Photography Therapy?

I noticed a big interest in photography therapy out there! I don't know a lot about the subject, but as a former music therapist, I do know that more unconventional and holistic therapies such as these can really have a strong and positive effect on a soul in need of repairing.

My experience with what I called photography therapy was very uplifting, and that was exactly what I was in need of. From what I have been reading on the subject, there have been 3 ways in which to implement photography therapy:

1) to have the client collect meaningful photographs from his/her past, and associate the feelings with looking at them, and the memories with their current situation

2)to have the client learn photography, which in turn can increase the use of muscles and nerves that were previously thought to be unusable, and can provide a means of expressing feelings and emotions through a non-threatening medium

3)to have the client pose for pictures which "tell his/her story", and let their inner beauty and light shine, so as to improve self-esteem, self-acceptance

I found a quote pertaining to this last method - "When the soul wishes to experience something, she throws an image of the experience out before her and enters into her own image."

How true! It almost reminds me of the law of attraction- how we are supposed to visualize the things, life, level of happiness we want, and then believe we will have it. Well what better way to help with the visualization, than to have someone actually take a picture of what we want to manifest in our lives?

This is what my post, "Photography Therapy" (a bit farther down in the blog) was all about. My friend Lee Ann agreed to help me out with my own self-acceptance and self-concept, which has taken a beating over the years due to various unpleasant experiences, and relationships in my past. I had total faith in her ability to do this for me, as her artistic ability to take insightful and meaningful pictures is always evident in her many other projects, whether it has been taking pictures of newborns, or expectant mothers, scenes in nature, or of her own children at home. I think her sensitivity to the world around her, and her sense of purpose in this life, and in every interaction here allows her to take pictures of something more than the obvious. This is the kind of individual who should be practising Photography Therapy.

I really hope I hear more about this field. It sounds very exciting! And when I look at the pictures that my friend took of me, for the purpose of building me up, I know that this therapy really works, based on how they make me feel. It is obviously a treatment that has merit! I really am in favour of all the new therapies coming out that touch on the soul in a meaningful way such as this. It's about time that we, as souls who have come to this classroom to learn valuable lessons here, take care of the part of our health that matters the most. When we take care of that, I think everything else will follow suit!

Fear at it's very Best

Fear creeps up on us every day, whether it's in life's daily challenges, or the big ones. It wraps you in it's clutches, and grabs on for dear life, until all that is left of you is an insecure, doubtful, skeptical lesser version of yourself.

Some fear is healthy, like the fear that gives you the adrenaline rush enough to get through a big presentation, or an evaluation, or an operatic performance in front of about 400 people! But the other fear, the soul leaching, negative, scary fear will bring you down with no mercy, and take it's toll on everything you hold dear - your health is usually the first to go, relationships, daily functioning... I feel have some pretty extensive knowledge about fear, because I have lived through some of the worst fear ever. As a result, I suffered greatly in all areas I just mentioned above. And, amazingly, what snapped me out of it, was an all-inclusive trip to Mexico, of all things! When I returned, I felt better, more clear-headed, more relaxed. It was just what I needed to put everything into perspective. I also had a blast while I was there (Cancun, spring break), but don't worry, I turned down the guys with the "Girls Gone Wild" video cameras!

However, after arriving back home, more calm and settled, I asked myself, why didnt I just have some faith? I could have saved myself a whole crap-load of trouble if I had just put my fate in the hands of a higher power, or at least surrendered my destiny to fate. :)

Looking back now, the problems I had then seem so small. Now there are much more serious problems to face, of course! Just keep reminding me that someday I will think they are small too, and there will be more challenging situations ahead!

I now have another important challenge on my plate, and am unsure how to handle all the details. Sometimes, the uncertainty of it all threatens to bring me down once again. However, this time, I have some insight about how "This too shall pass", and I am ready for whatever comes my way. I plan to surround myself in the love of others, who lift me up when I am down, and help me put things into perspective when I can't see clearly. I won't be "going down" this time!!!

"The beautiful thing about the desert is that somwhere it hides a well" ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Photography Therapy

A good friend of mine recently did the most amazing thing for me, she gave me photography therapy. She takes fantastic pictures, and I am sure by looking at them, you will see why it was "therapy" for me!

Look Who's Getting Bigger!

This is my favourite little guy (or girl, I don't know!). He's the chubbiest one in the group, and he loves to be petted. Did I tell you that I love animals? :) Happy Saturday!

Deep Love

Yesterday, after the kids and I had gotten ourselves ready for school in a rush (as usual), we set out on our usual route to first Tim Horton's (yey!), then Papa Eddie, who then gets them on the school bus. When we were about halfway to Tim's, we came up behind a school bus with the lights flashing. Once we got close enough, I realized that it was a bus for individuals with disabilities, and the bus driver was getting out to operate the lift for a young girl to drive her wheelchair up onto.

When the girl saw the bus driver, her face lit up with a huge smile, and the two shared short conversation as the lift was coming down. As I watched the bus driver help the girl back her chair up onto the lift, a warm feeling came over me, and then, as the bus driver then went around to the back of the bus, and carefully, patiently and lovingly strapped the girl's wheels to the floor of the bus, I began to cry. I was overcome with emotion, touched by the gentle loving-kindness of the bus driver toward her passenger. If only we had more people in the world like this. It was clear to see that this bus driver and the girl had established a rapport of trust and affection for each other.

The bus was stopped for quite some time, but instead of being irritated that I had had to wait for so long, when I was in a hurry to get off to work, I drove away with a feeling of hope and love, and a faith in humankind, and optimism about the future.

I learned later that the kids ended up missing their bus because of our unexpected hold-up that morning, but I wasn't sorry about it. Of course, I am a firm believer that nothing is coincidence, and every interaction and event has meaning in our lives. I was certainly meant to witness that bus stop, and I thank God for blessings like this that "jolt" me back to what is important. When life is a mess, and I can't figure things out, and everything seems impossible to deal with, small nudges to say "There is hope, there is love out there" are extraordinary gifts.

To that, I say, "Keep 'em coming!".
Keep your eyes peeled, everyone...there are messages out there to be deciphered! Are you getting any?