Couples: This work is all there is. If you are in a committed relationship, you have made a contract whether you know it or not, to own your own shadow or have it shown to you by your beloved. I know, it gets ugly sometimes. Struggling? Of course you are dear ones, it was set up this way. Come and lighten your load, find a new language with which to speak to one another. Whether are are unsure if you are staying or not, it would be my honor to open a few doors from which to choose. I use a non-violent communication tool kit, with suggestions for books, resources in the community and homework assignments. Perhaps just one of you wants to come, that can be as powerful. I support all forms of relationships, and am a gay marriage rights supporter.
Kristy’s Picks of the month:
If the Buddha Married? and If the Buddha Dated: A Handbook for Finding Love on a Spiritual Path by Charlotte Kasl, a sweet bedtime read to your honey, Charlotte blends a bit of Buddhist and Sufi wisdom with Psychology and loving compassion. (And now a new one “If the Buddha Got Stuck”)
Conscious Loving :The Journey to Co-Commitment, Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks give powerful step-by-step relationship advice to transform a relationship from co-denpence to co-commitmement. And ultimately to what we all want: A deep, open and conscious relationship, filled with love and a connection beyond description. This book has changed many lives, and saved even more relationships.
Embracing the Beloved, by Stephen and Ondrea Levine .
The authors demonstrate how to use a relationship as a means for profound inner growth and healing. Their insights and anecdotes will benefit all who are drawn to looking inward and all who seek a relationship as a path for spiritual renewal. “A poetic and compassionate book about the healing potential of love and familial relationships.–Publishers Weekly.
How to Be An Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving, by David Richo.”Beginning with practical exercises for couples and single, this book offers heartening insights into the lifelong journey of love, from childhood to adulthood, from dating to breakups”
10 Lessons to Transform you Marriage, by John Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman.
If you haven’t read the Gottman Institute’s “Love Lab” research, Google it now.”The Gottmans provide vital tools—scientifically based and empirically verified—that you can use to regain affection and romance lost through years of ineffective communication. You’ll strengthen your relationship and make it the most fulfilling it can be.”
A Conscious Person’s Guide to Relationships, Ken Keyes, Jr – Alright it is really old, my copy was published in 1979 but just the chapter titles are useful to read: Chp 5 “Don’t Expect the Relationship to Make You Happy” and Chapter 11 “Develop the Awareness of the Constant Beauty and Perfection of Yourself and Your Partner”. Remember he also wrote “Handbook to Higher Consciousness”. Far out.
Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples, by Harville Hendrix. First on the scene 20 years ago, “This book will help any couple find the love they want hidden under all the concealing confusion of a close and intimate relationship.”