Making A Difference

There is a small office tucked away in a small corner office in St. Paul that is making a powerful difference in the lives of people who have been affected by child abuse. The organization is called, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota. They are a dedicated group of staff and volunteers who advocate on behalf of the victims, help people heal from the trauma of abuse and offer support for both the victims and those who are the perpetrators of that abuse. You may have seen lawn signs like this one as April is Child Abuse Awareness Month.

This morning as I drove to work and saw several of these signs, I said a quiet prayer for both the victims and the perpetrators. Somewhere along my healing journey I realized that we have a tremendous amount of compassion for children who are victim's of this kind of trauma. However, when those same children grow up and repeat what they had been taught we can't believe how someone could do such a thing. I am asking for compassion for those who have been hurt and are hurting and understanding and forgiveness for those who do these kinds of things. They need our help as well and our thoughts and prayers will make a big difference.

Blessings to you,

Sandy

Help For Stress – Filled Times
By Paula Becker

Use Your Breath To Reduce Stress

The most powerful way to decrease stress is through your breathing. When we are stressed and worried our muscles tighten and our breathing becomes fast and shallow. Many people notice that they will even hold their breath for periods of time. Muscle tension and shallow breathing add to anxiety and decreases our ability to think clearly. Remarkable improvements to health and mood can be experienced simply by increasing the amount of oxygen in the body.

This simple and effective process can be used anytime and in almost any setting:

Sit or stand so that your back is straight and both feet are on the floor.
Bring your attention into your body and your awareness onto your breath.
Slowly take a breath through your nose counting to five. Let your lungs fill from the bottom, expanding your belly first and then your chest.
Release air slowly out of your mouth to the count of eight.
The idea is not only to breathe more deeply, but to reduce the number of breaths taken from 10 or 12 per minute down to 4 or 5 per minute.
Practice this for three to five minutes or stop periodically throughout the day and take one minute to breathe in this manner.

As you practice this kind of slow deep breathing you will find yourself less anxious and more energetic. Changing your breathing pattern to this type of healthy breathing takes practice and concentration. Use a cell phone timer or a timer on your computer to help to remember to stop and breathe.

Paula Becker is a licensed psychologist and Director of InnerLight Healing Center (Formerly Burnsville Counseling and Healing Center). For information about stress reduction and wellness programs for individuals, businesses or churches, visit our website at http://www.counselingandhealing.com or call 952-435-4144

A Prayer For the World

Let the rain come and wash away

the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds

held and nurtured over generations.

Let the rain wash away the memory

of the hurt and neglect.

Then let the sun come out and

fill the sky with rainbows.

Let the warmth of the sun heal us

wherever we are broken.

Let it burn away the fog so that

we can see each other clearly.

So that we can see beyond labels,

beyond accents, gender or skin color.

Let the warmth and brightness

of the sun melt our selfishness.

So that we share the joys and

feel the sorrows of our neighbors.

And let the light of the sun

be so strong that we will see all

people as our neighbors.

Let the earth, nourished by rain

bring forth flowers

to surround us with beauty.

And let the mountains teach our hearts

to reach toward heaven.

~Rabbi Harold Kushner