Emotional Expedition: A Journey of Healing with Meghan Thomas

When you’re not feeling your best, or maybe feel a little cold coming on, how often do you suspect stress to be the reason? When we visit the doctor with even more serious concerns, how often are you being asked about your emotional state leading up to your illness.  

An increasing amount of data coming out is starting to reveal how emotional stress, and even childhood trauma, whether it’s big ‘T’ or little ‘t’ trauma, is directly linked to our body’s immune system.  

My guest today, Tiffany Cagwin, is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who did the impossible and healed herself from chronic disease. Healing herself has taken her on a journey that she now guides others through as a Wellness Expert and Coach. 

Tiffany’s career evolved with her own journey of healing. She shares how early emotional trauma with her parent’s divorce, and suppressing the emotions of disappointing her parents and feeling like she chose one over the other, eventually led to being a 17 year old diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.  

Holding trapped emotions in the body will manifest physically. Tiffany began with slowly finding ways to release some of the emotions of a younger version of herself that needed an emotional release in order to start biologically healing. 

Tiffany found yoga to be so helpful that she did her teaching training for it in Boston, which led to opening multiple yoga studios, but she was still a way off from being healed. After having a severe flareup that hospitalized her and came with two more diagnoses for rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto’s disease, Tiffany realized there was way more work to do. 

“Just because you’re having skin issues doesn’t mean you have a skin issue.” -Tiffany Cagwin 

Tiffany has ultimately developed a framework from years of figuring things out on her own that has been life changing for others as well. Her functional medicine foundational approach and way of healing is about A.M.E.N.D (action, mindset, energy, nourishment, and detox). 

She ties mindset and what you believe about your own body into the beginning of this framework, along with taking action. If you’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, stop allowing yourself to see your body as the broken enemy. You only need to take one small action at a time towards seeing yourself as whole, refreshed, and healed. 

Connect with Tiffany Cagwin: 

Website: https://www.tiffanycagwin.com  

Instagram: @tiffcagwin  

My website with the show notes: https://www.meghanthomas.com/blog/podcast%2Ftiffany-cagwin  

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Fear comes in at the strangest times and kicks into high gear when we’re least expecting it, in a space of creativity, and challenging ourselves to grow. Experiencing fear doesn’t have to be negative. In today’s episode I’m cracking open the book of vulnerability and sharing not only incredible resources from people like Brene Brown and Liz Gilbert, I’m also sharing my personal experiences with fear. 

Taking steps towards a bigger version of you requires that fear be present. Every time I step into the unknown and do the things that scare me most, like starting this podcast, I choose to use my fear as my compass, which lets me know I am on the right track, expanding and growing. 

Tools & Reframes to Help You Overcome Fear 

Having the right tools when you need them is key to managing healthy emotional responses. The first tool comes from Elizabeth Gilbert and at the end of this episode we’re going to put this tool into practice right away. In her book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Liz writes a letter to fear. This is about creating space for fear, acknowledging it, not pushing it away, not ignoring it, but welcoming it along for the ride. There’s power in acknowledging it and allowing it to have a voice, while knowing you will not allow it to make decisions or drive the vehicle. I have made this letter to fear my mantra for life.  

In Brene Brown’s book, Atlas of the Heart, we’re reminded that fear is a natural protective response and to our brains, physical and emotional pain all feel the same way. Practice recognizing what you’re afraid of and choose to be brave anyway. 

Another helpful tool to deal with fear and learning about emotional suppression is Susan David’s book Emotional Agility. So many of us try to ignore our fear, and in reality, by avoiding and suppressing our fears, we make them bigger and stronger in time. We end up being controlled by fear rather than having control over it. Give yourself permission to feel the fear without suppressing it. 

“Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story” -Cheryl Strayed 

The last tool I’ll share here is from Marie Forleo’s simple test to decipher between fear and intuition. When we’re faced with opportunity, it’s sometimes difficult to know if you’re wanting to say no because fear is kicking in or if you’re saying no because your gut is saying this isn’t right for you. Close your eyes and settle down, then ask yourself with total awareness to how your body responds. Does it feel expansive, light and joyful or is it more dread, despair and a heaviness there? 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous.” -Marianne Williamson  

This Week’s Tool to Help You With Fear Comes from Elizabeth Gilbert: 

We are going to write a letter from our fear. 

Resources from this episode: 

Atlas of the Heart Book Study: https://www.meghanthomas.com/atlas-of-the-heart  

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown: https://amzn.to/3e3JI8V  

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: https://amzn.to/3qhGjGJ   

Fear and Other Uninvited Guests by Harriet Lerner:  https://amzn.to/3RGo7SP  

Bittersweet by Susan Cain: https://amzn.to/3Txgr72  

Emotional Agility by Susan David: https://amzn.to/3R5S6na  

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More and more people are turning to holistic healing. People are growing tired of treating symptoms with pharmaceuticals and the side effects that come along with them. CBD is one of many holistic approaches to health and it’s gaining in popularity.

It’s expected that the CBD industry will reach $25 billion by 2025! What is it about CBD that’s attracting so many people and how is it helping people deal with things like anxiety? This podcast is dedicated to giving you the tools and resources you need to navigate and process your emotions well, and today we’re diving in to talk about CBD, learn how it’s helped me deal with my own anxiety, and learn other ways it can used in a holistic approach to your health.

In this episode, Michelle Sason, the Education Manager with a wealth of CBD knowledge, is joining me and she’s breaking everything down that we need to know to assess if it’s the right thing for you and your emotional state.

Michelle sparked her joy and passion educating people about cannabis through photography. She highlights how connected art, nature, science and life really are through her own path. Coming from a holistic upbringing into the arts and photography took many twists and turns that led her away from science. Luckily, she found the connection between art, nature, and the science that she now uses to educate and support others in their journeys to reduce stress, sleep better, and have a more fulfilling life.

Some key areas Michelle explains in this episode are:

●    CBD, Cannabinoids & THC

●    How is cannabis part of a holistic approach to health

●    What is the Cannabinoid connection to our emotional states

●    Side effects to know about before trying CBD

Photographing nature literally anchored Michelle to her path that led to this passion of education at Head & Heal. Her connection with CBD in plant form is so interesting when you consider one passion for photography and nature helped her see beauty and connect to a passion for the cannabis plant. I was shocked to discover how effective CBD is in its various forms. The impact cannabinoids have throughout our bodies connecting to different kinds of receptors makes CBD a perfect candidate for assisting with emotional regulation, specifically anxiety.

Just as our emotions are natural to feel and experience, cannabis is also natural in how it connects with our bodies through these cannabinoid receptors that we have an entire system of.

“Being able to recognize the emotions that you're having, and being able to say, this isn't a bad thing, it's just an indicator of something bigger, a story that my body is trying to tell me” ― Michelle Sason

Resource Mentioned:

The Mohawk Thanksgiving Address

Head & Heal Website:

Website: https://headandheal.com/  

Get $25 off of your order for $75 or more with coupon code: theemotionalexpedition

First time customers - $20 off of $45 order using this link: http://rwrd.io/5ykjodn?c

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Take one look at your news feed or walk past a TV anywhere with the news on and instantly you’re flooded with all the horrible things going on in your city, your neighborhood, and the world around you. 

My guest today was watching updates on the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting live the day that horrific tragedy unfolded. The flood of fear, horror, pain, and sadness she felt was like many of us witnessing a heart shattering event take place. At the same time this tragedy was happening, a co-worker of hers was beaming over a free coffee he was unexpectedly treated to while in line at Starbucks.  

Mary Latham didn’t know then, but that day became the beginning of an incredible story she came to share with us today about her journey across 50 states that took over 3 years searching for stories of kindness. 

Kindness of Strangers 

There is something magical and almost healing about kindness from a stranger for no apparent reason. Mary traveled all 50 states to hear stories of kindness. In her journey she not only heard stories of kindness, she also experienced the kindness of strangers welcoming her into their homes. Showing a stranger kindness can have an immeasurable effect on someone.  

When you stand still in the moments of life, waiting in line to order a coffee at Starbucks or pump your gas across from someone else also pumping gas, you realize we are all people dealing with something. Someone received news of a loved one’s terminal illness, someone lost a job, or is stuck in a painfully toxic relationship. It’s so easy to see when that person is us, but it’s also clear that others are as good at hiding behind a fake smile as we are. 

Healthy Social Connection  

While we live in times when in person’s social interactions feel obsolete, it’s critical to remember that we are social beings first and foremost. Nature designed and hardwired us at a cellular level for connection. Connecting with people over kind deeds has a 10x effect on the doer and the receiver of kindness. 

Mary shares how meaningful her journey was due to the connections she made along the way. From examples of her mother’s kindness towards a UPS driver and a Jehovah’s Witness that she didn’t even share the same beliefs with, we see how significant time, however brief, with another person can be. Mary’s trips to the dump to interact with the gentleman there changed her mood and gave both of them energy to get through the day. 

Acts of Kindness in Any Size 

The best part about the impact kindness can have on a person is that it doesn’t matter how big and grand or super tiny a kindness is, the benefits are equally rewarding. Mary shares two examples of kindness, one big act and a smaller act that will both live on in the memories of the people involved for years to come, if not a lifetime. 

Vulnerability & Healing 

As Mary shares her in journey, there is an element of vulnerability that kindness requires. The many people that she connected with had to become vulnerable with her to share their stories. Mary had to be vulnerable to be open to strangers opening their doors, their hearts, and their stories with her so that she could receive. So many of us run from vulnerability, because asking for help and insinuating a need on any level is in itself vulnerable. 

The cool thing is that vulnerability opens the door to new experiences and for Mary it led to a journey of healing from the loss of her mother and honoring her mother’s memory. I am looking forward to the book she’ll release as a result of this experience, as I believe it will be a healing to everyone that reads it. 

Connect with Mary Latham: 

Website: https://www.moregood.today/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moregoodtoday/  

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If you’re someone that suffers from anxiety you know what that physical tension can feel like. You can feel debilitated in social situations or feel totally restless depending on how severe the level of your anxiety.

Today we’re exploring 4 emotions connected with anxiety and how you can reframe your thoughts to gain more control around these emotions to lower your levels of anxiety.

Emotional Coping Mechanisms

Avoidance and worry are two ways we attempt to cope with anxiety, but that ultimately makes anxiety worse. In this episode I’m going to share Brené Brown’s definitions from her book, Atlas of the Heart, which is linked below and highly recommended. Words are important and the meaning we assign to them makes a world of difference to how we can react and respond to them.

Avoidance

Atlas of the Heart Definition: not showing up and often spending a lot of energy zigzagging around and away from that thing that feels like it’s consuming us.

A healthy way to deal with and process our emotions doesn’t come naturally to many of us, myself included. It’s easy to fall into the habit of avoiding emotions. We avoid feeling them and we avoid confronting or digging for the reason we even default to avoidant behaviors. Avoidance is strongly connected to anxiety and though we feel less vulnerable in the short-term, we are never less afraid in the long run.

“Avoidance is the best short-term strategy to escape conflict, and the best long-term strategy to ensure suffering.” -Brendon Burchard

Worry

Atlas of the Heart Definition: a chain of negative thoughts about bad things that might happen in the future.

Although we like to think and say we can’t help but worry, the truth is worry can be changed and it is in fact optional. When we try to suppress our worry we make things worse. The trick is that we have to address worry in a way that gets to the root cause. Included at the end of these show notes are journaling prompts to help you get to the root cause of worry.

Aside from journaling your way to the root cause, doing things to interrupt your worries like breathing, meditating, or moving your body has proven to be extremely helpful. Talking about it with someone you trust can be another great way to handle worry.

One of the key ideas to keep in mind with worry is that it’s about the future and not about being present. So anything that will return you to the present moment is going to minimize worry and lower your anxiety.

Dread

Atlas of the Heart Definition: occurs frequently in response to high-probability negative events; its magnitude increases as the dreaded event draws nearer.

Like worry, feeling dread is also about anticipating future events. It’s about the negative anticipation that increases your level of anxiety and creates a more unpleasant experience. The more anticipation we have around a negative event the greater our anxiety.

Excitement

Atlas of the Heart Definition: an energized state of enthusiasm leading up to or during an enjoyable activity. However it doesn't always feel great.

Excitement is related to anxiety because the bodily sensation is practically identical. They feel the same way, and the only variance is in how we label and define the event or situation. When there is more positivity associated with the thing, we label it exciting. When there is more negativity associated with the thing we call it anxiety.

In this episode I share an Emotion Recipe that can change the way you process and assign your emotions, and it starts with identifying the sensation and then labeling it.

Resources:

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown: https://amzn.to/3bXxgqC

The Dance of Fear by Harriet Lerner: https://amzn.to/3C9wq4Q

Atlas of the Heart Book Study with Meg: https://www.meghanthomas.com/atlas-of-the-heart

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In this very special episode, my friend and mentor, Saraswati joins me to unpack her journey of discovering emotional healing, higher vibration, and frequency.

Saraswati’s connection to nature and animals helped her find peace as a child learning to deal with emotions where there was no one holding space and guiding her through her early awareness which created an overly sensitive 8 year old girl.

When you think about how hard it is to manage your emotions even now as an adult, it makes you imagine how hard it is for children trying to navigate their anger, pain, sadness, and other low frequency emotions. In reality, we’re forced to learn how to cope with thoughts and emotions in order to survive from a young age, and that’s exactly what Saraswati had to learn also.

Saraswati is a yoga teacher, master sound healer, community builder, and so much more. She leads retreats and ceremonies as well. She recently led a sound healing at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland where she’s currently living and navigating language barriers without losing connection.

“Listen to the inner whisper.” -Saraswati Om

2 Powerful Ways to Heal Your Emotions 

Saraswati describes emotions as frequency and vibration. Emotions like joy, excitement, and hope are higher in frequency, while emotions like sadness, anger, and fear have much lower frequencies. Since she began practicing yoga at the age of 15, she noticed the flow of energy and how it completely changed the frequency of her emotional state.

Moving your body in any number of ways such as cardio, yoga, or weightlifting are all ways to move energy through your body and raise your frequency. Have you noticed how you feel after taking a walk in nature or dancing around for a little bit. It’s hard to get your body moving and stay in a low frequency.

Saraswati explains how her relationship with yoga evolved as she started learning all the ways it was regulating her nervous system and releasing oxytocin. Sometimes emotions get caught and trapped in our body and the only way to move those emotions and heal is to physically move our bodies.

A second brilliant way Saraswati shares for healing our emotions is through sound. It literally relieves the pain in your heart. “Our voice is the most powerful and unique sound healing tool of all.” In connection to movement, energy and frequency, she notes that emotions are meant to move through us, and sound is one of the most effective ways that studies are now beginning to prove.

Don’t Suppress Your Emotions

Depending on your culture, expressing emotions may be frowned upon by varying degrees. It’s important that you understand how emotional trauma not only comes from our own experiences, but that it can also be handed down to us from past generations. The tendency in most cultures is to stuff our emotions. Crying and being expressive is considered weak or the lack of control fails to make us stronger, more resilient, or courageous. Vulnerability allows you to heal and it also allows you to connect with other people.

“We are not meant to hold the pain and suffering of our ancestors. Remembering and honoring are key but for the purpose of moving forward and beyond their trials and tribulations.” -Saraswati Om

You can connect with Saraswati Om through her website and follow her on Instagram

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraswati.om/ 

Website: https://saraswatiom.com/

Want help with your own Emotional Expedition? The Atlas of the Heart Book Study is for you. Join us!

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This emotion is a biggie. Did you know that 1/3 of all adults in the US will be affected by an anxiety disorder in their lifetime with fewer than half seeking treatment?

I have a personal relationship with anxiety. Before I share my story, let’s define what we’re discussing.

Anxiety: An emotion characterized by feelings of tension, and worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.

It’s worth mentioning that when we talk about emotions there are traits and states. When you hear the difference, it will help you identify and work through anxiety in your life.

There’s also another type of anxiety referred to as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It is defined as a condition of excessive worry about everyday issues and situations. It lasts longer than 6 months and in addition to feeling worried you may also feel restlessness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, increased muscle tension and trouble sleeping.

There’s also something called functional anxiety. That’s the anxiety that pushes us to study for the test or prepare for a big meeting. Once we do the thing (prepare, study) the anxiety goes away, having helped us do what needed to be done in the moment.

There is help.

I’ve dealt with anxiety for much of my life. Psychotherapy for one, and other strategies can help us recognize the cause of anxiety so we can take appropriate steps to remedy the situation.

Hear how I tell the difference between my internal anxiety and the intuitive messages that I also receive. My story is likely much different than yours, but it will help you understand what to do in the moment.

Anxiety needs to be understood and respected. We need to understand why it’s showing up. What do we need to do and what do we need to learn? 

What can we do to calm ourselves?

1.   Be slow to respond and quick to think. Do you have the info you need to respond?

2.   Stay mindful of the effect being calm has for you and those around you. Calm is contagious!

3.   Take a breath. Slow down, stay aware, name what you are feeling first.

I share my personal experience about my own medication use. It’s a personal choice of course, but I knew I needed to get my bearings and the medication helped. Once I had other tools and was physically healthier, I was able to stop the medication.

Anxiety can lead to panic attacks. IYKYK. I’ve only had one and it was terrifying. There were no rational thoughts and I felt like my body and my mind were completely taken over. Is your experience like mine? What helped you?

Yoga and meditation work for me. Hear the brain science on this as well. It’ll give you another reason to give yoga a try.

Be sure to try the box breathing technique. You can come back to this episode any time you need to gain calm and focus.

Don’t miss this week’s poem: She Let Go by Safire Rose

Resources:

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My good friend Caron Grossman is joining me for the first podcast interview!

She is a Registered Nurse, has worked in grief and end-of-life, and is a writer. She has an incredible TedxTalk called: Permission to Grieve. She has overcome many challenges and lives a courageous and open-hearted life. She’s a dear friend and a wonderful person and you’re going to love her.

Caron shares how she’s always had a desire to know more about herself. At an early age she felt like she was “too much” for people. She could feel what others felt, but didn’t know how to talk about. It became clear to her that she was different, and she felt it had to be a secret so because she wanted to fit in.

She shares her story of loss that occurred early in her life. With no one to talk to, she turned to food and other ways to numb her feelings. Like many of us, she had all these feelings but no way to express them, or work through them.

Caron shares how her addictions provided a buffer for her once her mom had passed away. It was a way for things to feel less scary since she didn’t have the language or the tools to deal with her emotions.

Recovery for her began when she was finally able to get the real reason she was using food and later alcohol to manage her feelings. You will relate to her journey. She sought help once and didn’t go back until a few years later when she felt ready. Giving up her addictions meant saying goodbye to the person she was to transform to the person she is today.

Caron explains how writing a letter to her emotions helps her to truly feel them. She acknowledged that if she avoids feeling them, they come out in a different, ultimately more difficult way.

Be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

We have been raised to be pretty and to never make others uncomfortable and now we know it’s okay to be messy. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect and it’s fine if things are untidy.

“Where do you feel that in your body?” Caron explains that she was asked that in therapy and didn’t really know what it meant or how to even feel her emotions. Now she explains that she can feel it and identify where in her body her emotions show up.

Caron shared with me that there is freedom with discipline and boundaries. There was a time when I couldn’t understand that and she explains it in such a lovely way. The freedom that comes from discipline and boundaries and the ease that comes from honoring them.

Don’t miss the rapid fire questions at the end. Caron shares some amazing book options and her “what I know for sure answer” will inspire you too.

Resources:

Permission to Grieve TED Talk

Viola Davis Memoir

Alcoholics Anonymous

Overeaters Anonymous

Al-Anon

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Today's episode is all about stress & overwhelm: the differences between them, how they show up in the body, and some tools to help us through them!

We are all stressed. We know that stress is bad for us, emotionally and physically. How does stress show up for you?

What is the difference between stress and overwhelm?

Many of us use the terms interchangeably but they aren’t the same thing, and they impact our bodies in different ways.

In Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown shares a great story about her waitressing days to explain the difference between the two.

Here’s a good way to remember this. When you are stressed, you are able to articulate what you need. You can make decisions.

Overwhelm is when you can’t process anything. The only thing to be done is to do nothing.

Brené’s definition of stressed from Atlas of the Heart is: we feel stressed when we evaluate environmental demand as beyond our ability to cope successfully, this includes elements of unpredictability, uncontrollability, and feeling overloaded.

Her definition of overwhelm is: An extreme level of stress, an emotional and/or cognitive intensity to the point of feeling unable to function.

Can you see the difference?

Psychologist Carol Gohm gives us a way to evaluate if our stress is at the level of overwhelm. Overwhelmed describes an experience where:

·        Our emotions are intense (they are at a 10)

·        Our focus on them is moderate (scale is at a 5)

·        Our clarity about exactly what we’re feeling is low enough that we get confused when trying to identify or describe the emotions (scale is a 1)

This matters because when feeling overwhelmed we can make some of the worst decisions of our lives. We can’t process other emotional information accurately, another great reason for being clear about our level of stress.

Hear how I was able to make decisions in a high stress emergency situation and how my boyfriend (now husband) went into overwhelm and was unable to help in the moment.

Did you know your emotional reaction is tied to our cognitive assessment of whether we can cope with the situation than to how our body is reacting? It is not that our emotions respond to how our body is freaking out, but rather our emotions are responding to my “thinking assessment” of how well I can handle something.

It’s important to understand our stressors (an unexpected bill, or a parking ticket) and the stress. We can deal with the stressor (pay the bill) but we still have to deal with the associated stress as well.

How do we do we complete the stress cycle?

The most efficient way to deal with the stress cycle is physical activity. Exercise every day will help you move the daily stress from your body.

Breathing is another option, especially if you are in a place where physical activity isn’t possible. Also, laughter is medicine too!

Hear 4 more ways you can complete the stress cycle and note which one(s) you use now, and some you want to try.

Last winter, I predicted my own car accident, so crazy right? It wasn’t serious. It was a slow-motion fender bender which was fortunate for everyone involved. My body went into a big over-reaction. Has this happened to you? Hear how a hug from a stranger (who had to have been an angel) helped to make it better.

I wrap up with a short meditation to alleviate stress. You can come back and do this anytime.

Resources 

Atlas of the Heart

Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

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If I were to ask you what it means to understand your emotions what would you say?

For many of us, talking about or even thinking about our feelings is not something we want to do. Or maybe you’re in the other camp and have been doing the work required to really understand what it means to feel your feelings.

Either way, this podcast episode is going to be helpful. As a sensitive person I grew up feeling all the things, but I was often told by well-meaning adults to stop feeling them and behave.

To cope as best I could, I created emotional walls so no one could see the parts I had learned to be ashamed of. I kept others out and myself in. Sound familiar? As adults the lesson I heard was that emotions have no place at (fill in the blank) work, school, etc.

This doesn’t work. I know that now and I’m sure you do as well. Which brings us to the question; what do we do now? That’s going to take some unpacking and it’s why I created this podcast.

We can learn what it means to identify and name our emotions. It starts with learning the language of emotions. Did you know most people can only name 3? Happy, sad and angry. When we know the true definitions of what we are feeling then it’s possible to make sense of them.

This podcast is a place to see where we need to know more, and the path to understanding. It’s a journey for me and, I hope, for you too.

In this first episode I share my personal story about how I got here and why this work is so important to me. I grew up in a family that just didn’t talk about feelings at all. As a kid with no control and no way to express my feelings, they ended up impacting me physically.

Brené’s most recent book Atlas of the Heart has become a roadmap, a compass to guide me. It continues to expand my knowledge of emotions. It has forced me to learn (and re-learn) what it means to truly acknowledge my feelings.

Most importantly, it gives me a language for identifying and expressing how I feel. Once I could do that, I began having the courage to share my emotions with others.

Why does language matter?

I’m going to cover this in detail but for now, it’s important to know that when we can’t accurately explain what we are feeling (and many of us have never learned how to do that) we are often disconnected from ourselves and our bodies.

Words matter. When we use accurate labels to describe how it is we are feeling we are able to transform what feels like a murky experience into something with boundaries and a name. There is a world of difference between stress and feeling disappointed or feeling unsupported but we often use the word stressed to mean all 3 and more.

It is my intention that this podcast becomes a place of transformation for all of us. I am sharing my story and the story of others as well. I will also be showing you the tools I use to make it possible to connect more deeply with ourself and each other.

We are on the journey together and I hope you’ll join me. I believe that there is something more true that lives on the other side of understanding and exploring our emotions with curiosity and a true desire to heal.

Resources:

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown 

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown 

Emotional Agility by Susan David 

Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis 

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