 Hi {!firstname_fix} My birds have learned that the feeders are full now and are voraciously gobbling seed as if they have never eaten a thing. I love watching them from the window as I write. I must admit, I am astounded at how much seed they go through in a day. Doing the science class has really motivated me to be learning about new science. It makes the whole process come alive. I hadn't really connected with how much change there has been in 10 years. Now sugar addiction has been named and is being studied. As you read this week's article, you will see that I am embarking on learning a new skill of dog training. My, has it touched some core stuff. I hope you enjoy sharing in the process. You can be sure, if I am learning new things, you will get to enjoy the benefits as well. One small reminder. Whenever you visit the classes page or the schedule page, make sure to refresh your browser so yo pick up any changes that have been made. These classes will begin Wednesday, June 4, 2008. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page: Diabetes (2 weeks) is the class we do every so often for those of you who have diabetes as part of your story. If you want to learn how daibetes and sugar sensitivity go hand in hand, this is the class for you. This class will teach you about the numbers and the solution. We will have our community experts as teaching assistants so this is a wonderful opportunity to learn skills ideally suited for your recovery. Obesity Myth (2 weeks) is the famous class that blasted our myths about being fat from the water. If your doctor, husband, girlfriend or child is on your case, come join us. If you are shamed about being fat, come. If you feel that being fat is wrecking your health, come. get the real scoop and then move forward knowing what to do. This class is ALWAYS fun. It is one of our top ten! These classes will begin Wednesday, June 11, 2008. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page: Brain Chemistry: Serotonin (2 weeks) is one of our most popular classes. It helps you make sense of why the potato works, why you have a problem in the winter and how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can play into this. If you munch in your mind, if you are depressed or edgy or feel sad, this is the class for you. Step 3: Three Meals is one of our core classes. This is a skilled based class. If you want to learn the baby steps of a successful step 3, come join us. This class is ALWAYS fun. The class schedule is on line. Click here to see what is planned. Please do not sign up for classes that are not yet scheduled. A number of you have asked me how the classes work. Check the class list page for more information on this. The classes are done online and you do not have to be at your computer at any set time. It does not matter whether you are in the US, Europe, the Far East or Australia, you simply respond on your own time. And although I advertise that the classes are one or two weeks, sometimes we are a little flexible and they may run longer. And please go read the questions and answers before you write to me. If you have trouble getting through the process, write the tech forum. Please feel free to pass this week's newsletter on to your friends and family. Don't forget to let me know what you like and would like to see me cover. Be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery¨ website and Community Forum regularly. Warmly, Kathleen **********************************************************************
June 2, 2008 ** Quote From Kathleen **
For a while, you may struggle with the concept that 'doing the food' - something so simple and so not sexy - can be so powerful. *********************************************************************
** Testimonial for the Week**
Hi all, Funny thing happened Thursday. I was in the school I teach in on Thursdays. Every year at this time my computer classes get pre- empted by some concert or some special event. And every year I never get any advance notice. And every year I get po'ed and kvetch up and down the hall to whoever will listen and then leave the building and go home (sheepish grin). Until this year. I don't know how many of you have been going to chat, but this past Wednesday Kathleen talked about scrunching and then laughing when old destructive patterns begin to take hold. Scrunch through the emotion and laugh it away. In my first class on Thursday, the teacher started grumping, as she usually does this time of year. And I, Puck that I am these days, got the kids doing a wave, LOL. The teacher started laughing and class proceeded to lighten up. And as I figured, as we lightened up, the kids concentrated more. And then the teacher lightened up even more. And so on. You get the picture. So class ended pleasantly and we accomplished a lot. So I was feeling good and laughing. Then, WHAM, my schedule gets interrupted--as it does every year. Concert rehearsals and what not derailing my entire day. But try as I might, I could not get the grump going. I couldn't kvetch, no matter how many trips I made up and down the hallway. It just wouldn't come. And when I realized what I was trying to do--I started laughing. And when I realized how gloriously I was failing at it, I laughed even more. Of course, some things never change. I left the building and went home (VBG). Ann Margaret ********************************************************************
**Radiant Kitchen**
LEMON CHICKEN STIR FRY Ingredients:
Process:
Serve immediately with brown rice. Yield: 4 servings
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**Your Last Diet: More Than What You Think** YLDonline is a membership program run directly by Kathleen DesMaisons herself. It's funny, we have been focusing on some growth stuff in chat - like addiction to misery and learning how to think *I get to* rather than *I have to*. It has been so much fun. Then I keep hearing about the weight people are losing. This does sort of crack me up. We talk about weight loss and people fret about misery, we talk about misery recovery, and they focus on weight loss, LOL. Anyway, we are having fun over there. Don't forget Wednesday chat is 30 minutes earlier so the East Coasties can get to bed on time. And, if you haven't taken the Obesity Myth class, please, oh please, make sure to sign up. It is ALWAYS an eye opener. If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just plain ole have fun. And click here if you want to read some success stories. ********************************************************* ***********
**Radiant Recovery Store **
David manages the Radiant Recovery Store. He is also Kathleen's oldest son.  I thought you all would love hearing this conversation from the diabetes list. They are talking about the talk Kathleen did at Ranch 2007. Hi Linda, When I first came to the group, I had a lot of pieces of all of the Steps going on too. I was feeling lots better than I had been before I started, even though I wasn't real clear on exactly where I was. And boy, was I ever glad to be feeling better. At that point, I couldn't even imagine it getting better than that! I felt that I was on Step 7 too (could we have been twins separated at birth???) and wasn't all that keen on the thought of revisiting Step 1 and working my way back up the steps to fill in pieces that may have slipped by, but when I took the advice to use a beginner's mind and take my time with them individually and in order, I also found what I'd missed were some very wonderful things embedded in the *process* of doing the Steps. And I am sooo glad I went back for them! I would love to hear what you think! Diane Diane, I love this CD too! I remember being at that Ranch, and hearing that information really was fun and interesting. It is amazing the little jewels each step holds. I remember coming to the program and thinking...well, I do this, and this, and this...so I just need to change this and this. I love how we have a list for all the steps, and love what people discover through each step of the journey. Colette I love that CD! It really helped me get clear and back on track. It was especially helpful in dealing with my journal resistance :) Part of my journal resistance was history with other programs and part, probably the biggest part, was comparing myself with my perception of what others were doing. Big perfectionism going on. Now when perfectionist thinking pops up I use the phrase *it is what it is* and move on. Our bell choir director uses this phrase and I have found it very helpful in all aspects of my life. For me it is saying good is good enough and that has been a very important lesson in this recovering perfectionist's life :) Linda B Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. ********************************************************* ***********
**Our Online Groups**
We have been adding some new step 7 people to our teams. Janice recently joined the journal team to help with the list. I thought you would enjoy her comments about it: Thank you, Terri. You know, if you had told me a few years ago, or even one year ago, that the time would come when I'd WANT to to talk about the journal and how it excites me I wouldn't have believed you. Wonders truly never cease in radiant recovery. I am so grateful to be here. Janice So, come join our journal list and participate in the fun! ********************************************************************
**Learning Something New**
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. I decided I wanted to train my dogs a different way. A friend had introduced me to the idea of clicker training that uses positive reinforcement as the primary tool to shape the behavior you seek. I read some material online and got excited. It made sense. I figured it would help with my youngest dog, Ronan. He had been attacked by another dog when he was a puppy and since then has been edgy with other dogs. My plan was to help get Ronan settled. I hired a trainer. She sent me a long list of questions about me, my dog and the concerns. I liked that. It felt as if she was getting to know us, creating context and customizing the training to suit our needs. The first week she came she spent an hour and a half. It was really exciting. I was hopeful, optimistic and ready for the process. I started practicing with Ronan. He made incredible strides. This was good. We had our second lesson. It felt great. Afterwards, I could remember nothing. I couldn’t remember the instructions, I couldn’t remember the point. I didn’t understand anything. I felt really disoriented. After all, I had trained a lot of dogs, how was it possible that I couldn’t make sense of this. I started reading. I wanted context. I read three books on clicker training. On a cognitive level, I was figuring things out; I sort of understood the principles. On another level, my brain was swamped by new ideas and differing opinions. It was exciting and disorienting at the same time. Lesson three came. We were learning to walk together with a loose leash. The trainer says the way she teaches this is to start with no leash. She demonstrates. Ronan does it perfectly. It is clear to me that the issue of Ronan’s skills is not with the dog. The problem is with me. I am not sending clear signals so he does not know what to do. My first reaction was to feel embarrassed and inadequate. I wanted to cry with the not knowing how to do the task. I couldn’t keep track of the steps, the sequence, and the expectations. On the outside, I act attentive and interested, on the inside I am flipping out. We go out to the back to practice. I feel like I have 5 legs and 8 arms. I do not know right from left. I do not know what I am supposed to do. Ronan is miserable. He gets stickers in his paws; He wanders around not paying attention. I am hot, I feel stupid. I don’t want to admit how I feel. I simply want to forget the whole thing. It is Wednesday so after the class is over, I have to sit down and do chats. I do four chats and by 10 PM, I feel like I will pass out because I am so tired. My brain is on off. I have no understanding of what is going on. In the morning, things have shifted. Here is what I learned… When we learn a new skill that is radically different from what we have known, all the brain maps get shuffled around. Everything that had settled into routine, clarity and habituation gets jostled. We get disoriented not just on a psychological level, but also literally on a cellular neural level. Nothing makes sense because the patterns have shifted. When the patterns shift, we have to use a HUGE amount of energy to reorganize, make sense and put things together. Logically our cognitive brain can understand, new skill requires learning new stuff, integration and practice. But when our brains feel that jumbled it is hard to remember that. It just feels hopeless. This process has given me a whole new appreciation for our newbies. Learning this program takes a lot of brain reorganization. Old patterns are challenged. Things like dieting, not having breakfast, having to count, wanting to be told what to do, wanting to know what foods to have when, and on and on and on. If we broke all the steps down into all the components, I imagine there would be 150 small increments between step one and step six. Now that is one mighty and very formidable task. And that is not even taking into consideration that we are challenging addiction, LOL. Go too fast, and you will get overwhelmed and stop. I sure get that now. Try to take on too much, and your brain will flood and you will feel inadequate and stupid. Take out sugar too soon, and the disorientation will be accelerated by withdrawal. If you don’t know what is happening, you will feel lost and hopeless. At the same time, there is some sort of cellular knowing that happens. A voice comes that says: This is right. Just keep going. Even when you feel this horrible, horrible disorientation, you know, you know that you are onto something. Listen to those who have gone before. Keep on. It works, it works beyond anything you have done before. I am sharing this because my experience with clicker training of course will affect how we do business with you. It certainly has given me a totally new perspective on what we can do to help you and support you through the early days, and through the times of moving from one step to another. I honestly did not know that dog training would shake my brain up so much. ©Kathleen DesMaisons 2008. Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together: Gretel, our webmaster, puts it all together David, who runs the Radiant Recovery¨ Store talks about what new products we have. You are getting the weekly newsletter from Radiant Recovery¨ in response to your signup. A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www. radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter.htm. ©2008 by Kathleen DesMaisons . All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your ezine or website as long as you leave the content unaltered and use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery¨. Please visit Kathleen's website at http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction." Please notify me at kathleen@radiantrecovery.com to let me know where the material will appear. Banner Photograph by Patti Holden, Step 7 |
