Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog Post #604

Last week, I was at a place not far from where I live -  to escape from construction noise (neighbors modifying their house to “age in place”).  While I am happy for anyone who can do that … the persistent noise produced by power tools and hammers reactivated my persistent pain pathways in such a way that I don’t have words to describe the sensations. For sure they are “unpleasant” and “undesirable”.

On March 10, at this place of tranquility, I woke up to the sound of power pruning.  NO!  I thought Am I being tested?

On March 11, another unpleasant incident occupied my thoughts.

On March 12, I read the email from kindhearted mentor author Margaret R. Davis.  Margaret asked: “Teresa, can’t you apply the very same principles you use to reduce pain to block out the irritation of the construction noise?”

Margaret is referring to what I have learned and what I continue to learn from Dr. Norman Doidge, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Dr. Marla Golden, Dr. Danielle Rosenman, Professor Lorimer Moseley about retraining my brain / practicing neuroplasticity.

Thank you, Margaret! Thank you to ALL the dear hearts in my life who care about my well-being.  I am most grateful!

Soothing thoughts. I thought about LaH who delivered me to this lovely place and how MT, SS, NN individually visited me and brought delicious foods, and, everyone who sent cards, emails, text-messages, voicemail, thoughts, prayers.

On the evening of  March 13,  2021, I wanted to watch the movie PRIVATE BENJAMIN (starring Goldie Hawn) again.

Well, not only did I find clips on YouTube, but also, I was rewarded with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZsGZZA3LNM  Ms. Goldie Hawn’s inspiring presentation  “Importance of Mindfulness” 

I was overjoyed listening to Ms. Goldie Hawn’s sharing stories of children learning about how their brains work, and talking about their amygdala, prefrontal cortex … what is neuroplasticity, practicing “Brain Breaks” (meditation) with their teachers three times a day in school, using soothing thoughts to quiet their hardworking brains, and, the children going home to share their knowledge with their parents and other family members.

At 19 minutes Ms. Hawn shows the audience a film on MindUP – the signature program for children of the Goldie Hawn Foundation.

At 39 minutes  Ms. Hawn talks about intentions; to witness thoughts, and not get attached to them.

[ Teresa Jade LeYung here…

“Wow, witness my thoughts but not get attached to them. I thought about my lineage….  If as children my grandparents on both sides were given the opportunities to practice this skill, then, as adults they would have passed it onto their children (my parents), and my parents would have passed it onto me and my siblings.

“My parents were young people during World War II; my mother was orphaned; my father had to leave home to find work and send money to support his mother and siblings; then, they experienced colonization . . . such chaotic lives . . . and no one to teach them how to create peace for their beautiful brains.

“Last week, while I was at that lovely place that turned out to be not so tranquil, I said to my pals ‘I am what I think.’  If I am to truly heal from persistent pain and unpleasant sensations (all produced by Beautiful Brain), I must practice detaching myself from worrisome thoughts, and, use soothing thoughts to create pleasant sensations.” ]

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Above graphics of the brain is from TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION workbook

by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO

http://www.neuroplastix.com 

https://shop.neuroplastix.com/Neuroplastic-Transformation-Workbook-92-W8PZ-LIIY.htm

 [ Teresa Jade LeYung here…

“I wonder if Dr. Moskowitz, Dr. Golden or Dr. Danielle Rosenman know about Ms. Hawn’s foundation and that the children in the MindUP program know what their Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex and other parts of their brains do and how they (the children) learn to develop mental fitness.

“In our family, no one taught us anything resembling mental fitness.

“The adults were inept. In the 1970s, my escape was watching movies from the 1940′s, but, many of the characters in those films were lost souls. Our brother turned to music. Our little sister relied on her imagination; her stuffed animal companion Happy Dog was her loyal and gentle confidant.

“As an adult, my sister always chose careers that involved helping children.  She is Maria Kawah Leung – author of LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: And How They Stay Strong in an Unhappy Home.  The protagonists in her illustrated book are Mia and Happy Dog.   To hear a reading of Maria Kawah Leung’s book by Hannah Yeoh, a member of Parliament in Malaysia, and to hear Happy Dog’s message to children, and Maria’s comforting words to children and adults … watch on Youtube  https://youtu.be/9k8DLcJlvVg

“If MindUP had existed during our childhood . . . I can just see my little sister coming home to show our parents how to “quiet their hardworking brains” ]

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 https://mindup.org/

The heroes at MindUP announce:  “We are happy to announce MindUP will now be rebranded to MindUP For Life.  Evolving the visual identity to embody its new holistic direction.

We are thrilled to unveil our new brand identity and share with you that MindUP is evolving to become MindUP for Life. After many years as a school-based program for educators, MindUP for Life will now also be available to parents, families, and adults. This rebranding marks an exciting time in MindUP’s history, as we are launching the 2nd edition of our curriculum as well as an interactive online platform projected to launch this spring to support our growing audience. Over the last few months, we have worked with the amazing team at Le Parc Design to create a new image that would accurately depict our growth and helps us impact as many individuals as possible.

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Dear Readers,

Thank you for reading this blog post:  Author and Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Everywhere I go, I learn about our beautiful brains. This week, MindUP, Ms. Goldie Hawn’s foundation”

I wish you and your beautiful brains – safety, kindness, excellent health, clear water, blue sky, delicious eats, smiles, sweet laughter, soothing thoughts and more soothing thoughts!

Sincerely,

photo of Teresa Jade LeYung by Sasa Southard, world adventurer

Teresa Jade LeYung

Theme Consultant / Platform-Building Coach

Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication.  Reach out, not stress out.”
www.TeresaJadeLeYung.com

Coach Teresa’s workbook -
Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW  — print edition and ebook

author Teresa Jade LeYung (mask and photo by Emily)

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com   takes you to Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung’s blog - resources regarding our beautiful  brains  / persistent pain / depression  / wellness

Love Made Of Heart ®

Teresa Jade LeYung says “Be kind to our beautiful brains.”

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Jodi O’Donnell-Ames, founder of Hope Loves Company, says:

“Hope Loves Company is the result of raising three children who have learned about ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) as young children. This video . . . created in love and hope–in memory of my late husband and hero, Kevin Gerard O’Donnell–who taught me everything about love and whose smile and courage are forever in my heart. Please share and help spread Hope Loves Company, thank you!”

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Carole Bumpus, author of A Cup of Redemption, says:

“Like the braiding of three strands of buttery brioche, three women’s lives become inextricably intertwined while sharing recipes and childhood stories over casual cups of coffee. No one realizes that these conversations—about love and loss, war and tragedy—will lead to a cross-the-world journey in search of answer to mysteries surrounding a long buried past.”

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Carol Dussere’s blog: Turning East – Stories of living, working, and traveling in Asia.  Carol Dussere was a professor of English at Xiamen University in Fujian, China in 1984-86 and at Dongguk University in Seoul, Korea from 1989 to 2006. The interviews and photos were collected as a result of her life abroad.

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Carla Danziger, author of Hidden Falls, says:

“I’d known about the Norwegian Resistance to the Nazi occupation ever since I was a kid, but very little about the situation of Norwegian Jews at that time.  I researched both to understand my older characters.  As I wrote Hidden Falls, I brought in “current events” such as the controversial trial in Israel of John Demjanjuk, an alleged concentration camp guard; the brilliant expose of Nazi Eric Priebke by ABC T.V. journalist Sam Donaldson, and also the hopeful Oslo Accords facilitated by Norway between the Israelis and Palestinians. After the tragic assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995, I decided my story had to be set in August 1995, when both the peace process and Mr. Rabin were alive and seemingly well. . . Tusen Takk.”

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

As editor/story consultant, Teresa LeYung-Ryan identifies themes, universal archetypes, front-story and back-story for her clients.

As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, she says: “Make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

Teresa has built her own platform happily; her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. She says her novel and her play Answer Me Now carry the theme closest to her heart: mother-daughter relationship.

http://writingcoachteresa.com for Coach Teresa’s Blog and other resources.

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”

The Capitol City Young Writers have opened submissions for a literary journal by writers aged 10-18. Deadline is March 15, 2011. Check it out and help spread the word. Thank you, Linda McCabe and Margie Yee Webb, for telling me.

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On January 22nd Elisa Southard will be co-chairing the judging for the Bay Area Travel Writers Student Contest Submission deadline was January 1, 2011.  Keep them in mind later in the year so that you can get in on their next contest.  How perfect for Elisa Southard, the travel writer, to co-chair this event. Elisa is working on a new book—Big City Travel Skills–for young, first-time travelers.

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The Mt. Diablo Branch of California Writers Club
Young Writers Workshops and Contest “Honoring a New Generation of California Writers”
6th – 7th – 8th Grades,  Contra Costa County, California

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Check out Stone Soup for young writers and artists

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Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan–creator of “Heroes, Tricksters & Villains” workshop for young writers

Manuscript Consultant / Writing Career Coach / Author / Publisher

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com and click on “Writers’ Resources”

On the return trip from The Hook,  Martha wanted to walk on the beach.  Sure.  We drove all this way, let’s get onto sand.  Hmm… we had to maneuver around boulders.  I slipped on kelp and my right knee landed on something coarse. I thought  Oh now you’ve done it— it’s going to hurt  like crazy later, so, I turned back toward higher ground.  That’s when the tide rolled in and soaked my right pant leg. “Never turn your back to the ocean,” Martha advised. What a wonderful metaphor!

As we continued walking back to the house,  I thought about how Marisa (my friend who died last week) would have loved being in the water.  Here’s to you, Mountain Lake Turtle!  When we arrived at the house, I took out the Neosporin (I always have it in my bag).  Imagine my surprise when I rolled up my right pant to see that my knee was neither bloody nor bruised.  I applied some ointment anyway.  Maybe Marisa was thinking of me too.

I had a lovely time, eating, listening to everyone’s stories and my husband’s ukulele, taking a few photos, enjoying the blue sky.

8 hours later, I’m home. After tidying up my kitchen, I see in my in-box an email from Judith Marshall, telling me that her interview is on http://www.theauthorsshow.com/ Good going, Judie!  Articulate and candid.

I see on the schedule that Margaret Davis will be on the show on June 2^nd.

24-May   Judith Marshall    Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever – novel
2-Jun       Margaret Davis     Straight Down The Middle -  novel

Happy New Week, Everyone!

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan

Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published is the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook. http://WritingCoachTeresa.com
I am so happy to announce the opening of the Love Made of Heart online store where you’ll find gift items for yourselves, women, children, moms and babies, friends and pets.  http://lovemadeofheart.com/Love-Made-of-Heart-Online-Store-&-Gift-Shop.html

I am so happy to announce the opening of my Love Made Of Heart online store

where you’ll find

gift items

for

yourselves, women, children, moms and babies, friends and pets.

Happy shopping !

My Love Made of Heart Trademark Put to Work

My deepest thanks go to my husband for cheering me on when  I turn dreams into action; to my sister who helps me keep the vision strong and clear; to my father who expresses his support; to my dear friends and colleagues who inspire me; to CafePress.com for making “opening a store” an easy & fun adventure; and to my guardian angels (especially my mom) who watch over me.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

a.k.a. Writing Career Coach Teresa, creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Love Made of Heart Gift Items--notecards, journal, Teddy Bear, throw pillow, cups, coffee/tea mugs, beach tote bag, apron, baseball cap, mousepad, water bottle, gym bag

Love Made Of Heart for Babies Infants Toddlers--bibs, bodysuits, T-shirts--organic fabric, for little ones

Love Made Of Heart for Pets: Dog T-Shirt, food & water bowls

Love Made Of Heart Maternity, Women & Men: T-shirts, fitted T-shirts, sweatshirts, raglans, tank tops, zipped hoodies, long sleeve, short sleeve, Women's Plus sizes, organic fabric available

Love Made Of Heart Children / Kids T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies organic fabric available; Love Made Of Heart Juniors & Teens: Raglan, Ringer T-Shirts, tank tops

pink and purple Love Made of Heart gift items for  grandchildren, mothers, grandmothers, kids and babies, dogs, pets, teens & juniors, women, maternity, plus sizes, girlfriends, grandparents, grandkids. Purple heart inside pink love in Chinese word.

Love Made of Heart Teddy Bear & other gifts