012 | Gretchen Suarez - Yoga, meditation, mind/body healing, & well-being to be your full self

In this episode, I’m joined by yoga teacher & psychotherapist, Gretchen Suarez. Gretchen has been my Ashtanga yoga teacher for almost three years, and she’s been integral to helping me grow personally through yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and disidentifying from my thoughts. Doing the work of being awakened & aware isn’t easy, but is imperative in creating a foundation of self-love, facilitating our healing, alleviating suffering, and being comfortable in our own skin (without running from ourselves). If you are curious about this work (or are a human!), this episode is for you!Like Gretchen says in the episode, getting into our bodies and feeling the full spectrum of emotions is a tool to see who we really are, because “there’s a whole world waiting for you to look at”.The episode covers:- Gretchen’s story of going from a successful marketing executive to yoga teacher & psychotherapist- How yoga can facilitate growth aside from the physical- Liberation from the narratives we tell ourselves- Challenging old beliefs that no longer serve us- Integrating mind & body for healing- Training the mind to be comfortable with discomfort- Changing our relationship to pain- Choosing to not suffer through our discomfort- Self-actualization, well-being & being comfortable in your own skin- Being committed to showing up in your life- Spiritual bypassing- Sitting with the full spectrum of your emotions- Starting a meditation practice- Disidentifying from our thoughts and not abandoning ourselves- Cultivating non-judgement- Being kind & loving towards yourself - Getting into therapy for psychological developmentTo work with Gretchen, find her at www.gretchensuarez.comMentions:The religion of tomorrow by Ken Wilberhttps://www.amazon.com/Religion-Tomorrow-Traditions-More-Inclusive-Comprehensive/dp/1611803004Pema Chodronhttps://www.amazon.com/Pema-Chodron/e/B000AP9Y2A/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1514902549&sr=1-2-entThe psychology of awakeninghttps://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Awakening-Buddhism-Day-Day/dp/1578631726/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514902578&sr=1-1&keywords=the+psychology+of+awakeningAlan Wallacehttp://www.alanwallace.org/Jack Kornfieldhttps://jackkornfield.com/Be sure to subscribe to Heart Food Podcast, and rate & review on iTunes!You can find Ashley and subscribe to her newsletter at www.ashleypardo.comFollow Ashley on Instagram at @ashleykpardo