Mental Agility for Forensic Scientists

Join Jen in a discussion with Forensic Scientist Kortney Stock, who is also trained as a Yoga For First Responders (YFFR) instructor. YFFR offers yoga classes to public safety that are job-specific and culturally informed for the purposes of processing stress, building resilience, and enhancing job performance. Kortney shares with great authenticity and vulnerability as she describes her journey as a practitioner of forensic science and the inner work she has completed to keep a h...

Drug chemists work the highest number of cases in a forensic laboratory and are tasked with handling emerging synthetic drug variations and how they are dealt with via ever changing drug laws. Topics in this episode include the real and perceived stress surrounding the presentation of fentanyl and carfentanyl in the laboratory submissions, and the fear factor involved with the responsibility of handling drugs and the publicized cases of analysts who have abused that privilege. Aud...

Jen Dillon dissects the second half of the four agreements as described by author Don Miguel Ruiz. She shares how applying the agreements to the workplace has helped with her ability to show up as the best version of herself - without self-judgment, blame, or guilt about what that version may look like on any given day. This book is about the relationship we have with ourselves, and the perception of who we think we SHOULD be vs. who we are actually being. Jen describes her take o...

Join Jen Dillon as she delves into the first half of the four agreements as described by author Don Miguel Ruiz. She shares how applying the agreements to the workplace has helped with her ability to show up as the best version of herself - without self-judgment, blame, or guilt about what that version may look like on any given day. This book is about the relationship we have with ourselves, and the perception of who we think we SHOULD be vs. who we are actually being. Jen descri...

Join Jen as she describes the ancient practice of yoga nidra and how it can be used as a technique to systematically downshift our brain wave states to the most restorative level. Healthy brain wave activity is important for mental health, and many of us are spending too much time in the hyper-aroused states, leading to feelings of exhaustion. By spending some time in the slower brain wave states, we may experience great restoration in a limited amount of time. In fact, 1 hour of advanc...

In this conversation, Amy and I discuss how our own mindfulness practices have been put to work during this global pandemic. We talk about how the role of reflection and re-evaluation of our life goals have provided a chance for growth and opening up when so many may feel like shutting down. Amy provides a practical path to create change by getting a clear understanding of our priorities and values so we may then take manageable steps toward fulfilling the goal. She shares many of...

Dr. Janka explains the differences between a wellness program and disease management and emphasizes that we all need to develop resources, have a plan and support system in place for our well-being. But we don’t have to wait until we experience a critical incident to put our plans into action. He breaks down what happens physiologically and emotionally when we experience a traumatic event and explains what vicarious trauma is and how the technique of compartmentalization can be ap...

On this episode, I speak with my good friend and yoga soul sister, Jen Elder, who serves as the Wellness Program Manager at a state women's prison. Jen and I discuss how the practice of yoga is so much more than the physical postures, how taking a trauma-informed approach to the practice can lead to healing on a holistic level, and exactly what it looks like when you are supporting the mental well-being of both the staff and offenders of a prison population. She reminds us that th...

Jen shares a conversation with Juliet Oppenheim, a first responder and yoga instructor, about how a dedicated self-care practice can help reduce the recovery time needed after a stressful incident on the job and prevent burnout. Host: Jen Dillon - [email protected] by: MAFS - mafs.netMusic credit: Joseph McDade

Special bonus episode discussing ways to ride the waves of stress during the COVID-19 health crisis.