Codependency is often expressed as the need to control or be controlled, to seek approval, or to avoid confrontation. Codependents may struggle with experiencing appropriate levels of self-esteem, setting functional boundaries, making decisions and verbalizing requests. Under certain conditions, this disorder can be life threatening.
Codependency has also been called the disease of the lost self. As Thomas Merton wrote: To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to the violence of our time. This is often how we lose ourselves: we minimize what’s going on inside, while overreacting to the outside.
In this weekend workshop, we will use lecture, discussion, experiential exercises and the tools of yoga (including asana, pranayama, meditation and chanting) to:
— Examine the roots of codependency
— Identify personal samskaras, the habit patterns that alter our thinking
— Explore tools for healing through a process of awareness, self-love and creativity
At its heart, codependency has to do with our search for our true selves. When we find our true Self and connect it with some bigger energy or higher power, we are free to relate to others in a way that opens deeply fulfilling relationships with ourselves, others and the Divine.
This training is designed for anyone choosing to develop a deeper relationship with self. It is especially ideal for families that are impacted by addiction, and for those in the helping professions, such as yoga teachers, medical professionals, social workers and healers.