The term “nonviolent communication” is best known as a method of communication created and synthesized by the late psychologist Marshall Rosenberg.
In his The 4-Part NVC Proces, Rosenberg established four steps that could guide us to express our emotions clearly and without blaming or criticizing, and to empathetically receive what other people are conveying to us – without hearing blame or criticism.
Relationships are hard but also essential for our growth. Anthony Giddins, a pioneer of the study of sociology, argued that being left in isolation is one of the most forceful punishments.
Human interaction is essential for our well-being. However, just because we are articulating our thoughts verbally doesn’t mean we are communicating with each other effectively. The 4-step method created by Rosenberg gives us the tools to do that. In this article, I am breaking down the concept of non-violent communication and guiding you how to execute it in your own relationships.
1. Observe and recap
recapping what someone has said, without emotional input
not attaching any judgment or “story” to your response
i.e., ”I hear you say…” instead of “You just said…”.
2. Describe emotions, not opinions
talk feelings, not issues.
don`t state your opinions as facts
stay open for the other person`s point of view
i.e., expressing what are you feeling without translating your emotions into blame. For example: “I am feeling a bit neglected right now. Let`s work it out,” as opposed to “I am sick of you not finding time for this relationship. It`s over.”
3. Identify needs
Rosenberg found that human needs universally fall into one of a handful of categories, including connection, honesty, peace, play, physical well-being, a sense of meaning, and autonomy.
take a moment to identify what you need as opposed to what are you feeling alone
i.e., you might feel neglected, but if you dig deeper you may find that your unmet need is about connection and quality time with your partner. If you are the recipient of your partner`s unmet needs, on the other hand, commit to listening first instead of reacting impulsively and feeling blamed.
4. Make a request
clearly requesting that which would meet your spoken needs without demanding or nagging
empathetically receiving a request without being judgemental or unwilling to take it into consideration
i.e. “Would you be willing to create more time for intimacy?”- on the requesting end, and “I am setting the intention to create more conscious time for intimacy” on the receiving end.
If you would like to read more on this topic, review the related articles under this link (or scroll down the feed)
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Have you ever felt shame for feeling fear? You are so not alone. Yet, being afraid doesn’t mean you are weak or less resilient and courageous. It simply means you are human.
Nobody on this planet is immune to fear. Fear is ingrained in our genetic make-up. We are programmed to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
In simple terms, this means that your brain often interprets change as equal to pain.
Therefore, your brain is sabotaging your progress, assuming it protects you from danger!
✖️ it tells you that CHANGING your diet equals pain. ✖️ it tells you that CHANGING your workout regimen is too hard. ✖️ it tells you that CHANGING your relationships is too much work. ✖️ it tells you that CHANGING your lifestyle is too inconvenient. ✖️ it tells you that CHANGING your habits is too uncomfortable.
In short, this part of your brain (called the critter brain) doesn’t care if your intention to change benefits your well-being or if endangers it. As far as your brain is concerned, ”changing” means danger; danger means pain, and pain means possible death. Ouch!
Next time you feel afraid to change a habit, remember that feeling fear is part of the process. Your brain is programmed to shut down your motivation in order to PROTECT you.
Your fear is a self-protective mechanism that mother nature has created for us in order to keep us alive. Similarly to working out, your brain needs time to adjust to doing the extra mile/pushing one more rep, and feeling safe at the same time.
Small changes create great results because your brain doesn’t see them as threats.
On the contrary, if you push too hard and too fast, your immune system shuts down, and this leads to emotional and physical overwhelm. Slow and steady always wins the race!
So why feeling fear is a good thing?Because it is a signal that you are doing something outside of your comfort zone, and that you are stepping into the unknown. No great inventions would have been possible if we were not afraid to challenge the status quo and change our ways of thinking and being.
Next time you feel afraid, congratulate yourself for the bravery to try something new and evolve from your old “you.”
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Have you found yourself stuck in an area of your life that you want to change, but don`t know how? Read these tips!
Sometimes we want big results fast and we imagine that means pushing ourselves as far and fast as we can go. But we often set ourselves up for failure that way. Slow and steady, consistent follow-through is what gets results that create true lasting transformation. If you want to create a long-lasting change, you really have to learn how to be patient with the process.:)
STEP #1 of 5: Step Back
Stepping Back is about moving from being “in” a situation to an “observer” of a situation. The reason it’s essential to Step Back and get distance between you and your programming is that the distance opens up the opportunity to see a situation from a new perspective. Your programming is what you were given at a very early age to make decisions about yourself and the world. When you can see a situation from a new perspective, you are likely to create more choices and possibilities.
STEP #2 of 5: Let Go
At its core, transformation is a continual process of letting go. This step is all about giving you a way to release old beliefs and create new ones. Please check out my free tips on letting go here.
STEP #3 of 5: Say Yes to Self
This step is about anchoring in new beliefs that reflect your true self now. Once we’ve let go of the dysfunctional beliefs that no longer serve us, we get to choose what we want to believe and who we want to be. Not sure how to execute this step? Check out this article.🙂
STEP #4 of 5: Take Empowered Action
When you feel completely grounded in yourself and your truth, you are in the perfect place to take empowered action. Why is “empowered action” specifically important? If you’re taking action from a place of fear, “not enough-ness”, doubt, confusion, or worry, then you aren’t coming from an empowered place. Here are some tools how to combat your fear.
STEP #5 of 5: Set Up Accountability (Support AND Stretch)
Once you are commited to changing your life, then you want to set up the type of accountability that makes success inevitable, which means you must have support and you must have stretch. What are the conditions that set you up for inevitable success? One way is to surround yourself with people who have the belief systems and outcomes that you want to have.
Need more accountability in your life? I am here to support and guide you.:)
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Do you want to transform your self-talk, build unstoppable confidence and emanate radiant energy that lights up the room?
You are in the right space!
My goal is to help you to attain it by teaching you how to release old blockages, guiding you to improve your self-talk and coaching you to develop new empowering habits that are designed to gradually replace the old sabotaging beliefs you may have around your body, your love life and your career.
The “Uncover Your Confidence” 90-day-Intensive program is the right fit for you if you know you want to:
Build intuition and self-awareness how recognize the limiting beliefs you may carry around your body, food, intimate relationships, and the way you live your life.
Learn to recognize self-sabotaging beliefs and replace confidence-damaging habits with confidence-building habits.
Adopt empowering techniques for managing negative patterns and stepping into your power to change and feel confident in your skin.
Attain a new baseline where you begin to create life-changing (and sustainable!) physical, and emotional transformation.
By enrolling in this 90-day program, you will receive:
On-going support from me via texts, emails, and a scheduled weekly check-in
New meditation recording each week that helps de-stress your mind and guides you to instill more self-awaraness and self-value
Customized affirmations that assist you to visualize your progress and connect to yourselfon a deeper level
On-going guidance on what foods to eat to support radiant energy and youthfullness
A confidence-boosting dance-fitness routine (*) you can do at home streamed at a convenient time for your schedule , tailored to your fitness level 🙂
Upon completion, you will achieve four major outcomes:
• Learn what thoughts and behaviors hold you back and how to reverse them • Set up the conditions for inevitable success and self-accountability • Find out which foods give your vibrant energy and support your inner confidence with outer youthfulness and glow • Convert the confidence-building habits and routines, you have learned into ingrained behaviors that last
My Story
I am so passionate about empowering women to transform their self-talk and build more confidence because I know how it feels to continually sabotage yourself, to feel disconnected from your body, and to avoid your reflection in the mirror – affirming that you are not “enough” and will never be loved for who you are. What a disempowering way to view yourself! But it was the Universe`s way to teach me what I know so that I could rebuild my confidence from zero to a hundreed. And you can do it, too!
Once I hit a low bottom of anxiety and low self-esteem in my early twenties, I finally realized that it is time for me to commit to moving forward from my past. During this process of trying different techniques and becoming a licensed coach (accredited by the Health Coach Institute), I learned how to love and accept my body, the way it is, by practicing mindful eating and self-love, walking with more confidence (with straight back, my shoulders back and my heart open to the world…), and feeling connected to my feminine power and inner beauty.
My clients and I are the living proof of the unlimited potential we all carry to uncover our unstoppable confidence and empowerment. ❤
Recent Testimonies
I have been more than thrilled about my experience with Ana-Maria! I am really impressed with her customized and agile approach to wellness and life-coaching. The progress that I accomplished in the first two months of collaborating with her is phenomenal, both physically and emotionally. The results came so fast and are so tangible that my motivation to get to the best version of myself is growing by the hour. I didn`t realize how much I already knew about wellness until I started working with Ana-Maria. However, she has been the driving force behind guiding me, keeping me organized and showing me ways of applying the knowledge I already have and the new knowledge that I am acquiring through her. I can`t wait to see how far she will help me to get in my journey of discovering my true self and being the best version of myself that I could ever be!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Ana-Maria!
Pauline S.
I love working with A-M, getting weekly assignments and experimenting with different foods and seeing what works for my body. I also like that`s is not a race and not a competition. It`s totally working. Everyone is commenting on how good I look. I feel so great. My skin is glowing…I feel happy, energized and confident. I eat anti-inflammatory and anti-aging foods, and I feel and I look younger. I feel so much better about my self-esteem. It is very important to work with a coach because you keep yourself accountable…learning how to eat, what to eat, and implanting positive seeds in your brain. I highly recommend it to everybody! It`s the perfect package: getting all the information I need, the motivation, and the support. I absolutely recommend Ana-Maria to everybody! I am so glad she is in my life. It is PRICE-LESS. It`s the best investment you can do in your life. You are changing your habits forever. (Katie B.)
Ready to enroll but still have questions?
Let me help you get clarity if this program is right for you!:) Please fill in the questionnaire attached below and submit it to my e-mail, contact@lunavoda.com. I will reach out to your directly to schedule a complimentary session.:)
✓ You wake up feeling more well-rested, happier and more positive
✓ You learn how to distress your mind with mindfulness exercises and daily meditation
✓ You intuitively know what to eat for your body type, and you naturally choose vibrant foods that support your health, energy, and vibrance
✓ You are co-creating an AMAZING relationship with yourself (and your partner/future partner) that stems from a place of unconditional self-love and self-respect
✓ You maintain clear your boundaries around your needs and learn how to prioritize your self-care
✓ You are learning SO much about yourself that you start to completely let go of all previous deconstructive habits and limiting beliefs
~ It is Your Time to Love And Care For Yourself!
❤
Download your self-love affirmations
As a my gift for you, I include three of my favorite self-love affirmations that you can download for free. Please remember that it takes a minimum of twenty one days for your subconscious mind to plant the seeds of the new beliefs you are growing.:) Repeat to yourself every day to manifest the positive results you deserve.
The bonus workout is offered in this program is available on a on a first–come, first-served basis. Limited spots available!:) Join now to reserve your spot! ❤
Have questions or comments? Reach out to me directly at contact@lunavoda.com.
This is a Zero-Risk program!:) If it doesn’t work for you, you receive a 100% reimbursement within the first ten days of enrollment. No questions asked!
Something tells me that if you feel a solid YES in your heart – your intuition is right! 🙂
~ With Love and Care,
Ana-Maria
Let’s connect!
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According to the Eastern philosophy, which I follow in my health coaching practice, we require all of those seven chakras to be in balance in order to nurture and maintain physical and spiritual homeostasis.
This is is a simple overview of the chakras in our body: it serves to show you how to visualize them, and how to know if they are in balance.
Root Chakra
Shapes our sense of security
“I am safe, grounded and connected”-Muladhara Mantra
“In the first chakra, to be aware is to be tactile. Nothing happens until it happens in the first chakra; and nothing has happened until we sense it, until we feel it in a tactile way, until it touches us… ”
Rosalyn L. Bruyere, Wheels of Light
Located in the hips and genital region
Defines our relation to the Earth and impacts our vitality, passion and survival instincts
Governs safety: do we feel safe in our home, relationships, work, etc
Is very transformative: can transform anger into passion, but also can become stagnant
When balanced – it cultivates healthy sexuality, stability and security
When in Imbalanced – it can result in psychical aches, pains, eating disorders, financial difficulties and other addictions
Sacral Chakra
Shapes our creativity and desires
“I allow sweetness, sensuality and passion into my life”-Svadhisthana Mantra
Located in the lower abdominals and digitals
Holds our sensuality and sexuality
Represents our passions and desires
When balanced: we connect and create easily
When imbalanced: we deny our creative energy
Developed in childhood when we start to form our belief system
When we block this energy, we feel dissatisfied
When we unleash it, we feel “enough” and connected
“We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.”
Brene Brown
Solar Plexus
Shapes our sense of stability and empowerment
“It is safe for me to be powerful. I can, I will, I do”- Manipura Mantra
Located in the abdomen (it symbolizes the bridge between the 2ndand 3rdchakras)
Governs the digestive organs
When we question our beliefs, we question our identity
We first understand the physical world in this chakra
The place where we store our judgments (the second brain, “the gut”)
When balanced: it helps us express our decisions and power to decide
Represents the power to create the life we desire
When imbalanced: we lack compassion or enough self care and feel helplessness, co-dependence, disempowered
The place where we store our judgments
If you want to learn more: continue exploring this blog
To have a healthy heart, you need to practice forgiveness and compassion – check out this article to learn a very easy method to release old fears and forgive those who wronged you.:)
Heart Chakra
“I am loving and I am loved, I embrace the world”-Anahata Mantra
Located in the heart region (the bridge to emotional, physical and spiritual worlds)
Symbolized the pulse of life and our childlike joy
When balanced – it represents our natural ability to feel joy, compassion and love
When imbalanced – it can show up as heart problems, disorders of the respiratory system like asthma and bronchitis, allergies and pneumonia
If you wish to learn more about how to build unstoppable confidence – check out this guide.🙂 ❤
Throat Chakra
“I lovingly speak my truth, clearly and positively”-Vishuddha Mantra
Located in the throat region
Expresses our uniqueness and our authentic truth
Resonates to a place of full expression
What we desire to speak versus what we say
It governs how we communicate our thoughts and feelings
When balanced –we speak our truth with confidence
If imbalanced – it results in feeling of victimization and fear of standing up for yourself and owing your words
“The More I look. The More I see. The More I feel.” – Depeche Mode
Third Eye
“I trust my intuition and dreams, I am clear”-Ajna Mantra
Located in the space between the eyebrows (Control center of all other chakras)
Master control center for the Pituitary gland
Governs the way we create our life through our senses
It stimulates our intuition and higher wisdom
When balanced – we trust our intuition and have the clarity to “see”
When imbalanced- it results in distractions, hormonal imbalance, headaches, distorted vision, inability to plan for the future
Inorder to connect to your intuition, you need to practice self-awareness and no-judgment. Here are some tips that might help!
The Crown Chakra
“I am open to receiving the limitless abundance of the universe”
-Sahasrara Mantra
Located in the ethereal space above the head
Governs the pineal gland
The seventh chakra is responsible to awaken us to our higher purpose in life
When balanced – we feel awaken into our spiritual beliefs and capable to express our free will
When Imbalanced – it may result in overabuse of spirituality or meditation and disconnection to the physical experience
I really hope this (general!) overview is helpful and gives you some insights. If you wish to learn more, contact me directly or – even better – sign up for the dancefitideas`s newsletter! My team and I will be releasing a lot more information and guidance soon, so make sure to stay tuned!
Pleaseee don`t ignore to spread the wellness vibes: sharing and liking this article helps this blog to grow and to reach more people. Thank You! 🙂
Procrastination haunts us the most when we feel overwhelmed, intimated, or incompetent to complete the task. These three strategies are a proven method to keep you on track and reignite your motivation for success.
In the end, it is all about progress and not perfection. Once we set our mindset on that concept, our perfectionist ego calms down and allow us to do the work.
Your guide on how to beat procrastination (scroll down to download it as a pdf)
I. Break Down Your Goal Realistically
Instead of planning to climb Everest in one day, which sounds intimidating from the very beginning, make sure your goal is specific, measurable and achievable, realistic and time-bound (yes, it spells SMART)!
II. Make Yourself Accountable
Make sure you’re using a device that records your progress (an app, your calendar, or your journal). For example, you can use the website IDoneThis which sends you automatic emails at the end of each day to poke your mind. Or, of course, find your own method that WORKS for you!
III. Reorganize Your Life
When tracking your progress, ask yourself:
Is what you currently doing shifting you towards your goal, or is it keeping you stuck in procrastination and distractions? Are you prioritizing your main goals, or are you jiggling so many things, you’re losing inspiration to complete any of them?
Visualize that your goal is a house you are building and that procrastination is the garbage that prevents you from living in a clean environment. So what do you do when our home needs cleaning? You go ahead and put it back in order. The more we procrastinate, the more clutter we accumulate. Same applies to our goals: get rid of the clutter, refocus yourself, take a deep breath, and start getting things done right off the bat.
To Recap:
You make sure your goal is specific, measurable and achievable and, most importantly, it makes you enthusiastic and excited to do it.
If this is not the case, you find an effective way to keep yourself accountable and motivated
If the first two steps still don`t work, you find help by hiring a coach, looking for a mentor, watching webinars, or learning from You Tube (for free!)
Remember, even if you don`t have the resources to hire a coach or enroll in a program that teaches you how to be accountable, you always have the resources within yourself to make it happen.
I am gifting you these strategies in a PDF format so you print it out and start making progress – Today.
~ With Love and Care,
Ana-Maria
For more information, please visit lunavoda.com and, if you wish to receive more tips and strategies from me,, subscribe to my email list.
