28 Monday Oct 2013
Posted in Photos
Tags
Camino de Santiago, Churches, Colunga, Gijon, landscape, Music, photography, photos, Pipe players, Ribadesella, Spain, Traditional ceremony, Traditional dance, Traveling, Villaviciosa
This gallery contains 31 photos.
21 Monday Oct 2013
Posted in Photos
Tags
Camino, Camino del Santiago, Eucalyptus deglupta, Guemes, photography, photos, Santander, Santillana del Mar, shadows, Somo, Spain, Traveling, Trees
This gallery contains 27 photos.
20 Sunday Oct 2013
Tags
Communication, Must, mutuality, relationships, Shared Meaning, Should, Socially constructed words
In this journey, words such as Must, Should, were examined in conversations. I learned about my sensitivity to these socially constructed words. I realized how difficult it was for me to become less sensitive to these words when they were used in interactions. I paid attention to and tried to soften my reactions to have a more understanding of people’s words…; such a difficult task!
People I walked with on the Camino were from different parts of globe. They all kindly tried to use English to communicate despite their discomfort to use English as a language of conversation. The word Must was used very often as a defining key to convey their messages. My reaction to the word Must was obligation and imposition and consequently withdrawing from communication …
After a couple of days of struggling and reflecting, i realized that the word Must was my trigger. I learned to view the word Must differently and put it into a much broader context; for instance, who uses it, why, with what purpose and intention… Soon after this discovery, my feelings of resentment and obligation changed to humor and laughter.
In this journey, my beliefs, including my understanding of words, changed. I further realized that words are medium of communication; their meanings have to be negotiated in relationship. When two people enter in relationship, they bring their own specific understanding/ meanings to relationship. If those understandings/ meanings are not negotiated, words will have destructive effects on each other.
Everything has to be examined and responded in its own context. Relationship has three parts; A, B, and AB. A is not alone in relationship; therefore, A’s meanings are not sufficient in making sense of what is exchanged in relationship. A and B need to be open to negotiation and arrive into shared meanings. This way both parties allow AB to form in a more reciprocal respectful and meaningful way!
Happy Possibilities,
Tahereh Barati, M.A, RMFT
18 Friday Oct 2013
Posted in Photos
18 Friday Oct 2013
Tags
attention, awareness, Backpacking, Carrying our own baggages, consciousness, Letting go of, Life Journey, presence, Spiritual journey, symbolism
In this journey, my backpack was my life. Everything inside the backpack was important to me. The more i walked, the more i realized the importance of what i was carrying or what i needed to let go of.
Backpack is a symbolic analogy for what we carry in our life on a daily basis; memories from past, childhood, and relationships with parents, friends, coworkers and partners. During the course of life, there is a lot thrown at us and we automatically collect and put them in our backpack. We often claim what we mentally or physically carry in our life as our own belonging. Are they?
In this journey I learned that no one else is going to carry my backpack for me; i have to learn to befriend with my own backpack and choose what to carry and what not to. Eventually, It is up to us to make our backpack lighter or heavier in this unpaved road of life.
When we begin to evaluate what we carry, something magnificent happens. When we choose what to carry and what not to, we learn to be OK with what is in the backpack. Acceptance, self -acceptance and self -worth begin to shape; expectations begin to fade away; patience and tolerance become more available; and appreciation and support become more essential in life journey.
Therefore, one learns to become further responsible for his/her own backpack and carry it peacefully without any complaints and resentment. My body learned to be accustomed to its weight and my commitment to carry my own backpack became stronger day after day.
Carrying our own backpack requires balance, consciousness, and awareness. It is about becoming comfortable with letting go of what is not needed. It is about negotiating memories/ items – what to keep and what to let go of; it is about allowing ourselves to fly into uncharted territories with the backpack we carry.
Happy Possibilities!
Tahereh Barati, M.A, RMFT
17 Thursday Oct 2013
Posted in Photos
Tags
Castro, Castro- Urdiales, El Haya, El Pontarron, Islares, Spain, Traveling
This gallery contains 8 photos.
17 Thursday Oct 2013
Posted in Articles
Tags
adjustment, benefits, choices, Feet, feet and shoes, fit, reactions, relationships, shoes, walking
In my journey i became more aware of my physical body; particularly my feet. My feet that have to support my walk for kilometers every day; my feet that have to connect with my brain to allow me firmly walk on the ground.
I realized that a relationship between shoes and feet could be an analogy for our relationship with one another. We socially traditionally learn that shoes are important for our feet; shoes protect our feet from any unwanted hazards in our environment. However, not every shoes is appropriate for every feet. Shoes have to be fit. It may take time until shoes to be molded to feet. This process of becoming fit may make feet experience blisters at times. Blisters are signs to degrees of adjustments; they are immediate reactions to discomfort that allow us to examine both feet and shoes.
It requires courage to question the importance of shoes for feet; it requires skills to doubt its usefulness and compatibility. It is necessary to be open to question the usefulness of having or not having shoes or its frequency of engagement or the number of shoes one can have and etc.
Choices such as walking bare feet, or walking with one set of shoes, or walking with a couple of pairs of shoes or more are only meaningful when they examine in their own context. There is not only one way. There are various ways under various circumstances in various stages of our life that choices can be made.
Let’s be less judgmental, open and present to what appropriate is at the present time; NOW!
Happy Possibilities!
Tahereh Barati, M.A, RMFT
15 Tuesday Oct 2013
Posted in Photos
This gallery contains 15 photos.
15 Tuesday Oct 2013
Posted in Photos
14 Monday Oct 2013
Posted in Articles
Many of us have friends and relatives who live in different corners of the globe. With the advancement of technology and invention of Internet, geographical distance doesn’t seem to be a barrier to our desire to staying connected with one another.
The presence of Internet promotes the value of ‘text and writing’. Text/writing is a non- verbal communication. It is a communication that requires reflection, concentration and silence. Text/writing allows space in communication to form. Text/writing allows patience and respect to be present when interacting with one another. There is no interruption in text/writing; both parties write only about what is important.
Verbal communication is overly rated in our culture. Let’s give everything its own place; let’s give value to non-verbal ways of exchanging ideas, expressions and values.
Join me in becoming more aware of times that one medium takes up more space in our thinking; let’s distribute our attention to all ways of connecting and communicating!
Happy Possibilities,
Tahereh Barati, M.A, RMFT
taherehbarati 