The Hoffman Podcast S7e12: Dorothy Holden – Let Somatic Knowing Guide Your Life
Dorothy Holden, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, did the Hoffman Process in 2004 and became a teacher in 2007. In this conversation with Drew, Dorothy shares her journey from the reactive patterns she learned as a child to the wisdom she’s developed over the years of serving others and teaching the Process.
Growing up, Dorothy was the 3rd of 5 kids and the only girl. Her home life was stable. At the same time, there were no rules to speak of, which could be both fun and very chaotic. At a very early age, Dorothy developed a pattern of self-responsibility and learned to take care of herself. And, through this, she developed a sense of rigidity and judgment. As a deep core reactive pattern, this has both helped her and hindered her in her life. After doing the deep healing work of the Process, Dorothy’s main takeaway was she fell in love with herself, without reservation.
Dorothy speaks of what she’s learned from teaching over 100 Processes. She helps her students release fear and anxiety-based resistance to go deeper into their Process so they can drop into their essential nature during this transformative week. Dorothy shares about how to continue practices consciously so that life doesn’t get in the way. Finally, she speaks to the power of somatic knowing as an embodied sense. This knowing can guide our lives, as is often explained through the core Hoffman tool, Be-Do-Have.
More about Dorothy Holden:
Dorothy Holden is a Registered Clinical Counselor with a therapy practice that specializes in helping people navigate transitions and find meaning in their lives. She strives to support each person on their unique journey toward self-awareness and personal fulfillment. Dorothy has an MS in Counseling Psychology (University of Calgary), a B-Ed (Dalhousie University), and a BA in Psychology (McGill University). She lives in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia.
Dorothy has supported hundreds of Olympic and national athletes in Canada with personal development and career planning. She also volunteers as a counselor and support group facilitator for an integrative cancer care agency.
In Dorothy’s own words:
I love teaching the Hoffman Process and other Hoffman programs. The Hoffman vision is creating world peace, one person at a time.”
I live in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia with my husband, who is a retired lawyer and a Hoffman graduate. We have 2 adult children and 4 grandchildren. Our daughter’s family lives near us, so I get lots of opportunities to chase those rascals around. Our son has just moved his family to Switzerland, and so we are learning how to stay connected while living on different continents.
As mentioned in this episode:
White Sulphur Springs:
For over two decades, the Hoffman Process was held in St. Helena at White Sulphur Springs. The retreat site burned in the Glass fire of 2020. The Hoffman Process retreat site was relocated to our current home in Petaluma, CA.
Read a love letter from White Sulphur Springs written in the early days of the pandemic.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• University of Calgary
Right Livelihood:
“According to the Buddha’s teachings, Right Livelihood is a way to earn a living that doesn’t harm others or oneself. In defining Right Livelihood, the Buddha named five types of businesses that lay people should not engage in.” Read more
Canadian Olympic and national athletes.
Hoffman terminology mentioned in this episode:
Hoffman Tools and Practices:
Vicious Cycle
Left Road: Part of the Left Road/Right Road perspective
Presence
Vulnerability
Authenticity
Reactivity
Self-love
Transference
Be-Do-Have
Patterns and the Negative Love Syndrome:
To learn more about patterns and the Negative Love Syndrome, download A Path to Personal Freedom and Love.
Self-compassion:
Based on work from Dr. Kristin Neff and Chris Germer, PhD, there are two types of self-compassion.
Listen to Kristin Neff on the Hoffman Podcast.
Listen to Chris Germer on the Hoffman Podcast.
Somatic knowledge – a felt sense of knowingness:
Out of this, we know what to do in any instance.
Article: A Brief Into the World of Somatics