liminal_luke

I´m reminded of the Breema Bodywork principle of No Extra. To manifest Breema, no extra is needed. What is extra? Anything that's not needed in this moment. Breema is not a technique, not something you learn. It's something you are. You have to learn a lot to let go of what you think you are and be what you are.Jon Schreiber"Waking Up to This Moment"

nature´s best haiku a haiku without comment autumn´s first snowfall

political talk transcendental type rambling best not to comment -- Haiku of the Day inspired by old3bob and stirling

Yes! I´m not a fan of the Blue Zone literature, but it´s worth noting that old folks in Sardinia and Okinawa generally don´t have gym memberships or shop at Whole Foods. The way they eat and move is baked into their lifestyle, not an add-on wellness obsession.

Although there may be benefits in certain circumstances, my own unverified hunch is that cigarette smoking is indeed bad for longevity on the whole: studies comparing smokers vs nonsmokers are likely to show the nonsmokers coming out ahead. That´s statistics for ya! But there are many outliers -- people who smoke (or do other things thought to be unhealthy) and live an exceptionally long time anyway. Their secret? IMO, attitude.

Speaking of longevity, I´m reminded of the many profiles I´ve read featuring happy centenarians who drink, smoke, cuss, and just generally live life on their own terms. They´re not afraid to get their claws out on occasion, when situations warrant. More than kombucha and bubble baths, this may be the key to a long life.

Next month I will be sixty. That´s not an age that gives me bragging rights among my friendship group of "old gays" in Palm Springs, but I´m proud anyways. I´ve continued. I´m here so I belong here -- who can say otherwise? Maybe someday I´ll belong somewhere else, but that will be a different story.

I mentioned some of the possible drawbacks of psychotherapy earlier so I should probably also mention what a wonderful, human thing it is to ask for help when we need it. Going to therapy can be a very wise way of asking for help.

A few potential pitfalls of psychotherapy... Individual psychotherapy can tend to decontextualize problems that are better seen through the lens of the larger society, rather than problems of an individual. Poverty, sexism, racism -- many of the difficulties people face are rooted in systemic, cultural issues. As individuals we have to figure out how to best deal within our individual circumstances and psychotherapy can help with that. But there´s so much we miss as a larger culture when these problems are stripped from their broader contexts. Individual psychotherapy can overemphasize personal happiness as the goal of life. I´m not sure that seeking happiness directly is the best way to find it. Often, happiness comes as a "side effect" of the other meaningful things we do in life. For some, building character and living a life of integrity according to one´s values is more important than happiness. Individual therapy -- and especially the culture around therapy -- can encourage an unhealthy preoccupation with the self. Everybody has a diagnosis, we´re all traumatized. While it can be useful to recognize our issues and confront life´s hardships, sometimes it really is better just to get on with things.

It´s impossible to say that psychotherapy is "bad" or "good" because so much depends on the quality of the relationship between the client and therapist. Psychotherapy has been helpful for a lot of people but it´s not always helpful.

I thought this was fascinating.

Thanks @old3bob. Glad to hear your point of view.

Did you learn any lessons from military service that you feel have been useful in civilian life? What do people who haven´t served tend to get wrong about the military? Any advice for us non-veterans?

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