Category: MENTAL HEALTH

Lesson for LIFE & Beyond – The UNFOLDING PATH

We have all had those days when we sit, ponder, and take stock. When time literally stands still for us and it is in those moments that we get to deeply feel the graciousness of life as if it has not been felt before.

I had one such deep, ‘taking stock’ moment the other day on a beautiful London morning, reflecting on where I had come from and everything that I had come to within myself, the paths that I had walked and the choices I have made. Continue reading “Lesson for LIFE & Beyond – The UNFOLDING PATH” →

Are We Taking Responsibility For Our Own Lives?

Is there anyone out there truly taking a deeper look at why we are running marathons; why we sit for hours fishing by the river; why we spend days on end staring at a computer screen or why we stay awake with the help of sugary caffeinated drinks and salt-filled junk food watching sporting events on TV – or even reading a thrilling book?

The list is endless. Is this just simply filling in time, a bit of fun, a social outlet – or is it something more than that? Are not all these pastimes ways of distraction to not feel our predicament and ways of checking out from who we are and what life is truly about?

Continue reading “Are We Taking Responsibility For Our Own Lives?” →

My Relationship with the Fashion Industry – Changed by the Way I Live

To the outsider, fashion styling is thought to be a very glamorous job. It looks like we get to hang out with models and celebrities, dress them up and be surrounded by beautiful clothes. We work in hotel rooms and have room service delivered to us, we are surrounded by the most expensive brand names and know all the inside news, and we get to shop at privileged prices. Continue reading “My Relationship with the Fashion Industry – Changed by the Way I Live” →

The Role of Loving Care in Learning… and a Lesson from Dood, the Dog

I was recently offered an amazing reflection from my dog, Dood, which seemed to me to reflect the impact that loving care has on learning. Being a teacher, I have observed that children learn much more easily when they have a good connection with their teacher. This experience with my dog clearly and simply validated my observation that the relationship between teacher and student is fundamental and foundational for supporting student learning in all subject areas, especially in the area of basic self-care. Continue reading “The Role of Loving Care in Learning… and a Lesson from Dood, the Dog” →

The Return of the ‘Hokey Pokey’

Most families have the standard stories that get rolled out at birthdays and other occasions about any given family member: the attempt at flying, sticking things up noses and in ears… In my case the most frequently told story was the ‘Hokey Pokey’. Continue reading “The Return of the ‘Hokey Pokey’” →

Our Past Catches Up With Us, Eventually

Recently a young woman spoke to me about her need to go for a walk to get back to herself after a big night out on the weekend, getting home at 3am. I was also planning to walk my sixty-eight year-old body, with the intention to enjoy myself on a pristine beach, feeling lovely.

Her situation reminded me of times past when, as a young woman, I went out to get drunk or escape from the stress I was feeling, or sometimes to party for the sake of it. As I age, I am made so aware of how I lived my younger life and how my body now carries all that I have lived, and how I have lived – the drive, the anxiousness, the overworked body. Continue reading “Our Past Catches Up With Us, Eventually” →