Meet Shuana Woodward

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shuana Woodward a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shuana, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

As a woman who was raised with Good Girl Conditioning, self-esteem was not something inherently within me. Rather, the regard and confidence I have for myself was a hard fought cultivation, grown of time, experience and rebellion.

I believe that most, if not all women, are trained to be Good Girls: females who prioritize the care and comfort, desires and expectations of others far ahead of their own. Growing up this way means attempting to always be pleasing and compliant so that we are loved and accepted, leaving a wound inside telling us who we are will never be worthy or enough. Women spend their lives attempting to be worthy and enough in someone else’s eyes, and are lauded for doing so by our society, praised for fitting in and burning out.

I lived this way for most of my life, until I simply couldn’t anymore. I set forth to create a life of quiet rebellion, built on self love, prioritizing my own wellness, and being the truest version of myself that I could be. And it wasn’t easy. In fact it was hard. I had to un-learn so many things about who I thought I was supposed to be, what it meant to be loved, and to accept that being a different me would be disliked by some. I had to separate myself from the conditioned belief that my worthiness and my enoughness were things to be earned by being “good”, and instead believe that I am already worthy and enough, simply because I exist.

Leaning into that new truth freed me, because it meant that not only could I become the woman I’d always wanted to be, but that I could love myself radically, exactly as I am in this now moment, regardless of exception or condition. I no longer needed to withhold good from myself until I was thinner, or more educated, or wealthy, or dressed right, or more selfless than the other wives and moms. I am able to love myself with all my imperfections, mistakes, wounds, belly rolls, and awkwardness that has me tripping over myself and feeling like I say all the “wrong” things.

Why? Because my confidence in myself, my esteem for who I am as a woman, no longer hinges on being worthy or enough, on earning acceptance and love from anyone. I no longer cleave to a way of being that leaves my value to be defined by another persons fickle opinion. I don’t need to earn from anyone what is already inside me, freely given with my humanity.

I am worthy, I am lovable, I am enough, and I love myself radically, exactly as I am in this now moment. And if you don’t agree with me, that’s okay. I don’t need you to.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a Self Love Embodiment Coach, helping women to cultivate radical self love by un-becoming their Good Girl Conditioning and putting the wellness of their own mind, body, spirit and energetics first.

I offer 1:1 coaching, self paced courses, and retreats that co-create self awareness and empower authenticity by creating the space for women to re-discover the magic that lives with in them, and building lives of fulfillment and joy by prioritizing themselves.

You can learn more about me and what I offer by visiting www.thelovecultivation.com

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. I do not have to adhere to anyone’s ideal vision of who and what I should be.

2. I am a human being. I am not a robot.

3. I am worthy, lovable, acceptable and enough exactly as I am without exception, condition, virtue or merit, but simply because I exist.

These values go against what our society holds as true, especially for women. Learned to detach from a lifetime of deeply ingrained conditioning takes time, patience and gentleness… which also opposes our current quick fix culture. Being gentle with yourself, taking small steps, and finding a practitioner who doesn’t rush your process, but holds the space needed for you to slowly peel back each layer of conditioning, is key to accomplishing life changing transformation.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Feeling overwhelmed is a side effect of being a human living in the world.

As a woman, I feel that we are less likely to address feelings of overwhelm because we feel as if we need to qualify our rest, leading to burnout and exhaustion.

Learning to pause on a regular basis is an act of self care. Listening, and responding, to your mind, body and spirit’s request for rest is an important part of maintaining your own wellness. Additionally, it helps to “re-condition” future generations of women and their beliefs about rest.

When I am feeling overwhelmed I PAUSE. Taking a break that allows your mind and body a chance to down-regulate often makes thinking clearer, and decision making easier. After a time of rest, I discern my needs, and assess my next best steps.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ciara Chertude Photography
Shuana Woodward

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