Passions, Priorities, and Healing

I myself met Dr. Nicole when I was in a very difficult place in my life and she started me on my healing journey. Like many I wanted to do everything and get it done with, but healing does not work that way. Changing foods and adding supplements is the tip of the iceberg. No argument, they do make you feel better and get your body more in balance, give you more energy, and cleanse you of what is hurting your body. However, other things are more challenging, let’s talk about self-care that does not include the dietary changes you have made for yourself. These are the changes you need to make for your mind and your spirit. You know those self-care things we are all supposed to do, say we know how important it is, but just can’t fit in anything more right now, we will get to them when we have time, money, energy, after work is finished, after I get my children get a bit older, my wants can wait for now…the excuses are endless and let’s be honest we know better.

What we don’t realize is, the things that feed our minds and spirits are the things that we are passionate about, get creative with and do our best interactions in and with this world. These things my lovely people are not wants, they are needs for our hearts and souls. Those moments with working with what we love to do are a very big part of what sustains us, and makes us thrive.

During those first few years (yes, years, I’m stubborn and willful and at that time fought everything as if it where an epic battle, epic things take a lot of time) while attempting to gain balance within myself physically, mentally and spiritually, I thought the only thing I could do was take care of my body. During this time of healing I had low energy and my body hurt. Somedays I could not get off the couch. I would knit, crochet spinning, embroider and everything I could get my hands on to explore deeper into in the fiber arts world. I felt like I was being lazy, I should push myself more housework, cleaning, working part time and being a mom taxi and I did. However, those where the days are when I felt the worst, but thought I felt better mentally because, I overcame my bodies limitations and strained it again in order to get what I though was most important done. This stagnated my progress for quite some time.

During my first year of healing I spent enough time on that couch to make enough things to have a homemade Christmas for my family, our parents and closest friends. This completely elated me, and my family as well. I went into the next year knowing I would do better. Of course that meant being 100% in a couple of months, right? Well, no, but I did improve. However, I was still missing the point of what was actually helping me heal and move forward. Every hat, mitten, sock, sweater, afghan, and piece of art work was an act of saving myself at the time. While creating I was immersed in learning, making, feeling excited and building a passion for something new. This creating was moving me forward, making me want to get up, feeling good about myself for what I was creating, no matter how bad I was at it in the beginning. I found that wanting to create made me not only want to live, but to be active, participate in life and continue exploring what I love to do.

Your interests and passions most likely live elsewhere than where I found mine to be, but the amount of self-care you give to yourself while pursuing what you love, gives so much more love, healing and self-worth back to you, it is priceless. It does not have to be a full time job, and probably at the moment it cannot be, however, making time for it daily even just a few minutes to move a project forward bit by bit is fulfilling. This is a big thing asking yourself to make yourself a priority, a number one priority at that, for just a little while each day. How could we think we did not have time for this? Why we are not worth our own time? I found I had to do it before I could understand why it was helping me, and I found that it made it easier to give to others when I had already created the”love” they needed me to give, it had been created when I was creating. This has increased my ability to give, rather than feel like it was being drained from me.

So, what is it that you are passionate about, curious about, want to learn about, want to say yes to? How about making your passion a priority?

Love and Blessings,

Thea

The Benefits of Dogs on Mental Health

Please welcome our guest writer, Jessica Brody from ourbestfriends.com.

Photo via Pexels.

It will come as no surprise to most people that dogs make people happy. However, the effects of canine interaction go beyond a simple mood lift. According to Time, dog owners tend to live longer, happier and healthier lives. If you are suffering from a mental health disorder, getting a dog may just be the best thing you could do to help. Read on for tips from Dr. Nicole Galante on how to determine if a dog can provide the healing and comfort you need. 

How Can A Dog Help?

While many other animals can and have been used for emotional support, dogs remain the most popular option for a few reasons. 

• Playing with and cuddling a dog fulfills the human need to touch and provides a soothing effect on the brain.

• Dogs are highly empathetic. They can tell when you are down and feel compelled to help.

• Their playful attitude can be a positive influence and a relief from the stresses of life.

• Dogs push people to go out the house, offering plenty of opportunity for exercise and socialization (e.g: training classes, playdates, dog park visits), both of which are great for mental health. 

• They can relieve loneliness for people who live on their own.

• They provide a sense of responsibility and, for people with severe depression, a reason to live and to get better.

Which Dog To Choose?

Not all dogs are perfect as emotional support animals and some are more suited to some disorders than others. If you have depression, you need a dog that is happy, excitable and loves to cuddle. You can opt for a more high-energy breed, but they should be trained to behave in public. According to Bustle, good examples include Labradors and Golden Retrievers. If your mental health issues are related anxiety or PTSD, you still need a dog that enjoys physical contact, but you may need a calmer breed. Saint Bernards, Corgis and Dachshunds are good options.

Overall, any dog that is calm and likes human contact is ideal for mental health support. You should also consider other aspects such as time, budget and activity to choose a breed that fits in with your lifestyle. 

Therapy Dog or Pet?

Therapy dogs for people with mental health illnesses vary slightly from the service dogs used by people with physical disabilities, which are trained to fulfill specific tasks. An emotional support dog doesn’t have to fulfill a specific purpose: They’re just there to make you happier. This distinction is important because despite what many people think, therapy dogs do not have to be allowed into private businesses like service dogs do. The main benefits of therapy dogs are being entitled to live and travel by air with the animal. 

If you decide a therapy dog is the right choice, you’ll need to obtain a letter of recommendation from your therapist or doctor. A professional should give you a letter based on whether they feel a therapy dog would help you and whether you are in a condition to maintain one.

Prepare Your Home for a Dog

Once you’ve made the decision to bring home a furry friend, you need to gather all the necessities. This includes a bed, possibly a crate, a leash or harness, a collar, food and water dishes, toys and dog food. If you have a large backyard that’s unfenced, it would be wise to consider installing a fence. Particularly if you’re bringing home a younger dog with a lot of energy. A fenced-in area offers a place to safely play, and it provides protection for your pup. Bear in mind that when you want to have a fence built, it’s important to order a land survey. Knowing the exact measurements of your property boundaries will ensure you don’t infringe on your neighbors, which can lead to pricey legal disputes. 

There’s a reason why dogs have consistently been man’s best friend for millennia. Even our oldest ancestors, when domesticating wolves for things like hunting and protection, benefited from the companionship a dog can bring. Dogs are unfalteringly loyal, unconditionally loving, and intelligent enough to understand sadness, empathy, and comfort. When you add the fact that they are furry, adorable, and a delight to spend time with, it becomes obvious why they are an incredible source of mental health relief. 

In your continued efforts to find balance, consider healing therapies offered by Dr. Nicole Galante. Through sound or healing sessions or even guided meditation, Dr. Galante wants to help you on your healing journey. 

What the animals are saying…

We have welcomed the calendar years entrance into Spring. We all have different times and ways Spring announces it’s arrival where we live. Have you noticed all the shifts in nature that is coming with this season? Here, not only has the sap begun to move from the roots of trees to bring life to it’s branches and buds are beginning to appear, but animals have started to show themselves everywhere. Coming out from hiding or from the south. They are all here now, out in full force.

I was trying to think back to the time that this book, Animal-Speak, The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small by Ted Andrews, came to me. The exact moment has not returned to my memory, most likely because it is not relevant, but what is important is that this book has traveled many miles with me. On many hikes, many island visits, may camping trips and I’ve slept with it right under my pillow for immediate reach when it’s needed. This book and information within keeps me connected to my soul and my spirit.

In many shamanic traditions they have a journey to find you spirit animal is a part of learning the way of the elders. For thousands of years we have lived in among many, many different animals on this planet. We have watched their patterns, their paths and have “listened” to what they have to tell us. They have messages about the weather, predators, and life patterns. Within the teachings of this book I have truly witnessed and learned many lessons about what animals are here telling me. Most importantly, what insights they have for me about myself.

Enjoy this book, embrace this book. If it speaks to you, allow yourself to find your spirit animal or animals. Seek the messages that are here for you, today and always.

20 Hawks

Ever have a time when a few chapters in your life where everything feels stagnant? No matter how much you try to meditate, try to change your surroundings, fight off the urge to run, basically just try to see things differently, just to feel something that is different than the “funk” surrounding you, the “funk” that is within you? It is difficult to sit with your own energy, especially when the world around us feels like a slow hamster wheel.

I have been lost many times along my way, and while I do manage to spend time every single day outside due to the needs of my animals I don’t always take enough time to just be in my surroundings, soaking in the messages from nature.

Have you ever been traveling somewhere and seen a bird, deer, dragonfly or raccoon? Did you ever take a moment to think in that the exact moment about the message that came along with seeing that animal? Being present in the moment is the best way to allow your energy to be open to receive the spiritual gifts that are presenting themselves to you.

Last month, the energy during Mercury Retrograde was heavy for some, almost feel like having blinders on, or basically treading water. It was during this time spirit reminded me to take time to be in my surroundings, to “see” what animals and messages that where coming my way.

It was a random day of the week, it felt no different than any other day, except I noticed a hawk sitting in a tree. All of a sudden my heart felt lighter. I felt my energy shift, as hawks represent the ability to use intuition and higher vision in order to complete tasks or make important decisions. Within an hour and a half, I had seen 14 hawks, and by the time the sunset, I had seen a total of 20.

Up until that day, I had been feeling stuck. These bird messengers gifted me with a new perspective, a sense of clarity and a big hug from the spirit world and beyond that there is never a moment my soul is left alone. It was extremely powerful, and a reminder to be present, to keep you heart open and be willing to be uncomfortable in your own skin, for it is a way to shed off a few energetical layers to reveal something new.

While I have my own spirit animal through my shamanic work, every encounter I have is a message from the spirit world and is gifting me a piece of wisdom I need to have in my life. Take a deep breath, ask for help when you need, look around and you will be surprised what you see.

Coming Back to Myself

Hello Everyone!

Sorry, for long absence of me writing to you here. I have started numerous blog posts, some with what I felt to be profound words, that turned into mush halfway through and then thoughts became so jumbled I could not get them down on paper... So, finally I awoke this morning with some clarity. Please, be patient as I once again transcribe thoughts and feelings in my head into writing.

Time has flown by, this last year seems like a blur. If I had a feelings chart, you know one of those that you put on your refrigerator to help identify what a person is going through at the moment, I would definitely have cycled through EVERY single emotion, EVERY day. While trying to navigate though the constant stream of emotions, I thought my physical day had not changed much, in retrospect it has indeed changed. Life has changed. Perhaps it was just denial or trying to remain calm, life has shifted into a new paradigm.

While talking with a now, new stay-at-home mom, who is trying to navigate “at home learning” while still maintaining her sanity, our conversation was interrupted by her child and she asked, “Why are you not on with your teacher? You need to be on the computer with your teacher...” Directions where given and our conversation continued. Not two minutes later this mom was asking, “Why are you in your Captain America costume? You need to get back on the computer with your teacher...” It was in this moment I realized we are all navigating life in our own special way.

While we are in challenging, frustrating and nerve wracking times, remember there is truly an immense amount of LOVE and UNDERSTANDING as every single one of us have our struggles with this new paradigm. Remember all of your feelings are valid, and need to be worked through. When you need to, take a moment to breathe, scream in a pillow, cry in your safe space, get outside or whatever you need to do in the movement. Feel it, acknowledge it and then let it go.

As many of you know I LOVE WINTER! So, regardless of the cold and snow, I get outside. I recommend this to everyone. Spending time in nature is the only thing that brings me back to myself, but I may invest in a Captain America costume to bring me that joy, or maybe dress up Randy.

All My Best,

Dr. Nicole

Let me tell you about Miss Rosie…

Miss Rosie was rescued when she was about 10 months old, she is now 16.  Miss Rosie spent 10 years of her life on a downeast farm where she was the family milk cow. Chances are if you lived in Downeast Maine during this time, you had milk from Rosie.  She was treated like a queen, she had three little girls who grew up painting her hooves and dressing her up.  Rosie had 4 calves over the years and she became the “farm pet.”  As the children grew and life changed, the family decided not to have a farm anymore, it was a Full Time Job, and they were adjusting to their family’s growing needs. They thought long and hard about “what to do with their beloved Rosie.

That is where Mike and I enter the picture.  The family asked if we could give Rosie a “retirement home”.  Besides having some backyard chickens, which is a blog for another day, we decided to welcome Rosie to our home.  Neither of us ever had livestock, I actually grew up in the city, and honestly we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but we were all in. 

We got Miss Rosie a barn, I painted her some signs and  made it her home. We learned that the Feed and Seed was now our favorite new place to shop for the essentials for a queen. In the years Rosie has been retired I have learned many more things… It’s her way or NO way.  During the winter she will not come out of her barn, unless you bring snacks and snowshoe her a path.  In the summer she prefers two fans, as one requires her to turn back and forth from her face to her bum, but if she has two it’s almost like AC.  She loves apples, she loves scratching her neck on all the trees, she hates fly spray, will tolerate a bandana, and will never turn down a brushing.  She loves when the school bus shows up with a group of kids, and on those days it’s always about her.  Rosie has also enjoyed the garden club, when they came she was a star, and the flowers decorated her. There also was another group of artists that brought their easels and paints and sure enough Rosie did not disappoint. 

Rosie also happily goes for walks, and she never turns down attention. She is very social.  I learned that Rosie loves men, I mean LOVES them.  She turns into a total flirt, her head down and kicking up dirt and then blowing at them all. I have left patients laying on my chiropractic table because the neighbor called and Rosie was out running the neighborhood. 

Rosie’s great to talk to if you need a good cry. She can take all of your weight, give you warmth, and always listens until you are good and done with all that you have to say. Rosie has listened to it all, all my woes and all my excitement. Rosie will endlessly “help” Mike clean her stall, but she likes it done her way. I assure you that Mike’s words are sometimes colorful, but she just lets his words go, and keeps right along “helping” in her own special way,

Rosie has been a pure joy, I have looked out and seen her playing with the deer, I have pulled porcupine quills out of her head, but I told her she made the best cow-icorn ever.  She’s one of the loves of our lives, she’s a rock to anchor us, she makes sure we get out everyday and most days lets me process my day with her, aloud or to myself, but I’m there in the barn with her.  She gives me the space to bring me back to myself. There has not been a minute we have not enjoyed her spirit and energy around our home, and she helps make our house, home. 

When people ask what do you have for pets? I have a list that I go through and when I get to Rosie I say, “We have a 1,200 lb dog.” 

“All My Best.” - Dr Nicole

Whatever the Weather

Yesterday it was sunny with a warm wind, today is rain that is going to turn into snow as the sun sets, we will wake with a light covering of snow tomorrow morning. The weather here in the northeast changes daily in the spring. It can mimic January to August, in the scope of a few hours, but we know it will never last too long.

We are not fooled by the warmth of the sun, for hours later we can be cover in snow. We know that the northerly wind can freeze water over night till about noon, but it cannot hold on forever. We know that change is what to expect, and even though we may dream warmer days with a warmer breeze before the little black flies hatch, we have to “be” here now.

Weather happens daily, sometimes hourly, some times it rains in the back yard and is sunny in the front (Rainbow Time!!!) But as I just stated, the only time that you can enjoy it is right now. Put on the appropriate gear to keep warm and dry and go enjoy that spring snow storm, go jump in that puddle, go enjoy the sunshine on your skin when that extra layer gets too hot. Go back inside and make tea and soups when the rain makes you cold.

Enjoy the little things that the weather brings to your senses. The warm woolly smell of a sweater, mud tugging on your boots and knowing your feet are dry, bare feet in a barely warm garden, wearing layers that keep you just right in the sun, laying on the ground with the smell of spring earth and last years grasses breaking down, being drowsy and just wanting a little nap. Running for the house in a spring rain shower, but not really upset that you are getting wet, or possibly because it’s absolutely freezing.

What on earth is she getting at you ask?

The moments of nature that you can experience are many and vast, these are just a few I experienced in one day this week. Each moment was fleeting, but they where all joyous, some of it blissful, some allowed for me to be a participant in creating spring in my garden. Other moments had me sheltering indoors, nourishing my body with foods and warmth. Not every moment was comfortable, but I am aware that I am blessed to be able to change my situation, here I could seek the shelter that I needed and then rejoin nature outdoors when the weather changed.

Change allows the discomfort to lead you to where you need to be, or comfort in a new setting, to find the joy, or what makes your soul content. Change is inevitable, it always is. Sometimes change is rapid and sometimes it is slow in coming, but it is coming. Nothing in nature is meant to stay stagnant. In the Spring, the changes in the weather are rapid, so is growth during this time. There changes are not limited to the weather and plant growth, it applies to us as well.

The changes of this spring’s awakening have not been comfortable, but if this were not so, changes that are so baldly needed would not be happening. Changes that give us opportunities to assist in our healing, finding comfort, rest, and growth. These changes are occurring for all of us. Our bodies are being asked to move and get out after the quiet state of winter, and then were thrown into energetically charged time of refection earlier this year. Now, now we get to move forward, just like the Earth in Spring.

How is your journey reflecting the season?

Are you accommodating changes or fighting them?

Have you stopped for a moment to see what possibilities change is trying to bring you too?

You do not have to know the answers to these questions, but maybe give yourself some time in nature, or while you’re sheltering from it to maybe sit with them, and see what opportunities are within the changes that are coming your way.

All My Best

Spring Growth

Watching nature bring back all of life’s colors and start the cycle of growth is a most magical thing to witness. The ground paints itself green one blade of grass at time, then you notice that the green is reaching out to the sun and growing closer to it. Buds on trees swell and start to crack open, letting you see their hints of whites, yellows and greens. Some hardy bulbs shoot forth their flowers even while snow still coats the ground. I think that they cheer on the other flowers who are more hesitant to peek out and see what is going on, letting them know that the time is near.

Here in the northeast, winter holds on a bit tighter, and we get a little impatient for the first spring greens to show. Sometimes, we need to create a little bit of spring life inside, to grow the tender seedlings, so they might have the amount of time that they need to grow and bear fruit in our gardens. We then need to tend them, giving them more soil and bigger containers to continue to grow while the weather outside is too cold, and windy for them to live.

As the temperatures rise and things get warmer, and the winds relent just a bit, we take our little plants outside for a few hours each day. To let them experience the wind and slowly allow the plants to become strong to be able to stand within it. To let them feel the sun, to be able to process it’s energy into the nutrients that it needs, allowing all the cells to slowly learn to work successfully, without getting burned. Then, we give them a break, bring them inside to rest and then start again the next day. After a week or so of this transition, they are able to stay outside and are ready to be planted (I am impatiently waiting for this time right now, but for us it could well be another month.)

Starting inside, giving nutrition, tending to needs, allowing things to build and learn to work properly, resting, being patient…

I didn’t start out to write a metaphor at all, I wanted to share my love of watching spring build life… I guess I did a bit of that too.

Maybe take some time to sit out in nature for a bit, just being in it and a part of it. See how you feel when you are touching the earth and taking in a bit of that energy from the sun and then, go back in and rest when you have need of it. There will be so much more to come when we are prepared and ready for it.

All My Best.

Getting Ready to Spring Forward

Spring is nearly here!

My little dog Lester the Whoodle will tell you we should be outside every day! Every moment of every day! To play with the sheep, cow, ducks, and geese! They should also be playing with him regardless of what they would like to be doing! (Wow, that’s a lot of excitement.) Coming inside is a calamity, there is pouting, I get side-eyes and he gives me tail (turning his back to me) so I am emerised in his reticence. However, being his mom, I know that there is a balance that needs to be kept. He needs to eat, sleep, and have downtime. If he does not receive this balance in his life, things will easily go awry!

I also know sometimes after winter, we need to be reminded of this as well. Spring is wonderful, but we need to remain in balance. It’s getting warmer, we are seeing the sun more often and we feel that we are all moving through and out of the winter’s cold and the earth’s slumbering rest. The stagnation and anticipation that occurs as spring slowly comes forth, is coming to an end. And let me tell you, we are excited about the energy and warmth that spring bursts forth! We are ready to get outside for longer periods of time, ready to garden, ready to start playing outdoor sports and getting together more often with friends as the days lengthen. There is just more to do in so many facets of life.

However, we need to remember to take time for ourselves, to have quiet moments, to rest, and not feel like we need to be actively partaking in this change of weather every moment of every day. To nourish ourselves, to allow the foods of the season to give us the nutrition that we need. To remember to take in the calories and hydration that are required to keep our bodies in optimum health and our body’s healing abilities to remain optimal.

Rember, even as spring’s energy is rushing forward, that taking things slowly does not mean we are letting things pass us by, but giving us the opportunity to appreciate what we are surrounded by, to sit with it and have gratitude for it. This gratitude for the little things we take time for creates room for happiness when we repeatedly find ourselves taking time for them daily.

May you find that you are looking forward to fresh air, nourishing food, clean air and a little bit of nature every day. May you also find yourself in the quietude, gathering peace for your soul.

All My Best,

Dr. Nicole

Taking a Moment for Me

These past 2 weeks have been a challenging ones! I need to take a moment for myself, and let go some of the things that are on my plate. I just really needed to share that this happens to me too, as well as remind you to take time out for yourselves when things become overwhelming.

So, this week I’m sharing some of the moments that I have captured on camera. These remind me why I give to myself. So, I may enjoy the beauty that surrounds me, and remember that I am a part of it and share it with those I love.

Be Patient, Give and Accept Love, Experience the Beauty Where You Are…

…and maybe a little dream of spring…