Tragedy has struck Nepal again, opening my heart wider and making me feel more inspired than ever to continue on my quest to change the world.

Waiting for things to change will never amount to anything. Closing your heart to tragedy is not a beneficial response. I know I am probably preaching to the choir here, but maybe reading this post will ignite some fire in you too.

When personal tragedy hits us, our first reaction is always to protect or attack. Our brains and nervous system are wired that way. That does not mean we have to let this mechanism pull the strings and have this primitive part of our brain predominantly regulate our behavior. Yet I am afraid and sad that this is mostly the case and it closes us off and separates us. Operating from a state of stress is not only eroding our own health, it also rips away our opportunity to become

Operating from a state of stress is not only eroding our own health, it also rips away our opportunity to become of service to a greater...

I have noticed a few disturbing excuses popping up frequently that prevent me from feeling happy. Maybe you will recognize some of them while reading this.

Today I won't let my mind wander and settle on what is wrong, what is hard, what is scary, painful or sad. I won't complain, or whine, nor am I going into competition with anybody else over who is having a harder time. I won't get drawn into all the bad news or the complaining of others, not because there is no reason to complain or worry, but because it is the worst, futile use of my energy. It is plain stupid and inefficient, and the only satisfaction I will get out of it is that I am right to feel so miserable.

How is it possible that I catch myself defending my ‘right’ to feel miserable? Building a case, backed up by excuses and justifications that prove why I am feeling tired, discouraged, and miserable. Is it because I think someone will come and rescue me? Or is it because I am trying to excuse myself from...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed and helpless when life throws disasters your way, complete with seemingly insurmountable roadblocks? How do we deal with a disaster the size of the latest earthquake in Nepal? What can we do to help such unfathomable distress?

We can feel the sorrow and pain, but can only imagine what it would be like to have lost your loved ones, your home and safe shelter, your food, and water, your life. It puts our daily struggles in a different perspective, doesn’t it?

I feel my emotions intensify, escalating to a level where I need to apply emotional First Aid. I have learned, and science has proven, that the energy and intention we put out into the world will amplify ‘like’ energy. This is why we all feel the pain and the need to do something. When you are already in pain, it can become too much, too overwhelming. We all recognize the temptation to distract ourselves, putting up a shield, protecting our vulnerable heart and retreating into...

How much freedom of choice do we really have in life?

I am filled with a sense of urgency to make some major changes in my own life and start putting more effort and time in fueling this revolution to empowered self-care. Nobody has your back, cares about your health, your family, or your life as much as you do. There is no reason to trust the media, the government or pharmaceutical corporations, as I fear corruption and fraud have taken over. I feel called to write about this, after watching the documentaries ‘Bought’, ‘Freedom from Choice’, and 'The Quest for the Cure' (The Truth about Cancer).

Life should be about freedom of choice. We should be free to choose what we eat, what we read, how we spend our time and which treatment we think is best for us when we need it. Every day we make choices that determine how we want to live. But what if these choices are just an illusion? We are aware of how the laws, bylaws, and regulations regulate our behavior. But...

Walking in Balance through life requires a balanced physical, mental and emotional approach to daily living. In the Buddhist teachings, equanimity is one of the four great virtues (along with compassion, loving kindness, and sympathetic joy) that the Buddha taught his disciples to cultivate.

Birken Forest Monastery

Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is a Canadian Theravada Buddhist monastery. It’s Pali name is 'Sitavana', translated as 'cool forest grove'. The monastery is located in the secluded forests of British Columbia's interior region, approximately 40 kilometers south of Kamloops.  The monastery provides a peaceful refuge for monastics and lay people seeking to deepen their practice of the Buddha's teachings.

The Birken Monastery 'Sitavana'

The founding Abbot and spiritual leader, Venerable Ajahn Sona, comes to Kamloops every month to provide people with a guided meditation and a dhamma talk.

You don't have to be a Buddhist or an experienced meditation practitioner....

I am Light, you are Light, we are all Light.

Did you ever hear a song and all of a sudden emotions started welling up inside you? That just happened to me. I just heard this song, not for the first time, but somehow the words struck me this time. I have been contemplating these thoughts for a while now, and I am figuring out what choices to make that are truly in alignment with my inner self. Doubts about my abilities and the choices I made are making me feel small and scared. I think that is why this song, 'I am Light', triggered strong emotions in me this time and I had the urge to share this with you.

Please take the time to read this and contemplate with me. Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below this post or on my Facebook page. I'd like to hear your experiences and thoughts. I am not trying to prove a point, I just want to provoke a different way of thinking.

Even though I was raised by a catholic family, I am not religious and never felt the...

Every astrologist is saying exactly the same thing: it is the perfect time for a new beginning.

Today,  March 20th, 2015, is filled with ‘Transformational Energies’. There was a solar eclipse today, which marks a time for a breakthrough. The energies from this eclipse combined with the shifting from Pisces to Aries and Spring Equinox is causing me to feel a sense of urgency to make decisions. I am aware of the need for change and innovation. According to many astrologists, this is a profound time for new beginnings, for letting go of what no longer serves us. So here I am today, going within, meditating, quieting my mind. Desperately trying to figure out what my next step should be. At the same time, there are major solar flares disrupting our energy as well, causing more emotional distress than usual. These flares woke me up at 2:30 AM and I was soaked in night sweat. Time to look back, be present and trust the future.

One year ago, I was lost. I felt shattered,...

The path to vibrant health is the path not taken. It may not be there for many, nor is it searched for. Health is defined as the absence of disease. According to most people’s standards, they consider themselves healthy. But something is wrong with the calibration: what we think is health does not come close to the original, standard ‘Health’. We need a re-calibration.

Is it not true that we take a little, or more, discomfort for granted? Is it not true that we don’t strive for joy, contentment, and peace in our life? Stress, discontentment, discomfort, physical pain, and emotional pain have become the norm, a part of life.

On a larger scale, war, environmental calamities, and decrease in quality of our food has been accepted as part of life. I believe we, as human beings, have become 'de-calibrated' and desensitized and we are mostly unaware of it.

When we experience health problems, we don’t question that we need to see a doctor. We may, or may not,...

5 Important Truths that will shift your Pain Forever will change your perspective on pain.

Science is constantly evolving. Medicine and science are entering a new paradigm and with that, new ideas emerge. Staying up to date and becoming aware of these new options is almost impossible. So let me help you out a bit.

"To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science."
~Albert Einstein~

#1 Nobody knows what pain really is

We have one word for something that is so diverse, so complex and has so many different interpretations, that it is impossible to pin it down.

Pain definition from the dictionary:

1. An unpleasant feeling occurring as a result of injury or disease, usually localized in some part of the body.
2. Bodily suffering characterized by such feelings.
3. Mental or emotional suffering; distress.

The answer to what pain is depends on who you ask. We already know the description from a...

The burden of blame can be toxic for our health and well-being.

Dr. Brené Brown created another animated video, about blame this time and why it is important to move beyond blame. You can watch this video below this post. (see my previous post: 'the Healing Power of Empathy' for her previous animated video)

Blame is simply the discharging of a discomfort and pain and it has an inverse relationship with accountability, research has shown.

Accountability is a vulnerable process. It means being authentic,  sharing how you really feel about a situation and taking responsibility. It means talking about an issue without blaming because blaming is just a way to discharge anger, or pain and grief.

After I watched Dr. Brené Brown's animated video about blame I started thinking of the patients I have seen in my career who seemed to be stuck in blaming themselves or someone else and were unable to take accountability for their lives. I recognized my story in there as well. I...