Relationships Let's Talk About It!

When was the last time you said 'I'm sorry' and truly meant it? It is often easy to say the words, but to truly feel sorry - to be vulnerable, take accountability, and try to change a bad behavior or habit - it can often prove more difficult. We tend to say 'I am sorry' when we feel embarrassed about mistakes or trying to appease another person.

The art of apologizing is a critical skill we must learn in order tobuild deep, meaningful relationship with those around us. And while we often try to avoid conflict in our day-to-day lives - especially with those closest to us - it's important to remember that it is through conflict and differences that we learn, grow, and improve ourselves and our relationships.

On today's episode, I discuss the art of apologizing and why it is critical for deepening your relationships. I explain why conflict is necessary for self-growth and understanding and the connection between self-compassion, accountability, and a sincere apology. I also explain how a sincere apology can impact the healing process following a hurtful event, why it's okay to take time to truly feel sorry before apologizing, and how it can often lead to acceptance and forgiveness.

"One of the greatest gifts of exploring apologies is the lesson of humility." - Pripo Teplitsky

This week on Relationships! Let's Talk About It:

• The importance of only apologizing when you truly feel sorry.
• How to handle situations when you're not ready to apologize.
• The importance of taking time to digest and understand your partner's perspective in a hurtful situation.
• Why it is often difficult to take accountability for hurting others.
• The connection between self-compassion, accountability, and a true apology.
• The difference between feeling remorse and feeling embarrassed or ashamed.
• What is required before true forgiveness can occur?
• How apologizing can impact your relationships with your
• How apologizing can help heal wounds and build bridges in estranged family relationships.
• The importance of empathizing with how the other person feels.
• The importance of expressing your regrets when apologizing.
• Identifying strategies for changing poor behavior or habits.
• Examples of effective, heartfelt apologies.
• Setting realistic expectations when apologizing and asking for forgiveness.
• The difference between accepting an apology and true forgiveness.
• The importance of always accepting an apology - even if you can't forgive the behavior.
• Expressing the qualities you seek in an apology with your spouse or partner.
• How sincere apologies can impact the healing process.
• The impact that accountability and apologizing have had in political disputes.
• The importance of apologizing even when you don't feel accountable, wrong, or that you've intentionally hurt the other person.
• Exercises to help you improve your apologizing skill to deepen your relationships and begin the healing process.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Healing of America by Marianne Williamson
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Sponsored by Still Point Wellness

StillPoint Wellness is Asheville's premier spa experience. Enjoy effortless relaxation and rejuvenate your body through Still Point's world-class services including Esalen Massage®, Salt Water Floatation also known as sensory deprivation, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Psychology. Experience the healing powers of deep relaxation like never before!

Schedule your first appointment by visiting www.StillPointWell.comor call (828) 348-5372.

Mention the code:Pripoto receive 10% off your first Salt Water Floatation or Esalen Massage®!

Let's Talk About It!

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Relationships! Let's Talk About It- the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

Theme music "These Streets" provided by Adi the Monk

Relationships! Let's Talk About It is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Angela Porter specializes in providing guidance to people with addictions, relational troubles, mental health problems, and codependency issues. Her impressive 25-year career as a professional therapist in California encompasses trauma and addiction treatment, self-care workshops and consultations for therapists as well as international BREEMA workshops for professionals in the medical and healthcare industries. After serving as a Program Director at the New Bridge Foundation's substance treatment program in Berkeley, she is now a group facilitator at Bayside Marin's substance abuse treatment program in San Rafael and maintains an active private practice in both San Rafael and Oakland.

Angela joins me on today's episode to discuss the art of confrontation — why we shouldn't fear it, how we should do it, and why it's important to confront not just others, but ourselves. She shares her experiences in working with people suffering from addiction, mental health issues, and emotional problems, as well as one life-changing moment that imparted upon her a lifelong lesson. In addition, she and I take the time to talk about our own friendship, and how our commitment and desire to connect by embracing the truth in ourselves has allowed us to help each other grow as individuals and as professionals.

"You don't feel safe because of inner conditions — because you've stopped listening to your own truth, and you're looking for it outside of yourself." - Angela Porter

This week on Relationships! Let's Talk About It:

• The various ways to confront people, including yourself, in a manner that's kind yet clear.
• My friendship with Angela, and how confrontation plays a positive role in it.
• The underlying desire for connection and transcendence in every relationship — and how that need is only fulfilled by the presence of truth.
• The extensive work that Angela has done in dealing with people and helping them stand up with truth.
• A powerful, truthful moment that we shared during a rather memorable workshop.
• Expectations in a relationship, and how the need for confronting people's truths plays into those.
• Angela's experiences with her partner with regard to confrontation.
• My personal experience where I confronted someone with a powerful truth, resulting in a very positive outcome.
• A unique and difficult experience involving a client that taught Angela a valuable lesson.
• Confronting people with their positive attributes, instead of their negatives and what they lack.
• The word "confrontation" itself, its power, and its impact.
• Understanding that whatever you're doing right now is NOT who you are.
• What an apology really means, in the context of self-confrontation.
• How Angela walks people through the sense of discomfort that comes with confrontation.
• How the truth is actually a holistic experience.
• The self-loathing and fundamental brokenness at the heart of every human being.
• How we can't really "teach" each other anything — and what we CAN do for each other, instead.

Connect with Angela Porter:

• Angela Porter's website
• Email: [email protected]

Join Us for The Power of Appreciation Workshop

Join Pripo and his wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, on Sunday, November 11, 2018, in Asheville, NC to learn the secrets of unlocking the Power of Appreciation in your relationships. Genuine appreciation, regardless of how simple or profound, has been proven to bring an immediate shift in the quality and closeness of loving relationships. The Power of Appreciation Workshop will teach you the necessary skills and fundamental process of enriching your relationship with your partner, deepening the connection, and enhancing the flow of positive.

To learn more about The Power of Appreciation Workshop, and to register, visit HeartShare Counseling & Consulting PC or call (828) 712-8398.

Sponsored by Still Point Wellness

Still Point Wellness is Asheville's premier spa experience. Enjoy effortless relaxation and rejuvenate your body through Still Point's world-class services including Esalen Massage®, Salt Water Floatation also known as sensory deprivation, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Psychology. Experience the healing powers of deep relaxation like never before!

Schedule your first appointment by visiting www.StillPointWell.com or call (828) 348-5372.

Mention the code: Pripo to receive 10% off your first Salt Water Floatation or Esalen Massage®!

Let's Talk About It!

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Relationships! Let's Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

Theme music "These Streets" provided by Adi the Monk

Relationships! Let's Talk About It is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

When was the last time you sat with your significant other, put down your mobile device, and just focused on your partner and everything you appreciate about them? Or the last time you smiled at a co-worker, waved at an acquaintance, or did a high-five with a friend you haven't seen in a while? What about the last time you shared positive feedback or words of encouragement with a stranger whom you felt needed it? In other words, when was the last time you had a brief but genuine connection — a micro-moment — with another human being?

On today's episode, I share my thoughts on micro-moments: what they are, how they occur in relationships, and why they matter tremendously. I share stories about my favorite micro-moments with friends, co-workers, family members, and even total strangers over the years - some of which are my most cherished memories of them. I also discuss the aspects of micro-moments and explain the concept of "authenticity on demand."

"It is not in the big grandiosity, the big moments and glamor of the date nights and weekend getaways that's your connection. It's in the mundane, in the routine, in every moment of life." - PripoTeplitsky

This week on Relationships! Let's Talk About It:

• The concept of micro-moments: the small moments in day-to-day life you take for granted.
• How a temporary break from the busy aspects of modern life can allow micro-moments in relationships to pop up and thrive.
• The value of asking questions, even just the little ones, in establishing your connection.
• How the often-repeated sentiment that "it's the little moments that matter most" is very, very true.
• My favorite memories of the numerous micro-moments I shared with my loved ones, especially my son.
• The significance of nicknames and positive acknowledgment in those little moments of connection.
• How the thought of "What if this were my last day?" helps us appreciate these micro-moments more.
• How even the most mundane moment of a unique day can be so profound.
• Why true connection doesn't require a lot of dialogue.
• The concept of "authenticity on demand."
• Negative micro-moments, and what we can do to change them.
• Giving and receiving appreciative statements.

Join Us for The Power of Appreciation Workshop

Join Pripo and his wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, on Sunday, November 11, 2018, in Asheville, NC to learn the secrets of unlocking the Power of Appreciation in your relationships. Genuine appreciation, regardless of how simple or profound, has been proven to bring an immediate shift in the quality and closeness of loving relationships. The Power of Appreciation Workshop will teach you the necessary skills and fundamental process of enriching your relationship with your partner, deepening the connection, and enhancing the flow of positive.

To learn more about The Power of Appreciation Workshop, and to register, visit HeartShare Counseling & Consulting PCor call (828) 712-8398.

Sponsored by Still Point Wellness

StillPoint Wellness is Asheville's premier spa experience. Enjoy effortless relaxation and rejuvenate your body through Still Point's world-class services including Esalen Massage®, Salt Water Floatation also known as sensory deprivation, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Psychology. Experience the healing powers of deep relaxation like never before!

Schedule your first appointment by visiting www.StillPointWell.comor call (828) 348-5372.

Mention the code: Pripo to receive 10% off your first Salt Water Floatation or Esalen Massage®!

Let's Talk About It!

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Relationships! Let's Talk About It- the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

Theme music "These Streets" provided by Adi the Monk

Relationships! Let's Talk About It is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

R010 Non-Violent Communication

Steve Torma is the co-founder of The REAL Center, an organization that has been committed to encouraging compassionate relationships since 2007. He is the former President of Earthaven Ecovillage in Black Mountain, NC, and was a core faculty member for The Asheville Tantra School. He has established a thirty-year career of helping countless people find healing, direction, and meaning in their lives through his mastery of Non-Violent Communication (NVC), Radical Honesty, Body Electric, Cuddle Party, Restorative Circles, Permaculture, and Creation Spirituality.

Steve joins me today to discuss non-violent communications and how being in sync with our feelings can help us better understand our needs and gain insight on why we make the decisions we make. He explains how our relationships are affected by how well - or how poorly - we know our own feelings, particularly in the way we translate our thoughts into words. He also briefly touches on the four gateway feelings in his line of work — anger, depression, shame, and guilt — and what each of those things really means for the individual.

"Thoughts are obviously important, but to be able to communicate what's in your body — that kind of aliveness is one of the main things that creates connection.'" - Steve Torma

This week on Relationships! Let's Talk About It:

• Learning how to feel exactly what is going on with your body.
• The profound difference between thinking and feeling.
• Having a solid emotional vocabulary.
• Starting with feeling awareness, and realizing that feelings give us important information.
• Understanding why we make the choices we make — why we feel what we feel.
• Distinguishing between needs and wants by learning how to feel one's needs.
• How — and why — the foundation of a dysfunctional relationship is not knowing your partner's needs.
• How to effectively train people to be more attuned to their feelings.
• The definition of self-directed neuroplasticity: Why it is possible for people to change.
• Why pain is NOT suffering.
• The four parts of the training process for non-violent communications.
• Creating a connection between two people through the verbalization of feelings.
• The significance and power of acknowledging what and how we are feeling.
• The value of understanding the thoughts behind your anger.
• The meaning of feeling a "sweet pain."
• Understanding the basic principle of NVC.
• Healing shame by realizing its roots.
• Seeing through the eyes of compassion.
• The truth behind how nature designed us, with regard to stress.

Connect with Steve Torma:

• The REAL Center website
• Email: [email protected]

Join Us for The Power of Appreciation Workshop

Join Pripo and his wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, on Sunday, November 11, 2018, in Asheville, NC to learn the secrets of unlocking the Power of Appreciation in your relationships. Genuine appreciation, regardless of how simple or profound, has been proven to bring an immediate shift in the quality and closeness of loving relationships. The Power of Appreciation Workshop will teach you the necessary skills and fundamental process of enriching your relationship with your partner, deepening the connection, and enhancing the flow of positive.

To learn more about The Power of Appreciation Workshop, and to register, visit HeartShare Counseling & Consulting PC or call (828) 712-8398.

Sponsored by Still Point Wellness

Still Point Wellness is Asheville's premier spa experience. Enjoy effortless relaxation and rejuvenate your body through Still Point's world-class services including Esalen Massage®, Salt Water Floatation also known as sensory deprivation, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Psychology. Experience the healing powers of deep relaxation like never before!

Schedule your first appointment by visiting www.StillPointWell.com or call (828) 348-5372.

Mention the code: Pripo to receive 10% off your first Salt Water Floatation or Esalen Massage®!

Let's Talk About It!

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Relationships! Let's Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

Theme music "These Streets" provided by Adi the Monk

Relationships! Let's Talk About It is produced by Podcraft. To learn more about how Podcraft can make it easy for you to create a professional show, visit Podcraft.com

R010 Non-Violent Communication

Steve Torma is the co-founder of The REAL Center, an organization that has been committed to encouraging compassionate relationships since 2007. He is the former President of Earthaven Ecovillage in Black Mountain, NC, and was a core faculty member for The Asheville Tantra  School. He has established a thirty-year career of helping countless people find healing, direction, and meaning in their lives through his mastery of Non-Violent Communication (NVC), Radical Honesty, Body Electric, Cuddle  Party, Restorative Circles, Permaculture, and Creation Spirituality.  

Steve joins me today to discuss non-violent communications and how being in sync with our feelings can help us better understand our needs and gain insight on why we make the decisions we make. He explains how our relationships are affected by how well - or how poorly - we know our own feelings, particularly in the way we translate our thoughts into words. He also briefly touches on the four gateway feelings in his line of work — anger, depression, shame, and guilt — and what each of those things really means for the individual.

“Thoughts are obviously important, but to be able to communicate what’s in your body — that kind of aliveness is one of the main things that creates connection.’” - Steve Torma

This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:

• Learning how to feel exactly what is going on with your body.
• The profound difference between thinking and feeling.
• Having a solid emotional vocabulary.
• Starting with feeling awareness, and realizing that feelings give us important information.
• Understanding why we make the choices we make — why we feel what we feel.
• Distinguishing between needs and wants by learning how to feel one’s needs.
• How — and why — the foundation of a dysfunctional relationship is not knowing your partner’s needs.
• How to effectively train people to be more attuned to their feelings.
• The definition of self-directed neuroplasticity: Why it is possible for people to change.
• Why pain is NOT suffering.
• The four parts of the training process for non-violent communications.
• Creating a connection between two people through the verbalization of feelings.
• The significance and power of acknowledging what and how we are feeling.
• The value of understanding the thoughts behind your anger. 
• The meaning of feeling a “sweet pain.”
• Understanding the basic principle of NVC.
• Healing shame by realizing its roots.
• Seeing through the eyes of compassion.
• The truth behind how nature designed us, with regard to stress.

Connect with Steve Torma:

• The REAL Center website
• Email: [email protected] 

Join Us for The Power of Appreciation Workshop

Join Pripo and his wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, on Sunday, November 11, 2018, in Asheville, NC to learn the secrets of unlocking the Power of Appreciation in your relationships. Genuine appreciation, regardless of how simple or profound, has been proven to bring an immediate shift in the quality and closeness of loving relationships. The Power of Appreciation Workshop will teach you the necessary skills and fundamental process of enriching your relationship with your partner, deepening the connection, and enhancing the flow of positive.

To learn more about The Power of Appreciation Workshop, and to register, visit HeartShare Counseling & Consulting PC or call (828) 712-8398.

Sponsored by Still Point Wellness 

Still Point Wellness is Asheville’s premier spa experience. Enjoy effortless relaxation and rejuvenate your body through Still Point’s world-class services including Esalen Massage®, Salt Water Floatation also known as sensory deprivation, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Psychology. Experience the healing powers of deep relaxation like never before! 

Schedule your first appointment by visiting www.StillPointWell.com or call (828) 348-5372. 

Mention the code: Pripo to receive 10% off your first Salt Water Floatation or Esalen Massage®! 

Let’s Talk About It!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Don’t forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Relationships! Let’s Talk About It is produced by Podcraft. To learn more about how Podcraft can make it easy for you to create a professional show, visit Podcraft.com

Setting boundaries in relationships is usually a challenging topic to tackle, and with good reason. Aside from the fact that the very idea of imposing restrictions between yourself and your partner is hard to define, the act itself can be quite tricky to navigate — especially if you're afraid that you might offend your partner. What many don't realize is that setting healthy boundaries won't tear your relationship apart; in fact, it'll strengthen it, or perhaps even save it.

On today's episode, I break down the details of boundary-setting in relationships, from defining the concept to classifying the types of boundaries you need to set. I explain the concept of differentiation within the context of a relationship and explain why it's important to set aside time for personal activities and to put your needs at the forefront. I also share personal stories that illustrate the importance of saying "no" and how to say it properly, the impact of setting healthy boundaries on your relationship and your life in general, and the consequences of failing to do so.

"A relationship can't be healthy until both parties communicate their boundaries clearly, and the other person respects them." - PripoTeplitsky

This week on Relationships! Let's Talk About It:

• Defining what boundaries are, in the context of relationships.
• Distinguishing physical, sexual, emotional, and material boundaries.
• The benefits of establishing healthy boundaries in a relationship.
• How to establish healthy boundaries in a relationship.
• Defining and developing differentiation in your relationship.
• The concept of self-soothing to relieve your own
• The importance of putting your identity and needs at the forefront.
• Why you should learn to say "no"... and why it's okay to say "yes."
• Setting — and respecting — personal schedules or activities without your partner.
• A personal story relating to my vision quest at Esalen Institute.
• How to handle unsolicited advice from loved ones.
• What happens when we don't set boundaries, or when we set unhealthy ones.
• How boundaries allow us to grow.

Join Us for The Power of Appreciation Workshop

Join Pripo and his wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, on Sunday, November 11, 2018, in Asheville, NC to learn the secrets of unlocking the Power of Appreciation in your relationships. Genuine appreciation, regardless of how simple or profound, has been proven to bring an immediate shift in the quality and closeness of loving relationships. The Power of Appreciation Workshopwill teach you the necessary skills and fundamental process of enriching your relationship with your partner, deepening the connection, and enhancing the flow of positive.

To learn more about The Power of Appreciation Workshop, and to register, visit HeartShare Counseling & Consulting PCor call (828) 712-8398.

Sponsored by Still Point Wellness

StillPoint Wellness is Asheville's premier spa experience. Enjoy effortless relaxation and rejuvenate your body through Still Point's world-class services including Esalen Massage®, Salt Water Floatation also known as sensory deprivation, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Psychology. Experience the healing powers of deep relaxation like never before!

Schedule your first appointment by visiting www.StillPointWell.comor call (828) 348-5372.

Mention the code:Pripo to receive 10% off your first Salt Water Floatation and Esalen Massage®!

Let's Talk About It!

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Relationships! Let's Talk About It- the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Don't forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

Theme music provided by Adi the Monk

Setting boundaries in relationships is usually a challenging topic to tackle, and with good reason. Aside from the fact that the very idea of imposing restrictions between yourself and your partner is hard to define, the act itself can be quite tricky to navigate — especially if you’re afraid that you might offend your partner. What many don’t realize is that setting healthy boundaries won’t tear your relationship apart; in fact, it’ll strengthen it, or perhaps even save it.

On today’s episode, I break down the details of boundary-setting in relationships, from defining the concept to classifying the types of boundaries you need to set. I explain the concept of differentiation within the context of a relationship and explain why it’s important to set aside time for personal activities and to put your needs at the forefront. I also share personal stories that illustrate the importance of saying “no” and how to say it properly, the impact of setting healthy boundaries on your relationship and your life in general, and the consequences of failing to do so.

“A relationship can’t be healthy until both parties communicate their boundaries clearly, and the other person respects them.” - PripoTeplitsky

This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:

• Defining what boundaries are, in the context of relationships.
• Distinguishing physical, sexual, emotional, and material boundaries.
• The benefits of establishing healthy boundaries in a relationship.
• How to establish healthy boundaries in a relationship.
• Defining and developing differentiation in your relationship.
• The concept of self-soothing to relieve your own
• The importance of putting your identity and needs at the forefront.
• Why you should learn to say “no”... and why it’s okay to say “yes.”
• Setting — and respecting — personal schedules or activities without your partner.
• A personal story relating to my vision quest at Esalen Institute.
• How to handle unsolicited advice from loved ones.
• What happens when we don’t set boundaries, or when we set unhealthy ones.
• How boundaries allow us to grow.

Join Us for The Power of Appreciation Workshop

Join Pripo and his wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, on Sunday, November 11, 2018, in Asheville, NC to learn the secrets of unlocking the Power of Appreciation in your relationships. Genuine appreciation, regardless of how simple or profound, has been proven to bring an immediate shift in the quality and closeness of loving relationships. The Power of Appreciation Workshopwill teach you the necessary skills and fundamental process of enriching your relationship with your partner, deepening the connection, and enhancing the flow of positive.

To learn more about The Power of Appreciation Workshop, and to register, visit HeartShare Counseling & Consulting PCor call (828) 712-8398.

Sponsored by Still Point Wellness

StillPoint Wellness is Asheville’s premier spa experience. Enjoy effortless relaxation and rejuvenate your body through Still Point’s world-class services including Esalen Massage®, Salt Water Floatation also known as sensory deprivation, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Somatic Psychology. Experience the healing powers of deep relaxation like never before!

Schedule your first appointment by visiting www.StillPointWell.comor call (828) 348-5372.

Mention the code:Pripo to receive 10% off your first Salt Water Floatation and Esalen Massage®!

Let’s Talk About It!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It- the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. Don’t forget to visit our website, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and share your favorite episodes on social media!

Theme music provided by Adi the Monk