0067: The Body’s Language of Grief: Felt Emotion and Mind-Body Healing with Dr. Jenn Rapkin (Part 2)

The Body’s Language of Grief: Felt Emotion and Mind-Body Healing with Dr. Jenn Rapkin (Part 1)   Dr. Christina Zampitella hosts Phoenix Rising and speaks with Dr. Jenn Rapkin about building tolerance for everyday and intense emotions through somatic awareness rather than distraction. They discuss how constant access to phones, media, food, and other numbing habits reduces our ability to sit with both good and hard feelings, which complicates grief and trauma. Rapkin offers two steps to practice: locate an emotion in the body (location, shape, density, intensity, color) and then invite it in for a few minutes with compassion, noticing whether it shifts or dissipates. They contrast her “listening touch” approach with Reiki, address medicine’s fear and devaluing of emotions, and share ways to find somatic therapists and modalities. Rapkin mentions her book, The Feeling Muscle, her website drjennrapkin.com, and key takeaways about capability, body wisdom, and accompanying feelings without fixing them. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:30 Distraction And Numbing 04:48 Building Feeling Tolerance 05:26 Find And Invite Feelings 07:57 Knowing When To Stop 12:48 Therapist Presence And Touch 14:17 Reiki Versus Listening Touch 16:07 Why Medicine Avoids Emotion 21:24 Language Around Emotions 24:20 Finding Somatic Support 28:57 Owning A Unique Practice 31:03 Midlife Power And Boundaries 33:11 Where To Find Dr Rapkin 34:04 Book And Key Takeaways