Lewis Jones, PsyD

05/26/2022

Feel free to share anything you might say to an anxious kid!

04/17/2022

03/15/2022

Anybody else get a bingo on this?😁

02/18/2022

"This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!...

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond."
—Rumi

✨If you have ever taken a yoga class with me or have worked with me individually, you've likely heard me read this poem.

"The Guest House" is one of my absolute favorite poems. While we may know intellectually that we can not avoid certain emotions, we continue to try to push away anything but what we consider "positive". In our discomfort and quite frankly fear of "negative" emotions like anger, depression, sadness we reject these feelings within ourselves. This rejection builds and builds until we have pushed ourselves so far into a corner of loneliness and disconnection.

💗The beloved and wise, Tara Brach tells of the Buddha battling the with the Demon God Mara. The Buddha learns that instead of ignoring Mara or driving him away, the Buddha would calmly acknowledge his presence. He would then invite him for tea and serve him as an honored guest.

Tara Brach writes "When Mara visits us, in the form of troubling emotions or fearsome stories, we can say, “I see you, Mara." By accepting these experiences with the warmth of compassion, we can offer Mara tea rather than fearfully driving him away. Seeing what is true, we hold what is seen with kindness. We befriend ourselves when, rather than resisting our experience, we open our hearts and willingly invite Mara to tea."

🌊I invite you to release the resistance and welcome each emotion as a guide from beyond.

www.elisamottjones.com

01/22/2022

For a lot of people, myself included, this hits close to home.

10/26/2020

10/09/2020

☝️To say there is a lot going on right now is clearly an understatement - a lot of news, a lot of noise, a lot that is really really important to focus on (and some that isn't), a lot to act on, a lot to feel, a lot to hear, a lot to say...
💮AND there is still space to breathe.
"I am breathing".
You don't have to meditate. You don't have to do yoga. You don't have to be still. You don't have to move. You don't have to breathe for 10 minutes - or even 5.
There isn't a right way to breathe. There's no agenda. You don't have to fix how you're breathing.
🌻Notice that right now you are breathing. Breath is moving in to your body, breath is moving out of your body.
"I am breathing".

09/16/2020

❓Have you ever said "I'll be happy when I loose x pounds" or "I'll finally be comfortable in my body when I'm in a size x" only to loose weight or fit in a smaller size and realize you're still unhappy and uncomfortable in your body?
❗Have you ever looked back at pictures when you were your "ideal" weight/size but remember how miserable and exhausted you were?
⁉️ That's because no amount of dieting, exercise, weight loss, toning, firming, clean eating, smoothies, teas... will change your body image.