Mumbai Mirror, page 25, Tuesday, 2 Feb 10 – ‘Fit two-gether’

An interesting and insightful article that holistically tackles marital issues.

Counselling or psychotherapy is most effective when the mind is calm; in either extreme states of mind (hyper or placid) our capacity to make rational decisions is low, hence the first step in the counselling process is to help the counsellee come out of this extreme emotional state; Yoga certainly is one such means to this end!
Tried and tested, the asanas and pranayam techniques not just help in relaxation but also aid in deep inner reflection. Another interesting facet was the involvement of the participants in the entire process of counselling as against the much practiced approach where the ‘doctor’ speaks and directs and the client listens; counselling is a process where the counsellor helps the counsellee solve his own problems; the key belief here is that each one of us have an innate ability to problem-solve; sometimes due to the environment and our emotional state we are unable to think straight and that’s where the counsellor or psychotherapist comes in.  Modern counselling is a two-way street and a collaborative process.

The clincher in this piece however was the reiteration that “the lessons that you learn are for yourself and not your spouse, so change yourself first!”
The crucial step to change, growth and a better life is acknowledging our flaws and shortcomings and first making some deep changes in ourselves.