Flow – Practitioner Q & A: Mary Zvi, Israel

We see the flow of life, like a river – as one great flowing journey. The essential flow of life is achieved when we understand the concept of flow and can integrate it into everything we do.

As part of a regular series, we are asking Pantarei practitioners from around the world, to share with us some insights into their life, their work and what flow means to them.

Tell us about yourself and what you do …

My name is Mary and I live in Tel Aviv, Israel. I am a professional practitioner, teaching tools for self-actualization, using the Pantarei Approach and somatic bodywork that emphasizes the natural body and the mind’s inner wisdom.

My curiosity and hunger for knowledge has led me to studying a lot over the years, and to explore different cultures. I’ve been traveling quite a lot and am, an expert for East Asia and Japanese culture and language. I’m a marketing/technology project manager, a graphic designer and I secretly am a writer (but don’t tell anyone!).

I appreciate great family and friendships in my life, and I enjoy meeting new people. What especially fills (and feeds) my soul and inspires me is music and the beach. Yoga is what keeps my work-life-productivity-pleasures in balance. I’ve been practicing yoga for many years now. It helped me through some challenging times in my life. That’s also how I first realized the body-mind integral connection.

What touches you about the Pantarei Approach?

For around 10 challenging years I’ve been practicing and nurturing a technology/marketing/management career in the online/tech industry which was fulfilling and successful. But at some point, I realized that the pressure and intensity of my job had taken over me, making me unsatisfied and exhausted. I experienced an ongoing frustration and pains in my body. that were clear signs that my needs and choices, my body and my heart were not aligned anymore.

Yoga and healthy nutrition weren’t enough to improve my state, so I was looking for new ways of feeling better, to be satisfied again. Luckily, I met a Pantarei practitioner. While I was going through a deep internal process, every session I received was almost mind blowing to me. Surprisingly and unfortunately, I was holding pains in my body that became part of my being. My practitioner guided me and has been teaching me simple tools for how to experience my emotions and explore my inner self from new angles. I’ve faced fresh new aspects of my emotions and wishes and thanks to that process, I was able to trace and route my way to a new and exciting path.

It took a while until I finally left my career and dared to choose studying a new profession: to work with people, to touch their hearts and guide them through their own body-mind exploring processes.

Learning from my Pantarei teachers – first from my practitioner here in Israel and then studying in the Pantarei professional school in Berlin – opened and continues to open my mind every day. The many years of my teachers’ professional experience is giving me great confidence. I am thankful for the knowledge I am gaining. On top of that, sharing collaborative studying and practicing time in Berlin with my classmates and colleagues is such a deep, wonderful and fulfilling process.

I now am lucky to have my own clinic and clients in Israel, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with my choice. My daily experiences involve accompanying my clients through improving their well being. It feels right in my body. I am honoured for the chance to teach my clients simple tools to deal with life’s challenges and joyfully use their inner wisdom for growth.

How would you describe being in flow in your life? 

Human emotional intelligence was fascinating to me from a very young age. I was thrilled to find the Pantarei Approach as it is a perfect match to my own perception of life: embracing individuality in a positive approach, is a foundation principle for me. Allowing feelings to be as they are, accepting the current state of mind, listening to our own heart and intuition – those principals are my compass. The ability to explore our minds and souls by listening to the messages of our bodies is a gift we own by being human. As we grow up we might forget we have it in us. I wish this simple ability would be used more in everyone’s lives.

What does being in flow mean to you?

Moving with life rather than moving against life is for me what ‘being in flow’ means; accepting current realities and challenges, appreciating what comes to my life in the present, in the very moment of here and now. To move forward I am trying my best to listen to my inner voice, to do what I feel is good for me. When my body gives me signs I stop, I listen. If an area in my body is stiff, hurts, or is contracted, I will explore what brought me to this unsatisfactory point. I will pay attention to feelings and emotions that need to be distinguished, to thoughts that might need to be said. The same principles are embodied and serve me in relationships. Move with and not against. Accept feelings and situations of those arounds me. Allow them to be.

By Mary Zvi.

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Want to know more? You’d like to share a cup of coffee in Berlin or Tel Aviv? Found yourself in my story? Feel free to write me a personal message through my FB page (link above) or Se****************@gm***.com“>via email.  

What does being in flow mean to you?