March 3, 2017

safety

Judith Bobbe, LCSW

http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com/meditation-and-mindfulness-practices/

“Cultivating attitudes of friendliness, compassion, happiness and non-judgment…protect our mind from the subtle contaminations of animosity, jealousy and self-righteousness.” Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, The Secret of the Yoga Sutras

Thoughts flow within our minds. Tadpoles swim out of their eggs and flowers open to the sun. Dynamic forces of nature are in us and around us, the entire web of life has no boundaries.

We are made of the same spiritual and material elements as everything else in the universe. When we feel love, we are at home and at one with the world. Pure existence is undeniably beautiful.

Animals and plants grow, live and die according to the invisible laws of nature which determine their patterns, structure and inherent qualities. They are not inhibited by themselves. The life force simply emerges, naturally.

Humans are different in that we live inside of minds which are trained to be very judgmental. Judgments create walls. Every thought we have which is judgmental towards ourselves prohibits growth, and the emergence of our talents, spontaneity and creativity. While children are naturally extremely creative, many adults have trouble developing their creativity and believe they are not creative at all. Training changes the human mind.

We judge ourselves in order to protect ourselves from being seen as not good enough. Are we good enough, normal enough? Are we too abnormal, too different? Will we be valued and appreciated by the world or will we judged and excluded?

Will be be approved of, or will will be rejected?

are we safe? …are we safe to be ourselves?

We try to protect ourselves from the worlds judgments by judging ourselves, and by trying to be perfect. Fear keeps us aligned with our judgments.

Self judgment is a prison. It can take the form of depression, anxiety, or in addictions.

For people trying to change, it becomes apparent that the inside has to change, the mind has to change.

We have to change the way we relate to ourselves. In order to do this we need new habits which support self-awareness, self-acceptance, openness and courage.

Meditation practices which cultivate compassion and kindness are a great antidote to patterns of self-judgment. Through repetitious practice of expanding the innate qualities of kindness, we experience the hugeness of the inner self which is comprised of love. We can disengage from habits that are constricting because a natural reassurance and feelings of safety, develop from within.

Love, inner peace and patience can unfold naturally.

It is actually very practical. We change the mind by practicing the opposite of habits of the mind.

Like the flower that blooms without getting in its own way, we too can live with greater freedom to evolve.

The ability to feel safe to be oneself and to be grateful for life, in the purest sense, flourishes when judgmental patterns fall away.

for more information please see my website:http://www.personal-discovery-chicago.com/meditation-and-mindfulness-practices/

December 10, 2013

The Secret Doorway

by Judith Bobbe, LCSW

“Mindfulness isn’t about what is happening; it is about how we are relating to what is happening — how much awareness, balance and compassion are we bringing to this moment’s experience, whatever it is.” Sharon Salzberg

The world around us is always changing. In contrast to the unpredictability of life around us is the radiant force of light inside us, that which is always available to us: a timeless source of strength and reassurance that can guide us to live a life of the highest good.

Often we get stuck in habits that prevent us from being aware that the light within is there at all. Thinking and worrying about the future, or dwelling on past events, are such familiar ways of thinking.

Habits based on fear, discouragement and disappointment cause constriction in the mind body and emotions. We need to protect ourselves so patterns develop that create a smaller world inside us, which seems safer.

Mindfulness practices bring us in touch with a larger reality. Being in touch with what is, without judgment, allows us to have a sense of life that transcends our narrow perceptions that are habituated out of fear. We can sense new options and begin to change.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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