When you think of medicine, your first thought probably isn’t stretching, breathing, humming or a walk in the woods with friends. And yet these basic practices are really at the core of keeping your body healthy, so I invite you to make them part of your daily life. Movement is medicine. Breathing is medicine. Music…

There is something that is important to understand about abuse. It is actually quite common to exhibit abusive behaviors without the intention to harm. Now, this does not dismiss the fact that some people DO intend to harm others, but that’s a different conversation. We may find ourselves on either the receiving or the giving…

We judge what we don’t understand. Last month, before the weather turned, my husband and I were sitting on our little deck sipping coffee. Now, if this sounds like some kind of relaxing, romantic ritual we share, let me wipe that cute little image away. Because, neither of us can usually sit still in the…

Do you take on other people’s feelings from social media? Maybe you find yourself irritated, scared or angry after scrolling a few minutes. Or you got off that intense Zoom meeting and now you’re in a state. That’s emotional contagion. Yep, it’s true…our emotions are contagious. It sounds like woo, but it’s actually neuroscience. We’re…

Think about the kindest person you know. Maybe it was your grandmother, or it’s your work friend that ALWAYS remembers everyone’s birthday. Chances are that the person you are envisioning has also hurt someone with their words or actions. We are complex human beings who have the capacity to do great benefit and great harm.…

In this complex time, please keep in mind that we are ALWAYS making decisions from our Core Beliefs about things like safety, belonging, power and freedom, which includes our pain. Maybe we are vigilant about doing every possible safety precaution due to PTSD. Maybe the western medical system has previously saved our life. OR Maybe…

Humans are terrible at assessing risks. Keep reading. This isn’t a judgment. Because of the involvement of the amygdala, or lizard brain, we assess risk through an emotional filter. Which means we give more weight to feelings than data. It’s why we buy lottery tickets and fear snakes over distracted drivers. We underestimate complex threats.…

Anyone who has experienced trauma likely understands the concept of triggers. There might be an old song, or a particular location, that triggers a long lost traumatic memory or trauma response (anxiety, physical illness, dissociation), but what about when these things seemingly come out of the blue? In my work, I have found that there…

Are you a Chimp or a Bonobo? Are there multiple approaches to existence? We share approximately 98.7% of our DNA with both chimps and bonobos. And yet, chimps and bonobos have very different approaches, from one another, to life and community. So, is it really a surprise that holds true for us, as humans? Chimps…