As we celebrate the American Holiday of Thanksgiving, it’s the time of year when I like to thank all of you who read my newsletter, blog, and social media channels. Some of you are or have been clients and I have daily gratitude for your trust in working with me. Each person brings his or her unique special ways of inspiring me. I feel very fortunate to have a career that I still find excitement and joy in every day even after 30 years. This year I have had the pleasure of working with an amazing group online. For nine months, we got to experience how group support enhanced the creation of in ..read more

If you have been reading my blog for several years, you may remember Mariela Meylan. I wrote about Mariela's story in my book From my Hands and Heart. Mariela was head-injured while serving in the US army in Iraq in December 2004. When she was transferred to Palo Alto VA in 2006, she began receiving CranioSacral Therapy. Mariela and her parents have formed a team of support that has been crucial to her continued improvement. I have been a member of her team for the last 15 years and have learned so much from witnessing her amazing recovery. Her parents recently shared with me an article about ..read more

I’m writing this newsletter after coming off the Zoom call I hosted called “Guided Exploration of Your Health and Wellness.” By the end of the call, I felt more settled. I found myself open to slowing down, which was a welcome feeling. It came at the end of a particularly hectic week because my two sophomores returned to high school in person with a “normal” schedule for the first time in 18 months. It has been a big change for us all. Many of my clients have been telling me that they are feeling very challenged by all the differing, often strongly held, opinions and information all around th ..read more

Spring is a wonderful time of year to take a fresh look at what could be removed to make space for new growth. We observe this in nature and feel the inner reflection inside us. My garden has lots of new growth, including some plants I don’t want! Last week, we received a big delivery of new Californian native plants to fill empty spaces. It felt like Christmas as I greeted my new baby plants! I am very fortunate to have a good friend, a landscape architect passionate about drought-tolerant native plants. Through her guidance, I have a beautiful backyard that all of us love. Craniosacral ther ..read more

Since we celebrated Valentine’s Day this month, we explored the word “courage” in ,Navigating Life, my monthly free Zoom call. The origin of this word is "to speak one's mind by telling all one's heart." For me, CranioSacral Therapy is heart work, inspiring me to title my book about CST ,From my Hands and Heart. “If you put your hands on people to help them feel better, love has to go with those hands. That's how you facilitate transformation,” said Dr. John Upledger, the founder of CST. I love that quote of his. Many significant positive changes happen within our bodies when we feel surround ..read more

In a CST session, we can notice changes in our bodies, and get new insights and ideas. Sometimes it is the beginning of a new discovery. Afterward, there are many ways to improve upon the changes that happened during a session. Low back pain with discomfort in the hips and pelvis is a common experience, which I have experienced myself. I remember a CST session I received where I felt my pelvic bones open and widen, especially on my right side. The experience was wonderful, my low back rested completely on the table as if my back had melted into the bed! “If only I could keep this feeling,” I ..read more

The year is coming to an end and the colder, shorter days are supporting me in reflecting on my experiences of 2022. I appreciate how I have grown in my skill of holding as little judgment as possible. This winter, there are high numbers of people getting sick with many different types of viruses. There have been many opportunities to have respectful discussions with my clients and friends. When I had a cold or known direct exposure to COVID, I shared the information and offered options to my clients. What I observed was a whole range of different responses depending on how my clients were fe ..read more

Today is the day when those of us in the United States of America celebrate Thanksgiving. Since I was raised in the UK, this became a new holiday for me. Over the years, we have adapted our way of celebrating Thanksgiving. When we first moved to the US, we would gather with our international friends who were also without family. After our children were born, we would meet with another British/Italian family adapting the traditional American fare a little! More recently, we spend time on trips with family-friends. As a newcomer to America, I have always been curious about the origins of Thanks ..read more

How many of you have had to face an uncomfortable truth? It could be about something you have done to someone or that someone has done to you. Either way, for me, both are about standing up for what is true - whether I am apologizing or stating my hurt. I have had to muster up a lot of courage in those situations, particularly because I dislike confrontation. What I have noticed over the years of working with people is that at some point, it takes settling into our own bodies and acknowledging what sensations we’re feeling about a particular circumstance. As adults, we can more easily skirt ar ..read more

July was a month filled with summer activities. Both of my sisters hadbeen visiting with their families, which brought a refreshing change to my daily rhythm. Our first trip was to Yosemite National Park, which I was excited to visit again, as it had been many years. On our drive through the park, we stopped off at a classic vista spot and realized that the normally iconic view of the half dome was quite hazy (see inset). A quick check on my phone confirmed that there was a fire close to the ancient Mariposas. As we continued our drive along the valley floor, my sister shouted, “Bear, bear, b ..read more