Virtually Gina

A Moment of Change

June 1, 2020 by Gina Marie

Allyship towards people of color involves recognizing the racial biases that may live within me and committing to counter these subtle, insidious patterns of thinking. I can choose to speak up and ask for feedback from trusted peers of color, instead of remaining silent as I might otherwise be inclined to do. Similarly, I can seek to learn about the history of racism and ways in which discrimination has impacted and continues to impact POC today. I can make an effort to live life with compassion, respecting and honoring differences rather than seeing them as barriers.

Categories: America, Brooklyn, CBT, Civil Rights, Compassion, Healing, History, Minneapolis, Minnesota, New York, New York City, NYC, Racism, Social Work • Tags: America, CBT, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Racism, Social Justice, Social Work

Cosmic New York

April 22, 2020 by Gina Marie

“Think of yourself in a cosmic context,” someone once suggested. It seemed like easier advice to take when I was out and about. In quarantine, sure, I go for daily walks and enjoy the fresh Brooklyn air. (An oxymoron, right? But it actually IS fresh, since carbon emissions have fallen since mid-March.) Meanwhile, I haven’t been across the river to Manhattan in about 5 weeks, although it feels like ages. I miss the window-shopping, the people-watching, the stunning skyscraper views. […]

Categories: Brooklyn, New York, New York City, NYC, Photo Journal, Photography, Surrealism, Urban • Tags: Brooklyn, Manhattan, New York City, Photography, Quarantine

Celebrate

April 20, 2020 by Gina Marie

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1BYTn368Dr5UYeDvRwSC1I?si=Yj0Uo2O3QAGZFzkEkYJ6ww

Categories: Celebrate

Brooklyn Quiet

April 2, 2020 by Gina Marie

The streets of Brooklyn were mostly empty. The few brave souls outdoors wore masks, scarves, or bandanas around their faces to keep virus at bay. A sign posted on a lamppost encouraged neighbors to stay connected in spite of the shelter-in-place order, now in its second month. And yet, the flowering trees still bloomed. Their message: your worldly illusions have been shattered, but deep within the earth, it’s business as usual.

Categories: America, Brooklyn, Nature, New York, New York City, NYC, Photography, Spooky, Spring, Urban • Tags: Brooklyn, nature, New York City, Photography, Spring, Urban

Virtually Mellow

March 26, 2020 by Gina Marie

During a time of challenge unlike any other that has come before in this lifetime, moments of calm are more important than ever. Please enjoy the links below, intended to bring you to a place of virtual mellow. Stop back from time to time, as the list will surely grow. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section: MEDITATION IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS: https://jackkornfield.com/compassion-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/ CURATED LIST OF CORONAVIRUS MEDITATIONS: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanitymeds PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION AUDIO: https://www.therapistaid.com/interactive-therapy-tool/progressive-muscle-relaxation-audio MINDFUL BREATHING […]

Categories: Compassion, Meditation • Tags: Calm, Meditation, Yoga

Protected: The Soft Body of Your Calling

March 23, 2020 by Gina Marie

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Categories: Meditation

California Dreamin’

August 14, 2019 by Gina Marie

I spent 10 days in California earlier this summer. All but one of the following photos were taken on the approximately two-mile stroll from Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach using a Nikon D3100 fitted with a zoom lens. Dreamy!

Categories: America, Beaches, California, Nikon, Photography, Travel • Tags: Beaches, California, Nikon, ocean, Photography, Santa Monica, Sunset, Travel, Venice Beach

The Hilarity of Life

August 11, 2019 by Gina Marie

On the second day of my period during a marital separation, feeling extra hormonal and mopey, I hopped on a bicycle and passed a scene that could only happen in New York. A scruffy-looking fellow who I probably would have mistaken for homeless except that he was riding an expensive-looking bicycle, was BLASTING Sinead O’Connor’s rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which—under the circumstances—brought tears to my eyes. I pedaled behind him for a few blocks, listening to the mournful […]

Categories: Bicycles, Brooklyn, Heartbreak, Life, Love, Memoir, New York City, NYC, Personal, Short Story