Episode 117: Somatic Bodywork with Victoria Albina

Our modern, fast-paced world is filled with so many triggers. How do we drop into a deep, mindful, and almost meditative state of awareness and presence in our daily lives? The secret is in embodying somatic practices.

Victoria Albina is trained as a functional medicine nurse practitioner, life coach and breathwork facilitator. She is also the host of the The Feminist Wellness Podcast and today, Victoria and Karolina explore the importance of bodywork and the mind-body connection to heal overthinking and codependency. Victoria also shares the immense healing she found from ditching alcohol in her own life. Learn some beautiful feel-good practices to regulate emotions and thinking patterns through somatic work and discover the power of Awareness, Acceptance, and Action on today’s episode of Euphoric The Podcast!

Healing through Awareness, Acceptance, and Action.

During the 90’s and early 2000’s, Victoria Albina struggled with a variety of health problems, including chronic irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), and intermittent depression and anxiety.

Part of her healing journey was the shocking discovery of how much our mindset affects our body's health. Victoria believed she was unworthy of love, which led to codependency, perfectionism, and people pleasing. This narrative was feeding into her limbic system and her nervous system, inhibiting its ability to heal.

For complete healing, she needed not just medication and physical protocols. Victoria also needed thought work and body work! Today, through her life coaching business and podcast, Feminist Wellness, she helps others heal holistically using an approach she calls The Three A's: Awareness, Acceptance and Action. Let’s get into it.

Awareness means getting curious about your mind, body, and spirit connection. What stories do you tell yourself? What survival strategies have you relied on?

Acceptance is about coming to grips with how these survival skills have ruled in your life. How have they impacted your choices, health, and self view?

Action is where you use this new understanding to propel you toward change. Here you take steps toward healing, shifting belief systems, and choosing more supportive strategies.

The truth about codependency

Have you ever thought about how women in our society are conditioned from birth to set aside their needs for the sake of others?

Think about it. How common is it for women to make dinner and do the dishes afterward, while the men relax, watch TV, or play games?

Women are socialized to believe their needs come last and others are more worthy. It’s no surprise then that women often operate with a framework of codependent thinking. When we put others ahead of ourselves or we don’t have healthy boundaries, it leads to a disconnection from self. Instead of deep inner knowing, we adopt the views and ideas of those around us. What is lost here is our authentic self.

Part of Victoria’s healing journey was saying goodbye to alcohol in her life. She describes drinking as a tool that allowed her to detach. It kept her from having to be present because she didn’t know who she was.

Ditching alcohol gave her the glorious space to sit with the discomfort of being present, practice breathwork, and get curious about her urge to want to disconnect. The power of this process was relearning how to trust herself, her body, and rediscover who she is.

Using Somatics to reconnect with self

Did you know that in Greek, “soma” means “body”? Somatic work is the beautiful practice of really being in our bodies. It’s about deeply recognizing how your emotions resonate in your body, and understanding how your body experiences emotions and feelings.

Somatic bodywork is freaking powerful! And Victoria shares so many favorite hacks for how you can incorporate somatic practices in your daily life. The best part? Most of them only take a few minutes.

To get started, find a picture of a stunning landscape or a cute animal. As you look at the image, begin noticing what is happening in your body and what you are feeling.

Maybe when you look at a puppy, it makes your body feel gushy and warm, while a photo of the ocean makes your lungs feel expansive and tingly as you imagine the space and the smell of the salt. This simple practice helps you become familiar with noticing your body.

To ground into your body, choose a category, such as colors or textures. Then start naming things within your category. For example, Victoria will start with the color blue and name four blue things she sees. Then she might think of the color pink and again, notice four pink things around her.

Another exercise creates trust within your body. Known as “box breathing”, take a moment of pause and inhale to the count of four. Hold for the count of four, then exhale for the count of five, and hold again for the count of four. This breathwork style tells your body that it is safe.

These practices will help you develop the muscle of being in your body. As you continue to practice these exercises, you’ll start noticing your body’s reactions in different settings.

This noticing is your Awareness. Then you can be curious about why you’re feeling a certain way, leading to Acceptance. Lastly, you can use this new understanding to take the Action that best meets your needs.

It is key in this somatic work to practice both internal awareness and external noticing so that we get to be fully present with ourselves and with those we care about!

“We get to recognize that we have thought habits. We have survival skills that have shaped the way we relate to self and the world. And because neuroplasticity, because science, we can change those habits within ourselves.” Victoria Albina

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED

Discover more about Victoria and sign up for her free suite of meditations through her website and remember to follow her on Instagram. Tune in to her podcast, The Feminist Wellness and check out her program Anchored: Overcoming Codependency.

Karolina’s book is available in hardcover, Kindle, and as an audiobook. Be sure to get your copy of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You today and leave a review!

If you're a new alcohol-free or sober coach, learn how to market yourself effectively, build systems to attract potential leads, grow on social media, and break past mindset blocks with Karolina’s Business Coaching.

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