Why I Wake Early

By Becky Riley Olin, LCPC, MT-BC

Throughout these winter months I continued with my early morning runs each day, noticing and naming the moon phases, connecting with the fox and deer that always seem to pop up out of nowhere, and remaining in awe of the sunrise and the beautiful colors it brings to the morning sky. As I transition into March early morning running, I am especially grateful for the opportunities to witness and notice the emergence of spring alongside the completion of winter. The daffodils are blooming and the magnolia buds are swelling – I experience wonder at the risk they take in blooming despite the frost that awaits. I hear the sounds of the geese coming home, and it reminds me that we are all on our way home to a beautiful somewhere, on our way home to our beautiful selves. David Whyte writes, “If you only suddenly notice that everything has bloomed around you, you have already missed the essence of spring.” Spring is the emergence of what has been growing inside us alongside what has been growing in the outer world. We get to see this in full effect, all around us in the blooming and light of spring. Let us slow down to be present with the sensory experience and energy of spring alongside the completion of winter. Let us slow down to be present with what has been growing inside us this winter, ready to emerge and be born this spring. I leave you with Mary Oliver’s poem, Why I Wake Early, a reminder of the joy that can arise from noticing, witnessing, and taking in the beauty of spring.

Why I Wake Early
by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and crotchety–

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light–
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

Enough

At this midpoint of winter I start to consider what it’s like to be in process of being halfway or part way through something. This “something” can be the day, the month, the year, the season of life we are leaving and entering all at the same time. These midpoint spaces in our lives are necessary and vital to our growth, development, and healing. This time of year invites us to slow down and notice where we are in the midpoints of our own lives. It’s ok to BE exactly where we are. As I start to sense the shift towards the emergence of spring in this midpoint of winter, I have been drawn towards Andru Defeye’s poem, Enough. May we all come to know and embrace our goodness and enoughness in this world.

Enough

By Andru Defeye

You are enough

Divinity flows in your fingertips

        with light so radiant

        every beat of your heart

a victory march

made of whole universes

        stitched by the hands of creation

        with flawless design

a prophecy You fulfill perfectly with every breath

        You

The sun wouldn’t shine the same without it

Creation is only waiting for You

                to smile back at it

Do you see it yet?

You are enough

        For the birds to sing about

        For the seeds to sprout about

        For the stars to shoot about

        Do you see it yet?

        Gardens in your speech

Fields of wildflowers in your prayers

        Lighthouses in your eyes

    No one else can see it for you

You have always been enough

You will always be enough

Your simple act of being is enough

            Do you see it yet?

Written by Becky Riley Olin, LCPC, MT-BC

The Winter of Listening

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, I find myself turning inward more often. As nature retreats from its active, full state into a state of rest and quiet, so do I. Winter provides opportunities to move inward towards the places that call for our presence, nourishment, and care. My favorite times in winter are in the early mornings, just before sunrise. The cold crisp air along with the kind of deep silence that only occurs on these winter mornings offer me solace and many opportunities to turn towards and listen to what is inside. This line in David Whyte’s beautiful poem, The Winter of Listening, speaks to me on these mornings: “Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born.” What joy is waiting inside of you to be born? Are you open to slowing down, noticing, and listening to what is inside this winter season?

THE WINTER OF LISTENING

by David Whyte

What is precious

inside us does not

care to be known

by the mind

in ways that diminish

its presence.

What we strive for

in perfection

is not what turns us

into the lit angel

we desire.

What disturbs

and then nourishes

has everything

we need.

What we hate

in ourselves

is what we cannot know

in ourselves but

what is true to the pattern

does not need

to be explained.

Inside everyone

is a great shout of joy

waiting to be born.

And

here

in the tumult

of the night

I hear the walnut

above the child’s swing

swaying

its dark limbs

in the wind

and the rain now

come to

beat against my window

and somewhere

in this cold night

of wind and stars

the first whispered

opening of

those hidden

and invisible springs

that uncoil

in the still summer air

each yet

to be imagined

rose.

Written by: Becky Riley Olin, LCPC, MT-BC

Mental Health Tricks and Treats

Here are a few tips to help you along your healing journey! 

• Watching a scary movie can elicit similar physical sensations in your body to those that you might feel when you’re in real danger (anxiety, panic, tense, etc.). Your body is signaling that you might be in danger, despite the fact that you are safe. Keep in mind that the physical sensations in your body significantly impact your perception of what is happening around you. 

• Have you ever smelled a scent that brought you back to a prior time in your life or triggered a specific memory? Emotions work similarly! Emotions can trigger memories of past experiences that can make you believe that you are currently reliving a similar situation. 

• Often, we communicate our emotions through describing the behavior of another person. Ex: “I feel like you don’t care about me.” In these moments we may feel unsupported, neglected, lonely, etc.  Understanding and sharing the emotions behind these statements can help improve your self-awareness and help navigate conflict. Practice communicating the emotion that you feel when an observable behavior occurs. Ex: “I feel hurt when I notice that you’re on your phone when we’re together.” 

• Many of the behaviors that are unlearned in therapy are deployed to help you avoid uncomfortable emotions. A helpful way to gain insight into which emotions are most difficult for you to feel is to ask the question: What emotions am I unwilling to feel? Shame, guilt, and loneliness are a few of the most common emotions that trigger avoidance.  

• How would I coach my younger self to deal with this emotion? A helpful way to move through difficult emotions is to communicate to yourself as if you were a kid experiencing the emotion for the first time. 

Therapy Myths

Ever wonder if therapy is right for you?

There are many stigmas around therapy and we’re here to debunk some of the myths that often come up!

1. Therapy is only for people with “serious” mental illness.

Therapy is for anyone and everyone - it is a space to explore goals, motivation, barriers to success, and find tools for healing.

2. Therapists tell their clients what to do.

Therapy is collaborative - Therapists assist their clients in finding healthy answers and resolutions that meet their needs.

3. There is a one size fits all modality.

Everyone is unique and everyone has their own personal set of needs. Each person has different experiences and perceptions of their world around them. Clinicians are able to present a variety of different modalities to meet these very specific needs.

4. You will feel better after each session.

Therapy can be hard work with short term discomfort. However, working through this discomfort can build adaptive coping skills in the long run.

5. Therapy implies there is something wrong with you.

Therapy does not have to imply there is an issue or a mental health diagnosis to address. Therapy alone can serve simply as a place of safe, non bias/non-judgmental, communication.