Sandy Dias, a mindfulness & presence oriented Psychotherapist, MBCT teacher and founder-director of Just Being Center for Mindfulness and Presence, stands as an unsung hero offering individual psychotherapy especially for women including adults with developmental trauma, group psychotherapy and other mental health professionals. She also trains mental health professionals in bringing a feminine, receptive way of `being’ in therapy.
With over 22 years of experience in the field, she is internationally certified in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) from the Center of Mindfulness, University of California, San Diego, USA.
What does Women Empowerment mean to you?
Women’s Empowerment is about bringing back the balance of power between men and women. It’s not about special treats on this particular day. It's about reflecting, noticing and changing how does this power dynamic play out in our own homes, workplaces, education.
Due to societal conditioning and centuries of oppression, there is an implicit bias that works against women. We are not necessarily conscious of it but it shows up in the way we talk and behave and in the attitudes we hold. It's not only in how men relate to women but also how women relate to themselves and to each other.
Tips to build self-confidence within yourself?
Awareness – We can listen in to ourselves. What’s important for me? What do I need? Practices like Mindfulness and Self-Compassion can support in building this inner relationship and inner listening to oneself.
Supportive communities - To be heard, validated and valued is so important and receiving that from others allows us to come into trusting ourselves better. Find, cultivate or develop spaces that feel safe and nurturing for you, like finding your tribe.
Giving voice – In situations and around people with whom it feels safe, to give voice. To say what you feel and think even if it is tentative at first. It doesn’t require us to be combative or loud to be heard.
Tips to balance work, home and personal life?
It’s not about balancing many things at once and taking it all on. Its more about balancing our energy. This might mean taking time out for oneself. Making space for things we love that nourishes us.
An important question we can stay with is `What is the valued direction for my life?’ `What’s the life I want to have?’ Priorities settle around what’s important.
Notice when you feel overwhelmed or exhausted. Our bodies are giving us signals all the time of what might be needed. Listen to your body and its cues. Take a pause, restful breaks and seeing what is needed for yourself.
What’s the message for Indian women on Women’s Day?
Trusting oneself and how you deeply know and understand the world. Give voice to that, not just to the conditioned voices we hear in our heads or from others around us. The world needs more of the voices of women to be heard and assimilated in the mainstream narrative.
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