We had a wonderful first meeting of the year in our newly named Self-care Tuesdays group. We dove into the territory of the emotions and explored how your body and your awareness can be a spacious, loving container to hold your emotions. Being held It's important to learn how to hold yourself so that you don't feel like you're on an emotional roller coaster. The possibility is to love yourself through it all, to be kind and compassionate. Tools and things to remember: Meditation can help you hold the space for yourself Journaling is useful, especially when you write about what is hap ..read more

Our Self-Care Tuesdays Workshop this week focused on "the places we go when we are hurting.”  The life of a raregiver holds an inordinate amount of hurt, and there are so many flavors of it. Sometimes you may experience it as sadness, grief, anguish, hopelessness, or despair. They may seem like the same thing, and yet they are different. No matter the flavor of the emotion, pause and feel it. Trust your heart When you are experiencing difficult emotions, you have the option of resting into the vast space of your own heart. Trust that your heart will welcome all of your feelings. Sometime ..read more

Self-Care Tuesdays are a beautiful container where we gather with other raregivers to give and receive support. This week our theme was, "when things don't go as planned.” In your life as a raregiver, things often don't go as planned. As they say, "we make plans and God laughs.” This is soooo true! The question is, how do you respond in the face of things not going the way you would like them to? There will be many surprises along the way and your child's condition will shift and change– all you have control over is how you respond to what shows up. Interrupting overwhelm We spoke about ..read more

Caregiving is a journey laden with responsibilities, a role that often encompasses more than we could have imagined. In a world where responsibilities can be overwhelming, Caregivers find themselves not only shouldering their own duties, but often taking on additional burdens that others may shy away from. The challenge for many Caregivers is not in assuming responsibility; it's in the delicate art of delegation and the willingness to ask for help. In a society where self-reliance is often celebrated, the notion of seeking assistance can feel like an admission of weakness. However, recognizi ..read more

Life's journey is a tapestry woven with moments of joy and challenges that test our resilience. Adversity is an inherent part of the human experience, demanding strength and perseverance. Developing the ability to weather life's storms is not merely a skill but a profound lesson in personal growth and triumph. In the face of adversity, our nervous systems play a pivotal role in shaping our responses to challenges. Teaching our nervous systems that it is safe to endure, overcome, and even thrive amidst difficulties is a transformative practice. This involves reshaping our mental and emotional ..read more

In the rhythm of our daily lives, the significance of small rituals often goes unnoticed. One such routine carries more weight than simply creating a neat sleeping space... and that’s making your bed. The act of making your bed symbolizes the initiation of a well-organized and disciplined day, rooted in the power of meeting small expectations for yourself. Believe it or not, when we start giving this gift to ourselves, we start our day by establishing a consistent routine. It’s a kickstarter, of sorts, giving your nervous system something to rely on. This type of action begins to naturally c ..read more

In our Rare Family Dynamics workshop today we talked about the places we go when the heart is open. Living with an open heart is vulnerable because you avail yourself to hurt, and by the same token, you also open yourself to true intimacy, starting with the true intimacy that's possible with your own heart. You can only love someone as much as you love yourself. Loving ourselves means being willing to open up and feel everything from the deepest sorrows to expansive joy. Clarity Oftentimes, clarity is born of open heartedness. Sometimes when the heart is closed, you cannot see what is tr ..read more

Photo by Photo by Rizki Nurul courtesy of Pexels The focus in our Rare Family Dynamics group this week was "the places we go to self-assess.” We explored how to accurately self-assess, and how bringing kindness and curiosity helps us to know what is actually happening versus what we may imagine which is often inaccurate. No big deal For many raregivers, it's very common to have a challenge receiving compliments. Maybe you find yourself blocking when people thank you for things and saying, "no big deal.” As a raregiver, you have a huge amount of responsibility and probably by 10 o'clock i ..read more

We are in the holiday season and our Rare Family Dynamics group focused on “where we go with others.” Do we show others compassion or empathy? And if so, do we cross our own boundaries when we see someone else is in need?  It's important to practice self-compassion and trust that others in your family and community will be OK even when you say no. As one of our members reminded us today, "NO is a complete sentence.’ Being a Pleaser/Fixer If you identify as a “people pleaser,” you may be challenged to set boundaries–and boundaries with teenagers can be especially hard. If you want to set ..read more

Willingness is a fundamental aspect of human behavior that reflects an individual's readiness and eagerness to engage in a particular action or accept a situation. It embodies the spirit of openness and a positive attitude toward challenges, opportunities, or changes. Willingness is more than a simple surrender; it is a dynamic force that propels individuals forward in the face of uncertainty, obstacles, or new endeavors. At its core, willingness is a psychological state that involves a conscious decision to embrace, participate in, or commit to something. It manifests personal agency, demons ..read more