Did you know we might have 9 or more senses? Including our sense of what’s happening in our bodies, of what’s happening in the present relationship, and what Dr Dan Siegel calls transpiration – breathing across, a sense of the greater Being and inter-connectivity with all being.
African theologies also value this sense of community – “I belong, therefore I am” said John Mbiti. I wrote to Dan Siegel and told him how our ancient civilizations practiced a lot of this knowledge before the Western views invaded Africa,
What does really help, is seeing and understanding why. Why do we shut down when we feel criticised? Why have we lost our confidence in our intuition? Why has the age of ‘enlightenment’ over-ridden my inner light? Neurobiology helps make sense of this. Having scientific support for the validation of those of us who are less verbal and more conceptual, rebalances the power in ourselves and in our relationships.
Another warm help in reorientation for me has been Matthew Fox and his understanding the all of creation is God’s spoken word to us. Sue Monk Kidd talks about 3 ways of dealing with anger – we’re taught to either sit on it because it’s dangerous, or let it blow because it’s real. She says there’s a third way – use anger for healthy change. She says all social movements began with anger. And in South Africa we also prayed for a Third Way during the era of total onslaught, in the 80’s, when the churches met to write the Kairos Document. And by grace we moved into (relative) democracy without civil war.
I call myself both a bibliophile and a bibliotherapist. Books bring a wealth of thought and connections to me, and I offer that, and them, to all my clients.
Someone said to me “currency is accurately named. It needs to flow.” That resonates deeply for me. Books are one of my currencies. Flowers another. Time too, and caring. I wonder what yours are?
Here is a great extract from The Wheels of Awareness article:
“Now, here’s the cool brain part: as we train our minds through repetition of mindful awareness activities, we actually are stimulating the growth of synaptic connections and neurons themselves, as well as creating new neural firing patterns. And these neural changes, which are focused in the middle prefrontal region of the brain, translate into increased brain integration and improvement in a whole myriad of brain functions (more on this in a later post).
Mindfulness. Does. That.
Amazing.”
Yes! We do need to see the green outdoors, or hug a tree, and love the mountain – as Cape Tonians have always known : )
Does nature really make us feel better? The 3-Day Effect takes a look at the science behind why being in the wild can make us happier, healthier, and more creative. Whether it’s rafting down Utah’s Green River, hiking in Utah’s wilderness, or walking through Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC, scientists are finding that the more exposure humans have to nature, the more we can benefit from reduced anxiety, enhanced creativity, and overall well-being.
Trek with science journalist Florence Williams and researchers as we guide former war veterans, sex trafficking survivors, and even a nature hater on three-day excursions to the wild to see how being outdoors offers something like a miracle cure for an array of serious and everyday ailments. They wire themselves up to see what happens under the vast sky.©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.
Click here to go straight to this book on Audible.
Comments are closed.