tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284569832024-03-14T11:23:47.444-07:00The Healing Nest Blog Archive(December 2006 - September 2008)Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-33070392067410033602008-10-05T13:42:00.000-07:002008-10-05T14:00:00.541-07:00Blog Address Change!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/553590214_05b9ad3d6e_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/553590214_05b9ad3d6e_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I am happy to say that I've made it possible for viewers of </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: lucida grande;">The Healing Nest</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> to have access to this blog's RSS feed! </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />For some reason there was a glitch with this address which did not make it possible for wonderful readers like to you subscribe to my blog. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />So, I've moved my site to a new blogspot address (the name is only slightly modified; a "the" was added to the address) and all of my </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: lucida grande;">new posts</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> will appear there!</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br />Here's the new address: </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://thehealingnest.blogspot.com/">http://thehealingnest.blogspot.com</a> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />Go on over and check it out! You now can update your bookmarks and site feed information, too.</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />I will use this old site as an archive site. All of my posts (from December 2006 - September 2008) will be accessible here and there will be a link to this archive from my new site.</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />See you in the land with the extra "the"!</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />peace and positive change,</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />Courtney<br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-45222448414162436542008-09-25T12:51:00.001-07:002008-09-25T15:52:37.772-07:00Sneak Peek...<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I have been moving a little slowly lately, so my apologies for not writing here more frequently. These gray skies are making me feel sluggish and I seem to want to sleep a lot these days. My grief process has sure added more nap time to my schedule. Sheesh.<br /><br />But I do have one mini accomplishment to share with you. I have just devised my 2-hour fall special (after long, long brainstorming sessions) and my postcard order is at the printers as I write this!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I want to give you a sneak peek at what goodies are in store for you this fall. So, here you go...</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Autumn Special: Pumpkin Spice</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This autumn, surround yourself with <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">light</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">warmth</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> </span>while taking in the nurturing scents of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">pumpkin</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">cinnamon</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">clove.</span></span><br /><br /><div richtextok="1" style="font-family:lucida grande;">This <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);" fontweight_disabled="bold" richtextok="1">two-hour </span>experience includes:<br /><br /></div><div richtextok="1" style="font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><div richtextok="1" style="font-family:lucida grande;">• A <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);" fontweight_disabled="bold" richtextok="1">citrus spice foot spa</span>, warm <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);" fontweight_disabled="bold" richtextok="1">herbal chai</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">, </span>and a light <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">fall-inspired snack</span> </span>to awaken your senses.<br /><br /></div><div richtextok="1" style="font-family:lucida grande;"> </div><div face="lucida grande" richtextok="1">• A <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">full-spectrum light therapy</span> </span>session to boost your mood.<br /><br /></div><div face="lucida grande" richtextok="1"> </div><div style="font-family: lucida grande;font-family:lucida grande;" richtextok="1">• A <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">pumpkin spice body polish </span>treatment to revitalize your skin.<br /><br /></div><div style="font-family: lucida grande;" face="lucida grande" richtextok="1"> </div><div style="font-family: lucida grande;" richtextok="1"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">• A </span><span fontweight_disabled="bold" richtextok="1" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">hot stone massage</span> </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">using heated basalt river stones for deep relaxation and warmth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Cost: $120. Gift Certificates Available. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">What a way to embrace the coming of fall! This is going to be a fun special and I am lucky to benefit from all of those wonderful autumnal smells as well.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Alright, I'm off to </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >receive</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> a massage, so I'll say goodbye for now. But my goal is to write here much more often and to offer exercises, prompts, and other bits of healing wisdom for you. Thank you for your patience as I work my way through the fog.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">pumpkinly yours,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Courtney</span><br /></div>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-78590900488890431612008-09-17T21:17:00.000-07:002008-09-17T22:00:42.971-07:00Catalytic Musings<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/2851847693_84a315f374.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/2851847693_84a315f374.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" class="labset" ><span class="ital-inline">"Catalyst for Beauty," collage, 4" x 5"</span></span><br /><span class="labset" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span class="ital-inline"></span></span></div><span class="labset" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span class="ital-inline"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="labset" style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span class="ital-inline"><span style="font-style: italic;">1. Chemistry</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >2. something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >3. a person or thing that precipitates an event or change.</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" class="ital-inline" ></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" class="ital-inline" ></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;">4. a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic.</span> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Source: </span><a style="font-style: italic; font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/catalyst">Dictionary.com</a><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Have you seen the movie </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Amelie</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">? This film is on my top-ten list of favorite movies in large part because of the catalytic actions of the main character Amelie. Through her deliberate actions she ignites an artist's creativity, teaches a grumpy man a lesson, sparks a <span style="font-family: lucida grande;">reunion of once-estranged family members, and helps repair a widow's broken heart. And she does all of these things with curiosity, compassion, and hint of </span></span><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">mischievousness</span><span style="font-family: lucida grande;font-family:lucida grande;" >. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">In what ways have you been Amelie-esque in your life? In what ways have you been a catalyst for change of some kind?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Try this:</span><br />Freewrite about your feelings about being a catalyst. Is this a comfortable place for you to be? Or do you feel awkward or uncomfortable in the role? Perhaps you've been the recipient of some catalytic intervention. What was this like? Write for 15 minutes without stopping and see if you can write fast--like you're sprinting on a track. Keep the pen moving as much as possible and allow yourself to be messy.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-21134848545908040022008-09-12T22:11:00.000-07:002008-09-12T22:29:10.197-07:00Spine Metaphor<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2851847705_66df1bdeed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2851847705_66df1bdeed.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-style: italic;">"Spine Hawk," mixed media, 4" x 6"</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"></span></div><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"><br /><br />Alright, creative wonderfuls,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">I know that you think about your spine. I just do. It's rare that someone comes to me for massage and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: lucida grande;">doesn't</span><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> ask for their back to be addressed. I don't often hear comments like, "You know, today my back feels so loose and free, you can just avoid even touching that area." So that is how I know you think about your spine. Or at least you spend a portion of each day feeling and interpreting sensations in your back and spine. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">So I invite you to tinker with this writing exercise (below). If your spine were another "thing" in the world, what would it be? And please, please, oh please consider emailing me your metaphor writing for inclusion in my next issue of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: lucida grande;">The Healing Nest Newsletter</span><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">. Oh, pretty please. Email: cputnam@rising-bird.com</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: lucida grande; font-style: italic;">Writing Prompt: Spine Metaphor</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">What is the life of your spine like? On a typical day, do you feel expansive in this area or cramped and compressed? Write about the purpose and function of your spine, as well as how you experience your spine in your body. Now imagine your spine is not your spine at all, but something else. Is it a ladder for your headaches to climb to reach your head? Is it a river flowing from your cranium to your sacrum? Is it a snake? A rain stick? If you get stuck in your writing, I recommend that you connect with your spine by doing some small movements and stretching in your torso. What does it feel like when you bend forward, back, or to the side? How does your spine respond when you engage with it? Perhaps this movement will help you to reveal the metaphor. </span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-37074390772078144562008-09-02T17:24:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:58:35.379-07:00Landslides<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/2822618453_51c6509450.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/2822618453_51c6509450.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >"My Island," mixed media collage, 6" x 7"</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />My, has it been over two weeks since I last posted here? I thought about writing last week and then this last weekend -- and both times I got cold feet. I had that feeling I used to get as a high school student when the longer I was quiet in class, the harder it was to speak. I used to get red blotches on my neck just thinking about raising my hand to answer a question. But I digress a bit. I don't have red blotches this time; I just feel a little shy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I created the above piece today when reflecting on where I've been these past two weeks. I do feel like I've been on an island -- a little island of grief. And just when I think I'm ready to leave my island, I slip off the edge and fall. I am still so curious how grief can come like a sudden landslide. I can feel fairly steady and then I'm flat on my face and sludging through mud. The little things seem to cause my fall. Last week when playing cards with my partner, I felt the loss of my dad so keenly I couldn't breathe. With cards fanned out in my hands, my body suddenly remembered the marathon games of "manipulation" I played with my dad. I didn't expect this memory to surface, and there I was falling again. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This <a href="http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/361">Jane Kenyon</a> poem reminds me of the the little things that can create mountains--or landslides--of emotion.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" >What Came to Me</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I took the last</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">dusty piece of china</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">out of the barrel.</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">It was your gravy boat,</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">with a hard, brown</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">drop of gravy still</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">on the porcelain lip.</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I grieved for you then</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">as I never had before.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Try this:</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Think of the physical details of your life--household objects, jewelry, trinkets, stones, clothing, dishes, etc. Choose one you are energetically drawn to and write for 15 minutes about this object. What feelings does this object conjure for you? What big idea, feeling, or event does this small object carry for you? Allow yourself to feel whatever emerges as fully and deeply as you wish. And remember to breathe. Breath will calm you and reconnect you to your heart center.<br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-53461325634933718242008-08-16T16:18:00.000-07:002008-08-16T17:02:21.878-07:00Deep Loss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFNDQUEtIiW6CROdCtlIwsZfoFN6uKg3F1XKcQNwI90LR2aS-IRIGjBUlY8Qf_UqIfb8kK8kRlX1-A-Jd-Kdhn3RomF7bYDskRTF18QYv7uTaE7QGHHp6OvW9VvT6SPrkfIhz/s1600-h/Ed+in+Sunlight-cropbw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFNDQUEtIiW6CROdCtlIwsZfoFN6uKg3F1XKcQNwI90LR2aS-IRIGjBUlY8Qf_UqIfb8kK8kRlX1-A-Jd-Kdhn3RomF7bYDskRTF18QYv7uTaE7QGHHp6OvW9VvT6SPrkfIhz/s320/Ed+in+Sunlight-cropbw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235259210433361186" border="0" /></a><br />I'd like to officially introduce you to someone. The picture above is my dad, Ed Putnam, who died this past Tuesday morning, August 12. He died at home (in the house he built) with his family around him. Some of you know about my dad's struggle with kidney cancer--a struggle which began in January of this year. It's been a tumultuous ride these past 7 months, and I find it hard to contain or even encapsulate the events of this year.<br /><br />I will say, though, that my relationship with my father deepened during this time, and that my healing work kept me afloat in ways I am just starting to grasp. One dear client who knew of my struggles asked me during a session, "How do you care for other people and hear other people's problems when you have such big stuff going on in your own life?" It was such a good question. I surprised myself when I heard myself replying, "I find it very grounding and centering to give bodywork. I can tune into the relaxed breath of my clients and the sacred space I have created for healing." I also heard myself say something about the universal nature of suffering--that I can connect to the suffering of others (even small moments of suffering or discontent) while holding my own sadness about my father because it all comes from the same source. Suffering is suffering. Grief is grief. Loss is loss. The specific circumstances and degrees of intensity may differ, but I have a hard time ranking or categorizing these things. Until my client asked me her question, I hadn't realized that I truly felt this way.<br /><br />So while I may be taking some time off right now to attend to my sadness and that of my family (I'll be back giving sessions again during the week of August 25), please know that when you come to see me it's okay to mention my loss (I know, it's hard to know what to say when someone has lost a loved one) and it's okay to focus on YOU during your session. Prior to each session I give, I create a safe space for you to relax, find relief, and heal. Rest assured that I will find my own time for my own healing (Olympus Spa here I come!). This time is for <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> and I am honored to witness whatever it is that you bring to your sessions.<br /><br />I also want to mention that my posts here may be few and far between <span style="font-style: italic;">or</span> very frequent with many philosophical musings about the nature of life and death, of healing and illness, and of finding inner peace. Right now I am reading Thich Nhat Hanh's <span style="font-style: italic;">No Death, No Fear</span>, and I imagine many of his words will make their way to this blog as well.<br /><br />peace and healing,<br /><br />CourtneyCourtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-12366983909482349892008-07-28T19:12:00.000-07:002008-07-28T20:07:07.232-07:00Creatively Ignited!<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This last Sunday I offered "Writing from Your Body," the first workshop in my <a href="http://www.rising-bird.com/AYearofLivinginYourBody.pdf">"A Year of Living in Your Body"</a> series. For four hours I led my lovely and creative participants in exercises with breath, sensory experience, movement, and physical touch. We wrote from our feet, intestines, and hearts; engaged with all of our senses; took a centering walk; breathed into our bellies; wrote in different positions and locations; shook out stress and balanced our brain hemispheres; and shared the messages we received from our bodies in a safe and open setting. And much, much more! Wow! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I want to send a scrumptious thank you out to my participants! You were sensorily-activated, bodily-focused, and creatively-ignited writerly rock stars! This was my first time leading such a long workshop--and yet those four hours felt like absolute PLAY for me. And even though I played facilitator, I did have some interesting moments of my own writing, including the discovery that "my pe</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">lvis is a bowl in my body, catching the contents of my desires--a bowl to catch my heart when it drops." I think there's a poem hidden in there.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTPOu8fJutIwNcsZNpQbOS-4-C7gqLgxTfYXxeP6mxe23IMmPvtgekXTBbpRnmFh8x9oH9qcl3Yrh4z4Cv8Bd4afLVNIffy00O8tiATUijPFbKGvIhURnzTBUT2U4ZV04mcJA/s1600-h/tbreathtit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTPOu8fJutIwNcsZNpQbOS-4-C7gqLgxTfYXxeP6mxe23IMmPvtgekXTBbpRnmFh8x9oH9qcl3Yrh4z4Cv8Bd4afLVNIffy00O8tiATUijPFbKGvIhURnzTBUT2U4ZV04mcJA/s200/tbreathtit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228263027250689122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">One of the books that I introduced to the group (and that influenced my workshop) is Laraine Herri</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">ng's </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.laraineherring.com/breath.html">Writing Begins with the Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">. If you have any interest in how breath (and being fully in your body) can allow for a deeper writing experience, Herring's book is a must-read.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">In honor of </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">my workshop, here is a little exercise you can try as a way to engage with your body in a different way. Choose of these pairs of words and write from the part of the body with an awareness of the sense listed. For instance, if you were to d</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">raw "elbow" and "smell," imagine what your elbow might smell on a daily basis. Lemon pledge? Pizza dough? Printer toner? And feel free to write in the voice of that part of the body. You never know--perhaps your teeth have something to get off their chest, so to speak!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />teeth - smell</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">eyes - touch</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">knees - sight</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">hands - taste</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">heart - sound<br /><br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-7408643164831781252008-07-14T11:49:00.001-07:002008-07-14T12:02:42.930-07:00Saying No = Opening to Yes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BXvl9FiQUm_iMmHyFT8XW4PUy8PsL0KPiGP4xISfl7SL5DN37sSDTkkNTKvIgd9Pw3UrGoH3tveCHntiu4QPwpfzWzOzpr1iIz7X22V94tgzh6WyR7xdwW_kfORp7atdDcnJ/s1600-h/DSCN5179.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BXvl9FiQUm_iMmHyFT8XW4PUy8PsL0KPiGP4xISfl7SL5DN37sSDTkkNTKvIgd9Pw3UrGoH3tveCHntiu4QPwpfzWzOzpr1iIz7X22V94tgzh6WyR7xdwW_kfORp7atdDcnJ/s320/DSCN5179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222944140496595330" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">“I’m learning to embrace the word <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span>, for balance, for equilibrium and to honor my intuition. Like a box, no provides walls and boundaries. It’s a container, a framework in which creativity can come forth with controlled abandon. <span style="font-style: italic;">No</span> stops me in my tracks and opens up a new place for me to begin. It can hold possibilities. Time for me and my ambling.”</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> --Susan Wooldridge, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Foolsgold-Something-Nothing-Freeing-Creative/dp/0307341488"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Foolsgold: Making Something from Nothing and Freeing Your Creative Process</span></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">“Soon I realize I am saying <span style="font-style: italic;">yes</span>, and inner <span style="font-style: italic;">yes</span>, supported and held in place by an outside <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span>. Yes to doing what I want. Yes to how I feel.” --Susan Wooldridge</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">While in Hawaii with my family over the past week, I was immersed in constant activity and interaction. It was heaps of fun. Well, most of it anyway. But since being back home in Seattle I realize that I hadn’t had much privacy or down time. You see, we were all sharing a small condo together. (We = six adults and a baby.) Boy was it noisy, cluttered, and alive with movement!<br /><br />During the first half of the trip I hadn’t really noticed the close quarters and lack of private time so much. In fact, I was enjoying the shared space and constant stimulation, introvert though I am. But this soon grew overwhelming and a tad exhausting. One day I realized that I hadn’t even had a moment to use the bathroom without a worry that someone else was waiting to use it! And I noticed that I had only read seven short chapters in<span style="font-style: italic;"> Foolsgold</span>, when normally I would have devoured one or two whole books. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />So when I was asked whether I wanted to join the evening festivities of a road trip and dinner on my last evening of the trip, I heard myself utter “No thank you.” I felt a little ripple of a wave inside my stomach guide me to stay home with my books and journal and computer—and the silence. Oh, the silence. Except for those rhythmic ocean waves, of course. And the tropical birds cooing about. And the clicking of my computer keys. My body softened the moment I said<span style="font-style: italic;"> no</span>.<br /><br />Susan Wooldridge is right: sometimes when you give the world an outward <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span>, you are actually giving yourself a powerful inner <span style="font-style: italic;">yes</span>. You are giving yourself permission to be yourself in this very moment with what you feel you need. She’s also insightful when she notices that <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span> can hold possibilities. When I say <span style="font-style: italic;">no thank you</span> to one thing, I say <span style="font-style: italic;">yes, please </span>to a multitude of other things. And most importantly, I say <span style="font-style: italic;">yes</span> to me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Try this:</span><br />Listen to your gut when you are asked to do something. Perhaps you really must do this thing (after all, there are tasks that we must complete even if we don't want to), but if you do truly have a choice, consider asking yourself what you really want. Try on "no thank you" once in a while. See what possibilities open up for you when you say <span style="font-style: italic;">yes</span> to yourself and your desires.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-64342510881575435762008-07-03T11:11:00.000-07:002008-07-03T11:40:11.006-07:00Aloha<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/2634553094_4b3dd8a37f.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/2634553094_4b3dd8a37f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mixed media collage: "Super Girl Goes to Hawaii," 9" x 12"</span><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I'm off to Hawaii for about a week with my family and created this piece above to send me on my way. I may be able to blog from where I am staying, so stay tuned for tales of adventure, wisdom, and healing from the Pacific Islands!<br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">And here's a little bit about aloha:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">"Summing up, one islander says </span></span><i style="font-family: lucida grande;">aloha</i><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> means 'Hello, goodbye, love, compassion, welcome, good wishes. It means belonging to others with a common humanity. It's defined better as a feeling in the heart than by words.'" (</span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.answers.com/topic/aloha-1?cat=technology">Answers.com</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I send you all some aloha spirit. I feel so thankful that you are part of my little community.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Peace and Mahalo,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Courtney</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div></div>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-183710811739553422008-06-21T19:18:00.000-07:002008-06-21T19:49:05.429-07:00Ask and Your Body Will Speak<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfyWJS9ZKIMUXPg0Rvc3x0OPJ6TOef9mvLlVSYxn3zN_qR6pl6EXCzDo5ovVU3_JfZOBu1ErQV4LQ9_AWydKEF17CsWb4W-dmC-Odx8tcXaE5KVeEne307O2NZcrkcrJ2WLS-/s1600-h/nudewoman&birds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfyWJS9ZKIMUXPg0Rvc3x0OPJ6TOef9mvLlVSYxn3zN_qR6pl6EXCzDo5ovVU3_JfZOBu1ErQV4LQ9_AWydKEF17CsWb4W-dmC-Odx8tcXaE5KVeEne307O2NZcrkcrJ2WLS-/s320/nudewoman&birds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214528374380261474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"><br />I created this art piece the other day and titled it <span style="font-weight: bold;">"She Asks Her Hand Why it Hurts." </span> In this scene, these whispering birds represent the kind of dialog we can have with ourselves regarding our own discomfort. Sometimes I imagine a little voice in my mind which asks a little voice in a part of my body (such as my hand), "Why do you hurt?" or "What do you need?" When I listen carefully, I can usually hear a response. The hand might say, "I worked too hard today" or "I gave too much to others this week" or "You forget all about me when you work on the computer." When I can quiet the clatter in my mind for a few long breaths, I usually receive some insight. What do you hear when you ask a part of your body how it feels? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Try this:</span><br />Find a quiet place where you can focus inward. Locate an area that you are curious about. Perhaps this area causes you pain or maybe this area is just confusing to you for some reason. Whatever the case may be, ask this place some questions as if it were a close friend or loved one. Ask your questions with curiosity and compassion and be open to hearing whatever it is your body has to tell you. <br /><br />You can follow up this exercise by writing down the dialog as if you were writing a short story or play. Feel free to give this body part a personality, too! Is your elbow crabby? Is your stomach an excited teenager? Is your neck shy and reserved? Make this body part come to life and give its voice a chance to speak!<br /><br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-87451708154269514022008-06-18T09:08:00.000-07:002008-06-18T09:38:41.719-07:00Writing from Your Body Workshop!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcfOtPwpJYReDeXe1gkEq9Ekd3_auA9JbnXnPGSA0lt_Asn1sjXqFkm0Oagnt_YJMqOdrRCYw0fQkHmw6piv652rUcrGYtvIfJdGFMLZgDsIzYwiYudFmhjPnNGUU_s0C5VSD/s1600-h/con_pen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcfOtPwpJYReDeXe1gkEq9Ekd3_auA9JbnXnPGSA0lt_Asn1sjXqFkm0Oagnt_YJMqOdrRCYw0fQkHmw6piv652rUcrGYtvIfJdGFMLZgDsIzYwiYudFmhjPnNGUU_s0C5VSD/s320/con_pen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213260616967827554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" >"What people don't realize is that writing is physical. It doesn't have to do with thought alone. It has to do with sight, smell, taste, feeling, and everything being alive and activated. The rule for writing practice of 'keeping your hand moving,' not stopping, actually is a way to physically break through your mental resistances and cut through the concept that writing is just about ideas and thinking." </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" >Natalie Goldberg, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/books.html">Writing Down the Bones</a></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Do you feel and hear all that your body has to tell you? After all, as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Body-writers-artists-dreamers/dp/0312115369">John Lee</a> writes, your body is “home to all that has happened to [you], and it remembers.” In this hands-on workshop, we will explore the ways in which paying attention to our bodies can deepen our writing and our writing process. By engaging in some breath, movement, and writing exercises we will begin to feel how removing physical blockages in our bodies can in turn dissolve some of the creative blockages we feel when writing. We will also learn to listen to our body's messages and allow these insights to inform our writing.<br /><br />This is a workshop comprised of doing. We will try not to analyze in this workshop; we’ll give our analytic minds a much-needed siesta. We will write from our guts, our hands, our spleens, our throats, and our blood vessels. We will begin to explore how telling the story of our bodies can help us to reclaim our creative, knowledgeable, and truth-telling physical selves. Come prepared to move, feel, and create with an open mind.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This workshop is for both beginning and seasoned writers. <br />No experience necessary!<br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">When: </span>Sunday, July 27, 2008; 1:00-5:00pm</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where: </span><a href="http://www.rising-bird.com/">Rising Bird Healing Arts </a>(Roosevelt District of Seattle)</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cost: </span>$100 (or $80 if you sign up for the <a href="http://www.rising-bird.com/AYearofLivinginYourBody.pdf">"A Year of Living in Your Body"</a> series)</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Register: </span>Email Courtney Putnam at cputnam@rising-bird.com</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" ></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-74888371527938591792008-06-10T20:34:00.000-07:002008-06-10T21:09:19.859-07:00Some Thought for Thought<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCmDXzF69PuUdLg1vH1ejMLsdJM5MWWniS-3ovTd712WyYeJbAC9En8rvcKWcU-i0SfdAH__ZEghk8whXLVl27Q8eYAtuWNrfQdb2JKmuHR1pjTv036ssuqgD-dvp_SvZkmOs/s1600-h/creative-visualization-book-cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCmDXzF69PuUdLg1vH1ejMLsdJM5MWWniS-3ovTd712WyYeJbAC9En8rvcKWcU-i0SfdAH__ZEghk8whXLVl27Q8eYAtuWNrfQdb2JKmuHR1pjTv036ssuqgD-dvp_SvZkmOs/s200/creative-visualization-book-cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210468459579127010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Right now I am dipping my toe into Shakti Gawain's </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Visualization-Imagination-Create-Bantam/dp/0553270443">Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Life</a>. </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I've been thinking a lot lately about the power of my thoughts, and Gawain's book is taking me to a deeper level of understanding the subtle (and not-so subtle) ways I can impact my life by changing the way I think. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />Here are two excerpts from the beginning of the book I particularly resonate with:</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />"One law of energy is this: Energy of a certain quality or vibration tends to attract energy of a similar quality and vibration. Thoughts and feelings have their own magnetic energy that attracts energy of a similar nature."</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />"When we are negative and fearful, insecure or anxious, we often attract the very experiences, situations, or people we are seeking to avoid. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness, we tend to attract and create people, situations, and events that conform to our positive expectations. So, consciously imagining what we want can help us to manifest it in our lives."</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />This "like attracts like" idea makes sense to me. I have seen this phenomenon happen to many others -- as well as to myself -- in both positive and negative ways. I have felt myself grow and flourish in connection with my positive thoughts and I have seen myself attract troubling situations because of my worry or negative self-talk.<br /><br />What might happen if we could hear each other's thoughts? Do you think we would hear loving, kind words or self-critical mantras? Imagine how the energy in a room might shift if people's thoughts shifted from negativity to positivity? What impact might this have on your relationships, your family, your workplace, or your neighborhood? </span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br /><br />Try this:</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />Create a statement that encompasses a positive thought or vision for yourself. If you tend to have negative self-talk regarding your body image, think of a wonderful statement about your body. If you feel fearful speaking in public, create a statement that empowers you to feel calm, peace, and power when you are in front of a group. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />Write this statement down and tape it to a place in your home which you pass by frequently. Perhaps it's your bathroom mirror or your bookshelf. Each time you pass this note to yourself, stop, take a deep breath and read it like you mean it. Now this might feel contrived and hokey at first, but after a while I bet that you will notice a difference. Many people notice a shift at some point, when they realize that they actually</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > feel </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">and <span style="font-style: italic;">believe in</span> their statement.<br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-70705762831590853422008-06-08T20:57:00.001-07:002008-06-08T21:04:09.407-07:00They've Got the Right Idea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2563695682_3fbdd961ab.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2563695682_3fbdd961ab.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">I took a cue from my cats today. After many days (or has it been weeks?) of gray and rain in Seattle, there was a spontaneous sun burst this afternoon. I let the cats out and they went to sunbathing immediately. I knew I had to get out in it, too, so I took a lovely walk, soaking in as much vitamin D as I could.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">My question to you all is how are coping with the cooler, cloudier spring this year? What are you doing to stay positive, healthy, and vibrant even when it's stormy outside? I'd love to hear about your experiences and coping strategies!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">peace and blue skies,</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Courtney</span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-62366606183684742182008-06-04T12:19:00.000-07:002008-06-04T12:38:13.813-07:00A Little Bit of Lemon Balm...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPCnA5ChOYEZpYebskP10oYuDWydhh4zM_uZJgeBHsHe_73fQfSKZj4BhpsJ7yY-3dOzRWKqN-PJyh5ELfF4VSR5e8FJurfYjcDOCKlltsNsKKQU4zMnR3CnV0QGeSLhOG4tJ/s1600-h/lemon_balm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPCnA5ChOYEZpYebskP10oYuDWydhh4zM_uZJgeBHsHe_73fQfSKZj4BhpsJ7yY-3dOzRWKqN-PJyh5ELfF4VSR5e8FJurfYjcDOCKlltsNsKKQU4zMnR3CnV0QGeSLhOG4tJ/s200/lemon_balm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208111985396213634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">...goes a long way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I had never tried ingesting lemon balm before (that is, before Monday). I had grown it in gardens and enjoyed that lovely lemony scent, but I was not aware of its healing properties.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">After a visit to my naturopath on Monday (yes, the amazing Greg Yasuda!), I started on my path of drinking lemon balm tea. Greg asked me to drink three cups of lemon balm tea a day to help with my anxiety. Apparently lemon balm has long been used to help calm the nervous system:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">"Lemon balm (</span><i style="font-family: lucida grande;"> Melissa officinalis</i><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> ), a member of the mint family, is considered a 'calming' herb. It was used in the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ea</span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISEdrFLEBfkx4myyMTMVBvukOwrEvPYBmtWX_cyEBW1Jd__XhVasUuHg9FhQlgPWaAj7Q01bOBVqdWBvv05etyW3NOj9gZH5ppeEhOdmS_Fc1SofPI1BLiHZa_UMoqBAS3hB1/s1600-h/10024904.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISEdrFLEBfkx4myyMTMVBvukOwrEvPYBmtWX_cyEBW1Jd__XhVasUuHg9FhQlgPWaAj7Q01bOBVqdWBvv05etyW3NOj9gZH5ppeEhOdmS_Fc1SofPI1BLiHZa_UMoqBAS3hB1/s200/10024904.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208112106591257490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">se pain and discomfort associated with digestion (including flatulence and bloating as well as colic). Even before the Middle Ages, lemon balm was steeped in wine to lift the spirits, help heal wounds, and treat venomous insect bites and stings" (</span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lemon-balm-000261.htm">umm.edu</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I purchased dried organic lemon balm at </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.theherbalist.com/">The Herbalist </a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">here in Seattle. Oh my, if you haven't toured this herbaceous place, you must! It is wall-to-wall with colorful bottles of tinctures and remedies, as well as bulk dried herbs. I steep one tablespoon of lemon balm, add 1-2 drops of stevia if I want it to be a little more sweet, and sip away.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The warmth of the the steeped goodness calms my nervous system right away and the lemony taste lifts my spirits. I think I shall now add lemon balm essential oil to my practice. Off I go to the Herbalist once again!<br /><br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-13116833795247495302008-06-01T14:24:00.000-07:002008-06-01T18:59:25.826-07:00A Post of Links<div class="gmail_quote"> <div class="gmail_quote"><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" >It seems I am in a stage of accumulation. I am gathering ideas from many directions and processing different healing modalities, philosophies, and concepts. And I have some marvelous friends who keep sending me information and ideas that keep me inspired and engaged. My mind feels quite full right now, but it is filled with such fascinating things. I thought I'd share some of these things with you now.<br /><br /><br />The amazing <span style="font-weight: bold;">Laila Atallah</span> is offering yet another free workshop! Tomorrow (Monday, June 2) from 7:00-8:15pm at the Tully's in Wallingford, she presents <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">"3 Steps to Interviewing Confidence."</span> For more information about this workshop and her upcoming free events, visit Laila's website <a href="http://www.careercounselingwithatwist.com/events.html">HERE</a><a href="http://www.careercounselingwithatwist.com/events.html">.</a><br /><br />Last week, my friend Dorothy lent me a most marvelous DVD called <span style="font-style: italic;">You Can Heal Your Life</span>, which is produced by <a href="http://www.louisehay.com/">Louise Hay</a>. If you are not yet familiar with Louise Hay, I highly recommend learning more about her and her perspective that if we can change our thoughts we can change our lives. Very powerful stuff. To view a snippet from the DVD, click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYCamVx4fSQ">HERE</a>.<br /><br />My bodywork colleague and friend <a href="http://www.thesubtlebody.com/">Bethanie Sand</a> is, among other things, an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda">Ayurveda </a>practitioner, and she has helped me to understand my dosha. A dosha is your mind and body type, often thought of as your constitution. I'm mostly Pitta. What are you? To take the Dosha Quiz, click <a href="http://www.whatsyourdosha.com/quiz/">HERE</a>.<br /><br />Years ago, when I wasn't in the healing arts profession, a friend of mine introduced me to Aura Soma, which is a system of learning more about yourself by the colors you resonate with. I was just recently reminded of my experiences with Aura Soma and found a great free reading online. To check it out, click <a href="http://www.aurasoma-sedona.com/">HERE</a> and choose "Free Reading."<br /><br />Have fun clicking and linking!<br /><br />Courtney<br /></span><div><div class="Wj3C7c"><div><div><blockquote style="border-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><span><span> </span></span></span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.careercounselingwithatwist.com/events.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></a></span></blockquote> <blockquote style="border-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-57350169948995220552008-05-27T13:41:00.000-07:002008-05-27T13:49:30.123-07:00The Healing Nest Newsletter is Here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFxHCeH2450dQcAAdGzh6NWQLbhLiPLtIcd4WA49dfFy7Olv_XFUzWkOvMpvmzM2ljPmYTrBXCEOur03LEKdV_xZeB__jczoAEHUYUiCHj16YL9koQm44QVejBjTcZzuIdrqZ/s1600-h/WinterBirdsTurntoSpring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFxHCeH2450dQcAAdGzh6NWQLbhLiPLtIcd4WA49dfFy7Olv_XFUzWkOvMpvmzM2ljPmYTrBXCEOur03LEKdV_xZeB__jczoAEHUYUiCHj16YL9koQm44QVejBjTcZzuIdrqZ/s200/WinterBirdsTurntoSpring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205162118077612034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Hello springtime friends,</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spring 2008 Issue </span>of <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Healing Nest Newsletter</span> is hot off my computer (my keyboard and hands are still burning!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To view/download the newsletter, click here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rising-bird.com/SPR08Newsletter.pdf">http://www.rising-bird.com/SPR08Newsletter.pdf</a></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />Included in this newsletter are two announcements regarding upcoming offerings and workshops. I've also posted links on the top of the sidebar of this blog. Enjoy!<br /><br />peace and blue skies,<br /><br />Courtney<br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-48080126609473268072008-05-22T07:44:00.000-07:002008-05-23T17:37:57.263-07:00My Reiki Master is on TV!Polly Klein, owner of <a href="http://www.tonglenhealingarts.com/">Tonglen Healing Arts</a>, trained me in Reiki years ago, and she continues to inspire me with her amazing work with animals. In addition to being a Reiki Practitioner and Craniosacral Therapist for animals, she is also an Animal Communicator. She is intuitive, wise, sensitive, and talented at what she does.<br /><br />Some day I'll write about my experiences with Polly in detail, but for now I'll just say that she was instrumental in guiding me on my path to healing work and she made a profound impact on my relationship with an important companion animal in my life.<br /><br />To see the video clip of her Evening Magazine debut, click <a href="http://www.king5.com/video/eveningmagazine-index.html?nvid=247642">here</a>!Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-689135249230723482008-05-16T17:01:00.000-07:002008-05-16T17:34:37.774-07:00Living the Creative Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91ly9xFUS-292p0vRFNxqTpMYUF41XIZqfeMLn_9ezTUjk-vV-J31l9eJ61ApAdYvmM9v2PGp9K5JSMHMxRndzBuDSHpaQMaDVrlfCJOLlBc2tWlziY_EZbEzlumUk5HYGiQp/s1600-h/lvng_creative_life_cvr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91ly9xFUS-292p0vRFNxqTpMYUF41XIZqfeMLn_9ezTUjk-vV-J31l9eJ61ApAdYvmM9v2PGp9K5JSMHMxRndzBuDSHpaQMaDVrlfCJOLlBc2tWlziY_EZbEzlumUk5HYGiQp/s200/lvng_creative_life_cvr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201136861486385362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">A new book (well, it's handsomely used) just arrived on my doorstep today. It's called </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Living-Creative-Life-Inspiration-Working/dp/1581809948"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Living the Creative Life: Ideas and Inspiration from Working Artists</span></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Living-Creative-Life-Inspiration-Working/dp/1581809948"> </a>by Rice Freeman-Zachery. I have barely begun delving into this beautiful book, but I just had to share what I've experienced so far. First of all, this book is an art piece in and of itself. It's a colorful montage of fifteen working artists, who share their work and their insights regarding creativity and living an artful life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I've been absorbing the first chapter called "The Creative Childhood [It's Never Too Late!]." I realize how clearly I can trace my creative impulses to my childhood. I happened to grow up in a household of writer/artist types, so my artistic explorations were accepted and encouraged. I know that some (many?) people did not experience this kind of familial acceptance of their creative endeavors. Even if your artist self emerged later in life, it might be interesting to think about what things (colors, aesthetics, shapes, images) drew you in as a kid. Perhaps you saved these artistic "goodies" for your adult life. Whether you would describe yourself as having been a creatively abundant kid or not, I recommend your trying the "Try This" below.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">So, my </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Try This</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> comes directly from </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Living the Creative Life</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">"In your journal or a piece of paper, make a list of the things that fascinated you as a child. Snakes? Big trucks? Flying? Going to the moon? List everything, no matter how silly it seems. Maybe you were entranced with a particular shade of blue you found in the lining of your father's suit, or maybe you couldn't resist running your hands over velvet or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">smushing</span> mud into clay. What captured every bit of your attention? When you're done with your list, circle or highlight the ones that cause a little shiver of interest. Those are the things that still call you."<br /><br />Do these images come easily? Or is it hard to remember the things you were drawn to as a child? What themes/images remain potent to you even still?<br /><br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-46413943079480038592008-05-14T15:30:00.000-07:002008-05-14T15:50:43.381-07:00Soul of Compassion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2492728328_2bdde39d6d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2492728328_2bdde39d6d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Last night I attended a powerful "Muse Studio" with facilitator Alia Calendar. The theme of the evening was "Nature as a Force of Healing." Using <a href="http://www.soulcollage.com/home/index.php">soul collage</a> techniques, we created art that spoke to the ways in which we felt nature can be healing. The above piece is one of the three cards I created last night. The woman in the piece is Kuan Yin, goddess of compassion and mercy.<br /><br />After we created our pieces, we wrote in the voice of an aspect of one of our cards. It was a powerful exercise to enter the images in the card to understand the meanings. I had no idea that what I had created would have so much to teach me. Here is the voice of Kuan Yin as expressed through my freewriting:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I am the gentle soul who cares for all beings--<br />open heart, welcoming eyes, eternal.<br /><br />I bring you inner peace, letting you know that,<br />like the earth, you are resilient.<br /><br />I ask that you let go of the need to force change. The sun rises<br />each morning, doesn't it?<br /><br />Hold the birds close to your chest, listen to the patterned<br />footsteps of the rabbit, watch the moon wax and wane.<br /><br />Know that the first act of compassion<br />is compassion toward yourself.<br /><br /><br /></div>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-81313358582403401842008-05-10T23:22:00.000-07:002008-05-10T23:46:58.804-07:00Before I Go To Sleep Tonight...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bpaDBci8-0ngW2lcWgH6Ox2BdCfgenXCZlD2vikDsWkEwUB4fqp-klWTlhkoufkNg52MMWSoX2xLDK6TpmA3OK82DDWuRN-YJd9r7PCcqhfhxmIED43CKJlYrNewOVx6WVp-/s1600-h/PMWMbox_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bpaDBci8-0ngW2lcWgH6Ox2BdCfgenXCZlD2vikDsWkEwUB4fqp-klWTlhkoufkNg52MMWSoX2xLDK6TpmA3OK82DDWuRN-YJd9r7PCcqhfhxmIED43CKJlYrNewOVx6WVp-/s320/PMWMbox_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199005707304044738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">...I will set an intention for waking up. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I sometimes wake up a bit altered. Does this ever happen to you? I tend to have vivid dreams during sleep, and particularly in the morning hours before waking up. It can take me a good hour of being "awake" to actually be truly Awake-with-a-capital-A to my non-dream reality. The disorientation can make me feel unsettled and confused. Sometimes, I'll admit, it makes me kind of grumpy (or a "cranky pants," which is the term of endearment my brother uses to describe his one-year-old son during fussy moments).</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />So tonight, I have set an intention for a peaceful night sleep and for a graceful and appreciative morning of waking up to my day. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />What inspired this intention setting? A poem by Buddhist monk <a href="http://www.plumvillage.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Thich</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Nhat</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hanh</span></a>.</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Hanh</span> writes:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br />Waking Up</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br />Waking up this morning, I smile.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br />Twenty-four brand new hours</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /> are before me.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br />I vow to live fully</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /> in each moment</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br />and to look at all beings with</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /> eyes of compassion.</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Try this:<br /></span>Set an intention before you fall asleep. This intention can be about the quality (or quantity) of your sleep, or what you wish to feel upon waking. It can be about the dreams you wish to have, or you can even ask for guidance or clarity about an issue.<br /><br />In my experience, intention setting before bed can be quite effective. When you allow your positive thoughts about sleep to fill your mind as you are drifting off, your subconscious has a chance to take hold of these thoughts, just as it does for stressful thoughts (which we don't want). See if setting positive intentions gives you peace through the night and a morning filled with feelings of joy and possibility.<br /><br />* * * * * <br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Hanh's</span> poem comes from his 52-card deck called </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Present-Moment-Wonderful-Mindfulness-Verses/dp/1888375590"><span style="font-style: italic;">Present Moment Wonderful Moment</span></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">. (BTW, the beautiful art on the back of each card is by </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.honshin.com/index.htm">Nicholas Kirsten-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Honshin</span></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, who has a gallery in my neighborhood called the </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.kirstengallery.com/">Kirsten Gallery</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">. I have yet to check it out, but hope to do so soon.)</span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-32777748217231106552008-05-05T19:24:00.000-07:002008-05-05T20:19:48.904-07:00Women, Body Image, and Bodywork<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqHYvIoDuNjw5ONC6UQxImjXjdPfG_r2n5wknWnzPFaJJTwWyLZVo0hvu1aYd5dXomAOgiJ7LLCZJX2ERFixnPd7uetz9rAUf_J_Vj6POCT_taeIDSaBtP6QcrZfvJS3HhlMN/s1600-h/bronze+woman"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqHYvIoDuNjw5ONC6UQxImjXjdPfG_r2n5wknWnzPFaJJTwWyLZVo0hvu1aYd5dXomAOgiJ7LLCZJX2ERFixnPd7uetz9rAUf_J_Vj6POCT_taeIDSaBtP6QcrZfvJS3HhlMN/s200/bronze+woman" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197097890412217986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This afternoon, without quite knowing why, I picked up a book I haven't looked at in a long time: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Minding-Body-Patricia-Foster/dp/038547167X"><span style="font-style: italic;">Minding the Body: Women Writers on Body and Soul </span></a>(Ed. Patricia Foster). I randomly opened to an essay by Pam Houston called "Out of Habit, I Start Apologizing." I was drawn in for clear massage-related reasons; her first line is "I am lying, facedown, on a massage table at the Doral Hotel and Spa in Telluride, Colorado." But Houston's personal essay moves beyond this moment on the massage table; she delivers vignettes of past and present, weaving moments of reckoning with her body. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />Houston expresses her dissatisfaction and fear of her own body in shocking moments of memory and realization: "When I was younger, I used to believe that if I were really thin I would be happy, and there is part of me that still believes it's true." She also confesses, "Sometimes I'm afraid the main reason I spend half of my life outdoors is simply because there aren't any mirrors."</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Houston recalls a poignant moment from her youth when her mother told her, "'Let's see if we can make it all the way to dinner without eating anything at all.'"<br /><br />As I read Houston's essay this afternoon I was struck by how honest she was with her struggle to love her body. I felt my heart drop a little (even though by the end of the essay Houston learns to love her body a bit more), for I began to feel the collective pain so many women feel in relation to their bodies. I have felt this pain, too, and I still can find myself in a body image trap in our culture.<br /><br />I was particularly impacted by this essay today because I read the piece between bodywork sessions. I had just given a session to a client who was listening to her body's messages, being receptive to touch, and feeling acceptance and love for herself and her body. I now recall how <a href="http://www.cortiva.com/heritage/HeidaBrenneke.html">Heida Brenneke </a>once said that she believes that therapeutic touch and bodywork improves body image, for when we allow ourselves to receive touch and listen to the body, we are sending a message of <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> to our body. During a bodywork session we can chuck those media images out the window and focus on ourselves from the inside out. We can turn the question "what does my belly look like?" to "what does my belly <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> like?"<br /><br />So, in honor of our beautiful bodies, I offer a link to the </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">National Organization for Women (NOW)'s <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.now.org/issues/health/loveyourbody_quiz.html">"Love Your Body" Quiz</a>.</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> As the NOW website states, "See how much you know about how advertising and media affect your perception of body image and self love. "<br /><br />Oh, and this is a great resource, too: <a href="http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=1&compID=7"><span style="font-style: italic;">Our Bodies, Ourselves</span></a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Try this:</span><br />When you notice that you are criticizing your own body, try taking a deep breath and turn inward. See if you can feel what it is like inside a certain area of your body. Does it have a texture, a sound, a color, a voice? Use all your senses to imagine what the life of this part of the body has had. Instead of merely focusing on how this area looks, try truly <span style="font-style: italic;">feeling</span> this area of the body. Once you have gone deep inside, then gradually move your way out to the surface of your body and also appreciate the skin you're in.<br /><br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-10610738257409361302008-05-02T10:35:00.001-07:002008-05-02T10:59:24.291-07:00Important Introductions<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I've been waiting excitedly for the moment to introduce you to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Laila Atallah</span>'s most elegant new website. The time has come!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">But first things first: Laila is a career counselor and life coach and I have known her for about four years now. I feel so blessed to know her and to be her entrepreneurial creative buddy. We have the best time together scheming and planning and supporting each other in this road of entrepreneurial creative play. And I have learned so much from her: she offers a powerful combination of straight-forward practical steps and a soulful, visionary approach – two skills that entrepreneurs like me need in order to be successful at the daily logistics of my practice while holding a higher vision for my business. Laila also has a holistic approach: she attends to me as a small business owner AND as a human being (with all of the emotions that come with being human!).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Laila has just launched her elegant new website for her business </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://careercounselingwithatwist.com/index.html">Career Counseling with a Twist</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">. While Laila has been a career counselor and life coach for over 15 years, this website is a new adventure. You must check it out. It's beautiful and filled with useful information regarding resumes, job search strategies, life transitions, and much, much more!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I also want to let you know that Laila is also launching a free series of clinics here in Seattle. Here is her lovely flyer (click for a bigger view):</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqARTwVJ25jpVnLXcVTJ8Zo0Q_BhZDtIM36jt5FwOeXUn-HUy0DvYLPUL224VIIHHCZqyz5CUCY7KMAaVmA32c8N_acpZkQhVc6Hfz0yeH-yg1dl_S7_R2xm3fJ1spHxsgTHH/s1600-h/resumeClinic.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqARTwVJ25jpVnLXcVTJ8Zo0Q_BhZDtIM36jt5FwOeXUn-HUy0DvYLPUL224VIIHHCZqyz5CUCY7KMAaVmA32c8N_acpZkQhVc6Hfz0yeH-yg1dl_S7_R2xm3fJ1spHxsgTHH/s320/resumeClinic.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195837734122669682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">One last note regarding Laila: For years, I had a dream to be a healer-artist-writer “one-woman show.” Now I am doing it; I am living my dream life. I credit so much of my success to Laila's compassionate wisdom and guidance. Thank you, Laila!</span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-18513771324467385392008-04-29T10:54:00.000-07:002008-04-29T13:13:58.785-07:00Positive Touch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_5QtTpZBTIFmEc1TLBBEW-ApY_UnOWTLULVKKaPKx4prpwM6ihotTZwgMFHPNvu96ijjmrcbOPkz_d6C_MDlWk6DJ6hBjohXvyzxCcdxLCz2O59AVAI2qgJ0Vsvj0UU8aksX/s1600-h/womancaress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_5QtTpZBTIFmEc1TLBBEW-ApY_UnOWTLULVKKaPKx4prpwM6ihotTZwgMFHPNvu96ijjmrcbOPkz_d6C_MDlWk6DJ6hBjohXvyzxCcdxLCz2O59AVAI2qgJ0Vsvj0UU8aksX/s200/womancaress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194734941139879522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">It's obvious, yet sometimes forgotten: giving positive touch for those who are rehabilitating and healing from physical trauma can be powerful medicine.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This touch can be so simple: holding a hand, giving a shoulder rub, sweeping hair away from a face, brushing hair, placing a hand at the small of a back, scratching feet. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Just over a month ago my dad returned from the hospital (after a horrible 35-day stay). His body had been poked and prodded several times each day. By the time he was well enough to come home, his body had turned inward to protect itself: his shoulders were turned inward, his neck and head bent forward. In addition, he didn't recognize his own body: he was 20-30 pounds lighter and scarred. To a significant degree, I don't think he relates to his own body even still. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">So, what can we do for our friends and loved ones who are in this place of healing? It is clear to me that positive touch can help the healing process in tremendous ways. I have given my dad Reiki and massage (and do so regularly), but I also try to just touch him when I am with him. I place my hand on his back or I connect with him by holding his foot while we watch TV. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">And sometimes, I get a bit more elaborate. Last night I gave my dad an herbal foot scrub. I mixed Dead Sea salt with dried spearmint and lavender and gave him a little spa treatment in the comfort of his own living room. He had never experienced anything like this and was quite tickled (literally and figuratively) by the treatment. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Offering my dad some kind of positive touch whenever I see him is my goal. It's sometimes mysterious how my touch is contributing to his sense of healing and re-integration, yet other times the effect is clear. Sometimes I notice he smiles more or he becomes more thoughtful or his body doesn't crunch up so much.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Receiving touch enables us to connect to our bodies in profound ways. We realize we have fingers and toes after all! Being conscious of our bodies helps us learn to understand them better and listen to them more keenly. Just last night, my dad spent 10 minutes focusing on how his toes involuntarily curled when the bottom of his feet were touched! What a wonderful way to spend 10 minutes!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">And remember to <span style="font-style: italic;">ask for touch </span>when you need to focus on your own healing. You can initiate it yourself or simply ask for a close friend or loved one to help you reconnect to yourself by brushing your hair or holding your hand. Notice how this type of nurturing makes you feel.<br /><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-86966110385426196242008-04-26T21:26:00.000-07:002008-04-26T22:07:46.879-07:00Archetype Cards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qQkwwjYzpWMNXn6xDtffb-xB4VAbl8xiX8hq6omVquyMJcu02NzGMznz2dy0zrlGsMAkp2d-rIHAAzVrJ2IdZp4TGJq4VE9ij04YLPUA3EX1vbxrgedfyt33syQkn5VrBzxU/s1600-h/archetypespread.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qQkwwjYzpWMNXn6xDtffb-xB4VAbl8xiX8hq6omVquyMJcu02NzGMznz2dy0zrlGsMAkp2d-rIHAAzVrJ2IdZp4TGJq4VE9ij04YLPUA3EX1vbxrgedfyt33syQkn5VrBzxU/s320/archetypespread.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193777227857380946" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I just purchased </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.myss.com/">Caroline <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Myss</span></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">' </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/archetype-cards/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Archetype Cards</span></span></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">. This colorful 80-card deck includes 74 archetype cards and six blank cards (for you to place your own archetypes). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">A few days ago I chose my twelve archetype cards. The first four are universal cards we all have according to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Myss</span>: The Saboteur, The Prostitute, The Child, and The Victim. The next eight are archetypes I chose based on how I perceive myself. These eight cards represent aspects of myself that I can trace from childhood to the present day. After much contemplation, I chose the following:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Healer</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Poet</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Artist</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Mediator</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Rebel</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Shape-Shifter</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Rescuer</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Hermit</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I have these cards spread across my mantle so that each time I walk by them I can reflect on these aspects of myself. Just today, when I felt my mediator energy go astray, I looked at The Mediator card and read the words, "Respect for both sides of an argument." I felt my body relax. My shoulders dropped. I knew that I didn't need to force the mediator part of me into a certain situation. I just needed to feel respect for both sides. I love it when that happens. I felt a shift inside me without feeling the impulse to take action to "make things right" between two others.<br /><br />I purchased my deck at <a href="http://www.ewbookshop.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">EastWest</span> Bookshop</a> in my neighborhood, but I'm sure you can purchase this deck online or perhaps even at big box bookstores. If you do purchase a deck, let me know what you discover!<br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28456983.post-7216773452803097492008-04-24T19:43:00.000-07:002008-04-24T20:27:08.386-07:00A Bit of Emotion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-nEQo7mX63DnOpUi-ShXO2Mp8wLMOXPz0qnoLdptsUpFTNbX3IenXlEcK9twCr_TtC3ll854Pp-2rK8Lt6vS61h7dIQk-Vdg_U4_1rn_40rJRmyXxIDCtmpa-O80DIBo1cy-/s1600-h/A+Giving+Heart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-nEQo7mX63DnOpUi-ShXO2Mp8wLMOXPz0qnoLdptsUpFTNbX3IenXlEcK9twCr_TtC3ll854Pp-2rK8Lt6vS61h7dIQk-Vdg_U4_1rn_40rJRmyXxIDCtmpa-O80DIBo1cy-/s320/A+Giving+Heart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193018015078401602" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">When I was a student at the Brenneke School of Massage, I had the opportunity to work with </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.cortiva.com/heritage/HeidaBrenneke.html">Heida Brenneke</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, the founder and then-president of the school. I took a class from her in <a href="http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Therapies/autogenics.htm">Autogenics</a>, which is a relaxation technique using visualizations. Not only was the experience of Autogenics powerful for me personally, but so were Heida's words.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I remember a particular moment in the class when a student was describing neck pain and Heida guided him through some Autogenics techniques. She asked the student to make the pain bigger so that it was as large as it could possibly be. The student breathed and imagined his discomfort as a balloon getting bigger and bigger. As balloons are apt to do, it burst when it hit its limit in size. And so did the student's pain: it burst and the pain lessened.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Then she asked the student to notice any emotion residing in his neck. The student described a feeling of anger lingering in his neck and some frustration, too. As before, Heida then asked the student to imagine this anger and frustration getting bigger and bigger like a balloon. The anger was like a big red balloon, and like the pain, when it expanded to its limit it burst in a therapeutic release. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />When Heida asked the student how he felt after these two exercises, he noted feeling lighter and centered. His neck pain had reduced so much it was only a tiny sensation of tension, no where near the discomfort as before. Heida then said (and I remember these words so clearly):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I believe there is always an emotional component to physical pain. Even if there is just a little bit, only a tiny emotion there. But there </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" >is </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" >something."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Next time you are experiencing some physical discomfort, try tapping into what emotions might be stuck in an area of your body. Does your ankle hold inflammation and also sadness? Do your shoulders hold tightness and also a feeling of burden? See if you can identify a bit of emotion hiding inside your body and attend to those emotions. See what they have to tell you, and care for them just as you would your sore muscles or achy joints.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:85%;" >Art piece above: "A Giving Heart," mixed media collage by Courtney Putnam.</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /></span>Courtney Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17134445555527421256noreply@blogger.com2