The Power of Aroma Freedom Technique (AFT) for Emotional Resolution

The Power of Aroma Freedom Technique (AFT) for Emotional Resolution

The energy of our time is a little intense right now. Naturally, we’re emotional, we’re numb, we’re out of sorts… to say the least. Intense times require us to ground ourselves into what is true, real, and stable…

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Marcia's Musings: You've Lost That Loving Feeling

Marcia's Musings: You've Lost That Loving Feeling

The storm clouds blew in with so little warning that there was no time to run, no time to hide. They gathered, small at first, in a corner of my mind, unnoticed and therefore unattended to. As I sought a safe space internally, none could be found, and I took refuge in family and friends.

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A Gentle, Reiki-Inspired Approach to the New Year

The new year is when we start to think about our resolutions and the changes we would like to make in our lives. Typically, that starts with a renewed dedication to the gym. Over the years, however, I have come to take a more yin approach to January – one that focuses on doing less, clearing out space in my life, and taking time for gentle reflection…

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Marcia's Musings: "Kiss Someone You Think Is Wonderful"

We hold so tightly to the word “resolute” and its direct descendant, “resolution”. We took this lovely word with its Latin footprints, held it hostage, and morphed it into something that tends toward a kind of rigidity and judgment that often results in disappointment and feelings of failure.

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A Racing Heart and Instant Relief

A Racing Heart and Instant Relief

When we are scared, stressed, or startled, our heart starts to race and pound within our chest. It is an instant feeling, unlike the increased heart rate that comes gradually as we exercise. Luckily, yoga provides us with a heart-healthy, calming pose for just those moments…

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Marcia's Musings: People Who Need People

Marcia's Musings: People Who Need People

When times become troubled, when loneliness descends, when weariness seeps into the bones, when the load feels too heavy, even when we wish to have fun and adventure, the comfort and joy of community beckons…

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Balancing Gratitude and Grieving: What do you need to let go of this fall?

Balancing Gratitude and Grieving: What do you need to let go of this fall?

Gratitude and grief often seem like two separate things. They are not. Gratitude, when practiced wisely, is not about pretending everything in your life is perfect. Gratitude requires a fundamental recognition of What Is. Grieving plays an important part in that acknowledgement. 

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Marcia's Musings: A Blow to the Gut

Marcia's Musings: A Blow to the Gut

I sat in my car on the side of the road. Cars, vans, motorcycles, and trucks whizzed past me as I sat stuck in place. In my fog, I finally picked up my cell phone and called the friend who knows me best. “I’m sitting on the side of the Crosstown unable to move,” I managed to say through choked tears. “I’ll be right there,” she said. 

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Blessed Be the Dog That Takes You for a Fall Walk

Blessed Be the Dog That Takes You for a Fall Walk

What is your favorite part of fall? Marcia takes you on a crisp fall walk with her beloved pup...

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Marcia's Musings: Heart Zings

Marcia's Musings: Heart Zings

The best gift you can give yourself when traveling with a group is time on your own. It is when you take yourself on a stroll – wandering, chatting, daring to get lost – that insight and momentary friendships sometimes appear. Zing goes your heart when you do. 

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Marcia's Musings: The Curious Case of Mrs. DeBoer

Marcia's Musings: The Curious Case of Mrs. DeBoer

I loved Anna DeBoer with all my heart. She taught me amazing things, and when she died, she left me her cherished cuckoo clock. Now I wonder if Anna DeBoer would have been vilified for some of her ways. When we start to see “the other”, sit in fear, hide in darkness, and forget that we all bleed red, we all lose. 

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Marcia's Musings: Is This How It Ends?

Marcia's Musings: Is This How It Ends?

Joy is often effervescent - like champagne or soap bubbles. Contentment is grounded, solid, steady. It is beyond loneliness and fear, beyond even old age…

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Being Highly Sensitive: Challenge, Blessing, or Both?

Being Highly Sensitive: Challenge, Blessing, or Both?

Have you ever felt good before you went to an event or gathering, but you left feeling bad or sad or just off for no apparent reason? Do you often know how people around you feel, even if they’re good at hiding it? If this sounds familiar, then you’re probably a person with high sensitivity, sometimes also called an empath.

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Marcia's Musings: A Love Affair

Marcia's Musings: A Love Affair

The minute I walked through the glass double doors, I felt a current of connection flow through my body.

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Marcia's Musings: Revelations – Part One

Marcia's Musings: Revelations – Part One

What happens if the ones you love don’t connect with self and with another as deeply as you do or as you hoped they would? How do you love the one(s) you’re with then?  

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Grounding Ourselves: Breathing and the Vagus Nerve

Grounding Ourselves: Breathing and the Vagus Nerve

I love staying busy, yet it sometimes leaves me in a state of stress. Finding moments of calm and grounding can feel like a luxury. I've learned to access a powerful tool for self-regulation and grounding that we all possess: our breath... 

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Marcia's Musings: My Life in Segments

Marcia's Musings: My Life in Segments

I carefully peeled the orange, and as I placed the segments on a plate, a revelation hit me: “Ahh, this is how my life is - a whole lived in segments…”

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Marcia's Musings: Bone-Deep Disappointment

Marcia's Musings: Bone-Deep Disappointment

Lately, I’ve been fighting off feelings of disappointment. It’s the one emotion most difficult for me to process. How about you? 

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5 Self-Care Practices to Relieve Stress at Work 

Even if you love your job, work equals stress. The many causes of stress in the workplace are familiar…

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Love Yourself

Love Yourself

You’ve heard the saying, “One cannot truly love another until they truly love themselves.” Yet, we often find it much easier to feel love for others than we do for ourselves. You may be asking: What does it even really mean to love ourselves?

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