Bristol, NY

I went away on Yoga retreat for a few days over Memorial Day weekend; was blessed to be able to take in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate NY. The retreat was hosted in a building that was originally designed to be a hunting cabin, and has now been converted to yoga retreat space. People who own homes in this area generally have many acres of land and if they don’t happen to be right on a lake, rather than digging and installing a pool, they will dig and dig and very easily create a fresh water pond. Which was the case at this sight. This creates a perfect setting for nighttime music of frog and toad calls. This particular retreat drew a small crowd of women, mostly from Colorado. It was very interesting for me to observe their impressions of this most gorgeous area between Central and Western New York State. We truly were extraordinarily lucky to have unseasonably warm and sunny weather (whatever is seasonable anymore?!). The women from Colorado were drinking in, not only the warmth, but also the humidity in the air. It is not what the air feels and smells like in Colorado. To me, this is what late spring and summer just is; to these women, this was a delicious treat. Of course, I had nothing to do with their total enjoyment of the lush green, the gorgeous pond, the singing spring birds, toads, and frogs, the sunny, warm, and humid weather; but somehow all of this felt a little more like mine, and I felt special. No doubt my feeling special came not only from their new found appreciation of what is close to home and familiar to me, but also came from Jeanie Manchester’s yoga classes, Douglas Brooks’ inspiring talks each afternoon, and Vishali’s welcome setting. Many thanks to our talented teachers and to the Goddesses from the West (and East too)! See you at our next gathering!

Blessings, Donna

A very dear friend has experienced a tremendous loss recently. He and his partner, pregnant for the first time, first child for both of them, lost the pregnancy in the ninth month. I feel grief, sorrow, love, tenderness, and so terribly clumsy. What could be more contradictory than death that precedes birth? Than spending the better part of a year in eager loving anticipation of the hopes and dreams that new birth offers, then to have those dreams turn to grief and mourning? My deepest heartfelt sympathies are with you, D&L. Love, Donna

Upcoming Yoga Classes

Apologies for being delinquent on posting my teaching schedule. Here is the schedule for the rest of May and into June:

Monday's 10:00 AM at the Westcott Community Center, corner of Euclid and Westcott St., no class Memorial Day; last Monday class in this series will be Monday June 18th.
Wednesday's 10:30 AM, in my home studio, until further notice. Call for directions: 315-885-3057

Monday and Wednesday morning classes are $10. per class.

My schedule with "The Fit Biz":

Monday May 21st 5:40 PM at Rockefeller church
Monday May 28: Memorial Day, No evening class
Monday June 4 and June 11: 5:40 PM at Bellvue church
Thursday June 14: 4:15 PM at Bellvue Church

See November '06 posting for directions to both churches.

Donna

Concert!!!

Hamilton College’s
College and Community Oratorio Society present:

Carl Orff’s Carmina Burina

and

James Hopkins’ Songs of Eternity

under the direction of G. Roberts Kolb


Lauralyn Kolb, Soprano

Ray Larzelere, tenor

Timothy LeFebvre, baritone

Tuesday April 24, 2007, 8:00 PM

Carol Woodhouse Wellin Hall in the Schambach Center for Music and Performing Arts on Hamilton College’s campus, Clinton, NY

Admission: $6.00, Students/Seniors: $4.00; Hamilton Students free with ID

Should be a Wonderful Concert! Donna

So here's another beautiful poem from Danna Faulds. This is from her collection, Poems from the Heart of Yoga: Go In and In

Allow

There is no controlling life.
Try corralling a lightning bolt,
containing a tornado. Dam a
stream and it will create a new
channel. Resist, and the tide
will sweep you off your feet.
Allow, and grace will carry
you to higher ground. The only
safety lies in letting it all in –
the wild and the weak; fear,
fantasies, failures and success.
When loss rips off the doors of
the heart, or sadness veils your
vision with despair, practice
becomes simply bearing the truth.
In the choice to let go of your
known way of being, the whole
world is revealed to your new eyes.

This little verse spoke to me well this evening. I hope it does for you also. Donna

Some thoughts about couples therapy

So, here I am thinking about what to publish on this fun little site that gives me an opportunity to write, and as I am thinking I realize…. The name of this site is “Donna’s Therapy Blog”, yet recently it has felt a little more like, “Donna’s Musings.” Musings are good; after all, they indeed are fodder for therapy. However, today I am feeling compelled to be a little more direct in bringing theme and title in synch with one another.

In my musings about therapy and what I like about being a therapist, I often find myself thinking about how much I appreciate working with couples. As I consider why this client pool is so satisfying, I find myself going to this place of understanding the correlation between my rather eclectic theory of therapy, and how it corresponds to and intersects with both my moral thinking, and my broader thinking on what the key elements are to living a content life with integrity. As I personally am not in a couple relationship right now, and have not been for a number of years, I understand that being part of a couple is not the basis for satisfaction and contentment in our adult lives. Indeed, as a therapist, and someone who has lived through the separation and divorce process, I also deeply understand how coupling can, sometimes, complicate one’s sense of self in a manner that can create a lot of confusion, unhappiness, and downright misery.

YET, there is this very lovely piece that I have witnessed with couples as I have been invited to participate in the therapy process with them. Here is a somewhat condensed version of what I most appreciate about working with couples:

~ They dare to bring their most humble selves forward together to effect a change in their most personal, most intimate relationship.

~ Change happens because people put forward their most tender vulnerabilities, developing greater trust both in themselves, and in their partners.

~ As change happens, depth of understanding comes not only about each other, but about themselves as individuals, creating space for expansion and growth in other relationships in their lives as well.

~ None of this happens without a willingness to develop deeper honesty with each other, and with themselves.

~ I believe that the work in couples therapy is some of the deepest work that people will do for themselves, and that it is the foundation for developing better relationships in the rest of their lives.

~ I further believe that there is a powerful ripple effect when others see, witness, and are a part of the lives of those who work hard to have integrity in their relationships. And, that at some level it will reverberate well beyond what we know and see in our own personal daily lives.

~ In other words, if we all dared to do what struggling couples do to better their relationships, the entire population of the planet would have a greater chance at living in peace with one another!! Now that is exciting and powerful stuff!!!

Donna

A Tease of Spring

Yesterday we had a Tease of Spring. Today, it is back to the Soaking of the Earth that Central New York is famous for. I was all set last night to write something to post on this site all about how lovely the warm air felt, and what a nice welcome home it was for me, after being away in the much warmer climate of the Florida coastline for a few days. However I got distracted by other things and here I am, the very next day, and the great outdoors is not exactly providing me with the back drop for writing about the Tease of Spring.

It is March however, and the very experience of the teasing weather is a huge reminder of how impactful what is happening outside can be on our state of mind. Being someone who has spent most of my life in Central New York, I have always said that, despite what can be long winters, I appreciate the beauty of this part of the world, and the experience of very clearly having four seasons. And yet, here we are at the end of what was a harsh February, but not really all that harsh of a winter, and that little tease of warmth had the locals, and me, buzzing like bees who couldn’t wait for the taste of the first spring flowers.

March, a season of water, is most definitely upon us. Yesterday it was the gushing floods from the snow banks melting under the warm suns rays. Today it is the floodgates in the sky opening wide. Tomorrow, it might be snow again; we won’t know until we know. We locals now have the opportunity, once again, to moan about the weather in Central New York, and how cold and wet it is so much of the year. The Tease of Spring is, however, real. A real taste of what we all know lies just around the corner, when the warmer temperatures of spring and summer really will come our way. A bit of spring water allows us the privilege of our complaining, as well as the other privilege of living in one of the most beautiful lush green spots on this planet.

Happy March one and all. May the anticipation and eagerness of the season of green buds infect your spirit, even if a little early!

Donna