August Jensen, MA, LPC
My guiding mantra — pause and study, rather than fix or eliminate. Yes, we are all at war with the parts of ourselves that bring pain and su ff ering. Our attempts at distraction, numbing, and splitting ourselves into “good” and “bad” parts are legendary. And while conventional wisdom says “just let go and move on”, in our hearts we know this isn’t working. So step one — slow down, turn toward all that we are, and befriend what arises like a mother does her newborn, even the most undesirable parts of ourselves. It is our birthright. Step two, release our conceptual misunderstanding of who or what we are supposed to be, and embrace the felt-experience of that which makes us most human — vulnerability, uncertainty, and pain. From this place arises an innate and natural movement to wholeness, openness, and flexibility, both in relation to ourselves, and those closest to us. Throughout this body-centered, experiential process, there is one quality of be...