On a recent retreat a well-intentioned participant informed me that my drive system was overactive. She was referring to the three-circle model of Prof. Paul Gilbert which is part of our Level 2 Compassion training. This model postulates three psychological systems: a threat system, which triggers the fight, flight, freeze response when we feel threatened;…
It is very early in the morning and I am struggling to sleep. I woke up with feelings of fear and overwhelm and have spent the last hour or so lying in bed practicing. Part of me wishes the feelings would go away and part of me is curious about what can be learned. I…
A fruition of my compassion practice over the years is an increased ability to care for my physical and mental wellbeing. While I was away on holiday, I recognised – again – that the physical and mental stress of working too hard is damaging my health. My husband has been telling me this for years…
Recently I became acutely aware that I have been dwelling on some words that have been spoken to me. Words that seemed to cut like a knife. But they only hurt because I have been letting them hurt. There they were wrapped up in the constant stream of my autonomous thought patterns. They kept popping…
I am a week into a two week winter sun getaway to Cyprus. Away from the busyness of work I am noticing a lot of inner-critic dialogue along with an underlying feeling of being a failure. I am aware of a constant vigilance for instances where I might be subject to humiliation. Moreover I appear…
On the day when The weight deadens On your shoulders And you stumble, May the clay dance To balance you. And when your eyes Freeze behind The grey window And the ghost of loss Gets in to you, May a flock of colours, Indigo, red, green, And azure blue, Come to awaken in you A…
I did it again. I just fell into the stress and striving trap. Having read Heather’s recent blogs Mindfulness Meditation in the Face of Stress and Mindfulness at Christmas, it made me realise how vulnerable we are to the constant onslaught of life’s ‘stuff’ that can make us react. Since beginning the new role of Communications…
A sly gift it is, that on the year’s shortest day, the sun stays longest in this house– extends the wand of its slow slant and distant squint farthest into the long depths of our wintry rooms–to touch with tremulous light, interior places it has not lit before. by Robyn Sarah As we are…
The Arabs used to say, When a stranger appears at your door, feed him for three days before asking who he is, where he’s come from, where he’s headed. That way, he’ll have strength enough to answer. Or, by then you’ll be such good friends you don’t care. Let’s go back to that. Rice? Pine…