— When we take the time to connect to our bodies we can recognize the range left on our emotional gas tank and choose how far we can go with the emotional reserves we have. This isn’t to say that you will never react, but the time you spend reacting and the recovery time thereafter will lessen. Additionally based on your range you can choose how and when to engage in situations. You wouldn’t drive 100 miles if you only had less than a gallon of gas left in the tank, so why overextend yourself by taking on more than your emotional range can handle? This is the power of becoming body aware, taking charge of your emotional health by embracing the body that influences it. Movement alone does not guarantee positive mental health. Otherwise, professional athletes, artists, and performers would be the gold standard when it comes to mental health and we know that is not always the case. While strength corresponds to mind and body, without the frequent dialogue between them, and the ability to check-in with the load on both, the mind can be quick to override the body’s needs. We can push through, overexert, and burn out. This book is a guide to living your best life. Not by adopting a positive outlook, but by adopting a way to move through everything life throws at you and understanding how the way you move during challenging times is just as if not more important than the way you move when things feel easy.
Valeria Teles interviews Erica Hornthal — the author of “ Body Aware: Rediscover Your Mind-Body Connection, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Improve Your Mental Health with Simple Movement Practices ”
Erica Hornthal, a licensed clinical professional counselor and board-certified dance/movement therapist, is currently the CEO of Chicago Dance Therapy-the premiere dance/movement therapy practice in the Midwest.
In her 10+ years as a dance/movement therapist, Erica has worked with thousands of patients aged 3-107! Known as “The Therapist Who Moves You,” Erica has truly changed the way people see movement with regard to mental health. Erica’s area of expertise has caught the attention of multiple publications such as The Epoch Times, Dance Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, and PARADE. As an expert on the intersection of movement and mental health, she has appeared in hundreds of publications, podcasts, live newscasts, and radio spots.Erica is dedicated to bringing awareness to the field of dance/movement therapy to mainstream culture. Her first book, Body Aware, will be published in August 2022. She is eager to provide knowledge on why and how the body should be addressed in the therapeutic relationship; making the information digestible and accessible to anyone seeking to improve mental health.
Thank you for listening!
To learn more about Erica Hornthal and her work, please visit EricaHorntal.com
Pre-order “Body Aware” at:
— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.
