tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61817154865524970012024-03-12T20:45:55.576-07:00Sageplace: The Center for Well BeingsLocated in Lewiston Maine. The Center for Applied Positive Psychology and Life Long Learning.Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-44726944646489760972010-03-17T20:31:00.000-07:002010-03-17T20:31:21.221-07:00Psychotherapy, Spirituality, Creativity and HealingWhile I have truly enjoyed posting to this blog, and certainly don't intend to abandon it entirely, given the increasing demands on my time, I've made a decision to focus my energy on my other blog, "<a href="http://psychotherapyandspirituality.blogspot.com/">Psychotherapy, Spirituality, Creativity, and Healing"</a> So if you're looking for my newest posts, please visit this blog.<br />
<br />
As always, thanks for stopping by....Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-88220859521822796062010-01-13T10:57:00.000-08:002010-01-13T11:01:07.464-08:00Having Enough of Life with Vicki RobinI listened to an interview with Vicki Robin, activist, author of “Your Money or Your life”, and advocate for living simply and sustainably last night. During the interview Robin’s addressed happiness, “the enough point,” the importance of community, “the power of letting go of what doesn’t matter,” grief, where we spend our life energy, and living with purpose, significance, compassion, and so much more. <br />
You can listen to it <a href="http://www.attendthisevent.com/Classic/?eventid=10074234">here </a>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-78574025986697548632009-12-21T12:29:00.000-08:002010-06-27T09:55:41.082-07:00Winter Solstice, David Whyte, and Morning Has Broken<object height="344" width="375"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/om1v5gViG-M&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/om1v5gViG-M&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="375" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
I attended a beautiful winter solstice event last night in Windham. There was poetry, prayer, meditation, dancing and beautiful music. The winter solstice has become a sacred reminder to me of the importance of honoring both the cycles of nature as well as those that occur in our own lives such as sleeping and waking, working and resting, embracing and letting go. And then there is the miracle that occurs each and every morning - the dawning of the light following the deep darkness of night. <br />
The solstice above all else symbolizes this to me - the promise that light will always follow darkness. If we are patient and open we will discover that so much can be illuminated by the darkess, and great wisdom comes forth in the silence... <br />
<br />
Winter poem <br />
<br />
"No one but me by the fire,<br />
my hands burning<br />
red in the palms while<br />
the night wind carries<br />
everything away outside.<br />
<br />
All this petty worry<br />
while the great cloak<br />
of the sky grows dark<br />
and intense<br />
round every living thing. <br />
<br />
What is precious<br />
inside us does not<br />
care to be known<br />
by the mind<br />
in ways that diminish<br />
its presence.<br />
<br />
What we strive for<br />
in perfection<br />
is not what turns us<br />
into the lit angel<br />
we desire, <br />
what disturbs<br />
and then nourishes<br />
has everything<br />
we need.<br />
<br />
What we hate<br />
in ourselves<br />
is what we cannot know<br />
in ourselves but<br />
what is true to the pattern<br />
does not need<br />
to be explained. <br />
<br />
Inside everyone<br />
is a great shout of joy<br />
waiting to be born.<br />
Even with the summer<br />
so far off<br />
I feel it grown in me<br />
now and ready<br />
to arrive in the world. <br />
<br />
All those years<br />
listening to those<br />
who had<br />
nothing to say.<br />
All those years<br />
forgetting<br />
how everything<br />
has its own voice<br />
to make<br />
itself heard. <br />
All those years<br />
forgetting<br />
how easily<br />
you can belong<br />
to everything<br />
simply by listening.<br />
<br />
And the slow<br />
difficulty<br />
of remembering<br />
how everything<br />
is born from<br />
an opposite<br />
and miraculous<br />
otherness.<br />
Silence and winter<br />
has led me to that<br />
otherness.<br />
<br />
So let this winter<br />
of listening<br />
be enough<br />
for the new life<br />
I must call my own.<br />
<br />
By David WhyteTammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-71411134977494398232009-12-15T09:39:00.000-08:002009-12-15T09:39:00.858-08:00Life and art"Being a Creator, at its deepest level, means that you create your life. Being a Creator, at its deepest level, means that your life is your work of art."<br />
- Christine Kane<br />
<br />
This past Sunday I crafted an almost perfect day. A quiet morning with a period of brief meditation and journaling, a long winter walk in the afternoon followed by a good book before a blazing fire, a meal of homemade aromatic stew and delicious healthy muffins, and a soul nourishing visit with a very special friend. Nothing extraordinary, just a whole lot of wonderful ordinary thoughtfully placed upon my canvas - a work of art...Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-88698323520584305612009-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:002009-12-11T06:23:41.116-08:00crisis line numbersFollowing is a list of crisis line numbers that can be useful to have on hand if you or someone you care about is in crisis.<br />
<br />
National Crisis Helpline: <br />
<br />
800-999-9999<br />
<br />
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: <br />
<br />
800-273-TALK<br />
<br />
Calling a warm line <br />
<br />
1-800-314-2680 <br />
<br />
Mental Health Crisis Line:<br />
<br />
800-222-8220<br />
<br />
Grief Recovery Helpline:<br />
<br />
800-445-4808<br />
<br />
Crisis Hotline for the Physically & Mentally Challenged<br />
<br />
800-426-4263<br />
<br />
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)<br />
1-800-203-1234 <br />
<br />
Cocaine Anonymous (CA)<br />
1-800-347-8998 <br />
<br />
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)<br />
1-800-627-3543Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-24581372535540333442009-12-10T06:16:00.000-08:002009-12-10T06:28:30.850-08:00The Battle for the Soul of America<object width="350" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7967001&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7967001&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="350" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7967001">Nick Unger - CBHC Annual Meeting</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/cbhc">Campaign for Better Health Care</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Above is a powerful 14 minute speech delivered by Nick Unger on the health care reform bill. He asks a question that each and every one of us needs to answer, "what kind of country do we want to be?" You can read a transcript of the speech at the <a href="http://www.uhcan.org/">Universal Health Care Action Network </a>website.Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-30463967143654045712009-12-06T19:02:00.000-08:002009-12-07T06:57:05.557-08:00Aging and Growth<object height="344" width="375"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BHekCJdQUHE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BHekCJdQUHE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="375"></embed></object> <br /><br /> I watched one of my very favorite movies this weekend, Harold and Maude, which was released in the early seventies. I try and watch it at least once a decade and always with friends.<br /><br /> Harold is a depressed and death obsessed adolescent who meets and falls in love with Maude, an elderly free spirit who is about to turn eighty and will teach him a tremendous amount about life and love and the wonder of it all. Among the many junkets of wisdom she shares with Harold is, "A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They're just backing away from life. *Reach* out. Take a *chance*. Get *hurt* even. But play as well as you can. Go team, go! Give me an L. Give me an I. Give me a V. Give me an E. L-I-V-E. LIVE! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room."<br /><br /> If you're willing to overlook the ending and travel lightly with the two zany main characters then it's a very special movie. It reminds us that life is to be savored at any and every age and that as Betty Friedan asserts, "Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength."Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-51110423423726431392009-11-12T18:49:00.001-08:002009-11-12T19:13:37.298-08:00"Making Sense"Public broadcasters from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont joined forces to help residents of northern new england cope with the financial challenges effecting our region. The result of their collaboration is "Making $ense," a highly informative and inspiring program that addresses many of these challenges and examines some of the creative approaches that have been developed to deal with them.<br /><br />You can watch the program on demand at: http://www.mpbn.net/OnDemand/Makingense/tabid/1024/Default.aspxTammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-41970220368020724462009-11-11T05:35:00.000-08:002009-11-11T05:57:37.109-08:00Hugh Prather and a morning ritual<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:kXe3GHTqT2Uc4M:http://widescreen-"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:kXe3GHTqT2Uc4M:http://widescreen-" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Author, counselor, and minister, <a href="http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Prather">Hugh Prather, </a>suggests in his chapter, "Walking Home" in <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/17510907/Handbook-for-the-Spirit">Handbook for the Spirit</a> that we look into our hearts and ask ourselves each morning, "How can I begin to experience my goodness? How can I make the effort today to be the kind of person I want to be?" I've found these questions to be very helpful in keeping me focused on what's most important to me and I try to ask them each morning as I greet the new day.</div></div></div>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-6963437856769305022009-10-29T12:43:00.000-07:002009-10-29T12:50:12.718-07:00Aging, Service, Community and Commitment Every Single Day in Bangor...<object height="340" width="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ge9JqzqL57k&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ge9JqzqL57k&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="390"></embed></object><br /><br />"On call 24 hours a day for the past five years, a group of senior citizens has made history by greeting over 900,000 American troops at a tiny airport in Bangor, Maine. The Way We Get By is an intimate look at three of these greeters as they confront the universal losses that come with aging and rediscover their reason for living. Bill Knight, Jerry Mundy and Joan Gaudet find the strength to overcome their personal battles and transform their lives through service. This inspirational and surprising story shatters the stereotypes of today's senior citizens as the greeters redefine the meaning of community."<br /><br />The 2 plus minute trailer is heart warming and inspirational...Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-59253742338954386012009-10-23T09:09:00.000-07:002009-10-23T09:39:51.560-07:00The Healing of America<object height="340" width="260"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QajhWiBhPhg&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QajhWiBhPhg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="360"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Foreign correspondent for <em>The Washington Post, </em><span class="description">T.R. Reid, traveled around the world trying to find an affordable health care system for the United States. In his book, The Healing of America, Reid convincingly argues </span>that an effective universal health care system in the United States is possible. The above video is a brief interview with Reid.<br /><br /><br /><span class="description"><br />To learn more, check out the following:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html">5 Myths About Health Care Around the World</a><br /><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=8383452">Excerpt from The Healing of America</a><br /><br /><a href="http://fora.tv/2009/09/14/TR_Reid_The_Healing_of_America">The Healing of America on Fora Tv</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/">Frontline: Sick Around the World</a> (Can the US learn anything from the rest of the world about how to run a health care system?)<br /><br /><br /></span><h1><br /></h1>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-9926072631453870892009-10-15T06:21:00.000-07:002009-10-15T06:23:48.968-07:00Teen Art Tuesdays at the Lewiston Public LibraryA wonderful new program is being offered at the Lewiston Public library called Teen Art Tuesday. "...a free informal weekly arts and crafts program designed to provide teens with an opportunity to exercise their creative right-brains!This new program will provide youth between the ages of 13 and 18 with the materials, instructions and assistance to make fun and creative projects.<br /><br />Teen Art Tuesday will allow teens to explore various styles of art and to work with many different media. The projects act as foundations which youth can build upon to create their own personalized masterpieces. Projects ideas include advanced bean mosaics, bookmaking from everyday items, collage art, 3-D photo illusions, t-shirt alterations, and jewelry making. Teens are encouraged to recommend other project ideas as well.<br /><br />The program runs from 3-6 p.m. in the Teen Room every Tuesday. For more information, stop by the Reference Desk or contact Molly at 513-3004 x 3521 or mladd@ci.lewiston.me.us."Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-74935959271819074012009-10-13T14:46:00.000-07:002009-10-13T14:49:43.172-07:00We Are All One<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/61BCB2-OmRY&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/61BCB2-OmRY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" height="300" width="400"></embed></object>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-11192806935377732772009-10-03T08:02:00.000-07:002009-10-03T08:16:09.499-07:00Women's Wisdom Group in Lewiston<span style="font-family:times new roman;">This past Sunday I participated in a guiding circle for the <a href="http://www.womensinstuteme.org/">Women’s Institute of Maine</a>, a very special community of women run strictly by volunteers which currently offers a monthly women’s circle, women’s circle trainings, and a number of online resources “to amplify women’s wisdom and voice.”<span style=""> </span>From my very first experience sitting in a circle of women, I have been nurtured, inspired, taught, and touched.<span style=""> </span>Last Sunday, surrounded by deeply caring and committed women was no exception.<span style=""> </span><br /><br />In </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1880913631?ie=UTF8&tag=sageplace0f&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1880913631">Circle of Stones: Woman's Journey to Herself</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">, Judith Duerk wrote, “How might your life have been different if there had been a place for you?<span style=""> </span>A place for you to go… a place of women, to help you learn the ways of woman… a place where you were nurtured from an ancient flow sustaining you and steadying you as you sought to become yourself.<span style=""> </span>A place of women to help you find and trust the ancient flow already there within yourself… waiting to be released… A place of women… How might your life be different?”<span style=""> </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When women regularly experience the wisdom, warmth, and acceptance of other women who came together to offer support and to honor one another’s voices through deep listening - the kind of listening that creates “containers of emergence,”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6181715486552497001&postID=1119280693537773277#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[i]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> lives are eventually transformed.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It’s in a circle of women that we very often come closest to ourselves, discover aspects of our own sacred story mirrored in the story of another; claim our gifts and strengths very often for the first time, and learn to trust the darkness as we fully experience our pain while being held in the hearts of our sisters.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">If you are a woman and live within a commutable distance to Lewiston/Auburn, I would like to warmly invite you to join us at the <a href="http://www.wisdomswomen.org/">Center for Wisdom’s Women</a> on Tuesday, October 6<sup>th</sup> from 1:00 to 2:30 for our first wisdom circle.<span style=""> </span>The center is located at 97 Blake Street in Lewiston and is committed to helping women discover their inner resources, pursue life affirming relationships, and develop their potential.<span style=""> </span>Participation in the Wisdom Circle is free.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rainer Maria Rilke observed, “there is nothing as wise as a circle.”<span style=""> </span>Following are some helpful resources regarding forming and maintaining circles.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.womensinstituteme.org/wisdomcircles.htm">The Women’s Institute of Maine Wisdom Circle Page<o:p></o:p></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""><a href="http://www.wisdomcircle.org/">The Wisdom Circles Homepage</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://becoming-womenscircles.com/">Becoming: Women’s Circles Women’s Lives<o:p></o:p></a></span></p> <div style=""><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--> <div style="" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6181715486552497001&postID=1119280693537773277#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[i]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Anderson, Sherry Ruth, and Patricia Hopkins, <i>The Feminine Face of God: The Unfolding of the Sacred in Women </i>(Bantam, 1992.)</span></p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> </div> </div> <img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sageplace0f&l=as2&o=1&a=1880913631" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-24607719160567266182009-09-26T08:22:00.000-07:002009-09-26T08:49:34.565-07:00Micheal Moore on Capitalism: A Love Story<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IhydyxRjujU&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IhydyxRjujU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /> On Fora TV <a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/">Micheal Moore</a> talks about his newest documentary, <a href="http://www.capitalismalovestory.com/">Capitalism: A Love Story</a>. You can watch the interview <a href="http://fora.tv/2009/09/17/Filmmaker_Michael_Moore_on_Capitalism_A_Love_Story">here<span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span></a><br /><br /> Of his movie, Moore writes on his website,<br /><p> "...I'm gonna show you the stuff the nightly news will rarely show you. Ever meet a pilot for American Airlines on food stamps because his pay's been cut so low? Ever meet a judge who gets kickbacks for sending innocent kids to a private prison? Ever meet someone from the <i>Wall Street Journal</i> who bluntly states on camera that he doesn't much care for democracy and that capitalism should be our only ruling concern? </p> <p> You'll meet all these guys in "Capitalism." You'll also meet a whistleblower who, with documents in hand, tells us about the million-dollar-plus sweetheart loans he approved for the head of Senate Banking Committee -- the very committee that was supposed to be regulating his lending institution! You'll hear from a bank regulator why Timothy Geithner has no business being our Treasury Secretary. And you'll learn, from the woman who heads up the congressional commission charged with keeping an eye on the bailout money, how Alan Greenspan & Co. schemed and connived the public into putting up their inflated valued homes as collateral -- thus causing the biggest foreclosure epidemic in our history. </p> <p> There is now a foreclosure filed in the U.S. once every seven-and-half SECONDS. </p> <p> None of this is an accident, and I name the names others seem to be afraid to name, the men who have ransacked the pensions of working people and plundered the future of our kids and grandkids. Somehow they thought they were going to get away with this, that we'd believe their Big Lie that this crash was caused by a bunch of low-income people who took out loans they couldn't afford. Much of the mainstream media bought this storyline. No wonder Wall Street thought they could pull this off..." Read the rest <a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php">here</a><br /></p>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-18942461398408453142009-09-24T05:55:00.000-07:002009-09-24T06:00:07.580-07:00A Wonderful New Online Tool for Job Seekers in Lewiston/Auburn<p>The Lewiston and Auburn Public libraries have joined together to offer their patrons a wonderful new tool. <strong><a href="http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/aubu61374?db=CART">Career Transitions</a></strong>, a "clear, easy-to-use, self-paced online resource that walks job-seekers through the entire process: from assessing strengths and interests, to exploring new opportunities, to improving their chances of getting a job, to finding and applying for jobs. With<strong> <a href="http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/aubu61374?db=CART">Career Transitions</a></strong> LPL and APL cardholders can:</p> <p><span style="color:#cc6633;"><strong>Prepare</strong></span> - build, save, retrieve and update personal career information with a career toolkit</p> <p><span style="color:#cc6633;"><strong>Assess</strong></span> - explore current skills, occupational knowledge and interests and match them with fulfilling career paths</p> <p><strong><span style="color:#cc6633;">Explore</span></strong><strong> </strong>- investigate thousands of career paths, industries, locations and companies</p> <p><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;"> <span style="color:#cc6633;">Improve</span> </span></strong>- find educational opportunities and take classes to increase hiring chances</p> <p><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;"> <span style="color:#cc6633;">Apply</span> </span></strong>- search job listings from around the country that meet user criteria"<br /></p> <h4> <a href="http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/aubu61374?db=CART"><br /></a></h4>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-77421290409215161632009-09-18T06:53:00.000-07:002010-06-27T09:42:37.679-07:00 The following is a poem by artist and social activist, Rashani <br />
that I find to be both beautiful and powerful entitled, <em>There is a Brokenness.</em><br />
<br />
There is a brokenness<br />
out of which comes the unbroken,<br />
a shatteredness<br />
out of which blooms the unshatterable.<br />
<br />
There is a sorrow<br />
beyond all grief which leads to joy<br />
and a fragility<br />
out of whose depths emerges strength.<br />
<br />
There is a hollow space<br />
too vast for words<br />
through which we pass with each loss,<br />
out of whose darkness<br />
we are sanctioned into being.<br />
<br />
There is a cry deeper than all sound<br />
whose serrated edges cut the heart<br />
as we break open to the place inside<br />
which is unbreakable and whole, <br />
while learning to sing.<br />
<br />
-Rashani,1991<br />
You can visit her website at http://rashani.com/Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-22751997177605940282009-09-09T06:06:00.000-07:002009-09-09T06:10:40.213-07:00Life as Art<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>We're born to create, each and every one of us.<span style=""> </span>I’m not necessarily talking about painting, or poems or novels, although I am talking about works of art.<span style=""> </span><span style=""></span>Each of us makes the painful and profound journey down our mother’s dark birth canal and onto a waiting canvas. That canvas is our lives.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>We’re not presented at birth with our fair share of resources, nurturing, or opportunities upon our arrival, but we do each receive all that we require in the way of teachers. These teachers school our souls even while at the same time they may break our hearts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Frederick Buechner in, Our Fiction or our Faith wrote, “There is something deep within us, in everybody, that gets buried and distorted and confused and corrupted by what happens to us.<span style=""> </span>But it is there as a source of insight and healing and strength.<span style=""> </span>I think that is where art comes from.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Our once empty canvas doesn’t promise beauty or wisdom or meaning.<span style=""> </span>An empty canvas doesn’t promise much.<span style=""> </span>But the world that holds it is overflowing with possibility, more than enough for us to create meaning, and beauty, and wisdom.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s entirely up to us. </p>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-63402266809558455822009-09-04T12:27:00.000-07:002009-09-04T12:32:06.743-07:00New Online Support Group for PTSDThere is a new online support group for those who suffer from PTSD. You can find it <a href="http://www.mdjunction.com/post-traumatic-stress">here.</a> You do need to register in order to participate however registration is free.<a href="http://www.mdjunction.com/post-traumatic-stress"> </a>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-68241374425419660072009-08-27T06:37:00.000-07:002009-08-27T06:51:37.672-07:00Suffering and The Second ArrowThe Following quote is from "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807077259?ie=UTF8&tag=sageplace0f&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0807077259">The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sageplace0f&l=as2&o=1&a=0807077259" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> " by Donald Rothberg and Jack Kornfield.<br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="addmd">“…How can we be in touch with suffering and work to transform it, but not react in ways that lead to further suffering?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="addmd">…One of the most powerful images in the teachings of the Buddha – the image of the ‘two arrows’ helps us to clarify the nature of suffering and how we might learn to open to suffering without creating further suffering.<span style=""> </span>It also suggests an important and precise distinction between what we might call <i>pain</i> and <i>suffering.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="addmd"><span style=""> </span>We can imagine, the Buddha says, that when we experience pain, it is as if we were shot by an arrow.<span style=""> </span>Each of us is sometimes shot by this <i>arrow of pain.<span style=""> </span></i>We each have a certain allotment of painful experiences, some of us more, others less.<span style=""> </span>To be human is to be vulnerable to pain and at times to be in pain.<span style=""> </span>Our soft bodies are easily injured and tend to break down over time.<span style=""> </span>We are frequently startled and shocked – physically, emotionally, and mentally.<span style=""> </span>We want meaning and connection, kindness and love, fairness and justice, yet we often find them lacking in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="addmd"><span style=""> </span>Typically, because of this first arrow of pain, we react in various ways.<span style=""> </span>According to the Buddha, our reaction is equivalent to being shot by a second arrow.<span style=""> </span>We can call this second arrow <i>suffering.<span style=""> </span></i>Suffering arises because when we experience pain –when we experience pain – when we are injured or startled, or lack meaning and love, or are treated unjustly – we typically react by lashing out, at ourselves and others.<span style=""> </span>We believe somehow that this will dispel or mitigate the pain.<span style=""> </span>We act in such a way that a second arrow is shot, at us or others, on account of the pain of the first arrow.<span style=""> </span>When we act so that the second arrow is shot, we ‘<i>pass on’ the original pain</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="addmd"><span style=""> </span>Suffering can thus be seen in large part as a <i>kind or resistance or reaction to the pain of the present moment.<span style=""> </span></i>We tend to react physically, emotionally, and/or mentally when we have unpleasant or painful physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts.<span style=""> </span>When we experience physical pain, we tend to tense and contract around the pain, as if this will somehow assuage it.<span style=""> </span>Some doctors say that perhaps 80 percent of what patients exper ience as physical pain is not the result of the original stimulus bur rather ongoing resistance to this stimulus.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="addmd"><span style=""> </span>Similarly, when there is emotional pain (think of the pain that may follow from a perceived slight by someone close to us or the breakup of an intimate relationship) we tend to comment at great length, produce a flow of emotions, and react physically as well, all on the basis of the original stimulus.<span style=""> </span>We may generate anger and harsh judgments of self or others or rationalize continually, sulk in depression, find a scapegoat, or attempt to escape the pain through food, shopping, sex, or television…<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">…<span style=""></span>For the Buddha… the task of spiritual practice is not to rid ourselves of all pain, to prevent being shot by the first arrow.<span style=""> </span>Rather, <i>our core intention is to not shoot this second arrow.<span style="">"</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><i><span style=""></span></i><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-50480171923929830442009-08-20T18:53:00.000-07:002009-08-20T20:21:53.203-07:00Mindfulness Facts, Tools, and TechniquesI'm a very strong proponent of mindfulness practices. There are several physical and psychological benefits to practicing mindfulness including but not limited to improved immune system functioning, stress reduction, <span style="font-size:100%;">decreases in the intensity of stress-related physical symptoms such as chronic pain, substantial reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety, heightened creativity, and an improved sense of overall well-being.<br /><br />Following are a list of links to resources on mindfulness.</span><br /><br />Links on mindfulness<br /><ul><li><a href="http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/mindfulness.htm">Mindfulness: The Health and Stress Relief Benefits</a></li><li><a href="http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/01/11/mindfulness-meditation-reducing-anxiety-by-focusing-on-the-present-moment/">Mindfulness Meditation: Reducing Anxiety by Focusing on the Present Moment</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/health/research/27budd.html">Lotus Therapy</a></li><li><a href="http://http//www.fammed.wisc.edu/research/external-funded/alcohol-prevention">Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention</a></li><li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=_QJ3cQT5UPsC&dq=mindfulness+meditation+and+depression&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=IgiOSurlAcimlAeViMWYDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11#v=onepage&q=&f=false">Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression</a></li><li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=uE-HjrA2yJIC&dq=mindfulness+meditation+and+depression&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=IgiOSurlAcimlAeViMWYDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=12#v=onepage&q=&f=false">The Mindful Way Through Depression</a><br /></li></ul>Online Audio and Videos on mindfulness<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc">Mindfulness with Jon-Kabat-Zinn </a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.learnmindfulness.co.uk/videos">Learn Mindfulness</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWR52vUCEIc">What is Mindfulness Meditation?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV_mR-Ap6oA">Mindfulness Meditation and Back Pain</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22">Mindful Meditations</a></li><li><a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/1999/12/A-Moment-Of-Calm.aspx">A Moment of Calm</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RvtDFfLFIk">Mindfulness Guided Meditation with Deepak Chopra</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeKFYOlrRTs">Mindfulness Meditation Exercise</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.uvm.edu/%7Echwb/counseling/mindfulness/mindfulnessaudio.html">Mindfulness Practice Center</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_xEGLueiLM">Guided Mindfulness Meditation</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSU8ftmmhmw&feature=related">Mindfulness, Stress Reduction and Healing </a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6T21cFoqQE">Coming to Our Senses by Jon Kabat-Zinn</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q52HFosI8wY">The Neuroscience of Meditation</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHieroZ8fpA">We Live Love Mindfully</a></li></ul>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-29833356840183015442009-08-16T07:21:00.000-07:002009-08-16T07:42:13.038-07:00Creating a New Life DirectionI just published life coach, Laura Berman Fortgang's article, "<a href="http://sageplace.com/Laura%20Bergman%20Fortgang.htm">10 Tips to Creating a New Life Direction</a>" at SagePlace. The article is based on her book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585424137?ie=UTF8&tag=sageplace0f&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1585424137">Now What?: 90 Days to a New Life Direction </a>in which fortgang provides readers with a very useful process developed to assist people in moving forward with their lives.<br /> In the introduction to her book Fortgang writes, "As I look back at the time I have spent working with people, the yearning for "more" has undergone a transformation. In the late 80s and early 90s, people's definition of <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> was more money and more status... And now, it seems we've come around to recognize that what we wanted along from "more" was fulfillment: feeling satisfied and finding meaning... I welcome you to an exciting (and sometimes scary) exploration that will reveal the truth - the truth about what you really want, about who you really are, and about what you are really capable of..."Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-63442325264713519852009-08-15T06:21:00.000-07:002009-08-15T06:29:51.783-07:00Repower America Coming to Auburn on August 17thThe following is quoted from the <a href="http://www.sunjournal.com/"> Lewiston Sun Journal<br /></a><br />"Repower America, a national grassroots movement affiliated with the Alliance for Climate Protection, will hold a public informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, at the Auburn Public Library.<br /><br />Delia Gorham, an organizer for the regional chapter called Repower Maine, will explain the organization's goals, the progress of the American Clean Energy and Security Act and ways to take action in the community. The need to maintain open and ongoing conversations about issues is one of the main points. The Alliance for Climate Protection is an outgrowth of Al Gore's film 'An Inconvenient Truth.' "<br /><br />You can visit the Maine page of the national site at: http://act.repoweramerica.org/us/maineTammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-60783989739142768122009-08-13T06:08:00.000-07:002009-08-13T06:14:44.869-07:00AweAlbert Schweitzer wrote, "<span class="body">By having a reverence for life, we enter into a spiritual relation with the world. By practicing reverence for life we become good, deep, and alive.</span>" Following is just one example of why it is possible to feel awe and wonder every single day of our lives...<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/He7Ge7Sogrk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/He7Ge7Sogrk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181715486552497001.post-5498126170952462822009-08-05T12:32:00.000-07:002009-08-05T12:33:07.450-07:00Will You Support Real Health Insurance Reform?With Congress home on recess, August is a pivotal month in the fight for <span style="border-bottom: medium none; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="lw_1249498926_1" class="yshortcuts">real health insurance reform</span>. I just committed to go to at least one Organizing for America event this month to build support in our community, and show Congress where we stand. Can you commit to attending one event this month as well?<br /> <br />There's a lot of misinformation out there, and people are, not surprisingly, starting to get pretty nervous. There will be lots of different things we can do this month to fight back, and it's really important that we do what we can.<br /> <br />You can sign up here:<br /> <br /><a href="http://my.barackobama.com/CommitAugust" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1249498926_2" class="yshortcuts"><span style="color:#0000ff;">http://my.barackobama.com/CommitAugust</span></span></a><br /> <br />Thanks!Tammie Fowles, Ph.D, LCSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582218354470097162noreply@blogger.com0