JenWReeve

Many years ago, on a tour of the old federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, I got locked in solitary confinement. Well, me and about 30 other people. At that time, part of the visit included herding an entire group of tourists into a pitch-dark solitary confinement cell and bolting the door. We probably only stayed there for a couple of minutes, but it felt like an eternity. I remember holding my hand up in front of my face and not being able to see it. I also remember thinking, “What if a stranger grabs me, or worse, has a knife?” […]

I’ve been waking up lately to the smell of smoke. I’m sure you have too if you live in the West, as it’s wildfire season. This one has been heartbreaking. Because I live in the forest, I’m terrified of wildfire, even though, gratefully, I’ve never been through one. Still, I feel so vulnerable! Vulnerability is a place of discomfort for most of us. It’s typically viewed as weakness. The word literally means capable of being physically or emotionally wounded, or open to attack or damage. There are many things to fear about vulnerability: loss of livelihood, physical injury, illness, even death. And that […]

My friend got married Sunday, outdoors in front of a happy gathering of masked, socially distanced friends and family. As part of the ceremony, the couple released butterflies from a beautifully decorated box. At first the butterflies clung to the inside of the box, not willing to be set free. Then slowly, gingerly one flew out, then another and another, until all were ready to escape their temporary prison to embrace the next part of their journey. Sort of like people. There has been a common theme in my healing practice over the last several weeks: I keep seeing squashed, […]

Meet Nalu the Border Collie, my manifestation teacher. I spent some quality time with her last week while visiting my oldest daughter and her fiancé in Montana. While everyone else was doing other things, Nalu and I went for a hike. For the entire 5-1/2 miles on the trail, she waited expectantly for me to throw her a stick, she retrieved it, she laid it down in front of me and then waited expectantly again. When we stopped, she jumped into the river and waited expectantly for me to play “the splash game” where I kick up water and she […]

Last week, my granddaughter turned two, and her grandfather and I bought her a purple drum set. On her big day, I watched her (via Zoom) banging on the drums, then the cymbals, then back to the drums again with every ounce of concentration and joy she possesses. It set my heart on fire… and also got me thinking about play. We are living in a heavy time. Daily life has changed. Tensions are high. Ugliness is being revealed. Fear wants to rule. What might happen if we all took some time to play? When I was a public relations […]

If our collective COVID experience is like a marathon, as far as social isolation goes, I think I’ve hit the wall. Apparently, it is common after mile 18 or so for many marathoners to deplete their glycogen or carbohydrate stores and experience fatigue so extreme they literally feel like they’ve run into a stack of bricks. Hitting the wall, or bonking, is described as a time when both body and mind are challenged—a time when one’s pre-race plans go out the window. Sound familiar? Remedies are physical (consume small amounts of carbohydrates) and also mental (positive self-talk, visualization, keeping your […]