Weekly, I take a couple of hours that I set aside specially, to peruse the internet to find sites that support the process of CEDRIC participants. I figure if its interesting to me, as I too, consider myself a 100% participant, it likely will resonate with some of our readers as well. This week, I found a fabulous site that links databases around women’s alternative health. Especially interesting is the entire listing I found for guided imagery, or what I am accustomed to referring to as ‘guided meditations’, a wonderful tool for overcoming strife and tension. (That doesn’t involve food or exercise!) ‘Women’s Mind/Body Health’ is the link to resource this with another link on that page leading to where to access the books and tapes that one can benefit from by listening and reading more about it. Women’s Center for Mind-Body Health leads you to limitless listings around alternative modalities for healing. Although American in content, there is a huge amount of information here to be rendered in spite of the slight cultural differences between our two countries. I was especially intrigued by the header ‘Mindfulness’ and followed the link to a write up that described the non-spiritual aspect of Buddhist ‘intention’, in that it is a tool that helps one be ‘in the moment’ rather than caught up on the barbs of difficulties from one’s past. I’m sure that there is more to be gleaned from further research into this interesting option to add to my skill set for surviving well and for permanently silencing the negative internal dialogues that can still vex me on occasion. Locally, I found that they had a Victoria listing for the Sentient Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program . The mind-body connection is a part of CEDRIC philosophy and learning more about how to be more comfortable in our own skins teaches us the value of becoming more proficient in giving ourselves time to heal and time to hear… hearing what we need for ourselves. For myself, in the past, this was a vicious cycle that was often what led me back to dealing with my damaged self esteem as I wound up with my own needs so far on the back burner as to seem unimportant, and then that would influence how others communicated to me. Perhaps, learning more about guided imagery, meditation and mindfulness wouldn’t hurt? So much to learn. So much growing to do. So exciting to see the exploratory journey pay off.

Tina Budeweit-Weeks is a member of the CEDRIC Success Team in the role of staff writer and executive assistant for Michelle Morand. Her philosophy has always been one of self-nurturance and dignity. In support of the complex difficulties clients may experience around regaining a healthy balance, Tina’s writing is designed to sympathize, support, encourage and inform. Although there are many similarities in Tina’s process, she is not a client, but a hard working, behind-the-scenes member of the team, dedicated to helping the CEDRIC Centre stay current and effective.