Suzanne Scholten—Doing the Work of the Body and the Mind

How I share my journey is the work of the body and the mind. The body is the container for our soul, which is the foundation for our thoughts and emotions. When these three dimensions combine, we have a wholeness of life and get to live a full experience. 

I work with people's bodies to create a friendship between one's mind, body and soul. The body we have is so knowledgeable, vast, wise and capable of so many things. Many times, we forget this and disconnect with our bodies when we get hurt and want to blame a knee, hip or an organ. Or when we experience something traumatic to ourself which was beyond our control. In our lives, we are quick to take something, such as a pill, alcohol or a drug, before asking the body what it needs to feel complete. Most of the time, I like spending time contemplating to see if the body can direct me in what it needs before taking medication or diving down into an unhealthy habit. Whether this be a conversation with my body, journaling or utilizing Ayurvedic practices to see what is needed to let go of dis-ease to find ease. Sometimes, it is letting go of anger or working with a big emotion. Often it is around a relationship that I need to face. 

 With my own life experiences and many people I spend time with, we often do not love ourselves. So much so that when I say or write about becoming friends with oneself, I often get strange looks. I would like to have people experience this self love through movement, breathing and connection to others. To some, this is a form of making love with the self, and they see it carry over into intimate relationships. Even without the act of making love, being in love with oneself opens us up into more intimate relationships with friends and family.  

When one comes in tune with the body, mind, soul and energy, there is a bridge to a spiritual practice. We weave together our personal experiences of how we live and make choices into a living form of connection with a greater awareness beyond our self, which is a form of a spiritual awakening. With this strong base and faith in our own body, we experience a Divine Grace, Love and Connection not only with other humans but also to the natural environment around us.