Body Psychology Today

The gig is up. Here at Body Psychology Today, I am coming out of the closet naming and normalizing depression, this, at times, tyrannically dark passenger that has wreaked havoc through my inner landscapes in so many ways over my lifespan, trapping the light within. Once thought I could beat it by studying philosophy (i.e. - figuring it out), engaging it in theater (i.e. - expressing it out), and mastering it with psychology (i.e. - processing it out), and so much more. Eac...h helped in its own way, to be sure; yet, the phantom prince remained. You obelisk that has stood tall over me with your cool impersonal gaze of negative limiting evaluation. To use a term from Daniel Solomon (author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression), we are of an age cursed by the myth of the psychological supermodel, the myth of perfection exacerbated ever more exponentially by a social media and technologically-wired culture that measures value and worth by sheer number of contacts vs. true connection, likes vs. empathy. Therein lies the risk of becoming more and more relationally impoverished in this virtual rabbit hole, such that our very bones lick their marrow lips in hunger when we forget the only true relief: confront shame, be unapologetic, be honest, be willing to be seen simply and lovingly in the eyes of another (even if it is just a little bit more than yesterday), give yourself the gift of the feeling of feeling felt, being gotten, because it is invaluable. If you struggle with depression, know depression is just a part of you that, in its pain, may think it is all of you. It, too, is worthy of love and needs compassion and respect. Remember your brilliance. Get support. With love, my heartfelt appreciations and gratitude to @kylenicolai and @kirkakahoshi for your authenticity and vulnerability, giving me a renewed sense of purpose and re-connection with passion through the pain. #bodypsychologytoday #wisdomofthebody #bodyofconnection #metamorphosisispossible #transformationispossible #nofilters

Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral. - Melvin Kranzberg, American historian and professor of history of technology You can't be neutral on a moving train. - Howard Zinn, American historian, playwright, and social activist May technology be used as a means to express and support the virtues of our humanity; sans owning, integrating, and embracing human virtues fully, technology will surely create further division and suffering. An uplifting artic...le on how Big Data is being used to gain insight into and benefit the underserved and disadvantaged. search -> New York Times, "Detailed Maps Show How Neighborhoods Shape Children for Life" Very cool interactive map https://www.nytimes.com//maps-neighborhoods-shape-child-po #bodypsychologytoday #bethechange

"The body is the physical aspect of the personality, and movement is the personality made visible. The distortions, tensions, and restrictions ARE the distortions, tensions, and restrictions within the personality. They are, at any given moment, the condition of the psyche." - Mary Starks Whitehouse (founder of "movement in depth," a.k.a. Authentic Movement) #movementislife #dancemovementtherapy #mindbodyconnection

An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language. Martin Buber (author: I and Thou) "How it is that animals understand things I do not know, but it is certain that they do understand. Perhaps there is a language which is not made of words and everything in the world understands it. Perhaps there is a soul hidden in everything and it can always speak, without even making a sound, to another soul." Frances Hodgson Burnett (author: Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Sec...ret Garden) In this new year of 2019, may we increasingly practice recognizing and remembering the connectedness of our body and our deepest nature to animal nature to mother nature and, in return, honor the vital life force in all things. #animalmedicine #animalwisdom #humynanimalconnection #mothernaturereclaimseveything

Everything You Know About Obesity is Wrong - Michael Hobbes, Huffington Post https://highline.huffingtonpost.com//everything-you-know-/ Michael Hobbes writes a sobering article on the epidemic of fat shaming and scurvey-ish negligence that show up at all levels; worth a thorough read. Systemic and incidental fat shaming and fat bias is ubiquitous and traumatizing to the developing self and self-in-relation.... Incidentally, it was the obesity epidemic, that was the catalyst leading to the famous Adverse Childhood Experiences Studies (ACES) of the 1990s linking childhood overwhelming experiences as a critically overlooked factor in chronic lifelong mental/emotional, physical (i.e. - a host of common diseases, including obesity), and relational health challenges. Break The Cycle. #allbodiesmatter #allbodiesarebeautiful #powerinnumbers #bodypsychologytoday #thewisdomofthebodyaccessibletoall #nobodyleftbehind