PAGES TO GET DOWN INTO. . . MARCH 2016 /
A New York Jewish Therapist
Living In California
Is What I Always Wanted To Be,
What I Always Wanted To Do --
But ‘Reasons’ Intervened,
So Since I Didn’t,
Since I Couldn’t ~
I Became This !
Which One ?
A New York Jewish Therapist:
What I Always Wanted To Be,
But Since I Didn’t, I Became This !
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
______________
• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been.
I Counsel both Adult Women and Puer Men In
One-to-One Individual Therapy sessions
Buddhist Counseling sessions and
Mindfulness Practice as a Therapy
Buddhist Dharma Life-Coaching
• Individual Personal Therapy
• Relationship Counseling for
Couples, Partnering issues,
and Self-Identity issues.
Verbal, inter-active, face to face,
very personal, kind and caring
as well as ‘tough-love’ - and
appropriate directive ‘tasks’
and even homework - in clear,
hopefully effective sessions.
“Relationships” can be difficult.
Period. Everyone knows that.
________________________
Brief Profiles: Meditation
-:¦:- 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.
Brief Profiles: Teacher
-:¦:- 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 BuJu 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 . . .
Brief Profiles: Counseling Therapy
-:¦:- 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".
__________________________________
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 ~ I’M JUST GETTING STARTED
by filling my plastic water bottle and
sitting in one of my favorite places.
__________________________
INSTRUCTIONS # 5 Reading Out Loud
If you graze these pages and scroll n' roll around in this site -
follow some of it along - ponder a bit down a very articulate path -
then some words catch your eye - an image of a feeling from
a different time from now - as you breathe and sit immobile,
your body a pleasant mass of soft meditative sensation -
you space out to go in, as you invite a sweet mild trance
to embrace you - remembering your ‘mindfulness’ by
wiggling your toes that invoke flocks of feeling images
within you flow, breathe the silence, settle down gently
into open space way out in between the words - the
sounds of silence, the sensations of feeling, observe
the images but don’t touch, just watch reflect ponder
contemplate but don’t stay to long as Knowing
appears all by itself . . .
What is the True Nature of Life ?
“Never gave it a thought”
Sure you have….
________________
Besides the illuminating inspiring little readings on this site, and besides the details in this site pertaining to your possible being here at some time - there's a lot of short snippets of good poetry and pithy phrases in here to inspire and uplift you - and go for rides in your iPhone - so please go sit still somewhere, breathe, slow down, breathe, listen to the silence, breathe, notice the incredible naturalness of everything, and 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 an 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, silent, smart, goofy, individualistic, righteously impatient yet newly empathic, higher-consciousness oriented people gaining ground with sacred 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.
• As a contemporary Healer of sorts - of the unsure Mind and of the broken Heart. Yet I offer NO promises or religious prescriptions - not even some evangelical dogma drama. 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.
‘RAW QUALITIES OF GOOD BEING’ We All Have
• Yet still, us Unhappy 'Uncommon' folk hold a small but rapidly growing niche market in the “developing consciousness” industry - so we're not exactly the ordinary 'Retail' majority. In all kindness to Target shoppers, the masses are still buying into it, buying it, bought-in, still living on the bought on credit larger grid - what the Dalai Lama calls The Suffering Consumer - "Consumers" - people strongly subject to the lures and addictive pulls of Desire and Attachment, by indulgence or necessity. Capitalism totally depends on them. “Mindfulness teaches us to let them go and stress less. Notice how many Zen Zafu meditation cushions and Yoga mats are being sold lately. . .
• You, by the way, are innately blessed with the precious ‘raw qualities of good being’ that you may unknowingly DO possess and host. And probably don’t know it or the depths of it. That is an under-developed area of repair work we will be actively working on. Fortunately, the whole world really is watching ( and that's a huge form of 'participation' also, please don't discount it ) There’s good people out there. There is a genuine Waking-up happening. More so soon than ever. Now we are all globally touched by it. The social media is re-birthing newly minted curious cyber babies into what is hopefully an ever-constant, continuing, community ‘conversation’ that is now visibly, audibly out of the Dark and on a wobbling enlightenment course, fumbling into the Light -- and you and me with it, on some level or other.
• Today,the young beouiois swar Millennials are an obsession-prone, precarious, precious pool of new human resource for training and cultivating sincerely talented, novice ’Bodhisattva’ compassion-energy, ready for downloading and absorbing some of the planet’s most ancient wisdom ways towards fulfilling non-conditional ( unconditional ) happiness. The Boomers are busy modeling for the Gen X ,,,and my father’s Depression and anything earlier than 1950 is as they say, History. Americans are historically illiterate anyway, and the Millennials have no practical motivation to reference what came before them. That leaves me at the beginning of the end of it all. I’m old. My students are 27, I’m 75. The first to go. leaves me at te end of it all. I’m next to go.
settled in, Millennials, some of them are filled with such compassionate energy, idealistic intensity, and a grounded integrity focused on their 'Causes'. Their sincerity is adding to the cyber technology with their own Loving-kindness potential. “Good goods, these kids got…” my Uncle Max would say
• Bless ALL The Arts and it's myriad Lovers -- yes, we're still here as Angelic Trouble-makers - the Activists, Radicals, Progressives, the Lefties and the Movement people. They 'usta call us Avant Garde, and that's a heavy mantle to carry - seriously - 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 disfigured, disoriented in some way, I can't really see the deeper happiness potential right there in myself and others, especially if the damage is 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 are not. And then put that all aside." said Dr. Jung _________________________________
“NOTHING” -
Even tho’, as a contemporary Healer of sorts -
of the unsure Mind and of the broken Heart -
Yet I offer NO promises or religious prescriptions -
‘Nothing’ - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in.
That’s a Buddhist pun - that opens a whole
other discussion doorway. ‘Nothing’ -
just the emergence of your own individual
‘true knowing’ and personal excellence.
__________________________________
" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .
• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been.
I Counsel both Adult Women and Men In
One-to-One Individual Therapy sessions
Buddhist Counseling sessions and
Mindfulness Practice as a Therapy
Buddhist Dharma Life-Coaching
• Individual Personal Therapy
• Relationship Counseling for
Couples, Partnering issues,
Gender and Identity issues.
Verbal, inter-active, face to face,
very personal, kind and caring
as well as ‘tough-love’ - and
appropriate directive ‘tasks’
and even homework - in clear,
hopefully effective sessions.
“Relationships” can be difficult.
Period. Everyone knows that.
What’s In The Box ?
• These counseling and therapy sessions have 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 while they’re in ’process’. Later on you’re most welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your tolerances’ get more fit.
• 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…
“NOTHING” -
Even tho’, as a contemporary Healer of sorts -
of the unsure Mind and of the broken Heart -
Yet I offer NO promises or religious prescriptions -
‘Nothing’ - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in.
That’s a Buddhist pun - that opens a whole
other discussion doorway. ‘Nothing’ -
just the emergence of your own individual
‘true knowing’ and personal excellence.
______________________________
I practice as a Buddhist minister / pastoral counselor, not as a licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologist. I take in a much broader cultural scope than just the psychological. I have to address the sociology / anthropology of it all - What got it to be this way ? The cultivation of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media-driven society we live in, is a necessity. What will that look like ?
• Re-educating your Spirit also, gives your Spirits a chance to be a wider, stronger, well informed inner-platform and inner-space to work with. ‘Realistically’ or ‘Meta-physically’. Both are the supreme, indigenous creations of cultures based in one local regional area or another to work on their Healing Arts organically and renovate YOU with many millennia worth of Spirit-treasure - on indigenously -undisturbed in a limited cultural isolation. Hey traded for medicinals and leaves for tools and textiles in small hamlets if there was a road in… only symbolic. Good spiritual TV.
• 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…
You may want to talk with someone - like me - someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality.
• 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 internally, individually, it’s all about you -- It is 'Spiritual', which takes in everything ‘sacred’ human culture and benevolent well intentioned thought has ever created.
• What is it ? This form of counseling therapy can be called many things --
Spiritual-based Counseling • Psycho/Spiritual Therapy • Spiritual Direction • Spiritual-oriented Life Coaching • Medicine men and women • Tribal Shaman’s work and practitioners in the Healing Arts the world over. The Good Ones doing good healing practices • It's been going on effectively for 1000's of years ...
• ‘True’ Happiness is totally ( well, almost totally ) taught as being independent and free of the unavoidable effects of ‘everyday’ circumstances, conditions and compromises - really 'true liberated freedom' as they've spoken about in Asian teachings for millennia. ‘Un-True’ Happiness isn’t a Freedom inside us, it’s bound to erroneous stuff by shackled conditions. And we obsessively worry it all the time.
Talk with someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality !
" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .
• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been.
I Counsel both Adult Women and Men in
One-on-One Individual Therapy sessions
Buddhist Counseling sessions and
Mindfulness Practice as a Therapy
Buddhist Dharma Life-Coaching
• Individual Personal Therapy
• Relationship Counseling for
Couples, Partnering issues,
Gender and Identity issues.
Verbal, inter-active, face to face,
very personal, kind and caring
as well as ‘tough-love’ - and
appropriate directive ‘tasks’
and even homework - in clear,
hopefully effective sessions.
“Relationships” can be difficult.
Period. Everyone knows that.
These are counseling and 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 right in their ’process’. Later on you’re most welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your ‘tolerances’ get more fit.
________________________
PLEASE NOTE ~
A Few House Responsibilities - Here’s the Deal…
Dear Gals or Guys ~ Glad You’re Here !
And I gotta’ be sorta strict-ish about your own life-plan arrangements affecting your even being here, work time and drive time kvetching, money issues, and other important ‘engine maintenance’ responsibilities - all so we have the way more clear - we have the freedom to actually ‘Work’ the session - and not get too caught up and 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 ‘Shrine’. I don’t do house calls. 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 old guy’s 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 gladly 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. There is no first free session. 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, Difficult Questions, and really feel into if "Spiritual Adulthood" sessions might be helpful for you --
• FEE: 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. I am not greedy. I 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 usually offer a much more generous EXTENDED SESSION-TIME than is usual... Most 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.
Then again, TRY 10 minutes before the hour.
• 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 I reach you ?’ --
and please speak very slowly and clearly.
It is important that you’re going try your best
to make yourself ‘accessible’ -- so I 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, No protection.
Nothing to protect.
Actually, there was no Buddha.
• 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
" 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& amp; 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!
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“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& amp; 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.
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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
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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! "
___________________________________
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)
__________________________________________
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 - beginners welcome - practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit.
16 point regular
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Counseling.1.SoSoBEST.SoSoWORST.docx
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PAGES TO GET DOWN INTO. . . MARCH 2016 /
-:¦:- The SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD PROJECT
The LAUGHING BUDDHA SANGHA q(~?~)p
guided by AKASA LEVI ~ 310-450-2268
BUDDHIST COUNSELING SESSIONS and
MINDFULNESS PRACTICE as a THERAPY
• INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL Therapy
• RELATIONSHIP Counseling
Santa Monica CA 90405 ~ 310-450-2268
See CONTACT Details at Table of Contents
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
A New York Jewish Therapist
Living In California
Is What I Always Wanted To Be,
What I Always Wanted To Do --
But ‘Reasons’ Intervened,
So Since I Didn’t,
Since I Couldn’t ~
I Became This !
Which One ?
A New York Jewish Therapist:
What I Always Wanted To Be,
But Since I Didn’t, I Became This !
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
______________
• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been.
I Counsel both Adult Women and Puer Men In
One-to-One Individual Therapy sessions
Buddhist Counseling sessions and
Mindfulness Practice as a Therapy
Buddhist Dharma Life-Coaching
• Individual Personal Therapy
• Relationship Counseling for
Couples, Partnering issues,
and Self-Identity issues.
Verbal, inter-active, face to face,
very personal, kind and caring
as well as ‘tough-love’ - and
appropriate directive ‘tasks’
and even homework - in clear,
hopefully effective sessions.
“Relationships” can be difficult.
Period. Everyone knows that.
________________________
Brief Profiles: Meditation
-:¦:- 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.
Brief Profiles: Teacher
-:¦:- 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 BuJu 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 . . .
Brief Profiles: Counseling Therapy
-:¦:- 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".
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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 ~ I’M JUST GETTING STARTED
by filling my plastic water bottle and
sitting in one of my favorite places.
__________________________
INSTRUCTIONS # 5 Reading Out Loud
If you graze these pages and scroll n' roll around in this site -
follow some of it along - ponder a bit down a very articulate path -
then some words catch your eye - an image of a feeling from
a different time from now - as you breathe and sit immobile,
your body a pleasant mass of soft meditative sensation -
you space out to go in, as you invite a sweet mild trance
to embrace you - remembering your ‘mindfulness’ by
wiggling your toes that invoke flocks of feeling images
within you flow, breathe the silence, settle down gently
into open space way out in between the words - the
sounds of silence, the sensations of feeling, observe
the images but don’t touch, just watch reflect ponder
contemplate but don’t stay to long as Knowing
appears all by itself . . .
What is the True Nature of Life ?
“Never gave it a thought”
Sure you have….
________________
Besides the illuminating inspiring little readings on this site, and besides the details in this site pertaining to your possible being here at some time - there's a lot of short snippets of good poetry and pithy phrases in here to inspire and uplift you - and go for rides in your iPhone - so please go sit still somewhere, breathe, slow down, breathe, listen to the silence, breathe, notice the incredible naturalness of everything, and 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 an 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, silent, smart, goofy, individualistic, righteously impatient yet newly empathic, higher-consciousness oriented people gaining ground with sacred 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.
• As a contemporary Healer of sorts - of the unsure Mind and of the broken Heart. Yet I offer NO promises or religious prescriptions - not even some evangelical dogma drama. 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.
‘RAW QUALITIES OF GOOD BEING’ We All Have
• Yet still, us Unhappy 'Uncommon' folk hold a small but rapidly growing niche market in the “developing consciousness” industry - so we're not exactly the ordinary 'Retail' majority. In all kindness to Target shoppers, the masses are still buying into it, buying it, bought-in, still living on the bought on credit larger grid - what the Dalai Lama calls The Suffering Consumer - "Consumers" - people strongly subject to the lures and addictive pulls of Desire and Attachment, by indulgence or necessity. Capitalism totally depends on them. “Mindfulness teaches us to let them go and stress less. Notice how many Zen Zafu meditation cushions and Yoga mats are being sold lately. . .
• You, by the way, are innately blessed with the precious ‘raw qualities of good being’ that you may unknowingly DO possess and host. And probably don’t know it or the depths of it. That is an under-developed area of repair work we will be actively working on. Fortunately, the whole world really is watching ( and that's a huge form of 'participation' also, please don't discount it ) There’s good people out there. There is a genuine Waking-up happening. More so soon than ever. Now we are all globally touched by it. The social media is re-birthing newly minted curious cyber babies into what is hopefully an ever-constant, continuing, community ‘conversation’ that is now visibly, audibly out of the Dark and on a wobbling enlightenment course, fumbling into the Light -- and you and me with it, on some level or other.
• Today,the young beouiois swar Millennials are an obsession-prone, precarious, precious pool of new human resource for training and cultivating sincerely talented, novice ’Bodhisattva’ compassion-energy, ready for downloading and absorbing some of the planet’s most ancient wisdom ways towards fulfilling non-conditional ( unconditional ) happiness. The Boomers are busy modeling for the Gen X ,,,and my father’s Depression and anything earlier than 1950 is as they say, History. Americans are historically illiterate anyway, and the Millennials have no practical motivation to reference what came before them. That leaves me at the beginning of the end of it all. I’m old. My students are 27, I’m 75. The first to go. leaves me at te end of it all. I’m next to go.
settled in, Millennials, some of them are filled with such compassionate energy, idealistic intensity, and a grounded integrity focused on their 'Causes'. Their sincerity is adding to the cyber technology with their own Loving-kindness potential. “Good goods, these kids got…” my Uncle Max would say
• Bless ALL The Arts and it's myriad Lovers -- yes, we're still here as Angelic Trouble-makers - the Activists, Radicals, Progressives, the Lefties and the Movement people. They 'usta call us Avant Garde, and that's a heavy mantle to carry - seriously - 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 disfigured, disoriented in some way, I can't really see the deeper happiness potential right there in myself and others, especially if the damage is 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 are not. And then put that all aside." said Dr. Jung _________________________________
“NOTHING” -
Even tho’, as a contemporary Healer of sorts -
of the unsure Mind and of the broken Heart -
Yet I offer NO promises or religious prescriptions -
‘Nothing’ - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in.
That’s a Buddhist pun - that opens a whole
other discussion doorway. ‘Nothing’ -
just the emergence of your own individual
‘true knowing’ and personal excellence.
__________________________________
" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .
• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been.
I Counsel both Adult Women and Men In
One-to-One Individual Therapy sessions
Buddhist Counseling sessions and
Mindfulness Practice as a Therapy
Buddhist Dharma Life-Coaching
• Individual Personal Therapy
• Relationship Counseling for
Couples, Partnering issues,
Gender and Identity issues.
Verbal, inter-active, face to face,
very personal, kind and caring
as well as ‘tough-love’ - and
appropriate directive ‘tasks’
and even homework - in clear,
hopefully effective sessions.
“Relationships” can be difficult.
Period. Everyone knows that.
What’s In The Box ?
• These counseling and therapy sessions have 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 while they’re in ’process’. Later on you’re most welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your tolerances’ get more fit.
• 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…
“NOTHING” -
Even tho’, as a contemporary Healer of sorts -
of the unsure Mind and of the broken Heart -
Yet I offer NO promises or religious prescriptions -
‘Nothing’ - I offer ‘Nothing’ to ‘Believe’ in.
That’s a Buddhist pun - that opens a whole
other discussion doorway. ‘Nothing’ -
just the emergence of your own individual
‘true knowing’ and personal excellence.
______________________________
I practice as a Buddhist minister / pastoral counselor, not as a licensed MFT or PhD clinical psychologist. I take in a much broader cultural scope than just the psychological. I have to address the sociology / anthropology of it all - What got it to be this way ? The cultivation of a very contemporary metaphysical Spirit in this difficult modern media-driven society we live in, is a necessity. What will that look like ?
• Re-educating your Spirit also, gives your Spirits a chance to be a wider, stronger, well informed inner-platform and inner-space to work with. ‘Realistically’ or ‘Meta-physically’. Both are the supreme, indigenous creations of cultures based in one local regional area or another to work on their Healing Arts organically and renovate YOU with many millennia worth of Spirit-treasure - on indigenously -undisturbed in a limited cultural isolation. Hey traded for medicinals and leaves for tools and textiles in small hamlets if there was a road in… only symbolic. Good spiritual TV.
• 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…
You may want to talk with someone - like me - someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality.
• 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 internally, individually, it’s all about you -- It is 'Spiritual', which takes in everything ‘sacred’ human culture and benevolent well intentioned thought has ever created.
• What is it ? This form of counseling therapy can be called many things --
Spiritual-based Counseling • Psycho/Spiritual Therapy • Spiritual Direction • Spiritual-oriented Life Coaching • Medicine men and women • Tribal Shaman’s work and practitioners in the Healing Arts the world over. The Good Ones doing good healing practices • It's been going on effectively for 1000's of years ...
• ‘True’ Happiness is totally ( well, almost totally ) taught as being independent and free of the unavoidable effects of ‘everyday’ circumstances, conditions and compromises - really 'true liberated freedom' as they've spoken about in Asian teachings for millennia. ‘Un-True’ Happiness isn’t a Freedom inside us, it’s bound to erroneous stuff by shackled conditions. And we obsessively worry it all the time.
Talk with someone who has training in both worlds: psychology AND spirituality !
" THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING ONE! "
SOME IMPORTANT Preliminary DETAILS ~
or just skip 'em and Keep Reading . . .
• I’m a ONE MAN SHOP ~ Always have been.
I Counsel both Adult Women and Men in
One-on-One Individual Therapy sessions
Buddhist Counseling sessions and
Mindfulness Practice as a Therapy
Buddhist Dharma Life-Coaching
• Individual Personal Therapy
• Relationship Counseling for
Couples, Partnering issues,
Gender and Identity issues.
Verbal, inter-active, face to face,
very personal, kind and caring
as well as ‘tough-love’ - and
appropriate directive ‘tasks’
and even homework - in clear,
hopefully effective sessions.
“Relationships” can be difficult.
Period. Everyone knows that.
These are counseling and 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 right in their ’process’. Later on you’re most welcome to move on to group meditation and sharing sessions if you wish, as your ‘tolerances’ get more fit.
________________________
PLEASE NOTE ~
A Few House Responsibilities - Here’s the Deal…
Dear Gals or Guys ~ Glad You’re Here !
And I gotta’ be sorta strict-ish about your own life-plan arrangements affecting your even being here, work time and drive time kvetching, money issues, and other important ‘engine maintenance’ responsibilities - all so we have the way more clear - we have the freedom to actually ‘Work’ the session - and not get too caught up and 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 ‘Shrine’. I don’t do house calls. 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 old guy’s 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 gladly 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. There is no first free session. 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, Difficult Questions, and really feel into if "Spiritual Adulthood" sessions might be helpful for you --
• FEE: 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. I am not greedy. I 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 usually offer a much more generous EXTENDED SESSION-TIME than is usual... Most 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.
Then again, TRY 10 minutes before the hour.
• 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 I reach you ?’ --
and please speak very slowly and clearly.
It is important that you’re going try your best
to make yourself ‘accessible’ -- so I 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, No protection.
Nothing to protect.
Actually, there was no Buddha.
• 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
" 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& amp; 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& amp; 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 ....
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" 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
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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
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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!
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“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.
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“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
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" 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.
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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& amp; emerging life-styles: mixed racial/religious
partnerings& amp; 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 - beginners welcome - practicing an 'awareness meditation' to come sit.
16 point