Inneroxygen

The tiny island of Malta in the Mediterranean, so small it often isn't visible on maps, stole my heart when I moved there on a whim in 2013 from Sydney.

I had not even visited the island on a holiday before I moved there with my one-way ticket, and didn't know a single person there on arrival.

I lived there until I moved to Berlin in 2019 for work and to be closer to (some of) my family members who live in Germany.

It was on this crazy little island that I internalized through experience the true meaning of belonging to community. I will forevermore feel at home the moment I see the island come into view through the plane window ❤️

It meant so much to me to finally take my partner Daniel there after almost three years together, and to show him the places and friends which I speak of so often.

Having started my immigration journey at only three months old and lasting my whole life has meant most of my life was filled with identity confusion, waves of longings for places and people I couldn't see, and a search for roots that seemed impossible to find.

But it has also been a life filled with beautiful memories, the most incredible friendships, and more places I call home than I know what to do with, and for that I will be forever grateful and humbled 🙏❤️

I have received a lot of questions from people asking me more about narrative therapy, so I will be diving deeper into this over the next weeks and explaining the core concepts 🤓.

Today I’ll start with answering the most common question I get asked:

What is narrative therapy?

Narrative therapy is a rather unknown form of therapy which is slowly starting to gain attention in the more traditional mental health fields.

Narrative therapy is a “respectful, non-blaming approach to counselling…which centres people as the experts in their own lives.”

What really sets narrative therapy apart is that those trained in this modality are guided by a very particular set of principles and ethics, which then informs how we work with people.

I have shared the main principles in the slides in my post.

I’ll be going deeper into these principles, and how they translate into practices that help people through difficulty and trauma, in future posts 💕

If you have any questions or would like clarity on particular principles in the slides you can comment on the post or send me a DM 🙂

Much love,

Carolina

After six months of study and around 60 hours of intensive training sessions I have now completed my Narrative Therapy Level 2 Certification 😍🎉

This course was so rewarding for me as there was a strong focus on working with trauma narratives, which is something I’m particularly passionate about ❤️

It was super tough to complete this training as I’ve been a bit sick the past couple of months, dealing with multiple colds and flus🤒

But I did it!

My plan is to continue with my studies next year, but I want to take some time to figure out exactly what I want to focus on. I also want to rest 😬😅

Work and study definitely required a lot honest conversations with myself in order to stay balanced. It also requires a lot of ‘no’s’.

In the meantime I’m excited to start putting what I’ve learnt to use in my courses, workshops, and private sessions resuming after summer, I already have lots of ideas brewing 🤩

If consuming the news is causing you to experience a significant level of overwhelm, anxiety, or stress about the state of the world, there are some steps you can take to take care of your emotional and mental health.

While these tips will not make certain situations disappear, they can help you navigate your challenging inner experiences, help regulate your nervous system if it’s on overdrive, and slow down negative thought spiraling 🙏

1. Limit News & Social Media Consumption

Either give yourself special times of the day to check the news, or spend a few days off all media to recharge. After a few days take note of whether you feel any different, or whether its specific channels that are causing you harm.

2. Don't use the internet before going to sleep

Reading the news and using social media close to bedtime can negatively affect your sleep quality and increase anxiety, overwhelm, and night-time rumination. Give yourself an evening news reading cutoff time a few hours before bed.

3. Be Mindful of How Media Organisations Work

Most news outlets do not report on 'positive' news very often due to their own organisational interests which will affect your own natural negativity bias (that we all have and are wired towards).

4. Intentionally look for the good and take it in

Due to the above mentioned negativity bias of our mind, try to actively scan your experience and environment for good things occurring, however small, and take a moment to register it. This will help challenge stories you may be telling yourself that only negative things are occurring.

5. Be Proactive (But Only in Ways You Can Handle)

It can help you feel more at ease and in control by contributing proactively to improve the things that are causing you worry. HOWEVER (and I intentionally wrote that in caps!), choose ONLY what you can emotionally, mentally, or financially handle after a realistic assessment.

If you are going through a very challenging time in your life with your emotional and mental health remember that it's ok to take care of yourself ❤️

Join me tomorrow, Sunday February 27th, for a free 2.5h workshop special: 'Cultivating Friendships' - A Workshop in Mindful [Re]Connection.'

This is a practical workshop to mindfully reflect upon and actively improve the quality of your friendships 💞

The workshop will be at 10am-12:30pm CET (Berlin, Rome) and be conducted via Zoom. If you can't make it live I'll also be sending out a replay for everyone who signs up 😊

In this workshop you will:

1. Be guided in written exercises to reflect upon the quality of your friendships

2. Practice a guided meditation to help you [re] connect with and appreciate the role your friends play in your life.

3. Spend time in mindful silence to actively write messages, emails, letters, and/or reach out to those you want to [re]connect with.

Learn more & sign up via the link below to receive the Zoom link and replay:

https://inneroxygen.lpages.co/friendship-workshop/

I'm looking forward to spending a cosy Sunday morning together online for mindful practice and writing time ❤️

With love,
Carolina at Inneroxygen

Learn more: https://inneroxygen.lpages.co/friendship-workshop/

I'm excited to announce the first free community workshop of 2022: ‘Cultivating Friendships - A Workshop in Mindful [Re]connection'.

As I've been away for quite some time I have created a very special 2.5 hour edition 😍

We lose touch with friends or struggle to maintain a connection for many reasons:

•We get too caught up in the busyness of life
•We move to a new city or country
•We struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues

There are many reasons, but the outcome is the same: we end up losing touch or closeness with friends who we do actually want to be close to/keep in our lives.

This is a practical workshop to help you assess the quality of your friendships, and to create connected friendships 💞

In this workshop you will…

1. Be guided in written exercises to reflect upon the quality of your friendships

2. Practise a guided meditation to help you [re] connect with and appreciate the role your friends play in your life.

3. Spend time in mindful silence to actively write messages, emails, letters, and/or reach out to those you want to [re]connect with.

To learn more about the workshop, or to sign up to receive the Zoom link or replay click on the link below:

https://inneroxygen.lpages.co/friendship-workshop/

I hope to see you on Sunday, February 27th for a mindful morning to cultivate quality friendships 💞

Much love,
Carolina

Friendship Workshop I completed a two-year Mindfulness & Meditation Teaching Certification (MMTCP) with the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley under world-renowned mindfulness teachers and psychologists Dr. Tara Brach and Dr. Jack Kornfield, and I am now training in Narrative Therapy with the Narrative Therapy....

I spent months in Australia with absolutely no resemblance of a daily routine. I was constantly surrounded by people, without a private space or quiet time. My own practice turned a little chaotic, and that’s putting it mildly 😅. Formal seated meditation was simply not possible the whole time I was away.

However one thing that I did do was listen to the amazing (and sometimes completely crazy - looking at you cockatoos!) Australian birds, either by walking outside, listening to the kookaburras at dawn from my bed, or sitting on the balcony and drinking my morning coffee tuning into the bird songs.

If you are ever going through a phase (or even day!) in your life where routine is just a nice word in the 'R' section of the dictionary, and privacy and silence a concept you start to forget the meaning of, tuning into an external sound can be a wonderful way to anchor yourself, even if it's briefly.

It’s also a great option when your mind is too busy or agitated for silent or guided formal practice.

You can mindfully listen to:

• wildlife noises such as birds if you are lucky enough to live in a place where they can be heard
•the sound of the wind
• the sound of the rain
• the sound of the water while you shower
• a song without lyrics
• or any sound of your choice ☺️

All it takes is just 30 seconds tuning into the sound of your choice to anchor yourself to the present ❤️

A free gift you can give to someone who might need a bit of extra care over the holidays - yourself ❤️

As I'm not able to provide any community workshops while I'm in Australia, I am providing *free access* to the replay of one workshop of your choice from all the workshops I facilitated in 2021 🌈

Sign up using the link below to receive the replay to one of the following workshops I facilitated over the past year:

• Holiday Loneliness - Easing the Pain of Solitude & Disconnection
• Coping with Loss & Accepting Change
• The Power of Saying 'No'
• How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
• Befriending Imperfection - Taming the Inner Critic
• How to Calm Anxious Overthinking
• Embracing Ageing

You will have access to the workshop for three weeks from the moment you sign up, and you have until January 14th to register using the below link:

https://inneroxygen.typeform.com/christmasgift

While the time I am spending with friends and family here in Sydney is so valuable to me, I am also looking forward to creating more community workshops as well as group and private coaching sessions for you once I'm back in Berlin beginning of 2022 ✨

Sending my love from the Australian bush,

Carolina at Inneroxygen
# # #

Receive your free workshop here: https://inneroxygen.typeform.com/christmasgift

When you start practicing meditation on your own it can be confusing to know whether you should be practicing a guided meditation or a self-guided silent meditation.
 
The next time you are confused check the guideline below to help you decide if guided meditation is what you need 🙏
 
A guided meditation is more beneficial when…
 
1. You are just starting your meditation journey
 
At the beginning (and also middle 😉) of your journey your mind will not yet be used to noticing and then bringing your wandering mind back to a focused point. Hearing the voice of an instructor serves as an anchor of attention to the present.
 
2. When you have recently experienced a distressing event
 
Long periods of silence are not recommended after a very distressing event such as the death of a loved one, a relationship breakdown, a troubling health diagnosis, or experiencing a recent psychotic episode. This is because the extended silence and inward focus can actually cause you even more distress as you notice your feelings and thoughts a lot more. 
 
3. You are experiencing high levels of anxiety, sadness, or any other distressing emotive state
 
These feelings could be made worse in long periods of silence by pushing you outside of your emotional window of tolerance. It's important to ensure you are able to self-regulate.
 
4. You want to practice specific mindfulness skills
 
Mindfulness practice involves training in specific qualities such as loving-kindness, self-compassion, gratitude, and many others. A guided meditation is always a great way to start learning and cultivating these qualities.
 
5. You want to work through a specific emotional state
 
You can select a guided meditation according to the emotional state you are currently struggling with to help you work through it, understand yourself better, and get in touch with your inner world. This can be done for many emotional states such as anger, blame, envy, and the list goes on!
 
I'll soon be sharing some tips on when a silent meditation is more beneficial ☺️
 
Much love,
Carolina

October presented me with a lot of upheaval and a big reminder in how to adapt to life as it happens in the present moment. I've made some changes as life unfolded for me in very unexpected ways in a very short space of time.

Australian borders have finally opened after two years of very painful closures throughout the pandemic. I will be flying to Sydney in a month after an eight year absence and will spend a couple of months there to spend much needed quality time with my family members after years of separation

Here in Berlin, I have decided to take on a new part-time position with the organisational coaching company Bettercoach.

This was an unexpected development for me but one I quickly embraced. The founders of Bettercoach and I have the same vision for what workplaces can feel like and look like when company leaders and employees work on their personal development through coaching, and I'm excited to learn more and grow in this area.

I will be spending 2.5 days a week as a team member of Bettercoach, and the rest of the time with you here at inneroxygen - writing, sharing, reflecting, coaching, and practising together to work through mental and emotional struggles.

In order to make space for these changes I've made the following shifts to my coaching schedule at inneroxygen over the next few months:

- I will not be taking on any new 1-1 coaching clients until I return to Berlin from Sydney in January 2022.
- The autumn edition of my group coaching course 'Inner Exploration' will not take place due to time difference issues. I will run the next course in mid-January when I return to Europe.
- I will be offering a few more workshops this year - but the dates will be updated as I see what my schedule is like when I arrive in Sydney. I already have a wonderful Christmas workshop special in mind 🎄

What is staying the same:
- I will be sharing on social media occasionally and writing my newsletter
- I will still be here to answer your questions and messages on my socials and via email 🥰

Lots of love,

Carolina

What does your conditioned mind tell you about your possibilities as you get older? About your body and looks? About your sense of achievement? About your worth?

We will dig deeper into these stories and fears in my free community workshop 'Embracing Ageing - Transforming Your Stories About Getting Older’.

The workshop takes place live this Thursday, September 23rd at 18:30-19:30 CET via Zoom, or sign up to receive the replay if you can't join live!

Register via the link below👇

Sign up: https://inneroxygen.typeform.com/embrace-ageing

Hope to see you there 💜

Carolina

After a lovely summer break I'm ready to open up my signature 8-week course 'Inner Exploration: A Beginner's Journey' 😍

This course is an 8-week immersive community experience for those who desire to explore the self through mindfulness, narrative therapy & creativity, and experiential learning exercises (they are fun I promise!).

Start Date: Wednesday, October 27th 2021
End Date: Wednesday, December 15th
Time: 18:30-20:30 CET (Berlin, Rome)
Where: Online via Zoom

This course is for you if you desire...

- improved emotional skills
- to learn foundational mindfulness practices
- to establish a regular mindfulness practice that is suitable for your lifestyle and needs
- improved mental health & emotional stability
- better relationships & deeper connections to yourself and others
- individualised instruction
- a small supportive community
...and to have some silly fun in the process 💃

The course includes:

•8x 2-hour online live sessions led by me
•A supportive learning community on Telegram with myself and the course participants
•An extensive workbook written by me with lesson summaries, written exercises, and further resources
• Meditation recordings
•Exclusive Bonus [Optional]: discounted x4 private coaching sessions with me

Click on the link below for all the course details & program outline 👇

https://inneroxygen.lpages.co/inner-exploration/

I'm excited to be able to facilitate this journey inwards for you and to get to know you ❤️

Message me at any time if you have any questions or would like more information 🤗

Much love,

Carolina

*FREE WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT* 📣

After a nice break over the summer I'm happy to share with you the details for the next free community workshop!

Join me on Zoom on Thursday, September 23rd at 18:30-19:30 CET (Berlin, Rome) to learn how to change your relationship with getting older :)

We live in a time where there is a lot of pressure to always look young. Many of us experience almost an emotional allergic reaction to any sign that we may be getting older: from our hair, to new wrinkles, balding, decreased metabolism, and devastating hangovers after small amounts of alcohol ;) We whinge about and lament any new change.

In this workshop you will:

- Learn mindfulness exercises for when you are struggling with new signs of getting a bit older
- Practice body gratitude to celebrate everything your body does!
- Discover your current stories around getting older & create new, healthier ones

This workshop will include guided meditations and written exercises. You are always more than welcome to join and listen in without participating in the meditation practices

If you can't make it live, you can still sign up to receive the replay 🎥

Register via the link below to receive the workshop details, Zoom link, and replay :)

Sign up: https://inneroxygen.typeform.com/embrace-ageing

Looking forward to seeing you after the summer break 😍

Carolina

What is the difference between MMTCP and MBSR mindfulness programs?

When looking for a mindfulness-based course, it's useful to know what the different programs are that are available.

Before going into the differences, let's clarify the terminology. MBSR is the acronym for 'Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction' and MMTCP is 'Mindfulness & Meditation Teacher Training Program.

1. MBSR teaches the same set program all around the world. No matter where you go, if it's MBSR certified it will be the exact same outline and program.

On the other hand, MMTCP teaches subject research and practices, and teachers can use what they learn to create and design their own courses.

2. MBSR focuses primarily on pain and stress reduction, as well as disease management.

MMTCP focuses on these as well, in addition to increasing awareness and regulation of emotions, trauma healing, and relationship skills.

3. MBSR was founded by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 70s. MMTCP was founded in 2017 and is taught by Dr Jack Kornfield & Dr Tara Brach.

4.MBSR certifications are given by many centres around the world due to the standardised program, and last from a few months to half a year.

MMTCP certification is only given by Sounds True with the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and the certification takes two years to complete. There is only one intake of students every two years.

5.MMTCP has a strong focus on what are known as the 'heart practices': loving-kindness for self and others, compassion for self and others, and forgiveness for self and others.

I have been MMTCP certified since 2021 :) As such, I design and create my own courses combining MMTCP with my other areas of expertise:

- Narrative therapy & coaching practices
- Creative & written expression
- Experiential exercises

+ some silliness. There will ALWAYS be some silliness ;)

Hi everyone! There are a lot of new people here so I thought it's a good time to introduce myself again :)

I'm Carolina, an MMTCP certified mindfulness coach trained under Dr. Jack Kornfield & Dr Tara Brach, and also training in narrative therapy.

Narrative practice is a powerful coaching & therapy style that involves working with peoples stories.

I have lived in Malta, Sydney, and Buenos Aires (where I was born) and I moved to Berlin a little under two years ago now and live half the time in the city and the other in the Brandenburg countryside 🌲🌼

I'm most often in a blissful flow state when I am reading, researching, learning, and finding out information. As I have a background in both journalism and literature I adore long-form writing 😍

I have a seriously hard time writing for social media and I'm always left with 0 characters left at the end of every caption 🙈🤭

I LOVE 90s pop music, things that sparkle, bright colours, jumping on trampolines, yoga, getting up early to be outside and move my body, as well as enjoying a coffee under a blanket on the couch :)

My meditation practice has shown me that in a restful state my mind automatically starts thinking things like 'what else can I do with all the zucchini in the garden?' Mmmm a beetroot risotto would be amazing right now'. You will see evidence of this obsession occasionally in my feed 🍴😬

I'm currently learning how to make running a habit and will start to learn how to ride a bike - something I had been putting off for a long while.

I'm insanely passionate about helping others reduce the suffering in their lives and love to chat to everyone in my community, so please always feel free to reach out to me with comments or questions.

I send out a regular newsletter where I share a lot more than on social media and get a lot more personal too :)

If you are not on my newsletter yet DM me your email address to receive my philosophical writings, course and scholarship announcements, and updates on my free monthly workshops.

Thank you for being here and I hope I can help you along your journey 🙏❤️

This past summer I spent five weeks living with others and doing different activities than I was used to. Sticking to a regular routine was hard (impossible).

We can struggle to have a regular routine for meditation in many different circumstances, not just when we are on holidays.

You may have people visiting you, you may have some unusual work or family demands, you could be in the middle of moving, adjusting to a big life change, be parenting young children, or without a quiet space.

Life can be hectic and messy, and our practice may need another approach when we are unable to have a regular routine:

1. Practice Self Compassion

When you are unable to stick to a regular practice or are out of your normal schedule first practice self -compassion. It's normal, natural, and human to have ebbs and flows in practice as our life and schedules cannot always be predicted :)

2. Opt for Shorter Practice Times

Instead of trying to do a longer practice time, try giving yourself a shorter time instead which may be more manageable.

3. Be Open & Flexible to Different Locations

We won't always be able to practice on our favourite cushion in our dedicated spot at home. Remember that meditation can be practiced literally anywhere!

4. Practice Informal Mindfulness

You might not be able to do a formal seated meditation, and that's ok! You can bring the quality of mindfulness to any activity of your choosing - from walking, to drinking a cup of tea or coffee, to cooking, to observing the rain or a sunset.

5. Do it When You Can

If you are finding it hard to practice at your preferred time, try to practice whenever you have a small opening of time in your day.

Instead of using your phone for five minutes while waiting for the bus, try mindfully observing your surroundings.

No matter what the reason, or how long you have been out of routine for, remember that you can't lose your practice. It can always be adapted and returned to when you are ready ❤️

*FREE WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT*

Join me on Zoom on Tuesday, June 22nd at 18:30-19:00 CET (Berlin, Rome) to learn meditation and mindfulness practices to help calm anxiety caused by overthinking.

In this workshop you will learn:

•How to bring your thoughts back from overthinking about the future to the present moment

•Practices to help you identify and detach from anxious thoughts

This workshop will include guided meditations. You are always more than welcome to join and listen in without participating in the meditation practices🧘‍♀️

If you can't make it live, you can still sign up to receive the replay 😊

Register via the link below to receive the workshop details, Zoom link, and replay 👇

SIGN UP: https://carolinapomilio.typeform.com/to/Y04kM683

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday before my summer break to practise together 😊

Carolina

I’ve been feeling called to learn a lot more than I currently do about the history of the practices I teach lately, and as such I have been researching, reading, and learning in a far more in-depth way the Buddhist history of modern-day mindfulness practices.

While I am not Buddhist myself and do not practice or teach in a traditional way, I owe so much to the teachings and practices and it brings me a lot of peace to immerse myself in them 🙏❤️

If you are interested in learning more about the history of Buddhism I highly recommend this book: ‘The Foundations of Buddhism’ by Rupert Gethin.

It is written in a very engaging way and it’s easy to follow for the most part (it is still a religious history book ;)).

Join me tonight, Monday May 31st, for the May edition of my [free] monthly community workshop series!

I'll be focusing on the topic of 'Befriending Imperfection - Taming the Inner Critic'.

The workshop will be at 18:30-19:30 CET (Berlin, Rome) and will be conducted on Zoom.

In this workshop you will:

•Investigate your beliefs around imperfection & vulnerability

•Learn the true fears behind a fear of imperfection

•Practice mindfulness exercises to help you when you are in the grips of shame, embarrassment, and anxiety when you think you have made a mistake

There will be guided meditations and written reflections in this workshop.

If you can't make it live you can still sign up to receive the replay in your own time 😊

You are also more than welcome to join in and observe with the camera off without participating.

Sign up via the link below to receive the Zoom link, workshop details, and the replay👇🎥

Register here: https://carolinapomilio.typeform.com/to/ZCgZNeSh

Hope to see you this evening 💫

Carolina at Inneroxygen

We are part of many different discourses in our lifetime that shape our ideas about who we are and what we may desire in life.

However many times the ideas in dominant discourse are not really in line with what we may want or how we see ourselves.

The messages we receive from society can be so strong that it is hard to know the difference between who we truly are, and what dominant discourses make us believe we are or want to achieve.

The ideas which are passed on to us through culture become a truth within us of how we are meant to live and behave, rather than what it is: set of ideas we can see as an option of many.

There is always a cultural context for your experiences when thinking about how to live and how you feel about yourself.

One good way to tell that an idea from dominant discourse is present is when you notice yourself saying 'I should be'.

For example, let's say you are saying to yourself something like:

"I should be married by now."
" I should be in a relationship by now"
"I should have a successful career by now"
“I should have a house by now”

When you notice the presence of 'I should' ask yourself:

"What ideas from dominant culture are present right now? Whose ideas are these?"

When we investigate where these ideas come from, we can see that these ideas are coming from numerous cultural discourses that may be influencing your own ideas of how things should be.

The meaning we make of the stories we tell ourselves make up our lives.

Through questioning our stories we can shift from a problem-saturated narrative of ourselves where we allow dominant ideas to run the show, to a version of ourselves in which we have the option to open up to new identities and possibilities 🤸‍♀️🌈