Getting to Know Yourself by: Cynthia Beard
For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with low blood pressure. When I was younger, I didn’t understand that the ringing in my ears and lightheadedness (sometimes to the point that I would pass out) was caused by my naturally low-ish blood pressure suddenly dropping even lower. I learned as a child to […]
What does it mean to be the Warrior?
Where in your life are YOU the Warrior? Many of us feel like Warriors in our own way. For some of the amazing people I work with it’s because they have been Warriors in the literal battlefield or out on patrol as only soldiers and officers can relate to. Some of those I work with […]
What a Difference a Verb can Make!
I AM vs I FEEL Did you know that when the fight-or-flight center of the brain is engaged (the limbic system) saying things like I AM so angry keeps the blood flowing in that direction, feeding that center. But when you switch to I FEEL so angry there is a measurable shift in blood flow […]
A Smile a Day can Enhance the Month of Romance!
The month of February is the month of romance. For some of us that adds extra pressure, and paradoxically can even cause depression. With a little self-nurture we can begin to shift this disposition. The muscles of the face, unlike most other body muscles, communicate with the brain stem rather than the spinal cord. This […]
Getting Rid of Unwanted Memories
There is likely an ethical debate that could ensue around the art of removing or rewriting unwanted memories. Perhaps words like denial or delusion come to mind. But let’s pretend for a moment that neither of these things is an issue. IF our memories keep us locked in negative patterns, AND we know that each […]
Stress will Degrade our Social Structure
We know that the limbic brain is our body’s fight-flee-freeze center. It engages this way during perceived moments of threat, danger or fear. Dr. Stephen Porges notes in his book The Polyvagal Theory that “In most individuals the nervous system evaluates risk and matches neurophysiological state with the actual risk of the environment. When the […]
Raising Your Sword to Battle an Illusion
Our nervous system is a miraculous and complex network of information and control mechanisms. Our SNS (sympathetic nervous system) readies us for action, to mobilize, to activate, charge, fight or flea..among many other things. Our PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) calms us down, soothes, relaxes, and regulates…also among many other things. So when we get stressed, […]
Hydrogenated oils, Aggression and Your Amygdala
In a new study from the University of California, San Diego it was shown that those who eat more trans fats (fried foods or hydrogenated oils) are more prone to aggression. Perhaps this is because the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain capable of quieting our fight or flight center (the amygdala), seems to […]
Cultivating Compassion, Navigating Crisis
Professor Kristin Neff of the University of Texas is considered a leading researcher in the field of self-compassion. Her research is showing that those who cultivate self-compassion by exercising gentle and non-judgmental self-talk bounce back more quickly during crisis. The growing evidence is indicating that you can “you can cultivate your self-compassion through meditation and […]
Where the Gray Matters
Recent neuroscience is showing that the more we move into fear and threat response, the more we exercise and strengthen the neural pathways around the limbic brain which is our fight -or-flight center. We also end up shrinking or pruning back the neural pathways in our prefrontal cortex which then inhibit our abilities to see […]
