Tuning In 10.4.2021

Each week I post an update called Tuning In on what I'm up to and ideas for grounding, connection, and discovering vitality in your life. Most of the links on this post are informational only, but a few are affiliate links that help me keep up my website. 

Events:
Facilitating: Center for Chronic Illness - Web-Based Rare Chronic Illness Support Group October 5th, 2021 at 4pm PST
October 4th is National Taco Day 
October 10th is World Mental Health Day 
October 3rd- 9th is Mental Illness Awareness Week 
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, LGBT History Month, National ADHD Awareness Month, National Book Month, National Bullying Prevention Month, National Domestic Violence Month, and Vegetarian Month 

Ideas for Grounding: Usually we think about grounding in nature as an outdoor activity. As the colder months approach we may be spending more time indoors. Houseplants allow us to ground in nature when we are inside. I often look at my houseplants when I want to bring about a sense of calm. 

Ideas for Connection: Do you have an outdoor seating area? The fall is one of the best times to sit outdoors. If it's not too cold, enjoy the crisp, fragrant air and soft breeze. If it's colder, maybe you have access to a fire pit at home or at a local park. Wrap up in a blanket and enjoy a warm drink. This way you can connect with others with less fear of the virus and more ability to be present. 
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Ideas for Creating Vitality: Music is one of the best things for creating vitality. When you are at a low point and feeling down, try turning on a song that either resonates with how you are feeling or has the opposite feeling. Either way the body will respond with vitality. We gain vitality from being understood and we also gain vitality from up-regulating into a more energetic neural state. 

Why grounding, connection, and vitality? Because these are the ways we regulate the nervous system. Spending intentional time in a regulated state allows our nervous system to wire in the direction of safety and aliveness. In other words, it's a big piece of the puzzle of how we repair the survival response of trauma.

Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens in Everett, Washington

What I'm Reading Related for Therapy: What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD & Oprah Winfrey

"Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain development and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry discuss the impact of trauma and adversity and how healing must begin with a shift to asking 'What happened to you?' rather than 'What's wrong with you?'" 

Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma: Lifting the Burdens of the Past by Sharon Stanley 

My Somatic Transformation consultation group is re-reading this book and doing a study group. Every time I pick up this book, I discover something new. 

What I'm Reading for Fun: The Bowl of Light by Hank Wesselman, PhD. 

"Ancestral Wisdom from a Hawaiian Shaman" 

(I'm a proud member of the sloth reading club, so what I'm reading will not change weekly.) ​

TV Show or Movie I'm Watching: The Voice on NBC

Song on Repeat: "I Like It" by The Chicks
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Projects I'm Working On: Self-development book on trauma and worthiness, book of poetry, ongoing content for various publications. Considering next steps in career training—psychedelic assisted therapy, biblio/poetry therapy training, or yoga teacher training. ​

Poem: 

Lost 
by David Wagoner 

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

Meme of the Week: ​

Quote of the Week: "True healing is the willingness to treat yourself and others better than the past ever did." - Matt Kahn 

​I'd love to hear how you are grounding, connecting, and creating vitality. What is helping you feel calm and alive? Or comment below on what books, podcasts, songs, shows, poetry, or quotes are resonating with you right now.  ​