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The year 2023 – Finding Safety Within and Reaching the Surface
Here we are into the new year 2024! For the first time in many years, I can say the past year was quiet, stable, even uneventful. But thinking again – it was not really. I feel a sense of steadiness and stability, but at the same time, significant events shook my world. Losing my grandmother and adopting a kitten In the summer of 2023 my grandmother passed away at the age of 92. She was a true warrior, born long ago and having lived through diverse times, including World War II. She was like a beacon whose light has faded, but we will never forget her strong spirit. May she…
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A breast screening and a message of trust
Last week I went for a breast check for the first time in 7 years. The last time I did was in 2015, a few months after my sister died of breast cancer. It wasn’t a surprise that the check-up was triggering. The first thing the doctor asked me was, Are there any complaints? And my answer was, I have a family history of breast cancer. He laughed and said that this was not a complaint, and we proceeded to the examination. I was lost in my thoughts when he said I had cysts in both breasts. At this point my heart started pounding and it was the only thing…
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Eclipse season, covid and hitting rock bottom
The migraine started one day before the first eclipse on October 25th – a solar eclipse in Scorpio, which is where the south lunar node is located at the moment and where my natal south node also is. Without going into details, the lunar nodes are an important part of one’s astrological birth chart. Very generally speaking, the south node indicates where we feel comfortable and is connected with our past and the north node is where our soul wants to progress and grow, and that usually feels unfamiliar and scary. The lunar nodes are positioned on an axis and now the south node is in Scorpio and the north…
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Start of the school year and the nervous system
The start of the school year is pretty much the start of The Year for a parent. And here we are, another school year is beginning for our son in a few days. With all the arrangements and engagements around it, come all the stressors and negative emotions associated with it. Past experiences paint in black what’s to come in the future. It’s how trauma works. Trauma keeps you stuck in the past. Unresolved experiences and emotions from the past prevent you from moving forward and focusing on the here and now. Your nervous system is stuck in a threat response and focused purely on ensuring survival. It’s biologically not…
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The good, the bad, and everything in between – the blessings of another Christmas
So there we have it – Christmas is done and gone, for another year. A magical and somewhat sad time. On the day before Christmas, Sylvie was already stressing that Christmas will be gone soon. It’s hard living and being in the moment, even for an 8-year-old kid. You wait for this special day and before you know it – it’s in the past. But before that, there was the opening of the presents! Who doesn’t love presents?! And not because of the stuff you get, but because of the thoughtfulness of the people who give you the presents. That is a feeling you want to keep with yourself for…
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Childhood emotional neglect – the hidden root of my pain
I just had my second EMDR therapy session. In EMDR we focus on a particular memory from our life – usually a traumatic one. I was working with an image of me when I was a child and my mother who was particularly unresponsive to my needs. Just to remind you, at the beginning of therapy my therapist confirmed that I was emotionally deprived/neglected as a child. Since then I read the book Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect by Dr Jonice Webb which further helped me understand my “diagnosis”. The book very well explains what emotional neglect is – it’s not about what happened but about what…
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Interview with Tanya Amidei: Sexual abuse survivor, life coach and a spiritual writer
Tanya is one of the beautiful people I’ve met on Instagram. Her posts are deep and poetic and full of wisdom and truth. Her personal story is truly poignant but her strength, her spirit and her faith have transformed her into the woman she is today. Tanya is a Life Coach and writer who lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is engaged and lives with an invisible illness called Dysautonomia, more specifically Ehler Danlos and POTS. She describes herself as a people person and some have called her a catalyst for human growth because of her innate ability to see people’s potential. She is passionate, a natural leader, values-oriented, intuitive…
