Self-Awareness & Self-Compassion 05/04/22

<p>Self-awareness and self-compassion are the touchstones of this fascinating episode.</p> <p><a href= "https://silviastenitzer.com/about-silvia-the-work/">Silvia Stenitzer</a> is a licensed psychotherapist in Santa Fe, NM. She's gathered an eclectic array of well-researched techniques she uses to help her clients, and to train the trainers.</p> <p>Silvia "trusts the deep wisdom of the body, our innate self-healing abilities, and the magic of interpersonal connection. Movement, action, psychodrama, improvisation, art expression, dreams, play, meditation are our allies on the journey to Self."</p> <p>Melanie and Silvia share thoughts and experiences of the importance of the mind-body connection, and the deep wisdom that we have available to us all the time when we know how to hear it.</p> <p>Self-awareness is an interesting phenomenon. You'd think we'd all know how we're feeling, and why -- what triggered us -- to feel what we're feeling.</p> <p>But most of us don't. At <em>all</em>. We're such a "neck-up" culture, meaning that we believe that our brain lives in our heads, with our bodies and energetic hearts somehow just along for the ride.</p> <p>Being self-awareness means that you know who you are in this moment. You're not afraid of your emotions. You can feel them and name.</p> <p>You understand that how you're feeling isn't necessarily something to act on, or react to.</p> <p>You recogize your thoughts and beliefs, and accept that your thoughts are just thoughts, and your beliefs aren't necessarily objective Truth with a capital T.</p> <p>From this place of self-awareness, you're then able to think more clearly, feel more deeply, and make much better decisions and choices for you and your loved ones.</p> <p>Another powerful practice to cultive is self-compassion. The truth is that, once you begin developing self-awareness, you'll be seeing and feeling some things about yourself that aren't always pretty or pleasant.</p> <p>That's OK. You're human. When you can feel compassion -- kindness, gentleness, and ten