Meet Catherine of Siena. This Tilda Swinton lookalike lived in the 14th century and, three times a day, she whipped herself with chains for an hour and a half. She managed to reduce her sleeping to about 90 minutes every other day. And of course, being so saintly, she slept on a wooden board. Her diet was also strange. She was famous for eating only a spoonful of herbs a day (and communion, of ... Read More

When trying to overcome harmful behaviours, people are taught how not to die.  But in truth, the challenge is learning how to live.Often techniques are given for beating eating disorders or drinking or overspending or whatever.  But the solution is not found in ratcheting up my will power. In fact, that only exacerbates my problems. Aside from anything else, I can’t change. Scripture ... Read More

Growing up I was always a ‘good girl’.  My brother still jokes that he got the looks, my sister got the brains and I got the morals. Who’s the one you’d most like to take to a party, eh? Well ‘good girl’ worked for me.  I was bright, sensitive and a perfectionist. I hated letting people down – and it was really important to me that when I did things ... Read More