IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Embodied Leadership Presence

By Pavini Moray Ph.D. Many of my clients sometimes feel unhappy or unsatisfied with their work. Their professional lives are mired in the daily grind....

PODCAST WITH MICHAEL OSTROLENK

PODCASTS

Michael Ostrolenk is a licensed psychotherapist who completed his MA in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at John F. Kennedy University and did postgraduate studies in somatic psychology at the California Institute for Integral Studies .  He is certified in Spiral Dynamics and Wade Mindsets.  Michael is Director of Human Resilience at the Apeiron Center for Human PotentialHead Instructor/Master Coach at SEALFIT’s  Unbeatable Mind Academy , Director of Relationships and Resilience at the S.H.I.F.T. Institute and creator of the Emergent Human coaching and education program

Welcome to “The Emergent Human where we explore Optimizing Health, Embodied Spirituality and Post Conventional Living. I am Michael Ostrolenk, a therapist, coach and educator and I am your host.

Today I am talking with Victoria Rose.

Victoria is a pre- and perinatal psychology and health educator, birth visionary and traditional birth witness, registered massage therapist, Reiki Master for fertility, pregnancy, birth and postpartum, ceremonialist, contemporary vegetalista, and ayahuasca preparation and integration guide.

Today’s show is brought to you by Somatic Psychotherapy Today. https://somaticpsychotherapytoday.com/

BODY MIND SPIRIT

Contemporary Reichian Analysis and Character-Analytical Vegetotherapy from 1933 to 2022

In this article, I will introduce a set of grammar clarifying body psychoanalysis, which extends not only to psychopathology, itself primarily interpreted as being bottom-up in terms of evolutive time, but also, to clinical psychotherapy, that follows. Perhaps I am outlining a new position, certainly it takes the Reichian paradigm deeper, or is, rather, a "change in the visual gestalt" as Kuhn might put it. It represents a change in the mental architecture of observation which emerges from a different way of feeling, I might add. It is a paradigm which reads the unconscious in its entirety, because the unconscious is undoubtedly a "mirror" for what has been deposited in the body.

The Psychology of Meditation: Varieties, Effects, Theories, and Perspectives

Peter Sedlmeier offers a representative overview of meditation with a scientific slant in his new book The Psychology of Meditation. Divided into four parts, the text guides readers through varieties of meditation, the effects of meditation, theories of meditation, and concludes with Part 4: Perspectives. He notes that the first 10 chapters build the foundation to support the endpoint, Chapter 11: Perspectives on Meditation Research.

Tuning Into Gravity

Gravity matters. Not simply to keep us physically grounded here on Earth, but, at a fundamental level, our relationship with gravity affects our lives from start to finish. We start life floating in amniotic fluids. It's easy to assume a sense of buoyancy, free from gravity's impact. Yet, gravity is necessary for our physiological development during the second half of our lives in the womb.

Somatic Psychotherapy Today Volume 11, Number 1, 2021

This issue of SPT Magazine offers articles published online this past year for readers who do not follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, and for those who want all of the articles in one PDF they can download and read at their convenience. I hope 2022 brings a return of contributors willing to share their experiences and clinical knowledge with our readers.

The Sounds Behind Our Voice

What do seasoned actors express that is more than the lines they say? What do the ‘raw/gut’ sounds behind our words actually mean? How aware are we of the underlying causes of our own and of others vocal tensions? How might professionals intentionally access ‘sound’ to more effectively persuade clients? And baby talk. What do we know about this? The bridge between early childhood sound and adult vocal tones is an area that requires better understanding if we are to realize fuller potential and depth in our communication. The sounds behind words often express unconscious aspects of ourselves and our memories. This is one reason they tend to remain unknown or unclear to us.

The Proactive Twelve Steps

The Proactive Twelve Steps offers readers a way to develop a deeper understanding of behavioral change, codependency, stress, and trauma, as well as look at neuroscience and the Polyvagal Theory and their impact on our physiology and behavior. Serge presents a clear roadmap for self-compassion and mindful self-discovery and provides specific step-by-step instructions within a broader context that helps readers make sense of the healing process.

RELATIONAL MINDFULNESS

RSS Relational Implicit: Conversations on Psychotherapy

  • Linda Modaro & Nelly Kaufer: Reflective Meditation January 14, 2024
    Linda Modaro and Nelly Kaufer are the authors of: Reflective Meditation: Cultivating Kindness and Curiosity in the Buddha’s Company.
    Active Pause
  • Raja Selvam: Embodying emotions December 1, 2023
    In conversation with Raja Selvam, we explore the practice of developing the capacity for emotions by making more room for them in the body.
    Active Pause

Relational Mindfulness with Serge Prengel

Embodied Spirituality

In my work, I am accustomed to thinking in terms of embodied experience. That is, mind and body are not separate entities. I think of the mind as an emerging property of the human organism. Where does the notion of spirituality fit with this kind of outlook? The word "spirituality" refers to "spirit". Traditionally, spirit is seen as immaterial, the opposite of flesh and blood. It is what animates the body, gives it life. In many traditions, it is something that leaves the body after death, and continues to live on its own once disembodied. So, essentially, the word "spirit" evokes the very opposite of "embodiment." There is such a chasm between these two notions that it makes it hard to conceive that they could be integrated. Indeed, if you only contemplate these two propositions as logical statements, you simply cannot find a way to reconcile them.

SPT BOOKSHELF

Book Reviews

The ‘New’ Collected Papers of Biodynamic Psychology, Massage & Psychotherapy: 2022

The ‘New’ Collected Papers of Biodynamic Psychology, Massage & Psychotherapy was produced in celebration of 100 years of Gerda Boyesen’s birth.  “There are about 150 substantive articles from 50 different authors.  There are more than 1,500 pages and over 850,000 words. It is a collection, a canon, a compilation, an anthology, an album, a compendium, possibly even a treasury.” Thank you Courtenay for providing our readers with a free comprehensive outline, available on our website.

The Psychology of Meditation: Varieties, Effects, Theories, and Perspectives

Peter Sedlmeier offers a representative overview of meditation with a scientific slant in his new book The Psychology of Meditation. Divided into four parts, the text guides readers through varieties of meditation, the effects of meditation, theories of meditation, and concludes with Part 4: Perspectives. He notes that the first 10 chapters build the foundation to support the endpoint, Chapter 11: Perspectives on Meditation Research.

Boundary Boss: The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free

  By Nancy Eichhorn, Ph.D. My inner editor smiles (envision a Cheshire Cat grin) when reviewing a new book and its layout includes all the necessary...