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Most of us don’t just have  thoughts—we tend to believe them. A stressful thought shows up (“I can’t handle this”), and before we know it, our body reacts. Anxiety rises. We start planning, worrying, withdrawing, or trying to fix something that may not even be happening yet. Mindfulness offers another option: instead of automatically merging with our thoughts, we can learn to notice  them. One of the most helpful practices for this is called Leaves on a Stream . This is a sim

When strong emotions show up—fear, anxiety, anger, overwhelm—it can be hard to know what to do in the moment. Many people try to talk themselves out of the feeling, push it away, or distract themselves, but the body often continues to hold the distress. One gentle mindfulness technique that can help comes from Francine Shapiro’s book Getting Past Your Past . It’s called the Spiral Technique , and it uses guided imagery to help your nervous system release uncomfortable emotion

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, ashamed, or emotionally stuck, your first instinct may be to judge yourself or push the feeling away. Self-compassion offers another option: responding to yourself with the same care you would offer someone you love. Research on self-compassion, led by psychologist Dr. Kristin Neff, shows that practicing self-compassion is associated with lower stress, less anxiety and depression, and greater emotional resilience. But the most importa

If you’ve ever wondered: “Why do I keep feeling this way?” “Why am I still affected by something that happened years ago?” “Why do I overreact even when I know I’m safe?” You are not alone. In Getting Past Your Past , psychologist Francine Shapiro explains that many of our present-day struggles—such as anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, or low self-worth—are often connected to unresolved memories from earlier life experiences. In this article, I’ll share key insi