Gratitude practices are becoming more familiar in the world of pop psychology and the pursuit of happiness.  Believe me, I know this can feel like a big stretch when you are suffering or in distress and yet there are reasons to give it a try and see how it impacts your life.  There is science behind it. In the world of positive psychology, the links between gratitude and happiness are well studied.  Much of that research demonstrates links between practices of gratitude and subjective experiences of…

If you are living with a health condition and you are seeking ways to continue to thrive, this weekend workshop might be a good fit.  Rising Strong™ for Health Please visit the Facebook event page above or karengilbert.ca for more information and to register.   

In the ongoing quest for acceptance and allowing for all emotional experiences, I sometimes must remind myself (and those I work with) that distraction is not a dirty word. There are times when the wisest and kindest option we have for ourselves is to choose to take a break from intensity.   The key is to use distraction as simply one more tool in our coping repertoire.  We can run into trouble if we are constantly avoiding unwanted feelings or situations.  There is no way to permanently…

As anyone who knows me can attest, I am a huge proponent of the adoption of mindfulness practices. I believe that there are a multitude of benefits from learning about and bringing this spirit of kind open and nonjudgmental awareness to our lives. http://pixabay.com Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a widely researched method of learning mindfulness practices. Many studies of the MBSR curriculum have attested to its positive health effects. Attending an MBSR group and learning from a trained instructor, along with the other participants,…