Fritz Perls and Gestalt

Who was Fritz Perls?

Fritz Perls was an innovatory humanistic practitioner whose Gestalt Therapy became very popular during the 1960s. The word 'gestalt' comes from a German word which explains foreground and background images. Perls was a rather controversial figure but his psychotherapy provides fast insight and change. 

The Benefits of Fairtrade

Fairtrade is a commodity registered trade mark which provides a better deal for third world producers. It pays them a fair price for products, gives up front payments and guarantees long term trading partners. It exists to improve the lives of those abroad, it promotes development through education and improved quality, and prevents exploitation and promotes social justice for children, women, etc. Of the products available on the Fairtrade market are foods, clothes, handicrafts, footballs, roses, and cotton wool. Precious metals and gemstones are being considered for this label. Why should people in the rich West not pay a few pence more to ensure those living in the poorest ways get a fair price for their work!

Last words of Jacob de Molay

“I think it’s only right that, at so solemn moment, when my life has so little time to run, I should reveal the deception which has been practised and speak up for the truth. Before heaven and earth, and with all of you here, as my witnesses, I admit that I am guilty of the grossest iniquity - but this iniquity is that I have lied by admitting the disgusting charges laid against the Order. I declare, and I must declare, that the order is innocent. Its purity and saintliness is beyond question. I have indeed, confessed that the order is guilty, but I have done so only to save myself from terrible tortures by saying whatever my enemies wished me to say. Other knights who have retracted their confessions have been led to the stake. Yet the thought of dying is not so awful that I shall confess to offences which I have never been committed. Life is offered to me, but at the price of infamy. That’s a price that life is not worth having. I do not grieve that I must die if life can be bought only by piling one lie upon another.

It is just that, on so terrible a day, and in the last moments of my life, I should discover all the iniquity of falsehood and I make the truth triumph at last. I declare, in the face of heaven on earth, and acknowledge, to my eternal shame, that I have committed the greatest of crimes in acknowledging of those accusations foully charged against the Order. I attest,  and truth obliges me to an attest, that the Order is innocent. I made the contrary declaration only to suspend the excessive pains of torture and to mollify those who made me endure them. I know the punishments which have been inflicted on all the Knights who had the courage to evoke a similar confession, but the dreadful spectacle which is presented to me is not able to make me confirm one lie by another. The life offered me on such infamous terms, I abandoned without regret.”

Fritz Perls and Gestalt

Friedrich 'Fritz'  Perls (1893-1970) was born in Berlin (Germany) but left there when Hitler came to power. Originally Perls studied under Freud. He was a psychiatrist and an innovatory humanistic practitioner whose 'Gestalt Therapy'  became very popular during the 1960s. The word 'gestalt' comes from a German word for form, an organised whole which differentiates foreground from background images. Only parts of ourselves are known, and gestalt exposes the whole, the integrated parts that bring us from dependency to self sufficiency, from authoritarian behaviour to authenticity and self reliance. Top dog and under dog engage in dialogue! Perls was a rather controversial figure at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur but his psychotherapy model provides fast insight for therapeutic change. “Reality therapy for the walking well”. 

Perls joined the German army and was posted to the trenches in WWI. He worked as a psychiatrist with brain injured soldiers at the end of the war, studying under Wilhelm Reich, Jacob Moreno and Otto Rank and other leading lights of the therapeutic movement. As Hitler became more powerful, he and his wife and family fled abroad. 

Elias Amidon - Murshid Teacher

“A Sufi is one who knows that nothing matters, yet acts as if everything does.”

— Murshid Fazal Inayat-Khan

Video from Conscious TV on the Information Channel featuring Elias Amidon leading a Murshid meditation. Elias Amidon has been a practising Sufi for more than 40 years. The International Sufi Way is an eclectic school which includes Indian Sufi teachings (Inayat Khan). The environment is at the forefront of his concerns. 

High Blood Pressure Advice

Blood pressure – or Hypertension – should be seen as an indicator, a “risk factor” for other diseases, but not as one in its own right. This very fact means that it should not be simply treated in a blanket and uniform manner, if found to be elevated, but examined in this broader picture.

The main reason for this is that treating it without this assessment means a “symptom” rather than a “disease” is being treated, and, as there are significant side effects to blood pressure medication, this is an important first step. Also you may be living in a fool’s paradise, where treatment lowers the pressure, but not the factors that lead to the increase in pressure and hence to the resulting disease.

But the principle question should be “what is elevating the blood pressure in the first place?” It may be that there is arterial or vascular disease, which usually provides a clear pattern on measurement, often with a wider than usual range between the two levels measured; that is, the systolic, or higher end, and the diastolic, or lower.

The Lost Land of Shambhala

Legends abound of a lost land of great beauty, a paradise where superhuman feats are conducted by its people who have great esoteric knowledge! Theosophists suggested this land was in the Gobi Desert, the Chinese say in the Kun Lun Mountains. Greek and Middle Eastern sources say it is in thevAltae Mountains and some Taoistscsay in Szechwan and Tibet. Hungarians say it is in the Syr Darla River and Russians say it is in the Belovodye. In 1923 an expedition was sent to the Kokushi Mountains but never returned.
Perhaps the person most likely to have known where this mysterious land can be found is a Tibetan abbot who wrote 'The Path to Shambala' who describes the entrance to the lost land as being in Mongolia. This mystical land is also known as 'Shangri'La'.

A Healing Meditation

 This video meditation created by Jo Barnard with text by Wendy Stokes. The meditation might cause a light trance, so do not drive a vehicle. Allow 30 minutes to fully relax without interruption. Make yourself comfortable, take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes and enjoy the experience.  https;//wendystokes.co.uk

The Lakota Way of Life

Praise, flattery, exaggerated manners and fine, high-sounding words were no part of Lakota politeness. Excessive manners were put down as insincere, and the constant talker was considered rude and thoughtless. Conversation was never begun at once, or in a hurried manner.

The Philosophy and Psychology of Loneliness by Ben Lazare Mijuskovic

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Recommended Book Review: Feeling Lonesome: The Philosophy and Psychology of Loneliness by Ben Mijuskovic, 205 pages in hardback and kindle formats:

This book presents an intricate, interdisciplinary evaluation of loneliness that examines the relation of consciousness to loneliness. It views loneliness from the inside as a universal human condition rather than attempting to explain it away as an aberration, a mental disorder, or a temporary state to be addressed by superficial therapy and/or psychiatric medication. The book: 

Yoga Meditations

 

Yoga Meditations: 

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed.

Exhale and inhale deeply a few times.

Breathe naturally while you focus on the following:

Yoga is a deep well into which we can tap, drawing forth whatever we need to bring ourselves into wholeness and balance.  

Ask yourself what will bring wholeness and balance to your life. 

Wait for an image or an idea to arise. 

Be still with that vision or thought for  few minutes. 

Breathe.

The Charge of Inanna

 THE * CHARGE * OF * INANNA

Channeled by Helen Demetriou From Goddess Inanna

This charge has been channeled from the Goddess Inanna and can be used by the Priest/Priestess to open and/or close their ritual. It can be used as a prayer, for meditation purposes and for bringing the reader closer to the Goddess. Please respect these words as they are divine in origin and always remember to give the credit to the author should you wish to publish it to your website or blog.

"Hear, all you children of the Star, who is Inanna, She who is known as Ishtar, Astarte, Aphrodite, Anahit, Hathor, and many other names.

I am the lamp stand of a thousand flames; I am the illuminator and the Star Maiden of the celestial vaults. I clear the black clouds to allow the light of the sun, which is that of truth and justice, to shine upon the children of the gods. O! Hear the moon, hear the moon! She is placing the sun on the mantle of the Earth, the great altar of resurrection and life! Feel the essence of the divine chapters of the Book of Life rising from the pages that are the crusts of the earth. And as each page turns a new memory is born, a memory of when ye were free! Free to love, free to know the truth and free to worship the gods of the Earth!

Simone Weil

Who was Simone Weil?

Simone was born in France and lived from 1909 to 1943. She was an intellectual and mystic, and taught philosophy and the politics of socialism. During WWII she was an activist in the dangerous French underground movement and previously she was involved in the Spanish Civil War. She died of Tuberculosis and her correspondences were discovered and published posthumously.  

Erhard Seminars Training

 

Albert Ellis - Rational Emotive Therapy

This is a video of Albert Ellis (1913-2007), creator of Rational Emotive Psychotherapy (RT). Out of the three demonstrations, Fritz Perls, Carl Rogers and Albert Ellis, Ellis is my favourite! His therapy is direct, clear and can be confrontational but it works quickly and profoundly.Albert Ellis has always been a favourite of mine. He seems to be able to get to the heart of the situation (but does not often spare the client's feelings!). 

John Gray on Health and Happiness

In a personal message to the Administrator of the Mind Body Spirit Magazine, John Gray writes "So much of my work can be summed by saying, "If you don't know your past, you will not know your future! I try to help people move forward by looking at their past mistakes and removing the blocks that are holding them back from finding happiness. Basically, unloading their baggage so they can enjoy their future (which is usally a combination of parents, siblings, friends, exes, etc) and is also the basis for most of my health work - unloading the baggage from past health decisions, which can be a combination of poor diet, not enough exercise, genetic traits and even prescribed medications.

Dealing with Difficult People

There are many techniques for managing people you find are difficult to deal with. Many would prefer to leave a situation rather than use the methods that have been tried and tested over time by others and have been found to work in the majority of cases. However, sometimes, yes, it is necessary to leave a situation where someone's patterns are honed to get the best of yours. Whether it be a parent, spouse, child, work colleague, it is usually a power issue. Do not give away your power. Have clear boundaries. Remain distant and obscure if necessary. Knowledge is power. Use affirmations to contradict your soft natured patterns. Keep your sense of humour. Don't try to fix them. Say 'no' and mean it!

The Goddess 2.0 - Karen Tate

Extract from ‘Goddess 2.0 – Advancing a New Path Forward’ by Rev. Dr. Karen Tate published by Megalithica Books, paperback 188 pages £10.99

You are not alone if you believe domination and authoritarian patriarchy are destroying countless lives and our planet. There is a more sustainable alternative and it's not new. In fact it's ancient. Exiled for a time, but making a return, the Sacred Feminine has become indelibly integrated into our lives, reminding humanity during this time of crisis that the ideals of the Great She offer a pathway to secure a more sustainable future. As people lose faith in organized religion, as the paradigm of power shifts across the globe, as climate change quickly approaches a point of no return, people are leading using their divine intelligence gleaned from Goddess teachings to find solutions and sanctuary. They're listening to their consciences, heart wisdom, and intuition to manifest a new normal. They're practicing partnership, generosity, and compassion to establish a new way of being. They're tapping into their empathy and morality as they hit the reset button. We are witnessing an awakening across the globe as people and entire cultures turn to Goddess, deity, archetype and ideal, to evolve from the malignant chaos we face. 

Attention Deficit Disorder

What is ADD? This video explains!

Bioenergetics

What is Bioenergetics? 

Bioenergetics is the study and practice of using energy within the body in better ways. It is based upon the controversial work of Wilheim Reich and was created by two of Reich's students, principally Alexander Lowen, who included some of the theories of Reich's tutor, Sigmund Freud. It focuses on releasing unconscious blocks within the body that cause headaches, backache, etc., through physical exercises so that the person becomes more physically and psychologically free.

Solo Vision Quest

 

The Vision Quest was held by native tribal people of the Americas and was a time spent alone in nature to learn about themselves and about other species, to be thankful for the water we drink, the song of the birds for comfort and the breeze in the trees for company. We can do this in our time, perhaps with fasting, with meditation, with kindness and love for all we see, hear, feel and experience. This video was made in 2011 but the information does not go out of date.  

Scotland - Coorie!

Coorie (aka Cosagach in Gaelic) a Scottish word that means to snuggle or cuddle. 

Coorie is a Scottish wellness trend based on simplicity, balance and harmony.  It is similar to Danish art of 'hygge' 

The Art of Coorie is a book by Gabriella Bennett describes the ancient traditions based on an embracing of landscapes and wild places that provide health and wellbeing, an appreciation of home grown and home cooked foods, and taking comfort in 'blethering' with close friends and caring for one another. A swapping of stressful demands for a quieter and easier lifestyle is recommended. 

Coping Skills

 

Helplessness, anger, and feelings of being out of control are common following emergencies. Depression can also follow, and lead to exhaustion which compounds the already difficult situation. Stressed minds can only come to stressed conclusions and a disordered mind does not make sensible decisions. Advice: Get into nature, see friends and speak to them about your problems, seek professional advice and take it. Build you own immunity to stress during quiet times, prepare for the worst but hope for the best. You can cope better, regardless of your experiences and difficulties.