In this episode of the Almost Awakened Podcast, Bill Reel and Teresa Hobbs explore why stillness can feel so uncomfortable, especially for those recovering from religious trauma, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation. Teresa shares a powerful moment between them as a couple when a simple request for soothing touch opened the door to a deeper mindfulness and somatic tracking practice. Together, they talk about why so many of us are constantly moving, fixing, distracting, or bracing… and how mindfulness can help us gently be with our sensations rather than run from them. They discuss: The science behind mindfulness and why it heals. How early life stress and religious programming affect the nervous system. What it means to separate the “story” from the “sensation”. How mindfulness can repattern trauma responses and support nervous system regulation. Mindfulness as a form of re-parenting and building secure attachment. This episode is raw, vulnerable, and full of practical insight, especially for post-Mormons, ex-vangelicals, or anyone rebuilding safety in their body and relationships after trauma.

Teresa’s blog post on mindfulness: https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com/post/rewiring-for-connection-how-trauma-informed-mindfulness-rebuilds-the-inner-architecture-of-safety

Book on Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness: https://a.co/d/4tXisU2

Interested in trauma-informed coaching or somatic healing? Learn more at: https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com Whether you’re deconstructing religion, healing from chronic symptoms, or just trying to slow down… this episode offers a sacred tool to help you come home to yourself.

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Contact Us: Bill Reel: [email protected]
Teresa Hobbs: [email protected]

In this episode of Almost Awakened, Bill and Teresa explore the transformative shift from external obedience to internal integrity. What happens when we stop living by someone else’s rules and start listening to our own inner voice? The conversation dives into the psychology of control, the cost of compliance, and the courage it takes to choose authenticity. With humor, vulnerability, and practical insight, they unpack how we were conditioned to equate obedience with virtue—and how reclaiming our autonomy is the path to real wholeness. If you’ve ever felt like your strings no longer fit, this one’s for you. [Almost Awakened: 192]

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[Almost Awakened Ep: 191] What happens when obedience no longer defines you? In this episode, we explore the tender, disorienting, and ultimately liberating journey of shifting from a life shaped by external authority to one grounded in inner truth. We unpack how high-demand systems condition us to equate obedience with worth—and how, once that structure falls away, we’re left with a terrifying silence that’s actually a blank canvas.

Together, we examine what integrity really means—not moral perfection, but alignment between who you are and how you live. With honesty, vulnerability, and practical insight, we guide you through the void, the rebuilding, and the quiet bravery of living in congruence with yourself—especially when it costs you belonging.

This isn’t a call to rebellion. It’s an invitation to return to yourself.

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Why do some relationships thrive after conflict while others crumble? What if conflict wasn’t the problem in your relationships—but the key to deeper connection? In this powerful episode of the Almost Awakened Podcast, Bill Reel and Terresa Hobbs dive into the vital but often misunderstood cycle of rupture and repair. From parenting to romantic relationships to friendships and even spiritual community, we explore how moments of disconnection can either erode trust—or, when repaired with care, build unshakable emotional safety. You’ll learn why healthy relationships aren’t rupture-free, how our nervous systems respond during conflict, and what real repair looks like. We also share personal stories, practical tools, and science-backed insights to help you show up more authentically and courageously in every relationship. Whether you’re navigating challenges in a romantic partnership, friendship, or family bond, this conversation is for you.

00:00 – What Is Rupture & Repair? 06:00 – Attachment Theory: It’s Not About Perfection 10:30 – Secure Attachment Only Requires 30% Attunement 13:00 – Can Adults Shift Attachment Styles? (Earned Secure Attachment) 19:00 – Common Causes of Rupture 27:00 – The Role of the Nervous System in Rupture 39:00 – Taking Responsibility Without Shame 48:00 – Why Most People Avoid Repair (and What It Costs) 51:00 – Spiritual & Religious Ruptures in Family Systems 56:30 – Grieving the Relationship That Was 1:03:30 – Healthiest Way to Bring Up a Rupture 1:17:40 – Can Every Rupture Be Repaired? Not Always 1:19:30 – Real-Life Example: When Repair Fails 1:34:44 – Repair Checklist Recap 1:39:50 – Bill & Terresa Share a Repair Example: Laundry Soap & Grace 1:50:15 – Self-Rupture and Inner Repair 1:53:00 – Final Reflections: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Safe

Support the Almost Awakened Podcast and help us create more conscious content!
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Follow Us: Instagram: @mormondiscussion @monarchintegrativecoaching
Visit Our Website: https://almostawakened.org https://www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com
Contact Us: Bill Reel: [email protected] Teresa Hobbs: [email protected]

In this powerful episode, we explore the fascinating—and at times unsettling—truth that your body can carry pain, anxiety, and illness long after the danger is gone. Through bizarre medical stories and neuroscience-backed insights, we expose how the brain can misfire protective signals, trapping us in cycles of suffering with no clear physical cause. But we don’t stop at science. We take a hard look at how religious trauma—especially from high-demand systems like Mormonism—can sabotage the nervous system, teaching us to fear our own instincts and stay hypervigilant in the name of obedience. From chronic pain to panic attacks to unexplained sickness, we reveal how trauma—spiritual or otherwise—can become embedded in the body… and how healing is possible. If you’ve ever wondered why you still feel unsafe, even when you’re “out,” or why your symptoms don’t match your diagnosis—this is the episode that connects the dots.

In this powerful and vulnerable episode, Teresa Hobbs opens up about her personal journey through years of chronic illness, unexplained symptoms, and deep emotional and physical collapse — and what it took to slowly find her way back to life.

From early signs of nervous system dysregulation to being dismissed by doctors, chasing countless integrative and alternative healing paths, and finally hitting a wall that forced her to leave everything behind — this is the full story. For the first time, Teresa shares how trauma, stress, and disconnection from self, played a role in her decline, and how she began the slow, gentle work of re-regulating her nervous system and learning how to truly heal.

This episode is not about education or theory — it’s about lived experience. It’s raw, real, and deeply human.

If you’ve ever felt like your body is failing you, if you’re lost in your symptoms and afraid that things may never change, this story is for you.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Learn more or inquire about coaching with Teresa at:
      www.monarchintegrativecoaching.com

Support the Almost Awakened Podcast and help us create more conscious content!

Donate via DonorBox: https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2

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Listen on Your Favorite Podcast Apps:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…

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Follow Us:

Instagram: @mormondiscussion

                   @monarchintegrativecoaching

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Visit Our Website: MormonDiscussions.org

Contact Us:

Bill Reel: [email protected]

Teresa Hobbs: [email protected]

Why does the world feel so divided—and why is it so hard to stay curious when we disagree? In this episode of Almost Awakened, we unpack the hidden forces driving today’s polarization. From ancient survival wiring to cognitive biases to trauma-shaped perception, we explore how our brains are glitching in a modern world built to trigger fear and certainty. We also dive into how media algorithms hijack our nervous systems, and why outrage spreads faster than truth. Most importantly, we offer a path back: through regulation, curiosity, and reclaiming our humanity in a world pulling us apart. Take a breath… and let’s dig in.

What happens when the very thing that was supposed to save you ends up breaking you? In this deeply personal episode of Almost Awakened, Bill and Teresa dive into the hidden wounds left by high-demand religions and spiritual systems. From shame-laced teachings to fear-based obedience, they unpack the symptoms of religious trauma and explore what healing actually looks like.

With raw honesty and a touch of dark humor, they share their lived experiences—navigating everything from crushed intuition and performative worthiness to early marriages, spiritual gaslighting, and the long road back to self-trust. Whether you’ve deconstructed your faith or are just beginning to question it, this conversation offers language, validation, and hope.

Because healing doesn’t mean finding new beliefs to cling to. It means coming home to yourself.

Help support Bill Reel & Teresa Hobbs in creating Awakened Resources and Content

DONATE VIA DONORBOX! https://donorbox.org/almost-awakened-2

Join our Mailing List – subscribepage.io/MormonDiscussion 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/almost-awakened/id1470786994 

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Contact Bill Reel or Teresa Hobbs

[email protected]

You’ve heard the word ‘trauma’—but do you really know what it means? In this powerful and eye-opening episode, we break down the truth about trauma: not just the dramatic events, but the subtle, often invisible wounds that live in our bodies, shape our behavior, and distort how we see the world.

We explore:
*What trauma actually is (hint: it’s not the event itself)?
*Why trauma is more common than most people think?
*The crucial difference between “Big T” and “little t” trauma!
*How unresolved trauma hides in perfectionism, people-pleasing, anxiety, and chronic pain?
*The science of how trauma rewires the brain and nervous system!
*And most importantly—how we can heal, rewire, and grow from it!

Whether you’re on your own healing path, supporting someone else, or simply want to understand yourself and others better—this episode is for you.

You’re not broken. You’re responding exactly the way a nervous system responds to pain. And there’s a way forward.


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Ep. 184 | Almost Awakened In this episode we explore how nervous system dysregulation affects your health, relationships, emotions, and identity—and how understanding this system can radically change the way you live and heal. Welcome to the reboot of the Almost Awakened Podcast—where big awakenings meet real-life healing. Bill Reel is joined by his new co-host, trauma coach Teresa Hobbs, and they are kicking things off with a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood—and most powerful—keys to personal transformation: your nervous system. But this isn’t just about science and stress responses. We’re talking relationships, emotions, identity, illness, and the invisible ways trauma shapes our lives.

In this episode, you’ll learn: *What trauma actually is (hint: it’s not just what happened to you). *How your nervous system holds the key to healing and wholeness. *Why you might be stuck in fight, flight, freeze—or shutdown—and how to shift. *What co-regulation, Polyvagal Theory, and chronic symptoms have in common. *Simple, body-based tools to start rewiring your system today.

Whether you’re navigating religious deconstruction, chronic stress, or just want to feel more alive and at ease, this conversation is your launchpad.

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Hosted by: Bill Reel, Almost Awakened Podcast Founder Teresa Hobbs, Trauma Recovery & Mind-Body Coach, Monarch Integrative Coaching Dive in: https://almostawakened.org