Music can be a theraputic thing, because it can help you touch that
place in you that feels joy, and sadness and the whole gamut of emotions. But sometimes just going thru the motions of feeling
can bring you closer to that place even if you are numb or not
in touch with your feelingas right now due to obstacles. My
parents both died this year, and I know there is not a set
way to respond to things in your life that are intense like
that. I know I have been fighting back tears recently, even
though it has been months since they were gone. I am sure
that we humans are resilient creatures, but sometimes it seems
that there is more to adjust to that any one should have to
learn about. I am trying to cope with the loss of my parents
as well as going thru divorce and the fact that the youngest
child has left home too--sometimes overwhelmed with loss.
I found that i got a lot of help from reading Pema Chodron's
books: "When Things Fall Apart" (*Heartfelt Advice for Difficult
Times)and "The Places that Scare You" these writings are from
a Buddhist perspective, written by a woman who is a Buddhist
"nun" at an Abbey in Canada. This author was presented to me
as a place to find answers, by a friend who said that among her
circle of friends there is a well-worn copy of the "Fall Apart"
book, and it has helped many people thru times of crisis. I re-
member that when i felt like i was finding loss in every direction,
I tried to look at it as an opportunity to find a new path, make
new steps and re-discover options. I kept visualizing that the
heat i felt coming from all directions was not only removing layers
of past situations, but forging me into a stronger person--the
image that was most helpful to me was a phoenix rising from the
flames and ashes to fly into a new day!! Let yourself find an
image of hope like that and remind yourself of the up-lifting
feelings from it. Pema Chodron's books are published by Shambhala
(www.shambhala.com) and there are books on tape of her at Great Path Tapes and books...http://www.pemachodrontapes.org/
ONe of the most memorable images in the "Fall Apart" book is of a
monk approaching a temple when the temple guard dog comes lunging at
him. instead of running if fear he goes toward it, which surprises
the dog , and it does not hurt him. This is a message of not runnintg from your fears, face them head-on, and you will conquer them!