The Healing Power of Somatic Wisdom

Transformative Healing Arts is offering a special yoga and somatic healing workshop this Thanksgiving Thursday. Join us at the Santa Barbara Yoga Center 9am-11am. Sign up Here

Join us Thanksgiving morning for a gratitude-filled yoga and somatic healing journey. Yoga in essence, is a somatic healing practice, as it is profoundly healing and regulating for the body, mind, and spirit. Somatic Psychology is the study of the lived experience of the body as it pertains to psychological exploration.This workshop will assist you to get in touch with your most authentic state of being. From a place of somatic authenticity, we become more present, and can therefore show up in the world in a more peaceful and powerful way. We will do some experiential work to tap into innate body wisdom, and work with some yoga postures to explore how somatic awareness is inextricably linked to yoga and other mindfulness practices.

Neuroscience now proves how important it is to not only be in touch with our bodies, but to be in touch with how we relate to others while sensing and being in our bodies. Somatic and relationally-based awareness practices can support us to elucidate innate body wisdom, while uncovering valuable insight about emotional processes. Similar to yoga, such practices assist us to ease protective or adaptive mechanisms, often manifested as body armor, tightness, pain, and emotional distress. These techniques are distinct from specific yoga and cognitive therapies however, in that there are no scripted asanas or directive protocols utilized to observe the body. We sense into the body, and listen to what it says.  Join us next week for a unique, body-centered  exploration.

 

Short Yoga Sequence to Help Relieve Back Pain

Five Poses a Day with Romi: Yoga for Back Pain

Back pain is often as elusive as it is frustrating. Many people suffer from it and it’s easy to feel down when it persists. For me, years of gymnastics, dance, stress, and structurally unsound yoga practices have contributed to strain in my lumbar spine and I have learned to utilize yoga and strength-based exercises to ease discomfort.

Here is a short sequence that assists in the release of the psoas, quads, and abductor muscles. When tight, these muscles act like back pain antagonists and it’s important to keep them supple. If you are having severe pain, only do what you can in this sequence, as not to provoke or inflame. If pain is manageable, do each pose for a few minutes each. Always listen to your body and never push through pain; seek a sensation that feels like a broad stretch, rather than a sharp sensation or jab. Variations are optional. The sequence takes between 15-20 minutes.

Happy Healing,

-Romi

 

(Upcoming Workshop) True Self Exploration: Introduction to Somatic and Relational Psychology

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True Self Exploration: An Introduction to Somatic and Relational Psychology; Tools for Empowerment & Growth

Sunday March 19, 1:00 – 3:00pm

Location: Santa Barbara Yoga Center. 32 East Micheltorena St.

Cost: $45 

Somatic Psychology is the study of the lived experience of the body as it pertains to psychological exploration. Somatic and relationally-based awareness practices can support us to elucidate innate body wisdom, while uncovering valuable insight about emotional processes. Similar to yoga, such practices assist us to ease protective or adaptive mechanisms, often manifested as body armor, tightness, pain, and emotional distress. These techniques are distinct from specific yoga and cognitive therapies however, in that there is no pre-planned asana or scripted protocols.This workshop will assist you to get in touch with your most authentic state of being. From a place of somatic authenticity, we become more present, and can therefore show up in the world in a more peaceful and powerful way. This workshop will offer both a lecture, and experiential exercises to support participants to tap in to innate body wisdom. We will also work with a few basic yoga postures to explore how somatic awareness is inextricably linked to yoga and other mindfulness practices.

Other elements of this workshop:

-Review of Polyvagal Theory (evolutionary stress response, social communication, self soothing behavior)
-Tools for interpersonal connectedness
-Utilizing somatic awareness in your yoga and mindfulness practices
-Partner exercises exploring nervous system response
-Relaxation/Guided mindfulness practices

Romi Cumes MA, MFTI, LMT, is the founder of Transformative Healing Arts, which offers counseling, yoga instruction, bodywork, performance art, workshops, and international retreats. She received a masters in clinical psychology, with an emphasis on somatic psychology from the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology; and completed advanced training via the Three Fold Way program in Southern California. Romi is currently a psychotherapist part-time at Hospice of Santa Barbara and is completing hours towards a California M.F.T. license. Romi has been a certified yoga instructor since 1998 and a massage therapist since 2001.

www.RomiCumes.com

Facebook Page: Transformative Healing Arts

Instagram: @romicumes

 

(Video) Five Poses a Day with Romi: Yoga for Jet Lag

Five Poses a Day: Yoga for Jet lag

This sequence will help you feel relaxed and restored after long periods of sitting, traveling, and crossing time zones. It can be completed in fifteen to twenty minutes. Or, add a few of your favorite poses and take some extra breaths to create a longer practice.

Five Poses a Day with Romi: Yoga for Jet Lag from Romi on Vimeo.

(Video) Five Poses a Day with Romi: Yoga for Inner Balance

Five Poses A Day: Yoga for Inner Balance

This video was filmed in the wilderness in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Utilize these postures to feel more present with yourself and create a feeling of inner balance and calm. This sequence can be completed in fifteen to twenty minutes. Or, add a few of your favorite poses or take some extra breaths in each posture to create a longer practice.

To stay in touch with us about Romi’s upcoming 2018 Yoga Safari in the Okavango Delta, email us at romicumes@gmail.com or call (805) 448-4111

Five Poses a Day with Romi: Yoga for Centering from Romi on Vimeo.

Five Poses a Day with Romi: Centering

Five Poses a Day, September Sequence

Happy Friday!

I have many clients and friends that want to start practicing yoga, meditating, or exercising more, but find the process daunting or unapproachable. Even though I have been practicing and teaching yoga for many years, I can relate and often find it challenging to simply get on the mat. One thing I find extremely helpful with this yoga/exercise quandary, is to simply commit to five postures. That’s right FIVE POSTURES or simple exercises. We can all make time to do five poses and by setting the intention to just do five, we usually end up wanting more and extending the practice. Doing five poses a day is not overwhelming and only takes fifteen to twenty five minutes, depending on how fast you work through the sequence and how many variations you add.

Today is a new moon and a new time to commit to taking care of your body, mind, and spirit. Here’s a sequence that can help you jump start your day and motivate your self-care practice.

plank-1

Pose 1: PLANK 10-20 breaths if done without variations. With variations, 5-10 breaths each

(Variation 1 and 2 Pictured below)

plank-2

plank-3

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Additional Pose/Rest: Child’s Pose or Wide Knee Child’s Pose

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POSE 2: Low Lunge with Rhomboid Squeeze

5-10 breaths holding lunge. 10-20 shoulder/rhomboid squeeze reps (pulse and squeeze shoulder blades together behind you, keeping hands active)

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Variation 1: Gentle twisting low lunge (left arm not visible in photo and can reach above head to activate psoas/hip flexor stretch)

side-bend-1Pose 3: Side Stretch with Hip Opener; keep feet and arms active (both sides, 5-15 breaths)

Variation 1: Side Stretch with Hip Opener and Neck Release

side-bend-2

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Pose 4: Knee to Chest (both sides, 5-15 breaths)

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Pose 5: Spinal Twist (both sides, 5-15 breaths)

 

Have a beautiful day!

-Romi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreams, the Election and a Breath Practice

For the last three elections I have been offered several dreams that have subversively displayed the results of a major election about four to six months before November. Last night I received a second of two dreams that may be clarifying the end result of the election. I received the first dream about six months ago, which circuitously referenced both a mass shooting and Mrs. Clinton in the same sequence. Various points in the dream showed her “being in charge” after this terrible shooting. How she presented to me in the dream was not ideal, but it was what it was and she was in the lead. My intention for her is that she will choose to work with other democratic leaders, such as Bernie and Elizabeth Warren, so we may evolve into our next global phase of consciousness.

I received an additional dream last night which leads me to feel certain Trump will not win in 2016. The metaphor was that he is on a lower floor, he is not on top. As many of us sense, he is young spiritually and at an introductory level with much to learn. And, when observing another’s spiritual path or “flaws” if you will, it is also important to remember how we each have our own lessons to learn in this lifetime, many of which are about growing away from operating systems fueled by ego and power. Regardless of the level or floor we are on, we still need to treat others with kindness, hear their story, listen to their needs, and work together rather than separately to serve humanity and meet goals. There is no “better” and “higher” and my sense is when we really get that on a body and soul level, we will see great changes in this world. And yes, some people just aren’t on the top floor yet, and have a lot more work to do, no matter how many penthouses their portfolio can afford. We still need to be humble, kind, and accepting of others. This dream also showed me that on a soul level, Mr. Trump knows about his narcissism and that it will limit his development. A part of him is choosing to be below right now. Election-wise my sense is he will not end up on top.

And lastly, although I don’t usually write so much about politics, I do want to take a moment to honor Bernie and all he represents for humanity. He has been leading with authenticity and love for decades and whether he is president or not in this lifetime, his efforts are being received by the Whole. He is another keystone in building a more conscious, expansive, and unified future; one where violence and greed will no longer be what guides people of power. Thank you for that Bernie, you have helped so many and I hope you get to take a nice long vacation before your next circuit of inspirational speeches.

Mindfulness and Somatic Inquiry

I will end this with a question for you. What are you doing each day to support yourself to feel more balanced, loving, and centered? If time is an issue for you, remember that even a ten minute mindfulness practice can reset negative thinking, calm your nervous system, and support you to show up in the world in a more peaceful way. Those minutes you take not only impact you, but positively impact the world around you. Studies have shown that twenty minutes or more of daily mediation can shift grey matter in the brain, so the more minutes the better. That being said, five or ten is still better than zero, so remember to do something today to mindfully take care of yourself. If you don’t have a favorite meditation or yoga teacher, there are many free guided resources on You Tube, as well as free and low-cost guided meditation Apps. For a brief yoga session, go to “Yoga Anytime” online. I will be posting a free guided audio/video meditation in the next few days. See below for the written version.

In addition to being physiologically beneficial, breathing exercises (pranayama) are especially helpful if you have an active mind and need something to focus on while meditating. Breathing exercise can support you to feel more balanced and physically spacious, as well as regulate the nervous system and sooth the sympathetic branch of the nervous system (fight/flight/freeze response).

Ten Minute Mindful Breath Exercise (set a timer)

Breathe in slowly through the nose for four counts, then breathe out for four counts. Repeat that 5-10 times until you sense a rhythm and flow. Make sure you are comfortable in a seated or supine position.

Next: Inhale through the nose for four counts, hold (retain) your breath for four counts, and exhale out your mouth slowly (also about four), as if you are fogging up a window with your breath. Relax your mouth and face and visualize tense energy moving out of you and also imagine energy grounding down towards your feet and the earth. You don’t have to understand this cognitively, just feel your breath and imagine energy moving in and out and in and down (grounding).

Repeat the above for the next eight minutes.

Practitioners can also hold the breath double the amount of time (for eight counts) before exhaling. Start with holding 4 and move on to 8 after practicing this a few times.

This practice focuses on utilizing a clearing breath (exhaling out the mouth), however exhaling out of the nose also works well here and has a calming effect. Exhaling out the mouth more directly assists the jaw to relax and clears stuck energy. Feel out which type of exhale feels right for that day’s practice. In Yoga, exhaling out the mouth is often referenced as a “cooling” breath.

Beginners please note: When practicing additional Hatha Yoga with asanas (poses), not just pranayama, it may be beneficial to discuss your practice with an instructor. Feel free to message me with any questions. 

Adding a somatic focal point can also be helpful here. Choose an area in your body that needs some extra support, space, and love and focus there while you breathe.

Notice how that area feels when you begin; is it tense, tight, loose, tender, hot, cold, dense etc.? As you approach the end of the session, notice how it has changed. If your somatic awareness wants to travel to another area in your body, allow it to.

Taking just ten minutes to do this each day, or any other mindfulness practice you reasonate with, is a powerful step for creating more ease and joy in your life. I will be posting videos of these practices soon on this blog. Stay tuned, literally 🙂

Have a beautiful day,

Romi

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Yoga & Healing Retreat to Peru – MAY 2015

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Greetings! I am happy to announce we will embark on another incredible yoga and healing journey to Peru this May, 2015. Space is limited.

Sign up by December 1st and receive $150 off the retreat. Email Romi for more details, pricing and general information. Click here for Transformative Healing Arts Yoga Travel Page

May 22-31, 2015

Watch a short documentary about the experience

And below is a testimonial from our 2014 Retreat…

Wow. I joined Romi on her yoga retreat to the Sacred Valley of Peru in May of 2014. It was an incredible experience and the memories from that holiday will last a lifetime. From the scenery and the tremendous vibe of the Andes, to the warm family that welcomed us at Willka T’ika, Romi put together an amazing program that allowed us to experience local culture, learn native history, hike beautiful landscapes, practice lots of yoga and share plenty of laughs. Romi is an intuitive, warm and brilliant teacher and bodyworker. She’s also lots of fun!!

-Nicole from Boston

Attracting Love Through Self Exploration and Self Love, A Somatic Inquiry

This article is an amalgam of some insights I have received based on my own personal experience with relational psychotherapy, somatic psychology, and dating. It presents a psychosomatic and spiritual inquiry about relationships for anyone wishing to form a healthier relationship with themselves and others. My intention is for all you amazing women (and men) out there seeking love to learn one of the most valuable dating lessons of all, to love and respect yourself.

While traveling alone overseas one year ago, I was meditating on relationships and the concept of, “attracting the right partner”. As I settled into my body, the first word that came into my mind regarding relationships was, trust or trusting. I began to think about those words as they pertained to me trusting myself, rather than it being about trusting another. Trusting my: Motivations, strength, intuition, inner calling, life path and creative power. Often when we are looking to find someone to complete us, we are really not in completion with a part of ourselves that still needs to be actualized or realized. There is a sense deep down that this ideal person or their qualities are known to us, but given our solitude, we create a dualistic way of perceiving relationship, within which other fulfills this part for us.

“When I get into that relationship, then I will be seen and understood”

“If he or she really understood me, then I wouldn’t feel this frustration, nor have these unmet needs”

“If he or she was the right one, it would all just work out and I would not feel alone”

When you read it out loud, it is actually quite comical. As if a golden plated, super-nova of a human being is going to waltz right in and rid us of our pain and psychosomatic programming in one fell swoop of the heart. No wonder it’s so hard for some of us to commit. How could any one human compete with such an illustrious, sexy apparition?  This “other” fantasy becomes the direct object of our attention rather than the self, and in our fantasy-drafting process, we often abandon ourselves. We ignore the possibility that through avoidance of what we truly need and want (self-understanding, self-love, strength, or vulnerability), we ironically push away what we need and want from others. Ultimately, understanding this dynamic is exciting, because when we actually embody a place of self-love and understanding (and it takes practice), the desire for love does not become extinguished, but rather galvanized by a force of authenticity that actually draws the right person to us.

Beyond Affirmation

I am a mystic and have been in love with many things spiritual and woo-woo for some time now. I grew up burying crystals, doing yoga, eating lentils, and going to healers and curanderos with my parents. But as someone who has also studied relational and somatic psychology, I have first-hand experience with how many New Age ideologies can be somewhat limiting. Online antidotes such as, “Ten Steps to Attract Your Perfect Mate”, “Find Your Inner Goddess” or, “How to Be the Best Partner Possible” consistently pervade social media and even world-news home pages. Life would be so much easier if these magical steps worked for people seeking to connect more deeply with themselves yet somehow, they come up short.

There are no ten steps…

Don’t get me wrong, thinking positive, stating affirmations, and giving yourself all kinds of cerebral candy is helpful and supportive to your quality of life. Myriad double-blind studies have proven the power of positive thinking and prayer. The point here is to suggest that simply thinking positive, or recruiting mentally-driven faculties to find love is not the whole truth. We have to go beyond those methodologies and explore ourselves in order to truly understand the blockages that prevent us from attracting the right mate in the first place. So how do you do that?  That is a big question and no one, especially me, can give you the perfect answer.  Is it slightly hypocritical that a single, thirty five year old woman is writing an article on attracting the right relationship? Probably, yet as many of you know, being single in one’s 30’s lends itself to a voluminous range of dating experience. Each time we enter the dance, we gain new insights and learn a little bit more about ourselves, especially if we care to look within and not cast blame on the men or women we used to share our time with.

Self Exploration

The first step is to explore. Explore yourself, your anxieties, and your fears around love and neediness. When you feel needy or alone, do you really think “Joe” (or Jill) is going to give you the kind of support you need? Especially when deep down you know he or she is kind of an ass, or is a bad communicator, or does not really make you feel good about who you are? The next time Joe texts you (because it has become evident to me through trial and error that phone call-making is a lost art), consider the possibility that the exchange will not truly give you what you are looking for. Consider that Joe is still the same Joe, and although he is most likely fantasizing about being with you, he has not miraculously manifested the emotional or spiritual attributes that broke you up, or led you to avoid him in the first place. When you feel rejected, ignored, or unseen, is it really because Joe needs to be the one to tell you how amazing you are? Or is it that you have been neglecting yourself and expecting him to make you feel more whole?

What can you do for yourself each day that makes you feel more beautiful/handsome, smart, and creative? The options are endless.

So what to do when you experience a period of stark loneliness, and it is difficult to evoke your dynamic, creative spark? The trick is to meet the sad place with your breath, with your awareness, and with a sense of self-compassion. Even it it feels as though nothing will shift whatever poor mood is present, mindfulness of your body-state will make all the difference, as will spiritual practice, movement (exercise), fresh air and other endorphin-boosting activities.

Self-inquiry supports us to know ourselves, and therefore clear the self-deprecating dynamics that attract the wrong relationships to us in the first place. Understanding such dynamics not only supports us to cast away the situations and people that do not serve the highest good, it allows us to align with the vibration that our hearts truly seek. And those good vibrations like to co-exist in the field of self-love and compassion.

During my “attracting love” meditation one year ago, I sat with the word trust and began to think about the ways I had not been trusting myself. What came to mind was my previous long-term relationship, and by long term I mean less than two years. I knew this individual was not aligned with my path, my body, and my intellect, yet I still attempted to force the situation into working by looking through a sepia-themed lens of attachment and fear. I abandoned the part of me that whispered, “he is not the right one for you” in order to maintain a false sense of security that other would help complete me and other would prevent me from feeling alone. Well you can imagine how that turned out, and the outcome? More loneliness, because I was abandoning a part of myself.

Get curious about the part of yourself that believes a partner is going to be the source of your happiness and ease, and that only when you are with that partner, you will feel whole. This dualistic belief may end up causing a lot of grief when things don’t work out. Now if you have a partner that is your everything or makes you happier than life itself, I am delighted that your heart has found its counterpart. I believe in love and relish the feeling of someone rocking my world. The point here is to say, we can have all the love coming at us in the world, but if we are not giving ourselves similar self-care and compassion, the nurturing from others cannot be completely embodied or received. Herein exists the quandary of single women (and men) today.

We need to learn to love ourselves. Better. Period.

Not in a narcissistic, “All hail me the glorious goddess, I have no faults” kind of way, but in a conscious way.  Look at your stuck places and learn how to feel into them. Next, ride them out without persistently being dependent on the approval of others. On the road to our ideal partnership, it is especially helpful when we realize we can receive much of what we are looking for from friends and family. Spending time with people that raise your vibration and remind you of who you are, puts you in better alignment with yourself, therefore internally restructuring you relationally.

Self Safety

As I meditated on the word trust, I also thought about the meaning of safety.  Often initially when we think about relationship we think, “I want a relationship that feels safe, with someone who loves me and who can ultimately be trusted.”  Neurobiologically speaking, the problem with this belief is that regardless of the individual, there may always be some aspect of another person that leads us to feel unsafe and unloved.  When we get defensive or “triggered” by our partners or other people, most of us are operating from a younger, more vulnerable or hurt place, and this is deeply rooted in our brain chemistry (Daniel J. Siegel M.D. offers some great talks and books on this neurobiological phenomena by the way).  When we operate from a reactive or defensive place, our most safe person in the world can seem like a distant stranger.  In those moments, our lovers feel as unsafe as the sketchy-looking guy or girl on the street corner. When defenses are up, we operate from a place of survival and defense (fight/flight/freeze), regardless of who we are interacting with. Moreover, that person you were just lovingly snuggling on the couch has become your nervous system’s psychosomatic arch-nemesis. The next ineffective step many of us take when operating  from this defensive space is believing things like,

“When I’m with the next partner, he or she will understand me, he or she will get it…”

And therein subsists the cycle of destructive interpersonal reasoning. Sigh.

That feeling of safety you seek needs to be recognized from within and it takes practice. Practice with self and with loving partners or friends.

Please note: recognizing your own issues with safety and defensiveness does not mean you should stay with someone who treats you poorly, is not right for you, or threatens you emotionally or physically.  

When we acknowledge our own lack of safety, within our own bodies and surroundings, we can become better informed of what we need to work on within ourselves, as well as what we need to walk away from. Over time, this kind of self/body awareness can support us to differentiate between what does and does not constitute a healthy relationship.

Somatic Awareness

By listening to the body, sensing into the lack of safety, and loving the hurt places like an old friend, we actually re-wire some of the neuropathways associated with love, and learn to trust better. Part of creating a self-safety practice is creating a somatic awareness practice in moments where safety feels far away. Pausing in the moment, noticing your body, and breathing into whatever areas feel tense or triggered, can be a helpful tool to understand discomfort and understand its root. Get curious about various somatic qualities in your body such as: temperature, tension, space, softness, hardness, tightness, etc.

We have the power to promote positive changes just by noticing what is happening in the body.

Sharing somatic awareness practices with friends or loved ones is especially powerful and ideally, they are also willing to explore their own reactivity (or lack of reactivity, also known as avoidance). It is curiosity, namely body/mind-centered curiosity, that changes limiting patterns, and we all got to help a brother and sister out if we want to grow. And if you want to better understand your trust or safety issues, or your inability, or twisted ability to attract love, start spending more time with people who are open to being vulnerable with you, and less time with those who aren’t. Keep in mind that the process of somatic awareness can often be unpleasant or awkward for people. Some might even ridicule this kind of practice and say it’s “weird” or “out there”.  In my experience, what they are really saying is, “This is scary. I am looking at myself and my reactivity more deeply than I ever have before, and it’s really uncomfortable”.

An Example of Utilizing Somatic Awareness

As I sat with the word trust I noticed where trust and distrust existed in my body. I sensed that my solar plexus area (where the ribs meet) seemed to be the most active. As I continued to observe, I noticed tension along my right side, which is the side healers often associated with the “masculine” or “doer” side of the body.  I sensed into the muscles on the right side of my back and shoulder and noticed tension and a feeling of being “held up” in those areas.  As I continued to examine myself somatically, I thought about how the masculine part of myself is often working much harder than the feminine aspect in order to be in control and feel safe. This kind of asymmetrical body structure is often connected to people who feel unsafe, or overcompensate in order to feel secure. When I manifest this kind of tense body posture, I give myself the illusion of safety displayed through my “strength”, however in that process, I am actually pushing away much-needed support. Just by breathing and noticing my body and the way it carries itself, I am able to understand my patterns and nurture myself emotionally and intellectually.

 

Conclusion
A pause is needed when the fear of being alone gets in the way of our true process of being and in those moments, body-centered practices help us see ourselves. What we see is not always pretty or feel-good, but it is powerful, and moves us in the right direction and on the path to greater love and understanding. When we embrace the essence of life and where we are in the moment, we become less attached to the process. That lack of attachment to outcome is what assists us to align with ourselves, and move away from that which is not authentically aligned with us. This process is not easy. Close attention is needed, as not to become distracted by proverbial love-bait, offered to us by attractive and persuasive people reflecting the less present aspects of ourselves.

Speak or write to yourself and others about what you long for, what drives you, and what you need. When you are in touch with practices that feed your soul, an entire field opens up, within which you are capable of seeing what the Universe wants to provide for you.

 

Key Points

  • Exploring yourself, your anxieties, your reactivity, and your neediness will help you see the the walls you have up against love.
  • Tuning into where the feeling of tension exists in your body will assist you to recognize stagnant or stuck patterns, and enable the stuck energy and people to move out of your field.
  • By noticing what you want to attract in your relationship or future partnership, you are able to attune to what is needed for yourself. Eg: Desiring a trusting, safe relationship can lead to the awareness that you need to trust and acknowledge yourself. Practicing somatic awareness with yourself, a friend, or lover is very powerful.
  • Spending time with people who are attentive listeners, and who are open to vulnerability, can assist you to feel more safe and attract the right parters. Participate in activities that make you feel happy, creative, and alive so you can spark the self-love fire.
  • When you listen and observe the signs the Universe and Creation, things start to fall into place, self-love is more easily nurtured, and the older parts of your self will begin to fall away

 

For those of you in Southern California, I will be teaching two workshops connected to this topic this spring.

Workshop: Somatic & Relational Psychology, Tools for Empowerment and Growth.

Santa Barbara Yoga Center: March 22nd, 2pm ($45 but no one will be turned down for lack of funds)

Lucidity Festival: Friday April 11th, Location TBA

Image Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

About the Writer:
Romi Cumes MA, MFTI, CMT is deeply committed to facilitating somatic and spiritual transformation by way of body-mind education and joyful, creative shenanigans. She is the founder of Transformative Healing Arts, which offers yoga instruction, bodywork, performance art, counseling, workshops, and international retreats to Peru. Shamanic studies, travel, and academia have guided Romi to explore the sacred connections between healing, art, ecology, spirituality, and culture. Romi received her masters degree in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in Somatic (body-centered) Psychotherapy, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mindfulness. She currently has a private practice in Santa Barbara, California. To learn more, visit http://www.RomiCumes.com or like her Facebook page Transformative Healing Arts