Our “shadow” side comes to the surface in relationships more than anywhere else. The good news is that when we recognize and understand that we can work with our tendency to project our shadow onto those with whom we’re in relationship, we can release ourselves from the habit to hurt or control one another, and we can tame our retaliatory impulses. Using Buddhist-inspired mindfulness techniques and practices for cultivating loving-kindness, David Richo shows us how we can become skilled at noticing our projections onto others and we can learn to withdraw them. We can grow from that process, discovering the wisdom of our shadow side that is hidden even to ourselves. By befriending and embracing the shadow, we can discover the gifts we might not otherwise have dared to recognize or share.

“Most people think of love as a feeling,” says David Richo, “but love is not so much a feeling as a way of being present.” In this book, Richo offers a fresh perspective on love and relationships–one that focuses not on finding an ideal mate, but on becoming a more loving and realistic person. Drawing on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, How to Be an Adult in Relationships explores five hallmarks of mindful loving and how they play a key role in our relationships throughout life:

1. Attention to the present moment; observing, listening, and noticing all the feelings at play in our relationships.
2. Acceptance of ourselves and others just as we are.
3. Appreciation of all our gifts, our limits, our longings, and our poignant human predicament.
4. Affection shown through holding and touching in respectful ways.
5. Allowing life and love to be just as they are, with all their ecstasy and ache, without trying to take control.

When deeply understood and applied, these five simple concepts–what Richo calls the five A’s–form the basis of mature love. They help us to move away from judgment, fear, and blame to a position of openness, compassion, and realism about life and relationships. By giving and receiving these five A’s, relationships become deeper and more meaningful, and they become a ground for personal transformation.

Synchronicity–coincidence and surprising connection–occurs all the time in our daily lives, yet we often fail to appreciate how it can guide us, warn us, and confirm us on our life’s path. This workshop, led by David Richo and based on his book, The Power of Coincidence, explores how synchronicity operates in our daily lives, in our intimate relationships, and in our spiritual paths. In both the book and the workshop, Richo describes how we can learn to interpret synchronous experiences, open ourselves to assisting forces around us, and understand how dreams and intuition can guide us through important decisions and life changes.

In this two-part program, Richo offers stories and examples that enrich and expand on the information and observations he shares in The Power of Coincidence–and also responds to questions from participants, which bring, humor, warmth, and new dimensions to our understanding.

Work with your triggers to find peace in the painful moments and lasting emotional well-being.
Psychotherapist David Richo examines the science of triggers and our reactions of fear, anger, and sadness. He helps us understand why our bodies respond before our minds have a chance to make sense of a situation. By looking deeply at the roots of what provokes us-the words, actions, and even sensory elements like smell-we find opportunities to understand the origins of our triggers and train our bodies to remain calm in the face of painful memories.
The book offers in-the-moment exercises on how to process difficult emotions and physical manifestations in order to to cultivate the inner resources necessary to deal with recurring memories of trauma. When we are triggered, Richo writes, “we are being bullied by our own unfinished business.” Explore what your body’s knee-jerk reactions can teach you. Triggers: How We Can Stop Reacting and Start Healing acts as a guide to your body’s powerful responses, helping you to remain calm under pressure and discover the key to emotional healing.