In today's fast-paced world, it often feels like we've woken up on the wrong side of calm. Life's complexities, stressors, and chaos can make it challenging to maintain a sense of peace and tranquility. Fortunately, there are simple yet effective daily practices that can help us shift to the right side of calm. Here are three of them:

Breathe Mindfully:

1: Many of us are unintentionally shallow breathers, taking tiny, quick breaths throughout the day. This type of breathing is part of our evolutionary "fight or flight" response, designed to prepare us for immediate physical danger. However, our bodies often interpret everyday stressors, like bills or work deadlines, as threats, leading to constant shallow breathing.

2: One of the quickest ways to regain a sense of calm is to slow down your breathing consciously. Deep and deliberate breaths have a remarkable calming effect on both the mind and body. So, take a moment to inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to...

Let’s face it. Family gatherings are not always roses and cotton candy. For some families, they’re masked balls, with everyone straining to maintain a façade of harmony. For others, they’re Wild West shootouts. 

The holidays are often a difficult time for many people. On the one hand, there is a sense of joy in the air, while on the other hand, sorrow and grief because of either a loss or dysfunctional family dynamic.

The following are some ways you can deal with family trauma around the holidays. Try some of these tips.

Have an Escape Plan

It’s important not to isolate over the holidays. Being around loved ones who support and care for you can be a comfort. Having said that, you’ll also want to have a plan that will allow you to get away from crowds and holiday festivities when you feel yourself become triggered or emotional. This may mean you drive separately to an event so you can leave when YOU want and...

Modern culture prizes selflessness and abhors selfishness, in effect setting the two against each other. 

"The alternatives are either to love others, which is a virtue or to love oneself, which is a sin," wrote social scientist and philosopher Erich Fromm in his essay titled "Selfishness and Self-Love." 

How do we differentiate between valuing ourselves and egotistically indulging ourselves? While no one would argue with considering others, it could be worthwhile to re-examine our beliefs around being selfish. For example, do we genuinely aspire to be without concern for ourselves? Or is it important to value and love ourselves, think for ourselves, have a life of our own, and be able to love others without losing ourselves? 

The answers lie in self-knowledge. When we undertake an inner journey and come to understand ourselves truly—the sacred and profane dimensions of our lives—we develop the capacity to deal honestly, thoughtfully,...

*June is PTSD Awareness month*

Robert just returned from Afghanistan where he witnessed an improvised explosive device (IED) destroy a Humvee in his convoy, killing his best friend. Now that he’s back home, he’s no longer the easy-going guy he once was. He has angry outbursts at the slightest provocation and uses illegal drugs to repress his wartime memories.

When Liz was seven years old, her stepfather sexually abused her. Now in her thirties, she wants to put the past behind her but can’t. She’s unable to establish intimate relationships and has frequent nightmares about her abuse.

It may not appear that Robert’s wartime experience has much in common with Liz’s sexual abuse, but it does. As a result of the trauma they’ve each experienced, they both now suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

What Is PTSD?
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that affects individuals who’ve experienced firsthand (or witnessed) intensely traumatic...

A journal is a way of recording and reflecting on your inner life. It is a form of expressing yourself freely, trying out outrageous ideas, tapping into your inner wisdom, gaining clarity, recording your dreams, venting emotions, tracking your personal growth, and delighting in unexpected “Ahas”!

There's no right or wrong way to keep a journal. The tools are a notebook and a pen. You can use a computer, and there is even software available to support you in your journaling. However, writing by hand allows you to be more in touch with the right-brained, intuitive part of your nature. The only rule about journaling is “Allow!”

Here are some helpful guidelines:

• Write every day if you can. The morning is an excellent time to write: your mind is fresh; your dreams are still alive. Practice writing your dreams down whenever you can.

• Write for at least 10 minutes. Don't stop. Simply allow the words
to come with no concern for spelling, punctuation or...

Work stress can easily drive you to feel overwhelmed, anxious and scattered. The Inner Balance™ sensor for Android and iPhone trains you to shift and replace emotional stress with emotional balance and coherence.

Many clients complain of difficulty sleeping, feeling overwhelmed, and irritability with others prior to implementing our stress management training. After a short level one training course, on average, clients share they fall asleep thirty minutes faster, their stress management assessments scores rate significantly higher, and overwhelmingly claim feeling more fulfilled and satisfied in their relationships.

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