Bear's Blog

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Let’s wal(t)z into August, traditionally when many take a summer vacation. Whether you are going somewhere or staying at home, hopefully you’re finding time to play - or at least enjoying a more relaxed schedule. You can take a cue from others, especially the kids who are enjoying more freedom and unstructured time right now. Although many of us are already anticipating an action-packed fall, let’s take deep breath and – pace ourselves!

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One of my favorite sayings for years is “If you’re in a body, you’ve got work to do!” (more on that later.) Lately, the American (originally Protestant) work ethic is being applied to personal development and spiritual growth in an unhelpful way.

Although the traditional definition of work is what we do to make money (for a living?) that sense of obligation and drudgery is creeping into many areas. Child-raising, exercise, diet, and relationships are not immune to the...

The pandemic is officially over but we’re still living with all the unresolved consequences. It’s a work in progress. Everything is ramping up, but the speed we considered normal is being re-evaluated. Between working from home, doing more than ever online and being deluged with information and opportunities, are we really ready for more?

Change requires extra effort; we need to integrate before moving on. Yet in another sense, we are ready to be challenged, in a good way.

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What kinds of changes can we make in our lives that are truly transformative? It’s not big dramatic events that really make a difference. They are helpful as a catalyst for inspiration, or for uncovering some deeper truth that gives us new insight.

The real job is integrating those events, bringing about a positive impact on the quality of our day-to-day. It’s not sexy; it’s about routines. It’s not hard, but at the same time it’s not easy to practice long...

There is a national ad campaign called “One Kind Act a Day.” You’ve probably seen the signs on businesses, billboards, and online. Regardless of the good intent, this is a sad statement on our society.

Are we so overwhelmed, self-absorbed, and busy that we need this prompt? In the gym at my children’s grade school there was a sign that said “Stop, Look and Listen” – in order to be aware of your surroundings and be safe. It seems adults need that...

In January we think about resolutions, intentions, and how to improve. Self-care can be another item on that to-do list. Are we really just another fixer-upper project?

Like so many things, “wellness” has been defined and commercialized as yet another commodity. Running around taking care of ourselves, and buying services and products to do it, seems counterproductive to the result we want. A more authentic way to look at maintaining health - in all aspects - is to think of it as...

“It’s better to give than to receive” - (Acts 20:35, King James Version, the Bible)

This time of year there is a lot of emphasis on gifting. Did you know that giving activates the “love hormone” oxytocin? It’s literally pleasurable to be the giver. Yet we cannot give without someone on the other end receiving. Why is that role so difficult? It’s potentially a mutual experience of connection; we deprive ourselves of that moment of closeness when we are...

Fall is a time of transition. Seasonal changes affect the planetary whole - that includes us, and definitely our bodies! In the Indian system of health, Ayurveda, the fall and spring are the optimal time to do a cleanse because we are more susceptible to getting sick when “weathering” these changes.

We undergo many major transitions in our lives; it’s these in-between times that create higher levels of stress in our physiology. How can we navigate challenging conditions with...

These are tumultuous times. We are certainly experiencing a disturbance - in the group energy field, in the streets, in our thinking and emotions, and ultimately in our bodies. I have to keep pulling myself away from the weight of events to reference my spiritual practices.

My self-care practices are helpful while I am engaged in doing them. I’m not really noticing a residual or underlying difference right now, although I’m sure I would feel worse without them. I want to be open...

Sooo much of your inbox will be about gratitude around Thanksgiving. Most of us know how a daily gratitude practice (traditionally called “counting your blessings”) has numerous benefits.* How can we extend that gratitude to ourselves in a meaningful way?

We constantly notice how we fall short, and push ourselves to improve. When we drop the ideal of perfectionism, we can be a little easier on ourselves. Yet after a momentary congratulation for a particular accomplishment, or a...

Tumultuous times are with us. The tide of emotions and thoughts can be overwhelming. Maybe you are upset, angry, sad, scared, or discouraged. Possibly you are experiencing a mix of those, or a feeling that doesn’t even have a label. We are certainly experiencing a disturbance - in the energy field, in the streets, in our thinking and emotions, and ultimately in our bodies. I feel a heaviness in my body, and a numbness that slows everything down.

My self-care practices are helpful while...

Ah, MOVEMENT - this week's Corona Care Kit topic. We feel confined right now, but don’t let your body suffer! Movement supports all aspects of our physical health – circulatory and respiratory, muscular and skeletal (use it or lose it!), endocrine and nervous (sleep! reverse the fight/flight response!) and especially immunity. The lymph fluid cleans up cellular debris from antibodies fighting invaders, and then moves it out of the system. The problem is, it doesn’t have a...