Sanctuary Blog
Latest Sanctuary Post
Donkey Talk: Affirmation and Affection
Need a break from all the hard questions? Ronnie the donkey’s got you covered.
Sanctuary Posts
Setting Boundaries With Difficult People: What Works and What Doesn’t
We’re not going to tell you it’s easy. But some approaches are far more likely to succeed than others.
“Feelin’ Good”: Nina Simone Tells the World About Joy
A new official video reintroduces this classic, whose message has never been more poignant. Not to be missed.
When Song, Faith, and Joy are Enough
The full name of the song is “Ndikhokhele Bawo,” which means “Lead me, Father” in Xhosa. These South African youths, assembled in their school’s courtyard, transform their place of learning into a concert hall with nothing more than the power of their voices. But it’s their spirit of joy and solidarity that lifts the beautiful into the realm of the sublime.
Learning About Depression. And Fighting Back.
Forty percent of Americans will suffer a major depressive episode at some point in their lives. Five percent of the world’s population is suffering from it at any given time. It’s a disease that’s too often misunderstood—when it’s not overlooked entirely. Recovery writer Annie Highwater offers this primer on the many forms depression can take, and the variety of paths available for dealing with it.
King’s Return Encore: “Amazing Grace” Acapella
The Dallas-based quartet often focuses on spiritual and gospel music, and like any truly gifted performers, they make even the most familiar classics sound and feel brand new. This time, they’ve chosen a song that never gets old, and one with a special resonance for many in our Allies community.
IFS: Embracing and Listening to Our Multiple Selves
“Most of the world’s problems arise from a misunderstanding about parts and burdens,” Dr. Richard Schwartz asserts. In IFS, which he founded, the “parts” are our multiple internal selves, and the burdens are the trauma and wounds they try to manage on our behalf. The simple but radical proposition of IFS is that these multiple selves arise for good reasons and have a lot to offer—if we can help them change with the seasons of our lives.
“Hi Ren” Brings the Inner Demons out in the Open
Our sanctuary blog is often a place where you’ll find light, comfort, and tales of perseverance in the face of immense challenges. Today is no exception—but a warning: all of those familiar qualities are accompanied by one of the more vivid portraits of suffering we’ve shared with you.
Loneliness Is an Epidemic. Love Is the Closest Thing We Have to a Cure.
You don’t need anyone to tell you that loneliness sucks. But did you know that it’s an all-but-out-of-control epidemic in the modern world, and that lives are shortened because of it? That’s the lamentable truth. But happily, as Dr. Jill Carnahan relates, the remedy is accessible to nearly everyone.
Top Secret Drum Corps: The Pursuit of Perfection, and Fun
They’re not a secret, and despite their 18th-century style uniforms, they’re not part of any military. But the discipline and focus of these 25 young men from Switzerland could put many an army marching band to shame.
As Real As It Gets: Stand By Me In Central Park
No studio, no mixers, no lights, no amplifiers: when Cover Story Doo-Wop sings “Stand By Me” under the Bethesda Terrace arches in New York’s Central Park, it’s their talent and deep feeling that carry us away.
“Ave Maria” Acapella: The Sublime In a Stairwell
A work of A work of artistic genius can feel immune to the passage of years. But for works meant to be performed, “timeless” does not Mean “static.” This stairwell recording of Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” by four gifted young Texans, imbues new life and grace into a song loved round the world.
Dr. Gabor Maté: The Power of Addiction, the Addiction to Power
Across four decades of work on issues of trauma, addiction, childhood development, stress, and illness, Dr. Gabor Maté has become an internationally recognized thinker, author, and public speaker. But his brilliance is only one side of the coin. The other side, evident in all his remarks, is profound compassion. In this TED talk, both qualities are on full display.
Dopamine, Addiction, and the Brain: Understanding the Science Can Help Us Change
The research has taken three quarters of a century (and counting). But the findings are truly remarkable: pain and pleasure are naturally balanced in a healthy brain. Substances can drastically disrupt that balance, however. In the effort to restore it, our brains go into overdrive. Fortunately, we can help it along—and help ourselves at the same time.
Using ChatGPT To Fight Depression: Some Creative Ideas
ChatGPT is not a living mind, let alone a therapist. It is, however, proving to be an immensely useful online assistant for people across the world. Little wonder that professionals and others are finding ways to apply its powers of information gathering and synthesis to the challenge of living with depression. This article offers one emotion expert’s tips on how ChatGPT and related technology might be able to shoulder a bit of that burden.
Dating Someone With Depression: A Brief Guide
More than one quarter of U.S. adults report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives. The disease makes life challenging in all kinds of ways, and relationships are no exception. For partners of those suffering depression, the inability to “fix” the other’s condition can be difficult and frustrating. But even though we can’t cure our partners’ depression, we can learn skills that strengthen our relationships and make them more fulfilling for both parties.
Light, Hope, Healing: Anohni Sings Leonard Cohen’s “If It Be Your Will”
With “If It Be Your Will,” Leonard Cohen wrote a modern psalm. With her 2006 recording at the Sydney Opera House, Anohni flings open the doors on the song’s deep longing for grace.
Coldplay’s “Yellow” Like You’ve Never Heard It Before
Think you know what a Coldplay song sounds like? Think again. But the re-imagining of the song is just one of the surprises in store when you watch this moment from America’s Got Talent 2023.
The Evidence Is In: A Walk in the Woods Really Is Good for the Soul
Many of us know it from our own experience. Now there’s science to back it up: time in nature brings a host of benefits for our bodies, minds, and emotional wellbeing. This article from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine provides an overview of the latest research. Spoiler: it’s all good news.
A Work of Genius In the Hermitage
It was a gift of General Potemkin to Catherine the Great; it was a challenge for one of the great inventors of 18th-century England. It remains an extraordinary, and entirely functional, work of art.
Out of the Mouths of Babes (and Comedians)
Comedian DJ Pryor says that he’s always spoken to his children (even when they were toddlers) as if they could understand his every word. The approach seems to be working with 15-month-old Kingston, who holds detailed conversations with his dad. Sure, it’s in a language known only to the two of them, but that hasn’t stopped the world from being charmed.