Psychotherapy from a Yogic Perspective

Basic goodness is our essential nature.  We lose touch with it through life events that teach us to armor ourselves from our painful experiences.

These experiences are made concrete in the body, and show themselves as the armoring behavior of automatic reactions, fears, or beliefs about our limitations.

We may make decisions from behind our armor to protect ourselves from the pain of emotional discomfort  in body and mind.   We may sense that, while protecting ourselves this way was what we needed to "get through" a few or many years ago, it doesn't work so well today in our relationships, professional lives, with friends and family members.  Our old way of being will not move us forward to where we now want to go in life.

As this awareness dawns--maybe as confusion or longing for something different, we wish for change but are unsure where to start.

We will work together to examine confusing behavior, beliefs and situations, finding the truth as it reveals itself in each moment, and stepping toward where you are now ready to venture.

With your willingness to explore the current life landscape created from past choices, you can move toward greater self-respect, intimacy with others, and fulfillment of dreams that once may have seemed impossible to imagine.   You can make thoughtful choices once you see you do have options, and as you do so, your goals come more clearly into view.   Our work together helps you move on. 

We often find it hard to show up for our moment-to-moment experiences.  Your husband, wife, friend says something to you, and you find yourself responding in a way you may later regret.  This is natural.  At birth, we arrive equipped with basic skills that help us get food, comfort and safety.  We were able to draw people toward us, most often parents,and were able to survive and even thrive for quite awhile.

As young or maturing adults, how we respond becomes outdated, and our same responses that helped us survive now stop us from unfolding our lives in a way that feels satisfying and genuine.

Maybe now a feeling of mild discontent or restlessness tugs at us here and there.  We may sense, but not really feel, a joyfulness at the unique expression that we each are in the world; perhaps the light of Self feels dimmed from so many years of struggle.

To begin the unveiling of oneself, to journey back into the warmth of one's own basic goodness is a worthwhile effort that provides us with a deeper sense of ease with ourselves, and teaches perseverance, humility, and humor.  It rewards us by putting us back in touch with the marvelous being still shining beneath the dimmed light.  We come to appreciate all the sharp edges and dark places of ourselves that we find, and in so doing, a softer, lighter way finds us.

While we cannot control all of what life sends our way, we can make a profound difference in how we connect to our life, and this starts by seeing where we are today.   We can feel less affected by what comes our way; we can create a new relationship with fear or stress, and defuse it, so we keep moving forward in life--not waiting for the magical day to come when we no longer feel anxious at all.

In this way, we also open up and see that we have more choices than we may first notice. And that seeing provides us with a spacious sense of relief.

This type of deep and lasting work involves not just the mind, but the body, which often holds memory at a cellular level.  We work in a compassionate way to reunite and strengthen the body/mind/spirit connection.

"may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back
may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that"
~ Lucille Clifton