Ep. 117: Carla Gaskins-Nathan of Auburn Seminary

Carla Gaskins-Nathan is a massage therapist and healer in resident at Auburn Seminary. She shares how her journey into self-care began as she got sick after working too much. That burnout led her to explore the limits of Western medicine and how Eastern medicine provides a framework to think more holistically about self-care. We discuss how Eastern medicine conceptualizes energy and how Carla came to think about protecting and preserving her energy. Next, we discuss how boundaries are fundamental for having time to engage in self-care. We also discuss how tropes around resiliency prevent people from taking care of themselves. Then we discuss privilege and self-care. Specifically, how self-care has been commodified and appropriated from communities that have always known how to do self-care. Then, we discuss how self-care doesn't happen alone and how our environments and the people around us shape our ability to do self-care. Finally, we discuss spirituality, religion, and self-care. The transcription for this episode is available here.