Podcasts about orienting

We've missed their content, so we invited Nick Beatman of Commander Theory fame to join us for a dose of the content we love. Nick sets up a look at and conversation about trends that he's been seeing emerge in the design of red as it is relevant to commander players. We take a look at different things from how you get access to more cards, mana, and bigger, splashier spells to push games to their red end. (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:01:15) - Orienting to Red in EDH (00:29:25) - Wheels (00:40:05) - Mana Dorks (00:50:20) - Timelines of Impulse Draw (01:10:15) - Splashy Rares (01:21:10) - Areas We Want More (02:09:05) - The End Look for past Commander Theory content anywhere you listen to podcasts or follow them on . Check out . ------------------- ------------------- Music this episode comes courtesy of Home –   

Shut down is your nervous system's most protective response. If you've ever felt heavy, numb, and completely disconnected from life—like you're moving through a thick fog with no energy or motivation—you've likely experienced a nervous system state called "shutdown." This episode offers a deeply compassionate guide to understanding this protective state and provides a roadmap of gentle, micro-steps to help you slowly and safely reconnect with yourself and the world.*This episode serves as Part 4 in our "Different States Series"In this episode, you'll learn:Why shutdown happens, from chronic burnout and overwhelm to unresolved grief and past trauma.How to understand shutdown from a "parts work" perspective, seeing it as a protector trying to keep you from feeling more pain.A toolkit of gentle, sensory-based practices to slowly reawaken your system without causing more stress.Why patience is one of the most crucial tools when working with this state.3 Takeaways:Shutdown is protection, not pathology.Gentle presence is more powerful than forced productivity. In shutdown, your system needs safety and patience, not more pressure. Address the overwhelm, not just the symptoms. If shutdown is a pattern, it's often telling you something important about your life circumstances, past experiences, or internal dynamics.Tools/Resources for shut down:Gentle Sensation & Warmth: Hold a warm mug of tea or a heating pad, wrap yourself in a soft blanket, feel the texture of a piece of fabric, feel your feet on the floor.Gentle Breath & Sound: Make soft humming sounds or quiet "ahh" or "ohh" sounds that you can feel vibrating in your chest, listen to slow and comforting music or nature sounds.Orienting & Vision Resets: Slowly look around the room, gently turn your head from side to side, let your gaze soften and rest on something neutral or comforting.Micro-Movement: Wiggle your fingers and toes, gently roll your shoulders or circle your wrists, sway slowly while seated, stand near a window for a moment.Symbolic or Actual Connection: Text a safe person (no conversation needed), pet an animal or tend to a plant, look at a photo of someone you love, watch a familiar and comforting show.Voice & Self-Talk: Whisper comforting phrases to yourself like, "I'm right here," or "It's okay to rest," or "You matter to me."Parts Work: Get curious about the part of you that has gone offline. Offer it compassion and reassurance without pressure, saying things like, "Thank you for protecting me from pain. Right now, it's safe to feel just a little bit."—Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)Join me inside Regulated Living, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: amanda@riseaswe.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Two Random hikers, a secluded spot, a field manual.By HectorBidon. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. One of the big lessons I learned the summer I graduated from high school was that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing even if it was your mother's idea. The Park Department was putting on a series of new events for young adults, and my mother kept bugging me to go to one of them. "It will get you out of the house," she'd say. "You love the outdoors. It will give you a chance to meet people." By people she meant girls. Here I was, eighteen, and I still didn't have a girlfriend. She was afraid I'd be a bachelor all my life.I think she was trying to correct her mistakes from the past 5 years. Until the past few months, she tried to keep me from anything that might conflict with her frigid attitudes on dating and sex. Now she was often suggesting that I ask out some girl who met her qualifications. What teenage guy wants to let their mom be their matchmaker!”My dad left my mom when I was 13, and married a woman in another state. Mom never dated any men since then.  So mom tried to find good male role models for me. Scouting was okay, because my buddies were there. But other than the scouting idea, I resented her socialization initiatives. Dad rarely visited, once his new wife had a baby; nor did he arrange for me to come visit him.  But he paid for my prep school, and I got a car for my graduation/18th birthday present.The fact is, I was dying to get out of the house. I did love the outdoors. I desperately wanted to meet girls. The only reason I was dragging my feet was because it was her idea. It began to dawn on me that this was not a very grown-up reason.So I took a look at the schedule. One of the events was going to be an orienteering hike in Twisty Creek Park. It was a new county park and nature preserve & endowment that some rich widow gave to the county, upon her death. The terms required the county to provide educational experiences for reintroducing young people to nature, through hikes and other activities. The hikers would be divided up into teams, and each team would have to find their way around an eight-mile course using a map and a compass. It sounded like it might be fun. So I signed up online. They sent me a topographic map of the park and a list of directions that we'd have to follow to get around the course.On the morning of the hike, I got to the park a few minutes late. There were half a dozen cars in the parking lot, but I didn't see any people. I got out to take a look around. Another car door opened, and a girl got out. She was wearing khaki shorts, a light blue polo shirt, and a brimmed hat."Are you here for the orienteering hike?" she asked."Yeah," I replied. "Have they left already?""I don't think so.” She guessed. “I've been here for ten minutes, and you're the only other person I've seen." She had a pretty face with freckles and light brown hair. She looked both shapely and athletic. Her hair was flowing halfway to her waist."Do you think it got cancelled?""Usually they let you know." She said. “The weather is fine. Maybe someone had a personal health issue?”"So what should we do?" I sought her advice."Keep waiting, I guess. See if anyone else shows up."She got her backpack from her car, and we waited in the shade of some oak trees. We looked at our maps and oriented ourselves with respect to a few of the taller hills that could be seen from the parking lot. I was usually pretty shy around girls, but since we were both interested in figuring out the map, I was able to hold my own. I hadn't done this kind of nature stuff since my scouting troop disbanded, two years ago, when the leaders either moved or had health complications.Eventually, fifteen minutes had gone by, and no one else had arrived."Well, I guess we're it," she said. "What do you think? Shall we just go ahead and try to take the hike ourselves?"It was an exciting prospect. She was friendly and very pretty; and we seemed to be getting along well. "I guess that's what we're here for."So, with both our compasses out; we headed out down the trail. It was a fire access road, actually, wide enough for the two of us to walk along side by side. She introduced herself as Heidi. She was outgoing and friendly and easy to talk to. She'd just graduated from the public high school. I'd just graduated from the Catholic boys prep school. We were both going to the State University, the next year."I thought everybody from St Francis went to some big name college," she said."Some do, but not everybody can afford it," I explained."Wasn't it weird going to a high school with only boys?" Heidi asked, in a platonic tone."You get used to it, I guess.""But you had girls in your grade school, didn't you? I don't see why they separate you in high school. I mean, the real world has boys and girls both. Shouldn't high school be the same way?""I guess they figure we'll catch up eventually. They probably want to save our eternal souls from sexual temptations." I said, the mocking tone of a fundamentalist preacher."But you guys did do things with Carlmont, didn't you?" That was the nearest Catholic girls high school. "Dances and things?""They had dances and things. I didn't usually go.""How come?""Too shy, I guess.""Oh come on. You don't seem that shy. Did you go to the prom?""Nah." I was surprised at how personal her questions became; and to be truthful, the thought of going to the prom had never even crossed my mind. But now I felt embarrassed that I hadn't at least considered it."Because you were shy?""I didn't really have anyone to ask.""Couldn't you have asked one of the girls you went to grade school with?""I guess I haven't kept in very good touch with them. In Junior high I was terrified of girls. I certainly didn't have any girls in my 13 year old social circle, let alone a female whose friendship had any lasting connection.”"Well? See? II you want to have someone to ask to the prom, it's going to take a little effort on your part."“Yeah, I got it.” I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable being in the spotlight."What about you?" I asked. "Did you go to the prom?"Her reply surprised me. "Not really.""Not really, or No?""Nobody asked me.""Really? I mean, seriously. You're so pretty. You're so nice.""Yeah, well, a lot of shy guys at my school too, I guess. I was a bit of a tom-boy, in my youth.  I have 3 older brothers, and no sisters.”The first few legs of the orienteering route were pretty easy to figure out. They had us going along a ridge with nice views of the creek and the hills beyond. It was a pleasant day with big fluffy clouds in the sky. We didn't see another soul on the trail.Then one leg took us down into a big open meadow. It started off along an unofficial path that wasn't too hard to follow. But when we got down to the meadow the trail became sketchier and sketchier. Finally it disappeared altogether, and we had to bushwhack through tall grass in the general direction of the creek. The ground was swampy in places, and swarming with mosquitos."I wish I'd worn long pants," Heidi grumbled. Eventually we came to firmer ground, and we struck the creek right at a stand of shady sycamores. It was a pretty site with a rough little beach of pebbles and coarse sand.According to the directions, there should have been a bridge there, but there wasn't. We studied the map, and Heidi finally figured it out. We weren't where we thought we were."Here's the bridge," she said, pointing at the map. "If we were there, then Grizzly Peak would be west of this hill. But it's east. So we must be over here somewhere.""Right," I said. "And look, the creek takes a big turn here. So maybe this is where we are." I indicated a point on the map only about two-thirds of the way toward the bridge. We decided that we must have taken the wrong side trail down into the meadow. It hadn't been a real trail at all, just an animal track. That's why it had petered out in the tall grass."So what do we do now?" Heidi asked.One option would be to retrace our steps through the meadow, but neither of us much wanted to go back that way again. Or we could try to follow along the creek itself, but we had no idea how rough the terrain might be.The third option would be to cross the creek where we were and then cut across country to intersect the trail again about a half a mile ahead. That way didn't look to be as overgrown as the meadow had been, and in fact it looked like it might be our best bet. The problem was the creek. It was pretty wide here, and no telling how deep. We decided to reconnoiter a bit to see if we could find an easier place to cross.Heidi bent down to tighten her shoelace and let out a little shriek."A tick!" she cried. It was in the cuff of her sock. She brushed it off and stomped it with a vengeance. Our instructions had warned about the possibility of ticks. The ones in our area weren't thought to carry Lyme disease, but they could carry other diseases, and they were just all-around nasty creatures, burrowing into your skin and sucking your blood.Heidi sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree. She took off her shoes and socks and found one more tick. I stepped out of my own shoes and found one of the little buggers myself. "We must have picked them up in the meadow," I said.Heidi was checking the legs of her shorts. She spotted another one, right on her inner thigh. "God," she said, "I've got one on my leg, too."I was wearing long pants. "They can't get inside your clothes, can they?"Heidi was standing up again. "They can get anywhere! We probably need to check ourselves, all over." She sounded very serious. She began to unbutton her shorts, but she didn't want to pull them down in front of me. So she turned her back, and then looked over her shoulder to make sure I turned my back too.Was she really going to take off her shorts right out there in the open? Well, it was the only way to know for sure. The spot where we were was pretty secluded. We'd turned our backs to give each other as much privacy as possible.I started to wonder if I shouldn't check myself as well. I took off my tee shirt and felt around my chest and armpits. Could they really have gotten inside my pants? I unbuckled them and tried to look down inside. It felt kind of silly undressing in the out of doors, but I carefully stepped out of one leg and then the other. I took a quick glance around to make sure Heidi wasn't looking.She still had her back to me. She'd taken off her shorts, and everything else! I could see her bare, split bottom. She was completely nude! That must have been what she meant by checking herself all over.I was shocked that she'd taken her clothes off, and I was just as shocked that she'd thought it necessary to check herself all the way down to the skin. I turned quickly back away from her. I looked down inside the waistband of my underpants. It was a rat's nest of pubic hair down there. Could there be ticks? The only way to know for sure would be to take a closer look.Keeping my back to Heidi, I slid my underpants down. And right there on the underside of my penis, right where it emerged from my balls, was the horrid little black watermelon seed of a tick. It had already started to latch on. My heart skipped a beat.Heidi must have heard me gasp. "Don't try to pull it out!" she ordered. She was looking right at me. "You might break it, and then we won't be able to get the head out. Hold on. I've got some tweezers in my first-aid kit."She crouched to open her backpack, split bottom and all. Then she stood back up with the tweezers. She had breasts real breasts and, down where her bikini bottom should have been, a fuzzy little patch of hair. I'd never seen a girl naked before. I'd never seen the way her breasts swell so naturally from her chest, the way they sway as she hastens toward you, the way they're capped so frankly by their pink little buds. Her boobs were each very wide and came together in a cleaved valley. They started high and sloped low, but without sagging at all. Every move she made had a resulting jiggle."Sit there," she commanded, indicating the tree trunk. Her face was full of concern, her voice charged with the authority of someone who has recently read the field manual. She knelt down in front of me. No girl had ever seen my penis before. But now I had no choice but to show it to her. I lifted it up and let her see even the underside.She assessed the situation. "Keep the skin stretched tight," she told me. So I held my dick up with one hand and used the other to pull down the saggy skin of my balls. She held the tweezers parallel to the skin, right down touching it, to grab the tick as close in as she could get. She pulled slowly, tenting the skin at first and then plucking the tick right out. She inspected it closely. "I think we got it all," she said with freckled concentration, holding it up for me to see. She squashed it between the jaws of the tweezers, then dropped it on the ground and smeared it with a rock.She looked back up at me, still crouched between my legs, deliberately ignoring the fact that we were both naked. "I should probably check to see if there are any others," she said, speaking still with the authority of the field manual. I could see that she was probably right. She could check me much more thoroughly than I could check myself. I let go of my dick and spread my legs farther apart.She bent in close. She started with my pubic hair, using both her hands to curry through it. Just a minute ago we'd been hiking down the trail, chatting about high school, and now we were naked and she was fiddling around with my crotch. All I could see from my vantage were her brown tresses and her broad, bare back. But I could feel her careful probing. No one had ever touched me where she was touching me. I could feel myself starting to stiffen. There was nothing I could do to stop it. She finally had to move her head back to dodge being slapped in the cheek. I was too embarrassed to even apologize.She kept working as if protruding dicks were nothing out of the ordinary for her. She had me spread my legs even wider so she could check where my balls tucked up against my thighs. She was still using her fingers to curry the hair, but very timidly, trying hard to avoid touching my scrotum. I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed. Or so erect.She scrunched way down, trying to see the underside of my balls. "Um, " she said.It wasn't really possible for me to lean much farther back. "What if I turn around?" I suggested.

Two Random hikers, a secluded spot, a field manual.By HectorBidon. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. One of the big lessons I learned the summer I graduated from high school was that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing even if it was your mother's idea. The Park Department was putting on a series of new events for young adults, and my mother kept bugging me to go to one of them. "It will get you out of the house," she'd say. "You love the outdoors. It will give you a chance to meet people." By people she meant girls. Here I was, eighteen, and I still didn't have a girlfriend. She was afraid I'd be a bachelor all my life.I think she was trying to correct her mistakes from the past 5 years. Until the past few months, she tried to keep me from anything that might conflict with her frigid attitudes on dating and sex. Now she was often suggesting that I ask out some girl who met her qualifications. What teenage guy wants to let their mom be their matchmaker!”My dad left my mom when I was 13, and married a woman in another state. Mom never dated any men since then.  So mom tried to find good male role models for me. Scouting was okay, because my buddies were there. But other than the scouting idea, I resented her socialization initiatives. Dad rarely visited, once his new wife had a baby; nor did he arrange for me to come visit him.  But he paid for my prep school, and I got a car for my graduation/18th birthday present.The fact is, I was dying to get out of the house. I did love the outdoors. I desperately wanted to meet girls. The only reason I was dragging my feet was because it was her idea. It began to dawn on me that this was not a very grown-up reason.So I took a look at the schedule. One of the events was going to be an orienteering hike in Twisty Creek Park. It was a new county park and nature preserve & endowment that some rich widow gave to the county, upon her death. The terms required the county to provide educational experiences for reintroducing young people to nature, through hikes and other activities. The hikers would be divided up into teams, and each team would have to find their way around an eight-mile course using a map and a compass. It sounded like it might be fun. So I signed up online. They sent me a topographic map of the park and a list of directions that we'd have to follow to get around the course.On the morning of the hike, I got to the park a few minutes late. There were half a dozen cars in the parking lot, but I didn't see any people. I got out to take a look around. Another car door opened, and a girl got out. She was wearing khaki shorts, a light blue polo shirt, and a brimmed hat."Are you here for the orienteering hike?" she asked."Yeah," I replied. "Have they left already?""I don't think so.” She guessed. “I've been here for ten minutes, and you're the only other person I've seen." She had a pretty face with freckles and light brown hair. She looked both shapely and athletic. Her hair was flowing halfway to her waist."Do you think it got cancelled?""Usually they let you know." She said. “The weather is fine. Maybe someone had a personal health issue?”"So what should we do?" I sought her advice."Keep waiting, I guess. See if anyone else shows up."She got her backpack from her car, and we waited in the shade of some oak trees. We looked at our maps and oriented ourselves with respect to a few of the taller hills that could be seen from the parking lot. I was usually pretty shy around girls, but since we were both interested in figuring out the map, I was able to hold my own. I hadn't done this kind of nature stuff since my scouting troop disbanded, two years ago, when the leaders either moved or had health complications.Eventually, fifteen minutes had gone by, and no one else had arrived."Well, I guess we're it," she said. "What do you think? Shall we just go ahead and try to take the hike ourselves?"It was an exciting prospect. She was friendly and very pretty; and we seemed to be getting along well. "I guess that's what we're here for."So, with both our compasses out; we headed out down the trail. It was a fire access road, actually, wide enough for the two of us to walk along side by side. She introduced herself as Heidi. She was outgoing and friendly and easy to talk to. She'd just graduated from the public high school. I'd just graduated from the Catholic boys prep school. We were both going to the State University, the next year."I thought everybody from St Francis went to some big name college," she said."Some do, but not everybody can afford it," I explained."Wasn't it weird going to a high school with only boys?" Heidi asked, in a platonic tone."You get used to it, I guess.""But you had girls in your grade school, didn't you? I don't see why they separate you in high school. I mean, the real world has boys and girls both. Shouldn't high school be the same way?""I guess they figure we'll catch up eventually. They probably want to save our eternal souls from sexual temptations." I said, the mocking tone of a fundamentalist preacher."But you guys did do things with Carlmont, didn't you?" That was the nearest Catholic girls high school. "Dances and things?""They had dances and things. I didn't usually go.""How come?""Too shy, I guess.""Oh come on. You don't seem that shy. Did you go to the prom?""Nah." I was surprised at how personal her questions became; and to be truthful, the thought of going to the prom had never even crossed my mind. But now I felt embarrassed that I hadn't at least considered it."Because you were shy?""I didn't really have anyone to ask.""Couldn't you have asked one of the girls you went to grade school with?""I guess I haven't kept in very good touch with them. In Junior high I was terrified of girls. I certainly didn't have any girls in my 13 year old social circle, let alone a female whose friendship had any lasting connection.”"Well? See? II you want to have someone to ask to the prom, it's going to take a little effort on your part."“Yeah, I got it.” I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable being in the spotlight."What about you?" I asked. "Did you go to the prom?"Her reply surprised me. "Not really.""Not really, or No?""Nobody asked me.""Really? I mean, seriously. You're so pretty. You're so nice.""Yeah, well, a lot of shy guys at my school too, I guess. I was a bit of a tom-boy, in my youth.  I have 3 older brothers, and no sisters.”The first few legs of the orienteering route were pretty easy to figure out. They had us going along a ridge with nice views of the creek and the hills beyond. It was a pleasant day with big fluffy clouds in the sky. We didn't see another soul on the trail.Then one leg took us down into a big open meadow. It started off along an unofficial path that wasn't too hard to follow. But when we got down to the meadow the trail became sketchier and sketchier. Finally it disappeared altogether, and we had to bushwhack through tall grass in the general direction of the creek. The ground was swampy in places, and swarming with mosquitos."I wish I'd worn long pants," Heidi grumbled. Eventually we came to firmer ground, and we struck the creek right at a stand of shady sycamores. It was a pretty site with a rough little beach of pebbles and coarse sand.According to the directions, there should have been a bridge there, but there wasn't. We studied the map, and Heidi finally figured it out. We weren't where we thought we were."Here's the bridge," she said, pointing at the map. "If we were there, then Grizzly Peak would be west of this hill. But it's east. So we must be over here somewhere.""Right," I said. "And look, the creek takes a big turn here. So maybe this is where we are." I indicated a point on the map only about two-thirds of the way toward the bridge. We decided that we must have taken the wrong side trail down into the meadow. It hadn't been a real trail at all, just an animal track. That's why it had petered out in the tall grass."So what do we do now?" Heidi asked.One option would be to retrace our steps through the meadow, but neither of us much wanted to go back that way again. Or we could try to follow along the creek itself, but we had no idea how rough the terrain might be.The third option would be to cross the creek where we were and then cut across country to intersect the trail again about a half a mile ahead. That way didn't look to be as overgrown as the meadow had been, and in fact it looked like it might be our best bet. The problem was the creek. It was pretty wide here, and no telling how deep. We decided to reconnoiter a bit to see if we could find an easier place to cross.Heidi bent down to tighten her shoelace and let out a little shriek."A tick!" she cried. It was in the cuff of her sock. She brushed it off and stomped it with a vengeance. Our instructions had warned about the possibility of ticks. The ones in our area weren't thought to carry Lyme disease, but they could carry other diseases, and they were just all-around nasty creatures, burrowing into your skin and sucking your blood.Heidi sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree. She took off her shoes and socks and found one more tick. I stepped out of my own shoes and found one of the little buggers myself. "We must have picked them up in the meadow," I said.Heidi was checking the legs of her shorts. She spotted another one, right on her inner thigh. "God," she said, "I've got one on my leg, too."I was wearing long pants. "They can't get inside your clothes, can they?"Heidi was standing up again. "They can get anywhere! We probably need to check ourselves, all over." She sounded very serious. She began to unbutton her shorts, but she didn't want to pull them down in front of me. So she turned her back, and then looked over her shoulder to make sure I turned my back too.Was she really going to take off her shorts right out there in the open? Well, it was the only way to know for sure. The spot where we were was pretty secluded. We'd turned our backs to give each other as much privacy as possible.I started to wonder if I shouldn't check myself as well. I took off my tee shirt and felt around my chest and armpits. Could they really have gotten inside my pants? I unbuckled them and tried to look down inside. It felt kind of silly undressing in the out of doors, but I carefully stepped out of one leg and then the other. I took a quick glance around to make sure Heidi wasn't looking.She still had her back to me. She'd taken off her shorts, and everything else! I could see her bare, split bottom. She was completely nude! That must have been what she meant by checking herself all over.I was shocked that she'd taken her clothes off, and I was just as shocked that she'd thought it necessary to check herself all the way down to the skin. I turned quickly back away from her. I looked down inside the waistband of my underpants. It was a rat's nest of pubic hair down there. Could there be ticks? The only way to know for sure would be to take a closer look.Keeping my back to Heidi, I slid my underpants down. And right there on the underside of my penis, right where it emerged from my balls, was the horrid little black watermelon seed of a tick. It had already started to latch on. My heart skipped a beat.Heidi must have heard me gasp. "Don't try to pull it out!" she ordered. She was looking right at me. "You might break it, and then we won't be able to get the head out. Hold on. I've got some tweezers in my first-aid kit."She crouched to open her backpack, split bottom and all. Then she stood back up with the tweezers. She had breasts real breasts and, down where her bikini bottom should have been, a fuzzy little patch of hair. I'd never seen a girl naked before. I'd never seen the way her breasts swell so naturally from her chest, the way they sway as she hastens toward you, the way they're capped so frankly by their pink little buds. Her boobs were each very wide and came together in a cleaved valley. They started high and sloped low, but without sagging at all. Every move she made had a resulting jiggle."Sit there," she commanded, indicating the tree trunk. Her face was full of concern, her voice charged with the authority of someone who has recently read the field manual. She knelt down in front of me. No girl had ever seen my penis before. But now I had no choice but to show it to her. I lifted it up and let her see even the underside.She assessed the situation. "Keep the skin stretched tight," she told me. So I held my dick up with one hand and used the other to pull down the saggy skin of my balls. She held the tweezers parallel to the skin, right down touching it, to grab the tick as close in as she could get. She pulled slowly, tenting the skin at first and then plucking the tick right out. She inspected it closely. "I think we got it all," she said with freckled concentration, holding it up for me to see. She squashed it between the jaws of the tweezers, then dropped it on the ground and smeared it with a rock.She looked back up at me, still crouched between my legs, deliberately ignoring the fact that we were both naked. "I should probably check to see if there are any others," she said, speaking still with the authority of the field manual. I could see that she was probably right. She could check me much more thoroughly than I could check myself. I let go of my dick and spread my legs farther apart.She bent in close. She started with my pubic hair, using both her hands to curry through it. Just a minute ago we'd been hiking down the trail, chatting about high school, and now we were naked and she was fiddling around with my crotch. All I could see from my vantage were her brown tresses and her broad, bare back. But I could feel her careful probing. No one had ever touched me where she was touching me. I could feel myself starting to stiffen. There was nothing I could do to stop it. She finally had to move her head back to dodge being slapped in the cheek. I was too embarrassed to even apologize.She kept working as if protruding dicks were nothing out of the ordinary for her. She had me spread my legs even wider so she could check where my balls tucked up against my thighs. She was still using her fingers to curry the hair, but very timidly, trying hard to avoid touching my scrotum. I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed. Or so erect.She scrunched way down, trying to see the underside of my balls. "Um, " she said.It wasn't really possible for me to lean much farther back. "What if I turn around?" I suggested.

"Freeze" is arguably the most confusing, nuanced, and self-blame-inducing state for people to understand. We often mistake it for laziness, depression, or some character flaw — it's not.  It's a protective state that your nervous system creates when it's had too much for too long and doesn't know what to do next. This episode takes a compassionate deep dive into this common but misunderstood experience. We untangle what's happening when your body's gas and brake pedals are pressed at the same time and offer gentle, practical ways to find movement again when you feel trapped.*This episode serves as Part 3 in our "Different States Series"In this episode, you'll learn:The key differences between freeze, activation (anxiety), and shutdown (depression).Why you get stuck in freeze, from current overwhelm to past experiences of powerlessness.How conflicting internal "parts" can create the gridlock that keeps you feeling paralyzed.A toolkit of "micro-mobilization" strategies designed to gently thaw the freeze response without causing more stress.Why gentleness, not force, is the most effective approach to healing a stuck system.3 Takeaways:Freeze is protection, not procrastination.Start micro, stay gentle.The deeper work: Address the internal conflict, not just the symptoms. Categories of Tools for Freeze mentioned in this episode:Small-Movement: Sway gently side-to-side, rock back and forth, walk slowly barefoot, gently shake out your hands, stand up and stretch.Gentle Breath & Sound: Notice your natural breath with slightly longer exhales (don't force deep breathing), make soft humming sounds or audible sighs, listen to rhythmic, lo-fi music. Whisper comforting phrases to yourself like "I'm here," or "I'm safe," or "It's okay to move slowly."Orienting & Vision Resets: Slowly scan the room and name 5 neutral things, gently turn your head from side to side, let your eyes rest on something calm like a plant or a photo.Sensory Grounding & Pressure: Wrap yourself in a blanket, place your hands on your chest and belly, press your feet into the floor, head containment practice, sip some water, feel a soft texture, put on socks.Gentle Action & Connection (1% or Micro): Put one cup in the sink, text one person back, sit outside for three minutes, pet an animal. Remember: small = safe = enough.Parts Work: Get curious about which parts are in conflict (e.g., the part that's exhausted vs. the part that's scared of being lazy). Acknowledge both parts and offer them compassion, reassuring them that it's safe to move slowly now.—Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)Join me inside Regulated Living, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: amanda@riseaswe.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Phil Sutherland, from New Life Church Dorking, kicks off our new Hope Works Series by teaching from James chapter 2 and telling us about the Christians Against Poverty charity. Our Hope Works series will be exploring in turn each of the 8 organisations that Hope Church supports as part of its call to serve the wider community. If you would like to know more about us, you can visit our website at HopeChurchGuildford.com and contact us via email at Hello@HopeChurchGuildford.com Or why not subscribe and check out our Social Media pages: Facebook - facebook.com/HopeChurchGFD Instagram - instagram.com/hopechurchguildford

Psalm 86 - "Orienting Our Lives Around God's Steadfast Love"

In this episode I am once again joined by Mary Shutan: author, occultist, and spiritual teacher. Mary explains her activities as a modern spirit worker, reveals how to form and maintain working relationships with spirits, details the difference between spirit pacts and contracts, and warns about the unintended consequences of making deals with unknown beings. Mary explores the problems associated with using the word “shaman”, offers a critique of modern shamanism training courses, and explains why many people who pursue shamanism would be better suited to a religious orientation to animism. Mary also reveals her own aborted attempt at the infamous Abramelin ritual, details the resultant fallout and years of recovery, and reflects on the impact of magickal practice on mental and physical health. … Full episode link in bio. Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'.
 … 01:00 - What is a modern spiritual worker? 02:20 - Why Mary doesn't like to use the word “shaman” 02:44 - Mary's problems with Core Shamanism 04:31 - Shamanism and patriarchy 05:34 - Why Mary doesn't call herself a shaman 07:54 - Core Shamanism, Christian conditioning, and legacies of colonisation 10:58 - Anthropologists as shamanic teachers 13:21 - Training in Core Shamanism 15:41 - Critique of Core Shamanism and wounded healers 18:43 - Post-colonial critiques of modern shamanism 20:00 - Some people really want animism 21:42 - When shamanism goes wrong 22:33 - Cherry-picking shamanism and reconstruction 23:47 - Discernment and tainted gnosis 24:22 - Words have energy and the need for respect 26:36 - Mary uses the word “shaman” in her business and books 27:33 - Pervasive Christian conditioning 28:30 - Patriarchy in shamanism 29:38 - Pop-shamanism vs direct experience 30:55 - 20 years of teaching shamanism 32:16 - People don't believe in spirits any more 34:04 - Modernity and scientism 37:06 - Modernity and shamanism 40:40 - Martin Prechtel engaging with indigenous shamanism 43:06 - Indigeneity and the routes to become a shaman 46:52 - What Mary tells people who feel called to shamanism? 49:05 - Conflating personal religious practice with professionalising 49:53 - How to get started in animism 52:55 - Which spirits and entities does Mary work with? 55:27 - Spirit relations 57:42 - Mary's way of relating to spirits 59:33 - Spirit communication in dreams and through rituals 01:00:27 - Spirits who come to Mary 01:01:23 - Spirit contracts 01:03:56 - Spirit ID and the danger of spirit contracts 01:04:53 - The Buddha in Sri Lanka 01:06:35 - Be careful what you wish for 01:07:31 - Spirit Lawyering 01:07:52 - Healthy skepticism when dealing with spirits 01:10:00 - Cultural misunderstandings about spirits 01:11:21 - Don't make a pact with a spirit 01:12:29 - Warning about spirit contracts 01:13:18 - Pact vs contract 01:16:41 - Mary's training in Western Occultism and time in the Void 01:20:14 - Mary's spiritual crisis 01:24:17 - Orienting to the Dark Feminine 01:27:09 - Two attempts at the Abramelin ritual 01:29:16 - Abandoning the 18-month Abramelin ritual 01:29:50 - How did Mary exit the ritual? 01:30:48 - Magick and mental health 01:32:36 - Psychotherapists for magicians 01:33:32 - Struggles with the Golden Dawn and pivoting to shamanism 01:38:24 - Christian monks did magick 01:38:55 - Giving up seeking … Previous episode with Mary Shutan: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=shutan To find out more about Mary Shutan, visit: - http://maryshutan.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

“You're going to find a lot of people doing their best, revealing how beautiful and strange we are, and how remarkable we can be,” says Peabody Award-winning broadcaster and founder of On Being Krista Tippett. In this conversation, Tippett shares where we might turn for more hope and pleasure, and how she thinks about what shapes our presence in the world. For the show notes, head over to my Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Exploring how simulations are shaping education research and practice, with insights from the book Promoting Equity through Approximations of Practice in Mathematics Education. It examines how approximations of practice can help educators sharpen their skills while keeping equity at the forefront. It's not just about improving instruction; it's about ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have access to high-quality learning experiences.Links:Lee, C., Bondurant, L., Sapkota, B., Howell, H. (2025). Promoting equity in approximations of practice for mathematics teachers. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1164-6Benoit, G., Barno, E., & Reich, J. (2025). Simulating Equitable Discussions Using Practice-Based Teacher Education in Math Professional Learning. In C. Wilkerson Lee, L. Bondurant, B. Sapkota, & H. Howell (Eds.), Promoting Equity in Approximations of Practice for Mathematics Teachers (pp. 165-200). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1164-6.ch008 Shaughnessy, M., Boerst, T. A., Garcia, N., & Claiborne, B. (2025). Orienting to Student Sense-Making: Using Simulations to Support the Development of Equitable Mathematics Teaching. In C. Wilkerson Lee, L. Bondurant, B. Sapkota, & H. Howell (Eds.), Promoting Equity in Approximations of Practice for Mathematics Teachers (pp. 253-276). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1164-6.ch011 Howell, H., Shaughnessy, M., Stengel, B., Lee, C., Bondurant, L., Sapkota, B., Benoit, G., & Lai, Y. (2025). Editorial insights: Reflections on the volume and charge to the field. In C. Lee, L. Bondurant, B. Sapkota, & H. Howell (Eds.), Promoting equity in approximations of practice for mathematics teachers (pp. 395-414). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1164-6.ch017Ataide Pinheiro, W., Kaur Bharaj, P., Cross Francis, D., Kirkpatrick Darwin, T., Esquibel, J., & Halder, S. (2025). An Investigation of Gender Biases in Teacher-Student Interaction in Mathematics Lessons Within a Virtual Teaching Simulator. In C. Wilkerson Lee, L. Bondurant, B. Sapkota, & H. Howell (Eds.), Promoting Equity in Approximations of Practice for Mathematics Teachers (pp. 201-228). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1164-6.ch009 MIT's Teacher Moments digital simulation platform: https://teachermoments.mit.edu/ Becoming a More Equitable Educator https://openlearninglibrary.mit.edu/courses/course-v1:MITx+0.503x+T2020/about Reich, J. (2022). Teaching drills: Advancing practice-based teacher education through short, low-stakes, high-frequency practice. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 30(2), 217-228. https://doi.org/10.70725/023707spaywm Bima's lit review: https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2023.2207088 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you and your spouse thought about and set your financial finish line? In this episode, Jeff and Cale discuss: When is enough enough?Being a steward and not an owner of God's resources. Orienting your life for abundance today, but also for treasures in heaven. Taking inventory of what is yours to steward.   Key Takeaways: Keeping up with the Joneses is not the finish line that brings about any sense of significance or purpose. You can't take it with you, but you can send it ahead. Change your view on giving. Instead of asking “how much should I give?” ask “how much am I allowed to keep?”Everyone will define a full life differently. But everyone who leans into their definition of a fuller life  "This speaks to another principle we have at Arkos called: have a written plan. Well, it's hard to have a written plan if you don't know where everything is, and have some semblance of what we're marching towards." —  Cale Dowell Episode References: The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn About Cale Dowell: After diving deep into the hurdles clients face when picking a financial partner, Cale determined that financial advice should offer more than just managing a portfolio. He left Morgan Stanley to help launch Arkos and “Rebuild Wall Street” by creating a paradigm shift in the way the wealth management industry serves and impacts people. His passion is rooted in the mission to help families thrive across generations.Cale is a published thought leader in vulnerability analysis and risk mitigation. He is the creator of Wealth Languages™, a captivating public speaker, and has consulted with many of the world's largest corporations. His diverse experience spans technology, commercial real estate, O&G, private equity, and startups. Cale spends an inordinate amount of time igniting contagious, positive environments and investing in relationships… because culture devours strategy for breakfast. After graduating from Baylor University, Cale tied the knot with his Aggie sweetheart, Lynne, and now calls Houston home with their two little ones. They are actively involved in their church and Young Life, where Cale has served for over 15 years. He is a 40 under 40 recipient, actively contributes to several non-profit boards, and is a 7th-generation Texan. Not surprisingly, he is just as stubborn about Texas as you would imagine. Connect with Cale Dowell:Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/ Email: cale.dowell@arkosglobal.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caledowell/  Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

Sunday May 18, 2025

For months, I had the feeling: something is wrong. Some core part of myself had gone missing. I had words and ideas cached, which pointed back to the missing part. There was the story of Benjamin Jesty, a dairy farmer who vaccinated his family against smallpox in 1774 - 20 years before the vaccination technique was popularized, and the same year King Louis XV of France died of the disease. There was another old post which declared “I don't care that much about giant yachts. I want a cure for aging. I want weekend trips to the moon. I want flying cars and an indestructible body and tiny genetically-engineered dragons.”. There was a cached instinct to look at certain kinds of social incentive gradient, toward managing more people or growing an organization or playing social-political games, and say “no, it's a trap”. To go… in a different direction, orthogonal [...] ---Outline:(01:19) In Search of a Name(04:23) Near Mode--- First published: May 8th, 2025 Source: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Wg6ptgi2DupFuAnXG/orienting-toward-wizard-power --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Why You're Always Anxious (And How To Regulate Your Nervous System) Welcome back to The Confident Sober Women Podcast! I'm your host, Shelby John, sober therapist, EMDR therapist, and fellow woman in recovery. In today's solo episode, we're diving into a topic that comes up constantly with my clients, friends, and even in my own life: nervous system regulation.You might say, “Why am I always anxious?” or “Why do I feel overwhelmed when nothing's even wrong?” If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. We'll explore why your anxiety often seems to appear out of nowhere, what's really happening in your body, and the powerful science-backed tools you can use to feel calm, clear, and in control—especially in sobriety.Here's what you'll learn: ✔️ What your nervous system actually does (think of it like your body's operating system) ✔️ How trauma, stress, and addiction keep your system in fight-or-flight—even when you're safe ✔️ Why nervous system regulation is crucial to sustainable sobriety ✔️ Three simple tools to use TODAY to reduce anxiety and regain calm:The Physiological Sigh (a proven breath technique straight from neuroscience)Orienting to Safety (a quick somatic practice to ground your body)Name It to Tame It (a powerful brain hack to reduce emotional reactivity by 50%)Plus, I share how EMDR therapy and remote neurofeedback go beyond talk therapy to retrain your brain and heal anxiety and trauma at the root. These tools are especially helpful for women who've been sober a year or more and are craving deeper healing and emotional freedom.If you're ready to stop white-knuckling your day and finally feel peace in your body—this episode will show you exactly how to start.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruth is joined this week by Rasool Berry, teaching pastor and director of partnerships and content development at Our Daily Bread Ministries. They continue our conversations about tarrying, this time focusing on justice and the transformative nature of tarrying. Rasool shares his journey from a non-church upbringing to embracing faith, how tarrying helps him orient himself to God's reality, and highlights the deep spiritual lessons learned through practices of waiting and quiet. The conversation underscores the importance of embodying the spirit of justice and the need for contemplative action in today's disorienting world.   We are journeying through Lent with a podcast season entitled “Tarry with Me Awhile: Learnings from the Black Church.” We will use Dr. Selina Stone's book, Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black Spirituality for People of Faith, as a guide. Black spirituality has much to offer us in understanding the practice of tarrying as a Lenten practice. Together we will seek a deeper understanding of waiting on God in the liminal space—where the resurrection feels far off, and our deaths and suffering are present.    Rasool Berry (TC19) serves as Teaching Pastor at The Bridge Church in Brooklyn, New York, and is Director of Partnerships & Content Development at Our Daily Bread Ministries. He is the host of the Where Ya From? podcast, is featured in the award winning, Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom documentary directed by Ya'Ke Smith. He is the general editor of the book and video series called, The Whole Man which focuses on spiritual development for African American men. Rasool graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in Africana Studies and Sociology. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Tamica, and their daughter. Music this season is provided by Julian Davis Reed. Julian Davis Reid (TC20) is an artist-theologian from Chicago who uses sound and word to offer hope to the searching, presence to the sorrowful, and rest to the weary. A pianist, composer, and producer, his projects featured on this podcast are the two solo piano records Rest Assured (2021) and Beside Still Waters (2024) and his single Moan (Matthew 2:18) featuring Tramaine Parker, released on Inauguration Day 2025 on the project When Souls Cry Out. Julian steadily releases music under his own name and with his group, The JuJu Exchange. You can learn more about his work at juliandavisreid.com. Mentioned in this episode: Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black Spirituality for People of Faith by Dr. Selina Stone The Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby The Sovereignty of Quiet: Beyond Resistance in Black Culture by Kevin Quashie Music Credit: Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist O Sacred Head, Now Wounded from Lent- Music in Solitude In the House of the Lord My Whole Life Long by Julian Davis Reid   Are you interested in learning more about Haven, our newest community offering from the Transforming Center? Haven is a community that meets alternately online and in person to create space for leaders to forge a stronger connection between their souls and their leadership. Each gathering (online and in-person) offers spiritual practices that increasingly open us to God over time. This new 18-month community experience will provide more intentional opportunities to engage with a diverse community of believers who are united around Christ. Learn more about dates and how to apply!   Alumni: The Alumni Membership Community is here! For Transforming Community Alumni who are still cultivating rhythms that allow them to flourish in their life and leadership, you have the opportunity to stay on the journey with TC alums through a membership community! This exclusive membership is a safe place to be honest about the challenges of spiritual leadership, to remember the teachings and practices that open us up to God, and to be supported by an ongoing community that sustains us in the hope and the mystery of God's transforming work in the world — starting with us! Membership window is open March 12-31, 2025. Join today! Support the podcast! This season patrons will receive special bonus episodes with each guest, exploring different practices associated with Lent, such as solitude, self-examination, confession, and more. Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!     The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self! Learn more and apply HERE.   *this post contains affiliate links

On March 23, 2025, Pastor Paula Stoltzfus preaches at a Park View Mennonite Sunday morning service continuing a sermon series entitled "Christ Collides".

Most of us try to make our mission fit into our overpacked, overbooked, and overcommitted lives. What would happen if we did it the other way around? Tune in for a real & encouraging episode on how to orient your life around your mission! Feedback/Questions? thriveandthread@gmail.com--If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - let us know what you'd like to hear more about so we can best support you in your creative journey! Coaching, Classes & Events: Join our Newsletter for mindset letters, goodies & updates: https://thriveandthread.myflodesk.com/Saturday 4/5 at 10A EST - Online | mindful morning workshop: http://lauren-devera.as.me/wellnessJoin the waitlist for Spring 2025, Roots To Fruits Creative Incubator (beginning in April 2025): https://thriveandthread.myflodesk.com/rtfwaitlist1:1 Coaching with Lauren: https://www.honeybook.com/widget/the_lions_den_187621/cf_id/6462a88daec1a30c3afd99f8The Lion's Den: Dance & Wellness | IRL & Online: https://www.lauren-devera.com/thelionsdenThrive and Thread Online:Lauren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelaurendevera/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriveandthread/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thriveandthreadThrive and Thread Meditations: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7FdHtKeTP0zxzRtm2QMxqb?si=4c3c474d22e74339

A counselor walks you through a brief and lesser-known grounding technique called 'Orienting to Safety' practice. It is inspired by somatic approaches to trauma therapy. This combines mindful observation with physical engagement in your environmentSerenityMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/ilya-kuznetsov/serenityLicense code: MW2NCMYEDARAEVVL

Message from Gene Cunningham on January 19, 2025

In Episode 22 (and our first of 2025), James and Sean chat with Ryan Chen, Co-Founder of Neuro, the Leading Functional Gum and Mint Brand. In this episode, we cover: -Starting a company with your best friend-Orienting innovation behind the brand's identify -Receiving and declining not one but TWO offers on Shark Tank to preserve the company's valuation and how the experience opened retail doors afterward-Expanding from digital-first to over 10,000 stores and how to determine which retailers are the right fit for your brand-Cultivating authentic relationships with celebrities like Apolo Ohno, Steve Aioki, and Young the Giant to support your brandRyan shares a ton of practical advice for brands of all stages. Listen, re-listen, and share it with friends. If you haven't given Neuro a try, make sure to check them out on Amazon, TikTok Shop, or neurogum.com.

Message from Gene Cunningham on January 12, 2025

“People can be wonderful”, is where we begin this week's conversation. How do we bring that forward, in the midst of all that can be so difficult, so that we can step-by-step make a world in which we meet one another with conversation, compassion, kindness, and welcome? And where do we need to start inside ourselves and with the ones closest to us in order to first glimpse and then act on this possibility? This week's Turning Towards Life is hosted, as always, by Lizzie Winn and Justin Wise of Thirdspace. Join Our Weekly Mailing: www.turningtowards.life/subscribe Support Us: www.buymeacoffee.com/turningtowardslife Turning Towards Life, a week-by-week conversation inviting us deeply into our lives, is a live 30 minute conversation hosted by Justin Wise and Lizzie Winn of Thirdspace.  Find us on FaceBook to watch live and join in the lively conversation on this episode. You can find videos of every episode, and more about the project on the Turning Towards Life website, and you can also watch and listen on Instagram, YouTube, and as a podcast on Apple, Google, Amazon Music and Spotify. Highlights of our conversation: 00:00 Introduction and Reflections 03:13 The Power of Words and the Always Already Present Possibility of Human Goodness 06:08 Orienting to Ourselves and Others with Kindness 08:00 Maya Stein's Poem, ‘Believe' 12:01 The Struggle with Self-Judgement 14:52 Our Messiness and Incompleteness 18:05 Creating Safety Together 20:56 Realness 24:11 The Gifts and Curses of our Standards and Expectations 27:04 The Path of Repair and Connection 30:13 Practicing Kindness and Engaging With One Another 32:54 Effecting Repair Here's our source for this week: Believe Maybe the camera crew is at someone else's house, a spotlight haloing over another's fleshy story. Maybe the mailman is delivering the good news to your neighbor, or a different city entirely, and you come home to a rash of catalogues, the second notice for a doctor's bill, a plea from the do-gooders for whatever you can spare. Maybe you haven't cleaned your kitchen floor in weeks, forgotten to nourish the front garden, spilled too much coffee in your car, weaving through traffic. Maybe you are 10 pounds heavier than last year. Maybe your skin is betraying your age. Maybe winter is ravaging your heart. Maybe you are afraid, or lonely, or furious, or wanting out of every commitment you entered with such vigor and trust. Maybe you've bitten your nails down to the quick, chosen your meals badly, ignored the advice of those who know you best. Maybe you are stubborn as a toddler. Maybe you are clumsy or foolish or hasty or reckless. Maybe you haven't read all the books you're supposed to. Maybe your handwriting is still illegible after all these years. Maybe you spent too much on a pair of shoes you didn't need. Maybe you left the window open and the rain ruined the cake. Maybe you've destroyed everything you've ever wanted to save. Still. If anything, believe in your own strange loveliness. How your body, even as it stumbles, angles for light. The way you hold a dandelion with such yearning and tenderness, the whole world stops spinning. Maya Stein mayastein.com Photo by Anton Darius on Unsplash

This talk was given by Matthew Brensilver on 2024.12.09 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://www.youtube.com/live/DkV2zZaJWlo?si=bfuKjJreKxl-rWg2&t=1766. ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

With slower days becoming common, many shops have turned to short-term fixes. Our host Craig O'Neill advocates for a long-term retention strategy that emphasizes relationships.In this episode, Craig breaks things down in three parts. First he explains how he came to embrace the term “Client Relating Capability,” and the influencers who's lessons helped him solidify his feelings on this point into more easily articulated thoughts and beliefs. Next, he introduces the concepts from an old article from 2003 (which is still surprisingly relevant today). Lastly - this episode introduces the term and breaks down three essential components of Client Relating Capability:Orientation – Creating a business structure that prioritizes meaningful client relationships.Configuration – Designing workflows and incentives that facilitate connection.Use of Information – Utilizing CRM and data wisely to support, not replace, genuine relationships.Craig highlights common industry pitfalls, including overreliance on technology and CRM tools that often fail without proper leverage. He also addresses the latest trend of AI in client management, exploring its limits and the importance of human connection.Listeners are invited to rethink their relationship-building strategies and consider how to truly cultivate loyalty. Craig emphasizes that technology can support but should never replace the human element in client relationships.This term - Craig hopes, becomes a familiar and foundational principle that will guide many more topics aimed at improving how we communicate as an industry.Watch the YouTube VideoJoin Our Virtual Toastmasters: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmastersThank You To Our Partners:The Institute at WeAreTheInstitute.com. "Stop stressing over your business, you deserve a good night's sleep. The Institute's coaching helps you achieve success and financial peace.AutoFlow at AutoFlow.com. Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during and after the visit to a single thread. Learn more at Autoflow.comAutoLeap at AutoLeap.com. Are you tired of juggling multiple tools to manage your auto repair shop? Say hello to the streamlined efficiency of AutoLeap, the #1 all-in-one Auto Repair Shop Management Software! Shop Dog Marketing at Shop Dog Marketing.com. "Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. In-Bound at CallInBound.com. Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. Contact InformationEmail Craig O'Neill: speakup@craigoneill.netJoin Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmastersThe Aftermarket Radio Network:

What is Orienting Tapping?Orienting Tapping is a hybrid of two powerful nervous system regulation techniques.Both are powerful in their own right and together they pack an amazing punch in regulating your nervous system.To understand Orienting Tapping it is important to understand each technique separately first and then together.In this episode you will learn:

In today's episode, I'm joined by John Felushko, a product manager at LabStats who impressed me after we recently had a 1x1 call together. John and his team have developed a successful product that helps universities track and optimize their software and hardware usage so schools make smart investments. However, John also shares how culture and value are very tied together—and why their product isn't a fit for every school, and every country. John shares how important  customer relationships are , how his team designs great analytics user experiences, how they do user research, and what he learned making high-end winter sports products that's relevant to leading a SAAS analytics product. Combined with John's background in history and the political economy of finance, John paints some very colorful stories about what they're getting right—and how they've course corrected over the years at LabStats.      Highlights/ Skip to: (0:46) What is the LabStats product  (2:59) Orienting analytics around customer value instead of IT/data (5:51) "Producer of Persistently Profitable Product Process" (11:22) How they make product adjustments based on previous failures (15:55) Why a lack of cultural understanding caused LabStats to fail internationally (18:43) Quantifying value beyond dollars and cents (25:23) How John is able to work so closely with his customers without barriers (30:24) Who makes up the LabStats product research team (35:04) ​​How strong customer relationships help inform the UX design process (38:29) Getting senior management to accept that you can't regularly and accurately predict when you'll be feature-complete and ship (43:51) Where John learned his skills as a successful product manager (47:20) Where you can go to cultivate the non-technical skills to help you become a better SAAS analytics product leader (51:00) What advice would John Felushko have given himself 10 years ago? (56:19) Where you can find more from John Felushko   Quotes from Today's Episode “The product process is [essentially] really nothing more than the scientific method applied to business. Every product is an experiment - it has a hypothesis about a problem it solves. At LabStats [we have a process] where we go out and clearly articulate the problem. We clearly identify who the customers are, and who are [people at other colleges] having that problem. Incrementally and as inexpensively as possible, [we] test our solutions against those specific customers. The success rate [of testing solutions by cross-referencing with other customers] has been extremely high.” - John Felushko (6:46) “One of the failures I see in Americans is that we don't realize how much culture matters. Americans have this bias to believe that whatever is valuable in my culture is valuable in other cultures. Value is entirely culturally determined and subjective. Value isn't a number on a spreadsheet. [LabStats positioned our producty] as something that helps you save money and be financially efficient. In French government culture, financial efficiency is not a top priority. Spending government money on things like education is seen as a positive good. The more money you can spend on it, the better.  So, the whole message of financial efficiency wasn't going to work in that market.” - John Felushko (16:35) “What I'm really selling with data products is confidence. I'm selling assurance. I'm selling an emotion. Before I was a product manager, I spent about ten years in outdoor retail, selling backpacks and boots. What I learned from that is you're always selling emotion, at every level. If you can articulate the ROI, the real value is that the buyer has confidence they bought the right thing.” - John Felushko (20:29) “[LabStats] has three massive, multi-million dollar horror stories in our past where we [spent] millions of dollars in development work for no results. No ROI. Horror stories are what shape people's values more than anything else. Avoiding negative outcomes is what people avoid more than anything else. [It's important to] tell those stories and perpetuate those [lessons] through the culture of your organization. These are the times we screwed up, and this is what we learned from it—do you want to screw up like that again because we learned not to do that.” - John Felushko (38:45) “There's an old description of a product manager, like, ‘Oh, they come across as the smartest person in the room.' Well, how do you become that person? Expand your view, and expand the amount of information you consume as widely as possible. That's so important to UX design and thinking about what went wrong. Why are some customers super happy and some customers not? What is the difference between those two groups of people? Is it culture? Is it time? Is it mental ability? Is it the size of the screen they're looking at my product on? What variables can I define and rule out, and what data sources do I have to answer all those questions? It's just the normal product manager thing—constant curiosity.” -John Felushko (48:04)

Part of the Teaching Sovereign Knowers Collection In recent years, a number of HeightsCast guests have touched on the same resounding theme: the modern creep of curiositas and acedia, both considered classical vices. But where there are two vices, Aristotle encourages us to look for a virtue at the Golden Mean. Mr. Michael Moynihan, head of The Heights upper school, finds it in studiousness. Adding to his collection of work on Teaching Sovereign Knowers, this episode unpacks Michael's essay “Intellectual Virtue and Personal Sovereignty,” available on the Heights Forum. In it, he speaks to the why and how of pursuing studiousness as an intellectual virtue. For this, as with all virtues, allows us to stand before reality in an intentional way. Chapters: 3:43 Curiosity as an intellectual vice? 7:55 Acedia at the other end of the spectrum 10:15 Golden mean: studiousness 14:36 When is it curiositas, when is it engagement? 16:37 Studiousness as a virtue—of sorts 23:09 Standing before reality in an intentional way 26:23 Seeking the golden mean: sticking to a plan 29:21 Using “Great Books” well 34:46 Orienting students to the golden mean Links: Intellectual Virtue and Personal Sovereignty by Michael Moynihan The Idea of a University by John Henry Cardinal Newman Featured Opportunities: Headmaster's Lecture at The Heights School (October 5, 2024) The Art of Teaching Conference at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2024) Also on the Forum: Teaching Sovereign Knowers Collection by Michael Moynihan On Hope and Despair featuring R. J. Snell Forming Deep Workers featuring Cal Newport

Devotional, Study Notes, and Transcript available https://www.jennifergrichmond.com/teaching/dave-garrett-abcs-of-grace-ep-2 Psalm 119:25-32 || Ep. 2 ABCs of Grace - DALET ד Focus: We're continuing a special series where I share my dad's teachings from Psalm 119, recorded way back in 1981. In this episode, my dad, Pastor Dave, guides us through verses 25-32, focusing on finding hope and strength in times of depression. He called this section "Orienting to Depression," emphasizing the Hebrew letter Dalet that begins each verse. His insights are timeless and so relevant, especially if you're struggling or supporting someone who is. Reminder: These recordings are from old cassettes, so expect a little static and garble. But trust me, it's worth it. Grab your Bible, follow along, and don't forget to check out the study guides and transcripts on my blog, for a clearer understanding. Key Points: Memorize Psalm 119:25-32 to internalize God's promises. Reflect on areas of your life where you feel defeated and ask God to revive you according to His Word. Share this message with someone struggling with depression or loneliness. Study the verses mentioned in the podcast to deepen your understanding. Engage in daily meditation on God’s Word to combat negative thoughts. Something Helpful and Fun: I've written a study guide (a fun fill-in-the-blank activity, actually!

The post GOD'S RE-ORIENTING THRONE – KYLE DINGUS – September 1, 2024 appeared first on Fourth Avenue COC.

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, we welcome Catherine Cook Cottone, a School & Licensed Psychologist, Certified Yoga Therapist & Yoga Researcher. Catherine brings her extensive expertise in trauma-informed and responsive interventions to discuss how yoga practitioners can cultivate and strengthen their inner resources through a trauma-informed approach. We explore strategies for developing self-regulation, implementing de-escalation protocols, and adapting teaching methods for students with varying levels of trauma exposure. Catherine also shares insights on measuring the impact of trauma-informed practices, understanding neuroception, and applying polyvagal theory in yoga teaching. Additionally, Catherine introduces her new book, "Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching: A Universal Practice," co-authored with Joanne Spence.Main Points:Self-Regulation ScaleExplanation of the self-regulation scale and its significance in yoga practice and teaching.Key indicators on the scale for gauging students' state.De-escalation ProtocolEssential components of a de-escalation protocol for yoga teachers.Case study illustrating the application of de-escalation protocols.Teaching AdaptationsAdaptations and modifications for students with trauma exposure or PTSD symptoms.Ensuring inclusivity and sensitivity without singling out individuals.NeuroceptionUnderstanding neuroception to enhance trauma-informed yoga teaching.Practical ways to support students' neuroception processes.Orienting for SafetyImportance of orienting practices for setting a safe yoga environment.Examples of effective orienting practices.Polyvagal TheoryContribution of polyvagal theory to understanding trauma and its impact on the nervous system.Practical applications in designing trauma-informed yoga sequences.Connection and ProtectionHelping students sensitized towards protection over connection due to past trauma.Fostering a sense of safety to encourage healthy connection without triggering protective responses.Find Catherine at www.CatherineCookCottone.com & her co-author at www.JoanneSpence.com  Additional Resources with Amy Wheeler:University of Minnesota Therapeutic Yoga SeriesPolyvagal Institute Mighty App7-Week Course on Yoga, Yoga Therapy & Polyvagal TheoryOptimal State Mobile AppOptimal State and Yoga Therapy Hour Patreon·        Monday Night Yoga Therapy Clinic on www.TheOpimtalState.com·        Join us for our Monday night Yoga Therapy Clinics, specially designed to address specific health and wellness topics. The sessions are held every Monday from 4:00-5:15 PM PST and are led by Amy Wheeler, a seasoned expert in yoga therapy. This clinic provides a supportive environment where participants can explore therapeutic yoga techniques to aid in addiction recovery and overall well-being.·        For those seeking professional development, there is an option to stay longer after class and earn Continuing Education (CE) credits. This extended session offers in-depth training and valuable insights into integrating yoga therapy with addiction treatment.

Evoking emotions through your craft doesn't happen by luck. This week, we're breaking down the essence of methodically communicating fear via Creepypasta and some horror theory. But, what is Creepypasta, and why are we talking about it? We'll explore that and we'll explore what fear and horror actually are, and why we experience them. Plus! We'll dive into some tips and techniques for crafting spine-chilling tales. TIMESTAMPS: 00:45 - What is Creepypasta? 09:55 - Ostension 13:34 - Creepypasta Example #1 21:24 - What is fear? What is horror? 22:20 - What do we fear? 24:40 - Epigenetics 28:40 - Fear lives in the brain 42:45 - Paradoxical Pleasures 48:20 - Creepypasta Example #3 57:54 - What do we fear? 01:04:00 - Techniques & Tips 01:11:05 - Things to avoid FOLLOW: www.Linkedin.com/company/the-furious-curious MUSIC: "Look Out" (Myuu) "It's Not Safe Here" (LVKEHOUSE) "Very Creepy Song with Bells" (Trickolas) "It's Coming..." (FesliyanStudios Background Music) CREDITS: Hosted and produced Britton Rice and David Harper, along with Alexander Woell, Chase Domergue, Alex Detmering, and Nicole Lazar. Our original logo is by Nate Betts. SOURCES: Web: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/3iex1h/im_a_search_and_rescue_officer_for_the_us_forest/ https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/9qzt9j/if_you_can_see_this_it_is_very_important_that_you/ https://youtu.be/uAR1fp1tbds?si=HVbiUt0sX-5hv1XM https://youtu.be/JkddoGugx1Y?si=viXw6NEbqDW2br2b https://youtu.be/xjKruwAfZWk?si=TqXWu5zIC2ENddPx https://www.healthline.com/health/list-of-phobias#types https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23262-sympathetic-nervous-system-sns-fight-or-flight https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_management_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear https://www.reddit.com/r/asklatinamerica/comments/1agqq1i/comment/koixidq/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button https://youtu.be/EzRHGS-HUdE?si=3H7TFG-5EpS9LwsI https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(12)00956-0/abstract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orienting_response https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/fear-memory https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/07/05/understanding-epigenetics-how-trauma-is-passed-on-through-our-family-members/ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190326-what-is-epigenetics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loab https://blog.simplecast.com/creepypasta-and-societal-mirrors-a-review-of-digital-folklore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostension https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26983799/ https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/the-science-of-recreational-fear-why-we-love-horror-movies-and-other-spooky https://www.reddit.com/r/shortscarystories/comments/hbcp2h/aita_for_pranking_my_241f_boyfriend_after_he_25m/ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323492#Triggering-the-response https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/playing-with-fear-a-field-study-in-recreational-horror Books: Nightmare Fuel - Nina Nesseth Write Horror Good Enough To Wake The Dead - Christina Escamilla On Writing - Stephen King ©2024 The Furious Curious

 What does it mean to love horses, but struggle to have the same empathy and love for people? Today's episode touches on a challenge that many in the horse profession face. People who love animals and care so deeply for the environment and the land have a tendency to grapple with conflicting feelings toward humanity, often seeing the very best and the very worst of people in the same day. Is it enough to truly and deeply love horses without feeling the same love for their human partners? Can we genuinely affect healing and change without falling deeply in love with the wholeness of the partnership as well as the individuals involved? When we step back from the separation of me from you, we put a crack in our armor to allow light to flow in (and out) - we connect.What would happen if we created a community of reciprocal care and balance - one without linear, transactional relationships, one where we buoy one another up? What does it mean to truly care? Presence. Orienting to the wisdom of the body instead of the busyness of our minds. Expanding our focus to resilience and regeneration instead of destruction and disdain. Embracing the wholeness of what's healthy, good, and right instead of fixating on what's wrong. Dropping the disempowering stories and the pity. If we could manage all of this, or even any of this, what would change?Join us as we explore these challenging and inspiring topics together.Podcast Guests:Shea Stewart - www.equinebalance.netChris Adderson - www.forthehorse.comSuzi Cloutier - www.zebswish.orgGray Kyle-Graves - www.wholehearthorsemanship.comCarla Bauchmueller - www.theintuitiverider.comKerri Lake - www.generateharmony.comMusic by Mark Rashid - www.markrashid.com 

It is typically to our advantage to choose committed action BEFORE life ruptures take place? Who do you suspect you are in crisis? Is that who you want to be?

Orienting Prayer   #RTTBROS #nightlight Orienting Prayer  1.  Protected by Prayer  Verse: "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me." (Psalm 25:1-2 KJV) When enemies and treacherous people surround us, our first response should be to seek God's protection through prayer. Like David, we can be real with God about the hatred and affliction we face. Triggers of anxiety are meant to launch us into prayer, unleashing God's peace to guard our hearts. As we pray, God grants us situational awareness to avoid the enemy's ambushes that hide in pleasant places. Prayer is a powerful tool for God's protection in this dangerous world. 2. Piloted by God's Paths Verse: "Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." (Psalm 25:4-5 KJV)  In prayer, we ask God to pilot us - to show us His ways, teach us His paths, and lead us in His truth. This waiting on God is not passive, but active - serving Him while expecting His guidance. Like a waiter attending to diners, we attentively wait on God all day long. As we pray for God's direction, the good and upright Lord teaches sinners His way and guides the humble in His paths of steadfast love and faithfulness. 3.  Pardoned by Mercy Verse: "Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord." (Psalm 25:6-7 KJV) An awareness of our own sin should lead us to seek God's mercy and forgiveness in prayer. We don't pray based on our own goodness, but on God's grace and mercy. Like David, we can distinguish between sins of ignorance in our youth and willful sins of maturity, while still boldly asking for God's pardon for both. We pray confidently, not because we deserve it, but for the sake of God's own goodness. What amazing mercy that grants us what we could never earn! 4.  Provided with Prosperity  Verse: "What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." (Psalm 25:12-14 KJV) Beyond protection, guidance, and pardon, God's prayer promises include provision and prosperity. Those who fear the Lord receive His instruction and wisdom for life's decisions. Their souls will dwell in abundant wellbeing and their descendants will enjoy an inheritance. God shares intimate fellowship and secrets with those who revere Him, including revealing the blessings of His covenant. Prayer positions us to experience the fullness of God's rich provision. https://linktr.ee/rttbros   Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros

On occasion a manager will have the opportunity to hire someone onto the team for whom the job is their very first full-time role. Orienting these newly minted team members is just a little different then hiring new team members with plenty of work experience. In this bonus episode Kristen Slavish offers some thoughts on how to best on-board these kinds of folks and make their first professional experience an engaging and productive one. Our Website ... https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm

Sunday May 5th, 2024 with Chris Gore

Welcome to Gaia's Love, a podcast to guide you Home into your Human Journey here on Earth. My name is Vivienne Gerard and it is my delight to Co-Create with Gaia and share our Messages from Source in this Now Moment. Here we go! Xoxoxo Subscribe and/or hit the Like button if you found value in the time we spent together through this audio! Thank you! | Connect with Viv | Community | www.viviennegerard.com/ie-practicum.html Website | www.viviennegerard.com Instagram | www.instagram.com/infinite.embodiment.in.gaia TikTok | www.tiktok.com/@vivgerard Facebook | www.facebook.com/VivienneGerard.InfiniteEmbodiment Twitter | twitter.com/viv_gerard Amazon | bit.ly/author-viv-gerard YouTube | www.youtube.com/c/VivienneGerard Thank you for spending time with me today! My intention for any content is to be as all-inclusive as possible, allowing space for everyone who listens to bring their own interpretation and integration. I have no religious or other affiliations and continue to evolve on my path as I learn right along with you. I am in no way providing any legal, financial, medical or other health care services as part of this recording and take no responsibility for individual interpretations. Follow me on social media to keep up with the energy shifting here on Gaia and in my life... and to share the energy shifting in yours! xoxo

In this episode, our host Gaby Azorsky speaks with Jessica Angima. Jessica is a first generation, Kenyan-American meditation instructor and social practice artist and organizer. Jessica is a writer and shares her Substack, Slowly, Slowly. She currently teaches Heart-Mind Meditation at Heal Haus, works at Arena, and is often found at the 462 Halsey Community Garden in Bed-Stuy.  I met Jessica at MNDFL in New York City where I was part of their work-study program and she was studying and teaching. We spent many weeks together at the front desk silently enjoying each others company, and I really loved being part of a sangha (Dharma community) with her.  Jessica and I talk about her path to dharma, Lovingkindness, wisdom for starting your practice, home, ecology, interdependence, community, and what she calls “McMindfullness”.  Our slow, meditative, conversation opens the doors for you to start a meditation practice with the permission that it can look many different ways, but promises a happier life. Here is the quote that I read during the episode ~  Being naturalized to place means to live as if this is the land that feeds you, as if these are the streams from which you drink, that build your body and fill your spirit. To become naturalized is to know that your ancestors lie in this ground. Here you will give your gifts and meet your responsibilities. To become naturalized is to live as if your children's future matters, to take care of the land as if our lives and the lives of all our relatives depend on it. Because they do. -Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer Thank you Jessica for your openness and gentle perspective on dharma! Enjoy ~ Connect ~ With our guest Jessica | Substack and IG @jessicaangima Meditate with Jessica at  Heal Haus With out host Gaby Azorsky | Website and IG @gaby.azorsky With Spiral Deeper | Website and IG @spiral.deeper Sign up for Gaby's newsletter here Partners ~ Moon Juice - Code ‘GABY.AZORSKY' Activist Manuka Honey - Code ‘GABY15'  The Retreat Newspaper - Code ‘GABY100' for your first issue free  Music by incredible partner, Connor Hayes.  Please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen ~ it means so much. Thank you for your support! 

I had such a great discussion with Jordan Arogeti for this episode. Jordan and her company have a new tool called Support Now. It's a bit like a mashup of some tools you may be familiar with, such as CaringBridge, Go Fund Me, and online meal trains. But it's SO much more than that. In preparing to speak with Jordan, I had an “Ah-Ha!” moment: Support for the newest grievers is all about ORGANIZING and ORIENTING a widowed parent's own community. ORGANIZING: Support Now is a comprehensive tool that facilitates exactly this. Listen to my discussion with Jordan for a good overview. ORIENTING: I have LOTS of thoughts. Some of them you can find now at GriefAllies.com, where you can download my free tips & resources for supporting grieving people. (And stay tuned for more on this!) In the short term, a widowed parent's own community is going to be best positioned to help them with urgent and immediate needs. I'm working on ways to make that easier and less awkward. And then, of course, to introduce resources, books, experts, and more who can help after those immediate-term needs have been tended to. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Help Texts - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss. Listeners get $10 off: https://helptexts.com/jennylisk BetterHelp - Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online. Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/widowedparent Support the show - Buy Me a Coffee -=-=-=-=-

Note: This episode contains content about trauma. Listener discretion is advised.The path toward hope and healing is often charted through pain, suffering, loss, and grief.Coming from two decades spent studying post-traumatic stress disorder, researcher and clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Eriksson Cynthia has worked with individuals and communities in the wake of major tragedy. Her psychological and spiritual perspectives emerge from first hand experience with Cambodian children exposed to the atrocities of war, Ugandan refugees, Haitian victims of earthquake catastrophe and infrastructure collapse, or at home in Pasadena tending to frontline workers who are often left burned out and traumatized from relief work.Cynthia Eriksson discusses how to pursue resilience and recovery by reflecting on the role of faith and spirituality; habits and rhythms of life; and relationships and community.How should we understand the difference between resilience and thriving?Resilience focuses on the adaptive capacities that people need to bounce back from trauma, creating the capacity to bounce back, and the skills to increase one's ability and agility to recover. Whereas thriving refers to adaptive growth through adversity, trauma, challenges, and opportunities, all the while in pursuit of one's purpose.Both resilience and thriving recognize the complexities of life, and both affirm and require the actualization of human agency.In this conversation with Cynthia Eriksson, we discuss:How leaders and helpers and caretakers can identify trauma in themselves, and come to recognize, accept, and respond.The importance of paying attention to our brains, bodies, and environment.The 5 R's of resilience to trauma and recovery from trauma.Spiritual responses to suffering and pain—which can often result in incredibly profound experiences with God—and this includes expressing anger at God within a struggle.And practically, we talk about how to deal with avoidance, defensiveness, and blaming others or ourselves—basically, the potentially destructive nature of coping mechanisms.And we close with a beautiful grounding practice that connects us all to our bodies and emotions, to engage trauma, and stay on the path to thriving.Show NotesResource: "Thriving through Trauma: Five R's for Resilience and Recovery" (via thethrivecenter.org)Resource: "Practice: The Five R's of Resilience and Recovery" (via thethrivecenter.org)Resilience versus thriving—what's the difference?What is trauma? A threat to existence.Extending from trauma to suffering and helping other people build resilience and recoverCynthia Eriksson's personal experience of trauma (and not realizing it)Problem solving and seeking control as a coping mechanism and defense against acknowledging and dealing with traumaDissociationExperiencing trauma is not the same thing as being traumatizedFight, flight, freeze, or fawn (”tend and befriend”)The symptoms of trauma and areas of disruptionWhat happens in our bodiesWhat happens in our minds (thinking)What happens in our relationshipsWhat happens in our sense of meaning, justice, and making sense of the worldResilience“What are some of the things that we can all do that help us to build some muscles when it comes to navigating life's suffering?Resilience as a skill everyone can cultivate through personal growth, rather than a static trait“Neurons that fire together wire together.”The Five R's of Resilience Regulation: bodies and emotions Reflection and Right Thinking: truth and factual acceptance Relationships: community, connection, friendship, and support Respite and Rest: disengagement and Sabbath healing Reason: meaning and transcendenceHow to deal with big, overwhelming feelings in the wake of trauma.Grounding and settling practices: feeling where you are. “I'm here now, and I'm safe.”Lament as a healthy spiritual response to traumaAnger at and with GodSpiritual practice of lamentAsking a hard question of God: “Why aren't you here, God?”Lament and anger at God as a practice to stay in relationship with God“There's this tension of: “If I show up for God, will God show up for me?”Orienting to the pain and suffering of others: “How do I show up for the people that are around me who are in pain what does it mean for me to actually open myself up to the pain of others and stay present?”“Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.” (Micah 6:8)Coping mechanisms: substances, shopping, Netflix, avoidanceUnhealthy responses to trauma-based emotion: the dangers of replaying, ruminating, and regrettingRumination is not a constructive processing.What kind of grace can I show myself?Book: Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and BodiesBook: Lisa Najavits, Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance AbuseGuided meditative practice: GroundingExplaining the science behind Grounding PracticesPractical ways to get helpBook: Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Braim, Mind, and Body in the Healing of TraumaBook: Judith Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—from Domestic Abuse to Political TerrorBook: Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and BodiesNational Child Traumatic Stress Network (currently under website maintenance as of March 4, 2024; contact helpdesk at help@nctsn.org or in an emergency, dial 911)National Center for PTSDCynthia Eriksson on What is thriving?Joy and FreedomPam King's Key TakeawaysA life of thriving on purpose actually includes pain and sadness. A history of trauma is not a disqualification from thriving.Coping strategies are tricky. They tempt us towards avoidance, defensiveness, defensiveness, substance abuse, blaming, and self judgment. Our goal is not coping. Our goal must be thriving.Lots of R's here, but regulation, reflection, right thinking, relationships, respite, and rest, and reason are core components to developing resilience and enacting recovery.It's okay to be angry at God, and it helps to tell God that's actually the case.We can find emotional grounding and regulation through intentionally enhancing a deep connection between our bodies and minds.And the path to thriving is often one where our minds need to follow our bodies and all their glorious complexity.For more information about resilience recovery, org. In Cynthia Erickson's framework of five hours, visit our website at thethrivecenter.org.About Cynthia ErikssonCynthia Eriksson is Dean of the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy, and is a Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Psychology Department.Her research is particularly focused on the needs of cross-cultural aid for mission workers, as well as the interaction of trauma and spirituality. This work has included trauma training, research, and consultation in Monrovia, Liberia; Kobe, Japan; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Barcelona, Spain; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Gulu, Uganda; and Amman, Jordan.Eriksson also collaborated with colleagues in the US, Europe, and Africa on a longitudinal research project on stress in humanitarian aid workers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. She also participates in the Headington Program in International Trauma at Fuller.She has completed research on risk and resilience, exposure to stress, and spiritual development in urban youth workers funded by the Fuller Youth Institute.Eriksson and her students are currently exploring the intersection of cultural humility and culturally-embedded resilience practices through collaborations with ministry agencies and Fuller colleague Alexia Salvatierra. About the Thrive CenterLearn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on X @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter About Dr. Pam KingDr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. Follow her @drpamking. About With & ForHost: Pam KingSenior Director and Producer: Jill WestbrookOperations Manager: Lauren KimSocial Media Graphic Designer: Wren JuergensenConsulting Producer: Evan RosaSpecial thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

I've been putting off this topic for a while… but let's unpack how I've been completely neglecting my mental and physical health through this crazy period of my life. This episode is about getting back on track. I'll share how I'm resetting my priorities, what I'm doing to climb out of this funk, and a daily habit that has been super helpful throughout this time.Show Notes1:20 Navigating the stress of recent events2:35 How to deal with too much on your plate6:39 Realizing when you're engaging in unhealthy habits8:06 Getting my priorities straight!9:44 Being strategic vs trying to accomplish everything12:45 Dealing with the algorithm as a content creator14:02 Examining your priorities16:10 Ask yourself, are you self-sabotaging?17:01 The sacrifice to do the things you love is worth it18:11 Ways I'm prioritizing my health19:43 Orienting yourself with intention20:16 What are five things you're proud of doing?Too Collective:Shop our Limited Edition Patches!Too Collective WebsiteToo Collective Affirmation TextsFollow Too Collective on Social Media:InstagramFollow Alexis on Social Media:InstagramTikTokYouTubeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 The Rebooting is launching paid memberships. All the details are on therebooting.com. In this episode, I speak to my collaborator Reid DeRamus, founder of Caddie Labs, which is working with me on implementing and growing memberships. Rather than discuss the benefits, we talk through the strategic and tactical decisions we made. Among the topic we cover: Why sequencing your business is important – and realizing your “unfair advantages” is critical in that The importance of first-party data in a niche media business Orienting subscriptions for specific audience segments rather than the entire audience Figuring out pricing The challenge of “getting to start”

Orienting as a new Nurse in the ICU is much like climbing your first big mountain — both require basic knowledge, passion, and the ability to learn quickly and adapt in a demanding environment. But without these attributes, you have an arduous, possibly insurmountable journey ahead of you.In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini and Sarah Vance RN delve into the controversial topic of new grads going straight into the ICU after graduation, exploring the challenges and opportunities it presents for new nurses. They discuss the essential skills and mindset needed to thrive in such an intense setting, emphasizing the crucial role of self-care and support for success in the ICU.This episode answers common questions from Rapid Response RN listeners, including “what types of people do well in the ICU, and what types of people struggle? What can I do to prepare for a job in the ICU? What are the most common struggles of nurses in the ICU, and how can they mitigate those challenges?”As a critical care nurse and educator, Sarah's insights will help you assess your readiness for joining the exciting but challenging world of the ICU. Tune in now!Topics discussed in this episode:The debate around new grads joining the ICUWhat type of people who do well in the ICUChallenges new grads face in the ICUHow to prepare for a job in the ICUNavigating the common struggles of ICU nursesThe importance of learning from your mistakesWatch this episode on The Rapid Response RN YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/@therapidresponsern/videosConnect with Sarah Vance!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iseeu_nurse/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iseeu_nurseWebsite: https://iseeunurse.com/Mentioned in this episode:Rapid Response and Rescue Intro CourseCONNECT

A 2020 First Presidency Message reads, “The sacred teachings, promises, and ceremonies of the temple are of ancient origin, and point God's children to Him as they make further covenants and learn more about His plan, including the role of the Savior Jesus Christ.” Learning more about God's plan and the role of a Savior in that plan are things that all of us desire but religious rituals can be difficult to understand and the prospect of wearing sacred temple garments may cause apprehension. But the temple carries with it great promises from God and on this week's episode, we discuss the many blessings that are available to us as we choose to make promises with Him. “Temple worship provides a way to put the Lord first, to stay oriented to Him, to love Him the most, to love Him first.” —Jennifer Lane Show Notes 2:10- Changes to the Temple Ordinances 5:40- Religious Rituals of Other Faiths 10:32- Garments and Taking His Name Upon Us 13:39- The Temple Garment as a Gift 18:49- Promise of Temple Garments 21:13- Freemasonry  25:01- Embodiment 29:02- Maps 33:01- Ascension  39:16- What Does It Mean to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Links & References: Let's talk about Temples and RitualSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.