Posts Tagged ‘the red tent’
Continuing the Pursuit of Taking Life … ONE BREATH AT A TIME.
SWEDISH PROVERB
Everything in life lately seems to be both sped up and slowed down simultaneously; it seems that way when we are on the precipice of the new and the verge of jumping out of the old. When things shift in our world they can appear seismic and one shift can propel multiple shifts–with the change of pace to our life steps we can, in the process, leave people, lose people, separate from what doesn’t work from what was and finding what could work in the new. What an exhilarating thing–the possibility of possibilities! And how frightening as well.
As I launch of the edge in my present life and change the pace of my step I am both these things–exhilarated and frightened. I think about my clients, coming into a therapy office is often the precipice of life–wanting something new, something else than what we have created in our world but so afraid of what that change could mean. For a trauma survivor change means opening up the wounds of old ghosts and the things that haunt us, having to look them head on, and find a way to move beyond survival living and finding a way to thrive in existence. For persons suffering from the disease of addiction coming into therapy or treatment means owning up to the first STEP in the recovery process: Admitting that my life has become unmanageable and I have no control over my addiction. But isn’t that the way with all of us when we have to own up to what is not working in our life–admit that there is a problem and that life has become unmanageable as is. What a brave thing to do!…And how frightening.
And so I return to breath as I often do in times of stress and renewal. Breath is our life source, our origin, our beginning and our end is all breath and silence. So we can go back to the root of ourselves through breath and silence. I teach my clients breath first to find a way to bear the daunting task ahead–change. And I constantly remind myself to return to breath when life and those in it surprise, disappoint, injure, or exhilarate. Yesterday I taught a workshop at THE RED TENT in Delray Beach, Florida and I told a wonderful and strong group of women the importance of breath and keeping one’s gaze on a fixed point in life and in yoga, because without it we cannot maintain balance through the chaos and storms that always, inevitably come. I continue to remind myself, as I do my clients to do this–breathe, find inner silence, and keep my gaze on the fixed point in the distance.
What is your stability–the point you can fix your gaze on in your life?
When do you find silence and breath in your day?
20 minutes dedicated to YOU per day can make a vital shift internally to help find the resilience and resolve to deal with all the externals that life throws at us!
Give yourself some time, some care, and some room to breathe.
PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME CHECK OUT MY NEW VIRTUAL WORKSHOP now available at THE WISH STUDIO called, apropos, ROOM TO BREATHE! I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW VENTURE THAT HAS BEEN SOME MONTHS IN THE WORKS!
http://wishstudio.com/events/
And I wanted to thank Durga at YOGA OF RECOVERY for linking to the EMBODY MENTAL HEALTH TIMES PAGE! Thank you Durga for both your thoughtful interview and your virtual “shout-out” to the mission of this blog and EMBODY MENTAL HEALTH of being able to discuss on issues of integrative and complementary mental health! See Durga’s interview in the previous post.
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New Horizons: Watching Life Unfold From the Driver’s Seat
“The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.”
Maya Angelou
This week has brought a plethora of wonderful blessings and magical gifts my way! Let me list the three prominent highlights:
- New Partnership with Lisa Kelly & THE RED TENT : A Healing Arts Center for Women in Delray Beach, Florida.
- PASSED my Yoga Teacher Training Final Exam last night–85% thank you very much. And I thought NYU Graduate School was hard.
- Article on “COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR TRAUMA” was posted at Michele’s HEAL MY PTSD “Professional Perspectives” section of her website today.
Every time I wonder how I am going to take the next step forward into the wild blue yonder of my life and then something beautiful and wonderful happens. I would say, without hesitation, this was the case in meeting with Lisa Kelly, owner of The Red Tent, trained Doula, massage therapist, and passionate advocate of the ability to heal oneself by accessing the body to get to the emotional content inside. In our discussion of our mutual passions for healing and wellness and vision for a community of holistic healthcare I realized I had stumbled upon–in one short email, a Facebook connection, and 48 hours–one of those kindred spirits that I thought were so rare. What I have realized is that the more you shout into the abyss your passion, the more kindred souls you find echoing back.
I have begun the embryonic phases of a partnership with Lisa and her wonderful center THE RED TENT whose name is meant to symbolize (as the book by the same name does) a community of women joining together for healing. I will begin practicing at her oasis of a location (complete with outdoor foot bath/ jacuzzi!) providing services such as: individual, couples & mother/baby therapy, individual, couples & group yoga for mental health/wellness, and a mosaic of creative workshops. My practice in this soothing environment will be given the freedom to apply the tools I find so healing including: breathing exercises, guided visualization, yoga techniques, mind/body and somatic attunement, creative arts, and imagination. I believe this new venture is going to be the beginning of a wonderful journey towards cultivating a healing community and bringing the intention of “embodying mental health” to life in full 3 dimensional form.
I titled this post “New Horizons: Watching Life Unfold From the Driver’s Seat” because that is how it feels as I begin this process of rebirth, as it were. The horizon shifts and the sun peaks out from the landscape without any help from us, we only direct the path of where we drive, towards it, away from it, or meandering slowly in it’s direction. There are times in my life were I definitely went in the opposite direction of light and other times where I took the winding hard way to get to the sun on the horizon. But today, in this moment, in this breath, it feels like I am full of intention and on a steady path towards the sun rising ahead.
The sun rises and sets in our life and we either go with it or steer away–I am ready to gaze into the sun and drive right into the warmth and brightness of its glow.
One exhausting and wonderful adventure, yoga school, is coming to a close. And so it seems an apt time for the newly donned subtitle of the “MY EMBODIMENT” blog: “…exploring mind, body, and spirit wellness.” That is where I think I am headed, on an exploration and continued journey into self, wellness, and continued healing paths of myself and others. I am leaving yoga school having learned much and knowing that I have much to learn–the best educational experiences provide more questions than answers, more quests into the unknown and momentum forward. I have stretched in every meaning of the word: mind, body, and spirit. I have met wonderful people and found some kindred spirits along the way. And I am grateful for every moment spent struggling towards balance and head stands along the way! I am proud to say I can finally balance on my head, even if momentarily, and I think this progress is literal and metaphoric as my life propels forward into the upside downs and unknowns.
Whatever tomorrow brings I want to stare into the sun and drive straight towards the horizon of my life! Sometimes life reminds you that you are on the right path. I imagine a road sign on my metaphoric highway towards the sun with a sign reading “Next Destination Just Ahead: Beware of Speed Bumps”. Reminding me that I have the potential to enact all the things I want to, I just need to make sure I keep myself in check in the process. In yoga and in life, our human flaws and egos are the enemy of all good works. I want to be on the side of Karmic Service & try to leave as much of my human flaws at the last rest stop before I reach my next destination. I hope yoga gave me some of those tools. I hope my passion for this work has given me the energy and stamina for the trek. And I hope my car’s tires have warranties–because there are always bumps along the way.
**ALSO my “Yoga for Trauma Survivors” at Yoga & Inner Peace in Lake Worth, FL continues tomorrow 1:00-2:30pm: visit www.yogapeace.com for more information!**
CHECK OUT…
The Red Tent: A Healing Arts Center for Women at www.redtentwellness.com
Heal My PTSD: Conquer the Past. Create the Future at www.healmyptsd.com
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