The Bibliotherapists

Today’s guest is Nahid de Belgeonne, known as “the nervous system whisperer”, a Somatic Movement coach and breath and yoga teacher with a passion for sharing the healing benefits of movement.

Nahid’s new book, Soothe: The Book Your Nervous System Has Been Longing For, is "a freeing and revolutionary approach to bodily tranquility," that can help us breathe, move and care for our overworked nervous systems better.

And in this conversation Nahid shares a ton of practices to help us incorporate soothing movement into our day.

In this episode we discuss:

1. The Importance of rest and recovery (and what happens in our body/brain when we find time to do it).

   
   



2. Nahid’s go-to morning rituals for mind-body alignment and daily routines for focus and well-being.

   
   



3. The power of primal soothing movements like rocking and rhythmic rolling to calm our nervous system.

   
   



4. Changing habits without willpower.

   
   



5. Noticing how you hold tension and stress as a form of self-healing: “The noticing in and of itself is already medicine to the system... now you've alerted your nervous system."

   
   



6. Why we often don’t trust our feelings - and how we can retrain our brains and nervous systems to feel safe, relaxed and happy.

   
   

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Toni is joined by 'brain ninja', Kim Ingleby, one of the UK's leading mind and body experts.

Kim is an award-winning coach, writer and TED talker, and has trained with some of the world’s leaders in health, well-being and performance.

Kim is another big retreat buddy, and we love talking to her and watching her on stage because she has so much wisdom to share when it comes to how we can look after our minds and bodies.

And as you’ll hear from this episode, Kim has personal experience of overcoming serious mental and physical challenges, so she really understands the importance of empowering us to embrace who we are and where we are - right now - when we’re looking to make changes.

In this episode we discuss:

1. Kim's personal journey through adversity and neurodiversity and how that shaped her perspective on movement and mental resilience.

   
   



2. Embracing challenges with positivity and self-awareness.

   
   



3. Practical tips on using movement as a tool to navigate overwhelming feelings and gain clarity in daily life.

   
   



4. The importance of intentional choices in daily life and incorporating movement and self-care into daily routines.

   
   



5. Practicing gratitude and reframing perspectives.

   
   



6. The power of music to regulate our emotions.

   
   

   
   

   
   

Kim's book recommendations:

Do Hope by Gail Muller - https://amzn.to/3yqfqHW

A Bloke’s Life by Steve Dobbby - https://amzn.to/3UB4gaA

Heal the Witch Wound by Celeste Larson - https://amzn.to/3UZfoPY

The Success Myth by Emma Gannon - https://amzn.to/4bG1Nmg

Start Where You Are - a journal by Meera Lee Patel - https://amzn.to/3K5G37A

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Navaz Habib is the founder of Health Upgraded, a functional medicine and health optimization clinic in Toronto, Canada, working with everyone from athletes and entrepreneurs to busy mums and people struggling with their weight.

He helps people identify the root causes of health imbalances and addresses them naturally, through basic but powerful practices available to us all including breath. Movement and rest,

Dr. Habib’s book Activate Your Vagus Nerve is a simple-to-follow guide to help you identify and address a major missing piece in dealing with chronic health concerns including anxiety and depression.

And in this conversation he breaks down the Vagus Nerve for beginners - like me, and probably you - what it is, how it is connected to our overall health, and how to fix it.

If you need three coffees just to get through the day, or are suffering from chronic illness, including autoimmune diseases, this episode is for you….

In this episode we discuss:

1. How Dr Navaz’s own health challenges, including struggles with weight, high blood pressure, and borderline diabetes in his 20s, prompted him to explore root causes of health issues.


2. Functional medicine and chronic inflammation as a common thread in health conditions.


3. The importance of vagus nerve function for overall health and resilience.


4. How movement is essential for overall health, supporting gut function, blood circulation, and oxygenation.


5. How breath is the primary method to communicate our body's state to the brain and how even simple breath-focused movements can profoundly impact mental and emotional well-being.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

Today's guest is Camilla Sacre-Dallerup, a Danish self-help author, life coach, meditation teacher, hypnotherapist and former professional dancer, known for being one of the original cast in the mega BBC show, Strictly Come Dancing.

Camilla's THREE self-help books (It’s Not You It’s Me, Reinvent Me and Dream, Believe, Succeed are international bestsellers and she recently launched her own meditation App - zen.me - sharing guided meditations, self-discovery courses and enlightening podcasts 

And in THIS enlightening podcast what you’ll hear is a conversation between two self-help super nerds talking all things movement and mental health and maybe a little bit of woo.

In this episode we discuss:

1. How Camilla has created a kind and loving relationship to her Self and her body since retiring from dancing.


2. How mental health became a priority in her 40s.


3. Overcoming overwhelm: "When squeezed for time, start with one manageable activity for self-care, like a 10-minute stretch or walk."


4. Movement as self-care: "Moving your body is a powerful tool for self-care; it's a form of meditation in motion."


5. The joy of Pickleball.


6. Overcoming Guilt: "Many struggle with guilt when prioritising self-care, but it's essential to push through and make time for yourself. You might have to do it guilty to start with."

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

Simon Alexander Ong is an award-winning personal development entrepreneur and coach, and the author of Energize: Make the Most of Every Moment.

His work has been featured on Sky News and the BBC as well as Forbes, The HuffPost and The Guardian, and he’s always so generous to Shelf Help with his time and advice on living an optimised, but more importantly - happy - life.

In this episode we discuss:

1. The 'domino' effect of movement when it comes to creating healthy habits.


2. Why we need to work on our work-REST balance.


3. The power of future-self visualisation.


4. Why planning your day the night before is the key to focus and productivity.


5. The 5% Rule: "Spending just 1 hour per day moving accounts for less than 5% of your day."


6. Why we need to stop overthinking and/or overplanning and just do it: "Anyone who is happy and successful has a bias towards action."

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

Our guest for this episode is Toni's lovely friend, a personal trainer and fitness instructor, Claudia Evans.

Claudia is a former professional dancer who now teaches fitness and movement full-time, including Spin, Barre and LaGree as well as running her own Body to the Beat dance fitness class.

Just over 10 years ago Claudia’s mental health took a dive when she retired from dancing and basically stopped moving.

And two years ago, at the age of 43, she underwent an elective hysterectomy after years of suffering with erratic and painful cycles.

Both of these situations meant long sedentary and quite difficult  periods for Claudia, whose life - and work - has always been wrapped up in movement.

So this is a very honest and candid conversation about what happens to your mind when your body is forced to stop.

And ultimately about finding peace in accepting wherever you’re at right now.

In this episode we discuss:

1. Navigating (and accepting) mental and physical changes at various stages in life.

   
   



2. Exploring new ways of movement in menopause, and beyond.

   
   



3. How small but consistent movement helped Claudia recover post-surgery. “It's about meeting yourself where you are each day."

   
   



4. The mental exhaustion that comes from NOT moving.

   
   



5. How movement should be about feeling good and making your body work for you, not chasing a certain look.

   
   



6. That we are more resilient than we realise: "Through challenges, I learned to adapt and appreciate what my body can do."
   

   
   

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Kate Rowe-Ham, a Women's Health Coach with a special interest in menopause fitness and nutrition. Kate is the founder of the Owning Your Menopause platform and the author of Owning Your Menopause: Fitter, calmer, Stronger in 30 Days.

Kate wants to educate women on the benefits of movement and diet, so they can see how these go hand in hand in playing a fundamental role in managing many of the symptoms associated with menopause.

I first met Kate at The Big Retreat well-being festival in Wales (where we’ll both be delivering workshops and sessions again later this month) and can personally vouch for her mega energy levels, so whatever she’s doing, it works.

In this episode we discuss:

1. Kate’s personal journey overcoming mental health challenges related to disordered eating.

   
   



2. Exploring the shift from exercise for aesthetics to exercise for brain health, mental well-being, bone health, and muscle health, and how Kate transformed exercise into a source of connection and strength.

   
   



3. Modelling healthy ‘health’ behaviours for children, and the importance of leading by example in parenting.

   
   



4. The significance of daily habits and starting small to cultivate a positive relationship with movement.

   
   



5. Future-proofing our bodies by lifting weights and building lean muscle for hormonal balance and overall well-being.

   
   



6. Approaching menopause with hope, joy, and a sense of reinvention.

   
   

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is our friend and self-care queen Suzy Reading.

Suzy is a psychologist, health coach and yoga teacher and author of several books on the subject of self-care, including; Rest to Reset, Sit to Get Fit and Self-care for Tough Times.

The mum of two specialises in wellbeing: head, heart and body, helping people manage their emotions, energetic bank balances and the inevitable stresses of life.

And nourishing movement is a vital part of her self-care toolkit.

In this episode we discuss:

1. The significance of movement in managing stress and emotions.


2. How movement isn't just about formal exercise, but includes simple activities like stretching or walking, and the importance of adapting movement routines to different times of day.


3. Incorporating movement into daily rituals and finding ways to infuse movement into everyday tasks like making coffee or changing the beds.


4. The Importance of restful movement and its benefits.


5. Overcoming challenges when our preferred method of movement is unavailable.


6. Gentle and accessible ways to incorporate movement into busy schedules.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

For the first episode of this series, Toni is joined by Anna Mathur, a mum of three, a psychotherapist, author and speaker.

Anna has a passion for taking therapy out of the therapy room and is widely celebrated for her accessible mental health advice and the lightbulb moments she shares through her popular instagram account @annamathur, her best selling books, her podcast The Therapy Edit (hurtling towards 2m downloads) and the resources available in the Anna Mathur Toolkit.

Anna’s fourth book Raising a Happier Mother is all about How to Find Balance, Feel Good and See Your Children Flourish as a Result.

In this episode we discuss:

1. How nurturing the nervous system is crucial for addressing daily life stress and emotional challenges.

   
   



2. The impact of stress on our ability to challenge negative thought patterns.

   
   



3. Prioritising physical health and lifestyle changes as a foundation for mental health improvement.

   
   



4. Movement as a form of self-care and self-nurturing, rather than punishment or obligation.

   
   



5. The importance of developing self-worth and self-acceptance as a way to create change,

   
   



6. Setting boundaries and prioritising self-care in daily life.

   
   

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe