Sit with it, psychology supervisors would say in grad school. She needs to sit with her sadness, guilt, dilemma, etc. In practice, I learned that most clients interpret this as submitting to their inner attacker until it hurts a lot, really really enough, and then, having done their duty, getting back to what’s actually fun and lively. Fortunately, as I sat in my own meditation, I was able to clarify the process and then guide clients through it. Sitting with it means that we allow the connection between thoughts and feelings to dissolve. When they stop reinforcing each other, we are freed from repetitive loops and we can actually move on, not just push through.
But here’s the thing: When stuff feels awful, we work pretty hard at this. We get good at identifying our inner critical introjects and naming them as thoughts and not obeying them and returning to our sensation and All That. Because we want to feel better, right? But then we do. We feel better. And then we’re done, we think. No more pain. I graduated. But… then… alas. It slips away. What happened to that good feeling?
That’s the question in the air, along with
Click to read more ...
My Honeymoon in Chernobyl, photo by Ian DarsonDo clowns have a purpose? Those of you who are old enough may understand what happens as you begin to glimpse mortality.On occasion at least, the inclination to cling to this narrow self drops away and we begin to consider what we transmit to the ever-changing world in which we have such a teeny cameo. Whether or not we plan it, we do transmit, and so it is with clowns, but some use the platform to show us something important.
Share Article → 
