About the Episode:
PODCAST: The Critical Social Worker is produced by A Conscious Party and backed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Department of Social Work
PLATFORMS: YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Podbean, Facebook, and more
HOST: Professor Christian Stettler, MSW
EPISODE COHOST: Ana Fulcher, Junior Social Work Student
GUEST: Zenia Mihevc MSW
Founder and Clinical Director of A Little Zen, Registered Social Worker (RSW), Psychotherapist,
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT), Mindfulness Coach, Researcher, and Storyteller.
LINK: Episode #23: “Unearthing the Human Core with Zenia: A Little Zen, Storytelling, and Forest Therapy”
More about A Little Zen
LOCATION: Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
GOAL: “To provide the tools to help you move out of suffering and into living with intention.”
SERVICES PROVIDED: Individual Counseling, Yoga Therapy Group Programs, Forest Therapy, Therapeutic Retreats, and a variety of Events
WEBSITE LINK: A Little Zen
Brief Review of the Episode
As someone who does not nor has ever practiced or participated in many of the topics discussed in this episode, I found it to be quite interesting. I’ve never done yoga and do not know much if anything about breath and breathing techniques and mindfulness, both of which were major themes of this episode. Listening to the hosts and the guest speak about both of those topics and how they related it to mental and physical health and wellbeing, as well as how it can serve as a tool to help us reconnect to nature and a more mindful and present state of being provoked a lot of thought for me. As a psychology student, I found myself analyzing what they were describing and relating their experiences back to known coping mechanisms, styles of grounding, practices of mindfulness or awareness, and a variety of other known psychological tools utilized in counseling.
Topics of Personal Interest
The following is a collection of topics that were discussed in the podcast that I took a particular interest in; they are a mixture of reflections made by the hosts and guests, and those of my own.
The Disconnection with Nature and the Fear of Unfamiliarity
One of the first topics spoken about in the podcast was the disconnection to nature that today’s society and technology has enabled, and how that has created a fear of true meditation, reaching those “zen moments”, and establishing a connection with one’s inner self and our “natural states”. They discuss how practicing meditation, we can reopen that door for ourselves, and oftentimes people perceive this as scary or uncomfortable due to the level of unfamiliarity we have with reaching those deeper connections within each of us. They also delve into the possibility that this comes from a feeling of lost control, as when someone meditates they are essentially letting go of the control that their subconscious has and allowing themselves to see, feel, observe, reflect on, and experience the world around them and all of the emotions that comes with that.
“I would almost kind of describe it as like a bit of separation from my thinking mind and a more deeper integration to my mind body.”
— Zenia Mihevc on Meditation
I found this idea that the fear of meditation stems from a fear of letting go of our subconscious control to be very intriguing, and agree wholeheartedly. Generally, relinquishing control is considered to be a way of opening yourself up to vulnerability, and that in itself is something that most people struggle to do. So many people out there view vulnerability as a bad thing, as almost a sort of danger in a sense, and they try to lock it away through various methods. Suppression of and the inability to recognize and regulate one’s own emotions are just two examples that come to mind that I think could begin to be counteracted by practicing the art of meditation.
Connecting with Your Body/Inner Voice and Listening to Your Intuition
Another topic discussed was the ability to check in with yourself and your “inner voice”, or intuition, and one’s ability to trust in themselves and what it is telling them vs what other influences may be advising. Our entire modern world is filled with opinions being pushed on us from every angle; what we should wear, what we shouldn’t eat, what we should or shouldn’t believe, what practices we should follow, ideals we should instill in ourselves, behaviors we should strive for or to avoid… the list is neverending. From before we can even walk or talk for ourselves, outside opinions are constantly and continuously bombarding us. It can become a lot, especially for those in stressful situations.
Sometimes it can almost feel as if we are drowning, like the opinions of the world are suffocating us. In those moments, it can be hard to distinguish even our own thoughts, ideas, or emotions from those that are being thrown at us by other forces. It is in those moments that it becomes critical that we are able to connect with ourselves. No decision ever made will be as meaningful as the ones you make because you believe in them yourself; no action ever taken will hold meaning to you if you do not make it with belief in its purpose.
Fear and How Breath and Bodywork Can Impact Your Life/Help Ground You
The topic of fear was prevalent in this episode of the podcast, and it was brought up again later in the show in a different manner. This time, they discussed what our natural response to fear looks like in the body, and how breath and bodywork can be used to counteract it and help us relax.
Zenia spoke about how the emotion fear manifests itself in our bodies (tenseness of the muscles, the subconscious movement of our arms or legs closer to our core, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, bodily positioning, etc.) and how powerful it can be to have the ability to recognize these signs in ourselves. Being able to recognize these things enables us to focus on counteracting them in the moment and ground ourselves, which in turn will help relieve the stress we feel and help us overcome the fear or anxieties we are facing. Something as simple as uncrossing your arms, focusing on your breathing, or taking the time to stretch any tense or contracted muscles can help reduce the impact of that fear response in the body, which in turn will help ease our minds. Additionally, taking the time to reflect on how we successfully are able to work through times such as those afterwards will help us be able to identify and work through similar future triggers or problems.
Closing Thoughts
As someone who is not what some would call “in tune” with their spiritual side, I really enjoyed this episode. Most of what was spoken about were topics that I had little to no real experience with in the ways that they described, yet I still was able to listen to their opinions and make connections to them with things from my own life. The therapeutic techniques they discussed and use in their lines of social work I had heard of before and was vaguely familiar with, but only on a professional scale as coping mechanisms. By listening to their thoughts, stories, and experiences, I was able to gain a better understanding of where I think those techniques in modern day social work and therapy may have originated from by evaluating them in a more naturalistic sense. To me, they have taken them and refined them in a way that can be applied and practiced as a healthy lifestyle, and I commend them for it.
Danelle Shellikoff
Hi Kelsey,
Great job on putting your blog together. It was an easy read for me and kept my attention.
The podcast and your blog got me thinking about Indigenous perspectives. Nature was and still is a considerable part of Indigenous beliefs. They wanted to protect the land, water, and animals, while the colonizers wished to use the land for profit, ultimately destroying our environment. They even had meditations that were viewed as savagery. It is nice to read that nature and meditation have returned to society.
This is a little off-topic, but I also read about scientists contacting Elders to discuss climate change. (In Climate Research, Arctic Scientists and Indigenous People Join Forces – WSJ) They wanted to learn more about Indigenous perspectives regarding the sea ice. The fact that scientists are reaching out to Elders to gain their knowledge about climate change may mean that things are changing. We should look to Indigenous communities for solutions to our environmental challenges. Their beliefs and practices can help us reconnect with nature and live harmoniously with the environment.
Back to the subject of meditation, it really resonated with me how Zenia spoke about fear manifesting itself in our bodies. I am currently in physical therapy for a shoulder injury, and they have told me multiple times that it looks like my body posture is stuck in protective mode. Although I have experienced several traumas, I only told them I have been stabbed, and they say, “Oh, that makes sense.”
Are there specific meditation therapies that one might take for these fear manifestations in our bodies? I would be interested in doing this for myself and then offering it to others in need when I can work with clients. I know you mentioned they can be applied as a healthy lifestyle, but can it be done as a counseling session or group setting?
Kelsey McFarland
Hey Danelle!
Thank you, I’m happy you enjoyed my blog!
As far as meditation for bodily fear, I would think there are. A lot of what they spoke about in the podcast related back to the practice of checking in with oneself and their body, and actively reminding themselves that they are safe, to breathe, and that they are in a position where it is okay to let go. Also, they said that being able to recognize these behaviors and reactions our bodies have to certain traumas is incredibly important for growth, as it allows us to then take the steps necessary to counteract them.
As far as counseling and group sessions, Zenia is all over that! Her business, “A Little Zen” specializes in all sorts of therapies, including many group options. She even does group therapeutic yoga!
If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to check out Zenia’s website, “A Little Zen”. I posted a link to it in the beginning of my blog. She has made a career of this kind of counseling, and maybe there is something there that would help you heal as well. 🙂
Wishing you the best,
-Kelsey
Hailey Luder
Hi Kelsey, I want to say I really liked your post. The review was interesting to see what they talked about, especially since I’ll be doing my own post on a podcast soon enough, so it’s good to see what they’re like. I also really liked that you included a large quote. I liked the quote, and I also liked that it was a big eye catcher. I do think the disconnect from nature is a really big thing and I think you’re completely right that it’s something that today’s society’s lets happen. I also agree that listening to your intuition is a really big part of life. Overall I think that your post was really good.
Kelsey McFarland
Hello Hailey!
Thank you so much for the kind words! While I listened to/watched the podcast, I made sure to take notes. I made sure I wrote down quotes that caught my attention, even if I wasn’t sure how or if I would use them later on. I also was sure to summarize questions that the guest was asked and then her responses to them, and any of my own thoughts or connections to the topic in my notes throughout it all; this helped me make it so that I wouldn’t have to go back to the podcast and refresh myself on things and try to redraw those initial connections when I went to write my blog post. I really suggest listening to it this way when you go to start your own podcast reflection, as I found it all to be really helpful!
As far as societies disconnect to nature, I think its really funny how unnoticed it has become. They briefly touched on it in the podcast, but only about two hundred or so years ago, we were so much more connected to nature than we are now. Go back even further, and the difference is even more extreme. In a way I find it kind of sad, but also I understand the sort of trade off we have exchanged it for; maybe it is the price we pay for our advancements throughout the years. I am uncertain.
Thanks again!
-Kelsey