halcyon house

a worker owned cooperative holistic wellness center

Tag: mental health

Upcoming Presentation “Body as Place”
Sara and I were invited to present at Svalja Whole-being’s Community Conference in Duluth. We are so excited to explore “body as place”. We will experiment with what makes you feel at home and safe in your body.
The conference starts Friday 5/29 from 6:00-9:00pm and continues 5/30 from 8:00-6:00.
Contact http://www.svalja.yoga/community-conference for more information Join us for a two-day immersion into the heart of our community.
Flourish is an invitation to ground ourselves in the wisdom of this place while leaning into the possibilities of what we can create together. From a soulful Friday night of live music and poetry at SOLCA to a Saturday filled with movement, guided storytelling, and deep reflection, this gathering is designed to nourish your nervous system and spark your creative spirit.
Throughout the weekend, experience a curated Art and Poetry Exhibit coordinated by Savannah Ottillia, offering a visual and written landscape of our shared journey.
2026-05-11
The dreaded doom-scroll
Why do I doom scroll?!
I’ve got to admit… sometimes I can’t stop doom scrolling. The other day I was like ‘Why is my wrist feeling so sore?’
Yeah, holding my phone too long flipping through a sea of yuck had tension building through my hand, wrist, forearm, shoulder, neck, etc.
I had to take a breather and get some movement!
Thankfully, COGGS volunteers have been doing their best to keep our trails in as good of condition as could be hoped for. Getting bounced along over the icy terrain may have also been rough on my wrists, arms, shoulders, and neck, but I feel a lot better afterwards!
I may need to get on the schedule this week to loosen up some of these tight muscles though!
If you are having trouble with your mental health and emotional processing, Sara Sheppard is amazing at helping us through it.
2026-03-07
Difficult times
During these difficult times, I’m often asked “how are you dealing with this”.
My answer is “it’s not easy!”
Here are some things that I have been practicing:
- Stay informed but limit the time that I’m taking in (digesting) information/news. I’m listening to a trusted news source (for me it’s MPR) in the morning and evening for 30 minutes.
- Allowing myself to feel the emotions that arise (not pushing them away). Anger, sadness, fear, all of it.
- Prioritizing self care and nervous system regulation. It’s important for me to stay grounded in the practices that support me. I focus on grounding practices such as such as extended exhale breathing, using weighted lap blanket, and focus on pressing into the earth.
- Find glimmers in daily life. Glimmers are moments of ventral vagal connection. They can be things like noticing the lake shimmering on a sunny day, feeling the freedom of skiing down a wodded hill, or burying my face in my dog’s curly fur.
- Find and spread hope. Notice when you see people acting kindly and showing compassion. In return, I will create opportunities in my day to give back and connect with others.
2026-03-07
Spring equinox
Spring equinox to me has always meant the height or middle of spring. I consider February 1st to be the beginning of the end of winter and the returning of the sun in preparation of spring. I think this helps me mentally make it through a rough winter. The sun is returning and there is hope for warmer days ahead. This is also a time when seeds are chosen to be planted for the summer growing season and fall harvest. What a great opportunity to clean our outer and inner spaces.
What do you want to grow this year?
Community, Self-love, compassion, strength? Stand or sit in a window facing East in the morning and soak in the morning light to help the body reset the Circadian Rhythm. Decide which idea/seed you want to nurture on this day/week/year and breathe the morning light into it as you sip your tea or coffee. Have hope! Soon there will be flowers to smell and all of the ice in Minnesota will be gone.
2026-03-07
Happy New Year!
Who is glad to be done with 2025?
A new year offers a fresh start and a time to refocus on intentions. I definitely understand the sentiment of leaving 2025 behind and looking forward to a better 2026. However, there are many things both positive and negative that I don’t want to forget about 2025.
I hope to cherish those good memories and learn those tough lessons only once! We’ll see about that…
2026-01-07
Change
The only constant is change. Even in stillness there is much movement happening within. Every breath is a new beginning, a chance at starting over. Following the breath through the body to discover what holds you back from making real change in your life can be daunting. Sometimes the shame, self loathing, and inner critic wins, but with each new breath comes a new opportunity to move that stagnant prana. Take a walk with the woods and become one with the breath that is one with the forest. Inhale the exhale of these Northern woods. Exhale the inhaled breath of the trees. In this way you become part of the forest, not just an observer. Life becomes more vibrant one breath at a time.
2026-01-07