essential. This past week I have had the privilege of working with first-responder/military couples, in group format, where one partner has a PTSD diagnosis.
The message that we ‘should’ all engage in self care is everywhere. This can leave self care feeling like one more thing to put on our to do lists. At every turn – be it magazine covers or blog posts - we’re promised happiness and contentment if we simply follow "these 4 simple steps".
In our last post, we talked about the critical voice that can come up when you try to meditate and in previous posts we have looked at our reactions to meditation, and what to expect when trying to meditate. Now, we are going to look at why we would consider trying it at all!
As a psychotherapist who specializes in sexuality, I have spent much time contemplating what is happening-- emotionally, physically, spiritually, relationally-- when our sex lives are thriving. Through my research, I have also talked to both men and women who have embraced their sexuality as an essential aspect of who they are.
Thanks for joining us again to learn more about meditation. Last post, we talked about the most common stumbling block of developing a mediation practice, which is how uncomfortable and unbearable it can feel when your mind is all over. It is at this moment that you’re actually doing it, just as it was intended.