Dharmapunx NYC The Holidays: From Sometimes Just Surviving to Thriving
Dec 5, 2025
Explore the dissonance between holiday expectations and the reality of loneliness. Discover how childhood experiences shape adult connections and emotional responses. Learn about the brain's mechanisms for memory and emotion, including the impact of early caregiver interactions. Josh shares techniques to shift anxiety and reframe painful memories through mindfulness and breathing practices. He emphasizes the shared experience of holiday loneliness and invites listeners into body-centered meditations to cultivate safety and connection.
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Arousal Tags Memories
- The locus coeruleus releases norepinephrine during changes, marking events for memory formation.
- Josh Korda highlights that arousal during interpersonal shifts creates lasting memory bundles.
Core Shame Resurfaces During Holidays
- Core shame is a bodily felt belief of being unlovable that often resurfaces at holidays.
- Josh Korda connects shame to early attachment failures and present social triggers.
Past Wounds Get Replayed In The Present
- When current events resemble past wounds, neural ensembles recreate those earlier states in the brain.
- Josh Korda explains this replay makes minor slights feel overwhelmingly painful at gatherings.