Stress

Spiritual Practice: Welcoming the Guests of Life

Dec
07

Back in 1974-75 studying with Colette, she declared that we are to say “yes” to life. It is a principle and practice of the Monotheistic Spirituality. She referenced Deuteronomy 30 as a source for that wisdom.  Playing it forward to now, I came across a poem by Rumi, the revered mystic Islamic poet, called The Guest House. Here, he advises us to say “yes” to life by imaging ourselves as a guesthouse and by welcoming all visitors through our front door no matter who they are.  Read more »

When Is An Emergency Not One?

Apr
03

By: Dr. Jerry Epstein

The common denominator of all stressful responses is what the spiritual teacher Dr. Bob Gibson called the “emergency state.”

The emergency response is a normal physiological response to a conceived or perceived threat to oneself. Whether it is perceived or a real threat to our very existence, there’s a physical/emotional reaction.  Whatever the threat or the source, we respond in our incontrovertible way labeled by the eminent physiologist Hans Selye as “fight or flight.” Read more »

Healing Anxiety & Stress with Mental Imagery

Dec
19

In mental imagery we restore ourselves to wholeness by repairing the fragmentation we experience inwardly as anxiety and other distressing emotions. By engaging with mental imagery for a few minutes a day we can re-member ourselves, that is, we can put ourselves back together in a new way.  Unlike, Humpty Dumpty, we always have the possibility to restore ourselves to wholeness at any moment. While we cannot necessarily change outside circumstances, we can always take charge of our minds - our thoughts, feelings and perceptions through mental imagery. Read more »

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