Doris Muna

It’s a recurring theme. Every year we are subjected to viruses, flu and a variety of illnesses that seem to arise during the winter season.

Whether stomach, lung, bronchial or skin, these eruptions of ill health affect the person feeling the ailment and also impact their families and those around them. Have you known anyone with the flu who was happy, cheerful and full of energy? On the contrary, people who are suffering from the flu are often full of woe and may feel sorry for themselves. You also feel sorry for them because you cannot stand to see your loved ones suffer. Read More

The key to harmony in our relationships is directly connected to our relationship with ourselves. Our feelings and internal energy reflect how we manage connections and interactions with others.

Even before we are born we are involved in a relationship with our mother – our carrier into this world and all her life experiences. We are exposed to these relationship patterns energetically and become aware of them. These patterns of early childhood are what shape our relationships with others and ourselves.

Many times we find it is easy to have positive relationships with some people but not others. The triggers we have that lead to discord are deep within us and may find their roots in our childhood. On the days we are under stress or overwhelmed with work, we are more sensitive to triggers that bring up emotional discords which reflect in our relationships.

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The holidays have arrived and while many of us are busy buying gifts for their loved ones and planning holiday meals, there are some who spend the holidays alone due to events beyond their control.

The hype of sharing and giving is instilled in us at a very young age and advertising is often focused on shopping, gatherings and parties during the holidays. In reality, this can be very stressful for many. There can be a mix of emotions and some may feel excited and enjoy the activities while others may feel overwhelmed or seek to find solace in being alone.

Feelings of loss come in many forms. A friend who recently divorced is feeling anxious about the prospect of being alone for the holidays. The death of a loved one in the family can also leave many unable to enjoy the spirit of the holidays. In times of grief, the traditions are interrupted by a sense of bereavement.
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Having a quiet space and time to contemplate and reflect on our lives is essential to finding our internal peace. I liken it to a feeling of contentment with our decisions, our relationships, and ourselves.

Throughout our lives, we experience moments of distress, exhaustion‚ anxiety and depression. Life can be overwhelming and if something stressful and unexpected occurs, it can feel as though that one incident turns into “the straw that broke the camel’s back”. You may feel overburdened with feelings of desperation and hopelessness. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you need strategies to help you cope and provide optimism for a better outcome. You may also need people to provide support in achieving the best possible state of wellbeing.

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An Attitude of Gratitude!

Last week we had a wonderful opportunity to join a spiritual group in Italy and reflect on “Blessings” as a subject.

This led me to reflect on my childhood and consider my awareness of the gift of gratitude and its meaning. I asked myself: “Did I feel gratitude when my Mom fed me? Was it when my Dad played with me? Or was it the complete love and wonder I saw in their eyes when they looked at me?” Gratitude can be expressed as a simple look, nod, smile, and hug or even energetically as a mutual feeling of warmth between individuals.

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October is the month notoriously associated with Hallowe’en. For those with children, it naturally conjures up thoughts of costumes, candy, pranking, skeletons, carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating but have you ever stopped to wonder about its origins and why we celebrate? One of the world’s oldest holidays started off very different than what we know it today.

It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which celebrated their new year on November 1st. Samhain marked the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of winter, a time often associated with human death.

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The child absorbs knowledge using no filter

The child is like a "sponge", which "absorbs" everything that is surrounding it. Already Dr. Maria Montessori warned us in the early 20th century that the children in their first six years of life are in an "absorbing" age.

But there is a slight difference in children up to 3 1⁄2 years and older children! The older the child is, the more it begins to question "why." Its brain is sufficiently developed to use a certain degree of discernment. These questions are an indication that cognitive development has initiated to a higher degree and it now starts to filter all the information the child gets. A toddler has not yet achieved this cognitive ability and takes in all the information without any filter. This unfiltered information according to neuro-science and psychologists – is programmed into the unconscious brain and even into the cell structures and form the first programs, patterns and impressions. This imbedded information will act from its level of unconsciousness influencing the persons entire life. To reprogram such information takes years. Therefore, parents and professionals should be very careful what kind of information is given to the child. It is also very important to think about the activities and life styles when children are around.

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By now, many of us are participating in our back to school rituals. Even if you don’t have children, the end of summer is often associated with new school beginnings, more structure and activity in our communities. Without the time constraints imposed by school, summer has always been a time for vacation, relaxation, and a season to enjoy extra time with friends and family. However, summer can also create feelings of general tiredness, particularly in regions of excessive heat such as Southern California. Our bodies naturally crave change after a few months. There are physical, mental and social factors at play with the change of seasons that are facilitated by cooler weather and shorter days. These changes can be difficult for some individuals. How can we go through this transition with relative ease? Some of the advice we suggest in our summer blog posts can also apply to the approaching fall season.

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You have reached the end of an arduous week at work; you are heading home, and looking forward to recuperating and having a relaxing weekend. TGIF you say! Does this sound familiar? However, despite good intentions, what happens next can be the total opposite. There may be many reasons why your expectations only become partially realized but some common obstacles expressed from my clients are:

• You over-schedule the weekend
• You underestimate how exhausted you are and how much down time you need before you can fully engage in weekend activities.
• You feel anxious, stressed and/or fatigued from either work or personal situations.

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I was having lunch at a cafe close to work and observed this family. Mom & Dad, a girl around 12 years old and a boy around 10 years old. All four of them held a phone in their hand and was busy texting and surfing the internet.

The waitress had to raise her voice and ask twice if they were ready to order before one of them noticed and steered from the trans of social media to alert the other family members it is time to order the food. The kids were quite upset to get their attention away from their phones, order whatever was their reply and shifted their focus back to their phones.

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