Melanie's Blog

I wrote this blog some time ago, and in the years since, I have become an even more enthusiastic advocate for wonder. I talk about it in both my books, and it's become a regular practice for me, whether dealing with big or small decisions or situations. In a recent session with a client, I suggested that she let herself play with "I wonder how this will go?" instead of spending time dreading a predicted negative outcome and trying to figure out how to handle it. She subsequen

So much thinking This practice is for the busy mind. And we all have one. The mind likes to think, plan and figure things out. After all, that is the job of the mind. But it wasn't designed to be on full alert 24 hours a day. It's also not intended for all tasks. (Definitely not our friend when it comes to processing feelings). Quieting the mind is no easy task and one many fail to accomplish even when paying attention. Deanell told me that she recently went to a sound bath,

#1- Get Up! Writers spend a lot of time in seated positions. And we all know the downside of that! Back pain, neck pain, sluggishness, and a slowed-down metabolism are just some of the ways we’re affected on the physical level. When affected physically, we can’t help but be affected emotionally. Where the body goes, the mind will follow. We lose inspiration, we can’t get in touch with joy, and we begin to hate what we once loved. An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure-

Slow and Engaged When life asks us to slow down and do less, the mind may judge that experience as less than or not good enough. I believe embracing the "lack of doing and slowing down" is an advanced task, whether forced upon us by sickness and aging, or chosen consciously. When I first recognized the need for, and wisdom, of slowing down, I would intentionally walk very slowly from the kitchen to the bedroom. I found the task challenging. We have been indoctrinated to go fa

In the past, the word “disgusted”—and the feeling itself—was rare for me. Sure, as a child, there were foods my parents insisted I at least try, which I promptly spat out, declaring them disgusting. And occasionally, people or experiences repulsed me, but that was uncommon. In the last year, I have found myself experiencing disgust at least weekly, if not daily. And the word is one of very few that accurately names my experience. So now I'm asking myself how to move through a

Fanie’s message is clear: life is not about pushing, but about listening – to your body, to your intuition, to the subtle rhythms guiding you. Her parting wisdom? “I want to see the whole world having more fun with life.” With a t-shirt that reads “Let go, feel good,” Melanie Smithson is not just teaching a method – she’s inspiring a movement of radical acceptance and joy.

“Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance.” If you work with emotions in any capacity, you are undoubtedly using somatic practices. If your client is hyperventilating in session, you may tell them to breathe into their belly, or when strong waves of emotion arise, you remind them to focus on their breath. You may also be in the practice of groundin

We are clearly living in a divided world. How we negotiate the external unrest within ourselves has a huge impact on our mental health. ...

Saying good-bye to loved ones is rarely easy. Over the years, in helping clients move through grief, I have asked them to honor the one...