MSI Press Blog

  image from Julia Aziz blog A recent blog post of  Julia Aziz, author of  Lessons of Labor ,  may resonate with many:  When it’s all too much, and self-care isn’t cutting it | Julia Aziz, LCSW-S, OIM Book Description What if labor-raw, painful, and unpredictable-wasn't something to be feared or managed, but something to be  learned from ? What if motherhood wasn't about doing everything the way the experts tell you but about growing as a person? In  Lessons of Labor , Julia invites readers into the intimate, unfiltered stories of her three births and one miscarriage, each illuminating different key turning points in her journey through motherhood. But this is not a how-to guide. It doesn't offer advice or prescriptions. Instead, it offers something more powerful: an honest exploration of how birth and motherhood, with all their chaos and intensity, can become one of life's most profound teachers. With grace and vulnerability, Julia challenges the cult...

  They run toward what the rest of us flee—flames, gunfire, wreckage, collapse. First responders carry the weight of our worst days, often without pause, without time to process, and without the support they need to heal. Behind every emergency call is a human being absorbing trauma in real time. Paramedics who cradle the dying. Firefighters who sift through ash and grief. Police officers who witness the aftermath of violence. Dispatchers who hear every scream but see none of the resolution. These aren’t just jobs—they’re acts of endurance, empathy, and exposure. The cost? Elevated rates of PTSD, depression, substance use, and suicide. Chronic stress reshapes the brain, weakens the immune system, and erodes relationships. And yet, many responders are trained to suppress emotion, to “tough it out,” to keep going. But resilience isn’t about silence. It’s about support. About peer networks, trauma-informed leadership, and systems that prioritize mental health as much as physical s...

  Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from   Pathways to Inner Peace  by Diane Dreher, currently available on pre-order. STRESS SKILLS WEEK 1, DAY 3 Today’s practice is a two-step process you can use whenever you’re feeling stressed. Your natural stress reaction can help you survive in an emergency—you can run away from a wild animal or jump out of the way of a speeding car. But most of the time, this stress reaction does not serve you. Problems with work, home repairs, bills, or relationships cannot be solved with the stress reaction of fight, flight, or freeze. if your stress reaction becomes constant, it can tense your muscles, shut down your digestive and immune systems, keep you from thinking clearly, and compromise your physical and emotional health. The good news is that instead of surrendering to constant stress, you can take charge of your life. By recognizing when you’re feeling stressed and responding more mindfully, you can create a new reality for yo...