1. Practice positive self-talk: “I am worthy of healthy behavior. I deserve to take time to exercise.”
2. Avoid “all or nothing” thinking. For example, don’t say, “I only have 10 minutes for exercise – why bother?” Every 10 minutes helps to build a regular routine and relieve stress. Read more
By Linda Ciotola, M.Ed., TEP co-author with Karen Carnabucci of “Healing Eating Disorders With Psychodrama and Other Action Methods – Beyond the Silence and the Fury”
“Anorexia is both the result of a protest against the cultural rule that your women must be beautiful. In the beginning, a young woman strives to be thin and beautiful, but after a time, anorexia takes on a life of its own. By her behavior, an anorexic girl tells the world, ‘Look, see how thin I am, even thinner than you wanted me to be. You can’t make me eat more. I am in control of my fate, even if my fate is starving.’” – Mary Pipher, “Reviving Ophelia” Read more
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In our book on healing eating disorders we emphasize the benefits of a holistic approach to the treatment of issues such as disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, related mood disorders and more. Action methods which involve the body as well as the mind, heart, and spirit are particularly effective and lend themselves to collaboration with several other modalities which we explore in our book: art, music, mindfulness, Reiki and other energy work, acupuncture, yoga, and more. Case studies and a variety of examples illustrate a number of creative options.
The Triple Double is a phrase I coined when discovering from experience in the director’s role that by “Bookending” the protagonist with the Body Double and the Containing Double and using the Classical Double between them, the protagonist can accurately label feelings while remaining in the “Window of Tolerance”.
The Body Double grounds the protagonist firmly in feeling safe in the body. Next the Classical Double gives the protagonist access to feelings and gives them voice; the Containing Double maintains the integrity of the “Window of Tolerance” by providing safety and containment for strong feelings through statements of reflection, containment and grounding in the hear and now.
Example
Body Double: I can feel all four corners of both feet firmly grounded on the floor.
I can feel my breath coming in from ,my nose, expanding my ribcage, and as my chest rises and falls . . .
Classical Double: I feel my sadness from being betrayed.
Containing Double: While feeling my sadness I can lift my eyelids and see my strengths around me and be assured that no one here will betray me.
I used the three doubles flexibly adapting to the in-the-moment needs of the protagonist.
Linda A. Ciotola, M.Ed., CET III, TEP, TSM Trainer www.healing-bridges.com
The holidays are here with an abundance of challenges as well as gifts for the heart. Bombardment with artery clogging food choices, time-pressured stress, and emotional ups and downs can take a toll on your cardiovascular health while stealing the joy from the holiday season. And the true meaning of the holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza) can get buried in the fray. Read more
November brings Thanksgiving and a time when we may focus more on food – fixing it, eating it, and feeling guilty afterwards – than on counting our blessings. If you have been caught in this pattern and would like to change, try practicing mindfulness as you prepare and eat your food and consciously give thanks to nature and all the elements and people who contributed to bringing it to the table. Read more
It’s October ~ the harvest season and time for Baltimore’s annual Race for the Cure to raise awareness of and funds for breast cancer treatment, and prevention, and to celebrate breast cancer survivors.
The harvest season is a great time for the Race for the Cure because it unites two powerful cancer-prevention strategies: nutrition and exercise. Read more
