Other Helpful Tools/Resources

Tools for Grounding

Psychology Today

7 Simple Techniques

Grounding Techniques: Step by step

5 Senses Grounding Technique

How Pets Help You

Go to the Grief and Loss page for meditations for losing a pet.

Oliver

Martin

Walter Bishop

More Tools:

Using Art to Process Feelings

Journaling for Processing

Working with Your Dreams

Link to Emotions Wheel

This has multiple types you can view for free

Emotion Wheels & Needs Wheel - Human SystemsLearn how to use the HS Emotion Wheels and HS Needs Wheels to productively process and use emotion in your personal and professional life.

What is your ACE score?Answer these 10 questions from the CDC's Adverse Childhood Experience Study and predict your health risks. What is your ACE score?

On the Fun/Playful Side:

Leisure Games as Movement Meditation - Cheap to Make on Your Own & Engage in an Easy Sense of Play

Not only are leisure games a way to reduce your cortisol levels by engaging in light hearted play, they can also help distract the mind when ruminating or stuck in repeating image bombardment.

Examples of good leisure games to try:

Corn Hole
Bocce
Ladder Ball
Washers
Kube
Can Jam
Many Many MORE
Disc Golf is more of a sport for some people but can feel more playful and light like leisure games when less focused on competitiveness, criticism or expectations of perfection. The same could be said for any "sport". The real POWER in play is not about winning in any way.

Binaural Beats

Many others are available, but this one is recommended by neuroscientists and highly recommended.

Select the Free Options and read their descriptions to decide what you need. Explore and find which ones help you most. I have found it to be extra helpful to listen while meditating to amplify the effect of both.

Breath Pacers

iBreathe - for iPhones

Breath Pacer for Androids

These are helpful for working with RSA breathing, for support with calming the self when activated, and to use for focus meditations using counting and breath.

There are MANY products on the market that are designed to entrain your brain to specific brainwaves such as: Mind Alive; or Sensate to calm the Vagus Nerve and activation. These are all expensive and thus less accessible. I try to share resources that are free.

NeuroMeditation Institute

I highly recommend taking classes with NMI or at least buying Dr. Tarrant's book in the link to the right.

Some of his courses can be used for Continuing Education Credits.

Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain

This book by Dr. Jeff Tarrant, founder of the NeuroMeditation Institute is one you will want to have if you are interested in the brain, brain based meditation, or how to use this type of meditation for yourself or with clients (if you are a therapist to address whatever issue you are facing.

For issues that are less severe, and do not require a therapist, I strongly recommend working with these two INCREDIBLE and amazing women. They offer a WEALTH of knowledge, insight and resources to assist you in finding the right tools that work for YOU!

Annette and Ada's Academy for Personal Development

Lanier Law Firm

How Trauma Affects the Brain

This site offers some very helpful information on Traumatic Brain Injury

More Resources on YouTube

Find on YouTube

Dr. Robert Sapolsky - Brilliant Human who will help you understand your brain, your behavior, your experience and why you are the way you are.
Gabor Mate - This guy will help you understand your trauma and your responses to trauma. His work with Addiction and Trauma is astounding. Turn to him to explore understanding your trauma and your traumatic response, not only for addiction!
Polyvagal Theory - Dr. Peter Borges - This is very helpful in understanding how we retain our trauma and why. Further it helps in finding a way to address it differently.
Follow Ted Talks on new Neuroscience discoveries ** We are in a time of massive growth in our understanding of the brain, it's functions, connections, and so much more. Understanding more about your brain and its role in what you are experiencing can make things both feel more manageable and also empowering in knowing you can do something about it.
Joseph Campbell - One of my all time favorite humans. Brilliant Symbologist who can help you understand and find the symbols which have meaning to you, as well as, help you understand the impact Myths and symbols have on our lives, our societies and the world.

Watch any Robert Sapolsky video on YouTube. You will find many videos with people interviewing him abput his newest book Determined and the Free Will debate. He is fantastic. He will help you understand how all of the pieces of your life experience result in the person you are right now.

I love the Father-Offspring Interviews. Go to his page here and enjoy! Robert Sapolsky on YouTube

Robert Sapolsky TedTalk

The Current Explosion of Spiritual &

Mental Health Grifters/Predators

Watch for and AVOID these:

There is currently an explosion happening in the Mental Health world of various ways to approach the wide variety of issues many people are struggling with... and along with that has come an eruption of people claiming that they are many things, can "SAVE" or "HEAL" you, under many titles, and in many guises. Sometimes these people call themselves any of these: shaman, guru, healer, guide, teacher, therapist, priest or any other name for a religious/spiritual leader. This is NOT to say that they are all bad. In fact, there are most definitely people who genuinely possess abilities to help you. However... there are MANY... I repeat, M A N Y people claiming abilities they do not have. These people can be hard to distinguish because they use language that sounds good. Manipulators and predators are what they are, so there are ways to 'sort the wheat from the chaff'. Watch for these things and RUN if you see them:

COST = If they are charging a lot they are likely grifters - or simply only want to work with those with 'enough' money. So it depends on the kind of intention you want in the person you work with.
Who is it about? = Are THEY the one who is doing the 'saving' or 'healing'? Any good healer would never claim to be doing the work. They know they are only there as support/help.
BIG PROMISES: If they claim that they will take 'all your pain away' or 'remove all your problems' or 'heal them' they are lying. Trauma and other negative experiences are just that... experiences. They leave their mark, they become part of us; while not necessarily having to define us, they are part of who we are and cannot be severed. NOTHING will make it go away. YES things can help - things can RADICALLY help - but it is part of you; it is your choice is to synthesize and transform it through becoming aware of your self and learning how to respond differently, or not. Anyone making big promises is to be avoided. As in... RUN!

Listen to this New York Times Podcast below to get a better idea of the dangers that currently exist. BE DISCERNING!!!

Info on Books I recommend

Note: All links take you to Thrift Books because I think Amazon is YUCK! Unfortunately my old favorite Abe Books is now owned by Amazon. Better than any of these is to buy from your local bookseller.

Focusing

I cannot recommend this book enough. The steps he offers increase interoception. READ THIS!!

The Body Keeps The Score

This book is a must read for anyone living with Trauma, who has experienced Trauma or is working with/caring for someone with Trauma.

Emotional Intelligence

This is a must read for anyone who wants to truly KNOW themselves. You will gain greater understanding of some aspect of yourself.

Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain

The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe

Behave

Determined

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture

The Complex PTSD Workbook by Arielle Schwartz, PhD

Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences

Emotional Agility

Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief

This is an invaluable work for anyone living with grief.

Sad Happens

I Don't Have to Make Everything All Better:

Molecules of Emotion

An old but good one

More Books aligned with embracing a deeper sense of connection with the world, with one another and with ourselves.

Poverty By America

This is a must read for everyone who cares about reducing suffering in the world and cares about their fellow human beings.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition

The Power of Myth

A long time favorite. Myths are such an integral part of our mind and how we perceive ourselves, the world and others.

NO Myth is the sole TRUTH... No Religion has domain over truth. Religions are living myths. They serve us and then they evolve to fit our needs or they are replaced by new myths. I believe we are in a rich time of creation of the "new myths" Campbell speaks of.

People's History of the US by Howard Zinn

People's History of the World by Chris Harmon

The Ecology of Freedom: The Emergence & Dissolution of Hierarchy by Murray Bookchin

Changing Ones: Third and Fourth Genders in Native North America

by Will Roscoe

Ancient Bodies, Ancient Lives: Sex, Gender, and Archaeology

by Rosemary A Joyce

Podcasts I recommend:

One fosters understanding, one fosters connection, and one helps me feel sane! These are just a couple of favorites and definitely don't listen to Behind the Bastards if you are easily offended!