This episode explores what it means to be energetically open versus closed, why and how we open and close, and what being open (versus closed) does for our vitality, wellbeing, and relationships.

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico/

The post EP390: Open and closed appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

I’ll explore how to look at, and ultimately change, patterns in more detail. 

I discuss how and why to reflect on patterns, how and why to communicate what’s arising, and how and why to examine identity as part of this exploration.

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico

The post EP389: More on patterns appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, I strongly encourage you to look at the beliefs you’re living by.

There may be conflicting beliefs. You may believe things you swear you don’t believe. The only way to know – and for those beliefs to change – is to honestly and eagerly look and be willing to see what’s there.

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico/

The post EP388: Beliefs you live by but didn’t choose appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, I speak to a question from a listener who says she chooses romantic partners who are not right for her because – in her words – they make her feel more worthy. 

I talk her through some of the ways she can examine this pattern in depth, noticing the beliefs behind her behaviors, so she can see this with more objectivity and ultimately so it can change.

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico

The post EP387: Choosing the wrong relationships: A question from a listener appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

There’s a progression that seems to happen. You might say it’s from gross to subtle.

Where attention shifts from being absorbed in abstractions, thoughts, representations, and relationships…to attention moving to much more subtle energies like sensations, sensory input, and maybe something like intuition or perception.

Identity is viewed in these different ways. From gross thought and beliefs being questioned, to more subtle physical and emotional reactions felt. 

As we sense at this more subtle level, the unraveling process seems to pick up some steam. Identity is seen through rapidly. Thoughts barely arise before they dissolve or fall away. 

Something like this is how the fabric of thought-based reality comes apart in the best possible way. 

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at https://dramyjohnson.com/silent-retreats-2026/

The post EP386: Special Rebroadcast: Unraveling Ego at the Feeling Level appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Being in silence is not about suppressing anything. 

It’s also not about creating anything, such as an environment of peace or thoughtlessness or anything like that. 

It’s the exact opposite, actually. It’s about leaving everything alone to simply be exactly what it is.

“What it is” is constantly changing. It is totally unknowable. It’s far too fluid to be known.  

In silence, the self-ing process is more clearly seen. It’s like seeing how a magic trick is done; you can’t be fooled in quite the same way once it is seen. 

In that silence, the inherently safety in experience becomes obvious. The concept of safety is not even relevant there.  

Consider steeping in this deep knowing in 5 days of silence with us in February. It would be an amazing way to start the new year. For better or worse, whatever comes and goes, things will not look the same afterward. 

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico/

The post EP385: Special Rebroadcast: Noise is Silence Shouting appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

What if 95% of attention and energy went toward sensing, feeling, and intuition, and 5% went toward the use of thought?

That ratio is typically reversed. 

I’ll explore this with regard to being with trauma, brainstorming and problem solving, and self inquiry.

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico

The post EP384: 95/5 appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

In this episode, we’ll explore how to end habitual psychological patterns such as reactivity, shutting down, becoming controlling or hypervigilant, or eating or drinking. 

The way to end a pattern – very oversimplified – is to become deeply familiar with the elements of the pattern and stay open, rather than react, when the pattern begins. 

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27. 

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico

The post EP383: Staying open appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Emma believes that she is unacceptable if her weight goes above a particular threshold. 

This belief is behind 45 years of restrictive and binge eating. 

Emma is onto the fact that this is a belief, but that doesn’t feel like enough. If she doesn’t have the ability to simply stop believing this thought, what can she do? 

I’ll discuss how Emma can investigate her beliefs in a way that can help her gain some perspective on – and freedom from– them.

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I will be leading a Silent Retreat in Taos, New Mexico, February 22-27.  

The retreat will provide a supportive space for you to steep in your essential being. You’ll immerse in what’s always here, unchanging, beyond the pull of thoughts, feelings and identities, in the absence of everyday distractions and conditioning.

The retreat is small, so space is limited. You can check out all the details at dramyjohnson.com/newmexico

The post EP382: I’m not acceptable unless I’m thin. Questions from a listener with a 45 year history of disordered eating. appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.

Emma believes that she is unacceptable if her weight goes above a particular threshold.  This belief is behind 45 years of restrictive and binge eating. Emma is onto the fact that this is a belief, but that doesn’t feel like enough. If she doesn’t have the ability to simply stop believing this thought, what can she

The post EP382: I’m not acceptable unless I’m thin. Questions from a listener with a 45 year history or disordered eating. appeared first on Dr. Amy Johnson.