Catherine Polan Orzech, MA, LMFT, has worked in the field of mind-body wellness for almost two decades and has taught Mindfulness since 2000. She’s is currently on faculty at Oregon Health Sciences University in the departments of Psychiatry and OBGYN.
She has been on faculty at some of the country’s leading Mindfulness Institutes and continues to be a pioneer in the field of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion research.
In addition to teaching Mindfulness-Based Interventions in clinical environments, educational facilities, and in the community, she works with individuals and couples in the OHSU Center for Women’s Health Clinic and in her private therapy practice.
Catherine is also an author and her newly released book is “52 Simple Mindfulness Practices to Slow Down, Relieve Stress, and Nourish the Spirit. A Moment for Me.”
In this episode: Mindfulness
- Catherine shares her journey on growing up with a contemplative family, being a seeker, a ballerina, and recovering from illness
- Her health improved from MBSR
- Following her intuition when working with families and children
- Being present is the foundation to healing
- It is an ingredient to living
- Catherine shares how it was coming back to herself
- What drove her to write the book
- Her first book was written for insomniacs
- How a friendship was used as a platform for investigation
- What is mindfulness
- Writing in a conversational tone
- Invitation to reflect
- We are all impacted by seasonal transitions
- The Waldorf school’s influence in season acknowledgment
- Female Embodiment and Wilding
- A moment of grace writing the book
- The power of ritual
- Intentional ritual vs unaware ritual
- Self-Care to Self-Relating
- Heart to brain connection
- Bob Sharples transforming meditation into an act of love “instead of yet another form of subtle aggression of self-improvement”
- The shift of people seeking out practitioners who use mindfulness
- Moving through the “I don’t have time” excuse
- To access awareness need to feel safe in the present moment
- Bringing your body into the room
- Reorienting yourself that you are safe
- Different parts of the brain
- Breath is like rocking from the inside
- Power of language
- Re-Membering Oneself
- Her own self-care practices
- Catherine shares a story of how her loving-kindness practice helped her through it
- Emotions are not good or bad, but different vibrational levels
- Accepting the present moment
Other Resources Mentioned
Disclaimer-Some of these links are affiliate links which means I receive a small portion of funds that help support this free podcast to you.
Bob Sharples: Meditation and Mindfulness in Plain English
Jon Kabat-Zinn–Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Full Catastrophe Living
Catherine Polan Orzech: Mindfulness for Insomnia
