Presence Focused Counseling
with the Wandering Yogi
Our Mental Prison
Eckhart Tolle says that the root addiction that we all deal with is an addiction to thinking. This is not to say that thinking is bad but compulsive thinking traps us in mental stories which separate us from the present moment and create suffering. These stories can be as simple as “I’m not going to be able to pay my rent on the 1st” or as involved as “None of the people in my life really love me”. Whenever we feel stress or any painful emotion there is an underlying story generating it because emotions are the body’s reaction to the mind. If we get in touch with and feel our emotions it can be a relief and very healing but unless we identify and work with the underlying story more painful emotion will be created trapping us in a pattern. Stories are nothing more than a string of thoughts and stories that play over and over again in our minds become habitual patterns or addictions. Thoughts and stories are not inherently problematic but they become so when we believe them and confuse them with reality, we then fail to see their true nature as temporary manifestations of the mind.
Time and Suffering
Most of the suffering that we deal with is based in time and involves either feeling shame or regret about the past and anticipating or fearing the future. If you look at your mental stories to what degree are they based in the past or future? The problem with both the past and future is that they do not exist except as thoughts in your mind. There is no immediate reality to them outside your mind. The past only exists now as memories which are thoughts and the future only exists now as your imagination. So when we suffer in these stories of the past and future we get caught in them because they have a tendency to go on and on like a loop, we can only resolve what is present now. From this perspective time and suffering go hand in hand.
The Magic of Presence
Presence is the conscious act of living fully in the now or present moment. We intentionally choose to direct our attention to our immediate experience, to ground into our bodies and to be aware of our mind without being controlled by it. We allow ourselves to feel our emotions while we illuminate our pain producing stories and see though them to the true nature of the mind. Living in the moment opens us up fully to the power and magic of life and to the limitless potential of the divine as the unknown (which we fear when we are controlled by our minds).
Wandering Yogi Counseling Services
Presence focused counseling helps us see how our stories produce suffering and helps us get out of the illusion of time and live life in the here and now where things are simple enough to deal with. We work together to illuminate the stories that keep you trapped in habitual patterns, to remove emotional blockages so you can fully engage life with an open heart and practice techniques such as mindfulness and meditation to develop focus and awareness of the present moment. This approach is applicable to all types of issues.
I offering counseling services based on the practice of presence in the city of Portland Oregon as well as by phone for anyone. Not long ago some of my friends gave me the nickname “the wandering yogi” because I made a spiritual practice of moving around a great deal. A yogi in my view is anyone who is dedicated to living in harmony with reality and fulfilling their potential as human and divine beings. Now I move around to where people need my services in Portland as I don’t maintain an office but come to my clients. We meet in coffee shops, parks, or at people’s homes. We meet where you feel comfortable and at ease or where you experience your suffering the most. This also allows me to offer my services at a more reasonable price as I don’t believe money should be an obstacle to receiving support.
Fees
In person session in Portland – $45
Phone session – $35
Group Session – $70
(Sessions typically last about an hour and a half depending on your needs)
If finances are an obstacle for you please contact me to see what we can work out, I will do my best to work with everyone’s situation.
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