Have you ever known exactly what you need to change but felt unable to actually do it?

This conversation with transformation facilitator Karlijn Kouwenhoven reveals why traditional approaches often fall short and how working with your emotional body creates lasting change.

Karlijn left her corporate career in leadership development after discovering the power of embodied transformation work. Now she facilitates life-changing retreats worldwide, helping people move beyond intellectual understanding to create real shifts in their lives.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your body might be sabotaging your best intentions to change
• How to work with fear as a teacher rather than an obstacle
• The difference between healing alone vs. in community
• Three practical tools you can use immediately to process emotions and stuck patterns
• How to listen to your body's wisdom when making difficult decisions
• Why multiple conflicting voices in your head are actually normal (and how to work with them)

Key Topics Covered:

• The limitations of purely intellectual approaches to healing
• How shame keeps us stuck and practical ways to move through it
• Why transformation requires both individual work and community support
• The role of emotional reclaim tools in releasing stored tension
• Navigating relationships while you're changing and growing
• How to expand your capacity for uncertainty and the unknown

About Karlijn Kouwenhoven:Karlijn holds a Master's in Social & Organizational Psychology and worked in leadership development at a major consulting firm before discovering transformational body work. She's now a certified Tantra and Hatha Yoga teacher and founder of KABIRA, facilitating development retreats across three continents. Her approach integrates mind, body, and soul through what she calls "cutting through the bullshit" to create real change.

Mentioned Resources:

• CORE Retreat: https://www.kabi-ra.com/core-retreat

Take Action:Try one of Karlijn's three practical tools:

1. Write down your inner judgments, read them aloud, and notice what happens
2. Put on music and let your body shake or dance for 5 minutes
3. Face one small fear this week and pay attention to your body's response

Please note: This episode discusses approaches to emotional processing and transformation. These techniques are meant to complement, not replace, professional mental health support when needed.

Garden of Becoming explores the messy, beautiful work of becoming whole. New episodes drop weekly every Tuesday. Subscribe and follow for conversations that go beneath the surface.

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