Thoughts on life, healing, and wholeness
Intro to Tantra
This Intro to Tantra event will take participants on a deep dive into the world of Himalayan Tantra. We'll dispel myths, open to truths and drop into our soul's yearning for more love, passion and purpose. In practicing skills for unconditional love, we create...
2016 Fall Offerings @ Tantric Ground
September 2016 Letter to the Tantric Ground Community Dear Tantric Grounders, You’re going to like this. I’m excited to share with you what I’ve been up to. Below you’ll find a whole lot of new programs, along with some of the old familiars packaged differently for...
Mini Touch & Play
Mini Touch & Play On Nov 12-13, 2016, Moti Zemelman and I will host a regional 'Mini Touch & Play' in western, MA for anyone interested. We are hoping to recreate some of the summer's magic. In July, this past summer, I was invited to teach a Tantra Intensive...
Intro to Tantra Weekend Retreat
Tantric Ground’s Intro to Tantra Weekend Retreat Shutesbury, MA Sept 29-Oct 2, 2016 "I was transported. The event exceeded my expectations. Kristen's gifts with creating and holding space dazzled me. I even got wiser, learning tantric philosophy when I thought I...
Intimacy & Body Awareness for Women: 6-wk group
an exploration through the expressive arts in conscious and loving community May 18, 25, June 1, 15, 22: 6-9pm + 1 full day June 24th 9am-5pm Limited to 8 participants $425 Do you realize how powerful and gorgeous we all are? Every single size, shape, color, race,...
The Hero’s Journey: Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
By the time the first Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class starts, I've already sat with each participant to hear their story. Some are facing their mortality, others chronic debilitating pain and addiction, still others, family histories that limit their...
Thresholds: Yoga, Ganesh and Coming to Life
Thoughts and feelings on end-of-life are present for me today. My 'father-in-law' hovers on a threshold. A client cancels an appointment from the ER. I'm potently reminded of mortality. This arrives on my doorstep after a deep dive into yoga practice this past...
SE-informed Mindfulness in Northampton, MA
Roadblocks to a Practice: Overwhelm & Spiritual Bypass The MBSR courses offered at the Somatic Center are modeled after the original programs Jon Kabat-Zinn developed. But just as yoga props help people of all sizes, shapes and health, come into physical...
A Client Letter: Living Beyond Sexual Abuse
"I just thought you should know what's changed," she said. "I'm not scared all the time anymore. I didn't even realize I was scared all the time until [the fear] stopped. I've learned about hypervigilance, and how to appreciate my intuition. I'm not scared of the...
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in Northampton, MA
Two upcoming Mindfulness programs Next 8 wk SE-informed MBSR course October 24, 2019, 6-8:30pm START A new MBS-informed for Teens starts May 2, 2019: Mindfulness for the Savvy Teen Every wisdom tradition has a 'contemplative practice', yet the ‘mindfulness’ movement...
Radical Embrace: Course on Body Image and Self-expression
On March 10, 2013, I will be teaching a course called Radical Embrace. We will look at the devastating impact western culture has on ‘body image’. In contrast, when we learn to Radically Embrace the absolute beauty and miracle of human life in its many forms, shapes...
Choosing Love Over Fear
At his 65th birthday, Silas gathered his friends close, “I need to tell my story. It’s the next step.” I was among twenty people more than willing to listen. There were twists and turns for sure. He took us through painful betrayals, confusing landscapes, hello’s,...
Understanding and Healing Lower Back Pain and Hip Pain
Geomorphology of the Body When humans began standing upright and walking across the plains as bipeds, it completely changed the physics of the musculoskeletal system. Since form follows function when it comes to anatomy, changes to our musculature were inevitable. ...
Understanding and Healing Head, Neck and Shoulder Pain
Geomorphology of the Body The challenge any animal faces as it evolves from living in the ocean to living on land, is to figure out how to organize movement in a field of gravity. Our musculoskeletal system is the 'technology' that allows us to do just that. In very...
My Story: An Invitation
I suspect there are many ways to engage with the healthcare system. Here are a few of my favorites. As ‘paying friends’, we hire healthcare practitioners for their wisdom and company. As ‘victims’, on a 'bad day' we look to them for rescue. As ‘private...
Unveiling: Healing, Body Image and Art
We all walk around with untold stories that get twisted and turned within us. We hide in cloaks of shame, so that we might pass as acceptable. Stories about our relationships to our bodies are about as personal as they get. What if they’re all holy? What if these...
Scientific Support for Massage and Chronic Pain Relief
“59% report a greater than 50% reduction in chronic pain symptoms" In a scientific study conducted by T. Lundeberg in 1984, 267 patients with chronic neurogenic (nerve generated) or musculoskeletal (muscle and bone related) pain were followed for 18 months. Of those,...
Categories of Trauma
Trauma is commonplace. It's a by-product of living in today's world. We now know that war veterans and victims of abuse are not the only one’s who suffer symptoms of trauma. It can be caused by seemingly benign, as well as extraordinary events. Regardless, it’s...