Brene Brown

*Please take some time to visit Dr. Brown's website and blog. There is so much wonderful information. See the link to the right. Thanks for the info, Raquel! You're wonderful! :)

Lights! Camera!! Action!!!

I love going to the movies! For a couple of hours I can be transported through time and space and immerse myself in a totally different world. Who knew that going to the movies can be therapeutic? Below is a brief description of "cinema therapy" and why it may be effective. So during the holiday season, visit your favorite video store or cineplex, grab a bag of M&M's or JuJu's and enjoy your therapy!


For more information, visit www.cinematherapy.com.


One aspect of most movies is that they serve as allegories, in much the same way as do stories, myths, jokes, fables, or dreams which can all be utilized in therapy. The cognitive effect of cinema therapy can be explained through recent theories of learning and creativity, which suggest that we have seven "intelligences". The more of these intelligences we access, the faster we learn because they employ different methods of information processing. Watching movies can engage all seven of them: the logical (plot), the linguistic (dialogs), the visual-spatial (pictures, colors, symbols), the musical (sounds and music), the interpersonal (storytelling), the kinesthetic (moving), and the intra-psychic (inner guidance).


Mythic stories explain the purpose and place of humans in the grand design. Many films contain a mythical message that reminds us of our virtue and our authentic self.


"Mining the gold" in movies means uncovering our hidden finest attributes by understanding how we project these virtues on film heroes and heroines. Identifying with a character can help us to develop inner strength as we recall forgotten inner resources and become aware of the right opportunity for those resources to be applied.

Like dream work, cinema therapy allows us to gain awareness of our deeper layers of consciousness to help us move toward new perspectives or behavior as well as healing and integration of the total self.


This inner work is a form of "modern-day shamanism", where we find a way to our soul that makes sense to our mind. Just as in poems, music, and literature, studying film's symbolic and deeper meanings empowers us by helping to integrate emotions, intuition and logic, and therefore blend our rational and "irrational" processes.

Understanding reactions to characters, who are "different" and unlikable can guide us to discover in the "shadow" of your own psyche our true self and our potential.


As observing helps us to "step back", the bigger picture becomes more obvious. This way, watching screen movies helps us learn to understand ourselves and others more deeply in the "big movie" of our life. We develop a skill to see our self and the world more objectively — with less of our habitual rigid, judgmental, or emotional filtering.

Did You Know?

Intense intellectual work can lead to blood sugar fluctuation and overeating, suggests a small recent study. Stay balanced by eating regular meals and keeping healthy snacks on hand.

Thoughts on Whole Living for the Holidays

The best way to entertain guests is to spend time with them. (The dishes can wait.)
Rethink power shopping. Opt for fewer gifts that mean more.
Breathe deeply -- and watch things fall into place.
Revisit natural, time-honored treatments to heal what ails you.
Generous acts are more than simple gestures. They're a way of life.

Don't confuse what you give with who you are.
Exercise can be an effective coping tool, not just another thing on your to-do list.
Rather than ignore stress, take note of it. Only then can you create a plan for change.
Be mindful of what you drink. Nourishment comes in many forms.
It doesn't take a Herculean effort to be a miracle in someone's life.


December 2008 * Terri Trespicio * body+soul

Laughter is the BEST Therapy

Laughter is truly the best medicine...and it is scientifically proven to be GOOD for you! So if laughter is good medicine, then it MUST be good therapy. If the video in this post does not make you laugh, I hope it at least makes you smile.

Getting Through the Afternoon

Day getting the better of you? Feel better in minutes by doing the following:

• Snack on fiber-rich munchies, such as dried apricots, bananas, baby carrots and rye wafers. The fiber slows down the release of glucose (a sugar) into your bloodstream and helps fight energy dips.
• Every hour or two, place hands on hips and breathe in and out deeply. This helps calm you, create mental focus and renews energy level.
• Close your eyes and go on an imaginary vacation: a peaceful scene, an island, a meadow, a beach. Actually imagine yourself "chilling out" there!
• User your personal support network: call friends, family, co-workers to unload and unwind.
• Splash cold water on your face, or pop a breath mint.
• At day's end, jot down some notes about all the positive events of the day. Amazed by how much went right? This helps promote better sleep and re-energizes you for the next day!

It's beginning to look a lot like STRESS-mas!!!

Ahhhhh the holidays! A time to gather family and friends from far and near. A time to relax and reflect on the blessing and bounty we enjoy. A time to eat a bit more than we normally do with the resolve to take off those extra pounds after January 1. Nothing is more blissful than the holiday season. There is no better way to end the year than the warmth and joy the holiday season brings...

Sound familiar?

Not even close for me!!! And I am sure not even close for many of you! While we enjoy the holiday season, many of us look forward to the extra work, extra expense, and extra stress with maybe a bit of fear? loathing? resentment? hostility?

Ladies, the holidays are here to stay. Nothing we can do about it. BUT...(isn't there always a big but?) there are a few things we can do to mitigate some of the stress we experience during these last two months of the year. Here are a few for you! If you have other suggestions, please feel free to post comments and share how you deal with and manage holiday stress!

Happy Holidays to ALL! And to all a stress-free night!

Reminisce over previous holidays. In your notebook create a column for What Works and another for Not That Again. Under What Works list the activities that bring you joy, those that come naturally to you, and those that seem to click into place. Under Not That Again list your challenges. Jot the things that drain your energy and bring you down. What can you do to delegate, dump, or change those items in the Not That Again column and embrace more of the things in the What Works column? What changes need to take place? (Who really is going to make these lists and check them twice? Not me! But I like the idea of making mental lists that resemble the above. Martha Stewart can make these lists and glue pine cones and cinnamon sticks to them...she's got the time...and a staff of 400.)

Set your top 3 priorities. Get crystal clear. Write them down. When you know your priorities you are able to respond easily to a request. When you know what is important to you it becomes easier to set boundaries. When someone asks you to get involved in a project or activity request 24 hours to respond. Look at your top 3 priorities and see if it serves them. If it does, then it is worth considering. If not, the answer is likely no. (Love this! Especially the part about requesting 24 hours to respond! I can use this ALL YEAR LONG!!!)

Simplify! Every task must be handled. Your options are to do it, delegate it, or dump it. Eliminate what does not serve your top 3 priorities. What can you get help on and delegate? This is a good time to get rid of those items on your Not That Again list. Hire someone to decorate or a housekeeper for the month. Have everyone bring a dish instead of you doing it all yourself. Get your family involved and develop a new attitude that things don't have to be perfect. Let go. This will allow you space to embrace what you enjoy. (Triple D! A motto to live by! DO IT, DELEGATE IT, or DUMP IT.)

Set your budget. Develop a budget that feels good. Many people are tight on cash. There are lots of ways to make this holiday special without adding stress to your budget. How can you show people they are appreciated? What activities can you do as a family? Letting people know what is special about them in a card, letter, audio cassette, or video is a great gift. Get creative and have fun. (How about a "naughty" and "nice" list? Santa isn't the only one who can use this method!)

Set your boundaries. Decide now what you will not tolerate. Write it down. Remember your Not That Again list? Is there someone who always ropes you into things you do not want to do? Have the conversation you need to have. No is no. If someone continues to ask after you said no, they are attempting to control you. Setting boundaries is about educating people on how they can treat you. Is there someone you need to educate?

Schedule one hour a week for planning and schedule time for yourself. When is a good time for you to update your task list? When can you take time for you? Put it on your calendar every week through the end of the year and keep those appointments. See if adding this line to your planner will help you keep your appointment: "I have an appointment in honor of myself this ______(day) at __:__ (time) to do something really special for me because I sooooooo deserve it!" (I say as your purchase your 2009 calendars, that you schedule yourself in to your schedule every week!)

Give in a way that gives you joy vs. out of obligation. When you give in a way that comes naturally to you, you stay in integrity with who you are. Therefore, you are able to share your own special gifts with others. When you are doing what you love life seems to click. If there is a situation you are dreading, think about how you can tweak it and handle it in a way that would bring you joy. (Obligation is such a dirty word. Are we really obligated to do most of the things we find ourselves doing? Think about it...)

We're all in this together, troops! Now let's get out there and ENJOY the holidays!

Leave your Print

Early voting has ended here in Utah but you still have November 4th to ROCK THE VOTE. It does not matter your party affiliation, either way you vote you are making U.S. history. Leave your mark. Make a difference in your life and in the lives of generations to come.

November in a Nutshell

Explore what your hunger has to tell you.

Focus on feeling great, and the looking good part will follow.

You can't make anyone healthier. That's a decision we all come to on our own.

Worst-case thinking makes life harder. Expect things to go smoothly for a change.

Money responds to the way you treat it. If you want stability, treat it with care.

When you feel the urge to react, ask why. Respond with gentleness.

Healthy foods should be enjoyed, not endured.

Stop looking for excuses to sit still. Find reasons to get up and move.

Stronger immunity isn't found in a bottle, but in sound lifestyle choices.

Your family can teach you about who you want, and don't want, to be. Heed the lesson.

-Teri Trespicio

Reader Poll - How do you handle stress?

When stress hits, what are you most likely to do?

53% Eat anything within reach.

25% Call someone. I have to talk it out.

15% Walk or do yoga. It gets my mind off things.

7% Hit the gym. I need to do something physical.

Source: Whole Living: Body+Soul Magazine; November 2008