Counseling..BEST.BEDDER and BETTER.plain.docx

 Counseling.

.BEST.BEDDER and BETTER.plain.docx

Counseling.87.BEDDER and BETTER.plain.docx




















ABOUT WHO WE ARE and HOW WE THINK:
 A JOYFUL DISCLAIMER and A Statement of Philosophy ...
 Who We Are In Our Hearts and In Our Heads
 as a 'Spiritually-Based' Counseling Service ~
 that too is certainly going to affect you !
 The Buddhist’s Theory of Everything.
 We are truly 'non-denominational' and 'non-religious' and welcome all journeyers of all Ways,
 or especially even those of no way. 'Spiritual' doesn't mean 'Religion'. Actually, you can't even become a 'Buddhist', as that too is just another 'label'. The ONE Web of existence, life & consciousness has many 'Names' in many different world cultures. The ONE Web 'itself', really has NO name at all. All cultures on the planet call it ‘The One’ ( 1. ) So we just simply call it "EVERYTHING". All of 'creation' itself. ‘Creator’ & ‘Creation’ is all the same thing, the same One. We simply leave it at that. One is One and there is nothing outside of it. It's All ONE. You gotta’ love it all. We try to love it All. Most of the time, piece by piece in peace.
 " There is no such thing as a strictly 'secular' therapy - or that a therapy is 'non-spiritual' .. That’s where establishment psychological sciences are poetically naïve. EVERY 'therapy' is spiritual if it deals with matters of the heart and emotions and feelings. Buddhist approaches in particular, are 'spiritual' BUT non-religious. The historical Buddha was a Humanist & a Pragmatist. There's a freedom of intelligence & openness to that - a big difference. " ~ Abraham Maslow
• WHY of ALL Possible Things - are we Buddhist-based ???
 We particularly use the Buddhist branding name, because those Asian cultures have got some of the most skillfully mature, very grounded, least misleading, most inclusive and the very best of the mind-healing techniques available so far - so far as we've come across. So we use 'em. And we're still strongly very eclectic: we use many diverse approaches - so we'll use what YOU need, not what 'we' like best or 'believe in'. We're on your side! We practice as Buddhist ministers not as licensed MFT or clinical psychologists.
 __________________________________
begin..90405 ~ 310-450-2268  See CONTACT Details at Table of Contents  .blogspot.com     we’re remodeling

"complementary to contemporary psychotherapy for the Discomforted Mind, Wounded Spirit or
Disheartened, Despairing Relationship ~
all in the midst of our very edgy,
over-driven, survival-stressed
Uncertain Times


What About Uncertain Times ?
" It was the best of times,

it was the worst of times,

it was the age of wisdom,
it was the age of foolishness, 
it was the epoch of belief, 
it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light, 
it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, 
it was the winter of despair, 
we had everything before us, 
we had nothing before us, 
we were all going direct to Heaven, 
we were all going direct the other way - 
in short, the period was so far 
just like the present period. 
~ Sir Charles Dickens ~  
A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
_____________________

  Hi ~
JUST GETTING STARTED:
 If you graze and scroll n' roll around in this site,
 follow some of it along - be verbally silent - 

and ponder, contemplate what these authors

are really saying about Life - besides the
day to day details in here, there's a lot 
of solid good reading in here to inspire

and uplift you - so please just dig in,
slow down, drink deeply, intelligently 
nourish your Spirit also. . . .
_______________________
 
 “And then the day came
 when the risk to remain tight in a bud
 was more painful
 than the risk it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin
_____________________________________

Maybe you're a very UNCOMMON PERSON .... 

The “Uncommon Person” / “The Non-Ordinary Person”
Already Feels Different -- in a Very Non-Assimilate-able Way.
 Many people really do, but for the truly 'uncommon one'
 it's sort of a double-whammy to carry!"  ~ Abraham Maslow
• UNHAPPY 'UNCOMMON' PEOPLE are by their nature sensitive, creative, genius, smart, individualistic, righteously impatient yet newly empathic, higher-consciousness oriented people gaining ground with Grace - artistic, intellectual, autistically techy, stylishly awkward, mystical, musical, poetic, and certainly can be real spiritual or real ugly like the rest of us can be.
• So you’d probably need an authentic 'Non-traditional Therapist' who understands “non-mainstream”, non-Matrix lifestyles -- and who is deeply empathic and genuinely understands ‘uncommon' and ‘unusual’ or ‘non-ordinary’ people - who are quite unique or gifted, yet unhappy people. 

• You may be a very 'individual' person who feels very naturally inward, spiritual oriented - and yet you're struggling to get ‘worldly’ problems/emotional issues handled realistically and with integrity as well -- yet without you having to commit to any spiritual path whatsoever.

• I offer NO promises or religious dogma - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in. That’s a Buddhist pun. ‘Nothing’ - just the emergence of your own individual ‘true knowing’ and personal excellence. I want to assist you in discovering a 'natural unfolding' of unshakable balance, boundless wisdom and joy. And your innate good humor - Liberating a new sense of caring and connectedness with yourself, other people and the universe. An expanded inner acceptance and outer effectiveness.
• Yet still, we're not exactly the ordinary 'Retail' majority. In all kindness, they're still buying it, bought-in, still on the larger grid - "Consumers" - strongly subject to the lures and pulls of  Desire and Attachment.... Capitalism totally depends on them.
• Fortunately, the whole world really is watching ( and that's a huge form of 'participation' also, don't discount it ) There is a genuine Waking-up happening. Now we all know that. The social media is birthing new fangled babies into what is hopefully an ever-constant, continuing, community
‘conversation’ that is now visibly, audibly out of the Dark and on a wobbling course, fumbling into the Light -- and you and me with it, on some level or other.
• And The Millennials, they're loaded with idealistic intensity and integrity and 'Causes'. Bless ALL The Arts and it's Myriad Lovers" -- we're still here. They 'usta call us Avant Garde, and that's a heavy mantle to carry - without a clearly defined, yet natural "identity" in hand that's authentically Real at the same time. One major difficulty is if I'm psychologically disoriented in some way, I can't really see the deeper happiness potential in myself and others, especially if it's still semi suppressed and not well Life- managed or Self-regulated -- or Happy.
" You need to find out What, Why and Who you are. And then put that aside." said Dr. Jung ~
_______________________________________________________________________

• So you’d probably need an authentic 'Non-traditional Therapist' who understands “non-mainstream”, non-Matrix lifestyles -- and who is deeply empathic and genuinely understands ‘uncommon' and ‘unusual’ or ‘non-ordinary’ people - who are quite unique or gifted, yet unhappy people. 
• You may be a very 'individual' person who feels very naturally inward, spiritual oriented - and yet you're struggling to get ‘worldly’ problems/emotional issues handled realistically and with integrity as well -- yet without you having to commit to any spiritual path whatsoever. I offer NO promises or religious dogma - ‘Nothing’.
• ‘Nothing’ - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in. That’s a pun. Just the emergence of your own individual ‘true knowing’ and personal excellence. I want to assist you in discovering a 'natural unfolding' of unshakable balance, boundless wisdom and joy. And your innate good humor - Liberating a new sense of caring and connectedness with yourself, other people and the universe. An expanded inner acceptance and outer effectiveness. 
_______________________________

 
 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min)
1-310-450-2268
akasalevi@gmail.com
 Supervision and Spiritual Direction,
 our counseling therapist / facilitator,
 our mentor and friend.

Hey, this is the guy who went
and...  Akasa’s BIO/Profile is
at the Table of Contents.
• I practice as a Buddhist minister / pastoral counselor, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologist. I take in a much broader meta-scope than just the psychological. We address the anthropology of it all, the cultivation of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media-driven society we live in. Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger, informed inner-base and inner-space to work with.
 

• ‘True’ Happiness is totally / almost totally independent of the unavoidable effects of ‘everyday’ circumstances and conditions. Really 'true freedom' as they've spoken about in Asian teachings for millennia. You may want to talk with someone - like me - someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality.

• At “Spiritual Adulthood” we offer a uniquely combined counseling -- an innovative, holistic, Asian-based ‘spiritual variation' of therapy grounded in pragmatic, practical Buddhist psychology. Created for intelligent people - sensitive people - creative people - odd, uncommon unhappy people…



" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
This form of Counseling Therapy can be called many things --
• Spiritual-based Counseling • Psycho/Spiritual Therapy • Spiritual Direction

• Spiritual-oriented Life Coaching • Tribal and Religious leaders and

shamans the world over. The Good Ones doing good healing practices.

• It's been going on effectively for 1000's of years ...


• This is not a traditional Western licensed clinical psychotherapy --

nor is it 'Religious'. Religious suggests it’s being done on their clock,

on their time. ‘Spiritual’ suggests it is happening on your time

individually, it’s all about you -- It is 'Spiritual', which takes in

everything ‘sacred’ human culture and benevolent

well intentioned thought has ever created.

 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min) ~ 310-450-2268
 Supervision and Spiritual direction -
 our counseling therapist/facilitator -
 our friend. Akasa’s BIO/Profile
 is at the Table of Contents.


• We practice as Buddhist ministers / pastoral counselors, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologists.
 We take in a much broader scope than just the psychological. We address the cultivation
 of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media society we live in.
 Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger inner-base and space to work with.
____________________________________

 

 

SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
 or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .


-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT

•♦•  The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA  guided by AKASA LEVI

 

• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been. I counsel both adult Women and Men in INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL THERAPY sessions with a strong Buddhist-informed theoretical base, as well as good Western modalities like psycho-dynamic analysis and CBT ( cognitive-behavioral therapy ) spinoffs. I use “Mindfulness” approaches to approach the highly dissatisfied mind, discomforted feelings, and disruptive emotions in they’re ’process’. Later on you’re welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your tolerances’ get fit.

 

• RELATIONSHIP Counseling for Couples, Partnering issues, Gender and Identity issues. We only offer Real Life sessions, with real live people in the room. Inter-active, face to face, very personal, kind and caring as well as ‘tough-love’ - and the occasional directive ‘tasks’ and even homework when appropriate - in clear, truthful, hopefully effective sessions. “Relationships” can be difficult. Period. Everyone knows that.
__________________________________________________


 

PLEASE NOTE ~
A Few House Responsibilities - Here’s the Deal…

 

Dear Gals n’ Guys ~

 

• I gotta’ be sorta strict-ish about your life-arrangements affecting you’re just being here, time-issues and other important ‘engine maintenance’ responsibilities - so we have the way more clear - we have the freedom to ‘work’ the session - and not fuss around with the logistics of Details -- unless of course this is a part of the way you roll…

 

• ALL counseling sessions are all 'Live' counseling visits at my little studio ‘Shrine’. Again guys, No Skype. My Steady counseling clients are limited to our immediate local area - so you can be on time and I can run a tight little ship. Thank you for hearing this ~ really. 

 

• PHONE COUNSELING-sessions will probably happen later on, here and there - but only when necessary for 'established clients' with me.


• I can offer you a First-Time FREE phone consultation to local Los Angeles area inquirers. 1-310-450-2268. I will certainly need to talk with you on the phone first. It's all about developing a solid, sound 'ground' of genuine communication -- and what it is to be a responsible client.


• Please ASK ME PLENTY of QUESTIONS, and really feel into if "Spiritual Adulthood" sessions might be helpful for you --


• ONGOING REGULAR STEADY SESSIONS are by a mutually arranged fee, date and time by appointment only.


• I can offer AFFORDABLE NEGOTIABLE sliding-scale lower-fee sessions for those who really need it. We do not take insurance coverage, health plans or Medicare, Obama Care, HMOs etc. I do not accept any electronic plastic as a payment means - only cash of check. I must charge full going fee For A First Time Visit. I can discuss sliding scales after that.


• I offer a much more generous EXTENDED SESSION-TIME than is usual... ALL sessions are given much more than the standard therapy-hour's time (:55 min ). We offer you sessions usually about one hour+20 min (:80 min) to allow plenty of time to go really deep as you need to during your session that particular day... without feeling cut off or hurried out the door..


• A FIRST-TIME PHONE INQUIRY ( FREE ) is always good to have with you - and much more immediate for me to respond to you, if you briefly write down your issues and some feelings before you call me. Please do not email instead, the live voice is so important to hear --- ( ambivalent emails back and forth really does not work well at all ) Please simply PHONE  ME - and that may take courage on your part, but ‘courage’ is what we will also be working on… we'd need to talk 'Live' first - if you sincerely wish to inquire further.

 

• BEST PHONE TIMES for reaching me on any particular day:

NOON to 6 PM weekdays -- usually Tuesday thru Thursday.

Usually 6:00 pm being the last client of the day. 

Friday as a reschedule day or as a spill-over day. 

These are the best guidelines to try’n reach me --

1-310-450-2268.


• And I just may be in session when you call.

LEAVE A MESSAGE + phone number + email.

When can you best be reached.

 

That’s what this is basically about at core -

Becoming Reachable.

 

‘How can we reach you’ --

and please speak very slowly and clearly.

It is important that you’re going try your best
 to make yourself ‘accessible’ -- so we can reach you --

-- and you can reach us -- and best, you can 'reach' yourself --

 

Buddha Learned How to Become an Easy to Reach Person.

No barriers of protection. Nothing to protect.

 

• We can possibly refer you to qualified Buddhist counselors

or therapists in your own local or regional area if you email me.




Again… "The Greatest Risk Is Not Taking One"
________________________________________________

 

 

WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
 some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
 You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there
______________________________________



BE COURAGEOUS !



" As human beings, our greatness lies
 not so much in being able to remake the world...
 as a being able to remake ourselves.
 WE must become the changes
 we want to see in the world " ~ Gandhi
 " You began as a Creation, now become a Creator.
 Never wait at a barrier " ~ Rumi
 " The limits of the possible can only be defined
 by going beyond them into the impossible." ~ Arthur C. Clarke
“ Good, but impossible resolutions, are simply checks
 that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
 Start with the eminently 'possible'. ~ Oscar Wilde
 " While one person hesitates
 because they feel insecure and inferior,
 the other is busy making mistakes aplenty
 and becoming quite superior." ~ The Tao



“DESTINY” is every step we’re taking
 and going thru right now to get there.”
~ Grandfather Bearheart, Creek elder
 OVERVIEW ...
 " There is no such thing as a 'problem'
 without a 'gift' for you in its hands.
 Sometimes you have problems
 because you need their gifts.
 It is through gifts that you grow." ~ Richard Bach
THE ‘PROBLEM’
 “ BRING YOU LIFE BACK
 FROM THE 'EXILE' OF YOUR SPIRIT
 and INTO A SACRED BALANCE AGAIN ! “ ~ Poet Laureate Robert Bly
• WHATEVER IT IS, YOU'RE "A-NOT-SO-HAPPY-PERSON"
 Many, many folks aren’t. We're in very agitated, anxious, turbulent, uncertain times right now.
 Career & Life-Purpose Despair, Emotional Stuff, Mid-Life Changes or Painful Relationship
 Dilemmas personally don't make it easier. So please, go 'see' somebody & really start
 working it out. 'You' - really being heard from way deep inside and coached forward &
 through by a counseling therapist who can deeply understand you – human to human.
 So get out of your own 'protective' self-imposed isolation: “I can do it by myself” mantra -
reinforced by ego-pride-shame-hurt-loss-fear-cycles & just put yourself into counseling sessions for awhile. It'll be good for you - you'll get some relief, some resolution and even some joy and laughter.
 This is where you can work
 on your Stuff and your Soul
 on a 'frequent enough' basis
 to make a really significant,
 noticeable difference.
 There is no obligation to have
 a free phone-consultation with us
 to see if this could feel good
 and workable for you...
 ARE YOU FEELING ‘DISSED’? ~
DISAPPOINTED DISCOURAGED DISTRESSED Disagreeable Discomforted Disconnected Disconcerted Discontent Disdainful Disgruntled Disgusted Disharmonious and Disheartened -- Disillusioned Disintegrated Distressed Dismayed Dismal Disorganized Disoriented Disregarded Dissatisfied Distant Distraught Distrustful and very Disturbed About It All --
This whole ‘Dis’ this or ‘Dis’ that thing - about your life. You CAN change it! We can help support and assist you. 'Therapy' is a huge personal challenge - but YOU DO have to show up for yourself to make it happen.
 "Eighty percent of success is just showing up" ~ Woody Allen
 Please,
 Get some quality counseling therapy -
 somewhere, anywhere -
 that may be a place for you to start.
 Be very welcome to inquire about us.
 Again, maybe you are
 a very UNCOMMON PERSON ....
 _________________________________
 " Every community needs
 a group of angelic troublemakers "
 ~ Bayard Rustin, black activist social reformer
 "Our constant 'Inner-Inquiry' is our Passion
 and our Passion is our Life-task. All the rest
 is the wonderful madness of art." ~ Henry James
 "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything!
 Anything that will assert Integrity of Purpose
 and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers,
 the creatures of the commonplace,
 the slaves of the ordinary." ~ Sir Cecil Beaton
 "Be not afraid of absurdity - do not shrink from the fantastic!
 Within a dilemma - choose the most unheard-of,
 the most audacious solution!
 De l'audace! De l'audace!
 Et encore de l'audace! Be audacious!" ~ Karen Blixen
 __________
 ___________
 ____________
 WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
 some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
 You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
 YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there
 ______________________________________
Another Basic Problem:
 Emotions get to overrun and run thinking.
 Thoughts get so embedded in feelings ~
 Confusion, hopeless, numb... angry and sad
 MAYBE YOU'VE BECOME SO OVERWHELMINGLY ‘IDENTIFIED’
and OVER-INVOLVED IN YOUR OWN DIFFICULT 'LIFE-STORY'
 That You Can’t See The Forest Because of All The Trees!
 Your 'Story' of being such a driven 'Winner' or a victimized 'Loser' - or just a plain Nobody ’out there’ - you're just so overwhelmed, you’ve become under-whelming - feeling so isolated - that you just plain 'hurt'. Maybe you’ve lost the path, or forgotten the way, or just feel so ineffective in your 'deeper' inner-search. Or you’ve just never yet really sought out Who ‘You’ really, really are - ‘in here’. Inside.
 RE-DISCOVERING and DEFINING "Yourself" - totally defined in/on your OWN TERMS ! ( not society’s term’s or religion's terms or family’s terms ). YOUR Own Terms is what 'Therapy of the Spirit' is largely about ! Therapy of the 'True' Spirit is really where ALL mind / spirit / soul-healing MUST start. True therapy has to start and end with the Heart ! It’s been that way in every culture all through time! It's just only that until very recently, the 'choices' of that kind of healings have always been so few and restricted in availability to either doctors or shamans or the church. No longer. Every approach world-wide is now available to you! It's from this very Big Approach that you can truly find yourself and then truly give back to others in a valuable, clear, easy-going and natural way ... true 'Goodness'. Faith in ourselves simply as Humans-restored. And it can be 'Spiritual' AND YET totally NON-RELIGIOUS.. Please consider that!
 ____________________________________________________
“The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT” is a Buddhist-based Psycho/Spiritual oriented Counseling and Alternative Therapy. The world renown and respected ancient tradition of Buddhist Mindfulness Psychology is a path of cultivating a 'transcendent' - a 'higher sanity' - a very clear-seeing ability for yourself. By developing this wisdom understanding, you are now available to generate a much more all-inclusive compassion - which leads to an authentic peace in ourselves, which we can then extend out to our family, friends and the world. Learning and using a 2500 year-old tested self-development approaches and techniques towards a clear, wholesome, peaceful, joyful mind. Traditional Buddhism is absolutely NOT a ‘religious path’ but more of a practical, pragmatic, highly intelligent ‘Humanism’ - There are NO gods and NO worship and NO religious superstitions involved in anything we offer in any way whatsoever. Unless you do want to hear it. Working archetype-forms that are really just good stories…. Or not. The Buddha ( 528 BC ) himself was an atheist. There are some challenging bewilderments in Buddhism for the mind. Zen is founded on it…. Just discovering and uncovering the essence of a sane, wise, peaceful, pure spirit that is YOU.
 _______________________________________
“And then the day came
 when the risk to
 remain tight in a bud
 was more than the risk
 it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin
 _____________________________
 " FORGIVENESS Is Giving Up
 All Hope For A Better Past! " ~ Aba Gayle
“It is still up to you to choose
 to join with ‘truth’ or with ‘illusion’.
But remember that to choose one
 is to let go of the other.” ~ A Course In Miracles
“ If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes !
 When the Way comes to an end, then change -
 having changed, you pass through." ~ I Ching
 ABOUT WHO WE ARE and HOW WE THINK:
 A JOYFUL DISCLAIMER and A Statement of Philosophy ...
 Who We Are In Our Hearts and In Our Heads
 as a 'Spiritually-Based' Counseling Service ~
 that too is certainly going to affect you !
 The Buddhist’s Theory of Everything.
 We are truly 'non-denominational' and 'non-religious' and welcome all journeyers of all Ways,
 or especially even those of no way. 'Spiritual' doesn't mean 'Religion'. Actually, you can't even become a 'Buddhist', as that too is just another 'label'. The ONE Web of existence, life & consciousness has many 'Names' in many different world cultures. The ONE Web 'itself', really has NO name at all. All cultures on the planet call it ‘The One’ ( 1. ) So we just simply call it "EVERYTHING". All of 'creation' itself. ‘Creator’ & ‘Creation’ is all the same thing, the same One. We simply leave it at that. One is One and there is nothing outside of it. It's All ONE. You gotta’ love it all. We try to love it All. Most of the time, piece by piece in peace.
 " There is no such thing as a strictly 'secular' therapy - or that a therapy is 'non-spiritual' .. That’s where establishment psychological sciences are poetically naïve. EVERY 'therapy' is spiritual if it deals with matters of the heart and emotions and feelings. Buddhist approaches in particular, are 'spiritual' BUT non-religious. The historical Buddha was a Humanist & a Pragmatist. There's a freedom of intelligence & openness to that - a big difference. " ~ Abraham Maslow
• WHY of ALL Possible Things - are we Buddhist-based ???
 We particularly use the Buddhist branding name, because those Asian cultures have got some of the most skillfully mature, very grounded, least misleading, most inclusive and the very best of the mind-healing techniques available so far - so far as we've come across. So we use 'em. And we're still strongly very eclectic: we use many diverse approaches - so we'll use what YOU need, not what 'we' like best or 'believe in'. We're on your side! We practice as Buddhist ministers not as licensed MFT or clinical psychologists.
 _______________________________________________
 Psychological Inflexibility: an A.C.T View of Suffering
 The core conception of ACT is that psychological suffering is usually caused by the interface between human language and cognition, and the control of human behavior by previous direct experience. And failure. ‘Psychological inflexibility’ is then to emerge from experiential avoidance, cognitive entanglement, attachment of a conceptualized ‘self’, loss of contact with the present, and the resulting failure to take needed behavioral steps in accord with core values. An extensive research program on a theory of convoluted language and cognition, contemporary Relational Frame Theory (RFT / ACT ) takes the view that trying to change difficult thoughts and feelings as a means of coping can be counter productive, but new, powerful alternatives are available - including ACT: acceptance, mindfulness, cognitive defusion, values, and committed action therapies..
 Cognitive fusion -- the domination of stimulus functions based on literal language even when that process is a harmful, experiential avoidance -- the phenomenon that occurs when a person is unwilling to remain in contact with particular private experiences and takes steps to alter the form or frequency of these events and the contexts that occasion them, even when doing so causes psychological harm the domination of a conceptualized self over the "self as context" that emerges from perspective taking and relational frames lack of values, confusion of goals with values, and other values problems that can underlie the failure to build broad and flexible repertoires and an inability to build a larger unit of behavior through commitment to behavior that moves in the direction of chosen values
 _________________________________________________
 We'll gladly give you a FREELY offered Local Phone Consultation –
No Obligation ! - or call to set up an actual appointment • 310-450-2268
 The phone is much more personal - and some quality 'personal attention'
 is probably what you need for yourself right now -- more 'closeness'
 rather than distance... We do know that when you're feeling vulnerable, skittish or just plain bad and sad -- sometimes 'reaching out' is hard -- please, do take up the challenge!
 "Take the first step in faith.
 You don't have to see the whole staircase
 -- just take the first step." ~ Martin Luther King
 _______________________________
 we also offer to the community ~
• Prior to Akasa Levi’s partial retirement from group meditation teaching in 2014 with a Parkinson’ diagnosis - he Creatively-minded Corporate/Business Consultation: Human Resource Resolution
 and 'Spirit In The Workplace' development. Very way out of the box stuff. We also consult
 on the American 'spiritual mind-set', 'The Crisis In Faith', 'Loss of Classical Mythologies
 to Technology', 'What's Wrong With Our Minds and Culture?' and current 'religious trends'
 (trends that are quite unconscious, un self-identified & dreadfully naive within the
 contemporary American/Western cultural praadigm as a whole.
• We Counsel all manifestations of alternative & emerging life-styles: mixed racial/religious
 partnerings & marriages; gay & bi curious, str8 still exploring. It's the 21st Century:
 It's a big wide open world out there now... We offer bridge-building between communities:
 people of all colors, religions, diverse cultures & ethnic origins. A pluralistic society brings
 so many awesome enrichments as well as struggles of balance & new found respect ...
 "If you do not see God
 in the next person you meet,
 you need look no further." ~ Gandhi
 __________________________________________
“La vraie générosité envers l'avenir consiste à tout donner au présent.”
 “True generosity towards the future is to give everything to the present.” ~ Albert Camus
 " THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
 ___________________________________
 QUOTES ~ The Gift of Wise Words
 To measure you by your smallest deed
 is to judge the ocean by the frailty of it's foam.
 To judge you by your failures is to cast blame
 upon the seasons for their inconsistencies   ~ Kahlil Gibran
 What good you do is of little significance,
 But it is very important that you do it.
 WE must be the change you want
 to see in the world " ~ Mahatma Gandhi
"If we have no peace,
 it is because we have forgotten
 that we belong to each other."  ~ Mother Teresa
 "You yourself,
 as much as anyone in the entire Universe,
 deserves your OWN affection, care and love.
 You can explore the whole universe looking
 for someone who is more deserving of your
 love and affection than you are yourself...
 and you will not find that person anywhere.
 To be maximum effective -
 the Practice of Loving-Kindness
 must absolutely begin with yourself!"   ~ The Buddha
 ________________________________________
  “Who was born first, 'You' or 'The World'?
 As long as you give first place to ‘The World’
-- you are bound by it.
 Once you realize, beyond all trace of doubt,
 that the ‘world’ is in you --
 -- and not 'you' in the world,
 right then and there, you are out of it.
 Of course, your body remains in the world
 and 'of' the world,
 but YOU are not  d-e-l-u-d-e-d by it.”
 ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
 They drew a circle that shut me out --
 Calling me a heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
 But Love and I had the wit to win --
 We drew a circle that took them in.
 ~ Edwin Markham "Outwitted"
 "Do not look back in Anger,
 or forward in Fear,
 but around in Awareness"  ~ James Thurber
 "At night make me fearlessly one
 with the Darkness ~
 In the morning make me
 optimistically one with the Light" ~ Wendell Berry
 You may want to hi-lite, copy and send
 the quote below to people you know...
 some of the wisest guidance you will
 ever read, put to personal use or offer.
 Here it is ~
 "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart.
 Try to love the 'Questions' themselves - like locked rooms
 and like books that are written in a foreign language.
 Do not, just right now, seek for the Answers.
 The 'Answers' which cannot now be given to you -
 because you would not be able to actually ‘live’ them.
 And the point is to ‘live’ everything -
experiencing everything.
 At present, you need to live the Questions themselves.
 Perhaps you will then gradually, without even noticing it,
 live along some day into the true Answer. Your answer."
 ~ Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" (1903-1908)
 __________________________________________
 We are non-denominational and definitely non-religious and
 welcome all journeyers of all Ways or even none.
  -:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT • buddhistcounselingmindfulnesstherapy.blogspot.com • Buddhist-based 'alternative' approaches to relating with Your True Core Self • One-to-One individual therapy • Relationship counseling • Partnering issues • Difficult to communicate feelings • Disheartened anxious insecure Wounded Spirit • Counsel for 'Uncommon People' 'Rebels' 'Creatives' 'Sensitives' cerebral verbal artistic gifted ~ yet really Unhappy. "Mindfulness Insight" cultivates a calm, kind, wise, deep liberation with a "Big Good-Hearted Mind"
 The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT is a Member of S.E.N. (Spiritual Emergency Network
 at Esalen Institute in Big Sur). We are an outreach-project of “The Laughing Buddha Sangha”
in Santa Monica, CA 90405 - and utilize the practice-approaches offered by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre/Santa Rosa, CA. Our favorite meditation center here in town is InsightLA.org in Santa Monica about 5 blocks away right up the street.
♦ The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA - guided by AKASA LEVI, a former ordained American Buddhist forest monk who lived many years in rural Asia. Akasa coaches a small, salon-sized Satsang sitting group for Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation with practice discussion and Dharma theory study. Now a feisty 75, this eccentric, really funny ole' Dharma-mentor teaches in his little meditation shrine room filled with statues of the Buddha. He invites anyone - beginers welcome - practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit.


end
 

 

 

 

BETTER.Look'in Good..COUNSELING 2 SESSIONS.doc

 

PAGES TO GET DOWN INTO. . . MARCH 2016 /

ongoing work copy / multiple versions

_______________________________________

 

BUDDHIST COUNSELING SESSIONS and

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE as THERAPY

Akasa Levi @ age 75 years

Finally coming to his senses ~

 

♦ AKASA LEVI  q(~?~)p  Counsel

( Akasa-Maitreya Levi, DhMA / D.Min )

Santa Monica CA 90405 ~ 310-450-2268

See CONTACT Details at Table of Contents

akasalevizz@msn.com  ~ akasalevi@gmail.com

http://buddhistmeditationsantamonica.com     just good reading

http://buddhistcounselingmindfulnesstherapy.blogspot.com     we’re remodeling

 

" What is accepted by the majority of people - does not mean it is Real."  ~ The Buddha

 

https://buddhistcounselingtherapysantamonica.blogspot.com

 

Buddhist Counseling Mindfulness Therapy
 Awakening Mindfulness Meditation Practice
 at The LAUGHING  BUDDHA  SANGHA -or-

The  SPIRITUAL  ADULTHOOD  PROJECT

~ a truly effective Buddhist-based 'Alternative' way

complementary to contemporary psychotherapy

for the Discomforted Mind, Wounded Spirit or

Disheartened, Despairing Relationship ~

all in the midst of our very edgy,

over-driven, survival-stressed

Uncertain Times

_____________

 

 

-:¦:- The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA - guided by AKASA LEVI, a former ordained American Buddhist forest monk who lived many years in rural Asia. Akasa coaches a small, salon-sized Satsang sitting group for Buddhist Mindfulness meditation with practice discussion and Dharma theory study. Now a feisty 75, this eccentric, really funny ole' Dharma-mentor teaches at his little meditation shrine room filled with statues of the Buddha. He invites anyone actively practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit. Beginners very welcome.

 

-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT •♦• The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA •♦• guided by AKASA LEVI - a U.S.military Vet and former ordained American Buddhist forest monk • who lived many years in rural Asia - to be with the LAST LIVING BUDDHIST TEACHERS of the PRE-GLOBAL ERA, most passed on now • Akasa is a feisty 75 - an adorable authentic genuine curmudgeon • Odd, a really funny, eccentric old man of the Dharma, a respected JuBu Tribal Elder • Advaita yogi, rogue academic mentor into nourishing a maverick, iconoclast intelligence in the people he treats, teaches, counsels or coaches at his little meditation shrine room in his garage • Filled with statues of the ancient Buddha, he also practices in the scientific secular spirit of contemporary Mindfulness meditation as well • Truly an acquired taste like Thai shrimp paste, Akasa is known for his spontaneity, ready warmth, and wry unpredictable humor • Please VISIT the Expanded BIG BIO PROFILE at the TABLE of CONTENTS. Read Part One of The Making Of . . .

 

-:¦:- The Spiritual Adulthood Project ~ is where I can offer Buddhist based 'Alternative' approaches to relating with Your True Core Self • One-to-One Individual therapy • Relationship and Partnering issues • Difficult to communicate feelings • Disheartened anxious insecure Wounded Spirit • Therapy for "Non-Ordinary" "Uncommon People" • 'Rebels' 'Creatives' 'Sensitives' cerebral verbal artistic gifted ~ and Unhappy people • "Mindfulness" really ‘Works’ to cultivate a calm, kind, wise, spacious, fearless "Big Good-Hearted Mind".   

______________________

 

About Uncertain Times

 

" It was the best of times,

 it was the worst of times,

it was the age of wisdom,

it was the age of foolishness,

it was the epoch of belief,

it was the epoch of incredulity,

it was the season of Light,

it was the season of Darkness,

it was the spring of hope,

it was the winter of despair,

we had everything before us,

we had nothing before us,

we were all going direct to Heaven,

we were all going direct the other way -

in short, the period was so far

just like the present period. 

 

~ Sir Charles Dickens ~ 

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

_________________________

 

 

Hi ~

 

JUST GETTING STARTED:
 If you graze and scroll n' roll around in this site,
 follow some of it along - be verbally silent -

and ponder, contemplate what these authors

are really saying about Life - besides the

day to day details in here, there's a lot

of solid good reading in here to inspire

and uplift you - so please just dig in,

slow down, drink deeply, intelligently

nourish your Spirit also. . . .
_______________________



 “And then the day came
 when the risk to remain tight in a bud
 was more painful
than the risk it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin
_____________________________________



Maybe you're a very UNCOMMON PERSON ....


The “Uncommon Person” / “The Non-Ordinary Person”

Already Feels Different -- in a Very Non-Assimilate-able Way.
 Many people really do, but for the truly 'uncommon one'
 it's sort of a double-whammy to carry!"  ~ Abraham Maslow
• UNHAPPY 'UNCOMMON' PEOPLE are sensitive, creative,
 individualistic, savvy, higher-consciousness oriented people -
 artistic, intellectual, awkward, mystical, musical, poetic,

spiritual or real shitty like the rest of us can be …    
Yet not exactly the ordinary majority. Fortunately,

the ‘conversation’ is now visibly out on the table.

 

• So you’d probably need an authentic 'Non-traditional Therapist' who understands “non-mainstream”, non-Matrix lifestyles -- and who is deeply empathic and genuinely understands ‘uncommon' and ‘unusual’ or ‘non-ordinary’ people - who are quite unique or gifted, yet unhappy people.

 

• You may be a very 'individual' person who feels very naturally inward, spiritual oriented - and yet you're struggling to get ‘worldly’ problems/emotional issues handled realistically and with integrity as well -- yet without you having to commit to any spiritual path whatsoever. I offer NO promises or religious dogma - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in. That’s a pun. Just the emergence of your own individual ‘true knowing’ and personal excellence. I want to assist you in discovering a 'natural unfolding' of unshakable balance, boundless wisdom and joy. And your innate good humor - Liberating a new sense of caring and connectedness with yourself, other people and the universe. An expanded inner acceptance and outer effectiveness.

 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min) ~ 310-450-2268
 Supervision and Spiritual direction -
 our counseling therapist/facilitator -
 our friend. Akasa’s BIO/Profile
 is at the Table of Contents.


• We practice as Buddhist ministers / pastoral counselors, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologists.
We take in a much broader scope than just the psychological. We address the cultivation
 of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media society we live in.
 Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger inner-base and space to work with.



• ‘True’ Happiness is totally / almost totally independent of the unavoidable effects of ‘everyday’ circumstances and conditions. Really 'true freedom' as they've spoken about in Asian teachings for millennia. You may want to talk with someone - like me - someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality.

 

• At “Spiritual Adulthood” we offer a uniquely combined counseling -- an innovative, holistic, Asian-based ‘spiritual variation' of therapy grounded in pragmatic, practical Buddhist psychology. Created for intelligent people - sensitive people - creative people - odd, uncommon unhappy people…



" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
This form of Counseling Therapy can be called many things --
• Spiritual-based Counseling • Psycho/Spiritual Therapy • Spiritual Direction

• Spiritual-oriented Life Coaching • Tribal and Religious leaders and

shamans the world over. The Good Ones doing good healing practices.

• It's been going on effectively for 1000's of years ...


• This is not a traditional Western licensed clinical psychotherapy --

nor is it 'Religious'. Religious suggests it’s being done on their clock,

on their time. ‘Spiritual’ suggests it is happening on your time

individually, it’s all about you -- It is 'Spiritual', which takes in

everything ‘sacred’ human culture and benevolent

well intentioned thought has ever created.

 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min) ~ 310-450-2268
 Supervision and Spiritual direction -
 our counseling therapist/facilitator -
 our friend. Akasa’s BIO/Profile
 is at the Table of Contents.


• We practice as Buddhist ministers / pastoral counselors, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologists.
 We take in a much broader scope than just the psychological. We address the cultivation
 of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media society we live in.
 Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger inner-base and space to work with.
____________________________________

 

 

SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
 or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .


-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT

•♦•  The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA  guided by AKASA LEVI

 

• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been. I counsel both adult Women and Men in INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL THERAPY sessions with a strong Buddhist-informed theoretical base, as well as good Western modalities like psycho-dynamic analysis and CBT ( cognitive-behavioral therapy ) spinoffs. I use “Mindfulness” approaches to approach the highly dissatisfied mind, discomforted feelings, and disruptive emotions in they’re ’process’. Later on you’re welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your tolerances’ get fit.

 

• RELATIONSHIP Counseling for Couples, Partnering issues, Gender and Identity issues. We only offer Real Life sessions, with real live people in the room. Inter-active, face to face, very personal, kind and caring as well as ‘tough-love’ - and the occasional directive ‘tasks’ and even homework when appropriate - in clear, truthful, hopefully effective sessions. “Relationships” can be difficult. Period. Everyone knows that.
__________________________________________________


 

PLEASE NOTE ~
A Few House Responsibilities - Here’s the Deal…

 

Dear Gals n’ Guys ~

 

• I gotta’ be sorta strict-ish about your life-arrangements affecting you’re just being here, time-issues and other important ‘engine maintenance’ responsibilities - so we have the way more clear - we have the freedom to ‘work’ the session - and not fuss around with the logistics of Details -- unless of course this is a part of the way you roll…

 

• ALL counseling sessions are all 'Live' counseling visits at my little studio ‘Shrine’. Again guys, No Skype. My Steady counseling clients are limited to our immediate local area - so you can be on time and I can run a tight little ship. Thank you for hearing this ~ really. 

 

• PHONE COUNSELING-sessions will probably happen later on, here and there - but only when necessary for 'established clients' with me.


• I can offer you a First-Time FREE phone consultation to local Los Angeles area inquirers. 1-310-450-2268. I will certainly need to talk with you on the phone first. It's all about developing a solid, sound 'ground' of genuine communication -- and what it is to be a responsible client.


• Please ASK ME PLENTY of QUESTIONS, and really feel into if "Spiritual Adulthood" sessions might be helpful for you --


• ONGOING REGULAR STEADY SESSIONS are by a mutually arranged fee, date and time by appointment only.


• I can offer AFFORDABLE NEGOTIABLE sliding-scale lower-fee sessions for those who really need it. We do not take insurance coverage, health plans or Medicare, Obama Care, HMOs etc. I do not accept any electronic plastic as a payment means - only cash of check. I must charge full going fee For A First Time Visit. I can discuss sliding scales after that.


• I offer a much more generous EXTENDED SESSION-TIME than is usual... ALL sessions are given much more than the standard therapy-hour's time (:55 min ). We offer you sessions usually about one hour+20 min (:80 min) to allow plenty of time to go really deep as you need to during your session that particular day... without feeling cut off or hurried out the door..


• A FIRST-TIME PHONE INQUIRY ( FREE ) is always good to have with you - and much more immediate for me to respond to you, if you briefly write down your issues and some feelings before you call me. Please do not email instead, the live voice is so important to hear --- ( ambivalent emails back and forth really does not work well at all ) Please simply PHONE  ME - and that may take courage on your part, but ‘courage’ is what we will also be working on… we'd need to talk 'Live' first - if you sincerely wish to inquire further.

 

• BEST PHONE TIMES for reaching me on any particular day:

NOON to 6 PM weekdays -- usually Tuesday thru Thursday.

Usually 6:00 pm being the last client of the day. 

Friday as a reschedule day or as a spill-over day. 

These are the best guidelines to try’n reach me --

1-310-450-2268.


• And I just may be in session when you call.

LEAVE A MESSAGE + phone number + email.

When can you best be reached.

 

That’s what this is basically about at core -

Becoming Reachable.

 

‘How can we reach you’ --

and please speak very slowly and clearly.

It is important that you’re going try your best
 to make yourself ‘accessible’ -- so we can reach you --

-- and you can reach us -- and best, you can 'reach' yourself --

 

Buddha Learned How to Become an Easy to Reach Person.

No barriers of protection. Nothing to protect.

 

• We can possibly refer you to qualified Buddhist counselors

or therapists in your own local or regional area if you email me.




Again… "The Greatest Risk Is Not Taking One"
________________________________________________

 

 

WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
 some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
 You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
 YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there
______________________________________



BE COURAGEOUS !



" As human beings, our greatness lies
 not so much in being able to remake the world...
 as a being able to remake ourselves.
 WE must become the changes
 we want to see in the world " ~ Gandhi
 " You began as a Creation, now become a Creator.
 Never wait at a barrier " ~ Rumi
 " The limits of the possible can only be defined
 by going beyond them into the impossible." ~ Arthur C. Clarke
“ Good, but impossible resolutions, are simply checks
 that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
 Start with the eminently 'possible'. ~ Oscar Wilde
 " While one person hesitates
 because they feel insecure and inferior,
 the other is busy making mistakes aplenty
 and becoming quite superior." ~ The Tao



“DESTINY” is every step we’re taking
 and going thru right now to get there.”
~ Grandfather Bearheart, Creek elder
 OVERVIEW ...
 " There is no such thing as a 'problem'
 without a 'gift' for you in its hands.
 Sometimes you have problems
 because you need their gifts.
 It is through gifts that you grow." ~ Richard Bach
THE ‘PROBLEM’
 “ BRING YOU LIFE BACK
 FROM THE 'EXILE' OF YOUR SPIRIT
 and INTO A SACRED BALANCE AGAIN ! “ ~ Poet Laureate Robert Bly
• WHATEVER IT IS, YOU'RE "A-NOT-SO-HAPPY-PERSON"
 Many, many folks aren’t. We're in very agitated, anxious, turbulent, uncertain times right now.
 Career & Life-Purpose Despair, Emotional Stuff, Mid-Life Changes or Painful Relationship
 Dilemmas personally don't make it easier. So please, go 'see' somebody & really start
 working it out. 'You' - really being heard from way deep inside and coached forward &
 through by a counseling therapist who can deeply understand you – human to human.
 So get out of your own 'protective' self-imposed isolation: “I can do it by myself” mantra -
reinforced by ego-pride-shame-hurt-loss-fear-cycles & just put yourself into counseling sessions for awhile. It'll be good for you - you'll get some relief, some resolution and even some joy and laughter.
 This is where you can work
 on your Stuff and your Soul
 on a 'frequent enough' basis
 to make a really significant,
 noticeable difference.
 There is no obligation to have
 a free phone-consultation with us
 to see if this could feel good
 and workable for you...
 ARE YOU FEELING ‘DISSED’? ~
DISAPPOINTED DISCOURAGED DISTRESSED Disagreeable Discomforted Disconnected Disconcerted Discontent Disdainful Disgruntled Disgusted Disharmonious and Disheartened -- Disillusioned Disintegrated Distressed Dismayed Dismal Disorganized Disoriented Disregarded Dissatisfied Distant Distraught Distrustful and very Disturbed About It All --
This whole ‘Dis’ this or ‘Dis’ that thing - about your life. You CAN change it! We can help support and assist you. 'Therapy' is a huge personal challenge - but YOU DO have to show up for yourself to make it happen.
 "Eighty percent of success is just showing up" ~ Woody Allen
 Please,
 Get some quality counseling therapy -
 somewhere, anywhere -
 that may be a place for you to start.
 Be very welcome to inquire about us.
 Again, maybe you are
 a very UNCOMMON PERSON ....
 _________________________________
 " Every community needs
 a group of angelic troublemakers "
 ~ Bayard Rustin, black activist social reformer
 "Our constant 'Inner-Inquiry' is our Passion
 and our Passion is our Life-task. All the rest
 is the wonderful madness of art." ~ Henry James
 "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything!
 Anything that will assert Integrity of Purpose
 and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers,
 the creatures of the commonplace,
 the slaves of the ordinary." ~ Sir Cecil Beaton
 "Be not afraid of absurdity - do not shrink from the fantastic!
 Within a dilemma - choose the most unheard-of,
 the most audacious solution!
De l'audace! De l'audace!
 Et encore de l'audace! Be audacious!" ~ Karen Blixen
 __________
 ___________
 ____________
 WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
 some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
 You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
 YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there
 ______________________________________
 Another Basic Problem:
 Emotions get to overrun and run thinking.
 Thoughts get so embedded in feelings ~
 Confusion, hopeless, numb... angry and sad
 MAYBE YOU'VE BECOME SO OVERWHELMINGLY ‘IDENTIFIED’
and OVER-INVOLVED IN YOUR OWN DIFFICULT 'LIFE-STORY'
 That You Can’t See The Forest Because of All The Trees!
 Your 'Story' of being such a driven 'Winner' or a victimized 'Loser' - or just a plain Nobody ’out there’ - you're just so overwhelmed, you’ve become under-whelming - feeling so isolated - that you just plain 'hurt'. Maybe you’ve lost the path, or forgotten the way, or just feel so ineffective in your 'deeper' inner-search. Or you’ve just never yet really sought out Who ‘You’ really, really are - ‘in here’. Inside.
 RE-DISCOVERING and DEFINING "Yourself" - totally defined in/on your OWN TERMS ! ( not society’s term’s or religion's terms or family’s terms ). YOUR Own Terms is what 'Therapy of the Spirit' is largely about ! Therapy of the 'True' Spirit is really where ALL mind / spirit / soul-healing MUST start. True therapy has to start and end with the Heart ! It’s been that way in every culture all through time! It's just only that until very recently, the 'choices' of that kind of healings have always been so few and restricted in availability to either doctors or shamans or the church. No longer. Every approach world-wide is now available to you! It's from this very Big Approach that you can truly find yourself and then truly give back to others in a valuable, clear, easy-going and natural way ... true 'Goodness'. Faith in ourselves simply as Humans-restored. And it can be 'Spiritual' AND YET totally NON-RELIGIOUS.. Please consider that!
 ____________________________________________________
“The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT” is a Buddhist-based Psycho/Spiritual oriented Counseling and Alternative Therapy. The world renown and respected ancient tradition of Buddhist Mindfulness Psychology is a path of cultivating a 'transcendent' - a 'higher sanity' - a very clear-seeing ability for yourself. By developing this wisdom understanding, you are now available to generate a much more all-inclusive compassion - which leads to an authentic peace in ourselves, which we can then extend out to our family, friends and the world. Learning and using a 2500 year-old tested self-development approaches and techniques towards a clear, wholesome, peaceful, joyful mind. Traditional Buddhism is absolutely NOT a ‘religious path’ but more of a practical, pragmatic, highly intelligent ‘Humanism’ - There are NO gods and NO worship and NO religious superstitions involved in anything we offer in any way whatsoever. Unless you do want to hear it. Working archetype-forms that are really just good stories…. Or not. The Buddha ( 528 BC ) himself was an atheist. There are some challenging bewilderments in Buddhism for the mind. Zen is founded on it…. Just discovering and uncovering the essence of a sane, wise, peaceful, pure spirit that is YOU.
 _______________________________________
“And then the day came
 when the risk to
 remain tight in a bud
 was more than the risk
 it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin
 _____________________________
 " FORGIVENESS Is Giving Up
 All Hope For A Better Past! " ~ Aba Gayle
“It is still up to you to choose
 to join with ‘truth’ or with ‘illusion’.
But remember that to choose one
 is to let go of the other.” ~ A Course In Miracles
“ If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes !
 When the Way comes to an end, then change -
 having changed, you pass through." ~ I Ching
 ABOUT WHO WE ARE and HOW WE THINK:
 A JOYFUL DISCLAIMER and A Statement of Philosophy ...
 Who We Are In Our Hearts and In Our Heads
 as a 'Spiritually-Based' Counseling Service ~
 that too is certainly going to affect you !
 The Buddhist’s Theory of Everything.
 We are truly 'non-denominational' and 'non-religious' and welcome all journeyers of all Ways,
 or especially even those of no way. 'Spiritual' doesn't mean 'Religion'. Actually, you can't even become a 'Buddhist', as that too is just another 'label'. The ONE Web of existence, life & consciousness has many 'Names' in many different world cultures. The ONE Web 'itself', really has NO name at all. All cultures on the planet call it ‘The One’ ( 1. ) So we just simply call it "EVERYTHING". All of 'creation' itself. ‘Creator’ & ‘Creation’ is all the same thing, the same One. We simply leave it at that. One is One and there is nothing outside of it. It's All ONE. You gotta’ love it all. We try to love it All. Most of the time, piece by piece in peace.
 " There is no such thing as a strictly 'secular' therapy - or that a therapy is 'non-spiritual' .. That’s where establishment psychological sciences are poetically naïve. EVERY 'therapy' is spiritual if it deals with matters of the heart and emotions and feelings. Buddhist approaches in particular, are 'spiritual' BUT non-religious. The historical Buddha was a Humanist & a Pragmatist. There's a freedom of intelligence & openness to that - a big difference. " ~ Abraham Maslow
• WHY of ALL Possible Things - are we Buddhist-based ???
 We particularly use the Buddhist branding name, because those Asian cultures have got some of the most skillfully mature, very grounded, least misleading, most inclusive and the very best of the mind-healing techniques available so far - so far as we've come across. So we use 'em. And we're still strongly very eclectic: we use many diverse approaches - so we'll use what YOU need, not what 'we' like best or 'believe in'. We're on your side! We practice as Buddhist ministers not as licensed MFT or clinical psychologists.
 _______________________________________________
 Psychological Inflexibility: an A.C.T View of Suffering
 The core conception of ACT is that psychological suffering is usually caused by the interface between human language and cognition, and the control of human behavior by previous direct experience. And failure. ‘Psychological inflexibility’ is then to emerge from experiential avoidance, cognitive entanglement, attachment of a conceptualized ‘self’, loss of contact with the present, and the resulting failure to take needed behavioral steps in accord with core values. An extensive research program on a theory of convoluted language and cognition, contemporary Relational Frame Theory (RFT / ACT ) takes the view that trying to change difficult thoughts and feelings as a means of coping can be counter productive, but new, powerful alternatives are available - including ACT: acceptance, mindfulness, cognitive defusion, values, and committed action therapies..
Cognitive fusion -- the domination of stimulus functions based on literal language even when that process is a harmful, experiential avoidance -- the phenomenon that occurs when a person is unwilling to remain in contact with particular private experiences and takes steps to alter the form or frequency of these events and the contexts that occasion them, even when doing so causes psychological harm the domination of a conceptualized self over the "self as context" that emerges from perspective taking and relational frames lack of values, confusion of goals with values, and other values problems that can underlie the failure to build broad and flexible repertoires and an inability to build a larger unit of behavior through commitment to behavior that moves in the direction of chosen values
 _________________________________________________
 We'll gladly give you a FREELY offered Local Phone Consultation –
No Obligation ! - or call to set up an actual appointment • 310-450-2268
 The phone is much more personal - and some quality 'personal attention'
 is probably what you need for yourself right now -- more 'closeness'
 rather than distance... We do know that when you're feeling vulnerable, skittish or just plain bad and sad -- sometimes 'reaching out' is hard -- please, do take up the challenge!
 "Take the first step in faith.
 You don't have to see the whole staircase
 -- just take the first step." ~ Martin Luther King
 _______________________________
 we also offer to the community ~
• Prior to Akasa Levi’s partial retirement from group meditation teaching in 2014 with a Parkinson’ diagnosis - he Creatively-minded Corporate/Business Consultation: Human Resource Resolution
 and 'Spirit In The Workplace' development. Very way out of the box stuff. We also consult
 on the American 'spiritual mind-set', 'The Crisis In Faith', 'Loss of Classical Mythologies
 to Technology', 'What's Wrong With Our Minds and Culture?' and current 'religious trends'
 (trends that are quite unconscious, un self-identified & dreadfully naive within the
 contemporary American/Western cultural praadigm as a whole.
• We Counsel all manifestations of alternative & emerging life-styles: mixed racial/religious
 partnerings & marriages; gay & bi curious, str8 still exploring. It's the 21st Century:
 It's a big wide open world out there now... We offer bridge-building between communities:
 people of all colors, religions, diverse cultures & ethnic origins. A pluralistic society brings
 so many awesome enrichments as well as struggles of balance & new found respect ...
 "If you do not see God
 in the next person you meet,
 you need look no further." ~ Gandhi
 __________________________________________
“La vraie générosité envers l'avenir consiste à tout donner au présent.”
 “True generosity towards the future is to give everything to the present.” ~ Albert Camus
 " THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
 ___________________________________
 QUOTES ~ The Gift of Wise Words
 To measure you by your smallest deed
 is to judge the ocean by the frailty of it's foam.
 To judge you by your failures is to cast blame
 upon the seasons for their inconsistencies   ~ Kahlil Gibran
 What good you do is of little significance,
 But it is very important that you do it.
 WE must be the change you want
 to see in the world " ~ Mahatma Gandhi
 "If we have no peace,
 it is because we have forgotten
 that we belong to each other."  ~ Mother Teresa
 "You yourself,
 as much as anyone in the entire Universe,
 deserves your OWN affection, care and love.
 You can explore the whole universe looking
 for someone who is more deserving of your
 love and affection than you are yourself...
 and you will not find that person anywhere.
 To be maximum effective -
 the Practice of Loving-Kindness
 must absolutely begin with yourself!"   ~ The Buddha
 ________________________________________
  “Who was born first, 'You' or 'The World'?
 As long as you give first place to ‘The World’
-- you are bound by it.
 Once you realize, beyond all trace of doubt,
 that the ‘world’ is in you --
 -- and not 'you' in the world,
right then and there, you are out of it.
 Of course, your body remains in the world
 and 'of' the world,
 but YOU are not  d-e-l-u-d-e-d by it.”
 ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
 They drew a circle that shut me out --
 Calling me a heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
 But Love and I had the wit to win --
 We drew a circle that took them in.
 ~ Edwin Markham "Outwitted"
 "Do not look back in Anger,
 or forward in Fear,
 but around in Awareness"  ~ James Thurber
 "At night make me fearlessly one
 with the Darkness ~
 In the morning make me
 optimistically one with the Light" ~ Wendell Berry
 You may want to hi-lite, copy and send
 the quote below to people you know...
 some of the wisest guidance you will
 ever read, put to personal use or offer.
 Here it is ~
 "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart.
 Try to love the 'Questions' themselves - like locked rooms
 and like books that are written in a foreign language.
 Do not, just right now, seek for the Answers.
 The 'Answers' which cannot now be given to you -
 because you would not be able to actually ‘live’ them.
 And the point is to ‘live’ everything -
experiencing everything.
 At present, you need to live the Questions themselves.
 Perhaps you will then gradually, without even noticing it,
 live along some day into the true Answer. Your answer."
 ~ Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" (1903-1908)
__________________________________________
 We are non-denominational and definitely non-religious and
 welcome all journeyers of all Ways or even none.
  -:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT • buddhistcounselingmindfulnesstherapy.blogspot.com • Buddhist-based 'alternative' approaches to relating with Your True Core Self • One-to-One individual therapy • Relationship counseling • Partnering issues • Difficult to communicate feelings • Disheartened anxious insecure Wounded Spirit • Counsel for 'Uncommon People' 'Rebels' 'Creatives' 'Sensitives' cerebral verbal artistic gifted ~ yet really Unhappy. "Mindfulness Insight" cultivates a calm, kind, wise, deep liberation with a "Big Good-Hearted Mind"


The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT is a Member of S.E.N. (Spiritual Emergency Network
 at Esalen Institute in Big Sur). We are an outreach-project of “The Laughing Buddha Sangha”
in Santa Monica, CA 90405 - and utilize the practice-approaches offered by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre/Santa Rosa, CA. Our favorite meditation center here in town is InsightLA.org in Santa Monica about 5 blocks away right up the street.


♦ The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA - guided by AKASA LEVI, a former ordained American Buddhist forest monk who lived many years in rural Asia. Akasa coaches a small, salon-sized Satsang sitting group for Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation with practice discussion and Dharma theory study. Now a feisty 75, this eccentric, really funny ole' Dharma-mentor teaches in his little meditation shrine room filled with statues of the Buddha. He invites anyone - beginers welcome - practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit.


end 18 ^
 

end 16 V

 

 


 

BETTER.Look'in Good..COUNSELING 2 SESSIONS.doc

 

PAGES TO GET DOWN INTO. . . MARCH 2016 /

ongoing work copy / multiple versions

Counseling.87.BEDDER and BETTER.plain.docx

 

PAGES TO GET DOWN INTO. . . MARCH 2016 /

ongoing work copy / multiple versions

_______________________________________

 

BUDDHIST COUNSELING SESSIONS and

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE as THERAPY

Akasa Levi @ age 75 years

 

♦ AKASA LEVI  q(~?~)p  Counsel

( Akasa-Maitreya Levi, DhMA / D.Min )

Santa Monica CA 90405 ~ 310-450-2268

See CONTACT Details at Table of Contents

akasalevizz@msn.com  ~ akasalevi@gmail.com

http://buddhistmeditationsantamonica.com     just good reading

http://buddhistcounselingmindfulnesstherapy.blogspot.com     we’re remodeling

 

" What is accepted by the majority of people - does not mean it is Real."  ~ The Buddha

 

https://buddhistcounselingtherapysantamonica.blogspot.com

 

Buddhist Counseling Mindfulness Therapy
 Awakening Mindfulness Meditation Practice
 at The LAUGHING  BUDDHA  SANGHA -or-

The  SPIRITUAL  ADULTHOOD  PROJECT

~ a truly effective Buddhist-based 'Alternative' way

complementary to contemporary psychotherapy

for the Discomforted Mind, Wounded Spirit or

Disheartened, Despairing Relationship ~

all in the midst of our very edgy,

over-driven, survival-stressed

Uncertain Times

_____________

 

 

-:¦:- The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA - guided by AKASA LEVI, a former ordained American Buddhist forest monk who lived many years in rural Asia. Akasa coaches a small, salon-sized Satsang sitting group for Buddhist Mindfulness meditation with practice discussion and Dharma theory study. Now a feisty 75, this eccentric, really funny ole' Dharma-mentor teaches at his little meditation shrine room filled with statues of the Buddha. He invites anyone actively practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit. Beginners very welcome.

 

-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT •♦• The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA •♦• guided by AKASA LEVI - a U.S.military Vet and former ordained American Buddhist forest monk • who lived many years in rural Asia - to be with the LAST LIVING BUDDHIST TEACHERS of the PRE-GLOBAL ERA, most passed on now • Akasa is a feisty 75 - an adorable authentic genuine curmudgeon • Odd, a really funny, eccentric old man of the Dharma, a respected JuBu Tribal Elder • Advaita yogi, rogue academic mentor into nourishing a maverick, iconoclast intelligence in the people he treats, teaches, counsels or coaches at his little meditation shrine room in his garage • Filled with statues of the ancient Buddha, he also practices in the scientific secular spirit of contemporary Mindfulness meditation as well • Truly an acquired taste like Thai shrimp paste, Akasa is known for his spontaneity, ready warmth, and wry unpredictable humor • Please VISIT the Expanded BIG BIO PROFILE at the TABLE of CONTENTS. Read Part One of The Making Of . . .

 

-:¦:- The Spiritual Adulthood Project ~ is where I can offer Buddhist based 'Alternative' approaches to relating with Your True Core Self • One-to-One Individual therapy • Relationship and Partnering issues • Difficult to communicate feelings • Disheartened anxious insecure Wounded Spirit • Therapy for "Non-Ordinary" "Uncommon People" • 'Rebels' 'Creatives' 'Sensitives' cerebral verbal artistic gifted ~ and Unhappy people • "Mindfulness" really ‘Works’ to cultivate a calm, kind, wise, spacious, fearless "Big Good-Hearted Mind".   

______________________

 

About Uncertain Times

 

" It was the best of times,

 it was the worst of times,

it was the age of wisdom,

it was the age of foolishness,

it was the epoch of belief,

it was the epoch of incredulity,

it was the season of Light,

it was the season of Darkness,

it was the spring of hope,

it was the winter of despair,

we had everything before us,

we had nothing before us,

we were all going direct to Heaven,

we were all going direct the other way -

in short, the period was so far

just like the present period. 

 

~ Sir Charles Dickens ~ 

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

_________________________

 

 

Hi ~

 

JUST GETTING STARTED:
 If you graze and scroll n' roll around in this site,
 follow some of it along - be verbally silent -

and ponder, contemplate what these authors

are really saying about Life - besides the

day to day details in here, there's a lot

of solid good reading in here to inspire

and uplift you - so please just dig in,

slow down, drink deeply, intelligently

nourish your Spirit also. . . ._______________________


 “And then the day came
 when the risk to remain tight in a bud
 was more painful
 than the risk it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin_____________________________________


Maybe you're a very UNCOMMON PERSON ....


The “Uncommon Person” / “The Non-Ordinary Person”

Already Feels Different -- in a Very Non-Assimilate-able Way.
 Many people really do, but for the truly 'uncommon one'
 it's sort of a double-whammy to carry!"  ~ Abraham Maslow
• UNHAPPY 'UNCOMMON' PEOPLE are sensitive, creative,
 individualistic, savvy, higher-consciousness oriented people -
 artistic, intellectual, awkward, mystical, musical, poetic,

spiritual or real shitty like the rest of us can be …    
Yet not exactly the ordinary majority. Fortunately,

the ‘conversation’ is now visibly out on the table.

 

• So you’d probably need an authentic 'Non-traditional Therapist' who understands “non-mainstream”, non-Matrix lifestyles -- and who is deeply empathic and genuinely understands ‘uncommon' and ‘unusual’ or ‘non-ordinary’ people - who are quite unique or gifted, yet unhappy people.

 

• You may be a very 'individual' person who feels very naturally inward, spiritual oriented - and yet you're struggling to get ‘worldly’ problems/emotional issues handled realistically and with integrity as well -- yet without you having to commit to any spiritual path whatsoever. I offer NO promises or religious dogma - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in. That’s a pun. Just the emergence of your own individual ‘true knowing’ and personal excellence. I want to assist you in discovering a 'natural unfolding' of unshakable balance, boundless wisdom and joy. And your innate good humor - Liberating a new sense of caring and connectedness with yourself, other people and the universe. An expanded inner acceptance and outer effectiveness.

 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min) ~ 310-450-2268
 Supervision and Spiritual direction -
 our counseling therapist/facilitator -
 our friend. Akasa’s BIO/Profile
 is at the Table of Contents.


• We practice as Buddhist ministers / pastoral counselors, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologists.
 We take in a much broader scope than just the psychological. We address the cultivation
 of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media society we live in.
 Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger inner-base and space to work with.



• ‘True’ Happiness is totally / almost totally independent of the unavoidable effects of ‘everyday’ circumstances and conditions. Really 'true freedom' as they've spoken about in Asian teachings for millennia. You may want to talk with someone - like me - someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality.

 

• At “Spiritual Adulthood” we offer a uniquely combined counseling -- an innovative, holistic, Asian-based ‘spiritual variation' of therapy grounded in pragmatic, practical Buddhist psychology. Created for intelligent people - sensitive people - creative people - odd, uncommon unhappy people…



" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
This form of Counseling Therapy can be called many things --• Spiritual-based Counseling • Psycho/Spiritual Therapy • Spiritual Direction

• Spiritual-oriented Life Coaching • Tribal and Religious leaders and

shamans the world over. The Good Ones doing good healing practices.

• It's been going on effectively for 1000's of years ...


• This is not a traditional Western licensed clinical psychotherapy --

nor is it 'Religious'. Religious suggests it’s being done on their clock,

on their time. ‘Spiritual’ suggests it is happening on your time

individually, it’s all about you -- It is 'Spiritual', which takes in

everything ‘sacred’ human culture and benevolent

well intentioned thought has ever created.

 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min) ~ 310-450-2268
 Supervision and Spiritual direction -
 our counseling therapist/facilitator -
 our friend. Akasa’s BIO/Profile
 is at the Table of Contents.


• We practice as Buddhist ministers / pastoral counselors, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologists.
 We take in a much broader scope than just the psychological. We address the cultivation
 of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media society we live in.
 Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger inner-base and space to work with.
____________________________________

 

 

SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
 or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .


-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT

•♦•  The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA  guided by AKASA LEVI

 

• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been. I counsel both adult Women and Men in INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL THERAPY sessions with a strong Buddhist-informed theoretical base, as well as good Western modalities like psycho-dynamic analysis and CBT ( cognitive-behavioral therapy ) spinoffs. I use “Mindfulness” approaches to approach the highly dissatisfied mind, discomforted feelings, and disruptive emotions in they’re ’process’. Later on you’re welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your tolerances’ get fit.

 

• RELATIONSHIP Counseling for Couples, Partnering issues, Gender and Identity issues. We only offer Real Life sessions, with real live people in the room. Inter-active, face to face, very personal, kind and caring as well as ‘tough-love’ - and the occasional directive ‘tasks’ and even homework when appropriate - in clear, truthful, hopefully effective sessions. “Relationships” can be difficult. Period. Everyone knows that.__________________________________________________


 

PLEASE NOTE ~
A Few House Responsibilities - Here’s the Deal…

 

Dear Gals n’ Guys ~

 

• I gotta’ be sorta strict-ish about your life-arrangements affecting you’re just being here, time-issues and other important ‘engine maintenance’ responsibilities - so we have the way more clear - we have the freedom to ‘work’ the session - and not fuss around with the logistics of Details -- unless of course this is a part of the way you roll…

 

• ALL counseling sessions are all 'Live' counseling visits at my little studio ‘Shrine’. Again guys, No Skype. My Steady counseling clients are limited to our immediate local area - so you can be on time and I can run a tight little ship. Thank you for hearing this ~ really. 

 

• PHONE COUNSELING-sessions will probably happen later on, here and there - but only when necessary for 'established clients' with me.


• I can offer you a First-Time FREE phone consultation to local Los Angeles area inquirers. 1-310-450-2268. I will certainly need to talk with you on the phone first. It's all about developing a solid, sound 'ground' of genuine communication -- and what it is to be a responsible client.


• Please ASK ME PLENTY of QUESTIONS, and really feel into if "Spiritual Adulthood" sessions might be helpful for you --


• ONGOING REGULAR STEADY SESSIONS are by a mutually arranged fee, date and time by appointment only.


• I can offer AFFORDABLE NEGOTIABLE sliding-scale lower-fee sessions for those who really need it. We do not take insurance coverage, health plans or Medicare, Obama Care, HMOs etc. I do not accept any electronic plastic as a payment means - only cash of check. I must charge full going fee For A First Time Visit. I can discuss sliding scales after that.


• I offer a much more generous EXTENDED SESSION-TIME than is usual... ALL sessions are given much more than the standard therapy-hour's time (:55 min ). We offer you sessions usually about one hour+20 min (:80 min) to allow plenty of time to go really deep as you need to during your session that particular day... without feeling cut off or hurried out the door..


• A FIRST-TIME PHONE INQUIRY ( FREE ) is always good to have with you - and much more immediate for me to respond to you, if you briefly write down your issues and some feelings before you call me. Please do not email instead, the live voice is so important to hear --- ( ambivalent emails back and forth really does not work well at all ) Please simply PHONE  ME - and that may take courage on your part, but ‘courage’ is what we will also be working on… we'd need to talk 'Live' first - if you sincerely wish to inquire further.

 

• BEST PHONE TIMES for reaching me on any particular day:

NOON to 6 PM weekdays -- usually Tuesday thru Thursday.

Usually 6:00 pm being the last client of the day. 

Friday as a reschedule day or as a spill-over day. 

These are the best guidelines to try’n reach me --

1-310-450-2268.


• And I just may be in session when you call.

LEAVE A MESSAGE + phone number + email.

When can you best be reached.

 

That’s what this is basically about at core -

Becoming Reachable.

 

‘How can we reach you’ --

and please speak very slowly and clearly.

It is important that you’re going try your best
 to make yourself ‘accessible’ -- so we can reach you --

-- and you can reach us -- and best, you can 'reach' yourself --

 

Buddha Learned How to Become an Easy to Reach Person.

No barriers of protection. Nothing to protect.

 

• We can possibly refer you to qualified Buddhist counselors

or therapists in your own local or regional area if you email me.




Again… "The Greatest Risk Is Not Taking One"
________________________________________________

 

 

WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
 some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
 You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
 YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there______________________________________


BE COURAGEOUS !



" As human beings, our greatness lies
 not so much in being able to remake the world...
 as a being able to remake ourselves.
 WE must become the changes
 we want to see in the world " ~ Gandhi
 " You began as a Creation, now become a Creator.
 Never wait at a barrier " ~ Rumi
 " The limits of the possible can only be defined
 by going beyond them into the impossible." ~ Arthur C. Clarke
“ Good, but impossible resolutions, are simply checks
 that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
 Start with the eminently 'possible'. ~ Oscar Wilde
 " While one person hesitates
 because they feel insecure and inferior,
 the other is busy making mistakes aplenty
 and becoming quite superior." ~ The Tao



“DESTINY” is every step we’re taking
 and going thru right now to get there.”
~ Grandfather Bearheart, Creek elder
 OVERVIEW ...
 " There is no such thing as a 'problem'
 without a 'gift' for you in its hands.
 Sometimes you have problems
 because you need their gifts.
 It is through gifts that you grow." ~ Richard BachTHE ‘PROBLEM’
 “ BRING YOU LIFE BACK
 FROM THE 'EXILE' OF YOUR SPIRIT
 and INTO A SACRED BALANCE AGAIN ! “ ~ Poet Laureate Robert Bly
• WHATEVER IT IS, YOU'RE "A-NOT-SO-HAPPY-PERSON"
 Many, many folks aren’t. We're in very agitated, anxious, turbulent, uncertain times right now.
 Career & Life-Purpose Despair, Emotional Stuff, Mid-Life Changes or Painful Relationship
 Dilemmas personally don't make it easier. So please, go 'see' somebody& amp; really start
 working it out. 'You' - really being heard from way deep inside and coached forward &
 through by a counseling therapist who can deeply understand you – human to human.
 So get out of your own 'protective' self-imposed isolation: “I can do it by myself” mantra -
reinforced by ego-pride-shame-hurt-loss-fear-cycles & just put yourself into counseling sessions for awhile. It'll be good for you - you'll get some relief, some resolution and even some joy and laughter.
 This is where you can work
 on your Stuff and your Soul
 on a 'frequent enough' basis
to make a really significant,
 noticeable difference.
 There is no obligation to have
 a free phone-consultation with us
 to see if this could feel good
 and workable for you...
 ARE YOU FEELING ‘DISSED’? ~
DISAPPOINTED DISCOURAGED DISTRESSED Disagreeable Discomforted Disconnected Disconcerted Discontent Disdainful Disgruntled Disgusted Disharmonious and Disheartened -- Disillusioned Disintegrated Distressed Dismayed Dismal Disorganized Disoriented Disregarded Dissatisfied Distant Distraught Distrustful and very Disturbed About It All --
This whole ‘Dis’ this or ‘Dis’ that thing - about your life. You CAN change it! We can help support and assist you. 'Therapy' is a huge personal challenge - but YOU DO have to show up for yourself to make it happen.
 "Eighty percent of success is just showing up" ~ Woody Allen
 Please,
 Get some quality counseling therapy -
 somewhere, anywhere -
 that may be a place for you to start.
 Be very welcome to inquire about us.
 Again, maybe you are
 a very UNCOMMON PERSON ....
 _________________________________
 " Every community needs
 a group of angelic troublemakers "
 ~ Bayard Rustin, black activist social reformer
 "Our constant 'Inner-Inquiry' is our Passion
 and our Passion is our Life-task. All the rest
 is the wonderful madness of art." ~ Henry James
 "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything!
 Anything that will assert Integrity of Purpose
 and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers,
 the creatures of the commonplace,
 the slaves of the ordinary." ~ Sir Cecil Beaton
 "Be not afraid of absurdity - do not shrink from the fantastic!
 Within a dilemma - choose the most unheard-of,
 the most audacious solution!
 De l'audace! De l'audace!
 Et encore de l'audace! Be audacious!" ~ Karen Blixen
 __________
 ___________
 ____________
 WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
 YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there
 ______________________________________
 Another Basic Problem:
 Emotions get to overrun and run thinking.
 Thoughts get so embedded in feelings ~
 Confusion, hopeless, numb... angry and sad
 MAYBE YOU'VE BECOME SO OVERWHELMINGLY ‘IDENTIFIED’
and OVER-INVOLVED IN YOUR OWN DIFFICULT 'LIFE-STORY'
 That You Can’t See The Forest Because of All The Trees!
 Your 'Story' of being such a driven 'Winner' or a victimized 'Loser' - or just a plain Nobody ’out there’ - you're just so overwhelmed, you’ve become under-whelming - feeling so isolated - that you just plain 'hurt'. Maybe you’ve lost the path, or forgotten the way, or just feel so ineffective in your 'deeper' inner-search. Or you’ve just never yet really sought out Who ‘You’ really, really are - ‘in here’. Inside.
 RE-DISCOVERING and DEFINING "Yourself" - totally defined in/on your OWN TERMS ! ( not society’s term’s or religion's terms or family’s terms ). YOUR Own Terms is what 'Therapy of the Spirit' is largely about ! Therapy of the 'True' Spirit is really where ALL mind / spirit / soul-healing MUST start. True therapy has to start and end with the Heart ! It’s been that way in every culture all through time! It's just only that until very recently, the 'choices' of that kind of healings have always been so few and restricted in availability to either doctors or shamans or the church. No longer. Every approach world-wide is now available to you! It's from this very Big Approach that you can truly find yourself and then truly give back to others in a valuable, clear, easy-going and natural way ... true 'Goodness'. Faith in ourselves simply as Humans-restored. And it can be 'Spiritual' AND YET totally NON-RELIGIOUS.. Please consider that!
 ____________________________________________________
“The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT” is a Buddhist-based Psycho/Spiritual oriented Counseling and Alternative Therapy. The world renown and respected ancient tradition of Buddhist Mindfulness Psychology is a path of cultivating a 'transcendent' - a 'higher sanity' - a very clear-seeing ability for yourself. By developing this wisdom understanding, you are now available to generate a much more all-inclusive compassion - which leads to an authentic peace in ourselves, which we can then extend out to our family, friends and the world. Learning and using a 2500 year-old tested self-development approaches and techniques towards a clear, wholesome, peaceful, joyful mind. Traditional Buddhism is absolutely NOT a ‘religious path’ but more of a practical, pragmatic, highly intelligent ‘Humanism’ - There are NO gods and NO worship and NO religious superstitions involved in anything we offer in any way whatsoever. Unless you do want to hear it. Working archetype-forms that are really just good stories…. Or not. The Buddha ( 528 BC ) himself was an atheist. There are some challenging bewilderments in Buddhism for the mind. Zen is founded on it…. Just discovering and uncovering the essence of a sane, wise, peaceful, pure spirit that is YOU.
 _______________________________________
“And then the day came
 when the risk to
remain tight in a bud
 was more than the risk
 it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin
 _____________________________
 " FORGIVENESS Is Giving Up
 All Hope For A Better Past! " ~ Aba Gayle
“It is still up to you to choose
 to join with ‘truth’ or with ‘illusion’.
But remember that to choose one
 is to let go of the other.” ~ A Course In Miracles
“ If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes !
 When the Way comes to an end, then change -
 having changed, you pass through." ~ I Ching
 ABOUT WHO WE ARE and HOW WE THINK:
 A JOYFUL DISCLAIMER and A Statement of Philosophy ...
 Who We Are In Our Hearts and In Our Heads
 as a 'Spiritually-Based' Counseling Service ~
 that too is certainly going to affect you !
 The Buddhist’s Theory of Everything.
 We are truly 'non-denominational' and 'non-religious' and welcome all journeyers of all Ways,
 or especially even those of no way. 'Spiritual' doesn't mean 'Religion'. Actually, you can't even become a 'Buddhist', as that too is just another 'label'. The ONE Web of existence, life & consciousness has many 'Names' in many different world cultures. The ONE Web 'itself', really has NO name at all. All cultures on the planet call it ‘The One’ ( 1. ) So we just simply call it "EVERYTHING". All of 'creation' itself. ‘Creator’ & ‘Creation’ is all the same thing, the same One. We simply leave it at that. One is One and there is nothing outside of it. It's All ONE. You gotta’ love it all. We try to love it All. Most of the time, piece by piece in peace.
 " There is no such thing as a strictly 'secular' therapy - or that a therapy is 'non-spiritual' .. That’s where establishment psychological sciences are poetically naïve. EVERY 'therapy' is spiritual if it deals with matters of the heart and emotions and feelings. Buddhist approaches in particular, are 'spiritual' BUT non-religious. The historical Buddha was a Humanist & a Pragmatist. There's a freedom of intelligence & openness to that - a big difference. " ~ Abraham Maslow
• WHY of ALL Possible Things - are we Buddhist-based ???
 We particularly use the Buddhist branding name, because those Asian cultures have got some of the most skillfully mature, very grounded, least misleading, most inclusive and the very best of the mind-healing techniques available so far - so far as we've come across. So we use 'em. And we're still strongly very eclectic: we use many diverse approaches - so we'll use what YOU need, not what 'we' like best or 'believe in'. We're on your side! We practice as Buddhist ministers not as licensed MFT or clinical psychologists.
 _______________________________________________
 Psychological Inflexibility: an A.C.T View of Suffering
 The core conception of ACT is that psychological suffering is usually caused by the interface between human language and cognition, and the control of human behavior by previous direct experience. And failure. ‘Psychological inflexibility’ is then to emerge from experiential avoidance, cognitive entanglement, attachment of a conceptualized ‘self’, loss of contact with the present, and the resulting failure to take needed behavioral steps in accord with core values. An extensive research program on a theory of convoluted language and cognition, contemporary Relational Frame Theory (RFT / ACT ) takes the view that trying to change difficult thoughts and feelings as a means of coping can be counter productive, but new, powerful alternatives are available - including ACT: acceptance, mindfulness, cognitive defusion, values, and committed action therapies..
 Cognitive fusion -- the domination of stimulus functions based on literal language even when that process is a harmful, experiential avoidance -- the phenomenon that occurs when a person is unwilling to remain in contact with particular private experiences and takes steps to alter the form or frequency of these events and the contexts that occasion them, even when doing so causes psychological harm the domination of a conceptualized self over the "self as context" that emerges from perspective taking and relational frames lack of values, confusion of goals with values, and other values problems that can underlie the failure to build broad and flexible repertoires and an inability to build a larger unit of behavior through commitment to behavior that moves in the direction of chosen values
 _________________________________________________
 We'll gladly give you a FREELY offered Local Phone Consultation –
No Obligation ! - or call to set up an actual appointment • 310-450-2268
 The phone is much more personal - and some quality 'personal attention'
 is probably what you need for yourself right now -- more 'closeness'
 rather than distance... We do know that when you're feeling vulnerable, skittish or just plain bad and sad -- sometimes 'reaching out' is hard -- please, do take up the challenge!
 "Take the first step in faith.
 You don't have to see the whole staircase
 -- just take the first step." ~ Martin Luther King
 _______________________________
 we also offer to the community ~
• Prior to Akasa Levi’s partial retirement from group meditation teaching in 2014 with a Parkinson’ diagnosis - he Creatively-minded Corporate/Business Consultation: Human Resource Resolution
 and 'Spirit In The Workplace' development. Very way out of the box stuff. We also consult
 on the American 'spiritual mind-set', 'The Crisis In Faith', 'Loss of Classical Mythologies
 to Technology', 'What's Wrong With Our Minds and Culture?' and current 'religious trends'
 (trends that are quite unconscious, un self-identified & dreadfully naive within the
 contemporary American/Western cultural praadigm as a whole.
• We Counsel all manifestations of alternative & emerging life-styles: mixed racial/religious
 partnerings & marriages; gay & bi curious, str8 still exploring. It's the 21st Century:
 It's a big wide open world out there now... We offer bridge-building between communities:
 people of all colors, religions, diverse cultures & ethnic origins. A pluralistic society brings
 so many awesome enrichments as well as struggles of balance & new found respect ...
 "If you do not see God
 in the next person you meet,
 you need look no further." ~ Gandhi
 __________________________________________
“La vraie générosité envers l'avenir consiste à tout donner au présent.”
 “True generosity towards the future is to give everything to the present.” ~ Albert Camus
 " THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
 ___________________________________
 QUOTES ~ The Gift of Wise Words
 To measure you by your smallest deed
 is to judge the ocean by the frailty of it's foam.
 To judge you by your failures is to cast blame
 upon the seasons for their inconsistencies   ~ Kahlil Gibran
 What good you do is of little significance,
 But it is very important that you do it.
 WE must be the change you want
 to see in the world " ~ Mahatma Gandhi
 "If we have no peace,
 it is because we have forgotten
 that we belong to each other."  ~ Mother Teresa
 "You yourself,
 as much as anyone in the entire Universe,
 deserves your OWN affection, care and love.
 You can explore the whole universe looking
 for someone who is more deserving of your
 love and affection than you are yourself...
 and you will not find that person anywhere.
 To be maximum effective -
 the Practice of Loving-Kindness
 must absolutely begin with yourself!"   ~ The Buddha
 ________________________________________
  “Who was born first, 'You' or 'The World'?
 As long as you give first place to ‘The World’
-- you are bound by it.
 Once you realize, beyond all trace of doubt,
 that the ‘world’ is in you --
 -- and not 'you' in the world,
 right then and there, you are out of it.
 Of course, your body remains in the world
 and 'of' the world,
 but YOU are not  d-e-l-u-d-e-d by it.”
 ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
 They drew a circle that shut me out --
 Calling me a heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
 But Love and I had the wit to win --
 We drew a circle that took them in.
 ~ Edwin Markham "Outwitted"
 "Do not look back in Anger,
 or forward in Fear,
 but around in Awareness"  ~ James Thurber
 "At night make me fearlessly one
 with the Darkness ~
 In the morning make me
 optimistically one with the Light" ~ Wendell Berry
 You may want to hi-lite, copy and send
 the quote below to people you know...
 some of the wisest guidance you will
 ever read, put to personal use or offer.
 Here it is ~
 "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart.
 Try to love the 'Questions' themselves - like locked rooms
 and like books that are written in a foreign language.
 Do not, just right now, seek for the Answers.
 The 'Answers' which cannot now be given to you -
 because you would not be able to actually ‘live’ them.
 And the point is to ‘live’ everything -
experiencing everything.
 At present, you need to live the Questions themselves.
 Perhaps you will then gradually, without even noticing it,
 live along some day into the true Answer. Your answer."
 ~ Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" (1903-1908)
 __________________________________________
 We are non-denominational and definitely non-religious and
 welcome all journeyers of all Ways or even none.
  -:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT • buddhistcounselingmindfulnesstherapy.blogspot.com • Buddhist-based 'alternative' approaches to relating with Your True Core Self • One-to-One individual therapy • Relationship counseling • Partnering issues • Difficult to communicate feelings • Disheartened anxious insecure Wounded Spirit • Counsel for 'Uncommon People' 'Rebels' 'Creatives' 'Sensitives' cerebral verbal artistic gifted ~ yet really Unhappy. "Mindfulness Insight" cultivates a calm, kind, wise, deep liberation with a "Big Good-Hearted Mind"
 The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT is a Member of S.E.N. (Spiritual Emergency Network
 at Esalen Institute in Big Sur). We are an outreach-project of “The Laughing Buddha Sangha”
in Santa Monica, CA 90405 - and utilize the practice-approaches offered by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre/Santa Rosa, CA. Our favorite meditation center here in town is InsightLA.org in Santa Monica about 5 blocks away right up the street.
♦ The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA - guided by AKASA LEVI, a former ordained American Buddhist forest monk who lived many years in rural Asia. Akasa coaches a small, salon-sized Satsang sitting group for Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation with practice discussion and Dharma theory study. Now a feisty 75, this eccentric, really funny ole' Dharma-mentor teaches in his little meditation shrine room filled with statues of the Buddha. He invites anyone - beginers welcome - practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit.


end
 

 

 

 

_______________________________________

 

BUDDHIST COUNSELING SESSIONS and

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE as THERAPY

Akasa Levi @ age 75 years

Finally coming to his senses ~

 

♦ AKASA LEVI  q(~?~)p  Counsel

( Akasa-Maitreya Levi, DhMA / D.Min )

Santa Monica CA 90405 ~ 310-450-2268

See CONTACT Details at Table of Contents

akasalevizz@msn.com  ~ akasalevi@gmail.com

http://buddhistmeditationsantamonica.com     just good reading

http://buddhistcounselingmindfulnesstherapy.blogspot.com     we’re remodeling

 

" What is accepted by the majority of people - does not mean it is Real."  ~ The Buddha

 

https://buddhistcounselingtherapysantamonica.blogspot.com

 

Buddhist Counseling Mindfulness Therapy
 Awakening Mindfulness Meditation Practice
 at The LAUGHING  BUDDHA  SANGHA -or-

The  SPIRITUAL  ADULTHOOD  PROJECT

~ a truly effective Buddhist-based 'Alternative' way

complementary to contemporary psychotherapy

for the Discomforted Mind, Wounded Spirit or

Disheartened, Despairing Relationship ~

all in the midst of our very edgy,

over-driven, survival-stressed

Uncertain Times

_____________

 

 

-:¦:- The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA - guided by AKASA LEVI, a former ordained American Buddhist forest monk who lived many years in rural Asia. Akasa coaches a small, salon-sized Satsang sitting group for Buddhist Mindfulness meditation with practice discussion and Dharma theory study. Now a feisty 75, this eccentric, really funny ole' Dharma-mentor teaches at his little meditation shrine room filled with statues of the Buddha. He invites anyone actively practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit. Beginners very welcome.

 

-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT •♦• The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA •♦• guided by AKASA LEVI - a U.S.military Vet and former ordained American Buddhist forest monk • who lived many years in rural Asia - to be with the LAST LIVING BUDDHIST TEACHERS of the PRE-GLOBAL ERA, most passed on now • Akasa is a feisty 75 - an adorable authentic genuine curmudgeon • Odd, a really funny, eccentric old man of the Dharma, a respected JuBu Tribal Elder • Advaita yogi, rogue academic mentor into nourishing a maverick, iconoclast intelligence in the people he treats, teaches, counsels or coaches at his little meditation shrine room in his garage • Filled with statues of the ancient Buddha, he also practices in the scientific secular spirit of contemporary Mindfulness meditation as well • Truly an acquired taste like Thai shrimp paste, Akasa is known for his spontaneity, ready warmth, and wry unpredictable humor • Please VISIT the Expanded BIG BIO PROFILE at the TABLE of CONTENTS. Read Part One of The Making Of . . .

 

-:¦:- The Spiritual Adulthood Project ~ is where I can offer Buddhist based 'Alternative' approaches to relating with Your True Core Self • One-to-One Individual therapy • Relationship and Partnering issues • Difficult to communicate feelings • Disheartened anxious insecure Wounded Spirit • Therapy for "Non-Ordinary" "Uncommon People" • 'Rebels' 'Creatives' 'Sensitives' cerebral verbal artistic gifted ~ and Unhappy people • "Mindfulness" really ‘Works’ to cultivate a calm, kind, wise, spacious, fearless "Big Good-Hearted Mind".   

______________________

 

About Uncertain Times

 

" It was the best of times,

 it was the worst of times,

it was the age of wisdom,

it was the age of foolishness,

it was the epoch of belief,

it was the epoch of incredulity,

it was the season of Light,

it was the season of Darkness,

it was the spring of hope,

it was the winter of despair,

we had everything before us,

we had nothing before us,

we were all going direct to Heaven,

we were all going direct the other way -

in short, the period was so far

just like the present period. 

 

~ Sir Charles Dickens ~ 

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

_________________________

 

 

Hi ~

 

JUST GETTING STARTED:
 If you graze and scroll n' roll around in this site,
 follow some of it along - be verbally silent -

and ponder, contemplate what these authors

are really saying about Life - besides the

day to day details in here, there's a lot

of solid good reading in here to inspire

and uplift you - so please just dig in,

slow down, drink deeply, intelligently

nourish your Spirit also. . . .
_______________________



 “And then the day came
 when the risk to remain tight in a bud
 was more painful
 than the risk it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin
_____________________________________



Maybe you're a very UNCOMMON PERSON ....


The “Uncommon Person” / “The Non-Ordinary Person”

Already Feels Different -- in a Very Non-Assimilate-able Way.
 Many people really do, but for the truly 'uncommon one'
 it's sort of a double-whammy to carry!"  ~ Abraham Maslow
• UNHAPPY 'UNCOMMON' PEOPLE are sensitive, creative,
 individualistic, savvy, higher-consciousness oriented people -
 artistic, intellectual, awkward, mystical, musical, poetic,

spiritual or real shitty like the rest of us can be …    
Yet not exactly the ordinary majority. Fortunately,

the ‘conversation’ is now visibly out on the table.

 

• So you’d probably need an authentic 'Non-traditional Therapist' who understands “non-mainstream”, non-Matrix lifestyles -- and who is deeply empathic and genuinely understands ‘uncommon' and ‘unusual’ or ‘non-ordinary’ people - who are quite unique or gifted, yet unhappy people.

 

• You may be a very 'individual' person who feels very naturally inward, spiritual oriented - and yet you're struggling to get ‘worldly’ problems/emotional issues handled realistically and with integrity as well -- yet without you having to commit to any spiritual path whatsoever. I offer NO promises or religious dogma - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in. That’s a pun. Just the emergence of your own individual ‘true knowing’ and personal excellence. I want to assist you in discovering a 'natural unfolding' of unshakable balance, boundless wisdom and joy. And your innate good humor - Liberating a new sense of caring and connectedness with yourself, other people and the universe. An expanded inner acceptance and outer effectiveness.

 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min) ~ 310-450-2268
 Supervision and Spiritual direction -
 our counseling therapist/facilitator -
 our friend. Akasa’s BIO/Profile
 is at the Table of Contents.


• We practice as Buddhist ministers / pastoral counselors, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologists.
 We take in a much broader scope than just the psychological. We address the cultivation
 of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media society we live in.
Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger inner-base and space to work with.



• ‘True’ Happiness is totally / almost totally independent of the unavoidable effects of ‘everyday’ circumstances and conditions. Really 'true freedom' as they've spoken about in Asian teachings for millennia. You may want to talk with someone - like me - someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality.

 

• At “Spiritual Adulthood” we offer a uniquely combined counseling -- an innovative, holistic, Asian-based ‘spiritual variation' of therapy grounded in pragmatic, practical Buddhist psychology. Created for intelligent people - sensitive people - creative people - odd, uncommon unhappy people…



" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
This form of Counseling Therapy can be called many things --
• Spiritual-based Counseling • Psycho/Spiritual Therapy • Spiritual Direction

• Spiritual-oriented Life Coaching • Tribal and Religious leaders and

shamans the world over. The Good Ones doing good healing practices.

• It's been going on effectively for 1000's of years ...


• This is not a traditional Western licensed clinical psychotherapy --

nor is it 'Religious'. Religious suggests it’s being done on their clock,

on their time. ‘Spiritual’ suggests it is happening on your time

individually, it’s all about you -- It is 'Spiritual', which takes in

everything ‘sacred’ human culture and benevolent

well intentioned thought has ever created.

 

• Akasa Levi, DhMA (D.Min) ~ 310-450-2268
 Supervision and Spiritual direction -
 our counseling therapist/facilitator -
 our friend. Akasa’s BIO/Profile
is at the Table of Contents.


• We practice as Buddhist ministers / pastoral counselors, not as licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologists.
 We take in a much broader scope than just the psychological. We address the cultivation
 of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media society we live in.
 Educating the Spirit also, gives you a wider, stronger inner-base and space to work with.
____________________________________

 

 

SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
 or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .


-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT

•♦•  The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA  guided by AKASA LEVI

 

• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been. I counsel both adult Women and Men in INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL THERAPY sessions with a strong Buddhist-informed theoretical base, as well as good Western modalities like psycho-dynamic analysis and CBT ( cognitive-behavioral therapy ) spinoffs. I use “Mindfulness” approaches to approach the highly dissatisfied mind, discomforted feelings, and disruptive emotions in they’re ’process’. Later on you’re welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your tolerances’ get fit.

 

• RELATIONSHIP Counseling for Couples, Partnering issues, Gender and Identity issues. We only offer Real Life sessions, with real live people in the room. Inter-active, face to face, very personal, kind and caring as well as ‘tough-love’ - and the occasional directive ‘tasks’ and even homework when appropriate - in clear, truthful, hopefully effective sessions. “Relationships” can be difficult. Period. Everyone knows that.
__________________________________________________


 

PLEASE NOTE ~
A Few House Responsibilities - Here’s the Deal…

 

Dear Gals n’ Guys ~

 

• I gotta’ be sorta strict-ish about your life-arrangements affecting you’re just being here, time-issues and other important ‘engine maintenance’ responsibilities - so we have the way more clear - we have the freedom to ‘work’ the session - and not fuss around with the logistics of Details -- unless of course this is a part of the way you roll…

 

• ALL counseling sessions are all 'Live' counseling visits at my little studio ‘Shrine’. Again guys, No Skype. My Steady counseling clients are limited to our immediate local area - so you can be on time and I can run a tight little ship. Thank you for hearing this ~ really. 

 

• PHONE COUNSELING-sessions will probably happen later on, here and there - but only when necessary for 'established clients' with me.


• I can offer you a First-Time FREE phone consultation to local Los Angeles area inquirers. 1-310-450-2268. I will certainly need to talk with you on the phone first. It's all about developing a solid, sound 'ground' of genuine communication -- and what it is to be a responsible client.


• Please ASK ME PLENTY of QUESTIONS, and really feel into if "Spiritual Adulthood" sessions might be helpful for you --


• ONGOING REGULAR STEADY SESSIONS are by a mutually arranged fee, date and time by appointment only.


• I can offer AFFORDABLE NEGOTIABLE sliding-scale lower-fee sessions for those who really need it. We do not take insurance coverage, health plans or Medicare, Obama Care, HMOs etc. I do not accept any electronic plastic as a payment means - only cash of check. I must charge full going fee For A First Time Visit. I can discuss sliding scales after that.


• I offer a much more generous EXTENDED SESSION-TIME than is usual... ALL sessions are given much more than the standard therapy-hour's time (:55 min ). We offer you sessions usually about one hour+20 min (:80 min) to allow plenty of time to go really deep as you need to during your session that particular day... without feeling cut off or hurried out the door..


• A FIRST-TIME PHONE INQUIRY ( FREE ) is always good to have with you - and much more immediate for me to respond to you, if you briefly write down your issues and some feelings before you call me. Please do not email instead, the live voice is so important to hear --- ( ambivalent emails back and forth really does not work well at all ) Please simply PHONE  ME - and that may take courage on your part, but ‘courage’ is what we will also be working on… we'd need to talk 'Live' first - if you sincerely wish to inquire further.

 

• BEST PHONE TIMES for reaching me on any particular day:

NOON to 6 PM weekdays -- usually Tuesday thru Thursday.

Usually 6:00 pm being the last client of the day. 

Friday as a reschedule day or as a spill-over day. 

These are the best guidelines to try’n reach me --

1-310-450-2268.


• And I just may be in session when you call.

LEAVE A MESSAGE + phone number + email.

When can you best be reached.

 

That’s what this is basically about at core -

Becoming Reachable.

 

‘How can we reach you’ --

and please speak very slowly and clearly.

It is important that you’re going try your best
 to make yourself ‘accessible’ -- so we can reach you --

-- and you can reach us -- and best, you can 'reach' yourself --

 

Buddha Learned How to Become an Easy to Reach Person.

No barriers of protection. Nothing to protect.

 

• We can possibly refer you to qualified Buddhist counselors

or therapists in your own local or regional area if you email me.




Again… "The Greatest Risk Is Not Taking One"
________________________________________________

 

 

WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
 some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
 You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
 YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there
______________________________________



BE COURAGEOUS !



" As human beings, our greatness lies
 not so much in being able to remake the world...
 as a being able to remake ourselves.
 WE must become the changes
 we want to see in the world " ~ Gandhi
 " You began as a Creation, now become a Creator.
 Never wait at a barrier " ~ Rumi
 " The limits of the possible can only be defined
 by going beyond them into the impossible." ~ Arthur C. Clarke
“ Good, but impossible resolutions, are simply checks
 that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
 Start with the eminently 'possible'. ~ Oscar Wilde
 " While one person hesitates
 because they feel insecure and inferior,
 the other is busy making mistakes aplenty
 and becoming quite superior." ~ The Tao



“DESTINY” is every step we’re taking
 and going thru right now to get there.”
~ Grandfather Bearheart, Creek elder
 OVERVIEW ...
 " There is no such thing as a 'problem'
 without a 'gift' for you in its hands.
 Sometimes you have problems
 because you need their gifts.
 It is through gifts that you grow." ~ Richard Bach
THE ‘PROBLEM’
 “ BRING YOU LIFE BACK
 FROM THE 'EXILE' OF YOUR SPIRIT
 and INTO A SACRED BALANCE AGAIN ! “ ~ Poet Laureate Robert Bly
• WHATEVER IT IS, YOU'RE "A-NOT-SO-HAPPY-PERSON"
 Many, many folks aren’t. We're in very agitated, anxious, turbulent, uncertain times right now.
 Career & Life-Purpose Despair, Emotional Stuff, Mid-Life Changes or Painful Relationship
 Dilemmas personally don't make it easier. So please, go 'see' somebody & really start
 working it out. 'You' - really being heard from way deep inside and coached forward &
 through by a counseling therapist who can deeply understand you – human to human.
So get out of your own 'protective' self-imposed isolation: “I can do it by myself” mantra -
reinforced by ego-pride-shame-hurt-loss-fear-cycles & just put yourself into counseling sessions for awhile. It'll be good for you - you'll get some relief, some resolution and even some joy and laughter.
 This is where you can work
 on your Stuff and your Soul
 on a 'frequent enough' basis
 to make a really significant,
 noticeable difference.
 There is no obligation to have
 a free phone-consultation with us
 to see if this could feel good
 and workable for you...
 ARE YOU FEELING ‘DISSED’? ~
DISAPPOINTED DISCOURAGED DISTRESSED Disagreeable Discomforted Disconnected Disconcerted Discontent Disdainful Disgruntled Disgusted Disharmonious and Disheartened -- Disillusioned Disintegrated Distressed Dismayed Dismal Disorganized Disoriented Disregarded Dissatisfied Distant Distraught Distrustful and very Disturbed About It All --
This whole ‘Dis’ this or ‘Dis’ that thing - about your life. You CAN change it! We can help support and assist you. 'Therapy' is a huge personal challenge - but YOU DO have to show up for yourself to make it happen.
 "Eighty percent of success is just showing up" ~ Woody Allen
 Please,
 Get some quality counseling therapy -
 somewhere, anywhere -
 that may be a place for you to start.
 Be very welcome to inquire about us.
 Again, maybe you are
 a very UNCOMMON PERSON ....
 _________________________________
 " Every community needs
 a group of angelic troublemakers "
 ~ Bayard Rustin, black activist social reformer
 "Our constant 'Inner-Inquiry' is our Passion
 and our Passion is our Life-task. All the rest
 is the wonderful madness of art." ~ Henry James
 "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything!
 Anything that will assert Integrity of Purpose
 and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers,
 the creatures of the commonplace,
 the slaves of the ordinary." ~ Sir Cecil Beaton
 "Be not afraid of absurdity - do not shrink from the fantastic!
 Within a dilemma - choose the most unheard-of,
 the most audacious solution!
 De l'audace! De l'audace!
 Et encore de l'audace! Be audacious!" ~ Karen Blixen
 __________
 ___________
 ____________
 WHAT CONTINUES to FOLLOW is going to take some more reading time - and
 some more patience on your part to read and sort yourself thru.
 You do not have to read it all at once - Read at your leisure.
 TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES, GRAZE, SCROLL and SKIP AROUND IN IT --
 YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW A LOT MORE about what you need
 when you're done reading some/all of this ... hang in there
 ______________________________________
 Another Basic Problem:
 Emotions get to overrun and run thinking.
 Thoughts get so embedded in feelings ~
 Confusion, hopeless, numb... angry and sad
 MAYBE YOU'VE BECOME SO OVERWHELMINGLY ‘IDENTIFIED’
and OVER-INVOLVED IN YOUR OWN DIFFICULT 'LIFE-STORY'
 That You Can’t See The Forest Because of All The Trees!
 Your 'Story' of being such a driven 'Winner' or a victimized 'Loser' - or just a plain Nobody ’out there’ - you're just so overwhelmed, you’ve become under-whelming - feeling so isolated - that you just plain 'hurt'. Maybe you’ve lost the path, or forgotten the way, or just feel so ineffective in your 'deeper' inner-search. Or you’ve just never yet really sought out Who ‘You’ really, really are - ‘in here’. Inside.
 RE-DISCOVERING and DEFINING "Yourself" - totally defined in/on your OWN TERMS ! ( not society’s term’s or religion's terms or family’s terms ). YOUR Own Terms is what 'Therapy of the Spirit' is largely about ! Therapy of the 'True' Spirit is really where ALL mind / spirit / soul-healing MUST start. True therapy has to start and end with the Heart ! It’s been that way in every culture all through time! It's just only that until very recently, the 'choices' of that kind of healings have always been so few and restricted in availability to either doctors or shamans or the church. No longer. Every approach world-wide is now available to you! It's from this very Big Approach that you can truly find yourself and then truly give back to others in a valuable, clear, easy-going and natural way ... true 'Goodness'. Faith in ourselves simply as Humans-restored. And it can be 'Spiritual' AND YET totally NON-RELIGIOUS.. Please consider that!
 ____________________________________________________
“The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT” is a Buddhist-based Psycho/Spiritual oriented Counseling and Alternative Therapy. The world renown and respected ancient tradition of Buddhist Mindfulness Psychology is a path of cultivating a 'transcendent' - a 'higher sanity' - a very clear-seeing ability for yourself. By developing this wisdom understanding, you are now available to generate a much more all-inclusive compassion - which leads to an authentic peace in ourselves, which we can then extend out to our family, friends and the world. Learning and using a 2500 year-old tested self-development approaches and techniques towards a clear, wholesome, peaceful, joyful mind. Traditional Buddhism is absolutely NOT a ‘religious path’ but more of a practical, pragmatic, highly intelligent ‘Humanism’ - There are NO gods and NO worship and NO religious superstitions involved in anything we offer in any way whatsoever. Unless you do want to hear it. Working archetype-forms that are really just good stories…. Or not. The Buddha ( 528 BC ) himself was an atheist. There are some challenging bewilderments in Buddhism for the mind. Zen is founded on it…. Just discovering and uncovering the essence of a sane, wise, peaceful, pure spirit that is YOU.
 _______________________________________
“And then the day came
 when the risk to
 remain tight in a bud
 was more than the risk
 it took to blossom” ~ Anais Nin
 _____________________________
 " FORGIVENESS Is Giving Up
 All Hope For A Better Past! " ~ Aba Gayle
“It is still up to you to choose
 to join with ‘truth’ or with ‘illusion’.
But remember that to choose one
 is to let go of the other.” ~ A Course In Miracles
“ If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes !
 When the Way comes to an end, then change -
 having changed, you pass through." ~ I Ching
 ABOUT WHO WE ARE and HOW WE THINK:
 A JOYFUL DISCLAIMER and A Statement of Philosophy ...
 Who We Are In Our Hearts and In Our Heads
 as a 'Spiritually-Based' Counseling Service ~
 that too is certainly going to affect you !
 The Buddhist’s Theory of Everything.
 We are truly 'non-denominational' and 'non-religious' and welcome all journeyers of all Ways,
 or especially even those of no way. 'Spiritual' doesn't mean 'Religion'. Actually, you can't even become a 'Buddhist', as that too is just another 'label'. The ONE Web of existence, life & consciousness has many 'Names' in many different world cultures. The ONE Web 'itself', really has NO name at all. All cultures on the planet call it ‘The One’ ( 1. ) So we just simply call it "EVERYTHING". All of 'creation' itself. ‘Creator’ & ‘Creation’ is all the same thing, the same One. We simply leave it at that. One is One and there is nothing outside of it. It's All ONE. You gotta’ love it all. We try to love it All. Most of the time, piece by piece in peace.
 " There is no such thing as a strictly 'secular' therapy - or that a therapy is 'non-spiritual' .. That’s where establishment psychological sciences are poetically naïve. EVERY 'therapy' is spiritual if it deals with matters of the heart and emotions and feelings. Buddhist approaches in particular, are 'spiritual' BUT non-religious. The historical Buddha was a Humanist & a Pragmatist. There's a freedom of intelligence & openness to that - a big difference. " ~ Abraham Maslow
• WHY of ALL Possible Things - are we Buddhist-based ???
 We particularly use the Buddhist branding name, because those Asian cultures have got some of the most skillfully mature, very grounded, least misleading, most inclusive and the very best of the mind-healing techniques available so far - so far as we've come across. So we use 'em. And we're still strongly very eclectic: we use many diverse approaches - so we'll use what YOU need, not what 'we' like best or 'believe in'. We're on your side! We practice as Buddhist ministers not as licensed MFT or clinical psychologists.
 _______________________________________________
 Psychological Inflexibility: an A.C.T View of Suffering
 The core conception of ACT is that psychological suffering is usually caused by the interface between human language and cognition, and the control of human behavior by previous direct experience. And failure. ‘Psychological inflexibility’ is then to emerge from experiential avoidance, cognitive entanglement, attachment of a conceptualized ‘self’, loss of contact with the present, and the resulting failure to take needed behavioral steps in accord with core values. An extensive research program on a theory of convoluted language and cognition, contemporary Relational Frame Theory (RFT / ACT ) takes the view that trying to change difficult thoughts and feelings as a means of coping can be counter productive, but new, powerful alternatives are available - including ACT: acceptance, mindfulness, cognitive defusion, values, and committed action therapies..
 Cognitive fusion -- the domination of stimulus functions based on literal language even when that process is a harmful, experiential avoidance -- the phenomenon that occurs when a person is unwilling to remain in contact with particular private experiences and takes steps to alter the form or frequency of these events and the contexts that occasion them, even when doing so causes psychological harm the domination of a conceptualized self over the "self as context" that emerges from perspective taking and relational frames lack of values, confusion of goals with values, and other values problems that can underlie the failure to build broad and flexible repertoires and an inability to build a larger unit of behavior through commitment to behavior that moves in the direction of chosen values
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 We'll gladly give you a FREELY offered Local Phone Consultation –
No Obligation ! - or call to set up an actual appointment • 310-450-2268
 The phone is much more personal - and some quality 'personal attention'
 is probably what you need for yourself right now -- more 'closeness'
 rather than distance... We do know that when you're feeling vulnerable, skittish or just plain bad and sad -- sometimes 'reaching out' is hard -- please, do take up the challenge!
 "Take the first step in faith.
 You don't have to see the whole staircase
 -- just take the first step." ~ Martin Luther King
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 we also offer to the community ~
• Prior to Akasa Levi’s partial retirement from group meditation teaching in 2014 with a Parkinson’ diagnosis - he Creatively-minded Corporate/Business Consultation: Human Resource Resolution
 and 'Spirit In The Workplace' development. Very way out of the box stuff. We also consult
 on the American 'spiritual mind-set', 'The Crisis In Faith', 'Loss of Classical Mythologies
 to Technology', 'What's Wrong With Our Minds and Culture?' and current 'religious trends'
 (trends that are quite unconscious, un self-identified & dreadfully naive within the
 contemporary American/Western cultural praadigm as a whole.
• We Counsel all manifestations of alternative & emerging life-styles: mixed racial/religious
 partnerings & marriages; gay & bi curious, str8 still exploring. It's the 21st Century:
 It's a big wide open world out there now... We offer bridge-building between communities:
 people of all colors, religions, diverse cultures & ethnic origins. A pluralistic society brings
 so many awesome enrichments as well as struggles of balance & new found respect ...
 "If you do not see God
 in the next person you meet,
 you need look no further." ~ Gandhi
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“La vraie générosité envers l'avenir consiste à tout donner au présent.”
 “True generosity towards the future is to give everything to the present.” ~ Albert Camus
 " THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
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 QUOTES ~ The Gift of Wise Words
 To measure you by your smallest deed
 is to judge the ocean by the frailty of it's foam.
 To judge you by your failures is to cast blame
upon the seasons for their inconsistencies   ~ Kahlil Gibran
 What good you do is of little significance,
 But it is very important that you do it.
 WE must be the change you want
 to see in the world " ~ Mahatma Gandhi
 "If we have no peace,
 it is because we have forgotten
 that we belong to each other."  ~ Mother Teresa
 "You yourself,
 as much as anyone in the entire Universe,
 deserves your OWN affection, care and love.
 You can explore the whole universe looking
 for someone who is more deserving of your
 love and affection than you are yourself...
 and you will not find that person anywhere.
 To be maximum effective -
 the Practice of Loving-Kindness
 must absolutely begin with yourself!"   ~ The Buddha
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  “Who was born first, 'You' or 'The World'?
 As long as you give first place to ‘The World’
-- you are bound by it.
 Once you realize, beyond all trace of doubt,
 that the ‘world’ is in you --
 -- and not 'you' in the world,
 right then and there, you are out of it.
 Of course, your body remains in the world
 and 'of' the world,
 but YOU are not  d-e-l-u-d-e-d by it.”
 ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
 They drew a circle that shut me out --
 Calling me a heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
 But Love and I had the wit to win --
 We drew a circle that took them in.
 ~ Edwin Markham "Outwitted"
 "Do not look back in Anger,
 or forward in Fear,
 but around in Awareness"  ~ James Thurber
 "At night make me fearlessly one
 with the Darkness ~
 In the morning make me
 optimistically one with the Light" ~ Wendell Berry
 You may want to hi-lite, copy and send
 the quote below to people you know...
 some of the wisest guidance you will
 ever read, put to personal use or offer.
 Here it is ~
 "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart.
 Try to love the 'Questions' themselves - like locked rooms
 and like books that are written in a foreign language.
 Do not, just right now, seek for the Answers.
 The 'Answers' which cannot now be given to you -
 because you would not be able to actually ‘live’ them.
 And the point is to ‘live’ everything -
experiencing everything.
 At present, you need to live the Questions themselves.
 Perhaps you will then gradually, without even noticing it,
 live along some day into the true Answer. Your answer."
 ~ Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" (1903-1908)
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 We are non-denominational and definitely non-religious and
 welcome all journeyers of all Ways or even none.
  -:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT • buddhistcounselingmindfulnesstherapy.blogspot.com • Buddhist-based 'alternative' approaches to relating with Your True Core Self • One-to-One individual therapy • Relationship counseling • Partnering issues • Difficult to communicate feelings • Disheartened anxious insecure Wounded Spirit • Counsel for 'Uncommon People' 'Rebels' 'Creatives' 'Sensitives' cerebral verbal artistic gifted ~ yet really Unhappy. "Mindfulness Insight" cultivates a calm, kind, wise, deep liberation with a "Big Good-Hearted Mind"
 The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT is a Member of S.E.N. (Spiritual Emergency Network
 at Esalen Institute in Big Sur). We are an outreach-project of “The Laughing Buddha Sangha”
in Santa Monica, CA 90405 - and utilize the practice-approaches offered by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre/Santa Rosa, CA. Our favorite meditation center here in town is InsightLA.org in Santa Monica about 5 blocks away right up the street.♦ The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA - guided by AKASA LEVI, a former ordained American Buddhist forest monk who lived many years in rural Asia. Akasa coaches a small, salon-sized Satsang sitting group for Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation with practice discussion and Dharma theory study. Now a feisty 75, this eccentric, really funny ole' Dharma-mentor teaches in his little meditation shrine room filled with statues of the Buddha. He invites anyone - beginers welcome - practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit.


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