- Honouring Our Ancestors September 1, 2014
I recently re-tweeted @sameetkumar: “When our loved ones die, they become our ancestors, those who came & went before us because we have outlived them. They are to be honored.”
This is an interesting idea, one that may not have occurred to those who don’t follow a particular tradition or religion in their daily lives. Dr. Kumar is one of my teachers in the Contemplative End of Life Care course @ITM and I have been thinking a lot about the families I will be working with; especially those who don’t have customs and practices that will help them with grief and ... - Listening to Pain April 8, 2014
Chances are good if you hear the word ‘pain’ it will spark memories of a broken bone or scrape or stitches, or a back pain that immobilizes you from bending or lifting. There are so many types of injuries and conditions that can elicit pain.
Emotional pain can also be felt physically. Pay attention the next time you hear sad news; feel if there is an aching around the region of your heart. Anxiety and dread may be felt in the pit of your stomach or in your gut region. I have heard depression described as a ‘heavy rock that sits ... - Grief & Trauma March 28, 2014
Go on any PTSD or mental health website and you will find varying definitions of trauma:
– an emotional shock reaction to a disturbing event
– anything that is deemed non-nurturing
– debilitating symptoms as a result of a life-threatening or emotionally overwhelming experience.
Surviving trauma means different things to different people.
The numbing effect we feel after trauma (the body’s way of protecting us from feeling too much too quickly) may sometimes last a very long time. When bereavement accompanies a trauma, there is the possibility of complicated grief or prolonged grief. Grief and trauma combined affects us more than either one alone.
Here are ... - Grief & Gratitude March 24, 2014
Much research has been done and it has been proven that gratitude goes hand-in-hand with happiness, stress tolerance, a positive attitude, and satisfaction. It isn’t always easy to embrace gratitude when we are faced with injustices and life struggles. Experiencing trauma and grief & loss challenge us to find the silver linings.
How can we begin to feel positive while grieving? After honouring your own feelings and thoughts and giving yourself the time you need, you may start to notice opportunities to express gratitude if you mine for them (even lumps of coal become diamonds when enough pressure is exerted.)
Judy Belmont, ... - Happiness is … Not Always Feeling Happy March 6, 2014
Recent research on happiness indicates not only does being happy feel good, it’s good for you. More than an emotion, happiness is a state of being. What may surprise you is happy people succeed in being happy because they have learned to embrace discontent and sadness. Surprised? There are some “happy” people that you may have wished had an on/off switch. I’m not necessarily speaking of those people who seem artificially happy, with a smile always plastered on their face. I mean those people that are content with their lot in life and move through their problems with precision and ...
