If I could wave a magic wand and grant every newly diagnosed person one essential skill, it would be this: the power to intentionally shift out of stress. To do that, you need to understand your body’s control center: the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). 💡 Here’s the essential takeaway: Stress is Sympathetic. Peace is Parasympathetic.Continue reading “Peace is Parasympathetic: Learn the Essential Skill for Your Cancer Journey”
Category Archives: Mindfulness
Navigating Scanxiety: 5 Tools to Find Peace Before Your Test
Almost every cancer patient I’ve ever worked with talks about scanxiety—that intense anxiety that arises when they have an upcoming medical test, be it a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound. It’s completely normal to feel this fear. After everything you’ve been through, it makes sense that you’d feel triggered and reluctant to face another potentialContinue reading “Navigating Scanxiety: 5 Tools to Find Peace Before Your Test”
July Brightness
Happy Summer! I hope you’re able to embrace the joyous expansiveness of summer – to be big and bright like the sun. Part of my own joyous expansiveness lately has truly been centered on gratitude. I’m incredibly grateful for so many things – from the stability of my home to the unwavering support of myContinue reading “July Brightness”
Spring
Hello dear one, I hope this finds you well and happy. It’s a lovely spring day here in Philadelphia. I find myself in a sweetly contented place and am sending these pleasant vibes your way. Wherever you are, I hope you’re delighting in the pop of spring flowers, the budding and blooming of the trees.Continue reading “Spring”
Do you have glue?
Did my last email inspire you to open a door for somebody? I hope so. I’m still on the kindness train . . . Kindness, compassion and empathy all together, are a kind of glue that hold our communities together and help them grow strong. These qualities lead to better cooperation and, it turns out,Continue reading “Do you have glue?”
Kindness Lowers Blood Pressure
Have you held the door open for anyone lately? It could be good for your health! Let me explain . . . for the past couple of years, I’ve had a pet topic – the heart, and by heart, I mean emotional well-being. My curiosity is about the science behind positive emotions and how they canContinue reading “Kindness Lowers Blood Pressure”
Come to Your Senses
Have you ever had one of those surprisingly delightful moments that stops you in your tracks? I had one recently . . . I was on a nature walk through a meadow this past weekend – it was a glorious autumn day here in eastern Pennsylvania. I paused to watch a tiny finch pick atContinue reading “Come to Your Senses”
This too shall pass.
Things have been heavy for me lately, not gonna lie. My mom passed in December. Grief is thick for me right now, but there’s more going on . . . There’s a kind of spiritual maturation that happens as a result of living through a crisis. We sometimes call these life chapters the dark nights of theContinue reading “This too shall pass.”
For Troubling Times . . .
Taking in the news can be perilous. When we hear of tragic events – bombings, earthquakes, shootings – it’s easy to become overwhelmed with difficult emotions like sadness, grief, fear, rage. Feeling powerless in the face of these heartbreaking disasters, we often don’t know what to do. What CAN we do? Firstly, taking any actionContinue reading “For Troubling Times . . .”
You can choose.
I went on a meditation retreat a couple of weekends ago and it was great! On a silent meditation retreat, we can step out of our normal routines and slow way, waaaaay down. We’re invited to sit in stillness and to settle the mind into a quiet state of awareness. This can be quite a process, this stilling.Continue reading “You can choose.”
Michelle Stortz 