Tending to Change with Jeni Juarez

Today’s episode revisits the concept of witness consciousness and how cultivating this curious, nonjudgmental perspective can provide the spaciousness needed for us to choose the best response in any given moment. I reflect on my previous conversation about how mindfulness and present-moment awareness was such a support to me in my process of overcoming alcohol addiction.
I then pivot the conversation away from the “how” of working with unsupportive habits to a broader conversation around some reasons why we might pick up these behaviors in the first place. Weaving in some of the teachings of Dr. Gabor Maté, I invite us to consider how both “Big T Traumas” and less obvious, but equally affecting childhood wounds can make it really painful to be present to the now moment. That’s not the end of the story, however. Through mindfulness practices, we have the potential to transmute our old wounds and assign new meaning to our life experiences.
The episode concludes with some final thoughts on sobriety and releasing addictions before settling into a simple and sweet grounding practice.
 
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Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

In this episode, I revisit the topic of discernment, and I discuss how cultivating witness consciousness or the witness perspective supports us in looking at our lives with clarity, curiosity, and nonjudgment. 
I then share a personal experience of how self-observation and discernment supported me in overcoming alcohol addiction. I also explain a general framework for understanding and working with life-diminishing habits of any kind and how mindfulness can be a powerful tool in the process of overwriting addictive behaviors. 
The episode concludes with a Mountain Meditation as taught to me by Carol Hendershot at the Grand Rapids Center for Mindfulness, adapted from a meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
SHOW NOTES: 
Melissa Urban - YouTube Interview
Annie Grace - The Alcohol Experiment - thisnakedmind.com/blog-the-alcohol-experiment/
Judson Brewer - The Craving Mind - Buy on Amazon
 
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

This is a special practice-only episode in which I guide listeners through a 12-minute body scan. 
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

This episode begins with a discussion on the value of an honest analysis of how we’re living our lives and whether our choices and actions are aligned with the direction we’d like to be heading in. I acknowledge how, oftentimes, we don’t make the necessary changes to our lifestyles unless our backs are against a wall, much to the detriment of our well-being.
I then share a fascinating fact about the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly and how it is similar to our own awakening process. Our ego’s resistance to change is not a failure or detriment but is exactly the boundary we need to strengthen our determination and persistence in transforming limitation to freedom. 
I relate this compulsion toward revealing and expressing our authentic selves to teachings that I learned in yoga teacher training, and I invite us to consider how we can choose to transmute even our most painful or challenging life experiences into a service to others.
We conclude the episode with a body scan practice to help us connect with the present moment and our direct physical experience from within the body.
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

In this episode, I share a metaphor of life as a river and our choice of whether to trust its innately intelligent current or to resist and struggle even as we continue in the same direction. I relate our intrinsic inner guidance to that of other life forms in nature who intuitively act in accordance with the rhythms and seasons of life.
I then shift to a discussion of victim mentality and why it’s necessary to release it to broaden our vision and perspective, reclaim a trusting relationship with our bodies, and reconnect with our inner knowing. I share how tapping into and strengthening our sensitivity and body awareness supports us in picking up subtle messages of guidance both from within ourselves and from the world around us.
The episode concludes with a mindfulness practice learned from Joseph Goldstein that aids us in feeling from within our bodies and outside our bodies.
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

This episode begins with a discussion about how experiences of awakening become the beginning of our journey inward: our spiritual journey. But it’s not as mystical or blissed out as one might imagine. The spiritual journey is simply our life journey, but from within. It’s more about mental and emotional maturation than constantly searching for the next high.
I then share a bit about the start of my own spiritual journey, and in particular, the year between my grandmother’s death and the beginning of yoga teacher training. I invite you as the listener to consider how much your life could change in a year if you were to choose to lean into courage and explore beyond your fear or comfort zone.
We conclude today’s episode with a simple Awareness of Breath practice.
 
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

This episode begins with an explanation of what I mean when I talk about waking up to life or awakening as well as ego consciousness versus pure consciousness. I discuss the concept of neuroplasticity, and how we can literally change our minds.
I then offer a rather personal share about the early life experiences that most shaped my own ego development and my first big awakening in my mid twenties. 
We end the episode with a stillness practice called a contemplation. You’ll want a pen and a piece of paper or journal for this one.
 
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

This episode begins with a brief reflection on previous topics before shifting to a discussion about the preciousness of human attention, why companies and social media want every second of your life, and how come it is so difficult to reclaim our focus. 
I continue the conversation by introducing the term and concept of Continuous Partial Attention as coined by Linda Stone, how it differs from autopilot, and why it increases our stress hormones, interferes with authentic connection, and degrades our capacity for learning. 
I then shift to an introduction to intuition, or pre-cognitive “felt” wisdom, and why coming into direct contact with reality helps us live in a more peaceful, harmonious way. I share some insights around how reclaimed attention supports our healing and our wholeness as we shift away from unrealistic expectations and instead tap back in to our natural place within the web of life.
We end the episode with a short Breathing Through the Heart Space practice.
 
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

This episode begins with a brief explanation of why I named this podcast Tending to Change. We then discuss why checking out and living on autopilot can be a protective strategy, how pain is often what causes us to “wake up”, and some of the differences between autopilot and presence.
I share a bit of my own life experience, including what woke me up from my frantic sleepwalk through life, my first yoga class experience, and how I first started my mindfulness practice. We then discuss the power and importance of heartfelt intention in the journey of personal transformation and some of the different ways one can practice mindfulness/stillness.
We end the episode with a brief, one-mindful-breath meditation.
 
“You can't do what you want until you know what you're doing.” - Moishe Feldenkrais
 
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.

Do you remember which shoe you put on first the last time you left the house? How about what you ate for dinner two nights ago? 
No? Well, that's probably because you were operating on autopilot! 
Autopilot is a super useful evolutionary skill. Can you imagine if you had to consciously think about how to breathe, drive a car, or get ready for bed? You'd be exhausted!
However, we tend to get a little TOO good at going through the motions of our lives while getting lost in thought. And when that happens, we can get stuck in routines that suck the joy and pleasure right out of our lives.
In this episode, I'll briefly introduce how our daily habits are formed and the influence autopilot has on our lives. We'll end with a brief grounding meditation.
 
____________________________
Do you love this content and want to support the show?Buy Me A Coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/JeniJuarezllcI sincerely appreciate your support!
____________________________
Learn More About Virtual Offerings and Live Events in West Michigan
✦Website | https://www.jenijuarez.com✦Facebook |facebook.com/TendingtoChange ✦Instagram |instagram.com/tendingtochangewithjeni/
____________________________
Tending to Change is hosted by Jeni Juarez, a 500-hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), a mother of four, and a dedicated student on the path of the heart. She offers public classes as well as personal sessions designed to inspire and empower the individual to reclaim their wholeness and sovereignty, for the benefit of all beings.
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.
____________________________
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.