Writings
Quietly Attentive
We don’t have to force our traumatized minds and bodies into abeyance to notice the silent background of our existence. It’s here right now.
Love Calls Us Home
A beautiful and intimate journey from survival to simply being here.
Attunement with Nature
I have noticed that as I heal the disconnect in my own traumatized physiology I am coming more into attunement with nature.
Caught
Nervous system work is sensitive, nuanced and complex. It requires a skilled practitioner who knows how to be steady, gentle and attentive.
Steeped in Goodness
Steeped in Goodness: Poetry by Candace Kirby
Dorsal Vagal Shutdown or The Freeze Response
Our species is so cruel and rejecting of things we don’t understand.
Waking up with Anxiety
Tending to my physiology with slowness and loving compassion is one of the greatest gifts I have learned to give myself. It is especially important when anxiety is here.
Start Your Day by Making Less Effort
The sacred to me is the simplicity of each moment.
Bridging the Gap
What else would love do but gather up all her abandoned parts and love them back to life again.
The Underworld
When strong emotions like anger or rage are exiled into the underworld of our psyche they only get stronger, more distorted and more persistent.
Little Nudges
When we pay attention to the little nudges we are being guided towards a much deeper and more significant reality than we see on the surface.
Holy Mother – Prayer of the Separate Self
Prayer to the Holy Mother: Poetry by Candace Kirby
Shoes at the Door
Shoes at the Door: Poetry by Candace Kirby
Nervous System Reminders for the Holidays
Nervous System Reminders for the Holidays: by Candace Kirby
Always the Same
Mostly I don’t have a clue what to do next so I listen and when it becomes clear that action is required I act but not one second before.
I’m Still Holding Her
I never really understood that not being able to read the cues of toxic or abusive behaviour was a trauma response.
This Place Where I Sit
This Place Where I Sit: Poetry by Candace Kirby
The Soul of this Moment
Just for a moment I invite you to be unhurried. Be slow and quiet. Lean in and listen to what’s below the noise.
There is Grace in Waiting
I lit a candle this morning for me, for you and for all of us who are dealing with the impact of trauma. For the numbness that leaves us absent and longing for what we often can’t even name.
Sanctuary for the Heart Monthly Reflections – Sept. 2023
I wish you a gentle and kind relationship with yourself as you navigate these challenging times.
The Spiritual Impulse
Honour her as your deeper self and let her guide you. She loves simplicity and slowness.
Survival Stress
As we wake up from the demands of the personal identity a new relationship with the body begins to awaken as well. The body is no longer seen as a means to an end but an innocent and alive mystery with an innate intelligence…..
The Right Conditions
Human beings are like plants. We do really well in the right conditions and poorly in the “wrong” conditions. It’s up to us to discover what the right conditions are for us to heal.
Sanctuary for the Heart Monthly Reflections
I wish you a gentle and kind relationship with yourself as you navigate these challenging times.
Living with Loose Ends
I sense that death will welcome us into her arms when she is ready for us. It won’t be one moment too late or one moment too soon. She will have her final say.
I Will Make Time
I will make time: Poetry by Candace Kirby
The Born and the Unborn
The Born and the Unborn: Poetry by Candace Kirby
A Very Strange Day
Did you ever have a day when the best thing feels like beginning again tomorrow. It wasn’t a terrible day just a strange day filled with little inconveniences.
Rage
“Rage and anguish exist underneath the veneer of niceness, no matter how sincerely a person mistakes the facade for her true self.” ~ Gabor Mate
The Body is Innocent
We have been taught to distrust the natural intelligence of our bodies. We send messages of rejection to the body repeatedly and yet she continues to breathe.