What would a life without rushing look and feel like? 

It’s hard to imagine, right? 

In this episode of The Modern Mammal, Molly explores her own long relationship to urgency. She traces how that pattern can be deeply adaptive in short windows of time—and how it becomes something very different (and unintentionally self-harming) when it turns into a chronic way of living. How do we then ‘do life’ without fixing, figuring out, finishing, or solving everything right now? Instead of pushing harder, she explores a different posture to the all that is—and how that can change everything.  

And then there's the bigger question: What happens when we apply this to a world that actually is urgent? Climate change. AI. Political violence. Collective uncertainty. Slowing down doesn't mean checking out. It can mean becoming receptive enough to notice what you couldn't see while you were frantically trying to solve everything yourself.

Drawing on Bayo Akomolafe’s words, “The times are urgent. Let us slow down,” this episode asks what slowing down might make possible—not only in our individual lives, but in how we meet an increasingly fast and uncertain world.

You’ll Learn

• How urgency becomes a pattern in the nervous system
• Why slowing down can feel uncomfortable at first
• What it means to lean back instead of constantly pushing forward
• How to become more receptive to unexpected answers
• Why you need space and quiet to hear your own “whispers”
• A simple practice for slowing your body down in real time
• How to build more capacity for pauses
• 
  

The Modern Mammal is a podcast about becoming more human in an increasingly accelerated world—reclaiming attention, listening to the body, and finding a way to move through modern life with vitality and alongside-ness.

STAY CONNECTED

Molly's Website

Modern Mammaling

(free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

Molly Caro May bridges neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

What if making your world smaller could actually make your life feel bigger?

We are exposed to more than ever before. More people, more news, more information, more places, more opinions, more possibilities. You feeling the MORE of it all? And yet our lives don't feel nourishing necessarily with all the more. "Overwhelm" should be the word of the decade!

In this episode of The Modern Mammal, Molly explores the possibility that this moment might be calling us toward something different: less exposure, more depth. What would happen if we stopped trying to be part of everything so that we could be more deeply part of something? What if making your world smaller allowed you to become more tactile and more connected to what and who is in front of you?

Molly explores the idea of “thin exposure” versus “thick exposure,” the collective FOMO that keeps us reaching outward, and what it might mean to build resilience to not know about everything. She shares what this is looking like in her own life—and invites you to notice what is calling you closer to home.

You’ll Learn

• Why more exposure can lead to an empty feeling
• What “thin exposure” and “thick exposure” mean
• How overwhelm can come from chronic “too muchness”
• Why we may need resilience to not be part of everything
• How FOMO keeps us reaching beyond our actual capacity
• What it means to make your world smaller without becoming isolated
• Why tactile and embodied go together
• How to notice what is calling you closer to home and place

The Modern Mammal is a podcast about becoming more human in an increasingly accelerated world—reclaiming attention, listening to the body, and finding a way to move through modern life with vitality and alongside-ness.

STAY CONNECTED

⁠Molly's Website⁠

⁠Modern Mammaling⁠

(free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week)

Molly Caro May bridges neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

What if you’re not failing to heal—you simply don’t have the conditions your body needs?

We live in a world that asks us to adapt constantly: faster technology, more stimulation, climate instability, global connectivity, relentless availability, and a pace our bodies have not evolved to match. And yet, when our bodies struggle, we often turn the blame inward: I’m not disciplined enough. I’m not natural enough. I’m not doing it right. This episode challenges that story.

Molly explores the idea of creating the conditions—a powerful shift from asking “What’s wrong with me?” to asking “What conditions am I actually living in, and what support do I need within them?” She shares a deeply personal story about a choice she made after realizing that the conditions of her life could not support the kind of healing she had been trying to achieve through “natural” means alone. She also explores technology, wildfire smoke, motherhood, menopause, modern pace, and the complicated pressure women face to heal according to standards developed for a different world of the past.

This isn't an argument for abandoning nature, rejecting modern medicine, dispelling miraculous healing or giving up on changing what can be changed. It's an invitation to become more honest about the water we're swimming in. If the environment has changed, perhaps our strategies need to change too.

You'll Learn

• Why “I'm not strong enough” isn't a truth
• What it means to create the conditions for healing

• Why modern life requires new forms of support rather than more effort

• Why technology, climate, pace, and globalization belong in conversations about health and embodiment
• How the pressure to do things “naturally” or "purely" can become another form of self-blame in a zoom-out context
• Why comparing your body and life to previous generations can be deeply misleading
• A new way to think about menopause and other major bodily transitions within modern conditions

• How to ask the question: What water am I swimming in?

Why This Episode Matters

This is an essential conversation for anyone interested in embodiment, nervous system health, women's health, healing, and how to live well in a rapidly changing world. Rather than offering another protocol to follow, Molly invites us into a more honest question: Given the world that actually exists, what would support look like now?

The goal isn't to return to an imagined past or to perfect ourselves. It's to find possibility in what is—and create conditions that allow our human bodies to meet this moment with more support, softness, and integrity.

STAY CONNECTED

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Modern Mammaling⁠⁠ (free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

⁠⁠Mammaling Monthly⁠⁠ (2-hour online workshops around mammal archetypes) 

Your Mammal Body ⁠⁠Retreat⁠⁠: in-person Vermont, Sept 16-20

⁠⁠Bring me to your community⁠

Welcome to The Modern Mammal! 

Molly Caro May bridges neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

Most of us have been taught to see pain, movement, posture, and healing as separate things. Fix the shoulder. Strengthen the core. Improve the posture. But what if the patterns living in your body are connected to something much deeper?

In this conversation, Molly sits down with unconditioning guide, physical therapist and bodyworker Hedi Shah to explore the hidden relationship between pain, posture, nervous system regulation, identity, and belonging. Drawing from her own journey through chronic pain, a life-changing car accident, somatic healing, and Postural Restoration work, Hedi shares a radically different lens on the body—one that views posture not as something to correct, but as a reflection of how we learned to survive.

Together, Molly and Hedi explore how our family systems, cultural conditioning, personal histories, and nervous systems shape the way we stand, breathe, move, and show up in the world. They discuss why so many healing protocols fail, how movement can become a way of life rather than another item on a wellness checklist, and why learning to exhale might be one of the most overlooked healing tools available to us.

This conversation is practical, soulful, science-informed, and deeply human.

Hedi is running a small group course Posture-In-Motion starting mid September 2026! For anyone who comes via my podcast, you get a sweet 10% discount of with the code: MAMMALING-POSTURE

This is a special, one-of-a-kind opportunity.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEDI

You'll Learn

• Why posture is about far more than standing up straight
• How childhood experiences and cultural conditioning can show up in the body
• The surprising connection between pain, identity, and belonging
• A simple "Posture of Neutrality" practice you can try immediately
• Why many people are over-breathing and under-exhaling

• The difference between movement and training—and why it matters
• Why routines can become another form of conditioning
• How to build a movement practice that adapts to your life and body
• The role of peripheral vision, breathing, and walking in creating a greater sense of safety
• Why healing often requires curiosity instead of self-improvement
• How to recognize when you're pushing through life rather than being supported by it

About Hedi Shah

Hedi Shah helps those who've tried everything finally move beyond what keeps them stuck and in pain by combining mindfulness and bodywork that addresses the root cause, not just the symptoms.

Why This Episode Matters

If you've tried the protocols, followed the plans, done the exercises, and still feel stuck, this conversation offers a different possibility. Not more effort. Not more discipline. But a deeper relationship with your body, your breath, and the patterns that quietly shape your life. This is essential listening for anyone interested in embodiment, nervous system health, movement, healing, and what it means to live as a fully expressed human mammal.

STAY CONNECTED

⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Modern Mammaling⁠⁠⁠ (free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

⁠Your Mammal Body ⁠⁠Retreat⁠⁠⁠: in-person Vermont, Sept 16-20

⁠⁠⁠Bring me to your community⁠⁠

Welcome to The Modern Mammal! 

Molly Caro May bridges neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

It's easy to believe we're watching human creativity disappear. AI can write essays, generate images, summarize books (!!), and produce ideas in seconds. So where does that leave the messy, slow, deeply human creative process? More importantly, what happens to us if we stop participating in it?

In this episode, Molly shares her own evolving relationship with technology—from years of resistance to a more nuanced understanding of AI as both a powerful tool and sidecar to what is real about being human. Through personal stories about "being" in the digital age, she explores the difference between consuming polished outputs and participating in the beautiful, imperfect process of creating. This isn't a conversation about rejecting technology. It's about remembering what only humans can do. Let us become more deeply, unapologetically human.

If you've felt uncertain, excited, fearful, or conflicted about AI, this episode is an invitation to move beyond doom and optimism—and into conscious participation in the creative renaissance unfolding around us.

You'll Learn

• Why AI may be inviting us into a new era of human creativity rather than replacing it
• The surprising difference between consuming ideas and participating in the creative process
• Why messy thinking, wandering language, and creative struggle are essential to being human
• How AI is quietly shaping the way we think, write, and make meaning (and the impact of that reality)
• Practical ways to preserve your creativity in an increasingly automated world
• Why learning new tactile skills may become one of the most important practices of modern life
• How books, conversation, art, and human-made language nourish the brain differently
• The value of creative process over polished outcomes
• Why your body—not just your mind—is central to creativity
• A hopeful vision for cultivating deeper humanity in the age of AI
• Resources: Jeanette Winterson, Cal Newport, Vanessa Machado de Oliveira

Why This Episode Matters

The conversation around AI is often trapped between fear and blind enthusiasm. This episode offers a third path: one rooted in embodiment, curiosity, and human creativity. If you're wondering how to remain fully alive, imaginative, and connected in an age of accelerating technology, this conversation will re-ignite your desire to lean into the creative capacities that no algorithm can replace.

STAY CONNECTED

⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Modern Mammaling⁠⁠⁠ (free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

⁠⁠⁠Mammaling Monthly⁠⁠⁠ (2-hour online workshops around mammal archetypes) 

⁠Your Mammal Body ⁠⁠Retreat⁠⁠⁠: in-person Vermont, Sept 16-20

⁠⁠⁠Bring me to your community⁠⁠

Welcome to The Modern Mammal! 

Molly Caro May bridges neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

How does that title land?  It’s not as grim as it sounds! You aren’t tired because of everything you are ‘doing.’ You are tired because you are ignoring your body’s requests. 

Most of us have been taught that pushing through is maturity. That hunger can wait. Rest can wait. Grief can wait. Joy can wait. We override our body’s requests in the name of productivity, responsibility, and being a "good" and likeable and flexible person—and eventually we wonder why we're exhausted, disconnected, or burned out.

In this episode, Molly explores the hidden cost of chronic override and why it's become one of the defining patterns of modern life. Because override isn’t simply ignoring your body—it's a learned survival strategy that made (and makes) sense in the short term. We modern folks, however, have made it a way of life.

Here we dive into a hopeful alternative: learning to notice the body's signals, consciously choosing when to respond and when to override, and becoming skilled at discerning which consequences you are willing to bear. Not an invitation to abandon responsibility or follow every impulse. Instead, we are rebuilding trust with your body. That sounds like a bumper sticker, but it’s a practice that is possible if you choose it. 

You'll Learn

• What "override" really means and why it's so common in modern life
• How chronic override contributes to burnout, fatigue, and disconnection
• Why override is an adaptive survival strategy—but not a sustainable lifestyle
• The surprising difference between listening to your body and following every impulse
• How to recognize the subtle ways you override hunger, rest, grief, fear, and joy
• Why every choice has consequences—and how to choose the ones worth bearing
• Simple ways to begin meeting your body's needs, even in small moments
• How chronic override affects creativity, intimacy, spontaneity, and self-trust

Why This Episode Matters

In a culture that rewards productivity over presence, learning to recognize and soften chronic override may be one of the most important skills of our time. It offers a new lens on burnout, self-trust, nervous system health, and what it means to truly care for ourselves and one another.

STAY CONNECTED

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Modern Mammaling⁠⁠ (free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

⁠⁠Mammaling Monthly⁠⁠ (2-hour online workshops around mammal archetypes) 

Your Mammal Body ⁠⁠Retreat⁠⁠: in-person Vermont, Sept 16-20

⁠⁠Bring me to your community⁠

Welcome to The Modern Mammal! 

Molly Caro May bridges neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

Humans are starting to realize THIS: we're more connected than ever—and many of us have never felt more alone.

What if we've confused communication with connection? What if one of the most important questions of our time isn't technological, political, or economic—but relational?

In this episode, I explore the word “social” and what it actually means for a human mammal.  Through my stories of recent loss, grief, friendship, motherhood, care, and community, we examine something many of us feel but struggle to name: the profound difference between being connected through screens and being held in relationship by real people.

Drawing from neuroscience, basic common sense and lived experience, I speak to how our bodies are shaped by proximity, touch, co-regulation, and mutual care. This conversation asks what becomes possible when we ACT ON the truth that humans were never meant to live in silos or do life alone.

This episode is an invitation to take back the word social—not as something that happens on a platform, but as something that happens (and needs to happen) between living bodies.

You'll Learn:

• Why human connection is a biological need, not a luxury
• What co-regulation actually is and how it affects your nervous system
• How touch helps the body process difficult experiences
• The less obvious difference between social media and being truly social
• Why meaningful relationships often require inconvenience, negotiation, and presence
• How mirror neurons shape our emotions, behaviors, and sense of belonging
• What happens in the body when trusted people care for us
• Robin Dunbar's theory of 150 meaningful human relationships and what it means
• Practical questions to help you build deeper local relationships and support networks

In an era of increasing isolation, digital connection, and hyper-independence, this conversation is a firm shake of the shoulders. Our wellbeing depends on REAL relationships where you can't simply close the screen if you're tapped out.

STAY CONNECTED

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Modern Mammaling⁠⁠ (free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

⁠⁠Mammaling Monthly⁠⁠ (2-hour online workshops around mammal archetypes: Wolf, Beaver and Deer in July) 

Your Mammal Body ⁠⁠Retreat⁠⁠: in-person Vermont, Sept 16-20

⁠⁠Bring me to your community⁠

Welcome to The Modern Mammal! 

Molly Caro May bridges neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

If you would like to "mammal" alongside me and others, join Modern Mammaling, my free weekly Substack newsletter.

When I congratulated my mom for reaching her “crone” stage on her 50th birthday, what was her interpretation? And why does it matter? 

Welcome to The Modern Mammal, I am your host, Molly Caro May. My first interview guest is my mother (ta da!): Mary Besser May. She is known as “Mare” by her grandchildren, played a key role in my memoir, lived abroad for 14 years across five countries and is approaching her 75th birthday with a long view most of us never get to hear.

I wanted to start the interview part of this show by bucking the trend of famous-guest-first. In a world that veers toward glossy click-bait, star-power and performance, I wanted to center an elder in my tactile world—the woman who raised me. What conversations are you having with the wisdom keepers of your community?  

In this episode, we dive into her experience as an American raising young children in places with no telephone or running water. We also discuss the difference between the freedom her generation had outside the home, and the freedom my kids have inside their own thinking. We land on what matters most as the end of life becomes more real. Lots of space here for my own imperfect questions, and our banter. 

It is tender. It is honest. It is the conversation I needed to record.

Resources Mentioned:

Body Full of Stars: Female Rage and My Passage into Motherhood by Molly Caro May | Book
Connect with Molly:
Modern Mammaling | Substack

Vermont Retreat | Website
Mammaling Monthly | Workshops

Mary Besser May is a mother of three and grandmother of three. She is a graduate of an International MBA at Thunderbird, the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and Perfect Health Ayurveda at the Chopra Center. She is a lover of books, travel, food and long-term friendship.

Welcome to The Modern Mammal!

Molly Caro May draws from neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment.

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

Join me at Modern Mammaling, my Substack newsletter.

What if the way you structure your day is quietly shaping the entire trajectory of your life—and no one ever taught you how to question it?

Do I lack time or is it something else? Most of us are locked into invisible maps of worth, productivity, and identity that determine what gets prioritized—and what gets abandoned.

In this episode, we explore how your daily structure (or rhythm) is not neutral. It is cultural, psychological, and created by beliefs about what makes you “good,” “worthy,” or “successful.” How are we modern people spending our days, and therefore our lives? I speak to the hidden programming that keeps many people (myself included) from making space for what actually nourishes them. What is the one thing you have trouble “fitting in” even though you want it? 

This is not about efficiency or time management. It’s about noticing the subtle assumptions shaping your choices. Can you consciously “remap” or redesign of your day in a way that aligns with your body, values, and long-term wellbeing?

You'll Learn:

• How cultural conditioning shapes what you prioritize in your day
• Why “I don’t have time” is often a hidden belief, not a fact
• The invisible link between productivity, worth, and identity
• Why movement is often treated as optional rather than essential
• How to recognize your own “daily map” of values and habits
• The emotional resistance that arises when you rearrange your schedule
• Why secrecy can appear around self-care and movement
• How to tolerate the discomfort of choosing yourself differently
• What it means to “flip the map” of your day intentionally
• How to build a more sustainable rhythm between work, care, and embodiment

STAY CONNECTED

⁠Website⁠

⁠Modern Mammaling⁠ (free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

⁠Mammaling Monthly⁠ (2-hour online workshops around mammal archetypes: Wolf, Beaver and Deer in July) 

Your Mammal Body ⁠Retreat⁠: in-person Vermont, Sept 16-20

⁠Bring me to your community⁠

Welcome to The Modern Mammal! 

Molly Caro May draws from neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?

What if embodiment has nothing to do with being calm, athletic, or "good" at self-care?

The word embodiment is everywhere right now. We see it in wellness culture, therapy circles, social media, and personal growth spaces. But somewhere along the way, many of us absorbed the idea that embodied people look a certain way, behave a certain way, or have perfected a particular lifestyle.

In this episode, I unpack three of the most common myths about embodiment and share my own journey of disentangling from them. Drawing from Somatic Experiencing, nervous system education, and years of personal inquiry, I offer a radically simpler definition and a doable path that doesn’t involve “achieving” embodiment.

This conversation is an invitation to reclaim embodiment from perfectionism, comparison, and cultural expectations—and return it to something that belongs to every human being.

You'll Learn:

• How wellness culture can subtly distort our understanding of embodiment
• Why being thin, “attractive," athletic or fit does not make someone more embodied
• The surprising difference between movement and actually feeling your body
• Why a healthy nervous system is not calm, regulated, or peaceful all the time
• What "regulation" really means 
• How emotional intensity and embodiment can coexist
• The hidden myths that may be shaping your relationship with your body
• A simple working definition of embodiment you can use immediately
• Why embodiment is available to every human, regardless of age, body type, fitness level, income, or life circumstances

If you're interested in creating a more authentic relationship with yourself, this episode offers a practical and compassionate place to begin.

STAY CONNECTED

⁠Website⁠

Your Mammal Body ⁠⁠Retreat⁠⁠: in-person Vermont, Sept 16-20

⁠Modern Mammaling⁠ (free weekly newsletter, or $5/month paid with extra prompts to match theme of the week) 

⁠Mammaling Monthly⁠ (2-hour online workshops around mammal archetypes: Wolf, Beaver and Deer in July) 

⁠Bring me to your community⁠

Welcome to The Modern Mammal! 

Molly Caro May draws from neuroscience, story-weaving, and the relational field to support people to inhabit their full body mammal intelligence despite (and because of) the Modern Digital Era. Known for her warmth, straight-talk and emphatic expression, she is here to shine a light on what is possible for humans as we stand at this shared crossroads. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, author of two acclaimed literary memoirs, devotee of attention, creator of The Modern Mammal Framework and had led thousands of people through her transformational workshops and retreats for two decades. No, she isn't anti-tech, but she is pro-responsibility and believes in the importance of developing sacred discernment. 

The Modern Mammal Podcast is a combination of WEEKLY raw Solo episodes that offer real-time practicing and clear ways to reclaim yourself in this era plus unscripted, lively interviews with thinkers, makers, and practitioners who are asking the same question: how do we stay human in a world moving too fast?