On Valentine's Day, it feels fitting to talk about love. But let's expand the definition to include revolutionary love. Love that defies violence and control and oppression. Love that is not submissive but kryptonite to hate. Love that includes love towards self and others. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the concept of revolutionary love (a concept created by Valerie Kaur) and how it is the antidote to the world we are all navigating.

As children, many of us learned that it was unsafe to talk to strangers. But was this fear-based conditioning reality? Statistically speaking, most children experience harm at the hands of people they know. So how do we break this conditioning? We begin by acknowledging we are more alike than we are different and strangers are just friends we haven't met yet. Join Lynn and Karen as they share how talking to strangers has enriched their lives and helped to create connections in their community.

It can be incredibly hard to find moments of joy when the world can seem so heavy and dark. It can also feel "wrong" to be joyful. But here's the deal. It is never all dark or all light. Even funerals will have moments of laughter. Sparks of joy can happen when we allow ourselves to be present to what is happening around us. Join Karen and Lynn as they share their own recent sparks of joy and how we can allow for joy in our lives.

This has been a full, hard week. In fact it feels like the 76th week of January with all that has transpired this week. Couple the national news, with anything hard happening in community, and then add in any hard personal pieces and the layers are overwhelming. We feel you friends and you are not alone. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through how long their week has been and how connection is a way to lighten our loads.

As humans, we all have moments of regret or wishing we could ask for a "do over." Embracing our full humanness means recognizing that we too are imperfect. Join Lynn & Karen as they talk through accepting our humanness and recognizing that we can make repair ... both to others and ourselves.

Did you know there was such a thing as "Quitter's Day?" It was created in direct response to the many New Year's Resolutions people set and the amount of time that passes before people fall back into old patterns. As they used to say on the TV sitcom Full House, "How rude!" If you feel the shame and guilt that comes with the judgment and ridicule of New Year's Resolution, hold tight. Karen and Lynn reframe our journey of change with self-compassion, practice and much more "being" than "doing."

In our day to day life, we are often met with responses to "see the bright side" or "be more optimistic" or "you need to get over it" when navigating challenging times in life. This toxic positive messaging seems to get amplified even more during the holidays when happiness or merriment is the only acceptable way to be. Enter Real Vibes Only. Our lives are complex and are composed of layers of impact. We hold emotion for our individual lives, as well as our families and friends, our communities, our country, our world. To say that it all needs to be positive is to avoid the realness of being human. Join Karen and Lynn as they unwrap the gifts of the season and honor all of the emotions and experiences we carry into the holidays.

As human beings, we hold a lot of emotions each and every day as we navigate our personal and collective lives. These days, changes in our world and the constant flow of information can be overwhelming, scattered and often attaches a sense of urgency. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through their own experiences of being "all over the place" and finding ways to ground and center themselves when they can.

It can be challenging to offer support to someone who is struggling or in deep pain. Many times our first response is to offer advice to help shift the person away from their pain. We do this, not necessarily for the other person, but as a way to alleviate our discomfort from the pain they are expressing. But offering advice, rather than being present with the person, oftentimes misses the mark for both people. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the pitfalls of offering advice and how both people can enhance their connection.

As our November 5 election approaches, more and more people are feeling the stress and anxiety of the current state of our country and the possibilities that lie ahead with the outcome of the election. Politics and
divisiveness aside, how are you feeling? How are you holding all of the emotion that comes up in response to current events and politics? Join Karen & Lynn
as they talk through their own election anxiety and what they do to honor their emotion and stay present. And, join us for upcoming Community Living Rooms
specifically for election anxiety and connecting around our inner journey (not candidates or issues).

There is a Leonard Cohen quote that goes, "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." It's a favorite of Karen's and it beautifully holds the values of Emotional CPR. It reinforces the belief that we need each other, and we heal in relationship with others. Join Karen and Lynn as they discuss the quote and how it reminds us to be a light for others.

A common discussion in our training classes is around boundaries and emotions. Setting boundaries can be challenging; add to it our human emotions and things can get downright complicated. Join Lynn and Karen as they define emotional boundaries and how we can practice creating a pause to determine what's mine and what's yours.

We all can identify times in our life when we have been triggered by past events that brought uncomfortable emotion or memories to the present moment. But have you heard of glimmers? In a world that is often focused on the negative impacts of life, glimmers are the opposite of triggers and can create moments of gratitude, joy and peace. Join Karen and Lynn as they share how noticing our glimmers (in addition to our triggers) can bring a wholeness to our experiences.

In a world that is hyper-focused on the "doing" rather than "being," we get asked often, "What do you do anyway?" Often we respond with, "We listen" which is quickly met with "No, but what do you do?" Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative is focused on connection and a new way of listening to ourselves and others. Join Karen & Lynn as they share the power of the work they do and how they are building a connected community ... thanks to all of you!

How much energy do you put into looking "together? How much energy do you put into holding back emotion or putting on a smile when you want to fall apart? More importantly, what would happen if you allowed yourself to fall apart? Truly, what would happen? The conditioning we receive to appear perfect, unemotional, and "together" runs deep. Learning to allow for imperfections, mistake making, and emotional transparency takes deep courage and practice. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the benefits of allowing yourself to fall apart.

Everything you do, everything you say, everything you feel is valid, important and it matters. You are a human being who has value ... always. Join Lynn and Karen as they share what it means to feel "real" - to be seen, heard and valued - no matter how you may feel on the inside.

Our world can be overwhelming. The rapid pace of digital technology and the receiving of information can make it feel like it's spinning much faster today. What can you do when you are feeling overwhelmed and helpless? Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through opportunities to ground in the present moment and reframe your sphere of influence.

As human beings, we all have pieces of us that we may not share with others. It's part of our human experience. Being vulnerable can be scary. Allowing others to see us and witness our true selves can be transformative when it is received with non-judgment and empathy. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through moments of being seen in their vulnerability and how holding space for others to be seen has deepened.

We all experience times in life where we feel like we've lost our way. Maybe it's the result of a traumatic experience. Maybe it's the result of significant changes in life. Maybe life has become overwhelming, and we feel like we are drowning. In the midst of it all, know that you are not alone. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through their individual experiences of getting lost on the road of life and how connection with others helped them regain their footing.

Although it is two simple words ... Stop It ... "it" can be incredibly difficult to stop when it is something that we have been conditioned to do for many, many years. Before we can make changes, we need to become aware that change is even needed. Join Karen and Lynn as they share powerful messages to "stop it" and how important extending self-compassion and empathy to ourselves, during change, can be.