Episode Summary:

Welcome to the 4th episode of the podcast! I couldn’t think of a better way to continue the controversy than with someone I’ve shared so many voice notes and deep dives with over the years, David Barbarisi.

David and I agree on a whole lot of topics so this interview is a deepening viewpoint of the perspective we share on viruses, terrain theory, pathogens, disease, embodiment, politics, and where we may be headed. And, keeping our head forward and not stuck in the chaotic landscape of right vs. left.

In this episode, we explore the kind of topics that are core to my own healing and how I work with clients: nervous system regulation, questioning the system, intuition, and reclaiming our health through sovereignty and nature.

David shares his powerful story of growing up with a rare genetic condition, breaking bones as a child, and how that shaped his view of medicine, identity, and healing. We talk about what happens when you finally start listening to your body, stepping outside—literally—and seeing the sun not as a threat but as medicine.

David has a vast knowledge on many topics and lightens our hearts with respect to voluntaryism, spirituality and politics by giving us the blueprint to move forward united.

We explore:

How disconnection from nature impacts our health

The emotional imprint of childhood medical trauma

Why labels like “genetics” might be limiting more than helpful

Terrain theory and how microbes support healing

German New Medicine, voluntarism, and reclaiming personal authority

This episode sets the tone for what’s to come - raw, unfiltered, body-led, and heart-centered conversations about what healing really looks like.

Connect with David:

Website | www.healingoctopus.com

Instagram | www.instagram.com/healingoctopus

Facebook | www.facebook.com/healingoctopus

Substack | healingoctopus.substack.com

LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/davidbarbarisi

X | x.com/dbarbarisi

Learn more about my work:

Website | seldenintegrativehealing.com

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/somatic_intuitive/

Facebook | www.facebook.com/seldenb

What does it really take to heal trauma, chronic illness, and long-held patterns in the nervous system? In this episode, Selden sits down with Irene Lyon—a pioneer of pioneers in the field of somatic healing, trauma release, and nervous system regulation.

Irene shares her powerful journey from fitness and Feldenkrais into Somatic Experiencing, the influence of Peter Levine, and her own healing from chemical trauma and chronic inflammatory symptoms. Together, we explore the nuances of functional freeze, why so many people miss it, and how it silently drives autoimmune conditions, fatigue, and emotional disconnection.

We also dive into:

• How trauma is stored in the body and why humans don’t release it like animals in the wild
• The hidden role of functional freeze in burnout, people-pleasing, and chronic health conditions
• Why Feldenkrais and other somatic practices require a level of embodiment that many dysregulated systems can’t access (yet)
• Irene’s story of chemical trauma and how it shaped her approach to healing
• The creation of Smart Body, Smart Mind—a groundbreaking online resource for trauma healing and nervous system education
• How client resources and online learning empower deeper and more sustainable transformation

If you’ve ever wondered why symptoms linger despite your best efforts, or how to bridge the gap between emotional healing and physical health, this conversation will bring clarity, validation, and hope.

Smart Body Smart Mind: https://ea188.isrefer.com/go/SBSM/SB/

Somatic practitioner Seth Lyon joins Selden to trace a journey from premature birth and early attachment wounds to nervous-system regulation, embodiment, and becoming truly generative. They unpack dissociation vs. freeze, why complex trauma is “the water we’re swimming in,” how psychic abilities can emerge from survival adaptations, and what grounded spirituality looks like when the body leads. Plus: screens and vagus nerve health, “ascension” vs. descension, and practical discernment for healing in chaotic times.

In this conversation, Seth Lyon shares how early stress, isolation, and complex PTSD shaped his path—and how somatic work (SE, Somatic Practice, polyvagal) rebuilt capacity, trust, and connection.

We explore dissociation as a survival flight of the mind, the polyvagal mix of dorsal/ventral/sympathetic states, soul “fragmentation” and why regulation feels like golden kintsugi.

We talk energetic fields, chakras, and why intuition becomes clearer after embodiment.

We also zoom out to cultural freeze, tech/screen impacts on the vagus nerve, and a candid take on “ascension” versus the necessary descension into the body. If you’ve ever wondered how to move from fragile mysticism to grounded creation, this one’s for you.

• Preemie birth, attachment, and lifelong patterns
• Freeze as a veil on consciousness; cognitive dissonance and gaslighting ourselves
• Dissociation vs. sympathetic containment; why we design “safe” environments
• Psychic sensitivity, empathy vs. hypervigilance, and energetic boundaries
• Chakras, root depletion, pelvic floor tension, fascia & posture patterns
• Complex trauma as the norm; who’s not ready for trauma work (and why)
• Generativity: creating reality from wholeness (without spiritual bypass)
• Screens, blue light, posture, and vagal tone
• Practical hope: local community, nature, and slow, sneaky-powerful practices

Important links:

Seth's book mentioned in the Podcast: The History or the Multiverse: https://medium.com/a-history-of-the-multiverse

Irene Lyon's: Smart Body Smart Mind: https://ea188.isrefer.com/go/SBSM/SB/

Selden's course Freeing Freeze: Building Roots for Limited Capacity https://www.seldenintegrativehealing.com/the-roots-freeing-freeze:

Welcome to the Somatic Intuition Podcast, where body wisdom meets the evolution of humanity. Here we explore the nervous system as the gateway to awakening—moving beyond freeze, fatigue, and survival into vitality and authentic freedom. Together we’ll dive into mysticism and spirituality, personal healing stories, controversial truths in politics and health, and what it means to prepare our bodies and spirits for a new age of consciousness. This is where science, soul, and sovereignty meet—guiding you home to yourself, and to the future we are creating.

What if the conversations we're avoiding are exactly the ones we need to have? I'm Selden, and this is Truth and Unity – the podcast where we dive fearlessly into the topics that divide us, searching for the common ground that can bring us back together. In a world full of echo chambers and heated debates, we're creating a space for honest dialogue, uncomfortable questions, and surprising discoveries about what we actually share. Whether you're ready to challenge your assumptions or simply curious about a different perspective, you've found your home. This is Truth and Unity – where every conversation is a bridge.