Author Archives: spirittherapist
TENDERNESS AND THE TRUTH
One could reasonably say that our egos are totally structured around the need to defend ourselves from what we believe at our core we could not tolerate experiencing. From this standpoint, our spiritual path is to let ourselves make contact … Continue reading
Dear Group, I came across this piece by a Zen teacher in the Tricycle magazine, a Buddhist publication, and I have not seen a more penetrating and accurate description of true joy than this. So I wanted to share it with you! Blessings, Robert Cornell … Continue reading
DETHRONING THE INNER CRITICS
In spiritual work there is a very real potential for our Super Ego to stealthily insert itself into our practice. The Super Ego often shows up as an Inner Critic, a Bully, a Pusher, a Perfectionist who remonstrates with us … Continue reading
ATTENDING TO THE HEART In my Soul Repair and Soul Work childhood trauma recovery groups I have participants put their hands over their hearts and attend to what is present there. Also, sometimes I have them put one hand over their hearts and one hand over their guts. One thing that this can do is to bring our awareness more deeply into connection with our heart and gut “brains”. There is clinical evidence that this is one way to synchronize the electrical patterns of the brain and the heart, which is important to good emotional self regulation. Try the following experiment the next time you are really upset about something. Rather than reaching for food or distraction or support outside of yourself, resolve to be present with yourself in the moment, especially with your heart region where much upset is experienced. Place one hand over your heart and feel into your heart space. Let go of any thoughts or memories or mental images if they arise and go back to your heart space. Breathe and gently stay present there. You may find that this helps you to calm down and think more clearly.
WORKING WITH OUR INNER CONTROL FREAK
Many of us have got a strong Inner Control Freak (ICF). Its job, as it sees it, is to monitor our emotions and to make sure they stay in acceptable bounds – not too high not too low. And there are … Continue reading
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY IN SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
In all the great spiritual traditions, community is valued highly. Why is this? Probably because the process of transformation from ego consciousness into Christ consciousness is so very, very challenging. So we need others for support and accountability on this … Continue reading
Heart Meditation
SPIRITTHERAPIST.COM Sometimes, because of a very difficult thing happening in our lives, our hearts seem to turn to stone: adamantine, cold, unfeeling. The emotions that are coming up for us feel too intense, too painful for us to let them … Continue reading