The Impact of Addiction: How It Reaches Every Corner of Life
Many times described as a ripple effect, addiction begins with one individual but affects their health, relationships, job, and income among other areas. Addiction impacts a person’s physical and mental health, their family relationships, and their general quality of life; it doesn’t just change their daily behavior. Using hypothetical cases to demonstrate just how far-reaching […]
From Hollywood to Healing: My Journey to the Daoist Healing Arts and Childhood Trauma Recovery
Life occasionally sends us in unanticipated directions. For me that road started in Hollywood. But it finally found me in a very different field, one anchored in healing, compassion, and ancient wisdom. Now a Daoist internal healing arts educator, my focus is help others learn how to apply these time-tested practices to recover from the […]
Could Subtle Childhood Experiences Be Affecting You Now? Exploring the Hidden Impacts of Covert Trauma
What sort of images first come to mind when you consider the term “trauma?” For many of us, our first thoughts are of major, clearly defined events—things like physical abuse, neglect, or major accidents. But suppose I told you trauma isn’t always that obvious? Sometimes it’s woven throughout our life in ways so faint, so […]
How Childhood Complex Trauma Affects Your Body, Mind, and Spirit
When discussing trauma, one could easily believe it’s only a psychological or emotional problem. Trauma, particularly the complex sort that occurs in childhood, nonetheless influences us on so many levels—it penetrates our bodies, minds, even our sense of who we are. We’ll discuss in this essay how childhood complex trauma affects each of these spheres. […]
The Hidden Challenges of Meditation: When Sitting Still Brings Up Old Wounds
These days, meditation is really common. Its advantages—peace, tranquility, mental clarity—have all been discussed here. However, there’s a side to meditation that gets less attention, particularly for those who have a history of trauma. What if meditation begins to bring back old wounds, anxiety, or even depression rather than calm and tranquility? If this sounds […]
Why Daoist Nutrition Discourages Cold Foods: A Blend of Tradition and Science
If you’ve ever been advised against consuming cold foods and beverages by a Daoist healing arts or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, you could have questioned: what’s the big deal? After all, we live in a world where it’s completely normal to grab a cold salad or iced coffee. Actually, this goes beyond mere ancient […]
What is Childhood Complex Trauma? A Beginner’s Guide
When we talk about trauma, we likely picture big, dramatic events—things like car accidents, natural disasters, or violent attacks. Trauma, however, takes many different forms and sizes; not all of it is as clear-cut as you would believe. Particularly in childhood, some of the most impactful trauma occurs silently over time. It’s known as childhood […]
The Power of Concentration Meditation for Healing from Childhood Complex Trauma
Particularly when it comes to recovering from the long-term effects of childhood trauma, meditation can be a game-changer. There are countless varieties of meditation techniques available. But after nearly 25 years of daily use, I’ve realized that my own practice has been based primarily on the most fundamental approach—concentration meditation. It’s straightforward, direct, and requires […]
What Is Trauma? A Basic Breakdown of a Complex Concept
Everybody’s gone through difficult circumstances—times when life seemed like too much to manage. Perhaps it was a terrible breakup, a terrifying accident, or a result of total neglect when you most needed support. We sometimes move past these events and carry on. But other times something changes within us. This is when we’re venturing into […]
Using Mindful Breathing to Calm the Stress Response from Childhood Complex Trauma
If you’ve experienced childhood trauma, you’re probably aware of how draining it can be to always feel like you’re on edge or high alert. Trauma naturally causes that continual “fight or flight” sensation, as if your body is always ready for something terrible to happen. But what if I told you that something as basic […]