January 2026 Guest Blog by Christine Culbert
How did the rose ever open its heart
and give the world all its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
against its being,
otherwise we all remain too frightened.
Hafiz
I recently had a conversation with Dr. Meggie about a course I completed over the past year, the Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Program based on the work of neuroscientist, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum. This program focuses on the developing infant and parent brain in the first three years of a baby’s life. She discusses how the practices of loving nurture lay the foundation for brain health and mental and physical well-being over a lifetime. It resonated for me in so many ways with how Dr. Meggie works with each of us in our own healing pathways.
Dr. Kirshenbaum emphasizes self-care practices for parents to help them keep their “nurture reservoir deep and wide and full”. These practices are so relevant for all of us and in my view, support and nurture the “internal healing power” that we experience in our work with Cora Healthcare. She speaks of taking care of our nervous systems with her I-CARE approach:
I – Nurturing Intuition and Interoception
C – Curious about our physical needs
A – Aware of our emotions and emotional needs
R – Regular breathing practices
E – Evoke compassion and awe
This is a rich menu of nurturing practices! I would like to share with you the “E” practice of evoking compassion and awe. This practice reminds me of the above poem by Hafiz in that compassion and awe can truly feel like “the encouragement of light” in our daily lives. Dr. Kirshenbaum encourages us to pair positive emotions such as awe, wonder, love or compassion with a breathing practice to help anchor the good experience and felt sense of safety into our nervous systems. She says:
Start by belly breathing, then think of something that makes you feel joy or safety—a special person, a special place, a special memory that brings you positive-feeling emotions. Breathe while you think of this for two minutes. Sense where you feel the joy of that person, place, or memory and try to hold it—a warm feeling in your chest, for example, or a tingle in your belly. Can you put your energy there and help it radiate throughout your body?
From The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirsehnbaum, p. 217
Taking the time to notice and take in the beauty around us, even, and perhaps especially, in the midst of difficulty, can help to calm our stress response and anchor our systems into a space of calm, safety, connection, and regulation. May we pause frequently in this New Year to “feel the encouragement of light against our being” so that we can continue to give our love to this very beautiful world.
