by Renee Lindstrom, founder Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning
Embodied Mindfulness approach to personal change
Here is a life style map diagram of the the focus of attention in the learning topics at Inside Awareness. The intention of lifestyle learning patterns are for Human Flourishing.
Human Flourishing
Flourishing is a state of living optimally, in deep fulfillment and ongoing personal growth, beyond basic survival or simple happiness. Flourishing encompasses a sense of purpose, rich relationships, physical health, and resilience to adapt to challenges
The body reveals.
The mind interprets.
Awareness connects the two.
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Goals: 2027 Manifesting through intention first before solutions
3. Article on Relationships: The fractals creating the words expressed from the speaker you are listening to suggests need to take caution before going into agreement with their perspective …
by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP, founder of Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning
Consider the next person you engage with from this pictures viewpoint instead of unconsciously responding to their words or actions.
Consider how their viewpoint has been formed.
These are examples of how their internal processing, (reactions and responses) to the world have been created. It’s like computer coding! This internal programming is different from yours, so the question is, why are you going along with what you are hearing instead of recognizing it for what it is?
Most people speak about their past in present circumstances as they have not mastered the art of being in the present moment logically. People who respond through past filtering unconsciously cannot be logical in the present and are not good leaders. This is what is being played out before us in world events. What we are witnessing in these events could be the incentive to begin educating on how to dissect inner filters of behaviour and reactions without labels and diagnosis. Instead, observing and engaging with the actual process through pattern recognition and skills for making choices in the moment instead of being hoodwinked. Especially important for people, and groups of people who respond with anger, hate and malice towards others. The corrupt cartoon characters that will do anything for money that we are witnessing. They are more evident now through the grossness of what we are experiencing and we are also learning there is someone. or someone’s pulling the strings behind them. They are never the puppeteer, rather the puppet doing someone else’s bidding and only the fall guy. A fall guy who was tricked into making vows through promises that inspired their greed.
The next few generations could be inspiring if a large percentage of us become incentivized to engage and dive deeper into translating behaviour conditioning, versus analyzing it and labelling it. Those strategies are old and are what got us here. This is my growing awareness through experience that has held a consistent daily focus on this topic for over 30 years without wavering. It has included mentoring others using guided patterns and through this experience I have observed potential I had no idea was possible.
This picture was created by Ai, which has identified the focus of my work and creates from what it has learned about me. It is a model of the example I wrote of above. It’s all in the integration of information, always. AI is modeling our own behaviour traits, only it is doing it consciously. The majority of us are acting out of unconsciousness. That is the difference and the eventual power over us, unless we do something about it personally.
Consciousness is not in the disconnection of outside focus, it is inside through growing clarity of our own selves from the inside out. Not outside in. Outside to inside is where we are corruptible.
Minimalist line art emphasizing embodiment before strategy
Embodied somatic action harmonizes with cognitive focused strategies and increases conscious connection to motivation. It leads to clarity of motivation before action. This pattern increases the potential for successful outcomes in all life areas, and reduces inner and outer conflicted states. Leading with strategies indoctrinates self and others and reduces innovation, motivation and spontaneous outcomes. Embodiment cultivates awareness and increases possibilities for higher outcomes and experiences.
Cognitive StrategiesVs Somatic Awareness
Strategies are cognitive based upon beliefs, while somatic processing is a learning path of awareness. A cognitive based belief system can stunt a person’s perspective by its nature as it has a focus of attention in one or two life areas only. For example, if a person is only focused on wealth and its attainment, every action will be strategic to meet that need. Generally, there will be a lack of mindfulness through the experience. The experience will lack the balance and harmony that is born from lived mindful awareness. Without this mindfulness there can be perpetual states of conflict, inside and out. Conflicted states fanned by the flames of seeking ways to increase wealth. This can influence every aspect of living as this conflict is expressed through emotional behaviour, expression and physical action. It can extend to every relationship that begins with critiquing through the lens of how to use others to their advantage in growing greediness. Strategy focused actions usually led to winners and losers. Strategies born from beliefs lack conscious awareness of the intent in the present moment. Beliefs are the past, yet they control the present, the future. This pattern can lead to extreme actions and statements for justification, with the last attempt feeding the next.
The process of mindfully connecting to one’s inner motivation before strategies increases conscious awareness. This process is more likely to grow beyond a single minded focus such as in this example, to become wealthy. The isolation that comes with self perceived status can expand into a state of thriving, instead of striving, through the increased range of information that comes with inclusion. Achievement will not be at the cost of people, places and things and instead include consideration for them. Those who are strategy first decision makers are not eliminating somatic experiences, they simply have no control over it. Their focus on power and control is strategic and is without the abilities of self regulation. How can one self regulate an experience they are cognitively ignoring? Being led by uncontrollable somatic experiences can lead to conflict and harm, of self and to others. They may lack the discernment for recognizing they are living in a cycle of going from one catastrophic experience to the next. Often overlapping.
Embodiment before strategy is a learning pattern integrated into the program topics at Inside Awareness. Learn more about the lifestyle program topics.
A mindful journal to plan, reflect, and align with your highest self. The Lotus Flower Summer Weekly Embodiment Actions Journal is designed to support this journey.
Like the lotus flower, growth often emerges through challenge. Each page of this journal is an invitation to slow down, notice what matters, and take intentional steps toward the life you wish to create.
Inside these pages, you will find space to:
Set meaningful intentions
Track habits and progress
Reflect on emotions and experiences
Practice gratitude
Strengthen self-awareness
Align your actions with your values
This journal has been created through 26 years of experience integrating somatic awareness as support for understanding and increasing clarity in behaviour through movement, communication and listening. The cognitive behaviour and somatic behaviours are intertwined and this author practitioner and mentor has recognized a lack of balance and understanding between the two. Mainstream guided pattern focus in education has mainly been on cognitive function and not on somatic experience. Therefore, the somatic reactions can be out of control without the skills to keep impulse control in check. This is demonstrated through a lack of body connections to how the skeleton functions at the core patterns and in the inner processing of information due to limited filters of understanding. The guided patterns in this journal support the integration of balancing the interrelationships between the body and mind responses.
Below you will find two more somatic oriented activates that engage the mind through guided patterns. One is meditation and the other through sound.
Connect to learn more about Lotus Flower Embodiment Learning Series that integrates functional movement and mindfulness for converting out of balance reactions into conscious responses.
Listen to Meditation to support Lotus Flower Embodiment Series:
Listen to Music Playlist to support Lotus Flower Embodiment Series:
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by Renee Lindstrom, founder Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning
This blog article below was written on this author’s personal website http://www.reneelindstrom.com recently. It is from a perspective of a somatic empath that carries the ability to identify the authentic somatic experience and the cognitive conceptualization that those not in their somatic experience believe it is. No judgement, simply a gap this author is bringing focus to. You can read this article by clicking the article link below or listen on You tube at link below it. I hope this content will be of interest in those sincerely interested in actively going beyond what they think they know from societies conditioning in accepting the stories attached to their mental, emotional and physical states of being. The first step to breaking free of acceptance to labels, assessments, and moral judgements, etc., is having clarity on the separation that supports it.
Below are two earlier articles from this authors personal web site on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs from an interesting perspective that may be interesting to read after digesting and integrating this perspective from a somatic empath. Understanding this first stage will support how society is perhaps being misguided by this lack of clarity by those who are seeking to meet their needs without compassion and empathy for others.
If you would like to connectto learn moreabout educational opportunities, coaching, mentoring , consulting or functional integrations
Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Movement®, and Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. Feldenkrais Method®
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A woman demonstrates a sequence of recovery poses from lying down to standing up during a workout.
1. Standing
2. Sitting
3. Prone
Here are some reflections of this Feldenkrais Practitioner prior to a Breath Workshop held in April, ’26 to center and ground prior to leading a group through a specific guided patterns of movement. .
The focus of attention in the verbal guided patterns to go beyond the busy mind of thinking into an expanded awareness of the somatic experience
The process of observing the guided pattern suggestions is another focus of attention for balancing the somatic experience with cognitive conceptual function. This focus in this pattern leads with somatic experiences to redirect cognitive functional focus of attention. In the process of this focused pattern, the mind can enter a state not unlike a mindfulness meditation. In this mindfulness like state the cognition can expand beyond beliefs, opinions, evaluative thinking and social conditioning into a field that cultivates deeper awareness.
The guided micromovements focus on the body’s structural design for potential movement beginning with the core – the skeleton.
Why? The natural design of the bodies ability to transition through postural shifts is through the bone pressure using the force of gravity. Original movement transitions are not through muscle and soft tissue lifting the bone and bearing the weight of the bone matter. That only creates constraints, pain and limited function. Organizing the skeletal bones to transition through flexibility and expanded range of motion increases ease and effortlessness in functionality.
Micromovements through the perspective of skeletal function is its own separate type of workout from what is currently focused on, and this focus can be far more challenging than the current mainstream focus is aware of
Imagine repeating changing patterns of micromovements toning the muscles through available functional transitions that release the few muscles that have become the primary motivation for controlling movement. New muscle patterns are created as habitual holding is released through the tonification and dormant muscles are activated, while the organization in the brains is expanding through conscious awareness.
These guided patterns go beyond the conceptualization of cognitive intellectualization that has locked movement into patterns that eventually create diminishing capacity through its limited understanding. Beliefs, opinions and evaluative expressions lock down the brains functional capacity. This is expressed through a lack of flexibility in all qualities of function; mentally, emotionally and physically.
This suggests that these guided patterns for integrating movement through a focus that taps into conscious awareness that balances both the somatic experience and cognitive function can give all aspects of functional experiences a workout from perceptions, mobility to brain function. Ihe focus is completely on expansion and identifying limitation whether it is through thinking, emotional and physical patterns.
This fantastic connection in this process is that it is through organic functional movement, the brains focus of attention and mindfulness. Imagine a fitness workout that is actually a pattern for learning and going beyond what we know into a expanded reality that reduces fear, pain, effort and suffering into ease, flexibility, groundedness and agility.
Learning focus here is through the bones and not socially conditioned thinking patterns that come through titles, names, labels, trends and images of right and wrong beliefs. Current examples are the bastardization of the cultural practices of yoga and tai chi where cognitively designed exercises have been turned into chair yoga and chair tai chi. These are exercises packaged as a concept and they lack the somatic awareness component of the source philosophy. It’s the development of a marketing strategy for creating an image that taps into the focus of attention of society’s ego concepts of self image. Are they beneficial for becoming active. Yes, however they are examples of misleading advertising that is associated with the mindfulness and expanded consciousness of the traditional philosophies.
The above is an evolution of deeper understanding of social conditioning and the lack of balance between somatic experiencing and cognitive conceptualization that is developing from the focus of attention and observations of the practitioner of functional integration.
It is an example of reflection for tapping into and grounding thought patterns for organizing a focus on balancing the mind to guide patterns that will open students consciousness and not reflect boxed in cognitive concepts. Pausing to organize thoughts to set them aside to guide others into mindfulness is an important part of this practitioners process. I hope you enjoy the content.
Body Mindfulness – Core Body Functional Breathing Audio
Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Movement®, and Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild® of NorthAmerica
by Renee Lindstrom, founder, Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning
Launching TMJ – Jaw Release #1 – Side to Side
TMJ Jaw Release Guided Pattern Audio #1/3
These guided patterns are from Feldenkrais workshop that Renee has held since 2007. The feedback after each workshop has been positive with appreciation expressed. Here is a recent comment from a ’26 workshop.
I always appreciate my sessions with you and the learning. The focus on the tongue, back of throat and head hinging as part of the jaw release has really made a difference. Some of what you shared was new for me so it is taking me awhile to get the hang of it but I’ve been exploring those movements further at home and it’s been good. J
These somatic patterns are called Awareness through Movement Lessons and this workshop series is the integration of of moving parts that enhance ease in the jaw function. The patterns cutivate awareness of the joint movement through micro movements that increase efficiency.
A student may become consciously aware of the individual parts inside their mouth and in their facial features, neck, and further down the torso. It is a wonderful way to find a deeper inner peacefulness, and experience the calming influence of mindfulness.
These lesson contribute to:
Reducing jaw and neck pain
Headache support through pain reduction
Increased jaw function
Lessen scienty, tension and stress
Improve Jaw Function
Enhance sleep and relaxation
Read more on the benefits of Somatic Body Mindfulness and research of Feldenkrais below
How to purchase and enjoy TJM Jaw Release – Side to Side
TMJ – Jaw Release Side to Side #1of 3
Explore the anatomy of the jaw using guided patterns and mindful exploration for cultivating awareness through the felt senses and the skeleton.
increase relaxation and windows of emotional tolerance and self-connection
improve sleep and sleep sounder
increase body functions, cognition and emotional responses of calm, mindfulness and joy
Exploring the body anatomy through the felt senses increases inner awareness and trust. This body exploration is a different type of strength training. The difference is the focus of attention on the body, mind and felt senses through guided patterns designed to expand conscious awareness of the body function. The strength of feeling one’s body through moving joints and bones deepens awareness of physical connections as postures change, like in the shifting transitions from sitting to standing and back to sitting. Movement is a series of shifting postures. The functioning healthy body is not stationary, nor poses. It is designed for a continuous flow of integrative movement patterns.
Feedback On Body Mindfulness Introduction
“I am excited!!! This is great! It is like you are there with me step by step. It’s what all of us are looking for, real Feldenkrais support” S
“That was great, Renee! You have such a calm and lovely voice. I’m happy to add this to my calming strategies.Thank you. ” H
“I really like this sort of thing and would welcome further “installments” in the series and/or a revised version of this one. I liked the pace at which you spoke, not too rushed and left enough time to do the exploration of the particular area of the body to which you were drawing attention.
I liked that you offered options re leg position (straight out or with bolster under knees) but wondered whether one position or the other is preferable. Or is it just that one would notice different things, depending on how the legs are positioned?” K
Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Movement®, and Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild® of NorthAmerica
Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning 