Posts tagged body psychology
What Actually IS Meditation?
What Actually IS Meditation?

Our minds have a natural tendency to meander, jumping from one thought to another, often leaving us feeling scatterbrained and unable to sustain our focus for more than a fleeting moment. However, it's important to realize that this wandering mind is not a sign of doom or an inherent flaw. In fact, it's a common experience for many of us. Rather than viewing this tendency with harsh judgment or frustration, it's more helpful to approach it with compassion and understanding. Our minds wander, especially when they are burdened by fear, anxiety, or excessive thoughts. This is where meditation comes in as a valuable practice. Through meditation, we can train our minds to rein in their wandering tendencies and cultivate the ability to focus on one thing at a time. It's a gentle and transformative process that empowers us to harness the potential of our minds, ultimately leading to greater clarity and peace.

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Denise Renyemeditation, mindful eating, mindfulness, mindfulsex, mind-body connection, body consciousness, body, body psychology, body psychotherapy, body and unconscious, body image, healing the body, guided meditation, walking meditation, tangerine meditation
Reconnecting Body and Mind: The Transformative Power of Focusing and Felt Sensing
Reconnecting Body and Mind: The Transformative Power of Focusing and Felt Sensing

In a world where we are increasingly encouraged to divorce our bodies and minds, Eugene Gendlin's work on focusing and felt sensing offers a powerful antidote. These practices not only facilitate the reconnection of body and mind but also serve as transformative tools for communication. For folx who have been oppressed, these practices are particularly valuable, as they provide a means to speak from a place of authenticity and empowerment. By embracing these techniques, individuals can unlock their true selves, paving the way for healing, personal growth, and societal change.

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Denise Renyefocusing, genlin, eugene genlin, mindfulness, embodiment, trauma, trauma healing, black lives matter, resmaa menakem, oppression, bodymind, body psychology, body and unconscious, body movement, BLM, marin county sexologist
Celebrating Global Yoga Therapy Day: A Journey towards Healing and Transformation
Celebrating Global Yoga Therapy Day: A Journey towards Healing and Transformation

Join the Global Yoga Therapy Day Celebration: Whether you are new to yoga therapy or a seasoned practitioner, Global Yoga Therapy Day provides a wonderful opportunity to explore this transformative modality and its countless benefits. Seek out local events, workshops, and online resources to deepen your understanding of yoga therapy and somatic psychology.

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Denise Renyeyoga therapy, yoga nidra, Somatic psychology, bodymind, body, body movement, body psychology, body consciousness, body psychotherapy, body and unconscious, mind-body connection, healing the body, the body, self love, self care
How Eating a Tangerine Can Support Mindfulness
How Eating a Tangerine Can Support Mindfulness

Brother Thay, as he was known, asked us to use all our senses when eating the tangerine, to let each bite hit the tongue and to notice the juice washing over it – the acidity, the sweetness, the tinge of sourness. He said, “Each time you look at a tangerine, you can see deeply into it. You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it’s wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy.” There is true and pure happiness in each and every tangerine if you just be with it.

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Denise Renyethich naht hanh, meditation, walking meditation, tangerine meditation, mind-body connection, body consciousness, body psychology, body and unconscious, body psychotherapy, bodymind, body, body movement, body image, the body, the body keeps the score, healing the body, self love
What is Indian Psychology?
What is Indian Psychology?

Seeking out the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco for my doctoral degree was important and has tremendously helped shape my practice today. Started by Haridas Chaudhuri, student of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, this institute offered a lens into ways to address and help the whole person, not merely the mental aspect of the lived experience. Studying in India deepened my understanding of how art, music, body movement, and states of consciousness are as much an integral part of the practice of psychology as much as are the id, ego, superego, transference and countertransference. It was easy to see the archetypes personified before my eyes as I saw 50 foot statutes of Ganesha and Saturn.

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Denise Renyeindian psychology, Somatic psychology, somatics, meditation, yoga, yoga therapy, pranayama, spiritual practice, spiritual bypassing, whole person, whole person psychology, whole person healing, ritual psychology, ceremony, ceremony psychology, mindfulness, mind-body connection, body, body consciousness, body psychology, body psychotherapy, bodymind, the body, body movement
The Body in Psychology
The Body in Psychology

I sought out my graduate studies beginning in human sexuality because the body is typically a central part of sexual expression. And then I found my way to the California Institute of Integral Studies, where Indian Psychology was, in part, what the school was founded on and Indian Psychology has a deep understanding that the human lived experience is far beyond the mind and most certainly includes the body, at the very least. Somatic psychology, a western psychology field, is a field that explores the relationship between the mind and body, emphasizing the importance of bodily sensations, movement, and physical experiences in psychological well-being and healing.

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Denise RenyeSomatic psychology, somatics, the body, the body keeps the score, healing the body, body psychology, body psychotherapy, pat ogden, somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy, hakomi