by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP, Written by a real person
about Renee Lindstrom from the perspective of seeking out nontraditional and potentially unrecognized forms of learning, yet far more reaching in human function and behaviour
Link to Podcast episode on Youtube:
I have recently come out of the shadows and begun expressing from my perspective and experiences as a somatic empath. I have been one all my life, yet have learned to mask it or hide these qualities in the shadows. My cultures conditioning did not support them through the organized patterns of social conditioning that is structured for a child. These societal patterns did not include the learning model of how a baby independently learns to get up and walk, talk and contribute in the family unit. Instead it shifted the babies focus of attention when attending institutionalized educational programming. The earlier the child was put into thought training programs, the sooner the seeds of somatic learning connections were lost. This somatic empath has learned that the disconnection from self, body and mind begins when the focus becomes a singular functional focus of attention. The integration of learning through the pattern of experiences is replaced with thought controlled patterning. Even when suggesting portions of the educational programming is through experiences, it is organized and controlled through strategies that have been conceptualized with expectations and control.
A somatic empath’s style of learning is through the triggers stimulated by, or in the environment. This includes the external and internal environment. The external means exactly what it suggests, the exterior landscape. The internal is the inner physical functioning systems that include gross body functions for maintaining the physical system, the finer inner patterns of response that ignites gross functional movement, and thought patterns. It includes the condition of the physical body parts. The body is either an environment of constraint creating functional limitations, or fluidity creating functional ease. The environmental stimulus included the socialization, cultural and institutionalized learning that has resulted in how information is perceived and interpreted through inner language patterns prior to speaking. The inner language words and sentence patterns that interprets short and long term memories are the dominant external focus trend in my current experience of society. Without the balance of somatic and empathic qualities, and conceptualization skill development, there is a lack of balance to have insight for noticing what is transpiring in the moment. The mindfulness qualities are replaced by immediate conceptualized thinking and strategies. This last sentence suggests that when someone has a felt sensation rather than feel and explore it to track the core of the felt sensation, it immediately becomes a thought controlled series of story sentences attaching it to memories that form a concrete evaluation. This can lead to harm.
It’s becoming apparent in my experience that harmful situations are transpiring on a global scale. Ones being missed in societies of people living the ordinary everyday experience with a singular focus of attention. This focus is learned societal patterns that redirect focus off the harm which allows for a shadow side to expand. Those who gravitate towards violence and abusive actions towards others, including children, have seemingly had free reign through this lack of consequences. People are not witnessing the abuse and violence in their own families, or communities. The consequences of replacing people’s inherent early learning patterns globally has lead to this horrific and concerning cultural behaviour. Instead of taking a stand, society is allowing for it to be covered up so that no effort to change it is being taken which allows it to grow and continue.
The socialization experience of being a somatic empath was challenging. Those who knew me and now observe, read or listen to my material may experience cognitive dissonance. Two things were happening in the past with those in my community who were outside the group of people working closely with me to transition themselves. Their learned behaviour was an old pattern of perception and evaluative thinking. This means that each person and experience was lived through old patterns of conceptualized stories from the past they brought forward to interpret their experiences in the moment. Doesn’t make sense to read it,yet this is the pattern this somatic empath is met with in each person, unless there has been a concerted effort to transform the inner behaviour conditioning. It is possible. I have observed it in outcomes where people are invested in shifting their pain and fear.
I have plenty of examples in students I have worked with personally where they were able to break through their mental conditioned experience, and those who could not. I have examples of video stories I have watched where nuances have been missed that tell a different tale from the one narrated. Now there are stories of fiction that are Ai generated that are confusing due to the lack of intelligence in writing out the plot. They are Ai generated, and Ai voiced over, and the mistakes are not being caught. This is what is being fed to our mental functioning process that will further confuse society. The following example is a simple one, however for a somatic empath who operates out of unconditional love it is a difficult one to let go of. It is a reality video of a boy with autism that has restricted socialization. In the videos I can observe he is smart as a whip yet there is a constraint in outside expression and connection in socialization.
In one snippet of his life he is at a school celebration. He is a teen getting close to graduation age. He is dancing by himself out in the foyer with a few family members. One is filming and the other is speaking to him in a patronizing way. (for some reason people treat those with these conditions like little puppies and speak baby talk, or in a patronizing way) An old caregiver of his younger years who is now going to university comes by to have a celebratory moment with him. When he approaches her in the same way she would have encouraged him to when he was younger, she rebukes him. Now it is inappropriate and she acted immediately through than lens. She did not remember that she encouraged it herself when she created a pattern of acceptable behaviours between them. The look of recognition in this boy was deeply painful to observe. His reaction was such it caught me off guard and took me into his experience. This kid had socially learned what was acceptable and in that moment took it personally. How could he know it was her, not him? She set him up and he fell hard emotionally which then expressed itself through his body expression. The mask that went up was instantaneous and it was hard. It may never be recognized. He wouldn’t know how to recognize it. Those surrounding him were so focused upon patronizing him into responding how they wanted him to, while pretending to be the “it” caretakers of someone with autism, it was missed. A problem though is that this is his new foundational seed of learning that will condition all future experiences. This is learning through the experience. NO one saw that it was her, not him. She preconditioned this through the lack of intelligence surrounding him. This means her behaviour was supported by his care providers who lacked insight into the potential of this happening. They patronized him out of a behaviour she taught him instead of holding her accountable. All he knows is that she was a safe haven, until she wasn’t.
I have had friends in the community suggest I write a book about my life story. I have also had a couple of people in the industry of writing biographies write me and ask if they could write a book about me. I haven’t known how to respond as I hadn’t connected to a perspective of what the purpose would be. Without an intention it would just be a tale of a somatic empath surviving horrific events in a culture that is disconnected from their core values, or in the habit of distorting them to get ahead in life, and getting people on board to support their bad behaviours. I hadn’t learned the intention yet. This next sentence will define the process of a true somatic empath. Learning does not come from mental conceptualization. Rather the mental conceptualization is the last stop. It begin in actionable experience and layers of integration of the patterns. I opened by sharing that the somatic aspect of how I perceive through the felt senses is surprising my community. That has always been there. It just wasn’t safe enough to expose it in how you were behaving. Your reactions were not those of creating a safe environment for which to express it. This meant learning how to move into fuller expression without your contribution of creating a safe space. The steps to do so had perfect timing as it coincides with the global downfall of society as we have known it which validates my experiential perspectives. For those who haven’t known me, you will get to meet me as an expressive somatic empath. My intent is to plant seeds of this experience for learning and supporting others that express this way, yet like me were shut down due to a lack of intelligent understanding or for the purpose of draining my abilities for personal gain. All my content is for educational purposes. I hope it will support those listening and plant seeds for transformation in our society that results in increased clarity, understanding and acceptance and leads to less blaming, shaming, moral judgments and abuse.
Please follow podcast on Youtube to listen to future episodes the go into dialogues from an authentic perspective of a somatic empath. Great dialogues for parents, child educators and essentially anyone who is in relationships, friendships, families, community groups and who works in a community environment.
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Support Somatic Learning Development for choice in social conditioning experiences to create healthier lifestyles at home and globally
For transparency I have begun posting a link to my paypal for those inspired by my posts that have been for learning purposes. I am not sponsored other than by myself at this time. My focus has been on the development of an interconnected and integrated system that is apparent in all my efforts shared. The focus of this body of work is on somatic connections that is completely misunderstood by most. The mainstream focus talks at it with strategies in mind while my focus is on the practical aspects of living it. It matters in understanding how to support somatic empathic children from early childhood and shifting a social conditioning that could benefit from more from this focus of learning and understanding. This focus is on a well functioning body, improved relationships and communication, and connections to food, nature and environment to support healthier social and cultural conditioning. If you would like to buy me a coffee or support this effort for further development please go to paypal.me/reenelindstrom – you will notice Renee is spelled Reene on this link – that is me, it is not a mistake. You will see this link on my Youtube Channel and educational web materials, fyi.
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Renee Lindstrom, GCFP 
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