Season 2, Episode 11: Goodness and Gratitude

Goodness and Gratitude “There is something about supernatural gratitude, where you have been met in the depths of your story and your heart, and His love has held you, and someone else’s face stayed with you…. It creates something within you that you aren’t able to do on your own.” -Karrie GarciaKarrie explores the topic of goodness and gratitude in Episode 11 of the Honest Pod. Do we misuse gratitude when we bypass pain and go straight to the good? Why is gratitude such an integral part of restoring shalom? Karrie reminds us that true gratitude is the fruit of an honest conversation. When our story has been met with love, from God and others, and we are welcomed instead of dismissed, we are more clearly able to see goodness and hope. To help illustrate what this looks like, Karrie shares a personal story of finding goodness during a difficult time. It was though the process of moving through the steps of shalom restored that Karrie was able to look back and find gratitude. Once we are able to move toward gratitude, Karrie reminds us of all the ways we are healed from within. Benefits of GratitudeReleases dopamine and serotoninRegulates nervous systemDecreases symptoms of depression and anxietyBrings contentment Cultivates empathy Creates capacity to forgiveKarrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

Have you ever told yourself, I will never again show my sadness? Have you ever told yourself, I will never again allow myself to be vulnerable? Our guest this week uncovers the areas that we define as “never again” are also the areas we are invited to “turn around”. The Honest Pod is honored to have Adam Young join us on Episode 10 as he and Karrie continue the discussion of repentance. The Greek definition of repentance is “to change one’s mind” or “to turn around and go in another direction”. Adam and Karrie discuss the despair that it often takes for a person to reach a point of “turning around”. They both share instances of being exposed in their own grief and longing which then ultimately led them to repentance. How do we begin the process of repenting once we have acknowledged the grief of our story? Adam suggests first notice your body. Look at those areas where you feel dysregulated during the course of the day. And next, be kind and curious about the events that led to that feeling in your body. What was happening? What was my body reacting to? By starting to engage in those feelings we find the areas that need attention and eventually repentance. This redirection can feel really risky and unsettling, but Adam reminds us that the gift of repentance is that we get to rest in God by becoming more of who we were meant to be, and we begin to let go of the “never again” we were bound to. Make Sense of Your Story by Adam Younghttps://a.co/d/5Z2g2EvTo learn more about Adam Young visit:https://adamyoungcounseling.comKarrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

How do we take the next step towards true freedom after we have named the pain of our story and experienced the depths of grief? This week on the Honest Pod, Karrie shares the beauty of repentance; an invitation back to the Father’s arms. What is repentance? How does it bring healing? And how does repentance fit into our story when harm has been done to us? Episode 9 is Part 1 of exploring the questions that sometimes keep us stuck in associating repentance with shame and punishment. Karrie reminds us that repentance is actually an acknowledgement of the areas we have been lead astray by sin done to us or sin we have done to others, and a returning to the hope of what God has in store for us. Reflection Question:What are the places in your life where pain or past harm has shaped behaviors that no longer serve you? Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

In Episode 8, Karrie invites Dr. Christy Bauman onto The Honest Pod to continue the topic of grief and talk in depth about what it actually looks like to experience grief with ourselves, God and others. Christy explains that when the feeling of grief arises within ourselves it is a gift to be able to release that pain through tears. The tears allow grief to move out of our bodies and she touches upon the physiological effects of grief on the body. Christy also shares that grief in connection with God can be complex and deeply personal. She candidly shares that her grief has often emerged as anger and rage for the pain that death brings, and that by bringing her grief and anger to God, she has been able to draw closer to Him. Lastly Karrie, asks the question of what it looks like to connect grief to community. Our culture has had such a shift around the ways we grieve as a community, that we need more examples of what it looks like when we engage in communal grief. Christy shares a story of grief in connection with community and explains that when we bring our bodies together it gives one permission to release a deep grief from within and have it witnessed. This witnessing allows our wails to be heard, our grief to be known and our souls to heal. You can learn more about Dr. Christy Bauman and the work she does here: https://christybauman.comInstagram: @christybaumanA Brave Lament Bookhttps://a.co/d/hWcjHtsA Brave Lament Filmhttps://andrewjbauman.com/a-brave-lament/Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

In this week’s podcast session, Karrie discusses the second step of healing which often comes after we have brought our story to light. It is a period of grieving. There is no unspoken timeline when grief needs to be resolved. We are always grieving. Grief is a part of our everyday life. But when we grieve in a God given way it moves us through the trauma and hurt, and it allows for us embrace peace because we are not eradicating parts of us. Common misconceptions about grief are:If I start grieving I will drownGrief is weaknessI need to stop being sadThere is a timeline on griefKarrie walks us through how we can find comfort in the grieving process and how we can share our grief with God and within safe places. Grieving inevitably happens when we are alone, but the fullness of healing comes when grief is communal. Reflection Question:What grief have you been holding back? Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

In Episode 5, Karrie named the first step to healing involves connection with our own story. This week, Karrie is joined by Cathy Loerzel, one of the co-founders of the Allender Center, as well as an author, speaker, and story work coach, to continue the discussion of using story work as a tool for healing and how reconnecting to our story can lead us back to our true self . When do we know we need to look at places in our stories? When behaviors and patterns keep arising that prevent us from being who God wanted us to be. Why can’t we just know something happened? Why do we need to go through a story at a granular level? Cathy explains that when trauma becomes embedded, we sometimes need to feel it again with an empathetic witness in order to process out what has been stored in the body. Kathy and Karrie share more about the consequences of stored trauma and how maladaptive behavior is created. We are sharing all of the resources mentioned here if you’d like to learn more: Redeeming Heartache by Dan Allender and Cathy Loerzelhttps://a.co/d/bak3lliWhole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Brysonhttps://a.co/d/hA5GQhRThe Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolkhttps://a.co/d/cbNMbzfBrain Talk by David Schnarchhttps://a.co/d/gaK3Z0xTo learn more about the work of Cathy Loerzel visit her on Instagram @cathy.loerzelSacred Interruptions Retreathttps://www.sacredinterruptionretreats.comKarrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

The First Step to HealingFrom the day we are born, we were created to be connected to God and to others throughout our lives. So of course it’s no surprise that the first step to healing involves connection! In Episode 5, Karrie shares a recent story as an example of how patterns often resurface, even at the most unexpected times. Like the day Karrie found herself on a bench with two friends wondering if she would be able to overcome a narrative that had been deeply embedded in her own story. In her fear of being exposed or vulnerable, Karrie felt her body begin to panic and she was uncertain about how to move forward. The moments that follow reveal what it looks like when connection and healing intertwine..Karrie reminds us that we cannot avoid pain but we can live with peace through pain. The many patterns we struggle with in our lives, whether they be shaped by fear, anger, or shame, can be traced back to the particularities of our stories and through sharing those stories we begin to find shalom. Here are some actions to move toward healing in connection:: -Invite others in. -Share our stories.-Name the particularities of our stories.-Repeat the process. Reflection:What pattern have you experienced that is not serving you well? Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

When Your Body Tells A Story You Can’t Ignore With Tori Hein“No matter what I achieved it never felt like I was doing enough.” Our first Honest Pod guest, Tori Hein, Director of Strategy and Marketing for Freedom Movement, shares her honest journey with being stuck in the cycle of doing more. Tori reflects over the past five years how walking through painful parts of her story with God has brought tremendous self-awareness and has allowed her to bridge the disconnect between her external self that she allowed people to see and her internal self who was feeling exhausted and deeply in need of connection. Behind the need for “doing more” was a wound that was revealed during her own story work through Freedom Academy. What transpired shook Tori to her core and moved her forward in healing the narrative that was held over her. Weekly Reflection:Where is your body naming a lack of peace?What are the narratives you need to break?Karrie is honored to have Tori on as a guest and will regularly be inviting Tori and other Freedom Movement staff onto The Honest Pod to share their stories and experiences. Freedom Movement is a non-profit organization transforming stories through biblically sound, spirit-filled and trauma informed coaching.Tori’s Instagram: @torimaeheinTori’s Website: https://www.torimaehein.com/Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

What You Can’t Remember, Still Remembers YouHave you ever had one of those HUGE reactions to a small event and wondered where it came from? In Episode 3, Karrie reflects on a story from childhood that was embedded deeply in her memory. So much so that one evening a silly event with her son and husband engages her implicit memory and she shares her very honest reaction. What is implicit memory and explicit memory? How does our body use them to recall past experiences? How does story work use them to heal? How did Jesus use them to heal? Karrie dives in and gives us an overview of the two types of memory and the steps to integrating both. She also gives examples of Jesus engaging in the stories of people which lead to healing that encompasses not just one part of a person, but the mind, body and spirit together. Reflection Questions for the Week:Is there a part of your story you have dismissed because you can’t remember part of it. Where might your body be holding a memory your mind doesn’t have words for?How can you invite God into some of those places?Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-upshttps://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagementshttps://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay

When the Map is MissingKarrie returns for episode 2 jumping back into thoughts around our past stories and how they keep us stuck. Karrie reflects on how she and her husband find themselves at a crossroads while in the midst of a housing crisis and COVID on the rise. What effect does past experiences have on their response and how do they move forward? Karrie explains the effects of trauma on the brain and how the prefrontal cortex can be hindered from processing decisions. In this frozen state we sometimes  find ourselves feeling lost without a map. Episode 2 wraps up with Karrie asking us to take some time to reflect on a few questions:-Where in your life do you feel stuck or without a map?-Could it be your story holds the missing piece to the next step?-Is there a time when I felt the same feelings I feel right now?-What if healing isn’t rushing forward but gently reconnecting with where you have been?Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarciaKarrie’s Website: karriegarcia.comFreedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movementFreedom Movement Website: wearefm.orgSign up for Freedom Movement Trainings:https://www.wearefm.org/trainingsFind Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karriePurchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie Music by Tanya Godsay