Posts by Danette Adams
naturally present
Years ago, fresh off a small town bus, I was alone at a city crosswalk alongside dozens of strangers. I felt a collective impatience urging the “do not walk” signal to change. My impulse was to notice everything as if I had been enlisted to catalogue it. Sunlight reflecting off a bus windshield.…
Read Moreheart of the matter
My father used to say “nothing good happens after midnight”. Was it a deeply held belief or something to keep his teenagers in line and in the house before dark? This phrase leapt to mind when my phone buzzed at 3 am. My daughter-in-law asked if I could go to the ER to be…
Read Morekind of blue
January. (sigh) If you’d ask Thoreau about how to manage a blue season, he’d say “Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.” That’s quite a different…
Read Morefrom the outside, it looks like i’m meditating
From the outside, it looks like I’m meditating Assuming the noble posture feels like a homecoming after exploring seated practice from monks, mystics and madmen, through pages and in person, for three decades. Stillness is my home. Silence is my preference. And has been so since those early days when playing possum kept me…
Read Moredeath backyard
Squirrels. Mice. Ducks and their eggs. An unstable pigeon. Countless mourning doves. And bones and carcasses of unknown origin. These are just some of the casualties that my backyard has witnessed and, as a by-product, so have I. As I write this, I know there are several feathers being tossed around by the vigorous…
Read Morea mind of its own
Many moons ago now, I began exploring self-care practices and getting professional support for the residual stored survival stress from childhood trauma with every fibre of my…brain. I remember saying “I want to be well”. So, I analyzed, took courses, read books, set goals, reframed distorted thoughts, researched the latest techniques and implemented as many…
Read Morewhat do you need?
What do you need? What is it that you need right now? At this very moment. To get some clarity, can you take a moment to pause and orient towards yourself? Get quiet. Get curious. Listen with compassion to what comes up when you ask yourself what you need. You may…
Read Morebig clutter
“You manage clutter well”. This came from a visitor to my home many years ago now. Be still my organized heart! My guest was referencing my use of baskets, boxes, hooks, and other clever, hidden storage spaces to control the clutter. For me, visual calm in my environment creates calm in my body and mind.…
Read MoreEase and Release
We all have some stored survival stress that we carry with us in our bodies and that impacts our nervous systems. Most of us need support to work through the impacts of carrying the weight of long-held stressors but we can learn some small ways to NOT add more stored stress. Here is a simple,…
Read Moresacred fear
To be honest, the month of January felt like it had at least 965 days in it. I had a noble intention to fine-tune my gratitude radar this month. To notice glimpses of joy and moments of lightness to temporarily tune out the overwhelming division and discord in the world. The radar worked. Some…
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