Welcome to the 2020 WATCH “RWISA” WRITE Showcase Tour!
Featured Author for Monday, 11/9/20…
RWISA Author, Yvette M. Calleiro!
“THE JOURNEY”
Dear self,
Oh, the journey we have had…
Its ups and downs and sideway twists,
The moments of exhilaration,
The quickened pulse and caught breath,
The scenes that left lingering loops of trauma,
The journey we have had.
And the journey we are on…
Getting to know you
With no boundaries or judgment,
With love and kindness,
Living one new moment at a time,
The journey we are on.
Ah, the journey before us…
Awareness and acceptance all around,
Gratitude grounding us,
Pausing to make peace with whatever may come,
Living to learn from experience,
Trusting where I am is
Where I need to be,
Embracing curiosity and a zest for life,
Sharing loving- kindness with each path crossing mine,
The journey before us.
The journey we have had built our resiliency.
The journey we are on builds our strength.
The journey before us will make us whole.
I wish you well, my friend.
~ Yvette M Calleiro
For the 2020 Watch “RWISA” Write Showcase Tour, I decided to write this poem. This year has been difficult for many of us, but it’s especially challenging for those with anxiety and other mental disorders. As a person who lives with an anxiety disorder, I have spent many years finding ways to manage my anxiety. I have found that a combination of neurofeedback, therapy sessions, meditation, and mindfulness have worked well for me.
Neurofeedback is a therapeutic intervention where a computer program helps retrain the brain to stay within a normal parameter for response to stimuli. Imagine two horizontal bars with a space between them. A “normal” brain would show brainwaves that stay within the high and low bar with few outliers. A brain with certain conditions would show brainwaves that jump higher or lower than the horizontal bars. Neurofeedback retrains the brain to stay within those bars.
In my case, my neurofeedback takes place while I watch a movie at my psychologist’s office. The staff connects electrodes to various spots on my head. Those electrodes connect to a computer that monitors my brain waves. That computer is connected to a program that links to whatever movie I am watching. As I watch the movie, it registers my brain waves. So long as my brain waves stay within the normal parameter, I can see and hear the movie. When my waves jump outside the normal parameter, the volume will lower and/or the screen with get smaller or fade out. Once my brain waves return with the normal limits, the picture and volume return. In this manner, my brain learns it is rewarded when it stays within the normal limits.
It sounds like crazy sci-fi stuff, and I’ll admit I didn’t really believe it would work. It took me getting to the point where my health was suffering to get me to finally try it. At first, I went every week for a few months. It wasn’t a miracle overnight fix, but one day I realized I was sleeping better and not freaking out as much. My energy was returning to me. My sessions were reduced to every other week, and now, I go once a month just for a tune-up. I am not a fan of man-made medicines, so this has been a wonderful alternative to taking pills to reduce my anxiety.
Another thing that has helped me has been therapy sessions. I meet with a psychologist once or twice a month either in person (pre-COVID) or via teleconference. I am a strong believer that every person should meet with a therapist at some point in his/her life. Some days, we just review my days and see what comes up. Other days, I bring something I want to speak about to the “table.” She helps me restructure how I perceive information and process it. It has helped me to understand and accept events in my past and to have more compassion for experiences I have now.
I started meditating as a way to silence my mind. I have a very loud inner voice. For many years, that inner voice was absolutely toxic. I had all the love in the world for everyone around me, but my inner voice made it clear there was no love left for me. It took me a long time to realize that this inner voice was not me, and I could silence her toxicity. Meditation helped me to do that.
It also showed me how to embrace a loving-kindness mentality toward myself. Those who know me casually will find this information a bit shocking because I always present myself as calm and kind and relaxed, but a cover doesn’t always reveal the inner layers within the book. It took me years to be kind to myself, and it is a journey I am still experiencing.
My meditation journey led me to mindfulness. I think of meditation and mindfulness as sisters in the same family. They are similar but distinct. Meditation is a practice where one uses a technique to train himself to become more aware or improve his attention. Mindfulness is the quality of awareness that one attains simply by purposefully paying attention without judgement. This is a great article to better understand them: https://positivepsychology.com/differences-between-mindfulness-meditation/.
Meditation helped me to silence the toxicity of my inner voice. Mindfulness helped me to become more aware of the patterns in my thoughts, see them, accept them, and let them pass through without permanence or judgment. I treasure the layer of peace it has brought me.
When I think back to the person I was six years ago, I can share loving-kindness with her and embrace the trials and tribulations she/I went through. Had I known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have suffered for so many years without seeking help. I now focus on today’s journey, knowing time is fluid and the only moment that exists is this one. I practice focusing on the here and now. It isn’t always easy, but this journey is about practice and awareness. We, as humans, will never reach perfection, and I find a certain beauty in that. We are, and always will be, a living work of heart. 😊
***
Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH “RWISA” WRITE Showcase Tour today! We ask that if you have enjoyed this member’s writing, please visit their Author Profile on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they’ve turned you into a fan.
We ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA catalog. Thanks, again, for your support and we hope that you will follow along each day of this amazing tour of talent by visiting the tour home page! Don’t forget to click the link below to learn more about today’s profiled author:
You can never know who your friends are until they tell you. What we see from the outside can be very misleading! Yvette, I can see where your inspiration is coming from!😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Joy. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really enjoyed learning more about meditation and it has helped Yvette in her writing experience. We’re too often caught up in the bustle of everyday life and do not take the time to self-reflect and embrace your inner self.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Linnea. That is why I meditate and try to get out to nature as often as possible. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neurofeedback sounds fascinating, Yvette. I am glad the method is helpful. Wonderful poem. 😊
LikeLike
Thank you, Marie. It has been a life saver for me. 🙂
LikeLike
I love the poem that covers so much of life, and that you’ve shared your journey in such a meaningful way, opening doors for others that may be suffering from anxiety disorders. That covers a lot of people, some in my own family. My favorite lines are “We, as humans, will never reach perfection, and I find a certain beauty in that. We are, and always will be, a living work of heart.” That sums it up so beautifully. We are living works of heart. Wow. That will stick with me. Thank you, Yvette!
LikeLike
Thanks, Patty! If we can accept that we are perfectly imperfect, then we can love ourselves more. I’m happy you enjoyed my piece. 🙂
LikeLike
This is a lovely and encouraging post, Yvette, and showed much courage to share what you have gone through. Thank you for sharing this!
LikeLike
Thank you, Maura Beth! I appreciate your support. 🙂
LikeLike
Yvette, it’s caring and sharing by souls like you who will heal this world xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Wendy. One of my favorite sayings is, “Sharing is caring!” 🙂
LikeLike
I love your poem, Yvette! Thank you for recommending and explaining Neurofeedback. I think I’ll try it. 😀 xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s amazing! Keep me posted on your journey with it, Vashti. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will. 🙂
LikeLike
A beautiful poem, Yvette! A wonderful writing piece to open this #RWISA showcase. ❤ Sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Bette. I’m happy you liked it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is inspiring, Yvette. Your poem expresses so much hope and love. Thank you for sharing a topic not spoken of often. I deal with this and depression and find meditation, and past therapy, helps, but I tend to fall into bad habits easily. So I have to be mindful. Writing, especially poetry helps.I never tried neurofeedback, but have heard about. Fascinating. I’m with you about avoiding a doctor’s drugs for this. Good reminder for everyone to take care of themselves too. Sending lots of hugs, Yvette:) xo
LikeLike
If you can find someone who provides neurofeedback, I encourage you to sit with them and ask them more about the process. It has helped me, and several people I know, a great deal. 🙂
LikeLike
This is such a beautiful piece of writing, Yvette. I admire you for your determination and willingness to seek the kind of natural help that works to keep you steady in this life. Meditation and mindfulness are such wonderful things to practice. Thank you for sharing this heartfelt poem and post!
LikeLike
Thank you, Jan. Meditation and mindfulness have truly helped me keep my calm. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful poem, Yvette, and what a way to open this tour! You’ve shared deeply personal information that will help so many others who may be struggling with anxiety issues. It takes courage and a huge heart to do that, and my already high admiration for you has jumped into the stratosphere! Thank you for sharing this!
LikeLike
Aw, thanks, Patty! We must be willing to discuss mental health issues to take away the stigma that has been attached to it. Having a mental health disorder does not make one weak. On the contrary, managing a mental health disorder takes great courage and strength. It’s time we shine a positive light on seeking therapy to find coping strategies. 🙂
LikeLike
Fabulous start to the tour. Well done Yvette. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, Robert. 🙂
LikeLike
Hello Everyone!
I am wishing all of you who are participating on the showcase tour the very best.
Shalom aleichem
LikeLike
Thank you, Pat! I appreciate your support. 🙂
LikeLike
Yvette, thank you so much for opening up and letting us into this part of you. You’re amazing! Great piece!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Nonnie! It took me years before I was comfortable sharing this part of me, but I’ve come to realize that I am perfectly imperfect. I can only be whole when I accept all parts of me. My anxiety is challenging some days, but I have learned that I am strong and I have strategies to help me cope with it. My weaknesses do not define me. They are a part of me but only a small part, and I embrace them with loving-kindness because they help me be whole. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, Yvette, this comment touched my heart deeply. You are SO right. We are perfectly imperfect, each in our own ways. I studied a book several years back called, “Dark Side of the Light Chasers,” which is a hands-on workbook designed to help us face our dark sides and embrace them in order to move into the light. Your comment made me think of that book. Thank you for being your perfectly imperfect self!
LikeLike
I will have to look into that book. Thanks, Jan! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person