Counselling With Coaching: Recent Episodes
Syeda Rahman
Sydney based PACFA registered Counsellor and Coach shares musings on Transpersonal Psychology, Philosophy, Literature and Spirituality.
Please, visit me for just a momentJust stay with me, please sit by my sideSeduce us both tonightWith a sweet dream of life for a momentWith a sweet dream of lifeWith a sweet dream of life for a momentWith a sweet dream of lifeCome and visit me, if only for a whileCome for a moment, maybe two...Hold me closer, just for a momentBe sweet to me, just for a moment, my dearCome and visit me, if only for a whileCome for a moment, maybe two...Hold me closer, just for a momentBe sweet to me, just for a moment, my dearA moment with you feels like eternityEvery single one, I split it right in half with youDon't be surprised at meAnd don’t say too muchJust stay with meJust stay with meIf you want to leave later – you can goIf you want to, sit and stay with someone elseIf that's what you wishYou can always come backTo this familiar placeCome back to this placeCome and visit me, if only for a whileCome for a moment, maybe two...Hold me closer, just for a momentBe sweet to me, just for a moment, my dearCome and visit me, if only for a whileCome for a moment, maybe two...Hold me closer, just for a momentBe sweet to me, just for a moment, my dearAnd the wind fades your tracks away once moreI hide my face in a sad profile, facing the darkBut I still have these moments we sharedOur shared ticket, you see...To bring us back to realityCome for a moment, maybe two...Hold me closer, just for a momentBe sweet to me, just for a moment, my dearCome for a moment, maybe two...Hold me closer, just for a momentBe sweet to me, just for a moment, my dearCome and visit me, if only for a whileCome back to this place
Wie soll ich meine Seele halten, daßsie nicht an deine rührt? Wie soll ich siehinheben über dich zu andern Dingen?Ach, gerne möcht ich sie bei irgendwasVerlorenem im Dunkel unterbringenan einer fremden stillen Stelle, dienicht weiterklingt, wenn deine Tiefe schwingt.Doch alles, was uns anrührt, nimmt unszusammen wie ein Bogenstrich, der auszwei Saiten eine Stimme zieht.Auf welches Instrument sind wir gespannt?Und welcher Geiger hat uns in der Hand?O süßes Lied.
🎧 *Watch or listen (headphone recommended) to this video daily ideally in a hypnopompic stateThe voice is of shaman Ibar <3Cover photo: Original digital art from dream sequence series
In The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius offers a profound reflection on the human journey towards wisdom and fulfillment.:"You, who seek the upward way,To lift your mind into the day;For who gives in and turns his eye,Back to darkness from the sky.Loses, while he looks below,All that up with him may go."What does it mean? 🌿In essence, Boethius calls us to focus on higher pursuits, urging us not to be distracted by negativity or fleeting desires. When we turn away from the light of knowledge, self-improvement, and truth—symbolized by the "sky"—we risk losing the very growth we’ve worked for. Looking downward, into darkness, traps us in self-doubt and fear, pulling us away from what we could achieve.The message here is clear: stay focused on the path to growth and wisdom. Keep your eyes on the horizon, and don't let the weight of distractions pull you back. What we give our attention to will shape our journey.Digital cover art inspired by various coloured pencils & ink work by Russian artists.
Melt Romance between a volcano and an icebergLyric:[Verse 1]Fire meets ice, a curious danceIn a tropic flowHeatwave, melt romanceIn the twilight glowCold freeze, warm embraceNature starts to showVolcano, iceberg's graceLet's go, let's go, let's go[Chorus]We are, we are, we are, the weather's songWe are, we are, we are, where we belongWe are, we are, we are, the weather's songVolcano, iceberg, we belong, belong[Verse 2]Sunset, feel the heatIn the ocean's swayIceberg, hold the beatTidal waves, they playTremeors, heart will meetOn this warm todayVolcano, iceberg greetLet's stay, let's stay, let's stay[Chorus]We are, we are, we are, the weather's songWe are, we are, we are, where we belongWe are, we are, we are, the weather's songVolcano, iceberg, we belong, belong[Bridge]Love's pulse, nature’s artIn this vibrant dayElements, magic startLet's stay, let's stay[Chorus]We are, we are, we are, the weather's songWe are, we are, we are, where we belongWe are, we are, we are, the weather's songVolcano, iceberg, we belong, belong
Do not go gentle into that good nightRage! Rage! Against the dying of the light!Inspired by two of my favourite lines from Dylan Thomas' poem titled Do Not Go Gentle Into That Night, wanted to create a dance track that would also help one to get into a trance stateCover art: Eye by M.C. Escher
Do Not go gentle into that good nightRage! Rage! Against the dying of the light!Wanted to create a dance music that would also hopefully help the listener enter a bit of a trance - was inspired by the above two lines of one of my favourite poets Dylan Thomas
Do Not Stand At My Grave And WeepDo not stand at my grave and weepI am not there. I do not sleep.I am a thousand winds that blow.I am the diamond glints on snow.I am the sunlight on ripened grain.I am the gentle autumn rain.When you awaken in the morning's hushI am the swift uplifting rushOf quiet birds in circled flight.I am the soft stars that shine at night.Do not stand at my grave and cry;I am not there. I did not die.Background Music: Nocturne In F Major, Op. 15, No. 1 by Cecile LicadDigital art inspired by John Everett Millais
L'amour dans la nuitParfois, quand tu t'allonges près de moi, ton corps est toujours dans mes bras Je me retrouve à moitié amoureux de ton forme à peine respirante et à moitié amoureuse avec la source silencieuse et muette d'où tu viens. Je me trouve toucher tes lèvres avec les miennes sentir leur chaleur et baisser la tête pour entendre ta respiration et m'apaiser pour écouter au plus profond de toi la douce montée et la chute de la marée qui me dit tu es toujours libre d'aller et venir dans la vie, pour que je prenne ta main dans la mienne pour ressentir ton pouls et touche tes cheveux et caresse ta joue et bouge mes lèvres au vôtre pour sentir la chaleur émerger de votre moi intérieur et à tu vois, nous sommes toujours là et toujours engagés pour respirer ce monde ensemble. Toute la nuit comme ça, je me retrouve endormi et éveillé, tourné vers la lune puis je me suis tourné vers toi, ta chaleur m'invitant à te rapprocher et te laisse tranquille, toute la nuit je me retrouve incapable de choisir entre l'amour Je ressens pour toi à travers la proximité et le chagrin de devoir te laisser partir à travers la distance, de sorte qu'il semble Je ne peux respirer pleinement que dans le noir en t'accueillant et en te livrant dans ton rythme tranquille d'apparition et disparition, te laissant revenir dans ta respiration et dans ta respiration, ou tes phrases à moitié soupirées prononcées dans le noir, murmuré depuis le rêve dans lequel tu vis, pour que je mens entre le sommeil et le réveil, voyant que tu es là et rêvant que tu es parti, vouloir te tenir et vouloir te laisser partir, vivant loin en toi alors que tu respires près de moi, et vivre bien au-delà de toi, pendant que j'attends les heures de la nuit pour que tu te réveilles et retrouve-moi, la lumière dans tes yeux je rêve à moitié sur l'oreiller en me regardant et en me voyant enfin, ne sachant pas jusqu'où j'ai voyagé, par quel chemin je suis venu pour te trouver, où j'ai été, ou ce que j'ai vu, à quelle distance ou à quelle distance ; ne sachant pas comment Je t'ai gagné et perdu cent fois entre l'obscurité et l'aube. Poème de David Whyte
Melody in the Wind's LamentIn twilight's sigh, where shadows creep,Beneath the moon's soft light, I keep.I am the echo in the silent stream,A fleeting vision in your dream.I am the rose, with petals pale,That whispers secrets in the gale.In every tear that softly falls,In whispered sighs within stone walls.I am the melody in the wind's lament,The fading hue when day is spent.A wistful glance in lover's eyes,A tear that falls from winter skies.Though time may pass and seasons fly,In memories, I'll never die.So, do not weep or say goodbye,For in your heart, forever I lie.Creative process and inspiration: The style of the poem was inspired by Emily Dickinson. I imagined I died but the one who loves me is left behind to grieve my absence. I am comforting him... that in spirit I'll always be with him.The cover art was inspired by Salvador Dalí's painting: RoseThe title of my cover art is Desolate Rose. I'll let the viewer interpret the symbolic meaning and how it relates to the poem.
"If you can hold it in your head, you can hold it in your hands." - Bob Proctorthis really is the elegantly simply yet profoundly true wisdom about manifesting a life you desireWatch the video version of this track with captions: https://youtu.be/NyQQH-qyhq8This is my creative tribute to the late, great Bob who has given hope and solace to millions around the world with his uplifting words and profound wisdom.May your kind, beautiful soul rest in eternal peace. I'll always carry you in my heart Bob <3Cover image: Original digital art - portrait of Bob Proctor
Love in the NightSometimes when you lie close to me,your body is so still in my armsI find myself half in love with yourbarely breathing form and half in lovewith the unspeaking silent sourcefrom which you come. I find myselftouching your lips with mineto feel their warmth and bowing my headto hear your breath, and stilling myselfto listen far inside you for the gentle rise and fall of the tide that tells meyou are still free to come and go in life,so that I take your hand in mine to senseyour pulse and touch your hairand stroke your cheek and move my lipsto yours to feel the warmth emergingfrom your inward self and to see we are still here and still pledgedto breathe this world together.Poem by David Whyte
I thought about kissing you todayand yesterdayand the day before that.I know I'll think about kissing youtomorrowand the day after thatand some more days after those days.I think about kissing youslowlyand tracing my fingers alongyour lips.I think about kissing youin your car, in the rain, on your doorstep.I think about kissing yourdimple, your cheek, your spot.I think about kissing only younot anyone elsejust you.
When your eyes are tiredthe world is tired also.When your vision has goneno part of the world can find you.Time to go into the darkwhere the night has eyesto recognize its own.There you can be sureyou are not beyond love.The dark will be your hometonight.The night will give you a horizonfurther than you can see.You must learn one thing.The world was made to be free inGive up all the other worldsexcept the one to which you belong.Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweetconfinement of your alonenessto learnanything or anyonethat does not bring you aliveis too small for you.- "Sweet Darkness" by David WhyteIn the words of David Whyte: This poem was written out of that very physical and almost breathless giving away most human beings feel when they must let go of what seems most precious to them, not knowing how or when it will return, in what form or in what voice - that taking away of the light, walking through divorce or separation, through bereavement or through simply not recognising the person looking back at us in the mirror. 'Sweet Darkness' was written in a kind of defiant praise of this difficult time of not knowing, a letter of invitation to embrace the beauty of the night and of the foundational human experience of not being able to see, as actually another horizon, and perhaps the only horizon out of which a truly new revelation can emerge.
In Love's WakeIn dawn's gentle grasp, where silence lies,Remnants of the lost softly rise.Love lingers in the morning's hue,A memory, steadfast and true.With a spirit fierce, wild, and free,Your essence swirls in every sea.In waves that crash and tides that flow,Your strength in me, forever aglow.Words soft as night, a soothing spell,Whispering secrets the stars tell.In every glimmer, in moon's gentle sway,Your touch guides me, night and day.Wisdom whispers in the wind's soft sigh,Teaching tears of joy, the strength to try.In rustling leaves, in trees that sway,I learn to live, in love's array.In the sun's embrace, warm and bright,A journey of love, bathed in light.In every sunrise, in golden beams,I feel your presence, in my dreams.Passion's fire, in daylight's burn,Ignites a flame at every turn.In every spark, in radiant light,Your energy guides me through the night.In the ocean's depth, where secrets keep,Reflections of our love, so deep.In rolling waves, in the sea's embrace,I find your essence, your timeless grace.In every verse, in lines that rhyme,Your love endures, beyond time.Growing stronger with each new day,In my heart, you'll always stay.Image: Digital portrait of a contemporary Orpheus lamenting after losing his wife.
Beauty is the harvest of presence - the evanescent moment of seeing or hearing on the outside what already lives far inside us.Beauty is an achieved state of both deep attention and self-forgetting.- David WhyteBeauty requires three qualities: Integrity, Harmony and Radiance and the language of beauty according to Aristotle is AestheticsIn the video I narrate one of my favourite writer David Whyte’s contemplation on Beauty and showcase some of my digital artwork inspired by photography of the late Rodney Smith, and painters like Andrew Wyeth (I created my own version of Christina’s World - an evocative painting that fills me with longing and nostalgia) and John Everett Millais’ Ophelia.Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/P6c-SUoaBUk?si=eRbQ0_6TazEb9VTT
LOVER'S LAMENTIn the depths of my heart, a melancholic tuneEchoes through the chambers, like a mournful moonA love lost, a heartbreak so profoundMy soul aches, without a soundI wander through the city streets, aloneA ghostly figure, with a heart of stoneMemories flood my mind, of love once pureNow shattered, broken, and obscureI search for solace, in the depths of my soulBut the pain lingers, like a black holeAn abyss of emptiness, where love once thrivedNow a void, where my heart has diedYet, through the pain, I find a glimmer of hopeA chance to heal, to learn, to copeFor love, like life, is a journey to beholdAnd even in heartbreak, a new story can unfoldPoem by Syeda RahmanCover art: Claire Reina Circe Cajal
I only see myselfcoming and going for youI only see myself wishing and looking for youeven if I faltereverywhere in this worldisn't it becauseI see nothing but you?Love poem by RumiArtwork by Audrey Kawasaki
This track was inspired by the poem NEW LOVE, NEW LIFE by Amy LevyShe, who so long has lainStone-stiff with folded wings,Within my heart againThe brown bird wakes and sings.Brown nightingale, whose strainIs heard by day, by night,She sings of joy and pain,Of sorrow and delight.'Tis true, - in other daysHave I unbarred the door;He knows the walks and ways-Love has been here before.Love blest and love accurstWas here in days long past;This time is not the first,But this time is the last.
The More Loving One by W. H. AudenLooking up at the starts, I know quite wellThat, for all they care, I can go to hell...Were all stars to disappear or die,I should learn to look at an empty skyAnd feel its total dark sublime,Though this might take me a little time.
This track was inspired by the lyrics from Amaarae's song:I miss you most of allMore than anybody elseI get emotionalAt the thought of youI need you here right nowI don't wanna be with nobody elseAnd though you're my other halfI want all of youOh I think it's safe to sayI don't want this love any other wayI want all your time and your attentionAll this time you're what I've been missingI have a confession, don't take it personalI have a confession, so you've gotta listenConfessions, don't take them personalI have to confess that you're all I've been missing
i carry your heart with me
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
Image: The Fisherman & the Syren by Frederic Leighton
MOON MADE UP OF HONEY
on the days you decided you were still in this with me,
ancient trees leaned in to my touch
will-o'-the-wisps swarmed around me;
butterflies made nests in my hair;
falling stars tangled in my eyelashes;
nectar oozed from my fingertips;
& even oceans feared the multitudes in me.
Music and vocals by Syeda Rahman
Song by Dylan Thomas
Love me, not as the dreaming nurses My falling lungs, nor as the cypress In his age the lass's clay. Love me and lift your mask.
Love me, not as the girls of heaven Their airy lovers, nor the mermaiden Her salty lovers in the sea. Love me and lift your mask.
Love me, not as the ruffling pigeon The tops of trees, nor as the legion Of the gulls the lip of waves. Love me and lift your mask.
Love me, as loves the mole his darkness And the timid deer the tigress: Hate and fear be your two loves. Love me and lift your mask.
Music & vocals by Syeda Rahman
Love Poem by Amanda Lovelace
"I'm not sure if this makes any sense, but you make me forget what it feels like to miss someone I was never allowed to call mine. Are you antidote or my poison?"
Narration and music by Syeda Rahman
Alan Watts is one of my favourite human beings. I wanted to pay tribute to this luminary's profound inspiring words. His lectures have changed my life and hope his words will change yours too.