Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw “Use the mind to move the energy... Use the energy to move the body,” — Yang Chengfu Hello friends, We live in a world of dualities and separations. The disconnection between mind and body, self and other, ancient and modern, art and science, etc. seems less like a perspective, and more the way it is. This foundation is reaffirmed by the very institutions whose results also challenge it. Most meditators focus on the mind. Physiology and psychology are...
14 days ago • 5 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw “The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” — Rumi Hello friends, While there is growing awareness of the effect of trauma on our health, I believe this explanation leaves out an equally important factor: our cultural stories. The “stories” I’m referring to here are the baggage that most of us grow up so entrenched in that we may hardly notice them anymore. These burdens often come from our parents, teachers and authority figures....
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw "The Body Never Lies."- Martha Graham Hello Friends, What we consider “normal” is actually toxic. While our health system has made many important advancements, the statistical rise in metabolic, psychological and pain disorders indicates a systemic failure of our current medical model to promote genuine well-being. As of 2023, 76.4% of adults in the U.S. reported living with one or more chronic conditions. This number has risen steadily over the past...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw “The way you breathe is the way you live.” - Jeffrey Sorenson, BreathARMY Hello Friends, After completing a breathwork course in the fall, I challenged myself (and fellow participants) to practice some form of breathwork every day for 100 days straight. The rules were simple: miss a day, start over from zero. Even though I’ve practiced different types of breathing for decades in qigong, yoga, meditation, exercise therapy and somatic healing, this time...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw “Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.” - Reinhold Niebuhr (From the Serenity Prayer) Hello Friends, There is no such thing as an easy life. Even if we have certain privileges, we all face challenges and struggles. Even if I could, I wouldn’t wish an easy life upon my worst enemy. Because I know in my heart that hardships are the pathway to peace. Accepting that fact creates the...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” — Chinese Proverb Hello friends, As many of you know, I spent most of February exploring Costa Rica. It was an adventure - though not always a relaxing one. The challenges we faced actually became the doorway for us to bond as a new family. What a blessing to find that connection in the thick of it.I also had space to reflect. That inner growth is helping me live a more integrated...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” - Theodore Roosevelt Hello friends, There is so much buzz in the air around AI. Bill Gates says we are looking ahead to a bigger disruption than even that of the internet. Even though some experts state that these claims are hype, it feels important to consider some of the big impacts we are already seeing in our lives and world. Hopefully, this post will help us to make decisions that are more...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw “Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.”- Vernon Howard Hello friends, Today I wanted to share a reflection that came out of last month's workshop for the members of my Embodied Integration program. We were exploring what it actually feels like to "come together" as a whole human, rather than living as a collection of fragmented roles. I found the conversation so good I had to share it with you! Please...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Move Heal Awaken Newsletter Gabriel Shaw "The easiest way to make a boat go faster is to remove the weight, not add more engine."- Alex Hormozi Hello friends, Most of the clients I work with share a common trait: They are incredibly good at "doing." They are the pillars of their families, the drivers of their businesses, and the people everyone else leans on. When a problem arises, their default setting is to apply more effort and more discipline. But there is a shadow side to this strength....
4 months ago • 2 min read