If you are curious about what Process Buddhism is, then please go back to previous posts from December of 2008. I attempt to describe this complex topic there. Process Buddhism has elements from psychotherapy, Buddha-Dharma (Vajrayana), bodywork and trauma resolution among other potent, efficacious modalities.
Over the past few months, I had been suffering from some foggy-headedness as I was barely staying ahead of nursing school assignments and I was working full time. Add to that watching the show Elementary and I had almost no time for me to rest down. I was feeling a bit dissociative and I was on the verge of being overwhelmed almost daily. So I called my friend and mentor and coach and bodywork teacher, someone who is a true spiritual healer, Janet Evergreen. I have worked with her and taught workshops with her and learned from her since 2005 (in this lifetime).
When this new spring semester started, I was taking way too many classes and I did not use my few days of transition time very well, so when I started this semester of nursing classes, I was definitely overwhelmed. Add to this a little health niggle I have been observing for a few months, and I was quite concerned that I could not handle my class load.
So I pressed the pause button on nursing school and I am taking care of me. A part of me is / was quite pleased with this decision. I am feeling more free and energized and relaxed. And a part of me is conflicted – there was one class which is only offered in the spring, so by pressing the pause button, I am basically setting myself back a year. This is disappointing. I desperately need to rest and I believe I probably could have scraped by and at least made a “B” in that class. I am still not entirely clear about my decision.
I knew I needed to “call in the big guns” as it were if I wanted to kick my old patterns and clear my head.
In my next post, I will go into detail about the session that I had.
So far, in the five days since, I am feeling more embodied, more potent, warmer and somehow more full. Plus the pattern of beating myself up about withdrawing from that class is lessening. I am practicing a little bit of metta loving-kindness everyday after that session and I am more in touch with my heart, gut, kidneys and body in general – more than I have been in months.
Therefore it was a great session. Much needed.
