Author Archives: Anne Ihnen

Has Meditation Jumped the Shark?

In a New York Times Op-Ed piece this week, UPenn psychology professor Adam Grant takes what he calls “meditation madness” to task. Referring to meditation as a fad, he systematically debunks its benefits. Stress reduction? There are lots of ways to achieve … Continue reading

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Precious: a study in trauma

I finally saw the film Precious, and it’s been sticking with me ever since.  If you don’t know this film, Precious is the story of an inner-city teenage girl who suffers horrific physical, sexual, and emotional abuse from the time … Continue reading

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Why do I eat this way?

A friend recommended the book, Women Food and God by Geneen Roth, and as I read it, I feel grateful that Ms. Roth has presented the challenging idea of healing our old wounds by facing ourselves directly in a compelling, … Continue reading

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Vulnerability, Shame, and the Need to Connect

This morning, I listened to this talk by researcher Brene Brown on the power of vulnerability:

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Let’s all just be in the moment, shall we?

Everywhere I turn, I hear people dispensing the wonderful-sounding advice to be in the moment.  This phrase is being tossed around so much that it’s become almost meaningless.  What does it even mean to be in the moment? Here’s what … Continue reading

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Restoring Sanity

Yesterday, October 30, was the day that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert hosted “The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” on the National Mall in Washington DC. Here in Seattle, we had our own Rally, and I attended. It was … Continue reading

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Poetry

I’ve been spending some time this Sunday morning with a poetry website I heard about on NPR, the Favorite Poem Project. The website includes a selection of videos of people reading and talking about their favorite poems. It’s these videos … Continue reading

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It Gets Better

I’ve been watching the wonderful YouTube “It Gets Better” videos, and even though I’m not gay (I’m a straight ally) I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the subject. It really is true that life gets better once … Continue reading

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Survivors of Suicide

Yesterday, November 21,  was National Survivors of Suicide Day. If you’ve lost a loved one to suicide, then you are a suicide survivor. The grief experienced by those affected by a suicide is especially complex and intense. In addition to … Continue reading

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Manifesting goodness

There’s a lot of talk these days about manifesting and drawing the good toward oneself, ideas that are based on the idea of positive thinking, most recently described in The Secret. I see some pitfalls with the idea that if … Continue reading

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