Give me the courage to explore, to experience, and to bear the hidden anxiety and suffering that lie beneath the symptoms and the problem with which I am struggling. Help me not to condemn my stuckness, my repetitive patterns, and my resistance to change. Help to embrace the purpose of my stuckness and my resistance, so that with your support, I may become free to choose another way and a different solution.
Maureen Conroy
Photo from www.heritagehouseinn.com
This past weekend, temperatures finally got out of the teens, the sun was out, and my husband and I, after a very stressful week, decided to go out for a walk.
We drove to a national wildlife refuge and bird sanctuary, right in the middle of Philadelphia - the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. This refuge was boxed between the international airport, humongous gasoline tanks, Interstate 95, and low income housing.
But there we were on miles of trails walking through a beautiful frozen wetland, surrounded by tall grasses and cattails, great blue herons, and herds of deer. The occasional plane that flew over head only punctuated the quiet of the woods.
I thought, “This is truly a sanctuary.”
Continue reading "Finding Sanctuary in Winter by Karin Marcus" »
In the last couple of days I've had several occasions to speak with people who have experienced a trauma---either recently or in the past. I wanted to share a little information about a treatment option that's recommended for people who are still feeling the effects of a past trauma.
Over the years I have recommended EMDR to a number of clients and each of them have gone on to live very full lives that are no longer impacted by the original trauma.
Some quick facts:
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
The American Psychiatric Association and the Department of Veteran Affairs both recommend EMDR as a viable treatment for traumas--
This week, as we approach the Winter Solstice and pass through it, is the darkest week of the year. Due to the sun's path, the days are as short as they will be all year and they nights are as long as they will be.
Many people bemoan the darkness. It affects them in ways that make them feel depressed, uncomfortable, and uneasy.
To me the darkness is rich with promise, hope, and potential. I love this time of year. I know the magic that can happen during this auspicious time.
A quote at the bottom of a friend's email reminded me of the Winter Solstice - the insights that come from reflection that lead us to a new Spring.
By Eckhart Tolle
"Cooperate with the movement of Life. Internally. Always. Great power lies in that...Behind anything that (seems to) go wrong...you can be sure something reveals itself...a greater good."
In most transitions of note, we are faced with something that's gone "wrong" in our lives. We struggle to make sense of an untimely death, a surprise diagnosis, or an injury.
What we ultimately discover, after weeks, months, or even years, is that out of the original event that felt wrong at the time come great gifts and insights.
If you are in the depths of your Winter, look at your situation from a new perspective. Listen deep within for signs of the gifts this situation is bringing you. Reach in deep to find one element you can feel grateful about.
This shift from seeing what's wrong to seeing what's right can be the opening that turns your journey toward spring. Don't underestimate the power of shifting your perspective even five percent.
Finding a gift in your transition doesn't mean you have to like what's happened to you, It just means you can let go of the tight hold you've had on your previous understanding of your past.
Helping people unhook from the old story and find a sliver of hope is why I do the work I do with clients in transition. Accompanying someone through that turning point always fills me with awe. That moment, that insight is the beginning of their new life and it's an honor to witness that birth.
If you've been wrestling with your situation for a long time, you may find it helpful to reach outside yourself of new questions that can lead to new insights. If you'd like help finding some new questions to ask yourself about your situation, check out my new service - Personalized Retreats.
