Monday, May 21, 2018

I built a thatched hut
deep in the clouds
and find enough joy
in what life brings
I manage to keep a
potato fire burning
and still write letters
despite a lack of schemes
clear and still as ice
I transcend the bounds of time
open and full of light
I encompass the ten directions
but I don't know what
happened outside my door how many times has spring followed fall
- Stonehouse (1272-1352) courtesy of dailyzen.com

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are very effective modes of psychotherapy for stress management. Essentially I teach someone how to induce a state of trance which is  focused attention. The experience creates a sense of inner space to consider the difficult experiences or worries that are causing disruptions in the daily routines. From that “thatched hut in the clouds” a person can recognize the distorted and self defeating beliefs that are creating the disruptions . The ability to focus our attention in this way allows us to transcend the bounds of time and encompass the ten directions. We can cultivate a  new way of understanding our feelings and reactions to experiences. To find joy in what life brings can be very challenging in difficult times. Even with these tools the answers to our questions may remain unknown. The cultivation of a new understanding is supposed to be difficult. Committing to a time each day to spend in our “thatched hut in the clouds” helps us to be open to discovery and change.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Unknown, Hsiang-chi Temple
miles and miles into cloud-draped peaks.
Among the old trees a path no one travels,
a bell deep in the mountains but from where?
A brook gulps among protruding boulders,
and though the sun glows,
it's cool beneath the pines.
At dusk, by a bend in an empty pool,
meditating quietly, I rout the deadly dragon.
Wang Wei (699-761) courtesy of dailyzen.com

The journey taken in psychotherapy is a path that no one has traveled before. We spend the time in session reflecting on the past; acknowledging the feelings in the moment; and contemplating the future. The conversation flows among the tragedies and fears which protrude but cannot impede our intention to discover deeper truths and understandings. The deadly dragons of resentment and anger are routed by our meditations on the quiet connections we have with the universe.

  The bird’s path, winding far, Is right before you.   Water of the Dokei Gorge, You return to the ocean, I to the mountain. - Hof...