He's got ba, da, la, ma down really well. So I think it's time for ga. And he can roll his "b". He can't do anything glotteral like in arabic: kha or gha. perhaps we should touch on that. It's helpful to teach him vocabulary as we are doing the activity. I'm just beginning to feel when he understands at 16 months.
I'm also thinking of posting arabic words in handwriting and with the letters separate and then with english equivalents around the house for us to learn those words this summer.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
parenting and redirection
Redirection means you have to know what the next step is before they do. And you are teaching problem solving by maintaining authority. They will learn that you have the answers and they will gain trust by this. It is peaceful.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Why breath is critical to wellness
So, I pray about everything that I can think of to heal myself and others. I talk to the Holy Spirit often and receive guidance. What I have a hard time doing is relaxing, meditating and sitting in silence. Most basic meditations suggest a simple technique involving following the breath. Keep your attention at the nostril, fill your tummy, count your breaths, etc. But my mind wanders so quickly, I just ask the Holy Spirit for more advice to listen to and go on my way.
But I think there is something to breathing that just hasn't clicked with me yet, until recently that is. I've noticed that breathing is expansive and pleasurable. There is a joy in breathing now for me like drinking is when I'm thirsty. I need conscious breathing like I need water! Yay! I think I will soon be able to meditate. But first... more processing...
I'm reminded to breath when I feel that familiar tightness that preludes my dark moods, putting space between my experience and my reaction. This air fills my lungs bringing oxygen and peace to my arms and belly and anywhere else I direct, really. This inturn begins physical prevention of the rise of the mood, relaxation. When I fill with air, the tightness, which is a response to the negative story I was using to explain the situation which was a trigger, it lightens. The tightness that would become some physical ailment if went unnoticed, fades. And I'm left with this space in time and physically, where I can choose another option, instead of the reflexive reaction I unconsciously agreed to.
From Abraham-Hicks I've learned that our thoughts become our reality. Our responses to our environment are mental habits that have built up over time. Some habits began in childhood where we were punished or rewarded to see a certain behavior one way or another. We must daydream optimism in order to create a more desirable reality. And we must make it a habit to do so. So in this space that I've created with my breath, I can invent a new story in response to my trigger. But I can't do that until I've completely haulted the mood's momentum. Which earlier tonight required 3 minutes of breathing.
Hay, was I meditating? I was focused on my breathing in order to avoid the rise of my anger. Of course I was meditating! That's why studies say that meditation helps in relaxation which helps in all realms of healing.
So now I need to figure out how to motivate myself to meditate and hold my attention on my breath for a reason other than that nagging anger on the horizon. Hmmm.
Perhaps with practice I will find more subtle pleasures in breath that I was previously unaware of because I judged meditation as work rather than for pleasure. So many stories to change, so little time. In the meantime, I can use my bad moods, negative thoughts, fears and worries to motivate me to breath and be still. To slow down and rethink what I believe. Instead of holding my breath at a frightening thought, I will exhale and take in more love-affirming oxygen to nourish my cells with.
Just sitting here in the time it took to type this, I caught myself holding my breath unconsciously in response to subtle fears and feelings of guilt. Like, oops! and I take a quick intake of air and hold it. All this talk of breath made me realize I was holding my breath. I followed the thoughts back to the sudden acute inhalation and then to the preceeding thought where the guilt/fear/worry originated. I noticed that memories from my day were making their way to my consciousness and my conditioned response caused acute apnea. Then I just took a long slow breath to loosen up and moved on with my thoughts.
I wonder why thoughts recur to us. I wonder if they come back to us so we can change our mind about them. Like, "remember me, you still feel shitty because you thought me up. Want to change your mind now?" Is that how the universe is showering us with blessings. All these thoughts are opportunities to heal?!? Sounds good to me!
God bless air, our thoughts and us all. May I remember to breath.
But I think there is something to breathing that just hasn't clicked with me yet, until recently that is. I've noticed that breathing is expansive and pleasurable. There is a joy in breathing now for me like drinking is when I'm thirsty. I need conscious breathing like I need water! Yay! I think I will soon be able to meditate. But first... more processing...
I'm reminded to breath when I feel that familiar tightness that preludes my dark moods, putting space between my experience and my reaction. This air fills my lungs bringing oxygen and peace to my arms and belly and anywhere else I direct, really. This inturn begins physical prevention of the rise of the mood, relaxation. When I fill with air, the tightness, which is a response to the negative story I was using to explain the situation which was a trigger, it lightens. The tightness that would become some physical ailment if went unnoticed, fades. And I'm left with this space in time and physically, where I can choose another option, instead of the reflexive reaction I unconsciously agreed to.
From Abraham-Hicks I've learned that our thoughts become our reality. Our responses to our environment are mental habits that have built up over time. Some habits began in childhood where we were punished or rewarded to see a certain behavior one way or another. We must daydream optimism in order to create a more desirable reality. And we must make it a habit to do so. So in this space that I've created with my breath, I can invent a new story in response to my trigger. But I can't do that until I've completely haulted the mood's momentum. Which earlier tonight required 3 minutes of breathing.
Hay, was I meditating? I was focused on my breathing in order to avoid the rise of my anger. Of course I was meditating! That's why studies say that meditation helps in relaxation which helps in all realms of healing.
So now I need to figure out how to motivate myself to meditate and hold my attention on my breath for a reason other than that nagging anger on the horizon. Hmmm.
Perhaps with practice I will find more subtle pleasures in breath that I was previously unaware of because I judged meditation as work rather than for pleasure. So many stories to change, so little time. In the meantime, I can use my bad moods, negative thoughts, fears and worries to motivate me to breath and be still. To slow down and rethink what I believe. Instead of holding my breath at a frightening thought, I will exhale and take in more love-affirming oxygen to nourish my cells with.
Just sitting here in the time it took to type this, I caught myself holding my breath unconsciously in response to subtle fears and feelings of guilt. Like, oops! and I take a quick intake of air and hold it. All this talk of breath made me realize I was holding my breath. I followed the thoughts back to the sudden acute inhalation and then to the preceeding thought where the guilt/fear/worry originated. I noticed that memories from my day were making their way to my consciousness and my conditioned response caused acute apnea. Then I just took a long slow breath to loosen up and moved on with my thoughts.
I wonder why thoughts recur to us. I wonder if they come back to us so we can change our mind about them. Like, "remember me, you still feel shitty because you thought me up. Want to change your mind now?" Is that how the universe is showering us with blessings. All these thoughts are opportunities to heal?!? Sounds good to me!
God bless air, our thoughts and us all. May I remember to breath.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Things I've Forgiven since moving to Kansas..
And by forgiven I mean let go judgment of.
ticks
TV
antidepressants
WalMart
the military
single-motherhood
working as a mom
public schools
vaccinations
white flour
marijuana
a messy house
commuting by car
anger
pop culture
men
mental illness
allopathic medicine
air conditioning
shopping
getting a degree
productiveness
earning money
lawn mowers
God bless these things. May we all see the good in everything. My shamanism teacher quoted the Spirits: "The most polluting thing on Earth is a negative thought." Looking for the silver lining makes me happy. In that I follow my bliss. So I know I'm healing. However, I'm also becoming more sensitive or sensitive to new conflicts. I think that's why Lot's wife turned to sand. She looked back; as in, saw the way she saw previous to being shown the way of God. It's easy to do, but going back to judgment is listening to our animal mind--we deny our Spirit which makes us divine. Acknowledging the Truth is evolution of the human spirit. Truth is love, compassion, respect, forgiveness, happiness, honesty. And it's faith in the unseen that guides us there. In the silence is the reality we are suppressing, feeling guilty about and then projecting outwards our warped vision of. The Holy Spirit waits in the silence, able to see both worlds, to answer our questions so we can shift our perception toward God and Light. Blessings on you.
ticks
TV
antidepressants
WalMart
the military
single-motherhood
working as a mom
public schools
vaccinations
white flour
marijuana
a messy house
commuting by car
anger
pop culture
men
mental illness
allopathic medicine
air conditioning
shopping
getting a degree
productiveness
earning money
lawn mowers
God bless these things. May we all see the good in everything. My shamanism teacher quoted the Spirits: "The most polluting thing on Earth is a negative thought." Looking for the silver lining makes me happy. In that I follow my bliss. So I know I'm healing. However, I'm also becoming more sensitive or sensitive to new conflicts. I think that's why Lot's wife turned to sand. She looked back; as in, saw the way she saw previous to being shown the way of God. It's easy to do, but going back to judgment is listening to our animal mind--we deny our Spirit which makes us divine. Acknowledging the Truth is evolution of the human spirit. Truth is love, compassion, respect, forgiveness, happiness, honesty. And it's faith in the unseen that guides us there. In the silence is the reality we are suppressing, feeling guilty about and then projecting outwards our warped vision of. The Holy Spirit waits in the silence, able to see both worlds, to answer our questions so we can shift our perception toward God and Light. Blessings on you.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
I want to hear more about Carrotmobs!
So I'm reading my first issue of Time, that I ordered as a school fundraiser for Galia. And there's this good news article I want to share.
"The first Carrotmob took place last spring in San Fransisco after [Brent] Schulkin solicited bids from 23 convenience stores in the city to find the one that would promise to spend the highest percentage of Carrotmob profits on more evergy-efficient lighting. On the appointed day, hundreds of enviro-minded consumers swarmed the K&D Market and spent more than $9,200 at the store, which then fulfilled its pledge to plow 22% of the revenues into greener lighting--enough cash to make all the improvements recommended by an energy auditor."
by Jeremy Caplan, Time, June 8, 2009
And there's this great photo of a long line of hip 20-somethings on the phone and just hanging out waiting to get inside. So cool!
"The first Carrotmob took place last spring in San Fransisco after [Brent] Schulkin solicited bids from 23 convenience stores in the city to find the one that would promise to spend the highest percentage of Carrotmob profits on more evergy-efficient lighting. On the appointed day, hundreds of enviro-minded consumers swarmed the K&D Market and spent more than $9,200 at the store, which then fulfilled its pledge to plow 22% of the revenues into greener lighting--enough cash to make all the improvements recommended by an energy auditor."
by Jeremy Caplan, Time, June 8, 2009
And there's this great photo of a long line of hip 20-somethings on the phone and just hanging out waiting to get inside. So cool!
Mental Wellness
So I recently saw my appointed provider and requested a referral to a therapist. I complained of feeling very irritable, sometimes too unmotivated to clean the dishes or mop, general feelings of depression with varying moments of wellness. But my husband is deploying in a month and with my family history of bipolar disorder, I don't want to take any chances. I've been seeking spiritual healing for going on 4 years now, but I'm still short tempered with my daughter. I just don't feel like giving up coffee or wine or researching supplements and herbs, let alone all of the above.
A phone call to a National Alliance for Mental Illness representative initiated the thought that I could benefit from taking an antidepressant. I thought, this will be one step towards wellness. In seeing my doctor for a different referral she asked if I was having any other pain. I told her I could use some therapy. She told me that therapy doesn't work. Studies have shown that years of counseling has just been a waste of time for everyone!
I'm thinking, all of the research on bipolar disorder that I've done says that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the cutting edge of treatment for mental illness. But I'm having a moment of humility, so I agree to try an antidepressant first for a few weeks and return for a follow-up then. But I have to wait a day because I need to take it with food during the day or it will cause insomnia. And I'm thinking, okay insomnia isn't too bad in the daytime, right? And she said it could also cause dry mouth (been there before--not so bad), and something else benign that escapes me now. But really, I'm torn over this.
Taking an antidepressant is like admitting to failure as a spiritual seeker, right? My spirit guide, the Holy Spirit, says that antidepressants can be helpful in acute cases of depression. But that I would also need to look at nutrition, therapy, finding support with the kids, herbs and exercise. And then I think of the story about a man stranded at sea who prays for help only to decline the boat and helicopter that offer to take him to shore because he's waiting for "God" to help. In heaven he asks God why He didn't come and God says, "I sent a boat and a helicopter!" Right? The antidepressant could be the answer to my prayers for happiness....
Well, that's all fine and dandy until I can't sleep this morning and I wake up and start reading blogs about side effects of my prescriped Effexor XR. Some people were feeling HOMOCIDAL!! Okay! Homocidal tendencies would NOT be an improvement on my current state of occasional laziness. Once again, HS is right.
But you know, just saying to myself, they are there if I need them, has been so relieving. I'm so happy right now because my house is clean (for the babysitter I hired to watch the kids so Moez and I could attend a deployment preparation briefing) and I've decided my happiness is a priority, worth letting go of previously held notions that allopathic medicine is all BAD. It's not, it's GOOD for acute emergancies. Just the belief that something was evil was holding my energy down, wow! There's blog induced insight for ya.
So, instead of letting the government pay for my Effexor, I'm going to fork out the $$$ for some dried lemon balm and chai (coffee replacement). I'm getting on Post to find a cognitive behavioral therapist (which, by the way, was offered at the briefing) to help me with stress management. I'm prioritizing daily walks and paid babysitters!! Alelluja!
A phone call to a National Alliance for Mental Illness representative initiated the thought that I could benefit from taking an antidepressant. I thought, this will be one step towards wellness. In seeing my doctor for a different referral she asked if I was having any other pain. I told her I could use some therapy. She told me that therapy doesn't work. Studies have shown that years of counseling has just been a waste of time for everyone!
I'm thinking, all of the research on bipolar disorder that I've done says that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the cutting edge of treatment for mental illness. But I'm having a moment of humility, so I agree to try an antidepressant first for a few weeks and return for a follow-up then. But I have to wait a day because I need to take it with food during the day or it will cause insomnia. And I'm thinking, okay insomnia isn't too bad in the daytime, right? And she said it could also cause dry mouth (been there before--not so bad), and something else benign that escapes me now. But really, I'm torn over this.
Taking an antidepressant is like admitting to failure as a spiritual seeker, right? My spirit guide, the Holy Spirit, says that antidepressants can be helpful in acute cases of depression. But that I would also need to look at nutrition, therapy, finding support with the kids, herbs and exercise. And then I think of the story about a man stranded at sea who prays for help only to decline the boat and helicopter that offer to take him to shore because he's waiting for "God" to help. In heaven he asks God why He didn't come and God says, "I sent a boat and a helicopter!" Right? The antidepressant could be the answer to my prayers for happiness....
Well, that's all fine and dandy until I can't sleep this morning and I wake up and start reading blogs about side effects of my prescriped Effexor XR. Some people were feeling HOMOCIDAL!! Okay! Homocidal tendencies would NOT be an improvement on my current state of occasional laziness. Once again, HS is right.
But you know, just saying to myself, they are there if I need them, has been so relieving. I'm so happy right now because my house is clean (for the babysitter I hired to watch the kids so Moez and I could attend a deployment preparation briefing) and I've decided my happiness is a priority, worth letting go of previously held notions that allopathic medicine is all BAD. It's not, it's GOOD for acute emergancies. Just the belief that something was evil was holding my energy down, wow! There's blog induced insight for ya.
So, instead of letting the government pay for my Effexor, I'm going to fork out the $$$ for some dried lemon balm and chai (coffee replacement). I'm getting on Post to find a cognitive behavioral therapist (which, by the way, was offered at the briefing) to help me with stress management. I'm prioritizing daily walks and paid babysitters!! Alelluja!
Healthcare Reform
I just need to vent about healthcare. I'm a military spouse who was assigned a doctor on post. She's very nice. I'd love to sit and have iced tea with her, but I'd prefer she not be the primary voice behind my personal wellness. Back in Portland, OR, I couldn't walk around the block without bumping into a naturopath or nutriton-savvy provider. Now, I live in Junction City, Kansas, where recommended treatment for my infant's pneumonia is an INHALER!!
I refuse to sit here silently and allow my wellness to be guided blindly towards illness.
Obama is asking for our thoughts on reform. Tell him your story.
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php Click on Your Voice.
I'm telling you mine.
I refuse to sit here silently and allow my wellness to be guided blindly towards illness.
Obama is asking for our thoughts on reform. Tell him your story.
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php Click on Your Voice.
I'm telling you mine.
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