Show Notes
In this episode, I’m out on a fall hike in the Chugach exploring a question that feels central to so much of what we do here: why does being outside feel so good for our mental health and nervous systems? 

We explore some of the nervous system processes that might help explain the magic — starting with orienting and the way being outside naturally asks us to use our senses, pay attention to our environment, and stay connected to what’s happening around us. I also talk about how outdoor experience itself is a skill, and why all that sensory information can sometimes feel stressful before our bodies become more practiced at interpreting it.  

From there, we get into bilateral stimulation, rhythm, and coregulation — including what happens when we move both sides of our bodies, find our own rhythm, or fall into a shared rhythm with other people. And finally, we explore some of the harder-to-explain gifts of being outside: beauty, awe, connection with the land, and the ways nature can model how to move through change, intensity, and cycles.

This episode is an invitation to notice what happens in your body when you spend time outside — and to get curious about all the ways the land, movement, beauty, and rhythm might be supporting you.

Timestamps
00:00 — The mental health benefits of being outside
02:00 — Finding more to say after a radio interview
04:00 — Fall events + getting ready for winter training
08:00 — Somatics, winter training + upcoming community events
11:00 — Why being outside supports the nervous system
12:00 — Orienting: using our senses outside
15:00 — Outdoor experience as a nervous system skill
17:00 — Orienting + resourcing in nature
19:00 — Why modern life gives us fewer chances to orient
21:00 — Bilateral stimulation + movement
23:00 — Rhythm, shared rhythm + coregulation
25:00 — Finding safety in your own rhythm
27:00 — Nature as a model for moving through challenges
29:00 — Trees, rivers + seaweed as somatic resources
31:00 — Beauty, awe + the nervous system
33:00 — The social impulse to share awe
34:00 — Closing reflections + how does being outside support you?

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Show Notes
In this episode, I continue last week’s conversation about the nervous system shifts that have supported the athletic breakthrough I’m experiencing this summer — and what it feels like to return to challenging days in the mountains from a very different place. 

I dig deeper into four pieces of this shift: feeling safer in my body, learning to discharge stored activation, uncoupling activation from threat, and practicing settling, integration, and enoughness. We explore how these skills have helped me move into challenge without automatically overriding my body — and even find pleasure, power, and joy inside of hard physical effort.  

We also talk about why this work is so much more than a cognitive understanding. Nervous system change is physiological and relational, and often requires patience, practice, and experiences of safety and coregulation as our bodies learn new patterns.  

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This episode is an invitation to consider what might become possible when we approach fitness, adventure, and challenge from a place of greater capacity and connection with our bodies.

Timestamps
00:00 — Part two + the embodied athlete
06:00 — An athletic breakthrough after a slower season
08:00 — Untangling athletic ability from worth + belonging
10:00 — Returning to long days in the mountains at 44
12:00 — Moving from capacity instead of override
15:00 — #1: Feeling safer in the body
17:00 — Orienting, resourcing + noticing safety cues
19:00 — #2: Discharging stored activation
21:00 — The gas stove metaphor + nervous system baseline
24:00 — Bottom-up discharge + the importance of coregulation
27:00 — In-the-moment vs. stored activation
29:00 — #3: Uncoupling activation from threat
31:00 — Sympathetic activation as power, momentum + motivation
33:00 — Finding pleasure inside hard physical effort
36:00 — #4: Settling, integration + enoughness
38:00 — Learning to feel safe and soft at the same time
40:00 — Titrating into deactivation + slowing down
42:30 — Patience, practice + relational healing
45:00 — Bringing the four pieces together + closing reflections

Show Notes
In this episode, I’m out on a ridgeline near Eagle River reflecting on an unexpected athletic comeback I’ve been experiencing this summer — and the nervous system work that I think helped make it possible. 

At 44, I’ve found my way into trail running and longer days in the Chugach in a way that feels more joyful and sustainable than it has in the past. I share four pieces of nervous system work that have supported that shift: feeling safer in my body, releasing stored activation, uncoupling activation from threat, and learning how to recognize enoughness and settle after effort.  

We also explore the difference between simply understanding these concepts and the slower physiological process of actually repatterning the body — plus why integration, rest, and the space after a big wave of experience are such important parts of the process.

This episode is an invitation to get curious about your own relationship with movement, activation, and capacity — and what might become possible when feeling powerful and energized can also feel safe.

Timestamps
00:00 — Trail running in the Chugach + an athletic breakthrough
03:00 — Finding trail running at 44
05:00 — Celebrating one year of Coregulation Conversations
07:00 — 10 years of Mind & Mountain
10:00 — Public lands, advocacy + protecting wild places
12:00 — Four nervous system shifts behind my athletic comeback
13:00 — #1: Feeling safer in my body
14:00 — #2: Discharging stored activation
15:00 — #3: Uncoupling activation from threat
16:00 — Activation + safety, power, play, and pleasure
17:00 — Physiological repatterning vs. cognitive understanding
18:00 — Access, investment + making somatic work more collective
19:00 — #4: Enoughness, satisfaction + settling
21:00 — Learning to feel safe slowing down
22:00 — Aftercare, integration + space after the wave
23:00 — Closing reflections + caring for ourselves, our people, and the land

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Show Notes
In this episode, I’m up on a ridgeline in the Chugach reflecting on two big things I’ve learned about my nervous system this summer — after several years of intentionally slowing down, healing, and changing the way I approach challenge. 

First, I explore the difference between moving from capacity vs. override. I’ve been having some of my biggest and strongest days in the mountains, but what feels most different isn’t necessarily what my body can do — it’s that I’m able to do hard things without relying so heavily on pushing through, overriding my body’s signals, or disconnecting from what I’m feeling.  

Then, I talk about the other side of the cycle: a surprising stretch of deep fatigue that showed up in the middle of an otherwise high-energy summer. We explore what can happen when we trust those slower, more inward phases instead of rushing to get out of them — and the unexpected insight that emerged for me on the other side.

This episode is an invitation to get curious about your own cycles of capacity, challenge, and rest — and to consider that the slower seasons might be doing important work, too.

Timestamps
00:00 — Nervous system observations from a big summer
03:00 — Moving out of a slower season
05:00 — Athleticism without overriding the body
07:00 — Capacity vs. override
10:00 — Push/pull, freeze + the cost of pushing through
13:00 — What moving from capacity feels like
15:00 — More capacity, less fear + internal conflict
18:00 — Finding the gold in harder seasons
20:00 — An unexpected 10-day stretch of fatigue
23:00 — Trusting the body's cycles instead of linear progress
26:00 — Moving with low energy instead of fighting it
28:00 — The insight that arrived after the wave
30:00 — Slower seasons as part of nervous system processing
33:00 — Learning to trust wintering + hibernation phases
35:00 — Supporting a process vs. trying to rush it
37:00 — A preview: navigating fear with more capacity
39:00 — Closing reflections

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Show Notes

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and astrologer Lesley Tagorda for a conversation about astrology as a tool for coregulation, self-understanding, and coming back to who we are underneath all the conditioning about who we should be.

We explore Lesley’s decolonial approach to astrology, how our birth charts can help us understand and reclaim parts of ourselves we may have learned to suppress, and why astrology can offer another way of relating to the rhythms, cycles, and seasons happening around us.

A big part of our conversation centers on the moon sign as a guide for nervous system care. Lesley walks us through all 12 moon signs and shares different ways each one might find nourishment and regulation — from movement for Aries moons and sensory comfort for Taurus moons, to connection for Libra moons and exploration for Sagittarius moons. We talk about these practices not as luxuries, but as ways of understanding what our individual systems may need to feel emotionally supported.

We also talk about breaking out of fear-based astrology, working with challenging seasons as temporary cycles, and what can happen when we stop fighting parts of ourselves and start reclaiming them as strengths.

This episode is an invitation to get curious about astrology as another lens for understanding your nervous system — and to experiment with the forms of support that help you feel more like yourself.

Timestamps
00:00 — Introducing Lesley + astrology as coregulation
03:00 — Astrology as cycles, rhythms, and energetic weather
05:00 — Lesley’s background + decolonial astrology
08:00 — Birth charts + coming back to yourself
12:30 — Why your moon sign matters for emotional security
14:00 — Astrology for Changemakers + the “Big Four”
18:00 — Astrology, cosmology + reconnecting what colonization separated
20:00 — Polynesian navigation + relationship with the stars
26:00 — Moving away from fear-based astrology
30:00 — Finding gifts inside challenging experiences
38:00 — Astrology through difficult seasons + remembering they’re temporary
41:00 — What happens when we stop fighting ourselves
47:00 — Nervous system care for your moon sign
48:00 — Aries + Taurus moons
50:00 — Gemini + Cancer moons
51:00 — Leo + Virgo + Libra moons
52:00 — Scorpio + Sagittarius moons
53:00 — Capricorn + Aquarius + Pisces moons
55:00 — Working with the moon’s current sign + lunar cycles
58:00 — Astrology for Changemakers + reclaiming leadership
01:00:00 — Circular leadership + everyone has something to contribute
01:01:00 — Closing reflections

 Resources

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Show Notes
In this episode, I explore a different way of thinking about coregulation: not just as something that helps us settle, but as something that can inspire, energize, and expand what's possible. 

I share the story of following ultrarunner Sophie Grant's incredible journey across the Alps and noticing how witnessing someone else's courage, joy, and determination shifted my own nervous system state. Rather than feeling comparison or pressure, I found myself feeling genuinely inspired—and that inspiration became fuel for my own adventures.

Together, we explore inspiration as a form of positive coregulation, what it feels like in the body, and how we can intentionally seek out the people, stories, and experiences that help us access this uplifting state. We also reflect on the ways we might become that source of encouragement for others.

This episode is an invitation to notice what inspires you, to savor the feeling when it arrives, and to let it carry you toward whatever adventure is calling next.

Timestamps
00:00 — Introducing inspiration as a form of coregulation
01:30 — Following Sophie Grant's Via Alpina journey
03:30 — How inspiration changed my nervous system state
05:00 — Coregulation isn't only about calming down
06:30 — Upregulation through joy and inspiration
08:00 — A new personal hiking record
09:30 — Letting inspiration fuel growth
10:30 — A somatic practice: noticing inspiration in your body
12:00 — What does your body want to do with this energy?
13:30 — The rhythms of inspiration and creative cycles
15:00 — Intentionally seeking inspiration
16:00 — Becoming a positive influence for others
17:00 — Closing reflections

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In this episode, I reflect on my recent time in Alaska's Arctic and the profound experience of returning home with both a deeper love for wild places and a deeper awareness of how much they are changing. 

Through the lens of eco bliss and eco grief, we explore how awe, beauty, heartbreak, and love can coexist in our nervous systems. I share the experience of traveling through the proposed Ambler Road corridor after weeks immersed in untouched wilderness, and how witnessing the contrast opened up new layers of grief, advocacy, and connection.

Together, we practice noticing what happens in the body when we connect with a place we love, and then gently explore what it feels like to hold both love and grief without becoming overwhelmed. Rather than trying to solve these feelings, we explore how somatic awareness can help us carry them with greater capacity and compassion.

This episode is an invitation to honor both your love for the places that matter to you and the grief that naturally accompanies caring deeply—and to let that love become fuel for meaningful action.

Timestamps
00:00 — Returning from the Arctic + introducing eco grief
02:00 — Two weeks immersed in Alaska wilderness
04:00 — Traveling through the proposed Ambler Road corridor
07:30 — Helicopters, development, and witnessing change firsthand
09:30 — Eco bliss and eco grief as companion experiences
11:30 — A somatic practice: connecting with a place you love
14:00 — Noticing how love lives in the body
15:45 — Exploring the sensations of eco grief
18:00 — Finding your own pace with difficult emotions
19:30 — Holding love and grief together
21:00 — Pendulation between beauty and heartbreak
22:30 — Building capacity instead of shutting down
24:00 — Grief as love that still has somewhere to go
25:00 — Advocacy rooted in love rather than fear
26:00 — Closing reflections + carrying love into action

Resources

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Show Notes
In this final episode of the Summer Somatic Skills series, we explore the practice of letting it be enough—the nervous system skill of recognizing when it's time to settle, even when there's still more we could do. 

Summer has a way of inviting us into endless possibility, long to-do lists, and the feeling that we should squeeze in just one more adventure, one more project, or one more mile. In this conversation, we explore how choosing "enough" isn't giving up—it's creating space for our nervous systems to complete a cycle and truly rest.

Along the way, I share stories from a recent Arctic backpacking trip, reflections on cultural conditioning around productivity, and practical ways to help the body feel safe when stepping away from something that isn't perfectly finished.

This episode is an invitation to practice enoughness—to trust that sometimes stopping before everything is complete is exactly what allows us to keep showing up for what matters most.

Timestamps
00:00 — Closing the Summer Somatic Skills series
01:30 — Sending rain, coolness, and co-regulation across distance
03:00 — Reviewing the first three summer skills
05:00 — The backside of the nervous system wave
07:00 — Why summer never feels "finished"
09:00 — Skills that transfer beyond the season
10:30 — Cultural conditioning around productivity and achievement
12:30 — Why "enough" can feel unsafe in the body
14:30 — Supporting ourselves through the discomfort of slowing down
16:00 — An Arctic backpacking story: choosing camp before the goal
19:00 — Letting a beautiful campsite be enough
21:00 — Settling the nervous system after effort
22:30 — Perfectionism, completion, and the myth of "done"
25:00 — Practicing "enough for now"
26:30 — Orienting toward safety and support
28:00 — The joy of missing out instead of the fear of missing out
29:30 — Closing reflections + listener questions welcome

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Show Notes
In this episode, we continue the Summer Somatic Skills series with the practice of expansion—learning how to make room for the bigger, fuller seasons of life without overwhelming our nervous systems. 

Drawing from recent travels in the Arctic and New York City, I reflect on what it means to move through periods of growth, adventure, creativity, and high capacity in a way that feels supported. We explore why expansion isn't just about doing more, but about building the foundation that allows us to stretch without burning out.

Along the way, we revisit the importance of pleasure and downshifting, practice noticing when life is accelerating, and explore two simple questions that can help us navigate busy seasons with more resilience: How am I supported? and Where can I pause?

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This episode is an invitation to expand with intention—to create more room for the fullness of life while staying connected to yourself along the way.

Timestamps
00:00 — Returning from travel + introducing expansion
02:00 — Why expansion is the summer skill
04:00 — Big seasons without burning out
06:00 — Rain as an environmental downshift
08:30 — Downshifting vs. collapse
10:00 — Building the foundation for expansion
12:00 — Expansion needs rhythm, not constant acceleration
13:30 — Practice: noticing acceleration in the body
16:00 — Catching expansion earlier in the cycle
18:00 — Two questions: Where am I supported? What support do I need?
20:00 — Finding opportunities to pause
22:00 — Creating the conditions instead of forcing change
24:00 — Making room for bigger experiences
26:00 — The expansiveness of the Arctic landscape
28:00 — Using memories and imagery as resources
30:00 — Closing reflections + preview of the final skill

In this episode, we continue the Summer Somatic Skills series with the practice of downshifting — learning how to ease off the gas without coming to a complete stop.

We explore how busy seasons, summer energy, and the pressure to do more can leave us operating in a constant state of urgency. Rather than focusing on stopping altogether, this conversation looks at how we can find more sustainable rhythms by noticing when a slower pace is available and allowing ourselves to move into it.

Along the way, I share examples from long days in the mountains, the nervous system's response to reaching capacity, and why downshifting can sometimes be more helpful than either pushing harder or quitting entirely.

We also explore the often-overlooked moments when our bodies naturally downshift on their own — and why bringing awareness to those moments can be surprisingly restorative.

This episode is an invitation to find your pace, notice the moments when things soften, and remember that moving steadily is often more sustainable than sprinting.

00:00 — Introduction to the second summer somatic skill: downshifting
01:30 — Summer energy, busyness, and urgency
03:30 — Why downshifting matters during busy seasons
05:00 — Activation isn't a problem
06:30 — Long days outside and finding sustainable pace
08:00 — The gear-shift metaphor
09:30 — When we're running out of capacity
10:30 — Fight, flight, and freeze responses to overwhelm
12:00 — Creating more options than "push" or "stop"
13:30 — Downshifting as a nervous system strategy
15:00 — Breaking the habit of urgency
16:00 — Noticing natural moments of slowing down
17:30 — Why downshifts are medicine for the nervous system
18:30 — Moving in and out of activation
20:00 — The importance of embodied awareness
21:30 — Moving is winning: finding your sustainable pace
23:00 — Closing reflections + preview of next week's skill

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