Dropping the Mask: Our Innate Need for Authenticity

This episode begins with an exploration of why the behavior of masking our authentic selves and feeling very uncomfortable in our skin tends to start quite early in our lives as a result of unmet needs and childhood trauma. I share how we learn to wear masks as a protective strategy when we fear being abandoned or rejected for who and how we naturally are and how that loss of connection to ourselves leads us to feeling dissociated, disempowered, and viewing ourselves and the world as an inherently unsafe place. 

I then shift the conversation to how the suppression of our natural human emotions in our early lives can cause us to fear our emotions in adulthood. Many of us carry an unexplored false belief that if we were to feel the full extent of our feelings, we might never come out of them. Instead, suppressed emotions might crop up later as addictions, mental illness, or unconscious strategies such as people pleasing.

The good news is, there’s a way out of this cycle of self-sabotage. Through body-based stillness practices and self-compassion, we can rediscover our intrinsic value and learn to trust our instincts again, changing our lives in beautiful ways. We begin to live a more fulfilling and rewarding life, rooted in our values, in healthy relationships, and in deeper connection to ourselves and to the world around us. 

The episode concludes with a self-compassion practice created by Dr. Kristen Neff called a Self-Compassion Break. It’s short, sweet, and a beautifully portable practice to support us during life’s inevitably challenging times.

 

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Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr RYT, a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. Having struggled with trauma, addiction, and debilitating anxiety, she has deep gratitude for the power of nature, stillness practices, and loving community to completely change the trajectory of one’s life.

Jeni believes there is a significant undervaluation of emotional resilience and cultivating peace of mind in our fast-paced, over-achieving culture, and she’s excited to be a part of the momentum that is actively working to change that narrative.

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Please know that…

The intent of this podcast is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being.

Content presented or posted on this channel is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or a professional therapeutic relationship. In the event you use any of the information in these episodes for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the creator assumes no responsibility for your actions.