In doing some art related research I found a great site about Vincent Van Gogh. It’s amazing to me that despite his mental illness he was able to create such masterpieces - 150 paintings in the year he spent in hospital/asylum.
“I feel happier here with my work than I could be outside. By staying here a good long time, I shall have learned regular habits and in the long run the result will be more order in my life.”
Regular habits . . . like TLC?!
I happened on a really interesting program last night on the effects of stress. Here’s a clip from the show. Enjoy.
I am on vacation this week and while I will try to keep posting, don’t be surprised if I don’t! In the meantime enjoy -
Common Symptoms of Too Much Stress
Stress: Physical and Physiological
Even cricket players aren’t immune from depression . . .
Being out in my backyard practicing Tai Chi & Qi Gong or just puttering around the yard, I notice things and grab my camera. It’s so easy to gloss over all the little things that we come across in our lives . . . even more so when you’re fighting depression. Being mindful helps us to slow down, get out of ourselves and appreciate things we’d previously not given any thought to. These little things are life. Enjoy.
We’ve all done things that call for an apology but sometimes we don’t. Pride, stuborness, thoughts of “I won’t apologize unless they do first”, etc.
What an excellent article.
Here’s how to do it . . .
Another Take on How to Apologize
Forgiving yourself
Forgiving Yourself After the Loss of a Loved One
and what should you do when someone apologizes to you . . .
Pulp Fiction came out in 1994 back when a $5 shake was pretty pricey. Well, before I went to see my dad last Saturday I stopped and bought him a chocolate shake at a nearby ice cream shop. Damned if it wasn’t close to $5 too - for a small. I had to taste it and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t really good. I don’t know if it was worth $5 but it was thick, creamy and very rich. I had to stop myself from sucking down too much.
“80% of what we think is useless. It serves no purpose. It is just random thoughts jumping around from one thing to another.” said my Tai Chi teacher.
I don’t mean to make him sound like the Chinese version of Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid but I do feel very lucky to have such a good teacher. He is forever thinking and talking about Tai Chi, meditation, enlightenment, the body, the mind, Chinese & Western medicine, relaxation, health, physics, religion and philosophy. He cares about his students but not in a way you would expect. He doesn’t coddle you. He very patiently challenges you to practice the Art of Tai Chi & Qi Gong and thereby get better mentally and physically.
I came upon another site the other day and read this . . .
Neuroscientists have discovered that the heart has it’s own independent nervous system, a complex system referred to as the “brain in the heart”. There are at least 40,000 neurons (nerve cells) in the heart, this can be as many neurons as are found in some parts of the brain. And this “brain in the heart” has the ability to relay information back to the brain creating a two-way communication system between the heart and brain. Physiologists John and Beatrice Lacy discovered that when the heart sends messages to the brain the brain not only understands the messages but also obeys them. ~ Mind Body Solutions
I stumbled upon a series of interesting articles that relate to emotional pain and depression. From reading the article on ‘complex grief’ I wonder if maybe it’s possible to experience that without necessarily losing someone to death. Certainly if you’re walking a black dog you’re more susceptible when a lover leaves, a friend abandons you, a child turns their back, etc.
Emotional Pain Hurts More Than Physical Ones
How emotional pain can really hurt
