I once read a metaphor from a Buddhist monk that really stuck with me. It described a person as being like bamboo, deeply rooted in the earth, yet flexible enough to bend with the wind. The idea is that when you’re grounded in your sense of self (your values and boundaries) you’re better able to cope with whatever life throws at you, even the strongest storms. You stay standing, not by resisting the wind, but by yielding to it without breaking.
Now, thanks the working with Shelly for about 6 years, including two immensely transformative retreats, I feel very close to being that bamboo.
Here’s an example, this morning during an exchange between my husband and I about money (if there is one thing that is bound to trigger an argument its money!) I was able to untangle myself from my husband’s emotions, which would have normally caused me to get very defensive and upset, and the whole exchange transformed. We were hugging and smiling at the end of it. All in the space of about 10 minutes.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shelly. Your incredible mind and tremendous perception cuts straight to the essence of an issue in a very practical and helpful way. Your powerful healing and the learning I have received from you has been the most precious gift anyone has ever given me.