Surviving Life's Pitfalls

Written by Rosanne Semchuk

Five years ago, Vancouver psychotherapist  Dõv Dõv was mountain climbing when he lost his footing and plunged down 36 meters - the equivalent of 12 storey's. The fall shattered most of his facial bone structure and disintegrated some of his upper jaw. Unable to eat solid food, he lost 50 lbs. In three weeks and since then he's undergone several reconstructive surgeries and still has more to go. Although his face was nearly destroyed, the fall has enriched his life. "It has completely changed my perspective. I now understand there is a connection with the spirit. There's a divine power that connects us," says the 37-year-old grandfather. The self-described comedic philosopher is giving workshops in Calgary today and Sunday. Drawing upon his experiences of reconstructing himself physically, mentally and emotionally, Dõv believes that people are constantly setting themselves up for defeat. He says most people experience a fall of some kind, whether it be a serious illness, divorce, bankruptcy or the loss of a loved one and the sheer magnitude of such an event can lead them to make excuses for their actions. "We sabotage those inner inclinations...I began to realize that people set themselves up for falls," says Dõv Baron. His workshops are called Moving Away from Sabotage Towards Success. "I've put together a program showing people how to get connected to another part of themselves," says Dõv, adding that other part is their own inner child. The inner child includes recognizing a creativity within themselves and using it. "I help people get in touch with their own authenticity," explains Dõv Baron. "I'm not here to inform, I'm here to transform." During his workshops, he presents three levels of learning: using the mind, body or nervous system and the emotions. "People are not really very sure of who they are," says Dõv, adding when people get in touch with who they are, their lives are enriched and they feel good about themselves. While he claims his message can seriously change people's lives, Dõv's approach is very light-hearted. He conducts his workshops using laughter and has been described as the Robin Williams of enlightenment. Dõv Baron has given workshops in Australia and Canada, and has appeared on several radio and television talk shows, both before and after the accident. From The Lifestyle Section of the Calgary Sun