This wonderful conversation happened within our women’s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RipeParadigm/
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Jessica Hadari shares her experiences as a volunteer hospice caregiver in SF.
Today’s shift was a breath of fresh air.
My morning started out with a lot of swearing under my breath. I was running late again! I was able to slow down on the BART trains.
I arrived early enough to get my americano at the corner cafe. Preparing for an upcoming women’s Tahoe writing retreat, I was glad to catch all of the email communications at the start of the day.
I headed to the Guest House – which already felt like a home. Continue reading »
Author: Jessica Hadari
Sharon's petals
Today for the first time I saw and touched a dead body.
Rushing to my first shift at the Guest House this morning, I had funny thoughts of myself making fun of people, who rush to get to their yoga classes. Images of yogis-with-road-rage shouting “Hurry up so that I can relax!” As I was running late for my shift, I felt the stress chemicals in my body and heard the part of my own mind mantra-ing, “I’ve gotta hurry up so that I can slow down…”
I arrived and was so blessed to be sent on several errands. Get coffee at the corner cafe, help in the kitchen.
Sharon, I was told, had resided in the Guest House for only a few days. She passed away in the night. Her family had agreed to the traditional Zen ritual bathing ceremony offered at the House. In preparation, I was to get the container marked “Ritual” from the basement. Continue reading »
Sep 102011
Written by Dr. Suzie Vlcek, D.C., M.A.
We’ve all heard the expression, “I feel it in my gut,” referring to a sense of knowledge that seems to come from the belly, not the brain. It turns out that this instinct is correct: the brain and the belly are not separate after all. Medical research has established that the digestive tract has it’s own nervous system, with nerves and neurotransmitters just like the brain, and that the nervous system of the gut and the nervous system of the brain are connected.
The brain is intimately involved in the process of eating. Nerves that originate in the brain are responsible for chewing, swallowing and digesting food. You may have noticed that your mental state influences not only your food choices (reaching for that ice cream after a stressful day) but also the way your body digests those foods (becoming constipated as a result of emotional distress). You may also have noticed the reverse reaction, that the foods you eat influence the way you think, your moods and your ability to concentrate. These common experiences make the point that the brain and the gut are not separate at all.
What does this mean to you? Continue reading »
