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From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 20 Oct 2010
Time: 19:35:45 -0500
Remote Name: 64.12.116.195
[[Through reading your article, if I understand correctly, you are saying that you will stutter but you are ok with that. I think that is a great, positive way of looking at it!! If only more would see the fact that they stutter in the same light. How would you advise someone like me, who is going to be working with people to stutter, to become mindful of their stuttering, and to know that it is ok? I realize that this may be something personal to work towards, as you stated that you have to change first, but how can I help? I also would like to know more about shenpa! Where did you first learn about this mode of practice? It seems to work for you; does this practice work for others as well?]] Meredith, thank you for taking time to think about what I wrote and then to share what you found helpful. /// I wrote the paper as a reminder that we all are more than we think we are and that our problems, no matter how large, or our accomplishments no matter how great can not name us. While I did not say it is OK to stutter, neither did I say that it isn't. What can be quite problematic, as people with stuttering problems, professionals, and students know, is to fear and resist stuttering. When we do that, we sell ourselves short, and we live much smaller lives than necessary and suffer accordingly. That is why the primary goal of therapy is to learn to successfully manage the fear and avoidance of stuttering, as you probably know. Until someone with a stuttering problem begins to do so, it is hard to find relief from the problem. /// Working with shenpa, which is a mindfulness meditation practice to learn to stay with rather than escape from what we find uncomfortable, even unpleasant, helps me greatly. Pema Chodron, American-born Buddhist nun, and beloved teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, has helped introduce shenpa to those of us in the West. You might find the audio CD set where she introduces the practice to a live audience helpful. The set is entitled "Getting Unstuck" and can be purchased through Amazon.com or Sounds True, Inc. I wrote about my experience working with shenpa for the 2005 ISAD Conference in a paper entitled, Shenpa, Stuttering, and Me, which can be accessed through the Stuttering HomePage homepage. I provide much more information about working with shenpa in the book I currently am writing, "Mindfulness & Stuttering," which I hope to complete in early 2011. /// I hope what I have had to say here has been meaningful. Best wishes. Ellen-Marie Silverman