Internal Family Systems (IFS) or “Parts Work” is an approach to both psychotherapy and coaching that teaches us how to access our greatest resource – our core Self. Then, through the Self, we come to understand and heal our inner wounded and protective “parts”. Core Self Dr. Richard Schwartz, the developer of IFS, says we […] The post Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy appeared first on Jackie J.Reid ..read more

It’s the fall of 2018 and I’m jogging in the park listening to Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now (again), and I begin praying: God, I need a teacher. A mentor. Someone to take me by the hand and lead me out of this darkness. It’s too big for me. I’m not strong enough. It starts to rain. And I open my arms, turn my face to the sky, and say over and over: Please hear me, God. Please. Shortly thereafter a new yoga teacher arrives at the YMCA who teaches Kundalini Yoga. She’s also a reiki master, Christian mystic, and chats with the Vatican, but I don’t learn about all that until later. The class b ..read more

After two years of canceled retreats and online-only events following the Covid shutdowns, spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, is back in person. Recently, I had the honor of spending four days in his presence on retreat in Phoenix, Arizona. I don’t consider myself a fan of anyone, really. I admire and appreciate the abilities of others but we’re all just human. All equally flawed and at our core, all the same. The person is simply a vessel for whatever greatness happens to be coming through them at that moment. The greatness coming through Eckhart is a silent yet palpable intense inner peace. I ..read more

What will it take to shake the human race so forcefully that we finally see beyond our egoic wants and perceived needs and realize that we’re already complete, whole, and surrounded by abundance? Regardless of wealth, health, or status, we all live on a planet that continues to sustain us despite our ignorance, negligence, and disrespect. And we all — EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US —have within us the boundless love, joy, and peace of the universal intelligence that created us. The war in Ukraine and all other suffering humans inflict on each other, is an outward expression of the disconnection from ..read more

A Teaching: On my ninth day of silence, I went into meditation one evening on the beach as the sun was going down and I didn’t stand up again until after midnight. I remember thinking, “This is it, Liz.” I said to my mind, “This is your chance. Show me everything that is causing you sorrow. Let me see all of it. Don’t hold anything back.” One by one, the thoughts and memories of sadness raised their hands, stood up to identify themselves. I looked at each thought, at each unit of sorrow, and I acknowledged its existence and felt (without trying to protect myself from it) its horrible pain. And ..read more

A Teaching: Every morning, two gremlins are at the foot of the bed, challenging us and threatening us: fear and lethargy. Fear says, it’s too much, it’s too big for you. You can’t handle this life. And lethargy says, chill out. Tomorrow’s another day, turn on the television, try to be distracted if you can. Dr. James Hollis, Jungian analyst and author of several books including a new audio series:  A Life of Meaning: Exploring Our Deepest Questions and Motivations. A Truth: It’s easy to see how lethargy has distracted me from life: a bottle of wine, a new pair of shoes, a series of fictio ..read more

A Teaching: Meditation is the way of letting go. In meditation you let go of the complex world outside in order to reach a powerful peace within. Meditation is the path to a pure and empowered mind. The experience of this pure mind, released from the world, is incredibly blissful. It is a bliss better than sex. Ajahn Brahm: Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator’s Handbook A Truth: A pure and empowered mind . . . powerful peace within . . . a bliss better than sex. Yes! I want that! I’ve touched the blissful, powerful peace within but only for a moment or two. And never during meditation ..read more

A Teaching: We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. Maya Angelou A Truth: Change. It’s hard, it’s messy, and it’s often painful. So, it makes sense why we exquisitely evolved humans resist change so fiercely. Here’s what I’ve learned about embracing the fear of change: It took me being brought to my knees in brokenness and misery to be willing to surrender to change. To acknowledge that “my plan” for life hadn’t ever worked and wasn’t ever going to work. And that if I wanted lasting peace and joy then something had to ..read more

A Teaching: One of the most beautiful compensations in life is that no person can help another without helping themselves. Ralph Waldo Emerson A Truth: A few weeks ago I had the honor of gathering with a group of longtime friends for a much-needed weekend at the beach. We laughed so hard our bellies hurt, danced without care around a bonfire, sang off-key to Queen, and stared in wonder at the magnificence of the sun rising from the sea and setting back into it. Along the way, we shed a few tears, released some burdens, and shared our challenges without fear or worry. It seems many of us (mysel ..read more

A Teaching: How can you connect with another person when you cannot connect with yourself? Thich Nhat Hanh A Truth: When I look back on my relationships (including my most intimate ones) I can see a veil between me and others. I allowed some of me to come through, but not all of me. From adolescence on there was a piece of me missing in my relationships — a connection not quite complete. As a result, I had very few deep, meaningful relationships. The kind of relationship where you drop your roles (daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother) and connect with another on a soul level. Where you can’t ..read more