Radical Embodiment

This week’s Radical Embodiment episode is bringing you the intelligent, kind, brilliant Lauri Nemetz. Lauri is a professor, dance movement therapist, and Author of the book, The Myofascial System in Form and Movement.

Outline of our conversation:

 Embodiment, dance movement therapy, and personal growth.

◦ Lauri shares her diverse wealth of knowledge on the human body, including her background as a dance movement therapist and adjunct professor at Pace University.

To Lauri, embodiment is being present in your own body system and how it's becoming increasingly difficult for her yoga students to be embodied due to distractions in their daily lives.

Body image and trauma recovery through movement. 

◦ Lauri reflects on her personal experience with car accidents and how it affected her perspective on movement and expression.

Fascia health and its impact on emotional well-being. 

◦ Lauri discusses the importance of self-care and making time for nature, citing its ability to soften and ground them in the present moment.

Anatomy, dissection, and movement with a focus on fascia. 

◦ Lauri shares insights on dissection techniques and artistic choices in preserving body donors' dignity and how donor bodies inspire new sense of embodiment in yoga practitioners.

Anatomy, dissection, and personal growth.

◦ Lauri reflects on her own relationship with her body through dissection and teaching, noting a shift towards curiosity and appreciation for the stories behind the body 

◦ She encourages her students to have a similar curiosity, recognizing that a person's story extends beyond medical facts and can be inferred from their body.

◦ Lauri emphasizes importance of honoring the body's resilience and growth towards wellness, rather than focusing on diagnoses and what's wrong.

Myofascial system and its impact on movement and health. 

◦ Lauri emphasizes the beauty and resilience of the human body, and how attitude and perception play a significant role in maintaining balance and health.

◦ She discusses the importance of myofascial connections in the body, particularly in relation to muscle and fascia, and how they change with age and hormonal shifts.

Embodiment, anatomy, and art history. 

◦ Lauri discusses her PhD research in contemporary human anatomy, focusing on the intersection of art history, dissection, and visual literacy.

◦  She is interested in exploring how perception and visual representation have evolved in medical education and anatomical drawings throughout history.

Lauri’s suggestions for someone who is wanting to live a more embodied life:

-  Start small with doable practices like morning trail runs or short meditation sessions to prioritize embodiment and self-care

- Set time aside for yourself, even if it's just a few minutes a day, to maintain a more embodied life 

Check out Lauri’s book, The Myofascial System in Form and Movement here.

Follow Lauri on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, where she posts updates on her wellness journey and connects with others in the field.

Learn more about Lauri & her work from her website:  https://www.wellnessbridge.com

Welcome to Episode 1 of Season 5 of Radical Embodiment the podcast. 

In this episode, sit down with the incredible Venus Lau, a dynamic mover and an inspiring human being. We delve deep into the meaning of embodiment and Venus's journey through life, from her early days as a shy child to becoming a D1 college golf athlete. Her story is one of resilience and adaptation as she navigated the loss of both her parents to cancer while in college.

Venus shares her insights on embracing vulnerability, the importance of making mistakes, and the courage it takes to listen to your internal compass. We explore the idea that being okay doesn't mean avoiding pain or failure but accepting it as part of the human experience. Join us as we discuss the transformative power of embodiment and the beauty of acknowledging our complex emotions in the journey of self-discovery.

Here are some of the pain points we cover in the interview:

Embracing Uncomfortable Emotions: In order to feel higher-vibration emotions like joy and love, it's essential to be open to uncomfortable ones. Embracing the full spectrum of emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, can lead to a deeper and more authentic experience of life.

Avoiding Perfectionism: Struggling with perfectionist tendencies can be limiting. Learning to recognize when you're being too hard on yourself and embracing imperfections can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Celebrating Small Wins: Celebrating even the small victories and moments in life can add up to a sense of accomplishment and happiness. It's about appreciating the little things and finding joy in everyday tasks.

Creating Safety: Feeling safe is crucial for enjoyment and growth. Whether it's physical, emotional, or mental safety, creating an environment where you feel secure allows you to explore new things and experiences with more confidence.

Trying New Things: Venus shared on the importance of trying new activities and being a beginner. It's about being open to experiences you haven't tried before, even if they initially feel uncomfortable or challenging.

Mindset Shift: Shifting your perspective and attitude toward tasks you might consider mundane or challenging can turn them into enjoyable experiences. Finding the joy in everyday activities can lead to a more fulfilling life.

Venus has an upcoming Super Beginner Strength + Flow Intensive program that is a wonderful opportunity for people to start their fitness journey in a safe and supportive community. Learn more about the program here. 

For those interested in exploring Venus Fit and joining her program or connecting with Venus they can visit your website or find you on Instagram at venus2bfab.

Tis the season of letting go, as the trees begin to lose their leaves, holding the question of, ‘what am I ready to let go of?’

Listen to the entire episode to receive a guided practice where I walk you through a Grounded Graceful Letting Go embodied practice. 

Steps to the practice that I take listeners through:

- What I mean by softening into sovereignty

- 2 main modes of being on either extreme & how they relate to your line

- how this shifts your body’s posture/ way of holding yourself

- noticing your body wants & needs MORE than pain and MORE than others’ expectations of you

- energetic hygiene

A blog for more in the concept of energetic hygiene: https://www.radicalembodiment.com/blog/energetic-hygiene

Learn more about my online course, Body Love, where we spend an entire week on being Sovereign of your Experience.

In this episode I share a perspective on hope, faith, & trust that was recently shared with me from my therapist, Jeffrey Howard. https://www.threeleavescounseling.com/

I relate the three to how you relate to your line (if you haven't yet, go listen to the episode titled, The Line). The way I am talking about hope, faith, & trust is by no means 'the way'. It is simply a perspective that has been interesting and curious for me to explore personally, and so I thought sharing with my listeners could also be of value.

Faith : leaning back, different than surrender, giving up, saying ok do it & leaning back out of self/ off of Line

Trust : integrated in your Line, in your power, in your sovereignty (more on that in next episode dropping tomorrow)

Hope: leaning forward from your Line, up & out of yourself, grappling

As a listener of the Radical Embodiment podcast, I know you desire to feel confident, safe, and deeply connected to your sensual and embodied self. That's why I want to share with you a FREE transformative practice called "Stop the Body Hate."

To receive this powerful practice, simply go to radicalembodiment.com/free-gift-page. 

When you sign up from that page, you'll receive a Guided Audio practice and a detailed PDF with step-by-step instructions. It's time to change the narrative, catch unhealthy thought patterns and make empowered choices about how you view and feel within your body.

In today's episode, I share on the power of intention. You cannot know what you want, what you truly intend to experience until you first know how you feel. I share a deep practice on how to connect with how you really feel underneath the surface. From there, I give guidance on how to map what you desire to experience in all areas of your life: physical, emotional, mental, spiritually, & in relationships. Then I give a tangible practice that you can easily integrate into your daily life that will create a dramatic difference in how you experience yourself, your life, & others.

Enjoy!!

In this week's episode I share the concept of 'Your Line'. How it relates to you physically, emotionally, energetically, & spiritually. At the end of the episode, I take listeners through a guided body meditation on how to access Your Line. Connecting with Your Line can support you in experiencing more clarity, trust, and connection. I hope you enjoy!

Take advantage of my FREE Gift by signing up here.

Hey there, in this episode, I'm gonna dive into why Season 4 of the podcast took an unexpected 7-week breather. I'll chat about how I had to tackle my inner resistance, toss aside the master plan, and just embrace a break. Oh, and I've got a gem of an embodiment practice to share – it's like my secret weapon – called "finding your Line." 

Tapping into your Line can seriously amp up your clarity and trust levels. So kick back, tune in, and hopefully, you'll get a kick out of this episode!

Join me on this journey of nurturing your body and spirit through positive affirmations and unlocking the potential of fascia health.

As a listener of the Radical Embodiment podcast, I know you desire to feel confident, safe, and deeply connected to your sensual and embodied self. That's why I want to share with you a FREE transformative practice called "Stop the Body Hate."

To receive this powerful practice, simply go to radicalembodiment.com/free-gift-page. 

When you sign up from that page, you'll receive a Guided Audio practice and a detailed PDF with step-by-step instructions. It's time to change the narrative, catch unhealthy thought patterns and make empowered choices about how you view and feel within your body.

Remember, your voice matters, and together, we can create a world where everyone feels seen, accepted, and celebrated in their bodies.

Thank you once again for being part of the Radical Embodiment podcast. Until next time, stay courageous, stay intentional, and stay radically embodied.

In this episode I share about my experience in a fresh cadaver dissection lab. It was a unique opportunity and incredible experience, so I wanted to share some of the highlights from the week with you.

Before the first day, I was almost certain I’d pass out or get queasy. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to participate but have been intrigued by this type of learning experience for years to actually get to see and feel the layers of the body.

I ended day 1 feeling exhilarated and like I had a phenomenal experience. Beginning to feel a significant internal shift in regards to how I relate to the body on all levels, physically, energetically, emotionally, mentally, & spiritually.

Day 2: I was astounded at how beautiful the fascia is with this blue reflective property almost similar to mother of pearl. My relationship to the superficial fascia and adipose tissue (fat) changed, seeing the deep importance of those layers and how, once the main adipose tissue is removed, the form no longer looks like the person they were. Recognizing that my own adipose and superficial fascia is what gives me my shape, robustness, and protection.

Day 3: Rolling on the floor is awesome. It’s regulating, nourishing, and seems to help reestablish internal equilibrium.

Day 4: What a day. We saw so much. Seeing directly the relationship and interplay between the psoas, diaphragm, heart, and lungs.

Day 5: Visualizing to a level I couldn’t have even imagined, the tissue underneath me, going into a profound body state meditation, with for the first time some better semblance of my own inner layers of my body. Feeling my protective superficial fascia and adipose shell that gives my body its shape and robustness. Imagining what my muscles encased in fascia might look like, feeling around my head and skull and visualizing how that superficial layer might be after just seeing it gently removed from a human body. Doing some self palpation massage where I felt and visualized my own heart, lung, diaphragm, psoas into my leg connection.

It really was astonishing. Phenomenal and exhilarating.

Takeaways : there were a lot but here are a few that stick out:

- It’s not ‘variation from the norm’, instead, ‘variation is the norm’

- the importance of tissue hydration, move your body in all ways all day and give your body/ receive lots of loving intentional touch

- The more you learn, the more you realize just how much you don’t know, it’s a beautiful thing

- How truly beautiful and remarkable the muscle fascia layer of the body is and the blue iridescent quality of the fascia

The donors (the bodies we worked on) were held with deep reverence and respect, making sure every part of them stayed together so that the entire body could be returned to the family.

This week, if you notice unkind, judgmental thoughts towards yourself or your body for being weird, not the 'correct'/'ideal' shape, etc, take a breath, and remind yourself there is no 'normal', your own unique variations are what make you YOU, variations are the NORM, and your adipose tissue (your fat) is what protects some of your most vulnerable parts of your body, it is what make YOU look like you, holding everything together, instead of trying to constantly get rid of it / see it as bad / shameful, please keep in mind also, it's importance. Notice if that invites you to come into a state of more love, gentleness, and acceptance.

Thank you for joining me on the Radical Embodiment podcast.

 I invite you to take a moment and leave a review for the Radical Embodiment podcast on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback and support are invaluable in spreading our message of self-acceptance and body positivity to a wider audience. Simply take a screenshot of your review and share it on your Instagram stories or post, tagging our Instagram account @radical_embodiment_.

Remember, your voice matters, and together, we can create a world where everyone feels seen, accepted, and celebrated in their bodies.