Hello, my friend!
This week I've been thinking about healing—what it really means and who it's really for. A memory surfaced from my studies with a Taoist priest years ago, and his words still ring true today. Sometimes the most profound lessons come when we least expect them, and often from the quietest voices in the room.
👇 In today's email:
- This week's inspiration: The Taoist priest who quietly called me out
- Latest blog post: Breathwork for the Stresses of Real Life
- What I'm reading: Washoku: Recipes from a Japanese home kitchen
The Taoist priest who quietly called me out
For years, I studied with a Taoist priest—a boy-faced man of 60 with a shiny bowl cut named Jeffrey Yuen.
Many of my classmates flew in from Europe or the West Coast for the weekend, and we sat shoulder to shoulder, copiously scribbling down notes in the basement of an Upper West Side elementary school.
One day Jeffrey asked, "Who is here to heal others?"
There was silence. All the hands went up.
"You are wrong," he said.
More silence.
"All of you are here to heal yourselves."
As a wounded healer, I know he is right.
This work is my calling, for myself and those I get to meet along the way.
Healing is different for each person, as unique as the paths that have led us to this moment.
For me, it is about the light streaming into my forehead through a sheet of selenite and the sound of my own breath, singing bowls, chimes, or even ducks gently quacking on the pond in front of my house.
Our healing journey is about what energy we bring to this world and, as importantly, what we do with it. What are we broadcasting in our day-to-day lives? Are we elevating our vibration or further entangling ourselves? What do we celebrate, and what kindness do we bring to the great challenges we face?
As we enter a new week, I ask you to ponder these things and report back :))
Breathwork for the Stresses of Real Life
There are many people who relish in this time of year—shopping and eggnog and perhaps digging out the menorah for Hanukkah and the myriad of holiday parties. But there are just as many people who find this time of year to be deeply problematic.
Perhaps it reminds them of holiday seasons that have gone badly due to family conflict, or remembering relationships that are no longer with us, or even the heartbreak of fertility treatments that didn't go as hoped.
While deep breathing does not solve these big problems, it can help reduce our cortisol levels to help us cope a little better.
Here are three techniques you can use anywhere, anytime:
Box Breathing (used by Navy SEALs): Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for 4 rounds. Perfect before tough conversations.
Extended Exhale: Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6-8 counts. This longer exhale signals to your vagus nerve that you're safe.
Sighing Breath: Inhale fully through your nose, then let out a loud, audible sigh through your mouth. Repeat 3-5 times to shake off emotional residue.
Washoku: Recipes from a Japanese home kitchen
This week I've been diving into a cookbook about Japanese home cooking, called Washoku. So often when we think about Japanese food, perhaps we think about sushi or maybe even going out for ramen.
But the art of crafting Japanese food from scratch by making broths with bonito and kombu and other wonderful things has delighted me for years.
And finally, I'm taking the plunge. Here's a link to the book if you're interested.
I'm cheering for you,
Dr. Catherine