Carol O'Dowd
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As a counselor I use Eastern and Western approaches to help individuals manage trauma, anxiety and mental health issues. I give talks/workshops on mindfulness.
As Andy Coghlan explained in New Scientist, “genes chemically silenced by stress during life have been shown to remain silenced in eggs and sperm, allowing the effect to be passed down to the next generation.” Naikan is a Japanese word that means “looking inside” and refers to a practice of self-reflection based on three questions: Naikan’s three questions are used as a self-reflection exercise to help us remember some of the people, things, and places involved in simple events. Take a moment to breathe in and breathe out, notice some objects around you, and be grateful for all the causes and conditions that made your moment possible.
Wanting to visit relatives dealing with terminal conditions despite the pandemic, I booked flights and a rental car with some trepidation. The day before departure I realized that a midsized car was not going to provide the room needed for us to drive two elders with their health aide, a wheelchair, and a walker. The blow to me was the matter-of-fact voice of the car rental agent explaining to me that because I had paid through a travel service, I would have to go back online, cancel and reserve a new vehicle as well as pay change fees. I relearned at recent courses at the Boulder Psychotherapy Institute, how to notice our crazy thoughts and fears instead of acting on them.
Longchenpa, a Tibetan teacher holds up for us a challenging path for living in his poem, Meditation on Afflictions. He captures how the challenges we face are truly gifts that guide us to liberation and happiness. His poem asks us to connect with Wisdom-Compassion flowing constantly in our lives, even in strange and wondrous ways. Through people’s hate, we discover Dharma and find benefits and happiness.
As a young war protestor in the early ’70s serving in student government, I got to know many in law enforcement who were truly good people. As a student government representative, I helped campus security negotiate a deal with local and state police. When police officers saw something that caused them to want to approach the protestors, we held up our hands with a firm, We walked in an open expanse of the street between protestors who held signs and shouted words of anger on one side and police officers lined up with batons in hand, guns on hips, and hints of fear in their eyes.