Heal This

What if taking care of yourself wasn’t another thing to add to your to-do list?

In this episode of Heal This, I sit down with Dr. Deborah Zucker, naturopathic physician, therapist, health coach, and award-winning author of The Vitality Map, to talk about what it really means to create a life of deep vitality.

We explore Deborah’s Nine Keys to Deep Vitality, including honoring your unique life, facing your shadows, strengthening self-awareness, cultivating resilience, aligning with your YES, creating boundaries, allowing yourself to receive support, and ultimately learning to live like you matter.

And that last one really got me.

Because self-love isn’t just saying, “I love myself.” It’s how we live. It’s what we say yes to. It’s what we say no to. It’s allowing ourselves to rest. It’s listening when our body, emotions, and intuition are trying to tell us something.

Sometimes healing isn’t about doing more.

Sometimes it’s about slowing down enough to hear yourself again.

We also talk about burnout, nervous-system regulation, community, self-care, comparison, letting go of expectations, and having the courage to prune away what is draining our life energy so we can make room for what actually belongs.

If you’ve been feeling depleted, stuck, overwhelmed, or simply disconnected from yourself, I hope this conversation reminds you:

You matter.
Your energy matters.
Your needs matter.
Your life matters.

And maybe your next step isn’t to push harder.

Maybe it’s to come back to yourself.

***In the episode I reference someone I was listening to that talked about group therapy and how much it help her. It was Sarah Snow. IG @iamsarahsnow - when self work doesn't work

I just signed up for her bootcamp. So helpful!

More Information about Dr. Deborah Zucker, please go check her out, she is amazing!!!

https://vitalmedicine.com/

🎙️ Listen now to Heal This: You Matter — 9 Keys to Deep Vitality with Dr. Deborah Zucker.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: BDVTKFXZMZDHJN4I

You cannot thrive if you are just trying to survive.

Let’s talk about your nervous system. And don’t worry, I’m going to “Basic Brooks” it.

The nervous system can get complicated FAST. Sympathetic. Parasympathetic. Vagus nerve. Enteric nervous system. Neural pathways. Fight, flight, freeze, fawn...

But what if we brought it back to something much simpler?

Do I feel safe right now?

Your nervous system is constantly taking in information from the world around you. It is sensing, scanning, responding and trying to protect you. And when we spend too much time in fight or flight, that state can start to feel normal.

We react instead of pause.
We repeat old patterns.
We cope instead of process.
We stay in survival mode without even realizing we're there.

And this matters for more than stress.

I believe our nervous system, subconscious mind and intuition are constantly communicating. When we can slow down, ground ourselves, breathe, reconnect with our bodies and create a sense of safety, we make space to hear ourselves more clearly.

In this episode of Heal This, I'm breaking down the nervous system in the simplest way I can. We talk about fight, flight, freeze and fawn, the power of the pause, why our brains keep taking familiar paths, what regulation can look like, and some simple tools you can actually use when your system feels overwhelmed.

And yes, I bring back my tall-grass story, because sometimes healing is exactly like creating a new path through a field where you've never walked before.

The first few times may feel uncomfortable. But every time you choose differently, you begin creating a new path.

Practice becomes your practice.

And eventually, survival doesn't have to be the path you automatically take.

You can pause.
You can regulate.
You can listen.
You can receive.
You can choose differently.

Because we're not here just to survive.

We're here to thrive.

🎧 Listen to the newest episode of Heal This and tell me: What helps your nervous system remember, “I'm safe. I'm okay”?

A little note before we get started...

Right around the time I released the first half of my conversation with Toni Shelaske, life got very full, very quickly. I found myself in a season of change and, honestly, a little bit of overload. Something had to give for a while, and unfortunately, the podcast was one of those things.

I know there has been a longer pause than I intended between these two episodes, and I am so grateful for your patience. And more than anything, I am really grateful to be back.

This conversation with Toni was too good not to come back to. In this second half, we shift the conversation a little more toward Toni herself, her journey, the unexpected turns that shaped her life, the businesses she built, the things she has learned along the way, and what it means to keep evolving when you know it's time for something new.

It started with a dog named Princess, whom Toni found on the side of the road when she was just 15 years old. Years later, caring for an aging Princess introduced Toni to pet sitting, which eventually became her first business. From there came another unexpected discovery: raw pet food. One decision led to another, and what began with one little dog ultimately grew into a career, multiple successful pet stores, a podcast, and a mission to help people care for their animals differently.

But this conversation isn't only about pets.

We talk about entrepreneurship, trusting yourself, building something from the ground up, creating genuine relationships with the people you serve, the importance of community, and what happens when something you've built successfully no longer feels like where you're meant to stay.

Toni also shares what it was like to eventually let go of part of the business she had spent years building and why creating something new became important to her.

And maybe my favorite part of our conversation is the reminder that you don't have to know exactly where something will lead before you begin.

Sometimes you just have to take the first step.

If there's something you've been thinking about doing, creating, changing, or pursuing, this conversation might be the little nudge you've been waiting for.

Because time is going to pass either way.

So...what could happen if you actually gave yourself permission to try?

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for continuing to grow and heal alongside me.

Okay...let's get back into it.

Check out Toni!

Toni Unleashed

⁠⁠https://www.toniunleashed.com/collections/all?srsltid=AfmBOoqJzm4Zk7rLv6aW2g85qBQd8QVd4yBFKD4SkiM_lV7GZiEZUBCF⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Toni Shelaske's journey

02:06 How a puppy sparked a passion for pet health

04:03 Transition from pet sitting to owning multiple stores

05:58 The shift to raw pet food and its health benefits

08:01 Building a community-focused pet store empire

09:50 The importance of listening and intuition in business

12:05 Balancing creation and business management

14:04 The role of connection and community in success

15:56 Overcoming challenges and letting go of business

18:00 The power of continuous learning and self-belief

20:10 Launching the Tony Unleashed podcast and products

21:59 Supporting other retailers and community involvement

24:02 The importance of local businesses and personal connections

25:59 Encouragement for aspiring entrepreneurs

27:57 The impact of childhood and family on success

29:58 Learning from struggles and trauma

31:56 The value of self-confidence and voting for oneself

34:00 The importance of resilience and adaptability

36:00 Final thoughts and encouragement to take action

#HealThis #HealThisPodcast #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #PurposeDrivenBusiness #PersonalGrowth #Transformation #TrustYourself #TakeTheLeap #LifeTransitions #Reinvention #FollowYourIntuition #CommunityConnection #PetWellness #HolisticPetCare #NaturalPetCare #PetHealth #PodcastInterview #PodcastCommunity

Stuck in the Mud: Why Healing Takes Practice

A few years ago, I willingly crawled through mud, climbed walls, scrambled over obstacles, carried another human being on my back, and somehow thought this sounded like a fun way to spend a very hot day in Tennessee.

It was a Tough Mudder, and there was one obstacle I never forgot.

We found ourselves standing in a pit of mud so deep that there was absolutely no way we were getting out by ourselves. The only way out was for someone above us to reach down and pull while someone below pushed. And once we made it out? We turned around, reached back down, and helped pull the next person up.

Years later, that muddy pit became one of my favorite ways to think about healing.

Because sometimes we fall into the mud. Sometimes life knocks us into it. Sometimes we've been standing in it so long that we don't even realize we're stuck.

And sometimes, after someone helps us climb out, we turn around and jump right back in.

In this episode of Heal This, I'm talking about what it really means to do the work of healing. Why no practitioner, therapist, coach, healer, friend, or loved one can "fix" us. Why our nervous systems, beliefs, patterns, and behaviors require practice to change. And why receiving help is not the same thing as handing someone else responsibility for our healing.

Healing happens while we're living. Life doesn't stop while we figure ourselves out. In fact, what if life itself is part of the practice?

So if you've been feeling stuck lately, this episode is for you.

Maybe you don't need to know exactly how to get out of the mud yet.

Maybe you just need to look up, reach out your hand, and be willing to receive some help.

And when you're standing on solid ground again, don't forget to turn around and reach back for someone else.

We're all in this together.

#HealThis #HealingJourney #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #NervousSystemRegulation #EmotionalHealing #MindBodySpirit #HolisticHealing #InnerWork #SelfDiscovery #HealingIsAPractice #ChooseYourself #Transformation #Intuition #MindsetShift

We are living in an extraordinary moment in time.

Technology is evolving faster than most of us can comprehend. Artificial intelligence is learning from us, reflecting us, predicting patterns, creating, analyzing, answering and becoming more integrated into our everyday lives. And I don't believe we need to be afraid of it.

I believe we need to pay attention.

What if humanity has been here before? Maybe not exactly like this. Maybe on another timeline, in another civilization, or in a way we don't fully remember. But something in me keeps saying: Wake up. Remember. Pay attention.

Because while artificial intelligence is becoming more powerful, there is an intelligence within us that technology can never replace: Divine Intelligence. Our intuition. Our discernment. Our lived wisdom. Our ability to connect. Our human heart. Our capacity to love.

We are surrounded by noise; headlines, opinions, algorithms, information, fear, outrage and constant stimulation. And if we aren't careful, the noise outside of us can become louder than the knowing within us.

So this episode isn't about rejecting technology. I use it. I appreciate it. I think it has the potential to make our lives better. But technology should enhance our humanity, not replace it. Use the technology. Let it help you. Let it make parts of your life easier. But do not let it become your life. Know when to put it down.

Come back into your body. Regulate your nervous system. Ground yourself. Put your hand over your heart. Listen. Practice your intuition. Strengthen your discernment. Remember who you are.

And amidst all of the chaos happening around us, be aware, but don't allow yourself to become consumed by it. You don't have to feed everything that asks for your attention. You get to choose what you feed. And ultimately, I believe we are being presented with one of the oldest and most important choices humanity has ever had:

Fear or love.

Choose love! Choose connection. Choose kindness. Choose joy. Choose abundance. Choose hope. And let that energy ripple outward from you, into your family, your community and ultimately into the collective all across our planet. 

Maybe this moment isn't here to frighten us. Maybe it's here to wake us up.

In a world of Artificial Intelligence, don't forget the Divine Intelligence within you.

Wake up. Remember. Pay attention.

We are living in an extraordinary moment in time.

Technology is evolving faster than most of us can comprehend. Artificial intelligence is learning from us, reflecting us, predicting patterns, creating, analyzing, answering and becoming more integrated into our everyday lives. And I don't believe we need to be afraid of it.

I believe we need to pay attention.

What if humanity has been here before? Maybe not exactly like this. Maybe on another timeline, in another civilization, or in a way we don't fully remember. But something in me keeps saying: Wake up. Remember. Pay attention.

Because while artificial intelligence is becoming more powerful, there is an intelligence within us that technology can never replace: Divine Intelligence. Our intuition. Our discernment. Our lived wisdom. Our ability to connect. Our human heart. Our capacity to love.

We are surrounded by noise; headlines, opinions, algorithms, information, fear, outrage and constant stimulation. And if we aren't careful, the noise outside of us can become louder than the knowing within us.

So this episode isn't about rejecting technology. I use it. I appreciate it. I think it has the potential to make our lives better. But technology should enhance our humanity, not replace it. Use the technology. Let it help you. Let it make parts of your life easier. But do not let it become your life. Know when to put it down.

Come back into your body. Regulate your nervous system. Ground yourself. Put your hand over your heart. Listen. Practice your intuition. Strengthen your discernment. Remember who you are.

And amidst all of the chaos happening around us, be aware, but don't allow yourself to become consumed by it. You don't have to feed everything that asks for your attention. You get to choose what you feed. And ultimately, I believe we are being presented with one of the oldest and most important choices humanity has ever had:

Fear or love.

Choose love! Choose connection. Choose kindness. Choose joy. Choose abundance. Choose hope. And let that energy ripple outward from you, into your family, your community and ultimately into the collective all across our planet. 

Maybe this moment isn't here to frighten us. Maybe it's here to wake us up.

In a world of Artificial Intelligence, don't forget the Divine Intelligence within you.

Wake up. Remember. Pay attention.

What I tell people when they ask me, What do you do? It's not a short easy answer and it's something I've been working on for years! I hope this is a helpful answer!

Toni Shelaske discusses holistic pet wellness, exploring the emotional connections between pets and their owners, the importance of proper nutrition, and the impact of human emotions on pets. We discuss the significance of socialization, training, and mental stimulation for pets, as well as grooming practices and the benefits of holistic therapies. Toni offers her insights from years of experience in the pet industry, emphasizing the need for pet owners to be advocates for their furry companions and to understand their natural behaviors and needs.

Check out Toni!

Toni Unleashed

https://www.toniunleashed.com/collections/all?srsltid=AfmBOoqJzm4Zk7rLv6aW2g85qBQd8QVd4yBFKD4SkiM_lV7GZiEZUBCF

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Holistic Pet Wellness

02:47 Tony's Journey in Pet Care

04:12 The Importance of Educating Pet Owners

04:31 The Healing Power of Pets

07:31 Understanding Pet Emotions and Trauma

10:33 Nutrition and Health for Pets

13:34 The Importance of Socialization

16:34 Mirroring Emotions: Pets and Their Owners

19:29 Coping with Separation Anxiety

22:26 Mental Stimulation and Exercise for Pets

25:31 Understanding Dog Behavior and Training

28:32 The Joy of Zoomies and Playtime

34:33 The Importance of Bathing Pets

38:13 Toys and Enrichment for Dogs

40:05 Choosing the Right Harness for Your Dog

42:31 Caring for Other Pets: Cats and Birds

45:22 Exploring Holistic Care for Pets

01:33:23 Overcoming Personal Hurdles and Resilience

#holisticpetwellness #petnutrition #emotionalconnection #pettraining #alternativetherapies

 #pethealth #petcare #animalbehavior #petgrooming #petsocialization 

Join Brooks and Dr. Ebru Karpuzoglu as she shares her journey from medical science to the beauty industry, driven by personal experiences with skin issues and a desire to integrate scientific understanding into skincare. She discusses the concept of 'inflammaging,' the mind-body-soul connection in skin health, and the importance of healing as a restoration of balance. Dr. Ebru also introduces her skincare brand, AveSeena, which aims to provide effective solutions through a scientific approach, emphasizing the need for fewer, more effective products.

https://www.aveseena.com

#skincare #beauty #inflammation #healing #wellness #mindbodyconnection  #AveSeena #DrEbru  #inflammaging #personaljourney 

After a life-altering diagnosis, Kim Rose shares her transformative journey of rewilding!  Just so you know rewilding your life involves reconnecting with nature and embracing a more natural way of living, both in your environment and your personal life. We also talk about the importance of self-love, movement, emphasizing the need to listen to one's body and embrace change. Kim vulnerably shares insights on what she thinks may have been the root causes of her illness, the impact of the big T and little t, trauma, and the significance of nurturing both the physical and spiritual aspects of her health. After listening we hope you walk away feeling encouraged to recognize that you are a freaking miracle! 

Kim refers to The Journey to Intrinsic Health - A Human Experience

https://journeyofintrinsichealth.com/

I am

Flow

Fuel

Connect

Breathe

Play

Move 

Rest

Connect

Also - If you are 45 or over, get a colonoscopy! 

#connection #healingjourney #rewilding  #healing #cancerjourney #selflove  #movement #breathwork  #nature  #holistichealth #trauma #personalgrowth 

#journeyofintrinsichealth