November 9, 2013

The Light Within

by Judith Bobbe, LCSW

“In me there is a light that lights the whole world.” – Rod Stryker

How many of us ever get to experience the true infinite power and expansiveness of our own potential?  In my experience as a therapist and as a person living in this world, not many people ever get close to really knowing their own limitless potential.

It is said that we use only a small portion of our brain’s capacity. What, in addition, do we use of the capacity of our soul?

Many people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and other very common problems, are unaware of the power and resourcefulness of their own soul.

I am not using the word soul in a religious sense but in a sense of all of those intuitive wise and mysterious capacities that reside deep within us.

Often it takes a calamity or a  trauma like a car accident or serious illness, for people to look more deeply into who they are, and to discover a meaningful life purpose that may have been elusive before. To be shaken to the core by a traumatic event can be a positively life changing experience for people who use the moment to re- actualize and transform themselves.

You can begin to transform yourself, as well, by simply learning how to look more carefully at who you are and to be encouraged to persist in discovering your own true inner self.

As a therapist working with people who feel trapped by their emotions and stuck in non- productive habits, I see that when people are taught how to look more deeply into themselves, into the more mysterious realms of thought feeling and intuition, they discover that they really are much more of a person than their symptoms and problems allow them to believe.

Healing is not only about understanding the past but also about learning how to develop the fire within you that burns with an infinite capacity for creativity, growth and joy. Difficult feelings which have dragged you down, and the impact of the past, can begin to fall away and to become much more faint in their influence over you.

Positive beliefs about your own potential begin to grow with a glow which is undeniable so that changes becomes more natural and easy to accomplish.

This is the path of real personal freedom.

for more see my website: http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com

http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com/meditationmindfulness.html

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November 1, 2013

Remembering, Living, Exploring

by Judith Bobbe, LCSW

“The best of modern therapy is much like a process of shared meditation, where therapist and client sit together, learning to pay close attention to those aspects and dimensions of the self that the client bay be unable to touch on his or her own.”  Jack Kornfield, A Path With Heart.

It is important to remember and understand the past. We need to understand who we are in the context of our past experiences. Our influences from early life determine the way we each cope with life.

Remembering and understanding the past, however, does not in itself create change. People often feel trapped in habits and behavior patterns which were established earlier in life, and want to understand how to change.

How can we get in touch with who we really are, beyond our expectations and beliefs?

Change and motivation grow in the present, out of openness and commitment to try new ways of behaving and thinking. In order to believe that change is possible, a different experience of who we are is the only really motivating force. Experiencing oneself differently, introduces hope and curiosity about how life might be better, if we take the risk to grow and change.

When we try new activities that expand our perceptions of ourselves, the courage to change begins. We discover aspects of our own strengths and capacities.

Practices such as Yoga, meditation, deep relaxation, journaling, making art, and other creative activities, transcend our normal life flow, and provide access to richer aspects of ourselves. These experiences reveal to us a sense of ourselves that is deeper and broader than our habitual ways of knowing who we are. Inner life exploration grounded in mind- body expansion and discovery, and in creative activity, teach us that we are more than we think we are. Exploration teaches us that there is a level of reality within us that is infinitely wise, strong and clear.

Habitual thought patterns, the demands of work, responsibilities to others, and the outside world, can combine to make it seem almost illusory that it is possible to get in touch with our intuitive strengths. It seems illusory but it is a reality. It really is possible for anyone who commits to try, to discover their own vast inner world of strength , and I can be your guide in this process of self-discovery. Your own inner world is a part of you that is deeper than any of the symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear, or other states of mind which might seem inescapable to you.

Who are you when you sit in meditation? Who are you when you stretch and breathe into a yoga pose? Who are you when you are creative? What are the strengths that are waiting there inside of you to be discovered?

Inside each of us is an entire universe of boundless potential. In yoga philosophy, this is referred to as uncovering the dust that covers the soul, burning off the dust through practices.

Through encouragement and persistent practice, attention within, and real curiosity about our thoughts, we become more positive about ourselves.  Life becomes a reality, to be lived and explored, with a whole new range of capacity for joy and freedom. Issues from the past can be healed with greater ease and comfort.

I am persistent, patient and dedicated to finding ways to help you to take the risk to grow, and to finding the ways that are best for you. I provide an array of tools to help you to discover more richness, meaning and the core of strength inside of you.

for more, see my website: http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com

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October 22, 2013

The Present Moment

by Judith Bobbe, LCSW

The Present Moment.

This is the moment of being alive right now, not the past or the future, the point of our greatest power to live fully and happily. Every moment is a chance to open to life.

The subject of “Mindfulness” is everywhere today.  It is discussed in an ever- increasing number of places, from corporate retreats, to technology seminars, to yoga studios, to schools. Mindfulness is a practice of being open to what is happening without judgment, just being in touch with “what is”, and allowing it to be.

Whenever you look at the sky, or the changing leaves, or watch the wind in the trees, you are immersed in an experience of the present.  Total immersion in the process of nature, without judgment, analysis, or trying to figure anything out, is a form of mindful presence with the world. The simplicity, and, the vitality of these ways of interacting with the world, is often overlooked.

The same can be said of the breath.  One does not have to feel calm, in order to practice breath awareness.  The simple action of watching the inhale and exhale, how the energy of breath moves in the body, creates a new perspective on being alive, which deepens your connection with the present moment.

Your awareness is the container of your experience. Your awareness of the vitality of the life within you grows.

What is the purpose of all this? It is to enjoy being alive, to feel nourished and sustained by the positive forces of life that are always there inside of you.

If you feel you cannot calm down, or stop negative thoughts and feelings, you will be helped by mindfulness practice. The purpose of mindfulness practice is that you become joined with a deeper experience of who you are. You become deeply nourished by the light of life inside you. It then becomes easier to let go of negative patterns of thought and feeling, to let go of self- judgment. Optimism and confidence grow effortlessly. It becomes easier to be patient and persistent through difficulties.

Consistent practice changes your expectation of how well you can deal with challenges in your life. Mindfulness practice strengthens and increases motivation for positive change.

The effects of normal every- day stress are tolerated with greater ease. When the more challenging stresses of big life changes occur, these transitions can be navigated with clearer vision and a deeper connection with your real inner strength.

Mindfulness practice can be done in many different ways,  and I am here to help you to find the one that is best for you.

for More see my website

http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com

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October 21, 2013

Listening to Your Inner Voice

by Judith Bobbe, LCSW

The best way to fight anxiety, depression, and feeling stuck in non-productive habits, is to do any practice which helps you to listen to your own intuition. When people suffer from anxiety and depression and feel that they cannot make desired changes, they often have a shaky connection with their own intuition.  Years of frustration can dim the connection with one’s own inner voice. There is a voice there, which is not listened to, and it is forgotten. Habits take over and people identify with their habits.

Our own voice inside is that which tells us what we really need, not what our habits tell us we want.  There are many simple practices which can help anyone to be more in touch with their own innate wisdom and strength.  Accessing this source is simple yet profound.  With repetition, it becomes easier to learn how to listen to that part of you which knows what you need to do, in order to change, that part of you which wants to be healthier, stronger and happier.

There is an innate stillness, which can be accessed, without being a yogi or meditator. I teach simple skills which can enrich your life, if you want to be guided into a change process which will lift you out of being stuck with who you think you have to be.

Life experiences teach us who we think we are, but our experience of ourselves can be changed, through accessing, and through listening to, our own intuition.

 

for more see my website:

http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com

On Facebook: Personal-discovery-chicago.com

Meditation and Mindfulness Practices
Psychotherapy for Depression, Anxiety, Substance Abuse and Relationship Issues
 

 

October 11, 2013

Using Skills for Building Inner Strength

USING TOOLS FOR BUILDING INNER STRENGTH

by Judith Bobbe, L.C.S.W.

When I work with people in therapy I introduce skills which they can use at home, in order to build confidence, strength and resiliency.

I never know for sure which tools will click with a person, so I am patient and persistent in offering as many as possible, so that maybe a practice will develop for the person at home. If one thing doesn’t work, I offer another.

When people start to practice breathing, meditation, yoga nidra or any form of inner reflection process, they invariably get better faster. Just taking the few minutes to turn inward with a process which is positive, is so refreshing. People need to feel that they can manage themselves and their own emotions and the skill building is very empowering in this process.

I am very encouraging and believe in your capacity for change. No one wants to be stuck, its just a matter of finding how to get unstuck. I am an expert at this and am very proactive in ensuring that you can find ways to get better.

for more see my website: http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com