Listening to my body and choosing rest is not stepping away from spiritual practice, it is the practice.

I am looking at the deeply embedded, entrenched (cultural) patterns and conditioning of pushing through, overriding (over-functioning) vs. listening to my nervous system, listening to my body and taking a healthy step back.

This was the situation: I was attending a Buddhist retreat. There were multiple practices to choose from everyday, along with the main teachings. But here is the thing – I worked my ass off right up until driving down there, the drive took 15 hours, and I had been fighting off a sinus thing for days. Plus, I had just gotten on antibiotics for a little infection. My system was stretched very thin upon arriving at the Air BnB near the Dharma center.

Long story shorter, I took the first day of the retreat off and stayed at the Air BnB. I was able to attend via Zoom which was very nice – lying down when I wanted, snacking, drinking healing tea and lots of Vitamin C helped me feel better. It was wonderful.

On arriving at the retreat center on Day Two, someone I knew asked where I was yesterday. It was nice to see her, it had been a number of years since I had seen her last. And we did exchange pleasantries. But when I explained all that was going on, she immediately came back with, “We are all dealing with a virus down here that makes you cough for a month, and yet we still showed up.” No sympathy, no empathy, no pause. Whoa… she said it in a polite manner and yet that statement was laced with so many layers! I will unpack it below:

The relentless conditioning most people have to work their butts off comes from the mistaken belief that their worth is determined by their productivity. And we only “deserve” to rest once we are exhausted or very sick. Why do we have to earn our right to rest? This is not healthy, and frankly it is not sustainable. When people push through and override their body’s natural need for rest and recovery, a big crash is inevitable – whether strange health crises, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc. Goodness knows we have plenty of mysterious health syndromes and health crises running rampant.

The problem is, this is the water we are all swimming in. Work work work. The bogus “American dream” – the harder you work, the more it will pay off. Push push push. Of course, it is easy to get caught up in this tangled web. It is probably what we witnessed in our parents. The Protestant Work Ethic, the pick yourself up by your bootstraps (even though this doesn’t actually work) mentality is so prevalent and pervasive! It is a part of what is making this country so sick – literally ill and having serious health problems. We don’t stop to analyze – “is this working for me? Is there another healthier option?”

Sometimes it goes a step further – the concept that listening to your nervous system, resting when you haven’t “earned” it, is indulgent and lazy. Eee Gads! It starts VERY early – it is a preverbal belief – it is “I love you for what you do, not for who you are.” Or I love you for your good grades, or for how you look, or for massaging your mother’s [parent’s] aching feet – not unconditional love for who you are… It is sad really. Love with strings attached is a bitch.

If you look back at my last post about the 12th house (astrology), you might notice that I am not resting right now in order to get back to being productive. (I’m not refilling my tank just to get back out there and empty it again – no thanks!). I no longer subscribe to that harsh and strict work-your-ass-off and then drop dead upon retirement paradigm. I am very healthy because of how much self-care I practice. I rest for the sake of making space for inner processing. I am tending to my inner soil with kindness – not trying to force seeds into dry and infertile ground. It is very sad how many people are still doing this into their 60’s and 70’s though! (What?!)

Coming back to that laced comment above – basically, “We are all sick and yet here we are showing up and doing the work.” Whoa!

This shows just how pervasive the pattern of unexamined moralization of endurance is. When we constantly deplete ourselves by overworking, this is not healthy resilience, this is sucking the inner reservoir dry, this is normalized override. I wasn’t asking for special treatment, I was explaining how we had a crazy long drive down there, how I wasn’t feeling well and that I was choosing health over productivity. I was making a sane, regulated (healthy adult) choice. And I think that triggered her.

At a Buddhist center nonetheless – a place where you hope inner contemplation and transformation is occurring. Not to mention kindness and empathy… And on some levels these things are happening there! But this particular double bind (conflict) runs really deep.

This whole “we are sick and we show up anyway” mentality is just collective dissociation dressed up as virtue. Metta loving-kindness practice matters for a reason. We cannot love others if we don’t first love ourselves.

There was also a subtle cruelty in her message – it was: “my limits and my nervous system needs were inconvenient to the group’s needs.” My nervous system should comply with what the retreat needed. She is self-sacrificing, self-erasing, so why do I get to do something different?!

Thankfully when I spoke to the Lama (teacher) a little later, I got compassion. He was very happy that I rested and had some recovery time. That is what I needed and wanted to hear. Not the cringy social / cultural pressure (not to mention boundary violation) to get back on the override train!

For much of my youth, and even into my early 30’s, I had a tendency of overriding. I used to hold everything together while being really exhausted. I was an over-function-er. Because I was raised in environments where overriding and pushing through were praised and you could only rest if you were sick. I’m done with that shit thank you! And god it has taken time to process that through (like 20 years of de-conditioning).

So of course my system clocked this as a boundary violation, even if it was pleasantly delivered in a polite manner. It felt weird when she said it, and within a few minutes I was like, “that’s her stuff, not mine. AND I no longer subscribe to that punishing work ethic.” Blech!

I made a healthy, measured, adult, regulated choice to rest and recover. My system needed it (and still needs it today and I will probably need R&R for many years going forward!). My choice was discernment, not avoidance. I am making space to be with my inner difficult feelings and emotions, not avoiding them through override and pushing through.

It is an old pattern – it is deeply ingrained. But it is not wisdom. That pattern, that deep belief has gotten old.

Even in Buddhist spaces, especially in these spaces, sometimes people confuse renunciation with neglect, or discipline with self-erasure. I’m sure some of this was happening in that situation. The practice is to see clearly what is arising. Then to relax the mind despite what is arising (being with it in equanimity). We have to make space for that to happen.

Listening to our body, honoring our nervous system is healthy practice. Forcing ourselves to sit or work through dissociation, inflammation or having subtle resentment is not great!

I get it. When I host Tibetan Lamas at our sangha in Virginia, I am doing 70% of the work and pushing through like crazy. I know that those 4 – 5 days will be full and busy and I set aside time afterward to rest. So, I know how hard it is to be an organizer of a spiritual center. It is frustrating that more people aren’t showing up or volunteering. But I’m glad they are taking care of themselves and I don’t lay on a not-so-subtle-guilt-trip. There are many double binds to navigate – but I have already done a lot of that work. I got out of that harsh and punitive pool (water) a while ago.

And unfortunately I think most of the invisible labor in our society (and in Dharma centers) is done by women. So, of course there might be some resentment around that. I understand where she was coming from – she didn’t mean any harm for sure. But we have to find a sustainable balance and not judge others for resting and practicing self-care! We want everyone who attends to feel safe – not just physically, but emotionally safe as well. We don’t people going, “Well that exchange was yucky!” (whether they fully understand it or not).

Instead, can we introduce more kindness, more listening? Can we soften our harsh edges? Can we explore ways to have more metta-loving-kindess to ourselves?

I certainly pray that this may be so!

Thank you listening to my ranting,

Kirby Moore

Progressed Moon in the 12th house (again)

Hello Friends,

I offer Trauma Informed Astrology intrepretations and long-distance Somatic Process work. You can contact me here: https://www.mkirbymoore.com/contact.html

Let me know if you want to set up a session or a free 15 minute consult to see if our working together might be a good fit. I have several clients in Europe and Asia who I haven’t met in person, but we do incredible work over Zoom.

Now onto the topic at hand…

I haven’t written much in a while because I am busy doing household chores – we have chickens, cats and a huge garden. We basically have a hobby farm. Plus, I lead a local Buddhist sangha. And… I have been tracking my Progressed Moon in the sign of Cancer in my secondary progressed Astrology chart. Cancer falls in my natal chart’s 12th house.

The Moon has been in my 12th house for at least 8 months, meaning it will be there for at least two more years (great! he says facetiously). There is a lot to unpack about Moon in the 12th house – I will say a little here, and you can go back and look at previous posts about this same topic (12th house anyway, if not Moon tenanting it).

What does Moon in the 12th House mean to me?

The 12th house is a place of completion. Tidying up old patterns up in preparation for a new rebirth, a fresh start, a clean slate. It is the womb of the chart – time for incubation and allowing new parts of yourself to hatch. It has been called the “karmic dustpan” as it is a time to do inner tidying and cleansing.

It is a psychic house. The 12th house is the least tangible of all the arenas of the astrology chart. The only thing you can point to with the 12th is the sense of imprisonment or institutionalization. Literally the 12th house is associated with being in prison, hospitals (for chronic long lasting illness) or institutions, like a longer rehab stint for instance. But how dark and dour is that interpretation? I don’t like it and it isn’t true for me.

Yes, the 12th house can show ways in which we work against ourselves. If people have challenging planets here – Saturn or Uranus – it might indicate ways in which they have compartmentalized their psyche to survive difficult early trauma. If you have challenging planets in the 12th house, please be gentle. Get support, hold the intention to work on your stuff, but be kind, it is a slow, gradual process. The 12th house might show parts of us that are exiled or oppositional (inner protector parts working against ourselves to protect ourselves – it is complicated and I don’t want to get too bogged down with this).

This is a lower frequency presentation of the 12th house however – the working against ourselves situation. When we bring a lot of consciousness and awareness and presence to our process, it starts to open up. Then we begin to have other options – even if we feel stuck, we can still make progress somewhere. Again, working with a competent practitioner can really pay off during this time!

Some people associate the 12th house with psychic ability – deepening our work with dreams and possibly even learning to channel. It does provide opportunities to deepen your intuition (especially if you are grounded in your body – otherwise it might be a time of deep numbing out / escapism and dissociation).

The 12th house can feel very watery. Neptune’s association can certainly be felt. You might be more sensitive than usual with your Progressed Moon here. You might feel pulled along in the “karmic current” – not having as much agency as you would like, or that you are used to having.

The 12th house indicates thinner veils. Inner veils and outer – we can connect easier with our dreams if we make time and space for them, if we start or maintain a healthy meditation or yoga practice. We can go into darker shadowy spaces within now and reveal the insights and nuggets of wisdom hidden within. But we might need guidance – doing this work on our own can be very tricky – the ego protects itself quite well.

What is the 12th House asking of us?

Can I feel deeper into my subconscious? Can I feel old difficult emotions for the purpose of healing and repair? Can I make time and space for my incubation time? Can I start to reparent myself – what did my little one need most? What old family patterns no longer serve me – what is it time to confront? How can I move toward greater physical and emotional safety?

This can be a great time to do in-depth psychotherapy or somatic process oriented bodywork (Somatic Experiencing, Integral Somatic Psychology for instance). The subconscious is much closer to the surface during this time. This is a great time to work on attachment wounds and repairing deep trauma – but do make sure you are working with a competent practitioner. We can’t do this work on our own (despite the 12th house’s tendency toward isolation and withdrawal).

Questions I might want to ask when the Progressed Moon is completing this cycle:

What is ready to die? What needs to die so that I can live more fully, more authentically? What do I need to do to honor my natural organic healing rhythms inside?

Where have I walled myself off from life, from connection, from intimacy? Now is the time to look at your inner patterns and see what you might want to change.

Remember, working with early attachment wounds requires a very skillful touch. Find a good practitioner to work with – even online.

Remember, old patterns take time to process through. Old out-dated habits take time to decay. Allowing the rebirth that wants to happen (when the Moon enters your First house) takes time, and it requires space. Feeling old uncomfortable emotions requires having the time and space to do so.

We have to be willing to surface old secrets. Can we be willing to see what is true – no matter how uncomfortable? Invite the revealing of secrets if you are ready for that.

What are some 12th house obstacles we can avoid with insight and mindfulness?

A time of escapism if we aren’t willing to be with, to face old challenging situations and emotions. The 12th house can avoid feeling overwhelming old feelings by escaping – whether addictive behaviors (remember that screen time is an addiction for many people), substances or even through working our ass off – workaholism is a real thing. Avoiding the pain doesn’t make it go away. Unresolved trauma tends to simmer and fester under the surface. Far better to start working on it rather than having unexplained, idiopathic strange symptoms down the road.

Inner resistance will come up. This is natural. If you can give yourself time and space, you will make space for the inner resistance and opposition to arise. See it, name it, maybe it feels familiar. Get support, lean into therapeutic support if possible. This is the time to prepare for future growth and opportunities. Make the inner space for healing and repair now.

Instincts are big during this time. If you have done some good work to come down out of your head and into your body – grounding and doing solid embodiment work – then you can trust your instincts. If not, this is a great time to get second or third opinions about big decisions. You might find yourself asking, “why am I more emotional? why are my moods so up and down?” This is a sign that you could stabilize your spiritual practice, do more embodiment work, start doing yoga / chi gong / meditation or just exercising more.

Resist the urge to withdraw completely. Neptune and the 12th house can “cope” with difficult life situations by going within, withdrawing from life, from friends and moving toward isolation. This will not lead to true healing. If you need to go into your cave to lick your wounds for a while, admit that and give yourself that time. But make sure you are staying in touch with people who care about you, who love you. Keep at least a little social time in your life. I say this because if you tend to work against yourself – that will come up stronger during this 2.5 year phase. Instead of isolating, try to lean into support and get 2nd or 3rd opinions about your choices, your big decisions. Make sure you are talking to people you trust and who you feel safe around.

Well this is a lot of info already on the Progressed Moon in the 12th house. Thanks for visiting!

Kirby Moore

Liberating the Space Element course

Hello Friends,

I have completed the Liberating the Space Element & Balancing the Fascia course online and it is available for a great value.

You get more than four hours of excellent material for just $75. This includes information about the exercises – benefits, anatomy, subtle body awareness and more, plus more than two hours of somatic techniques, exercises and subtle body holds.

This 4+ hour self-paced course is a comprehensive, experiential exploration of liberating the space (ether) element and restoring balance to the fascial system. Through four in-depth modules, you are guided through joint rotations, the Feet–Seat–Breath meditation, Liberating the Space Element holds, and Fascial Balancing holds inspired by reciprocal-style integration work. Together, these practices support greater internal spaciousness, improved joint mobility, enhanced proprioception, and a more fluid, resilient relationship with your body. Participants often report feeling more open, less compressed, more grounded, and better able to sense subtle internal shifts after working with this material.

This material is valuable for a wide range of people and professions. Practitioners, bodyworkers, therapists, and medical professionals often find it enhances their clinical presence, body awareness, and capacity to stay regulated and centered while working with others. At the same time, contractors, tradespeople, and anyone engaged in physical labor can use these practices to reduce strain, improve alignment, and recover more efficiently from repetitive or demanding work. Ultimately, this course is for anyone who feels stretched thin, overextended, or compressed by the demands of daily life. These simple yet profound exercises help bring you back into alignment, supporting a greater sense of stability, ease, and internal settlement in both body and nervous system.

What makes this course especially valuable is the way it weaves practical movement, somatic awareness, and subtle body principles into a coherent whole. Rather than isolated techniques, you receive a deeply integrated framework you can return to again and again, whether for personal practice or to inform professional work. With over four hours of rich, thoughtfully structured content, this course offers exceptional depth and lasting benefit, making it an excellent value for anyone interested in fascia, embodiment, nervous system regulation, and cultivating more space and ease in the body.

You can contact me here: https://www.mkirbymoore.com/contact.html with questions.

When you send me the $75, I will email you a link to the Course Folder on Dropbox. You will have access to the material for two years.

You can Venmo me at – kirby-moore-2

You and your clients will really be grateful to learn these simple yet profound tools! I hope you purchase the course today and starting benefiting right away.

Thank you,

Kirby Moore

Trauma-informed bodywork for real, lasting change.

Hello friends,

I offer integrative bodywork sessions that support trauma resolution and nervous system repair through Somatic Experiencing, birth process work, Integral Somatic Psychology, craniosacral therapy, polarity therapy, and Asian bodywork.

This work is not about fixing you. It is about helping your system remember how to settle, orient, and trust itself again.

Clients often come to this work when they feel overwhelmed, shut down, stuck in old patterns, or disconnected from their bodies. Together, we work gently and at your pace to build internal safety, increase resilience, and restore a sense of choice. Over time, this supports stronger boundaries, improved self-worth, greater emotional presence, and a deeper sense of dignity and empowerment.

Body-based work can reach places that talk therapy alone often cannot. By listening to the nervous system and honoring its timing, healing becomes less about pushing through and more about coming home to yourself.

If you are ready to show up for yourself with more steadiness, clarity, and self-trust, I would be honored to support you.

Let me know if you have questions. I offer both in-person and long-distance sessions.

Message me to learn more or to schedule a session. https://www.mkirbymoore.com/contact.html

Happy New Year!

Kirby

Resilience in Motion: How to Stay Mentally Flexible in Uncertain Times

This article was written by Camille Johnson. Thanks Camille for submitting these great pieces! I, Kirby Moore, the owner of AstroDharma offer somatic process work, in-person trauma resolution and long-distance nervous system repair. I have been studying and practicing Nurturing Resilience for 20+ years.

This advice (below) from Camille is a good start! Just keep in mind that if we have early trauma and developmental wounding, it can be very hard to change these internal patterns on our own. We need to work with competent practitioners to shift our nervous system out of old, out-dated defense mechanisms. Let me know if you want to discuss working together to better understand difficult trauma symptoms or to shift old patterns of stuckness. You can reach out here: https://www.mkirbymoore.com/contact.html Let’s see if it might be a good fit to work together!

And without further ado, here is Camille’s article!

The world isn’t slowing down — it’s twitchy, unpredictable, and always a little sideways. If you’re waiting for it to calm so you can catch up, bad news: that’s not happening. But
maybe the goal isn’t catching up. Maybe it’s reshaping how you think so you’re less thrown off when the terrain shifts. This isn’t about always being ready. It’s about being less rattled when you’re not.

Developing Openness to Change


You don’t have to love change — but you do need to stop flinching every time it shows up. What catches people off guard isn’t always the change itself, but how tightly they were clinging to the previous version of things. If you can loosen that grip — just a little —
you’ve already bought yourself space to move. Openness isn’t idealism. It’s adaptation
without panic. Some people call that “mental flexibility.” But it’s really not getting whiplash every Monday morning.

Responding to Uncertainty with Curiosity

Something’s coming. You don’t know what it is. Your brain starts scanning: threat? loss?
failure? That’s the default mode — fear takes the wheel fast. But what if you could steer
differently? Let curiosity get there first. Try asking yourself “What’s really going on here?”
instead of “How do I get out of this?” Sometimes the only thing standing between spiraling and solving is the question you ask first.

Expanding Adaptability Through Lifelong Learning

Brains atrophy when bored. They spark when challenged. One way to stay sharp — and
adaptive — is to keep feeding your thinking engine with new, unfamiliar stuff. Flexible
programs in business or tech aren’t just about job skills. They train you to stretch, reassess, unlearn. That rewiring pays off every time the world zigs and you need to zag. By exploring IT degree options and learning about cybersecurity and information technology, you can flex that part of your brain that still wants more — more capacity, more confidence, more “what’s next.”

Strengthening Emotional Flexibility

Here’s a trick: just because you feel something doesn’t mean you have to follow it. You can be scared and still make the phone call. Frustrated and still say something kind. It’s not fake — it’s skill. Emotional agility isn’t bottling it up. It’s not performing composure. It’s noticing that a feeling landed and choosing whether or not to act on its terms. Most people were never taught this. They just inherit whatever their nervous system does first.

Applying Mindfulness for Mental Stability

You don’t need incense or perfect posture. You just need a breath you can feel and a
thought you don’t chase. Mindfulness, when it’s stripped down, is just not reacting instantly to everything that buzzes in your head. That pause? That’s leverage. You can redirect, you can disengage, or you can double down — but it’s on your terms now. People call that peace, but it’s also a tactical advantage.

Building and Maintaining Social Support

Resilient people don’t do it all alone — they know who they can turn to when things feel
heavy. Sometimes, it’s a short message from a friend that reminds you you’re not the only one struggling. The wording doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is that someone reached out and you felt seen. Having strong relationships isn’t about needing help all the time — it’s about knowing you don’t have to pretend you’re fine when you’re not. Support systems aren’t extra. They’re essential.

Practicing Optimism with Realism

Hope without honesty is fluff. Real optimism isn’t about pretending things are okay — it’s
believing they could be, and acting like your effort still matters. At the same time, there’s
value in calling something what it is. The trick is learning to hold both: what hurts and what could heal. That balance? It’s not always graceful. But it keeps you from falling into despair or denial — and that alone is resilience in motion. The future’s not neat. Neither are you. Good — that means you’re built for it. The goal here isn’t to be bulletproof. It’s to bend, absorb, reroute. Resilience isn’t hard edges — it’s soft armor. What you build now, inside, is what meets the weirdness later. And weirdness is guaranteed.

Visit AstroDharma and explore the powerful intersection of somatic healing and
astrology to enhance your dynamic wellness today!

Stay Balanced All Year: Simple, Seasonal Self-Care That Actually Fits Your Life

Thank you Camille Johnson for submitting this article! It includes great suggestions for gently working with the seasonal energy. Enjoy!

Most people don’t notice the shift until they’re already off. Too wired in summer, too foggy in winter, too scattered in fall. The calendar might say one thing, but your body? It’s working on a different clock entirely. That’s why seasonal self-care matters. It’s not about syncing with trends. It’s about paying attention. Nature changes constantly. So do you. So why pretend one routine should work year-round?

Start Slowly in Spring

People act like spring means go-go-go, but your body just made it through a long, dull freeze. You’re supposed to feel sluggish right now. Good. Stretch before you run. Let light in before making plans. Toss out junk that feels stale—digital clutter counts. Eat something green that isn’t in a plastic box. This season’s about waking up, not launching a full reinvention.

Simplify During Summer

Hot weather, loud plans, bright nights—summer piles on fast. It’s easy to mistake energy for wellness. But constant motion burns you out faster than you think. You don’t have to do everything. Say no to plans that feel like a performance. Drink water that’s been sitting in the sun, eat cold fruit with your hands, disappear into shade without a single excuse.

Reflect in the Fall

Fall doesn’t ask you to build—it asks you to shed. Most people ignore that. They fill up schedules as the year dies down, then wonder why they feel edgy. Step back. Swap screen time for writing, even if it’s just a sentence on the back of a receipt. Don’t force reflection, but don’t skip it either. Give yourself time to sit in silence without solving anything.

Support Yourself in Winter

No one thrives in winter without trying. The darkness eats at you. You’ve got to create your own light—literally and emotionally. Get outside when the sky’s blue, even if it’s freezing and even if it’s just to grab the mail. Keep warm things nearby: thick socks, slow stews, something soft that smells like eucalyptus. You’re not lazy. You’re adapting.

Create a Checklist You Can Use

Here’s a trick: when things feel overwhelming, write out a seasonal checklist. Not a master plan. Just a few things that bring you back to baseline—open windows, cancel stuff, warm drinks, short walks. Save the list as a PDF so it’s always there when you forget what helps. If your notes are in a bunch of formats, check this out to convert them into PDFs. You don’t need a system. You need something that works when your brain goes blank.

Pause During Seasonal Shifts

Transitions between seasons sneak up. One minute it’s late summer, then it’s October, and everything feels slightly off. These are the moments to stop and ask: what’s not working anymore? What little thing could help? Make a short list—keep it dumb simple. Adjust one thing. The check-in doesn’t need to be deep; it just needs to exist.

Return to Self-Compassion

Plans fall apart. You’ll forget the checklist. You’ll binge scroll. You’ll eat random crackers for dinner and call it a win. Fine. Let that happen without turning it into a whole thing. Self-compassion isn’t some vibe you have to feel—it’s a decision you make when you’re at your messiest. Be kind anyway. Return to your rhythm without fanfare.

You’re not a machine, and the seasons are proof. Some months will stretch you, some will quiet you, and all of them will ask something different from your body and mind. Let them. Build rhythms that change instead of chasing routines that never seem to stick. Self-care isn’t some curated moment. It’s a running conversation between how you feel and what’s happening around you. And the best part? You get to start over every three months.

Discover your path to embodied healing and cosmic insight at http://www.mkirbymoore.com and AstroDharma. Visit now to explore transformative astrology, somatic wisdom, and spiritual alignment with Kirby.

Thanks for reading and hope you come back soon!

Kirby Moore

Drupon Thinley Ningpo Dharma teachings in Charlottesville & on Zoom

Hello Friends,

One last reminder: Drupon Thinley Ningpo will be giving Dharma teachings in Charlottesville starting next week! I am very excited to host him and his translator Virginia Blum. Oct 2nd – 5th. All teachings at the Unity Church. Here is the schedule:

Thurs Oct 2nd – 6:30 – 8:30 – “How to Increase Loving-Kindness & Compassion” plus time for Q & A

Fri Oct 3rd – 6:30 – 8:30 – Discussion about & Bestowing the Bodhisattva Vows

Sat Oct 4th – morning 9:30 – 12 – Giving the Vajrapani Empowerment; afternoon 2 – 5 pm – Commentary on & Text Transmission of the Vajrapani Practice plus Q & A

Sun Oct 5th – 9:30 – 12 & 2 – 5 pm – Group Vajrapani Practice with Drupon la

To register, use this link:

https://unitycharlottesville.org/events/drupon-thinley-ningpo-rinpoche

If you need a discount on the suggested donation, use the code “Unity” to get 50% off.

Saturday & Sunday will have Zoom options. Message me after you register to get the Zoom link.

Let me know if you have questions!

Thanks for visiting,

Kirby Moore

konchog chakchen

Sacred Nervous System Work

I love what I do. It is very difficult to fully describe what it is that I offer. I am a Craniosacral Therapist, along with offering Somatic Experiencing, Integral Somatic Psychology, Birth Process Work (working with Pre- and Perinatal Psychology), Asian Bodywork, Subtle Energy Bodywork and Western Astrology.

I have many clients who are amazed at the transformations they notice after just a few sessions. But they can’t tell people why they are changing or tell others what exactly I do. That is fine. Most of what I offer is grounded in science and efficacious empirical trauma resolution practice. I track the nervous system, I notice if my clients are stuck in lower energy freeze (shut down, collapse, giving up energy), activation (agitation, irritability, go go go mode, sped up, etc) or if they are in a stable state of social engagement. Then we apply interventions to help them come up out of those two lower states.

Honestly, the biggest intervention I offer is authentically seeing and hearing people. Offering them a caring and safe space to share, to feel their emotions and express them (in a therapeutic manner) and to be as welcoming and non-judgmental as possible. This is the best thing I can offer them – being a safe care-taker of their nervous systems while they are in my office. Teaching them methods to self-regulate so they can do their own work and stabilize without leaning on me all the time.

I can easily say that most of this is due to attending and learning from great teachers. And this is true. I have worked with some experts and masters when it comes to nervous system repair, craniosacral therapy, asian bodywork, spiritual healing and western astrology. However, what might be more important is that I have taken their teachings to heart AND I have done my own work. I don’t mean to brag here (I have a lot of privilege and good karma), but I have gone through (received) hundreds of healing sessions, womb surrounds process workshops, bodywork sessions, meditation retreats and demos in the past 20+ years. I have witnessed many powerful sessions as a student and observer, and I have taken note of why those people benefited so much.

Therefore, I am able to help my clients transform patterns of suffering. I am able to support them through a re-birth process. Many of my clients talk about wanting to find their voice. They want to be able to trust their inner voice, their intuition and innate wisdom. They want to reclaim their power. Many people want to be clearer about what their emotions are in the first place. “What am I feeling inside?” I can help them get there. We work on building a solid foundation first – no point opening the upper chakras if you don’t have any stability in your body. Then we can support their fire element to grow stronger, their mental clarity and self-expression to be in alignment, and to balance all the elements and to have more energetic flow in their body.

These are just a few of the things I offer. It is a privilege and honor to be able to benefit so many different types of trauma. I do have my limits – I can’t treat everything or everyone. If it is a good fit however, then my clients start to shift ancient patterns and even ancestral legacy relatively quickly. I love what I do. It is dynamic, it is complicated, and yet it is simple caring presence that is the biggest catalyst for healing.

You can find out more at http://www.mkirbymoore.com or http://www.traumainformedastrology.com

Let me know if you want to schedule a free 15-minute consult to see if we might be a good fit to work together. I see clients in-person in Central Virginia, but online as well. I have several clients in Europe and Asia who I have never met in person, and yet they are doing incredible healing work with my support. https://www.mkirbymoore.com/contact.html

Thanks for visiting,

Kirby Moore

Drupon Thinley Ningpo giving Dharma teachings in Charlottesville, Virginia in early October

Hello Friends,

I am promoting these teachings every couple of weeks – so thanks for your patience if you have already seen this!

Drupon Thinley Ningpo is giving Buddhist teachings October 2nd – 5th in Central Virginia.

He will be teaching at Unity Church, on Hydraulic Avenue. To register, go here: https://unitycharlottesville.org/events/drupon-thinley-ningpo-rinpoche

Here is the schedule of events:

Oct 2nd, Thursday evening from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Drupon la will teach on Ways to Increase Loving-Kindness & Compassion in Trying Times, and there will be time for Q & A

Oct 3rd, Friday evening, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Drupon la will discuss and give the Bodhisattva Vows

Saturday, Oct 4th, from 9:30 – 12 pm – Vajrapani Empowerment

Saturday from 2 – 5 pm – Commentary on Vajrapani Practice, Text Transmission and Q & A

Sunday from 9:30 – 12 and from 2 – 5 pm – Vajrapani Group Practice with Drupon la along with time for questions about the practice

Zoom option: Saturday & Sunday’s Empowerment, teachings and group practice will be available on Zoom. Just register for one of the days and we will send you the meeting invite (for both days).

Virginia Blum is attending Drupon la. She is a very competent translator, having studied at UVa’s Summer Language Intensive program and the Kagyu College (immersion program) in Dehra Duhn India, nearly 20 years ago. She has translated for many highly-respected teachers including Garchen Rinpoche, Traga Rinpoche, Khenchen Nyima Gyaltsen and more.

We hope to see you at the teachings. Let me know if you have any questions! https://www.mkirbymoore.com/contact.html

Here Are Some Unconventional Paths to Nurture Your Mental Well-Being

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Improving mental health doesn’t always mean following the same tried-and-true steps of exercise, therapy, and mindfulness. While these are essential, there’s a wide spectrum of lesser-known practices that can bring surprising relief and joy. Sometimes, the spark that lifts your mood comes from unexpected places—a shift in how you express yourself, where you spend your time, or even how you challenge your body and mind. Exploring new angles on self-care can reignite curiosity, break the monotony of routine, and uncover tools that fit your personality in a deeply personal way. Below are unique approaches worth experimenting with to support your mental health journey.

Creative Journaling
Journaling has long been recommended as a tool for emotional release, but the format doesn’t have to be neat handwriting in a lined notebook. A practice known as “junk journaling” turns everyday items into expressive keepsakes—ticket stubs, doodles, scraps of paper, or even pressed leaves become part of a tactile story. This approach removes pressure to write perfectly and instead focuses on capturing moments, textures, and colors that evoke emotion. The result is a physical record that is just as much about the process as the product, allowing you to externalize feelings in a way words alone can’t.

Natural Modalities for Stress Relief
Stress reduction can be approached through gentle, non-invasive methods that support the body and mind without adding strain. Simple breathing exercises, practiced for just a few minutes a day, can shift your nervous system into a calmer state. Gentle yoga offers slow, intentional movement that eases muscle tension while grounding your thoughts. Among plant-based approaches, ashwagandha is known for its adaptogenic qualities, helping the body adapt to stress over time. Some individuals are exploring THCa diamonds as another potential option, appreciating their unique profile while ensuring they integrate them thoughtfully and in line with personal wellness goals.

Environment and Design
Your physical space quietly shapes your mood and mindset. Cluttered rooms, harsh lighting, or cramped layouts can feed anxiety and restlessness, while deliberate design choices can encourage calm. Even small shifts in your physical surroundings, like rethinking furniture placement or introducing more natural light, can have a profound effect. A well-arranged space supports focus, while a cozy reading nook or a plant-filled corner can offer a retreat during stressful moments. You don’t need a full renovation, just the willingness to experiment with changes that make your home feel like an ally.

Expressive Arts Therapy
Art can be a bridge between thoughts and emotions, offering a channel for expression without requiring verbal explanation. In clinical settings, expressive arts therapy blends music, visual arts, dance, and drama into structured activities aimed at letting art ease anxiety and boost self-worth. But you don’t need to be in therapy to adapt some of these techniques. Finger-painting for five minutes, drumming along to your favorite song, or moving freely to music at home can all create micro-moments of release. The act of creating, not the quality of the finished piece, is what makes this powerful.

Guided Imagery
The mind is capable of transporting itself into states that influence real emotions and physical sensations. By mentally rehearsing calmer moments, guided imagery invites you to build detailed mental landscapes—walking through a forest path, floating in a warm pool, or standing on a quiet beach at sunrise. You can follow audio scripts, work with a coach, or craft your own. This method taps into the same parts of the brain that respond to real experiences, meaning your body can reap similar benefits: lowered heart rate, muscle relaxation, and a more grounded sense of presence.

Adventure Therapy
If your mental health feels stagnant, consider a challenge that combines movement, nature, and teamwork. Adventure therapy, often conducted outdoors, might involve rock climbing, rope courses, or group hikes designed to foster trust, problem-solving, and resilience. By testing trust and resilience through shared challenge, you’re not just exercising—you’re also navigating uncertainty and building social connection in a supportive setting. This combination of physical exertion and relational bonding can deliver an energizing shift in perspective.

Storytelling for Healing
Stories aren’t only for entertainment—they’re a potent tool for reframing personal experience and reducing stress. Programs in hospitals and community centers have shown how using narrative to soothe and distract from pain can help patients feel more in control and connected. You might write your own fictionalized version of a tough period, join a storytelling circle, or record audio memoirs for yourself or loved ones. By giving structure to your experiences, storytelling helps you make sense of them, preserving lessons and reframing challenges in a way that supports recovery.

The path to better mental health doesn’t have to be linear or conventional. Whether you’re collaging mementos into a journal, adjusting a reading chair to catch the morning light, dancing to a favorite song, or crafting the story of your life, these activities encourage connection—to yourself, to your environment, and to others. Unconventional practices can feel more like play than “work,” which makes them easier to integrate consistently. Mental health thrives not only on discipline and care, but also on creativity, novelty, and joy—qualities these approaches bring in abundance.

Embark on a transformative journey with AstroDharma and explore the powerful intersection of somatic healing and astrology to enhance your dynamic wellness today!

This was written by guest author Camille Johnson. Thank you Camille for such great advice!

Thank you for visiting and subscribing!

Kirby Moore