Instagram story viewer> @buenqamino> Posts

Christina Kantzavelos 🌿 Slow Living & Gluten-Free Travel Journal

@buenqamino

11.3K

followers

1331

following

Buen Camino ᕱ Mind-Body-Spirit Musings
𓆸 Rooting while wandering in Portugal
∴Therapy @beginwithintoday
∴Art @speira.art
∴Stay @casa.erimos
📍🇵🇹/ 🇬🇷

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

“Personal sovereignty is the ability to say no and yes to self, and no and yes to others.”

As a recovering codependent, people pleaser, and fawner, I have spent a lot of my life learning what it means to come back to myself. To notice when I am overriding my own knowing, abandoning a need, masking, or saying yes when something inside me is clearly saying no.

In sitting with and relating to this definition of ‘self sovereignty’, I realize it’s less about being independent and more about being deeply connected to myself while still being in relationship with others.

Biteena shared that she first heard this definition in a webinar with Dr. Roshi Fleet Maull @fleetmaull (author of Radical Responsibilty) through his Neurosomatic Mindfulness course.

Maybe this is an invitation for all of us to notice where we are saying yes when we mean no, no when we mean yes, or abandoning ourselves somewhere in between.

Thank you @biteenafrazier @dbkendra , for bringing this into our circle and giving me something to contemplate. 🤍P.S. Her substack is amazing and worth a follow 📖 by @buenqamino

3

8

18 days ago

I take my artist dates with myself very seriously. Not just as a way of romanticizing my life, but because creativity and play have become a really important part of how I care for my body.

So much of our lives are spent being productive, solving problems, thinking ahead, managing responsibilities and adapting to whatever is happening around us. Creativity offers a completely different experience. When we paint, write, take photographs, cook, make something with our hands, wander through a gallery or follow a little spark of curiosity, we step out of that constant state of doing and give ourselves permission to simply experience/ “be”.

Our nervous system is constantly taking in information from our environment, and experiences of play, pleasure, curiosity and creative expression can communicate something very different from urgency/ threat. And because our nervous and immune systems are so closely connected, creating more experiences of safety and regulation can have an impact far beyond making us feel good.

This has been vital for me over the past few years. I’ve been healing from various chronic illnesses, and lived nomadically, moved countries, and now I’m navigating being a newlywed and an immigrant while continuing to figure out what “home” means to me. There has been a lot of change, a lot of adapting and a lot of uncertainty. But, I am reminded (cue Dolly),that I’m truly a wildflower, and we can grow anywhere I go🌼

My artist dates give me a reason to explore wherever I am, to stay curious, to notice beauty, to make something, to meet new people, and to have experiences that are rooted in be-ing

So maybe you need some artist dates in your life too. You don’t have to consider yourself an artist (though, I believe everyone is). Just follow your curiosity and see where it takes you.

Follow @speira.art for more of this journey🌀

Thanks for always offering the perfect artist date/ work space and delicious fuel @origem.coffee ☕️(hoping to show some of my art here soon 🖼️)- and I consistently get the most compliments on this magical @the.hearthist paint set, with naturally sourced watercolors 🎨

P.S. Ty for all of the bday wishes. I’m still behind in💌 taken in Ørigem Coffee Roasters & Cafe by @buenqamino

3

13

2 months ago

“I was taught that keeping quiet kept the peace, until I realized whose peace it was keeping.”
— Dr. Thema Bryant @dr.thema

@wombreclamation quoted this during our interview for The Trauma Therapist Podcast and I texted her right after to have her write it out because I was like 1000000%. THIS.

Because whose peace are we keeping?

For so many of us, keeping the peace can become a trauma response. We learn that it’s safer to stay quiet, not make waves, not disappoint people, not ask for too much, not make other people uncomfortable.

And sometimes we learn this long before chronic illness enters the picture.

Then we become sick and that same response can follow us.

We keep pushing through because stopping might inconvenience someone.
We say yes when our body is saying no.
We feel guilty for needing rest.
We minimize what we’re experiencing because we don’t want to be “too much.”

We’re still keeping the peace.

But for who?

And what happens when we start realizing that our own needs, our own boundaries, and our own wellbeing deserve to be part of the equation too?

This is one of the many things Alanna and I got into during our conversation, and I cannot wait for you to hear it.

Be sure to check out our interview together! Link is in the bio. 🌀

🎙️ @thetraumatherapistpodcast taken in Chania, Crete, Greece by @buenqamino

3

10

2 months ago

3

3

2 months ago

Feeling your feelings is anti-inflammatory 📣 This came up in conversation with @medicaltraumasupport recently.

Research suggests that chronic emotional suppression and unresolved stress can contribute to persistent activation of the stress response, which is associated with increased inflammatory signaling over time.

When we acknowledge and process emotions in safe and healthy ways, we help regulate the nervous system, reduce chronic stress activation, and support more balanced immune function.

This doesn’t mean emotions are the cause of illness, or that emotional processing is a cure. It means our emotional, neurological, endocrine, and immune systems are deeply interconnected.

Healing isn’t just about nutrition, supplements, or medications.

It’s also about creating enough safety for the body to stop bracing and start repairing.

What we’re willing to feel may influence how our body responds.

🫶 taken in Praia Fluvial Do Agroal by @buenqamino

3

5

3 months ago

Just romancing the river and its inhabitants, hbu? 🌿 taken in Cela, Leiria, Portugal by @buenqamino

3

7

3 months ago

@buenqamino & @duartegameiro_ 💍

#portugalwedding #portugalphotographer taken in Portugal by @buenqamino

217

9

4 months ago

I cannot believe it took me this long to finally attend one of my famous chef aunt’s cooking classes in Crete. 🇬🇷🏛️🧆

Koula Varydakis is a Cretan chef, cookbook author, and co-author of Foods of Crete: Traditional Recipes of the Healthiest People in the World. 📖👩‍🍳 She has cooked in some of the top restaurants on the island, spent years as a chef in Greektown in Toronto, and eventually came back to where it all began. She teaches traditional Cretan cooking to visitors from around the world, through group classes with @vamos_village_tourist_office in a restored olive mill in the village of Vamos, and privately for those looking for a more intimate experience. 🫒🌿

We made rooster, dolmades, zucchini fritters, Greek salad, and an eggplant sauce that I am still thinking about. 🍆🏺 She adapted everything gluten-free without being asked twice, and intentionally saved the kalitsounia for last so I would not be exposed. For those who don’t know, kalitsounia are traditional Cretan cheese and herb pies made with wheat dough, so they were a no-go for me. That kind of attentiveness is simply who she is. Every student who walks through that door gets the same. 🤍

And then, as if the meal was not already enough, she surprised my mom with a gluten-free birthday cake from @sketi_glika . 🎂 The figurative and emotional candle on top of an already extraordinary afternoon.

I chose Zorba the Greek as the song for this reel, and not just for the obvious reasons. Both my mom and her cousin Yiannis, who was also there with us, appeared in the film as children. 🎬😍

We left with our aprons, a recipe book, and leftovers in hand. Even the cats were fed. No rock is left unturned around this woman. 🌿🤍

Whether you are looking for a group class or a private experience, if you are visiting Crete this is not optional. Find Koula at @varydakisxanialakis. 🇬🇷👩‍🍳 taken in Vamos Village Crete by @buenqamino

3

18

4 months ago

Anyone else love torturing themselves a little bit? And yes, I washed my hands after.

#celiacdisease #glutenfree taken in Restaurante Solar dos Amigos - Guisado by @buenqamino

3

20

4 months ago

👑🌿🌸 Linda Caldas da Rainha Community 🌸🌿👑 It’s time for my 11th Annual #ClothingXchange / Clothing Swap 🛍️🌼

This year I’m co-hosting with @origem.coffee ☕️ at their beautiful and spacious location on Sunday, June 14, from 10:00 to 13:00 🇵🇹🌿 Rua Alexandre Herculano 21, Caldas da Rainha

This is a community event open to all ages and all genders, focused on reuse, connection, and sustainability.

🌸🛍️ What to bring: Bring at least 5 clean items that are ready to be passed on. Clothing is welcome, along, accessories, and other household items you no longer use.

A simple guide: If you haven’t used it in the last six months and are unlikely to use it in the next six, it may be time to let it move on and be useful to someone else. A perfect excuse and push for a purposeful spring cleaning.

♻️🌿 Guidelines for the day: • Please bring clean items only • Sort items into the appropriate categories on arrival • Arrive early for the best selection • Clean up begins promptly at 13:00

☕️ @origem.coffee will be serving yummy coffee, drinks, and pastries throughout the event 🌼

🌿 The purpose of this swap is simple: extend the life of usable items, reduce waste, and support a more circular, resource conscious community. Everyone benefits, including the planet 🌎💛 We are the change in which we seek.  
Any remaining items will be donated to @ordemdotrevo 🫶🫶🫶

🤝 Help with clean-up and transporting donations is always appreciated.

📍 Esperamos ver-vos lá 🇵🇹🌸Christina @buenqamino / @beginwithintoday + The @origem.coffee Family taken in Ørigem Coffee Roasters & Cafe by @buenqamino

3

7

5 months ago

Research shows that a client’s ability to actually feel their emotions during a session, not just talk about them, is the strongest predictor of positive outcomes in therapy, surpassing even the therapeutic alliance.

This is called depth of emotional experiencing, and across therapeutic orientations and treatment approaches, higher emotional experiencing consistently predicts better results.

The thing is you can have an amazing therepeutic alliance AND still not feel your feelings in the session. I also know this from personal experience. I loved some of my past therapists, however, it was CBT rather than the trauma and somatic informed guidance needed to irrigate the dis-ease I was carrying. Intellectualizing is over thinking and under feeling.

Earlier today, I sat down with Dr. Howard Schubiner @hschubiner @symptomatic.me @cormendihealth for @thetraumatherapistpodcast (coming out soon), a pioneer in mind-body medicine, who shared this insight and it stopped me in my tracks.

For clients/ patients, healing isn’t just about showing up and talking. It’s about being willing to actually feel through any dis-ease in the body. It’s worth asking yourself how much you’re actually letting yourself feel in your sessions, and if the answer is not much, that’s important information worth exploring. Also, not every therapist is for every client, and that’s more than ok. You have permission to go where you feel most courageous to both remove your mask and feel it to heal it.

For therapists/ providers, our work is to co-create a space courageous enough for that kind of feeling. That means doing our own inner work too, so we can truly meet, guide, and hold what comes up. It’s worth taking inventory of how much space we’re actually making for this in our practice, and honestly, after hearing this, I’ll be doing exactly that.

And a gentle reminder: Getting to this point, still requires therapeutic rapport, which can take time.

🤍

📚 Sources:
Pascual-Leone & Yeryomenko (2015), depth of emotional experiencing meta-analysis
Elliott et al. (2018), therapist empathy and outcomes meta-analysis by @buenqamino

3

12

5 months ago

Tears of the Kingdom

One year ago, not long after Christina and I met, I was asked by a group of friends when they would meet her. I had no idea. She was out of the country.

The next morning, however, I woke up with an answer for them: “Meet me in two weeks, at noon, in Tomar. Christina will be there, and I will guide you all around town.”

And so it was. Everyone was happy to finally meet the woman I had so highly spoken of. But I had another idea. One that had come to me years before in a dream. Once inside the famous Templar castle, I gathered the group: “I have an invitation for you all. This place harbors many stories and myths, and it is said that the center of this room is the most special place of all. My suggestion is that we all take our shoes off, go over the rope, and silently go inside. Let’s see what happens...”

Most agreed. We quietly walked in, without touching anything. At first, one might think that nothing is added by doing so, apart from having the inner view. I won’t say much of what we felt and heard in our silence. But I had my confirmation. The dream had guided me towards that very moment.

Before we left, I gave Christina a precious gift: a vial of water I brought from India. No words were spoken. But in the silence one might have heard:
“My love, yours are the tears of the kingdom.”

When I asked Christina how she felt, these were her words:
”As soon as I closed my eyes and held your hand, I heard this: You will be restored. You all will be restored. All will be restored, all will be restored, all will be restored...”

There are prophecies about this castle. But I learned to not give them much attention. For prophecies exist beyond time, and cannot be contained by anyone’s agenda. Ultimately, prophecies are like water. The more we try to grab onto them, the more they slip through our fingers.

If I do believe in one prophecy though, it is the one of Love. And this is our own.

To our beloved friends who shared the day with us, thank you 🤍 taken in Tomar, Portugal by @buenqamino

3

19

6 months ago