“Out of chaos and confusion, new resources emerge.” – Taryn Toomey
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To the Healthcare Professionals, Thank You. You are sacrificing your health and your lives for us. We recognize your service and patriotism.
To the Parents, Thank You. Yes, it’s a special time with your kids. Yes, this is extremely hard. Be easy and forgiving with yourselves. You’re doing great.
To the immune-compromised people and those with previous conditions. People over 65. People who are feeling sick and can’t get tested. People separated from their families. Homeless, incarcerated and detained people and those who support them. Single parents. People living on their own. Pregnant women. Children whose birthday parties got canceled.
People who are out of their homes working to support the rest of us, but are scared. People who have lost their jobs and are worried about their income. Small business owners. The people who don’t have good internet access in their homes.
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Humanity will awaken and consciousness will expand because of this virus. There will be changes to government, the economy, healthcare, our lifestyle, and more. We already see more sophisticated and flexible use of technology, less polarization, and a revived appreciation for slowing down, being in nature, and life’s other simple pleasures. On an esoteric level, old toxins and programming are getting cleared out in order to promote an evolutionary shift into the Aquarian Age. Our collective consciousness is being upgraded.
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Thankful for all the information and helpful offerings that’ve been shared. My ideas will focus on the domains in which I’m most familiar – mental health, emotional wellbeing, spirituality.
I recognize my privilege and the responsibility that comes with it. Part of that responsibility is being aware of and grateful for it. Some of us will be able to focus on personal growth and wellbeing at this time, while others are trying to get basic needs met and stay alive.
Hopefully these ideas can help in some small way. Stay safe, stay home. Keep your immune system strong.
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I wish you and your loved ones the best during this period. ❤️ Jori
?Our Offerings – I run a holistic psychotherapy center, Flow House, and we are accepting new clients and seeing everyone on Zoom. We are offering reduced rates and deferred payment for people who have been affected by coronavirus. Working on some free offerings – possibly free intuitive readings – which can provide answers and direction during this time of uncertainty.
Check out the Resources on our website for our favorite books & podcasts on Psychology, Spirituality & Relationships. And our ongoing series on our blog/insta on Cultivating Gratitude.
Listen on shuffle to 90 hours of hand-selected music to help create just the right kind of calming, but lively, vibe. Spotify < User: Jori Adler < Playlist: Flow House
?Teletherapy. Therapists, I know we’ve all switched to teletherapy, which we might not be used to. There are tons of cool ways for us to work in this potentially new format.
First, talk to clients about how to create safety & privacy within their living spaces so they can speak freely with you. They can play white noise on their cell phones or play music outside their door. They can talk to you from their cars or while taking a walk. They can type certain parts of the conversation in the chat box during your session if they’re afraid someone might hear. For you both, wearing headphones protects confidentiality and may help you focus. Also discuss a back-up plan for if you’re in the middle of something sensitive and the technology cuts out.
Yes, you CAN do EMDR with your clients! DM me for more info.
Sandtray therapists, have your client fill a shoebox with rice and use personal mementos and trinkets to fill the scene.
Have clients share photos of important people, places and life events. Save these and share your screen with them if they ever become activated. Seeing these photos can help calm them.
Practice art therapy.
I’m attending a training on “Sensorimotor Psychotherapy from a Distance,” and how to engage and incorporate the body into our online sessions, and will update this post with ideas from that.
?Activating Your Healing Resources with EMDR-Related Techniques. Resourcing – helping you activate and strengthen your innate sources of power, wisdom, and peace – is one of our favorite parts about EMDR. And you can do this for yourself at home!
Start by closing your eyes, taking several deep breaths, and bringing your attention inward. Bring to mind a positive resource you’d like to strengthen. This could be a positive memory of a time you felt really happy, a beautiful place that you’ve been or that you imagine, an important person or animal in your life, the feeling of love or peace.
Imagine the resource as fully as you can. See it, hear it, feel it, smell it. What do you feel on your skin? What do you feel inside?
When you have a strong sense of it, begin to lightly and slowly tap on each knee, right-left, right-left. Or you could try the butterfly hug by crossing your arms in front of your chest and alternately tapping on each shoulder, right-left, right-left.
Tap in a slow, rhythmic pace til you find the pace that feels best to you. Tap 6 to 12 times and see how you feel. If it feels good and the resource is strengthening (you feel it deeper in your body), you can tap some more. Keep the sets short and make sure it keeps feeling good.
Keep trying this with other positive resources – but make sure they feel completely positive. If a distressing memory arises, you can imagine placing it in a container that can hold it for you. This container has a strong lid and can hold any material that isn’t useful for you right now. If you want later, in an appropriate way, you can go back and revisit this material.
For more: Read “Tapping In” by Laurel Parnell
?Hand Washing Mantra. Every time you wash your hands, repeat twice to yourself, “May I and all beings be happy and safe.” Actually try to feel this in your heart as opposed to just mindlessly saying words. Consciously redirecting yourself towards positivity and love has the added benefit of strengthening your immune system.
?Service, Support, Community. We’re all in this together. However, the wealthiest fifth (20%) of Americans live in internet-ready homes, have extra rooms in their houses to support telecommuniting, will have necessities delivered to their front doors, and will earn steady incomes during the shutdown. The other 80% will struggle with job losses, economic strain, family burdens, and higher risk of exposure to the virus.
How can you personally support others who will be struggling during this time?
Business Executive and Leaders : You can help. Be creative. My friend’s company came up with a plan to reduce the salaries of the employees who will be paid to work from home by 10% and to use that money to pay the hourly employees who would otherwise be without pay.
This “common enemy” has an opportunity to unite us and help us recognize the ways in which we are all connected.
Read our previous post on how to offer compassionate service and really think about it … If I am safe and healthy at home and am getting paid for being here, In what ways can I help other people in need right now?
?Omg Yes.com An incredible team of sex researchers, along with the distilled wisdom of 20,000 women, ages 18-95, have created an online video and instructional database devoted to the many nuances of women’s sexual pleasure.
Season 1 offers practical techniques to enhance clitoral pleasure: Rhythm, Consistency, Hinting, Edging, Surprise and more. Season 2 focuses on inner stimulation and penetration: Angling, Shallowing, Staying In, G-Regions and others. These 180 short videos and simulations (yes, of real-life-charmingly-real women masturbating) are designed for use solo or as a couple.
Have fun, you all!
?Movement. The Class by Taryn Toomey @theclass. So much to say about this! Moving your body, yes, but it’s more than that. It’s emotional, spiritual, cathartic. We get to yell, moan, weep, whimper, grrr, rowr from the pit of our souls.
They are intentionally creating a feeling in your body that’s uncomfortable (by doing burpees, for example, longer than you’d like), so that you can practice your response to it. Good lesson for these uncertain days.
Best part is that this is not an on-demand downloadable exercise class. You can only participate in these classes during their livestreams – meaning that when you’re jumping around howling, you’re also joining thousands of people around the world who are also doing the same. It’s profound. It makes me cry. (Free 2 week trial, then $40/month)
A good way to support your local businesses is by streaming yoga & pilates classes. @loveyogaspace @lightonlotus @physicalartistrypilates @karenlordpilates (Around $12/class)
Yoga Glo @yogaglo for a huge library of studio-quality yoga classes. I like teachers Jason Crandall, Kia Miller, Elena Brower. ($18/month)
?Meditate. Never been a more important time to practice meditating! Insight Timer @insighttimer is a great app with thousands of free meditations. Can be overwhelming, so to help you dive in, I love “7 Color Rays Meditation for Balance” by Arielle Hecht. I also use their timer when I want to just clear my head and meditate in silence.
If you’re just learning to meditate, put the timer on for 3 minutes. Silently say to yourself “In” on your inahle, “Out” on your exhale. Work up to 5 minutes. Then 10.
?Projects. It’s good to do projects. It’s also good to not accomplish any goals during this time. Slowing down will be one of our greatest coronavirus lessons.