What does it mean to truly know who you are? How do you represent you to you? As we navigate our lives, we find ourselves constructing an identity through expression; assembling a mosaic of behaviors, interests, and beliefs. These characteristics, Johanna Arenaza refers to as 'body, heart and soul.’
Johanna is a practicing psychoanalyst, an award-winning and internationally competitive dancer. Between her home country of Spain and her adopted home in the US, she has developed her psychoanalytic practice while pursuing her own journey of self-discovery.
In this episode of The Art of Listening, Johanna shares how an early passion for the art of dance led her into a cycle of burnout, questioning her sense of self. After pivoting and training as a Psychoanalyst, Johanna found a new facet of her identity where she could exercise her intelligence and mental resilience. But with each new discovery, Johanna felt unrest in the separateness of all the parts of herself, yearning for a sense of unity.
With Johanna today, we uncover how expression can lead us to believe that we are firmly represented; and that this newfound identity can be as restrictive as it is liberating. Through her lifelong journey, Johanna will show us that a true sense of who we are comes from accepting our shifting nature. Walking us through what it means to connect with others, and with ourselves, she reveals that cultivating self-reflection and awareness will land us to a sense of true harmony.
So join us in discussion with Johanna Arenaza, as we explore what it means to listen in, and speak our inner truths with body, mind, heart, and soul.
Chapters
1 - Dance as an instrument for communication and bodily connection (4:00)
2 - Dance burnout, and exploring intellectual agility through Psychology (7:41)
3 - Silence as a form of communication (13:14)
4 - Introspective listening and reflection through meditation (23:23)
5 - How Johanna found self-fulfillment through mental, physical, and spiritual harmony (29:06)
Links