What Fungus Taught Me About Awe

by Lindsay Roznowski

When the pandemic hit in March of 2020 and all of our worlds shut down, I was working as a counselor at an all-residential boarding school for 9th through 12th graders. I lived on campus, like all faculty at the school, and although my living where I worked gave the shut down an intense spin, I was grateful that my workplace also included 2,200 acres of nature preserve for me to explore. I always appreciated the richness of the woods around the campus, but in the early days of the pandemic, long, daily nature walks became my thing. At a time when I felt constricted, confused, and restless, those walks lent me an expansive energy I could not find anywhere else.

One day in May of 2020, as I headed out to the forest, I was talking to a science teacher colleague about all of the creatures I had observed recently on my walks. She suggested I try a science-based image recognition app called “Seek” so that I could find out about the specific species I was seeing. This excited me! That day, I took her suggestion, downloaded the app and spent an hour in the creek learning more about North American Leopard Frogs, Pickerel Frogs, Fowler’s Toads, and American Bullfrogs. As I wrapped up my amphibian adventure, a bright orange pile of something caught my eye on the path by the creek. As I approached, I was sure someone who loved the woods as much as I did left behind the peels of their clementine snack. Upon closer inspection, there were a ton of clementine peels, and they were growing out of the ground. I was perplexed and wowed. I used the image recognition app to identify this dazzling discovery as orange peel fungus. The magic of that moment—the combination of awe, confusion, curiosity—opened up something profound in me.

Since that day in 2020 when my fungal discovery filled me with wonder, amateur mycology (the study of fungus) has become my passion. Over the past three years, I have identified 356 species of fungus in the wild. I have learned a lot over that time about the science of mushrooms, but also about letting myself love what I love, the magic that lives in the woods, and the power of awe.

I recognized the feeling of awe in my body when it hit me unexpectedly, but I wanted to know more about the psychology and science behind it. Why did it feel like the kind of emotional and physical lightning bolt I needed? Merriam-Webster defines awe as “an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime.”

The Nature Fix

In The Nature Fix, author Florence Williams surveyed many historical figures’ attempts to summarize the experience I had that day in the woods with the Orange Peel Fungus. She discussed how eighteenth-century Irish philosopher, Edmund Burke, posited that “feelings of spirituality don’t just spring from religion: they also spring from transcendent experiences in nature…According to Burke, for something to be truly awe-inspiring, it must possess the ‘vastness of extent’ as well as a degree of difficulty in our ability to make sense of it. That awe also inspires feelings of humility and a more outward perspective has been well described by philosophers, priests and poets.” There was definitely something special about the experience of perceiving something to be a known object and then having to make space in my mind for the fact that it was something totally different, mysterious, and interesting. I had put my finger on the emotion I was experiencing when I first spotted the Orange Peel Fungus, but I wondered how I could keep feeling that kind of awe and how I could preserve the positive side effects.

How Embracing Wonder Makes Us Happier and Healthier

Psychologist Jonah Paquette dedicated a whole book to the emotion of awe in his newest book, Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Connected. He says that “…awe often occurs as a result of something in our external world that overwhelms our senses—a beautiful sunset, a magnificent mountain, or the night sky above. But sometimes, awe can result from things that are not from the physical realm at all, but rather within our own minds—whether from learning a mind-blowing fact or allowing ourselves to see something in a new light. This kind of mind-bending awe doesn’t require us to travel off to distant lands or buy a ticket to the local symphony; rather, it requires us to open ourselves up to the wonders of the world in a different way, and to harness the power of our imaginations to evoke moments of awe within us.”  Dr. Paquette suggests that our openness, curiosity, and willingness to have our minds blown contributes to the intensity and impact of the awe.

After that May day when I got hooked on mycology, I not only continued my daily nature walks, but started to document all new species I found in photographs, and even created my own amateur mycology Instagram page called @phun.gal to share my fungal adventures with the world. It felt exciting to focus on something that I loved that had nothing to do with my job. I wondered if the happiness I felt as a result of my new hobby was just the novelty of teaching an old dog (that’s me!) a new trick or if it was something bigger than that.

What I have found through research is that there is incredible science behind the benefits of awe on the mind and body. Experiencing awe can lead to decreased inflammation in the body, increased dopamine, engagement of the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system, and an expansion in perception of time among other amazing things.

Becoming a Collector of Awe

So how will you open yourself up to the power of awe around you? How can we permanently hold onto the magic of awe that we have already experienced? Dr. Paquette makes some suggestions on how we can become collectors of awe: “Try experimenting with different ways of capturing your favorite moments of awe. Like a museum curator, compile some of your favorite images, memories, objects, and reminders of these experiences. You might keep a journal to record some of your favorite awe-inspiring memories…Or you might hang pictures on the wall or keep mementoes that remind you of these incredible moments. If you’re more digitally inclined, you can consider creating a sort of digital playlist that includes both your own experiences of awe as well as other sorts of awe-inspiring videos, songs, movies, or images. Experiment with what works for you. And as you encounter new awe-inspiring experiences, find a way to add those to your portfolio or playlist as well. Try to devote some time each week, even for just a few moments, to relive and replay some of those moments and memories.”

Lindsay Roznowski is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing individual and family therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. Specialties include trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy; yoga and mindfulness; therapeutic work with children and adolescents; and family therapy. Lindsay teaches her clients happiness practices and skills derived from positive psychology as a way to invest in themselves and their self-care, especially during these complicated times. She is a certified yoga teacher and uses her background dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, and trauma-focused therapy to offer her clients informed, holistic care. She works collaboratively with each client to create a therapy plan that acknowledges the whole person and supports the fullness of each client’s personal goals. In addition to counseling, Lindsay also offers therapeutic groups and workshops. For questions or to schedule a session, contact Lindsay at 215-326-9665 or at
lindsay@bloomwellnesscounseling.com.

Post Traumatic Growth in the Aftermath of Covid

by Vanessa Mortillo, LPC

Coming out of the deep freeze of winter and seeing signs of new life, I am struck by nature’s inherent pattern of rebirth after darkness and cold. This feels like a fertile time to reflect on the growth that has occurred in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic presented a sense of freezing of daily functioning; we experienced fear and grief, the threat of death or injury to ourselves and our loved ones, and loss of jobs, celebrations and rituals. As a society, it is undeniable that it presented hardship and led to a seismic shift in how we operate on a daily basis and how we view the world. Like the Spanish Flu of 1918 and World War I and II before it, the pandemic was an experience of collective trauma. When we are in the midst of a trauma, we are focused on getting through it and persevering. Only in its aftermath do we truly have time to reflect on how we have changed.

Trauma and post traumatic growth

Trauma is any event or exposure to an event that threatens serious bodily injury or death. Human beings have a wide range of responses to trauma; some are able to return to homeostasis somewhat quickly, while others may develop mental health challenges (anxiety, depression, intense fear, avoidance, etc.) as a direct result. In the 1990’s two trauma psychologists noticed a phenomenon they referred to as Post Traumatic Growth occurring amongst their patients who experienced significant distress following a trauma. Post Traumatic Growth results when a person grapples internally with an earth-shattering event, and emerges on the other side with lasting positive changes. Tedeschi and Calhoun assert that this type of growth is a direct result of the struggle to come to terms with a life-altering experience and does not occur as deeply for those who bounce back quickly.

Tedeschi also noted that the path to this growth is achieved through the struggle, and not instead of it.  It can be tempting to skip over the painful parts of traumatic experience and try to rush to the positive outcomes. However, fully listening to, holding space for, and processing the pain of trauma is an important step on the path to healing and growth. While the work is difficult, it can bring about positive change. These are the areas of post-traumatic growth they identified:

Depth of Relating to Others: Trauma can test our relationships but also deepen them. It may force us to reach out in ways that result in the reinforcement and expansion of vital support systems.  It can also result in our struggles fostering deeper compassion for others who also struggle.

New Possibilities: Experiencing a major change in your life can leave you reflecting on all of the changes that are possible, the development of new interests, or simply a willingness to make major changes. Often when we are forced to change, we gain new courage to tackle other changes.

Personal Strength: Trauma can help us realize that we can handle more than we thought possible and gain new confidence in our coping and self reliance.

Spiritual Enhancement: Sometimes our most painful and scariest experiences can result in contact with the meaning of life and forces beyond the self. We may have a more profound connection with our spirituality after a trauma than we did before it.

Appreciation: Experiencing loss can lead to deeper appreciation of what we have not lost.

I invite you to reflect on these areas for yourself. How have you changed as a result of the pandemic? Have you noticed growth in any of these areas? You may find it helpful to write about your experience and/or to discuss your responses with a trusted person in your life. While there is a lot that happened during the pandemic that was universal, we also had our own unique experiences and were impacted differently. Similarly, the areas where have grown in the aftermath of trauma will vary from person to person. Reflecting on your growth and sharing that with another person can be a bridge to deeper connection and appreciation of our resiliency.

Vanessa Mortillo, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in play therapy, mindfulness, and expressive arts. She provides a playful space to harness creativity and imagination in the service of growth and healing. Using a strengths-based approach, she builds on what is working well in your life. She has worked with adults and children from a variety of backgrounds in home, school, and outpatient settings and is committed to advancing equity and social justice. She can be reached at 267-507-5793‬ or vanessamortillolpc@counselingsecure.com.

The Value of Coldness — Worth the Shock?

by Carolyn Abele, MS, LPC

Often when people consider ways to regulate their emotions and body systems, ease aches and pains, and promote healing, they think about warmth. They imagine being cuddled and cozy or sweating in the sauna. After I watched Chris Hemsworth’s docuseries Limitless, my interest in cold therapy was piqued. Cold water exposure has been used in various cultures for many years and is now gaining popularity in the United States as a way to heal, regulate and rejuvenate. Wondering how a cold water plunge can feel good?  The cold water shocks the nervous system and releases endorphins (which feel good!).  Research suggests that taking the plunge for several minutes, several times per week can offer many benefits.  Experts do caution that a gradual introduction to cold water exposure and emersion is best.  An easy way to start your cold water exposure is to turn the hot water all the way off at the end of your shower, and to work on regulating your breathing while your body cools with the cold water.  

The benefits of cold water exposure are still being discovered, and are very promising.  Some of the more common uses are to help with inflammation, decrease depression and anxiety, reduce migraine symptoms, stop panic attacks, speed up cell regeneration and increase the functioning of the immune system.  Cryotherapy (cold therapy) has recently emerged as a treatment option providing regulating and healing benefits.  There are now Cryotherapy centers popping up around the world to offer cold exposure as a way to improve mental and physical health.

Cold water exposure and cold therapy offer alternative, accessible treatment options for a variety of health issues.  Whether you are looking to improve physical functioning, mental clarity, focus, or any of the other possible benefits, information (beyond Social Media) suggests the only downside is the temporary discomfort of being cold. I’ve already started the cold rinse at the end of my showers and plan to regularly use cold water exposure to do a little of my own research into its possible positive health benefits. Seems like all those people who love Polar Plunges are less crazy than I thought, and I am late to the cold party!
 
Carolyn Abele, MS, LPC works individually with adolescents through adults, and  with  families and parents.  She specializes in working with individuals with anxiety and depression, trauma, self-esteem, as well as helping adolescents and their families with behavior related challenges. To connect with Carolyn, please call 215-354-7941 or visit her website at carolynabeletherapy.com.

Intuitive Self-Care — Reflections from the Resiliency Center Practitioner Community

We all face the winter doldrums!  Below are some self-care practices that Resiliency Center community members engage in during winter months.

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our Love. — Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet.  This prose from Rilke reminds me about life, what is important — Love.  Another practice that helps me to ground, come back to myself is practicing Qigong.  A Master teacher with whom I practice and from whom I find inspiration is Lee Holden. — Karen Steinbrecher

I love to hike in the winter when the woods are so peaceful and quiet.  I also like to snuggle up by the fire and read a book. — Elizabeth Campbell

I like to visit an indoor greenhouse or butterfly garden to get a taste of tropical in the middle of winter. Seasonal physical activity such as ice skating or skiing helps lift my mood too! — Vanessa Mortillo

I drink a lot of tea and eat a lot of soup and my favorite thing to do is make a fire in my fireplace and sit by it and read! — Therese Daniels

I’m a big fan of bubble baths and reading under a blanket when the weather gets cold! — Andrea McGady

I like to bundle up and go for a walk when the sun is out and skies are blue. I find the crisp, cool air refreshing. I also love to watch the winter birds outside my kitchen window and how they celebrate warmer days by splashing around in the bird bath. On snowy days, I love being outside. I find the quiet blanket of snow incredibly peaceful. — Elizabeth Venart

I like to go on nature walks looking for mushrooms, splay out on the carpet in my sweats (which is all I wear outside of work) with my coffee in the morning and make art, embrace rest a bit more, and pray for Spring to come. I am admittedly more challenged with self-care in the winter and my mood is definitely affected by less sun and colder temperatures. — Lindsay Roznowski

54 to 57° is my perfect place. I love the crispness of winter air, it helps me to feel like I can breathe. The stars in the sky also seem brighter and clearer.  I love to look at the trees in the winter and see the nest that I had no idea were there when the trees were in full bloom. It's a reminder to me that they're so many mini miracles happening in the world around me even if I can't always see them. Something's always growing or in bloom somewhere. Best of all the permission that the cold and winter brings to tuck in or cuddle in is a welcomed permission for rest for me.  — Brittiney George

I enjoy puzzles, card games Uno flip, and playing board games like Catan! I also enjoy pray and meditation in the morning with a warm cup of coffee. I like to meditate on the steam leaving the surface, focus on what I'm thankful for, and set my intentions for the day. — Olivia Ruffin

Intentional Self-care for the Winter Doldrums

by Olivia Ruffin, MS, LPC

As the excitement and cheer of the holidays come to a close, friends and family go back to their homes, and it’s time to get back to reality, it can be difficult to find balance in our ordinary schedules. In addition, for those who experience loss, negative experiences, or struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) the winter months can present as a physical and emotional challenge. So as not to get stuck in the “New Year, New Me” wave, here are some tips that can help increase self-care through the winter months and support new experiences, self-compassion, and inner peace.

Live-in alignment with the seasons

“Slow down and enjoy life. It is not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” Eddie Cantor

Winter is a time for hibernation and to slow down and reflect. It can be difficult with our ever-growing “to-do” list and social pressures to resist the urge to take on new projects. It can be hard to shift our focus from a doing state to one of rest and reflection. The key is to give yourself permission to slow down. A few steps you can take is to practice saying “no”, especially to events and activities that you find draining. I like to support my clients in developing a sense of serenity by practicing mindfulness.

Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment on purpose, which creates an opportunity to experience happiness and joy. The practice of mindfulness can include guided meditation, practicing gratitude, observing the activity around you on a nature walk, or singing your heart out in the shower. One of my favorite activities to do with clients is to create a gratitude jar; as they accumulate the collection, they are reminded that even on our toughest days, there is still goodness in our world. Developing your own brand of mindfulness is what makes the experience fulfilling and unique.

Maintain a healthy seasonal diet

“In Chinese Medicine, the season of winter is thought to be the most yin of seasons: dark, cold, and slow; a time of conserving energy, rest and stillness, with our qi moving deeper inward to help keep us warm.”-- Jayne Whitman

Chinese medicine teaches us to live in harmony with the seasons. The best method to keep our bodies in balance in winter is to have a mainly warm diet with foods available in the session. To find out what your body needs, stay up to date with your doctor's visits and maybe consider working with a nutritionist. If you struggle to be creative in the kitchen, working with a nutritionist can be a great support to increase confidence and knowledge about foods that bring you joy and keep you satisfied. Sometimes the best medicine starts with what's on the plate.

Revisit a hobby

Hobbies have great benefits for your mental health, whether it’s creative, athletic, academic, by yourself, or with others. Hobbies help us to slow down and unwind. Hobbies also help us to reduce stress, increase mood, and boost creativity. Revisit the joy of reading or try listening to an audiobook and allow yourself to be swept away by the story. Maybe you'd enjoy learning a new skill like crafting, cooking, or learning to play a musical instrument. These are all methods to not only practice mindfulness but bring back simple joys. Does a hobby come to mind? Don't be shy. Now could be the time to enjoy it again.

Stay connected

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean the fun has to stop there! Staying connected to others is a great way to beat the loneliness of winter. If you are feeling healthy and confident, maybe get back to in-person activities like attending faith-based events, meeting a friend for coffee or dinner dates, or finding friends through new experiences on Eventbrite or Meetup. These are all methods to keep and find meaningful connections.

Intuitive movement

“Intuitive movement is the practice of connecting and listening to your body to figure out how it feels and what type of movement it needs that day.”-- Rachel Harley

I support my clients with the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skill of opposite action. We all have that nagging feeling, “I should get up and move,” but what you might not know is that “should statements” motivate us with guilt or shame.  While that can sometimes get us started, rarely is that movement or change enjoyable or sustainable. Learning to settle into your body and asking yourself what movement would be fulfilling for you right now could be the key to unlocking sustainability and creativity. From yoga to dancing to playing with your kids in the snow, noticing if it feels good to move your body differently is what counts!

Although the winter months can be cold and gloomy, that doesn't mean your self-care routine needs to suffer. By living in alignment with the season and slowing down, staying warm, and reflecting through mindful engagement, you can increase joy and connection even in the middle of winter. If this sounds like a new resolution you can get behind and you need support to get started, then I might be the therapist for you! Let's get connected!

Olivia Ruffin, MS, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor that works with teens and adults. She specializes in working with individuals with anxiety, depression, and life transitions to cultivate joy and develop helpful and relevant strategies to empower clients with concrete tools for lasting change. To connect with Olivia, please call 267-434-1030. Learn more here. 

Writing a Tribute or Praise Poem

by Elizabeth Venart

Eulogies provide an opportunity to reflect on a person’s life, sharing who they were and what they meant to us. The Cambridge Dictionary defines eulogy as “a speech, piece of writing, or poem containing great praise, especially for someone who recently died or retired from work.”  However, eulogies need not be reserved exclusively for funerals and endings. Tributes and praise poetry are additional spoken and written forms that celebrate and honor. The Academy of American Poets defines a praise poem as “a poem of tribute or gratitude.” [Insert link to: https://poets.org/glossary/praise-poem]. Praise poetry and singing have been (and continue to be) a significant practice in Africa and in cultures around the world. Praise poets perform at ceremonies, rituals, and festivities and use storytelling to capture the essence of the person being praised.  

“Your life is a poem,” proclaims Naomi Shihab Nye. We make poems by observing life and writing it down. Odes and tribute poems honor a specific subject of our observations and affection. They need not rhyme, and you need not know poetry. A list can be a poem. Any time we speak from the heart, our love is a living poem.

You know what you love about the people in your life. Maybe you just need some time to reflect — and a gentle prompt — to begin gathering your thoughts.  

Start with one person. Brainstorm a list of everything about the person that you see and appreciate. Looking through old photographs may help jog your memory. Personality, behaviors, strengths, unique qualities and habits, specific experiences you have shared. The simple words I love you are powerful, and details infuse life and meaning into that sentiment. Details show “I see you” and “I adore all these very specific things about you.” Tributes, both prose and poetry, can be built from everyday remembrances. Our descriptions provide snapshots, glimpses into a person, a relationship, a life being lived.

After writing the tribute toast for my friend’s birthday, I felt inspired to write another for my longtime friend who is moving from Pennsylvania to Denver. She is vibrant, full of energy, has strong opinions and a great sense of humor. I integrated shared memories, funny facts, and descriptions of how she shows up in the world. Here is a sample:

At my wedding, got us laughing, gobbling up red roses.
Dramatic toast, sang an Aria, did silly dance move poses.
Loves restaurants, Thai, comfort food, ordering lots of dishes.
Mac and cheese, roasted duck. Just skip the smelly fishes!

Having caught the writing bug by this time, I wrote several additional tributes in that same week. It was a delight to sit with pen and paper reflecting on everything I loved about the people in my life. Memories and fun details started springing to mind more easily. In writing each person’s tribute poem, I landed in the final line on my love and appreciation for them. The writing was a way to say “I see you” and “I love all I see.” My poems included one for a beloved child in the family. Keeping with a fun rhyming pattern that she would find engaging, I focused on things she loves and does right now. Children change so quickly. The poem reflects a snapshot in time of who she is in this moment, knowing some things will stay constant and other things (like her interests) may change. Here is an excerpt:

Fan of rainbows and purple, hearts and bright pink.
She’s clever, determined, can stare and not blink.
She’s playful and silly, loves gymnastics and soccer.
Loved her from first moment I held and rocked her.

“Your life is a poem,” proclaims Naomi Shihab Nye. We make poems by observing life and writing it down. Odes and tribute poems honor a specific subject of our observations and affection. They need not rhyme, and you need not know poetry. A list can be a poem. Any time we speak from the heart, our love is a living poem.

As we approach this February’s celebration of Valentine’s Day, why not carve out some time for creativity and put pen to page to honor those you love? Do you have a friend you would like to honor? A parent? A sibling? A teacher? A child? Perhaps you would like to write a love poem to yourself — as you are today or maybe an honoring of yourself at a different age.

Writing can be a lot of fun, but sometimes it is hard to get started. Since I’ve been having so much fun writing praise and tribute poems, I’d love to support you with yours. Poet and women’s writing group leader Tracie Nichols joins me in offering a free two-hour writing workshop (via Zoom) on Saturday, February 4th from 10 am - 12 pm. Our time together will include meditation, journal prompts, list-making, and invitations to speak from the heart. While our focus will be on one person in your life you want to honor, the process we share is one you can use again and again to tap into love — and create a piece that expresses it.

Writing is not the only way to share our love for what makes someone dear to us. Musicians write songs of tribute, some with words and some instrumental. Some photographers are very adept at capturing the spirit of their subjects, illuminating light, grace, zest, or other personality traits. Some artists draw or paint their loved ones, an expression that highlights their inner beauty. Creativity has no bounds. Neither does love. May it spring forth effortlessly from you and embrace you. To share love is to experience it. And that is always a good thing.

Elizabeth Venart, M.Ed., NCC, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Founder and Director of The Resiliency Center of Greater Philadelphia. She specializes in supporting Highly Sensitive Persons in embracing their strengths and living authentic, joyful lives. An Approved Consultant in EMDR Therapy and a Certified IFS Therapist, she offers clinical consultation and professional trainings to other therapists. She is passionate about supporting people in healing from trauma, making sense to themselves, decoding the puzzles that keep them stuck, and living their best, most fulfilling lives. Learn more at ElizabethVenart.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyday Eulogy: Open-Hearted, Expressive Practices for a Kinder World

by Elizabeth Venart

In all our interactions, we have an opportunity to share the kindnesses that naturally arise in our hearts or to hold them in. Why bottle love or hold back that compliment on the top of your tongue? Why not share? 

When we express appreciation for those in our lives — for who they are and what they do — we have the opportunity to connect more deeply. They feel seen and loved. When we share compliments and appreciation with anyone with whom we encounter, we brighten their day. When we focus our eyes on beauty, our hearts fill. It’s easy to focus on things that frustrate or annoy us, but when we share what uplifts us, we can uplift others. Here are a few opportunities for everyday eulogy:

• Giving compliments (admiring style, a great smile, accomplishments both large and small, demonstrations of courage or endurance)
  
• Expressing appreciation for kindnesses we receive (a door held open, a home-cooked meal, a cup of tea, a helpful customer services rep, a friend who reaches out to say “hi”)
• Writing short pieces of prose or poetry to capture beauty and gratitude (earl grey tea on a quiet Sunday morning, oak tree after snowfall, health after illness, a child’s laugh)
• Taking photographs to capture moments of beauty, authenticity, connection, sparkle — training our eyes to see beauty and inviting our subjects’ natural light to come forward as we share how we see them (“you are fabulous!”).