Podcasts about Breathwork

Monday Morning Anxiety — Calm the Dread of the Week Ahead | Vagus Nerve Breathing Meditation  Monday morning anxiety has a weight all of its own — that heavy, anticipatory dread that arrives before your feet have even touched the floor. In this 10-minute guided meditation, Calming Anxiety host Martin helps you put the whole week down and meet Monday with a nervous system that is working with you, not against you. Today's practice uses vagus nerve breathing — a slow nasal inhale, a gentle hold, and a long, soft exhale — to press the brake pedal on your stress response. Three guided rounds, followed by a warm golden-light body scan and a set of gentle affirmations for anxiety relief, work anxiety and the Sunday scaries that spill into Monday. It closes with three practical daily caring tips you can carry into the day. Whether you're listening in bed, on the train, in the car park, or in the ten quiet minutes before you walk in through those doors — this is deep relaxation and breathwork you can use anywhere. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.  ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – Cold open: the weight of a Monday morning* 01:06 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety with Martin* 01:23 – Anchored: over 3,000 searchable sessions* 02:00 – Finding your quiet place and settling* 02:47 – Vagus nerve breathing: three guided rounds* 05:01 – Warm golden light body scan* 06:10 – Today's gentle affirmations* 08:30 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:17 – Coming gently back into the room* 09:38 – Closing thoughts and sign-off  

Waking Up at 3am — Anxiety Relief to Get You Back to Sleep | Extended Exhale Breathing Waking up at 3am with anxiety is one of the loneliest experiences there is — your eyes open on their own, your heart is faster than it should be for someone lying perfectly still, and your mind has already found the one unfinished thought it saved up especially for now. This 10-minute guided meditation is built for exactly that hour. Martin explains why it happens: there is a small, ordinary rise in cortisol in the early hours meant to get your body ready for morning, and when you're anxious that rise arrives a little louder and wakes you. It isn't a warning. It isn't a sign. It's chemistry arriving early. From there the session uses extended exhale breathing — a gentle breath in, a brief pause, and an out-breath always longer than the in — because breathing out directly, mechanically slows your heart rate. It's the simplest somatic tool there is, and the one that works best lying down in the dark, when you don't want to count hard or hold anything. A warm light at the centre of the chest, gentle affirmations for sleep anxiety and insomnia relief, and three practical caring tips follow. If you drift off partway through, that's the point — let the voice fade. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.  ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – Cold open: awake at three in the morning* 00:39 – Why you wake: the early-hours cortisol rise* 01:23 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety with Martin* 01:39 – Anchored: the nightlight and offline sleep sessions* 02:24 – Settling: letting the pillow take the weight* 03:36 – Extended exhale breathing: the science* 04:17 – Guided rounds: longer out than in* 05:37 – A warm light at the centre of your chest* 06:08 – Tonight's gentle affirmations* 08:19 – Drifting off, or coming gently back* 09:01 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:43 – Closing thoughts and sign-off  

Why Do I Say Sorry for Everything? — People-Pleasing Anxiety Relief | Guided Meditation with 4-2-6 Breathing If you've ever wondered "why do I say sorry for everything?", from bumping into someone to simply having a feeling, today's guided meditation is for you. Calming Anxiety sits with the quiet, exhausting reflex of chronic apologizing, the fear that if you're agreeable enough, easy enough, small enough, nobody will ever be angry with you. We slow the body first with 4-2-6 breathing, in for four, hold for two, out for six, creating the same small pause Martin often had to teach frightened patients as a paramedic: the space between the trigger and the reaction.For daily support beyond this episode, download Anchored on iOS, with Android arriving in a couple of weeks.

Where Has All My Energy Gone? — High-Functioning Anxiety & Exhaustion Relief | Guided Meditation If you've ever collapsed onto the edge of the bed at the end of a perfectly "fine" day and thought, "where has all my energy gone? I didn't even do anything today," this episode is for you. Calming Anxiety sits with the exhaustion of high-functioning anxiety, the quiet cost of holding everything together while everyone else sees someone coping just fine. We slow the body first with the extended exhale, four counts in and eight counts out, gently unwinding the shallow, high-chest breathing that builds up during a long day of performing calm, the same kind of over-breathing Martin worked with often on ambulance call-outs as a paramedic.For daily support beyond this episode, download Anchored on iOS, with Android arriving in a couple of weeks.

Why Do I Feel Dizzy? — Anxiety-Induced Lightheadedness Relief | Guided Meditation with 4-4-8 Breathing If the floor has ever seemed to tilt beneath you, or the room's gone soft and swimming for no reason at all, today's guided meditation is for you. Calming Anxiety sits with anxiety-induced dizziness, the frightening, light-headed feeling that convinces you something is medically wrong, when the real cause may simply be anxious breathing. We slow the body first with 4-4-8 breathing (in for four, hold for four, and a long, slow exhale for eight), a technique Martin has used often as a paramedic kneeling beside people who were certain they were about to collapse. For daily support beyond this episode, download Anchored on iOS, with Android arriving next month.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon unpack another selection of dilemmas involving autism, ADHD, relationships and the realities of being neurodivergent.They begin with a parent who invites an entire class to her son's birthday party — except for one autistic child. Jordan and Simon discuss exclusion, ableism, reasonable accommodations and the lasting impact of being the child who is always left out.Next, they explore another neurodivergent dilemma and the assumptions people make about behaviour, asking where personal responsibility ends and understanding someone's disability begins.The conversation then turns to the complicated ways neurodivergent traits can be interpreted by the people around us, including executive dysfunction, forgetfulness and behaviours that can easily be mistaken for laziness or a lack of care.Finally, a woman takes to Reddit to describe her husband as stupid, prompting a discussion about ADHD, dyslexia, executive dysfunction, relationships, resentment and what happens when the person you love doesn't understand the way your brain works.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• AITA for inviting my sons entire class except for one child because of his autism?• AITA for disagreeing with my daughter's ADHD diagnosis?• My speech disability has ruined my life and I think I will never amount to anything.• My husband is so dumb and I think I need to leave him because of itOur Sponsors:

Anxiety Relief for Irritability & Overwhelm — I Just Need to Feel Calm Again | Alternate Nostril Breathing Guided Meditation Anxiety relief for those days when everything is getting under your skin. This ten minute guided meditation is for the moment you catch yourself thinking "I just need to feel calm again" — when the noise, the questions, the one more thing have worn your patience thin, your shoulders are tight, your jaw is clenched, and your voice is sharper than you meant it to be. Underneath irritation there is almost always something quieter. You're tired. You're overloaded. You've been holding too much together. Today we use alternate nostril breathing — nadi shodhana, the balancing breath — breathing in for four and out for six, giving your mind one gentle thing to do at a time while your nervous system finds its way back down. Slow, rhythmic breathwork for stress relief, overwhelm and an overstimulated nervous system. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, Calming Anxiety is a daily ten minute guided meditation for anxiety relief, panic attacks, stress and sleep. You don't have to become a different person today. You don't have to be endlessly patient. You simply need a little more space. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – I just need to feel calm again * 00:20 – When the smallest things get under your skin * 00:47 – What's underneath the irritation * 01:13 – Welcome — this is your moment * 01:31 – Finding your quiet place * 01:42 – Alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) explained * 02:23 – Guided breathing — in for four, out for six * 04:24 – Softening the shoulders, forehead and hands * 04:56 – Visualisation — laying the weight down * 05:44 – Today's gentle affirmations * 08:04 – You don't have to become a different person * 08:21 – Three daily caring tips * 09:14 – Returning to the room * 10:05 – Anchored, sharing and closing thoughts 

Wellness trends move fast, yet volume two of The Next Frontier Files proves some predictions age well. Revisiting year two of the show, host Jenn Trepeck tracks the guests who forecasted metabolic health, gut health, and body positivity long before they became mainstream conversations, and shows how precision medicine and permission became the defining threads of an entire year.Jenn Trepeck brings listeners of Salad with a Side of Fries a look back at the guest predictions that shaped the year two, August 2020 - August 2021, grading them against what really happened since.What You Will Learn in This Episode:✅ How telehealth and virtual training went from pandemic workaround to a permanent part of everyday healthcare✅ Why metabolic health and gut health became two of the most repeated topics in wellness over the following years✅ What guests predicted about wearable technology, gene editing, and the future of human biology✅ How body positivity and permission-based wellness reshaped the conversation around health and self-imageThe Salad With a Side of Fries podcast, hosted by Jenn Trepeck, explores real-life wellness and weight-loss topics, debunking myths, misinformation, and flawed science surrounding nutrition and the food industry. Let's dive into real-life wellness and weight loss, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Year two overview explains how telehealth shifted from workaround to permanent wellness trends infrastructure04:42 Chad Levy discusses virtual training, and Amy Marshall shares her perspective on Telehealth and Zoom technology06:55 Chris Burres introduces longevity as a frontier, and Natasa Billeci mentions AI and propels the precision medicine conversation08:49 Toxin exposure and cellular absorption enter the conversation through Tim James' product launch12:01 Corey Phelps highlights her views on meditation and breathwork12:58 Dr. Casey Means discusses metabolic health tools and using technology to return to basics15:53 Gut health gets its first mention by Mike Millner, predicting it is only 2% understood16:53 Dr. Anthony Balduzzi predicts gene therapy, CRISPR, and implantable technology merging with human biology18:25 Catharine Arnston embraces preventative medicine19:13 Sarah Nilsen expounds about CBD and cannabinoid research20:12 Jay Shifman comments on BMI and asks why is it still being used21:17 Sarah Malouf and Farah M. Green raise body positivity and the pressure to redefine beauty standards23:20 Jenn closes by tying the year's predictions together under precision and permissionKEY TAKEAWAYS:

What do you do when your body says, “Ouch”? Do you immediately stop because you're afraid something is wrong? Or do you ignore it, push through, and hope it goes away? Pain can feel scary and confusing—especially when you're trying to heal, get stronger, or return to activities you love. But pain isn't always a simple stop sign. Pain is communication. And communication needs interpretation. In this episode, we're talking about shifting the way we respond to pain. Instead of immediately fearing it or ignoring it, what if we learned to get curious about what our bodies are trying to tell us? Because listening to your body doesn't always mean stopping. Sometimes it means adjusting. Sometimes it means resting. Sometimes it means getting help. And sometimes it means realizing you're okay to keep going. In This Episode We Explore Why we tend to either fear pain or ignore it Why pain doesn't always equal damage How factors beyond an injury can influence the pain experience Why the behavior of your pain can give you useful information Questions to ask yourself when something hurts The difference between normal exercise challenge and ignoring your body's signals A simple green-light, yellow-light, red-light way to think about symptoms How modifying a movement can help you learn more about what your body needs Why connection and body awareness can build confidence instead of fear Why This Matters When something hurts, it's easy to immediately think: “Something is wrong.” But it's also easy to swing too far in the opposite direction and decide: “I'll just push through it.” Neither response leaves much room for listening. Learning to pay attention to what you're feeling, when you're feeling it, how long it lasts, and what changes it can help you make more intentional decisions about movement. The goal isn't to become afraid of every sensation. And it isn't to ignore your body's signals in the name of getting stronger. It's learning the difference between challenging your body and ignoring your body. The Big Takeaway The next time something hurts during movement, instead of immediately asking: “Is this bad?” Try asking: “What is my body asking me to notice right now?” Then: Pause. Notice. Adjust. Reassess. Maybe your body needs you to change the range, load, speed, position, or breath. Maybe it needs recovery. Maybe it needs professional evaluation. Or maybe after checking in, you realize you're okay to continue. Listening doesn't always mean stopping. It means responding. And the better you become at listening, the more confidently you can make decisions about your body. Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? If you've been listening to the last few episodes, you're probably noticing a theme: I don't want you endlessly searching for someone to give you the perfect exercise. I want you to understand the body you're actually living in. That's a huge reason I created Healing Beyond Kegels. Pelvic floor symptoms aren't simply problems we throw exercises at. Your breath, pressure, core, movement, strength, stress, nervous system, and the rest of your body are all part of the conversation. Healing Beyond Kegels is designed to help you zoom out, connect those dots, and start understanding your body differently. It's coming soon, and I can't wait to share it with you. Until then, remember: Connection first. Intention over perfection.

You consciously know what you should do, but your body keeps stopping you. Why? What if your anxiety, procrastination, self-sabotage, and limiting beliefs aren't signs that something is wrong with you—but signals that your nervous system doesn't feel safe? Jessica Ortner, co-founder of The Tapping Solution and co-author of Rewired, is here to explore the science and practice of EFT tapping and how regulating the nervous system may help change the way we respond to stress. Jessica breaks down why we can't always think our way out of anxiety, how tapping combines psychological principles with stimulation of acupressure points, and research examining its effects on cortisol, PTSD, food cravings, and emotional distress. We also explore why self-sabotage may actually be "misguided self-love," the difference between resilience and simply forcing yourself through discomfort, why self-criticism eventually stops working, how parents can help children regulate big emotions, and why our modern information environment may keep our bodies chronically overstimulated. Most importantly, Jessica explains how creating a sense of safety in the body can give us the freedom to make better decisions, face fear, and keep moving forward. Follow Jessica @jessicaortner Follow Chase @chase_chewning ----- 00:00 Intro 01:06 Why You Can't Think Your Way Out of Anxiety 02:44 What Is EFT Tapping and How Does It Work? 04:52 Fatty15 06:13 Can Tapping Actually Lower Cortisol? 09:08 Stress, Pain and the Body 10:22 Why Your Nervous System Doesn't Care About Your Goals 12:32 Self-Sabotage Is "Misguided Self-Love" 13:36 How to Tap Through Anxiety and Fear 16:13 Why Positive Affirmations Sometimes Don't Work 17:14 Tapping for Veterans, PTSD and Trauma 20:17 Tapping vs. Meditation, Breathwork and Therapy 22:45 Ketone-IQ 24:04 Using Tapping for Sleep and Feeling Safe 25:52 How Parents Can Use Tapping With Kids 28:34 The 9 EFT Tapping Points Explained 32:11 Using Tapping Before a Stressful Event 33:48 Is Tapping a Cop-Out? 34:25 Why Willpower and Self-Criticism Eventually Fail 36:25 Does Reducing Anxiety Make Us Less Resilient? 40:21 When Is Tapping the Wrong Choice? 42:29 Jessica's Personal Story of Rewiring an Old Wound 45:52 Tapping for "I'm Not Good Enough" 48:42 Tapping for "I'm Not Successful" 49:28 Is Tapping Becoming Mainstream Medicine? 51:42 What Brain Scans Reveal About Tapping and Food Cravings 54:18 The Research on Tapping, PTSD and the Brain 56:21 Could Lowering Cortisol Change Long-Term Health? 58:59 Why We're "Stressing About Stress" 59:46 Is Modern Life Making Us More Stressed? 01:02:17 Jessica's Book Rewired + The Tapping Solution 01:03:12 Hugh Jackman, Tapping and Peak Performance 01:05:02 What Ever Forward Means to Jessica ----- Episode resources: 20% off Operation Podcast studios with code EVERFORWARD 30% off Ketone-IQ energy shots with code CHASECHEWNING 15% off C15:0 essential fatty acids with code EVERFORWARD Watch and subscribe on YouTube

Comparison Anxiety — A Guided Meditation for When You Feel Behind in Life | Box Breathing Comparison anxiety can creep in on the most ordinary days — that quiet sense that everyone else has the job, the relationship, the plan, and you're still standing at the same crossroads. This guided meditation is for anyone who feels like the only one who hasn't got it together, using box breathing (4-4-4-4) to calm the nervous system before a set of gentle affirmations that put the measuring stick down for good. Download the free Anchored app — the one app with no feed, no likes, nothing to compare yourself against — at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this episode gently separates life-stage comparison anxiety from doomscrolling — it's not about the scroll itself, but about what we do to ourselves when we hold our own life up against someone else's highlight reel. You'll be guided through steady box breathing, then a golden-light visualisation and a set of affirmations to help you feel calm, grounded, and enough exactly as you are. ⏱️ Time Chapters* 00:00 – Cold Open: The Only One Who Hasn't Got It Together* 01:00 – Box Breathing (4-4-4-4)* 05:00 – Golden Light Affirmations* 09:00 – 3 Daily Caring Tips* 10:00 – Outro & Anchored 

In this episode, Morgan sits down with Danny Morel, founder of AwakenU, former multi million dollar real estate entrepreneur and one of the most unfiltered voices on identity, trauma and transformation, to unpack what it actually takes to break the patterns that no amount of achievement has ever been able to touch.Danny shares how losing his mother in 2016 cracked open everything he had been running from, why almost every overachiever is unconsciously driven by unresolved wounds rather than genuine vision and what it actually means to stop outrunning yourself and start doing the work that changes things from the inside out. He breaks down the nervous system patterns behind self sabotage, why the blocks in your money, your relationships and your body all trace back to the same root and why real transformation is never a weekend experience but a daily practice you return to.The conversation also goes deep into radical accountability, somatic healing, breathwork, why discipline is never the problem and what it looks like to finally build a life that actually feels like yours from the inside.This episode is one of the most honest and raw conversations about inner work, identity and what it means to become the person your next level actually requires.Episode Timestamps00:00 Intro01:00 Re-evaluating success and feeling empty at the top05:41 The three step awakening process05:47 Phase 1: Awaken and question everything07:34 Money as a reflection of internal energy08:01 Relationships and honest self assessment08:39 The physical body and how unhealed trauma manifests as illness10:42 Phase 2: Discovering root causes from childhood13:54 Why 99% of high achievers are driven by unresolved trauma32:06 Phase 3: Healing energy through four modalities33:34 Nature connection and grounding34:49 Meditation and calming the mind35:01 Breathwork and releasing trapped energy35:18 Plant medicine as a vehicle for connection38:31 Conscious parenting and raising healed children44:42 Strategic alignment and scaling back to under 20 hours a weekAbout Danny MorelDanny Morel is an entrepreneur, speaker and founder of AwakenU, a daily practice and live teaching platform that has guided over 200,000 people through transformation across 56 countries. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Danny built a multi million dollar real estate career in Miami before pivoting to become one of the most direct and uncompromising voices in the personal development space. His flagship event Apex has become an annual pilgrimage for thousands of high performers and his teaching style blends mindset, somatic experiencing, breathwork and radical accountability in a way that is unlike anything else available today.Dream Fest Registration

Title NSDR / Non-Sleep Deep Rest — Reach Deep Rest Without Forcing It | 10-Minute Physiological Sigh Meditation If you feel tired in a way that sleep never seems to touch — wired, switched-on, unable to power down even when you're exhausted — this 10-minute NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) session is for you. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this guided meditation helps you reach deep rest without forcing it, resetting an overstimulated nervous system while you're still awake to feel it happen. Today's practice is built around the physiological sigh — a double breath in through the nose followed by one long, slow breath out. Research from Stanford found it's one of the fastest ways to bring the body down out of high alert, flipping the biological off switch and engaging the vagus nerve. From there we let the breath go completely free and sink into non-sleep deep rest: nothing to solve, nothing to reach, entirely off duty. Whether you're looking for anxiety relief in the middle of a racing day, a way to quiet a "tired but wired" mind, or a daily NSDR habit to protect your calm, give yourself permission to lie down, soften, and let the whole system settle. ⏱️ Time Chapters00:00 – "The Tiredness Sleep Doesn't Touch" (Why You Need Deep Rest, Not More Sleep)00:36 – Today's Focus: I Can Reach Deep Rest Without Forcing It00:41 – Introduction from Martin & Anchored App Overview01:16 – Resetting the Nervous System Before We Rest01:38 – The Physiological Sigh & the Stanford Research Behind It01:56 – Settling In: Lying Down, Letting the Body Fall Heavy02:15 – Guided Physiological Sighs (Three Rounds Together)03:15 – Letting the Breath Go Free: Effortless Rise & Fall04:31 – Planting Today's Truth: The Warm Amber Light04:52 – NSDR Affirmations for Nervous-System Reset (First Pass)06:32 – Staying Off Duty: Nothing to Solve, Nothing to Reach06:41 – Affirmations for Deep Subconscious Integration (Second Pass)08:00 – Reuniting Mind, Body & Soul: You Are Worthy08:27 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for Building an NSDR Habit09:12 – Gently Awakening & Returning to the Room09:47 – Closing Reflection & Notice How You Feel Now09:55 – Outro, Community Support, & Sign-off

In this episode, Ashley explores the ideas that gave rise to From Mask to Map: her developing body of work, book and coaching cohort for late-discovered neurodivergent adults.Drawing on Dr Andrew Huberman's conversation with Jungian analyst Dr James Hollis, she considers meaning, purpose and the deeper intelligence within us that may be continually trying to bring us back into relationship with ourselves. She also returns to the question of State or Trait? - and asks what changes when we stop assuming that every familiar response reveals something fixed about who we are.Ashley revisits the Transactional Analysis Drivers, a framework that remains immensely valuable within her work, while explaining why something more was needed to reflect the Neurodivergent Nuance of lived experience. Through six years of research, client work and personal exploration, the Nine Adaptation Patterns began to emerge - not as diagnoses, labels or another set of boxes, but as a compassionate way of recognising the protective roles we may have mistaken for identity.This episode introduces the patterns and tells the story of how they came into being. Next week, we will meet all nine more fully.The episode closes with a short guided practice, The Part That Learned the Way - an invitation to approach one of your adaptations with curiosity rather than judgement, honour the intelligence within it and begin reading the survival directions written for earlier terrain.Ashley's eight-week From Mask to Map group coaching programme begins on 15 September 2026 and is limited to ten people. Find out more at integrativeiom.co.uk.Our Sponsors:

"It's not what happens. It's the story you tell yourself about what's happening." -Antonio Michael Downing On this episode of Turmeric & Tequila™, Kristen Olson sits down with critically acclaimed author, speaker, and musician Antonio Michael Downing for a deeply personal conversation about identity, resilience, creativity, reinvention, belonging, and the power of storytelling. Antonio Michael Downing is the author of the acclaimed memoir Saga Boy, the novel Black Cherokee, and Stars in My Crown, and he creates music under his alter ego John Orpheus. His work explores identity, transformation, belonging, and what it takes to change the way we see ourselves. But this conversation goes far beyond books. Kristen and Antonio unpack the question so many of us eventually face: Who am I—and who am I becoming? Antonio shares how his childhood in Trinidad, his grandmother, music, sports, mentors, and the different identities he created throughout his life ultimately helped him understand himself more deeply. They talk about the experience of "trying on" different versions of yourself, what happens when those versions no longer fit, and why making peace with your past can be necessary before you can confidently choose your future. Antonio also explains how writing Saga Boy became part of his own process of coming back to himself, including conducting hundreds of hours of interviews with people from his life to reconstruct his story. The conversation then moves into one of the most powerful ideas of the episode: You have the ability to rewrite the story. Antonio explains that the events of our lives aren't necessarily the thing that defines us—the meaning and narrative we attach to those events can profoundly influence how we move forward.  You'll also hear about: Finding your identity Coming home to yourself The power of your childhood self Reinvention and personal transformation The role of sports and coaches in shaping identity Creativity as a pathway to self-discovery Antonio's musical alter ego, John Orpheus Saga Boy and the journey of becoming Black Cherokee and questions of belonging Storytelling and personal narrative Journaling and grounding Breathwork and reconnecting with yourself How problems and adversity reveal character Why identity matters in an increasingly noisy world How to consciously reshape the story you tell yourself Antonio's own mission is beautifully aligned with this conversation: "the story you tell defines you," and he believes great stories are rooted in authenticity, empathy, and integrity. This is a conversation about identity, self-discovery, resilience, and the courage to become the person you were always capable of being. Timestamps: 00:00 — Welcome to Turmeric & Tequila™ 01:01 — Meet Antonio Michael Downing 02:26 — Growing up in Trinidad & the influence of his grandmother 04:00 — Childhood, creativity & discovering his voice 06:00 — How our early identities shape who we become 08:00 — Coming home to yourself 09:30 — Sports, basketball & lessons that last a lifetime 12:30 — The coaches and mentors who shape us 14:25 — Women's sports & the power of representation 16:25 — Why knowing yourself matters more than ever 17:00 — What does it actually mean to "come home" to yourself? 17:45 — We are all at some stage of becoming 18:10 — When life forces us to rethink who we are 18:30 — The story behind Saga Boy 18:45 — Trying on different versions of yourself 19:00 — Making peace with your past 19:30 — The 10-sentence exercise for telling your life story 20:00 — Why problems reveal character 22:00 — Grounding, journaling & connecting with your subconscious 23:30 — The power to rewrite your story 24:00 — Reframing your narrative & taking back your power 30:00 — Black Cherokee: identity, belonging & becoming 34:00 — Transformation and choosing your next chapter 34:50 — John Orpheus & the power of a creative alter ego 44:00 — Antonio's books, music & where to find him Antonio Michael Downing is an Afro-Caribbean-Canadian author, artist, and speaker whose work explores identity, resilience, and the courage to reinvent yourself. Born in Trinidad and raised in Canada, he traded a successful career in tech sales for his true calling as a writer and musician — known as John Orpheus. He is the author of the memoir Saga Boy and the novel Black Cherokee, and host of Canada's top book radio show. https://www.antoniomichaeldowning.com/ https://x.com/John_Orpheus https://www.facebook.com/john.orpheus.3/ https://www.instagram.com/antoniomichaeldowning/   Connect with T&T: IG: @TurmericTequila Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com Host: Kristen Olson IG: @Madonnashero Tik Tok: @Madonnashero Website: www.KOAlliance.com WATCH HERE MORE LIKE THIS: https://youtu.be/ZCFQSpFoAgI?si=Erg8_2eH8uyEgYZF    https://youtu.be/piCU9JboWuY?si=qLdhFKCGdBzuAeuI  https://youtu.be/9Vs2JDzJJXk?si=dpjV31GDqTroUKWH

Rick Alexander is a depth-psychological counselor, psychedelic practitioner, and interfaith spiritual care provider currently completing his Ph.D. in Mythology/Depth Psychology and a former Naval Special Operations combat medic. Rick was a Special Operations combat medic until a single psychedelic experience shattered his worldview and sent him back to school to study psychedelic spiritual care. He and Dr. Mike dig into neuroplasticity windows, why “good trip/bad trip” is the wrong question, and what may really be happening in DMT space. Expect to learn how a rough teenage salvia trip and a later psilocybin experience redirected Rick's entire career, what life is really like as a Special Operations Combat Medic supporting SEALs and Green Berets, why military training narrows emotional range and makes civilian re-entry so hard, how integration (not the trip itself) determines whether a psychedelic experience heals or destabilizes you, what the "third wave" of psychedelic science gets right that the DSM's "hallucinogen" label gets wrong, whether neuroplastic windows could help athletes learn skills faster, and what a brutal 5-MeO-DMT experience taught Rick about his own running form and breathing. Connect with Rick: Website Instagram Episodes you'll enjoy next: #47 — Tools to Down-Regulate in Response to Stress (an earlier conversation with Rick Alexander): Listen here #194 — The Pros and Cons of Psychedelic Compounds with Psychedelic Researcher Rebekah Senanayake: Listen here Episode Timestamps: 2:49 – Rick's PhD progress and the psychedelic experience that redirected his career 3:38 – A rough first psychedelic experience with salvia at 18 4:46 – The psilocybin experience that "peeled back" his worldview 7:00 – Life as a Special Operations Combat Medic supporting SEALs and Green Berets 8:23 – How military training narrows emotional range and worldview 10:01 – Why veterans struggle to re-enter civilian life after specialized training 13:34 – The double-edged sword: psychedelics can destabilize as easily as they heal 14:32 – The "third wave" of psychedelic science and the flawed DSM "hallucinogen" label 23:49 – Integration: do you have time to process what comes up? 24:43 – "Psychedelic myth-making" and building a new personal mythology 31:05 – Could neuroplastic windows help athletes learn skills faster? 37:01 – Yogic energy channels (nadis) and psychedelics amplifying subtle perception 39:17 – How a brutal 5-MeO-DMT trip changed Rick's running form and breathing 56:16 – What's really happening in DMT space: Strassman, Gallimore, and "reality switch technologies" 59:43 – Henri Corbin's "psycho-cosmology": consciousness and reality as mirrored levels 1:06:45 – "Functional consequentialism": why you shouldn't dismiss someone else's experience 1:10:46 – Where to find Rick and his counseling and breathwork work Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter

In tonight's sleep meditation with Karissa, use the natural rhythm of your breath to let go of the day and prepare for deep rest. Through easy to follow breathwork, you'll soften into the present moment and allow anything still lingering from the day to drift further away. Join Sleep Wave Premium ✨ in just two taps! Enjoy 2 bonus episodes a month plus all episodes ad-free and show your support to Karissa. Upgrade via our show page on Apple, or via this link for all other players ➡️ https://sleepwave.supercast.com/ Love the Sleep Wave Podcast? Please hit follow & leave a review ⭐️ How are we doing with Sleep Wave? Click here to let us know

In this episode, Dr. Shannon Russell shares her personal journey through mental health struggles, her holistic approach to overcoming chronic pain, and practical tools for mental well-being like journaling, breathwork, and the importance of inner work for lasting results."Comparison is the thief of joy."Chapters:00:00 Introduction to mental health and self-worth00:28 The impact of internal self-worth on physical health00:57 The importance of taking one step at a time01:49 Challenges of becoming the person you want to be02:28 Shannon's journey into mental health advocacy03:23 Personal struggles with body image and anxiety04:51 Holistic approach to overcoming chronic pain07:01 Daily mental health practices: journaling, walking, and water09:26 Breathwork and its role in stress and pain management11:36 The importance of consistency and small changes14:14 Inner work and self-love as keys to progress16:41 Nutrition tips for mental health and sustainability20:31 Connecting with Shannon and final thoughts"Emphasis on your exhales can calm the nervous system." More Key Topics Covered:*Mindfulness practices*The role of fitness and movement in mental health*Impact of climate and environment on mental health*Strategies for sustainable lifestyle changes *Grounding techniques reduce stress.Support the showSubscribe to stay current and share with a friend who could use this episode. All questions for the host or guests: Email PodcastsByLanci@gmail.com.Show Partner: Living Proof TBI Coaching

In this episode, Ashley explores the ideas that gave rise to From Mask to Map: her developing body of work, book and coaching cohort for late-discovered neurodivergent adults.Drawing on Dr Andrew Huberman's conversation with Jungian analyst Dr James Hollis, she considers meaning, purpose and the deeper intelligence within us that may be continually trying to bring us back into relationship with ourselves. She also returns to the question of State or Trait? - and asks what changes when we stop assuming that every familiar response reveals something fixed about who we are.Ashley revisits the Transactional Analysis Drivers, a framework that remains immensely valuable within her work, while explaining why something more was needed to reflect the Neurodivergent Nuance of lived experience. Through six years of research, client work and personal exploration, the Nine Adaptation Patterns began to emerge - not as diagnoses, labels or another set of boxes, but as a compassionate way of recognising the protective roles we may have mistaken for identity.This episode introduces the patterns and tells the story of how they came into being. Next week, we will meet all nine more fully.The episode closes with a short guided practice, The Part That Learned the Way - an invitation to approach one of your adaptations with curiosity rather than judgement, honour the intelligence within it and begin reading the survival directions written for earlier terrain.Ashley's eight-week From Mask to Map group coaching programme begins on 15 September 2026 and is limited to ten people. Find out more at integrativeiom.co.uk.Our Sponsors:

Tired But Wired — Why You Can't Switch Off After a Day on Edge | Physiological Sigh Meditation That feeling where the body has been braced since the moment you woke up. Shoulders up around your ears, jaw tight, exhausted and somehow still wired. Wired but tired — running on a battery that is flat and jangling at the same time. If today has felt like being on edge from the first alarm right through to now, then these ten minutes are for you, because there is a single breath, just one, that can start to switch that off. If today catches you somewhere you can't press play for a full ten minutes, the Anchored app has the Instant Calm session ready any time — no signing in, no subscription, works offline. And tonight, when you're ready to properly wind down, Anchored's ambient night light sits alongside your sleep sounds: a soft glow to fall asleep to.

In this episode, Dr. Shannon Russell shares her personal journey through mental health struggles, her holistic approach to overcoming chronic pain, and practical tools for mental well-being like journaling, breathwork, and the importance of inner work for lasting results. "Comparison is the thief of joy."Catch the full episode on Sunday, August 23 at 4:00 AM ESTSupport the showSubscribe to stay current and share with a friend who could use this episode. All questions for the host or guests: Email PodcastsByLanci@gmail.com.Show Partner: Living Proof TBI Coaching

Why Is My Heart Racing When Nothing Is Happening? — Heart Palpitations, Health Anxiety and the 5-10 Breath | 10 Minute Guided Meditation You get that feeling right there under your hand. Too fast, too hard, too loud for a room this quiet — and yet nothing is happening. You're sitting down. You haven't run anywhere, you haven't climbed anything, and still your heart is going like you've just sprinted up a flight of stairs. And here's the thing: the beating isn't the worst part. The worst part is the question that arrives behind it. What if this isn't anxiety? Tonight we answer that question — not with reassurance, not with someone telling you you're fine, but with your own body. This session is about a racing heart, heart palpitations, and a pounding heartbeat that will not slow down. Inside Anchored there are proper breathing tools — not a page of instructions to read when your chest is hammering, but an actual pacer, a shape that grows while you breathe in and shrinks while you breathe out. In the dark you don't have to count, you don't have to remember, you don't have to get it right.

What happens when you've gotten really good at understanding yourself—but you're still trying to think your way through everything?In this episode, I'm joined by breathwork facilitator AJ Alvarez for a conversation about what becomes available when we get underneath the thinking mind and allow ourselves to actually experience what's there.AJ has been teaching breathwork in New York City for six years, and I've been attending his classes for almost two. His work has been a meaningful part of my own journey with overfunctioning, which is exactly why I knew I wanted him to be part of The Retreat this October.We talk about how breathwork can help us access and move emotions we may not even have words for, quiet some of the constant analysis long enough to hear our own clarity, and reconnect with the younger parts of ourselves that existed before all the rules about who we were supposed to be.We also get into something that feels especially important for overfunctioners: the difference between doing and being. When so much of your identity and value has become wrapped up in being productive, useful, responsible, or needed, what does it feel like to simply exist alongside other people without having to do anything for them?And we explore why doing this work in community can be so powerful—what changes when we allow ourselves to be seen, experience something together, and realize we may not be carrying our experiences as alone as we thought. In this episode, we talk about:AJ's path to breathwork and how it became an important tool for moving through griefThe difference between responding to life and constantly reacting to itWhy breathwork can help us access emotions beneath our thoughtsGetting underneath the thinking mind to access clarity and intuitionReconnecting with your inner child—and the curiosity, creativity, play and authenticity that existed before all the “shoulds”Why “being” can feel so difficult when you're used to deriving value from doingThe power of healing and resting in communityWhy insight and self-awareness are important—but eventually, you have to actually experience yourself differently Connect with AJ:Follow him on IG @ajmakeithappenHow to work with AJAJ will also be joining me as the breathwork facilitator at The Retreat, October 15–18 in the Catskills. ✨ The RetreatOctober 15–18, 2026 | Catskills, NYFour days to step outside the patterns that have been running your life, understand the overfunctioning underneath them, and begin experiencing a different way of being—followed by three months of coaching and integration to help you bring that version of yourself home.✨ Start HereNew to my work? Explore the podcast, free resources, Human Design guide, and more.Any questions? You can always email me at nicole@nicoleguenaconsulting.comFollow in IG @Nicole.guena

Episode SummaryOto sits down with longtime friend Christopher August — bestselling author, breathwork facilitator, and co-founder of Beats and Breath — for a wide-ranging conversation on identity, awakening, and the nervous system. Christopher traces his path from a corporate career and a master's degree to two years living in a rural Tanzanian village, and then to the moment that changed everythingA near-death experience on a class-five rapid on the Zambezi River, where he lost consciousness and came back with a completely new relationship to breath. From there they dig into the Gene Keys system (shadow, gift, and Siddhi frequencies), the "great solar flash" prophecy tied to 1987/2012/2027The difference between sympathetic and parasympathetic breathing, and how breathwork and plant medicine can overlap — before closing on Christopher's Mastery Collective, his Beats and Breath app, and a live guided breath with the audience.Chapters / Timestamps (Shifted +1:00 to account for the trailer at the top of the episode)00:00 – Trailer 01:00 – Intro & Meet Christopher August 03:00 – Leaving Corporate for a Village in Tanzania 05:00 – The Near-Death Experience on the Zambezi River 08:00 – Identity, Ego Death & the Path of Letting Go 14:00 – Masculine, Feminine & the Great Inversion 17:00 – Christopher's Core "Why" 18:00 – 2020, Lockdowns & Building Community in Buffalo 21:00 – Oto's Own 2020 Story: A Cop, a Mask & a Ticket 23:00 – Post-Jab Symptoms & Holding Space Without Judgment 26:00 – What Are the Gene Keys? 28:00 – Shadow, Gift & Siddhi: The Three Frequencies 30:00 – Your Gene Keys Profile as a Soul Blueprint 33:00 – Avoiding the Identity Trap 36:00 – The Great Solar Flash & the Birth of Human 6.0 39:00 – As Above, So Below: Humanity's Densifying/Awakening Split 41:00 – The Coming Timeline Bifurcation 44:00 – Building Sovereign Community Hubs 45:00 – Oto's Announcement: Building Alternative Digital Infrastructure 46:00 – Breathwork as Protection From Energetic Parasites 48:00 – Trauma, the Nervous System & Why We Stop Breathing Deeply 50:00 – Breathwork & Plant Medicine: Where They Overlap 55:00 – The Hijacking of Cannabis & Why Sourcing Matters 57:00 – Sound, Frequency & the Beats and Breath Method 1:00:00 – Beatboxing, Breath Capacity & a Video Break 1:02:00 – Recovering From the Jab: Fasting, Detox & Fundamentals 1:06:00 – The Power of Subtraction Over Addition 1:08:00 – Inside the Mastery Collective & Beats and Breath App 1:10:00 – A New Partnership Announcement 1:12:00 – Final Words: A Guided Breath to Close 1:14:00 – Closing & Where to Find ChristopherKey TakeawaysChristopher's near-death experience on the Zambezi River in 2014 — losing consciousness underwater and being resuscitated — became the foundation of his breathwork practice, which he describes as "being born again."The Gene Keys system, created by Richard Rudd, combines human design, astrology, and the I Ching into 64 archetypes, each with a shadow, gift, and Siddhi frequency, used as a framework for self-understanding.Christopher's rule of thumb with the Gene Keys: focus 90% of your energy on the gift, 10% on the shadow — the shadow is a gateway, not an identity to collapse into.He points to a prophecy tied to Gene Key 55 with three marker points — 1987, 2012, and 2027 — describing a gradual "mutation" tied to humanity's collective awakening.For recovery and general health, Christopher emphasizes fundamentals over complexity: breath, fasting, clean water, sunlight, and nervous-system regulation (shifting from sympathetic "fight or flight" into parasympathetic "rest and digest").He and Oto announced they'll be partnering to bring the Gene Keys/breathwork/somatic framework into Oto's academy.Learn More / ConnectChristopher August — https://christopheraugust.coCONNECT WITH OTO: Instagram – https://instagram.com/otogomes Website – https://otogomes.live(This episode touches on personal health decisions and detox practices; it's for educational and entertainment purposes only, not medical advice.)

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss four neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.They begin with a mother who admits she hates her eight-year-old son with ADHD and ODD, sparking a conversation about parenting, challenging behaviour, boundaries, meltdowns, and the impact of growing up feeling like you're always doing something wrong.They then unpack a post describing ADHD as a "living fucking nightmare", exploring the disabling reality of ADHD, depression, addiction, medication, and whether portraying neurodivergence as quirky or desirable risks minimising the people who genuinely struggle with it.Next, a holidaymaker becomes uncomfortable with a disabled child's behaviour and hygiene at an all-inclusive hotel. Jordan and Simon discuss disability, parenting, accommodations, personal boundaries, and the difference between explaining someone's behaviour and excusing it.Finally, an autistic woman's carefully planned day at a Disney theme park falls apart, resulting in a meltdown and her friend leaving her behind. They explore autistic planning, sensory overload, friendship, personal responsibility, and whether someone should ever be left alone during a meltdown.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• I hate my ADHD son.• ADHD is a living fucking nightmare and most people think it's only a silly mental disorder for kids• AITAH - kid with special needs keeps bothering me. I've spoken to the mum and she won't do anything about it.• AITAH for Leaving my Autistic Friend at Disney during a Meltdown?Our Sponsors:

Our dear friends invited us to an event this weekend in LA… they are partnering with Gary Brecka to build Ultimate Longevity Centers which will bring treatments and testing that just hasn't been easily accessible before now. I believe the way we look at aging is outdated and I'm going to share the biggest take aways I got from his on stage message and chatting with him one on one. We are talking about very practical starting points and Gary Brecka's actual morning health routine. Stop waiting until something is wrong to start taking care of your body. We have been taught this idea that getting older automatically means getting weaker, having less energy, gaining weight, losing muscle, sleeping worse, becoming more anxious, needing more medications and eventually developing all of the diseases that "run in our family." Gary challenges a lot of that thinking. His message is essentially… What if we became obsessed with keeping our bodies functioning incredibly well for as long as possible? What if instead of asking, "How do I treat disease once I have it?" we asked, "How do I create a body that is incredibly difficult for disease to thrive in?" And then there's the longevity piece that completely fascinates me. Gary believes we're entering a period where medicine, AI, biological data and longevity research are going to advance so rapidly that lifespan could look radically different in the future. Maybe 120. Maybe beyond. We don't know. But what we do know is that we need to keep ourselves healthy enough NOW to benefit from whatever becomes possible later. So today's episode is about doing the things that give you the strongest, healthiest, most capable body possible. I've been listening to Gary Brecka talk about health, longevity, anxiety, genetics, sleep, sunlight, oxygen, muscle, bloodwork and what he believes is coming next in longevity science. THE BIG IDEA: YOUR HEALTH IS BUILT EVERY DAY One of my biggest takeaways from Gary is that health isn't something we deal with when there's a problem. It's something we're building every single day. Your sleep last night matters. What you do when you wake up matters. Whether you move your body matters. Whether you maintain muscle matters. Your metabolic health matters. Your stress matters. Your relationships matter. Your nutrition matters. Your environment matters. And individually, none of these things feels life-changing. But repeated for years and decades… they become your life. Gary describes his routine as simple, portable and repeatable. I LOVE that. Because the best health routine isn't the $100,000 biohacking setup. It's the one you'll actually do every day. HABIT #1: HYDRATE BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE Gary starts his morning with water and minerals. One version of his routine is a large glass of room-temperature water with mineral salt and sometimes lemon. His current routine also frequently includes mineral salt, hydrogen water and essential amino acids. Wake up and hydrate. You've just spent roughly eight hours without drinking anything. Don't make coffee your first liquid of the day. Put water next to your bathroom sink. Put it next to your coffee machine. Make it automatic. Gary likes mineral salt because sodium and other minerals participate in fluid balance and normal nerve and muscle function. HABIT #2: GET OUTSIDE FIRST THING Gary says to get outside within the first part of your morning and get natural outdoor light into your eyes. His routine generally calls for about 10 minutes outside. Morning light helps tell your brain: It's daytime. Start the clock. Light is one of the strongest environmental signals for the circadian system. Properly timed morning light can shift circadian timing earlier and increase daytime alertness. And I love thinking of sleep this way: Your good night's sleep starts in the morning. We tend to think sleep health starts when we crawl into bed. But your body has been receiving signals all day telling it when to be awake and when to prepare for sleep. HABIT #3: BREATHE ON PURPOSE Gary talks about oxygen constantly. His personal morning practice has included three rounds of deep breathing followed by breath holds. And this connects to another thing we've been talking about: Anxiety. I love the idea that when you feel anxious, you shouldn't immediately decide: "I'm an anxious person." Anxiety is a state your nervous system is experiencing. Sometimes your thoughts are driving your physiology. And sometimes your physiology can amplify anxious thoughts. Either way, changing the physical state can sometimes help change the mental state. Research on structured breathwork has found modest improvements in stress and anxiety, although it isn't a cure-all and the quality of studies varies. HABIT #4: GIVE YOUR BRAIN SILENCE Gary often combines his morning breathing with quiet, gratitude and reflection. He has described sitting quietly for around 10 minutes, looking toward the horizon or closing his eyes and thinking about gratitude. (PodScripts (https://podscripts.co/podcasts/the-ultimate-human-with-gary-brecka/246-gary-brecka-answers-googles-most-searched-questions-on-his-diet-wellness-and-lifestyle?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) Think about how different this is from what most of us do. Eyes open. Phone. Email. Instagram. News. Text messages. Stress. Other people's priorities. And we wonder why we feel overstimulated. TRY THIS: Before consuming everybody else's thoughts… Have some of your own. What am I grateful for? What matters today? Who needs me today? How do I want to feel today? What is actually important? PRACTICAL VERSION: Five minutes. That's it. No phone. No podcast. No input. Just quiet. HABIT #5: USE CONTROLLED DISCOMFORT Cold exposure is another major Brecka habit. If he has access to a cold plunge, he uses it. When traveling, he has said a cold shower works too. But I think there is a bigger lesson here than whether everybody needs to buy a cold plunge. Stop designing your entire life around comfort. Human beings are unbelievably adaptable. Exercise is stress. Heat is stress. Cold is stress. Fasting is stress. Challenging your brain is stress. The key is appropriate amounts of stress followed by recovery. HABIT #6: MOVE EARLY Gary includes movement in his morning routine. But here's what I love: It doesn't need to be a full workout. Walk. Stretch. Squat. Lift. Do yoga. Go outside. Movement tells your body: We're alive. We're using this machine today. And then keep moving after the morning is over. One exceptionally practical habit is walking after meals. Instead of finishing dinner and immediately sitting on the couch… WALK FOR 10 MINUTES. Moving skeletal muscle after eating can help the body handle glucose. You don't need workout clothes. You don't need a gym. You don't even need to sweat. Walk around your neighborhood. Walk your dog. Walk while you're on a phone call. ONE OF THE EASIEST HEALTH RULES: Eat → walk. HABIT #7: BUILD MUSCLE LIKE YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT This is where I think longevity conversations get really practical. MUSCLE IS NOT JUST ABOUT LOOKING GOOD. Maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we age. Resistance training is one of the most powerful non-drug strategies available for preserving and building skeletal muscle. Losing muscle eventually affects: strength balance mobility independence your ability to recover from illness your ability to do normal life You're not building your 2026 body. You're building your 2056 body. HABIT #8: PRIORITIZE PROTEIN AND REAL FOOD- avoid processed foods Gary emphasizes protein and essential amino acids because preserving lean tissue is a major part of his longevity philosophy. The research strongly supports resistance training for preserving muscle, while evidence regarding how much additional benefit comes from protein supplementation specifically is more mixed. HABIT #9: PROTECT YOUR METABOLIC HEALTH I think this deserves WAY more attention. We obsess over weight. Gary talks much more about metabolic health. There is a difference. Weight is one number. Metabolic health includes things like: blood glucose insulin sensitivity blood pressure blood lipids waist circumference fitness body composition Instead of only asking: "How much do I weigh?" Ask: "How well is my body functioning?" Someone can lose weight while losing muscle. Someone can be thin and still have poor metabolic health. PRACTICAL HABITS: Strength train. Walk. Walk after meals. Eat mostly whole foods. Get enough sleep. Maintain healthy body composition. Reduce constant snacking if it isn't serving you. Know your basic health numbers. THE GOAL ISN'T SKINNY. The goal is metabolically capable. HABIT #10: TEST… DON'T JUST GUESS This might be one of my favorite parts of Brecka's philosophy. Stop guessing about everything. If you're exhausted all the time… investigate. If you're unusually anxious… investigate. If your sleep has suddenly changed… investigate. If your energy has disappeared… investigate. If your hormones feel completely different… investigate. If you feel awful despite doing "everything right"… investigate. Don't immediately decide: "I'm getting old." "This runs in my family." "I'm just an anxious person." "My metabolism sucks." "This is just how I am." ASK BETTER QUESTIONS. Could something modifiable be contributing? sleep nutrient deficiencies thyroid function iron status medications hormones metabolic health stress alcohol caffeine environment psychological health This does NOT mean ordering every exotic test on the internet. It means becoming curious about your own biology. HABIT #11: DON'T TURN ANXIETY INTO YOUR IDENTITY This is worth repeating because I think this is such an important mental shift. Instead of: "I AM anxious." Try: "I'm experiencing anxiety." Those are very different statements. One is an identity. One is a temporary condition worth investigating. Gary's message leans heavily toward investigating biology. He talks about things like methylation pathways and MTHFR. There are legitimate genetic influences on anxiety. But anxiety is complex. Research suggests anxiety disorders arise through a combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental influences, not one single "anxiety gene." (PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15699295/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) So I would approach it from ALL DIRECTIONS: Calm the body. Investigate the biology. Work on the thoughts. Breathwork. Sleep. Exercise. Less overstimulation. Healthy relationships. Therapy when needed. Medical evaluation when something feels physiologically off. Nutrition. Less caffeine when appropriate. Time outdoors. Don't choose between: "It's psychological." or "It's biological." It can be both. HABIT #12: GENETICS ARE INFORMATION… NOT ALWAYS DESTINY This is another Gary Brecka concept that I think is incredibly empowering when we phrase it accurately. People say: "Diabetes runs in my family." "Anxiety runs in my family." "Heart disease runs in my family." "Autoimmune disease runs in my family." And we can start thinking: Well… I guess that's coming for me too. But genetics often represent susceptibility rather than certainty. Your genes can increase risk. Your environment can increase or decrease risk. Your behaviors matter. Your metabolic health matters. Your exposures matter. Your entire biological environment matters. So instead of thinking: "My family gets this disease." Think: "I may have inherited a vulnerability. What parts of that vulnerability can I modify?" THAT is empowering. Important distinction: Some diseases absolutely are caused by inherited genetic mutations. So we should not say: "Genetic diseases aren't real." They absolutely are. The better message is: Genes can load the gun. They don't always pull the trigger. And with many complex chronic diseases, what ultimately happens involves an interaction between genetics and environment. HABIT #13: STOP THINKING OF SLEEP AS LOST PRODUCTIVITY Sleep is when your body gets to repair. And Brecka's evening routine reflects this. He emphasizes regular sleep, reducing stimulation late at night and setting up the next morning by protecting the night before. My favorite way to think about sleep: Tomorrow starts tonight. Stop trying to squeeze another hour out of your day if it destroys tomorrow. Decide when you're going to bed BEFORE you're tired. Dim things down. Get off your phone. Stop working. Let the nervous system receive a signal that the day is ending. Pick a bedtime and protect it the same way you'd protect an important meeting. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT LIVING TO 120 The speed of advancement is changing. AI can analyze enormous amounts of biological data. Diagnostics are improving. Scientists are studying the actual biology of aging rather than treating aging purely as an unavoidable decline. Researchers are investigating cellular senescence, epigenetics, regenerative medicine and other mechanisms associated with biological aging. Gary believes these developments could eventually change human lifespan dramatically. And his argument is essentially: Stay alive and stay healthy long enough to benefit from what's coming. That hit me HARD. Because imagine being 75 in the future… But instead of arriving at 75: metabolically sick weak frail sedentary cognitively struggling carrying multiple preventable chronic illnesses You arrive: strong metabolically healthy active engaged cognitively sharp sleeping well maintaining muscle surrounded by people you love THAT is the bridge. Not: "How do I live forever today?" But: "How healthy can I be when tomorrow's medicine arrives?" DON'T JUST CHASE LIFESPAN. CHASE HEALTHSPAN. I don't want to simply exist until I'm 120. I want to LIVE. I want to: travel walk everywhere lift my suitcase play with grandchildren hike swim think clearly learn new things have great conversations have energy be independent laugh have purpose wake up excited THAT is longevity. Not adding years at the end where you can't live. Adding life to the years. WHAT SHOULD WE ACTUALLY DO RIGHT NOW? If you took this entire episode and boiled it down into a daily longevity checklist… MORNING Hydrate. Get outside. Get natural morning light. Breathe intentionally. Spend a few minutes in quiet. Think about gratitude. Move your body. Use cold exposure if you enjoy it and it's appropriate for you. Don't immediately flood your brain with stress. DURING THE DAY Eat nutrient-dense real food. Prioritize protein. Strength train consistently. Walk. Walk after meals. Stay metabolically healthy. Maintain muscle. Build meaningful relationships. Have purpose. Keep learning. Get outside. NIGHT Stop eating mindlessly late into the evening. Reduce stimulation. Get off the phone. Give yourself a predictable bedtime. Sleep. THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE Know your numbers. Do appropriate preventive screening. Investigate symptoms rather than ignoring them. Don't automatically assume something is "just aging." Don't automatically assume family history means destiny. Continue learning as science changes. Protect your muscle. Protect your metabolism. Protect your brain. Protect your relationships. Protect your sleep. THE SIMPLEST VERSION OF EVERYTHING GARY BRECKA IS SAYING 1. Get sunlight. 2. Breathe. 3. Hydrate. 4. Move. 5. Build muscle. 6. Eat real nutrient-dense food. 7. Protect your metabolism. 8. Sleep like it matters. 9. Challenge your body sometimes. 10. Investigate problems instead of simply accepting them. 11. Don't confuse genetic risk with guaranteed destiny. 12. Don't turn anxiety into your identity. 13. Build relationships and a life that gives you purpose. 14. Stay unbelievably healthy while longevity science continues advancing. And maybe most importantly… DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE SICK TO BECOME INTERESTED IN YOUR HEALTH. I learned that every single thing that gives me the best chance of being healthy at 120 also gives me a better life at 45. Getting sunlight tomorrow morning makes tomorrow better. Sleeping tonight makes tomorrow better. Building muscle makes this decade better. Eating well makes today better. Getting outside makes today better. Putting my phone down makes today better. Managing anxiety makes today better. Having people I love around me makes today better. So this isn't really an episode about trying to cheat death. It's about refusing to sleepwalk through your health. Your body is the vehicle that carries you through every single experience you're hoping to have. Every trip. Every adventure. Every business idea. Every dinner. Every workout. Every moment with your kids. Every future grandkid. Everything. So take ridiculously good care of it. And instead of looking at aging and thinking… "Well, I guess everything starts going downhill from here…" What if we thought completely differently? What if our goal was: I want to be stronger next year. Healthier next year. More metabolically healthy next year. More informed next year. More capable next year. And then do it again. And again. And again. For decades. Let's make the goal to be fully alive for as much of it as humanly possible. That's the health lesson I'm taking from Gary Brecka. Don't wait for the future of longevity medicine. Build the kind of body today that's ready for it.

Why Do I Never Feel Good Enough? — Confidence, Self-Worth and the Half-Smile Breath | 10 Minute Guided Meditation You have already done the hardest thing today. You woke up, and you came back. No fanfare, nobody clapping — you just did it. And I wonder whether anyone has told you lately that this counts, because there is a particular kind of tiredness that comes from believing you have to earn your place over and over, every single day. Today we are going to put that down. This session is about calm and control, about positive breathing, about confidence and self-worth, and about the smallest, simplest thing in the world — a smile on the out breath. Inside Anchored there is now a whole tab given over to confidence and self-worth. Not a handful of sessions buried somewhere: a tab, its own place. Free to download, offline whenever you need it, and on Android next month.

What if finding the “perfect” exercise isn't actually the thing that moves you forward? I recently told a patient that I didn't really care what exercise she did—which probably sounds like a strange thing to hear from a physical therapist! But what I meant was that I cared far less about choosing the perfect exercise and far more about what was happening in her body while she was doing it. In this episode, we're talking about why two people can do the exact same exercise and have completely different experiences—and why learning to notice your breath, pressure, tension, symptoms, and overall connection can be more valuable than constantly searching for the “right” movement. Because the goal isn't perfect exercise. It's learning how to move with intention, awareness, and confidence. In This Episode We Explore Why I told a patient I didn't care what exercise she chose Why we get so caught up searching for the “best” pelvic floor or core exercise How the same movement can look completely different inside two different bodies What I'm actually paying attention to when I watch a patient move The relationship between breath, pressure, tension, symptoms, and movement Why intention over perfection matters How awareness helps you make better decisions about your body Why learning to listen to your body can ultimately build confidence and trust A simple way to approach an exercise you're already doing differently this week Why This Matters When you're dealing with leaking, pelvic pressure, pain, core weakness, or simply trying to get stronger, it's easy to believe there's a specific exercise you're missing. But healing isn't about collecting more exercises. It's about understanding you. When you learn to notice how your body responds during movement, you can begin making adjustments instead of immediately assuming an exercise is “good” or “bad.” And over time, that awareness can help you move away from fear and toward something much more powerful: trusting yourself to move. Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? This connection-first approach is one of the reasons I created Healing Beyond Kegels. Pelvic floor healing isn't just about finding the right Kegel, core exercise, or stretch. Your breath, core, pelvic floor, pressure, movement patterns, nervous system, and the rest of your body are all part of the conversation. Healing Beyond Kegels will help you zoom out and understand how those pieces work together—so you can stop chasing random exercises and start making sense of what your body is actually telling you. Healing Beyond Kegels is coming soon. Stay connected  by Downloading the Pelvic Floor, Core and More APP for all the details! Link below!   Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence in their bodies through a whole-body approach to pelvic floor and core health. ✨ Learn more here: https://balancedmomtality.com/the-app Want a Guided Healing and Rehab Program to Help You Reconnect and RESTORE? If you're ready to rebuild your core and pelvic floor with a structured, step-by-step plan, check out RESTORE, my 12-week pelvic floor and core rehabilitation program inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App. Inside RESTORE you'll learn how to: ✔ release tension and improve mobility ✔ reconnect breath and pelvic floor coordination ✔ strengthen your core safely ✔ progress back to lifting, running, and higher-impact activities All with guided lessons, workouts, and support from a pelvic floor physical therapist. Inside RESTORE you'll get: ✔️ 12 weeks of progressive breathwork, mobility & strength ✔️ 5- and 20-minute workouts to fit your life ✔️ Deep pelvic floor education (with zero fluff) ✔️ Real-life tools to reduce pain, improve leaks, and feel like YOU again ✔️ Access to our private community and support Inside RESTORE, we cover: Breathwork + pelvic floor connection Mobility + posture Nervous system regulation Core control + strength building Real-life application to everyday movement And how to stop leaking, rushing to the bathroom, or feeling disconnected from your core You'll walk away from RESTORE with clarity, confidence, and a body you trust again. JOIN RESTORE NOW FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO LESSONS AND EXERCISES!!  JOIN NOW AND SAVE %50!! https://pelvic-floor-core-more.passion.io/checkout/86181d29-9811-4a33-80df-a82de21fa8fe Or 

Send us Fan MailWe have guests Dr. Jacques MoraMarco and Dr. Yun Kim on the podcast talking about their book: Walking Your Way to Vitality. Dr. MoraMarco is a fourth-generation lineage holder of Sun Tai Chi, a pioneer in East Asian medicine in California, and Dean Emeritus of Emperor's College of Traditional East Asian Medicine. Dr. Yun Kim is a fifth-generation student of Sun Tai Chi and founder of Emperor's Wellness. Together they share their practical approach to walking, breath work, Tai Chi principles and Qigong, mindfulness, healthy aging and nervous-system wellbeing. In this episode, we cover:• The difference between Tai Chi and Qigong• Three Tai Chi animal walks for balance and healthy aging• The Vitality Walk and its simple mudra and breathing pattern• How mindfulness and counting can quiet a busy mind• The Immunity Walk and nervous system regulation• How backward walking may strengthen the legs and support the kneesI loved this episode and have been incorporating what I have been learning in my morning routine and have been loving it! Check out their book below: https://www.walkingyourwaytovitality.comFind Jess below!Website: Simply Jess Skincare SIMPLY JESS SKINCARE:Each and every product is naturally derived, highly concentrated and most importantly, super performing! Every product was born out of a need to have a truly pure product that met my high standards for efficacy. Subscribe to Our Newsletter! You can take 20% off Your Order of our all natural skincare line with code: PODCAST Shop Now! Favorite Supplements for Health and Fat loss: Click HERE  My favorites are the Power Greens, Digestive Enzymes and Brain Power Favorite Mouth and Face Tape- Use Code JESSICAITURZAETA15 for 15% off Click Here Mushroom Coffee-15% off with Code: SIMPLYJESSSKINCARE15 Click HereEmail Us! jess@learningtoglow.comFollow us! Instagram Tik Tok

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss four neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.They begin with a mother who admits she hates her eight-year-old son with ADHD and ODD, sparking a conversation about parenting, challenging behaviour, boundaries, meltdowns, and the impact of growing up feeling like you're always doing something wrong.They then unpack a post describing ADHD as a "living fucking nightmare", exploring the disabling reality of ADHD, depression, addiction, medication, and whether portraying neurodivergence as quirky or desirable risks minimising the people who genuinely struggle with it.Next, a holidaymaker becomes uncomfortable with a disabled child's behaviour and hygiene at an all-inclusive hotel. Jordan and Simon discuss disability, parenting, accommodations, personal boundaries, and the difference between explaining someone's behaviour and excusing it.Finally, an autistic woman's carefully planned day at a Disney theme park falls apart, resulting in a meltdown and her friend leaving her behind. They explore autistic planning, sensory overload, friendship, personal responsibility, and whether someone should ever be left alone during a meltdown.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• I hate my ADHD son.• ADHD is a living fucking nightmare and most people think it's only a silly mental disorder for kids• AITAH - kid with special needs keeps bothering me. I've spoken to the mum and she won't do anything about it.• AITAH for Leaving my Autistic Friend at Disney during a Meltdown?Our Sponsors:

What If Everything Goes Wrong? — Stop Catastrophic Thinking and the 2am What Ifs | Physiological Sigh Meditation It isn't happening. Not yet, not today, perhaps not ever. And still you can see it in detail and in colour — the phone call, the conversation, the moment it all comes apart. Your mind has built the whole thing brick by brick, then walked you through it slowly so you don't miss anything. What if everything goes wrong? That's the thought, isn't it. And it isn't a small one. It arrives with a heartbeat attached. Today we sit with that question and take its power away, gently, without arguing with it. This is a session about overthinking, catastrophic thinking, worst case scenario thinking, and the what ifs that run all night. If the what ifs tend to find you at two in the morning, Anchored was built for exactly that — over 3,000 sessions you can actually search, so when one particular worry has hold of you, you can find the session for it and press play in the dark. It works offline, and Instant Calm is always there: no subscription, no waiting, no hunting.

Seeing your life clearly doesn't mean seeing it harshly.In this episode of Mindful Mondays, we explore how mindset and reframing shape not just how we think - but how our nervous system experiences the world.Many neurodivergent and highly sensitive people live with a loud inner commentary. Thoughts can feel convincing, critical, and fixed - yet thoughts are not facts.Together, we explore:* Growth mindset through a neurodivergent lens* Why reframing supports nervous system safety (not toxic positivity)* How meaning - not circumstances - shapes our experience* Why challenges often deepen, rather than diminish, a meaningful lifeDrawing on wisdom from thinkers and creatives including William James, Hugh Mackay, Tina Turner, Joan Rivers, Kurt Vonnegut, and Michael Jordan, this episode invites a gentler, truer way of seeing yourself.You'll also be guided through a reflective visualisation - The Gallery of Your Life - offering a new relationship with past moments, old judgments, and the stories you live inside.This is not about fixing yourself.It's about learning to see yourself in a way that supports you.Our Sponsors:

We all carry things we were never meant to hold forever.Stress. Grief. Expectations. Worry. Regret.In this guided meditation led by Mia, you'll imagine carrying a heavy sandbag filled with everything that's weighing you down. But as the practice unfolds, something begins to change.A small hole appears.Then, grain by grain, the sand begins to fall away.With each breath, the burden becomes a little lighter. The weight shifts. Your shoulders soften. The things you've been holding so tightly begin to loosen their grip.You don't have to drop everything all at once.Send us Fan MailHow Yoga Changed My Life a PodcastSend Us Your Stories!If you have a story about how yoga, meditation, breath work, journaling, or movement changed your life, we want to hear from you! These podcasts are really about the same thing — how people move through the seasons of life they didn't plan for, and what helps them along the way.If you'd like to be on the show or share your story:  Fill out our guest form or email us at yogachanged@gmail.com Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yogachangedFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/yogachanged/More info, go to https://howyogachangedmylife.comFor those who have reached out asking how to support Adrienne and her family during this time, click here to donate. There is absolutely no expectation—just sincere gratitude.The theme music for this episode, “Cenote Angelita”, was written and produced by Mar Abajo Rio AKA MAR Yoga Music. Dive deeper into this and other orig...

Seeing your life clearly doesn't mean seeing it harshly.In this episode of Mindful Mondays, we explore how mindset and reframing shape not just how we think - but how our nervous system experiences the world.Many neurodivergent and highly sensitive people live with a loud inner commentary. Thoughts can feel convincing, critical, and fixed - yet thoughts are not facts.Together, we explore:* Growth mindset through a neurodivergent lens* Why reframing supports nervous system safety (not toxic positivity)* How meaning - not circumstances - shapes our experience* Why challenges often deepen, rather than diminish, a meaningful lifeDrawing on wisdom from thinkers and creatives including William James, Hugh Mackay, Tina Turner, Joan Rivers, Kurt Vonnegut, and Michael Jordan, this episode invites a gentler, truer way of seeing yourself.You'll also be guided through a reflective visualisation - The Gallery of Your Life - offering a new relationship with past moments, old judgments, and the stories you live inside.This is not about fixing yourself.It's about learning to see yourself in a way that supports you.Our Sponsors:

I Just Want to Switch Off Today — A Sunday Meditation to Let the World Float By | Soft Belly Breathing It's a Sunday, and somewhere out there the world is still going on with all of it. The arguing, the headlines, the things that are wrong and the people shouting about the things that are wrong. None of it is going to be solved by you today, from where you are sitting. That is a strange sort of comfort — but sit with it for a second, because it is true, and it is allowed to be a relief. Today we are not going to fix anything. Today is about letting the world float by, and staying exactly where you are while it does. If you want to keep this feeling with you, Anchored works completely offline — no feed, no notifications, nothing arriving, no red dots, no numbers, nobody wanting anything from you. On a Sunday that matters.

Breathwork coach, somatic healing expert, author and host of the Dysfunctional podcast, Josh Connolly joins Johnny Seifert on Secure The Insecure podcast this week.Josh opens up about growing up in a violent home affected by domestic abuse and alcohol addiction, his early struggles with passive suicidal thoughts as a child and navigating his own battle with addiction and mental health as a father of six. To donate to Josh's marathon visit www.nacoa.org.uk If you or someone you know is affected by alcohol use or parental drinking, visit Talk to Frank If you are struggling with your mental health or experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact Samaritans free anytime on 116 123 or visit Samaritans.org.uk Secure The Insecure is the celebrity mental health podcast that airs on Mondays available to watch on Youtube or listen to on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Make sure you subscribe/rate/review where you are watching or listening to Secure The Insecure.Follow Johnny Seifert on Social Media:Instagram: www.instagram.com/johnnyseifertInstagram: www.instagram.com/securetheinsecurepodcastTikTok www.tiktok.com/johnnyseifert92 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Do I Feel Anxious for No Reason? — Free-Floating Anxiety & the 4-2-6 Breath | 10 Minute Guided Meditation Nothing happened today. Nobody was unkind to you, nothing went wrong, no letter came and no bad news arrived. And yet here it is — that low humming unease sitting just underneath your ribs, the feeling of waiting for something without ever being told what. Then comes the second thing, which is almost worse than the first: the voice that says there is no reason for me to feel like this, so what is wrong with me? Nothing, my friend. Nothing is wrong with you. Anxiety doesn't always come with a reason attached. Sometimes the alarm is simply still ringing, long after whatever it was that set it off. So today we are not going to hunt for the cause — we are just going to turn the alarm down. If this is a feeling you know well and can never quite put your finger on, there is something inside our app Anchored that will genuinely help: Instant Calm. It is in the free version, it works offline, you can use it as often as you want, and it is baked into the app itself for moments exactly like this one.

✨ In this uplifting episode, Mo Cooper shares the moment she realized she was worthy of her own love and care, and how that changed everything.

Can't Sleep Because It's Too Hot — Coherent Breathing for Hot Night Insomnia & Anxiety | Guided Sleep Meditation Anchored - The bespoke app from Calming Anxiety - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669Can't sleep because it's too hot? You have turned the pillow over three times, the cool side lasted about forty seconds, and now your mind has decided the restlessness means something is wrong. It doesn't. This ten-minute guided sleep meditation is built for warm, balmy August nights when the body can't settle and anxiety fills the gap. Tonight's breath is coherent breathing — also known as resonant breathing or HRV breathing. Five seconds in, five seconds out, no holding and nothing forced. Martin calls it the still breath, because on a night like this everything else is moving and this is the one thing that isn't. Cool air arrives at the tip of the nose and leaves a little warmer, which means every out breath is quietly letting heat go. From there we settle the body the way it actually cools itself — feet out from under the covers, palms up, jaw unclenched — and move into a soft visualisation of silver-blue moonlight, the light of a night that has already begun to cool. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett. If you drift off before the end, good. That is success, not failure. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – The cool side of the pillow: why hot nights feel like anxiety* 00:38 – Sponsored by Anchored* 01:10 – Welcome from Martin* 01:30 – Settling the body: feet out, palms up, jaw unclenched* 02:01 – Tonight's breath: coherent breathing, five in and five out* 05:08 – Visualisation: cool silver-blue moonlight* 05:56 – Today's gentle affirmations* 08:16 – Your three daily caring tips* 09:19 – Coming back gently* 10:26 – Share the show and sign-off 

Have you noticed your bladder, core, or pelvic floor changing during perimenopause or menopause? Maybe you're experiencing leaking, urgency, heaviness, discomfort, or feeling like your body just doesn't respond the way it used to. If so, you're not alone—and you're certainly not broken. In today's episode, we're talking about what actually happens to the pelvic floor during perimenopause and menopause, why these changes occur, and most importantly, what you can do to continue feeling strong, confident, and supported through this new season of life. In This Episode, We Explore: What happens to your body during perimenopause and menopause How hormonal changes affect your pelvic floor, core, and bladder Common symptoms women experience during midlife The biggest misconceptions about pelvic floor health after menopause Practical ways to support your body through strength, movement, nutrition, and recovery Why it's never too late to improve your pelvic floor health Why This Matters Many women assume leaking, pelvic pressure, or pain are simply "part of getting older." While hormonal changes absolutely influence our tissues and muscles, they don't mean you have to accept symptoms as your new normal. Understanding what's happening inside your body empowers you to make intentional choices that support long-term strength, function, and confidence. Big Takeaway Menopause isn't the end of your strength—it's the beginning of a new chapter. Your body may need a different approach than it did in your 20s or 30s, but healing, strength, and confidence are absolutely still possible. Small, intentional habits can make a tremendous difference in how you feel during this season of life. Resources Mentioned ❤️ Download my FREE Healing Beyond Kegels masterclass

Could a breathing exercise designed to calm you actually make you feel worse?In Part 2, Abby explains why carbon dioxide is essential to healthy breathing and how overbreathing may contribute to dizziness, tingling, chest tightness, brain fog, air hunger and panic.She and Celest explore why popular techniques such as box breathing, resonant breathing, physiological sighs, Wim Hof-style breathing and breath holds are not appropriate for everyone.They also discuss abdominal gripping, pursed-lip breathing, hypermobility and why breathing better often starts with doing less, not trying harder.Learn more about Abby⁠Visit Abby's website at The Breathing Physio⁠⁠Follow Abby on Instagram

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Sara Gottfried, M.D., a Harvard-trained, board-certified gynecologist and expert in female hormone health. We discuss the key biomarkers women should track at each stage of life and how cortisol, thyroid hormone, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone shape energy, mood, metabolism, and long-term disease risk. We also discuss PCOS, the risks and benefits of oral contraceptives, and the shift in brain metabolism that begins in perimenopause. Dr. Gottfried explains actionable tools for hormone and micronutrient testing, nutrition, stress management, and cardiometabolic screening that women can use at any age. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Female Hormone Health (00:00:24) Family History, Intergenerational Trauma; Endometriosis, Fibroids, PCOS (00:01:31) Biomarkers by Decade; Teens & Cortisol; 20s & Sex Hormones (00:03:35) Tool: Hormone Test Timing; Micronutrient Testing, Magnesium (00:05:41) Sponsor: LMNT (00:07:17) Tool: Smoothies, Greens Powders & Microbiome (00:08:12) Nutrient Panels, Antioxidants, B Vitamins, Glutathione (00:09:34) Constipation, Thyroid Dysfunction; Trauma & Female Physiology (00:11:50) Tools: Reduce Perceived Stress, Meditation, Yoga, Breathwork (00:13:30) Opportunities by Decade; Androgens & Testosterone Decline (00:14:50) PCOS, Diagnostic Criteria, Hirsutism, Cardiometabolic Risk (00:17:10) Insulin & Glucose; Tool: Continuous Glucose Monitors (00:18:05) Democratizing Health Data (00:18:52) Sponsor: AG1 (00:20:07) Longevity "Don'ts"; Chronic Cardio & Cortisol; Tool: Adaptive Exercise (00:22:46) Oral Contraceptives, Benefits & Ovarian Cancer Risk (00:24:27) Ovarian Cancer Symptoms, Bloating, CA-125 (00:25:51) Oral Contraceptive Risks, Progestins, Inflammation; SHBG & Testosterone (00:29:08) Clitoral Shrinkage; Tools: Alternatives for Painful Periods (00:30:14) Sponsor: Eight Sleep (00:31:32) Menopause & Perimenopause; 30s Hormonal Baseline (00:33:07) Female Brain, Cerebral Hypometabolism & Alzheimer's Risk (00:35:02) Slow Brain Energy, Hormone Therapy; Hot Flashes as Biomarkers (00:36:54) Tool: Coronary Artery Calcium Score Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This encore episode of the Psychdelic Medicine Podcast features a conversation with Kyle Buller on psychedelics and breathwork. Kyle is co-founder and host of the Psychedelics Today podcast and he has studied breathwork since October 2010 with Lenny and Elizabeth Gibson of Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork. Kyle earned his BA in transpersonal psychology from Burlington College where he focused on the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness, exploring topics such as shamanism, reiki, plant medicine, and holotropic breathwork. He has also earned an MS in clinical mental health counseling with emphasis in somatic psychology and has since worked with at-risk teens in crisis and individuals experiencing an early episode of psychosis. Kyle opens this discussion by providing a basic definition of breathwork and sharing his own journey with this modality. He discusses how breathwork can refer to a wide variety of practices, but what unites these disparate techniques is utilizing the breath to induce specific physiological states and experiences. The holotropic style of breathwork has roots in transpersonal psychology and the work of Stanislav Grof and it is this modality which is often compared to psychedelic experiences. Kyle discusses how holotropic breathwork can be an incredibly powerful practice for trauma-healing and inducing visceral experiences—similar to the classical psychedelics. He recounts his own experiences with this practice, describing how he was able to relive the experience of being born in the state conditioned by the method of breathing. Due to the synergy with the psychedelic experience, Kyle mentions that there is a lot of potential for breathwork to help individuals integrate or prepare for psychedelic experiences, as well as being a powerful tool for clinicians involved in psychedelic-psychotherapy to better understand the non-ordinary states of consciousness their patients will be experiencing.  Because of the wide variety of breathwork techniques, Kyle discusses the possibilities of tailoring practices to the specific experiences of a client. Everyone has a unique "window of tolerance" depending on their background and constitution, and some people will benefit more from techniques which downregulate the nervous system and allow for peace and relaxation, while others may find more value in techniques which are highly stimulating and provide deeper, emotionally complex experiences that allow for self-exploration.   In this episode: What breathwork is and how it relates to psychedelics The origins of holotropic breathwork and Stanislav Grof's transpersonal framework Breathwork vs meditation How to use breathwork to integrate and prepare for psychedelic experiences The effects of different types of breathing on the nervous system   Quotes: "[Breathwork] offered a really great tool for training, for understanding how to sit with people in non-ordinary states of consciousness."  [8:49] "Some breathing techniques, like these more deeply cathartic techniques, they're bringing up a lot of emotional memory and people are starting to work through a lot of somatic sensations, they are working through trauma." [13:38] "We really need to look at somebody's whole picture, where they're at, how they could potentially benefit, look at their nervous system, attune to that, and really think about what they could tolerate, what's going on in somebody's psyche." [30:29] "The breath is this flexible tool, it's a vehicle—we can help to regulate our nervous system with it and explore it." [39:38]   Links: Psychedelics Today Psychedelics Today Education Center SettingSun Wellness Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss four neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.They begin with a man who accuses his sister-in-law of lying after discovering the "Jeep" she promised him isn't technically a Jeep, sparking a conversation about autistic pedantry, the need to be correct, and why being technically right doesn't always mean you're in the right.They then unpack a story about an autistic man struggling with dating after his sister tells him that his behaviour towards women can come across as demeaning and sexist. Jordan and Simon discuss autism, honesty, accountability, parenting, and why neurodivergence shouldn't be used as an excuse to treat other people badly.Next, a husband wants his wife's autistic friend to stop visiting their home so often. They explore friendship, accommodations, autistic social differences, judgement, and why his wife's willingness to understand and support her friend might actually be the most heart warming part of the story.Finally, a brother hides a month's worth of ADHD medication as a prank—only to lose it. From medication stigma and family dynamics to revenge, responsibility and Reddit's more suspicious theories about where the missing pills went, Jordan and Simon ask: who's actually the arsehole?*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• AITA for Calling My Sister-in-Law a Liar?• AITA for Telling My Autistic Brother the Truth?• AITA for Asking My Wife to Stop Bringing Her Autistic Friend Over?• AITA for Not Giving My Brother a Ride to Work?Our Sponsors:

Imagine someone places their hands on your shoulders, says, “Enjoy the trip,” and you enter a profound altered state. Completely sober. No expectation. No hypnotic induction. Yet suddenly, you're buzzing.   Nearly thirty years ago, NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer Hugh Comerford encountered an enigmatic French-Canadian energy healer who could produce experiences Hugh couldn't explain=and couldn't explain himself. So Hugh became obsessed with a question: Could you model the unconscious competence of a “unicorn” healer and teach it to anyone? The result is The Hümmo Method—a strange nexus of NLP, breathwork, perceptual shifts, and energy work. In this episode of Open Loops, Hugh reveals how the method emerged, why he says belief isn't required, the curious power of turning your problem into an “it,” and what happens when an NLP modeler spends decades trying to reverse-engineer the seemingly impossible.   .....Like Greg does sometimes when he looks into the ingredients of a Celsius can.   What happens when something shouldn't work according to your model of reality...but somehow does?   Listen to this week's episode to feel the shift(s) yourself... Hugh's Links: Explore The Hümmo Method™: https://www.hummomethod.com/ Pre-order The Hümmo Method: Energy Healing for the Rest of Us on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4DNQJGV Book release: August 18, 2026 — available in Kindle and print editions.   Let Greg know how you like the show. Write your review, soliloquy, Haiku or whatever twisted thoughts you want to share at https://ratethispodcast.com/openloops

You tell yourself you're easygoing. You don't yell, you rarely cry, you keep it together when everyone else falls apart.But what looks like calm is often something else entirely: a lifetime of suppressing anything uncomfortable, and a body quietly paying the bill for it.MJ Renshaw, author of How to Cry and founder of the Being Method, joins me to explain the real science of what suppressed emotion does to your body, and how to actually let it move through, whether that's learning to cry again, releasing anger without spilling it onto the people you love, or using your breath as a remote control for your nervous system.If you've spent years being the composed one and can feel the cost of it, this conversation will show you the way back into your own body.What You'll LearnWhat actually happens physiologically when you cry, and why suppressing it drives cortisol upHow chronically suppressed emotions show up as tension, symptoms, and even disease over timeWhy anger needs to move through the body, and specific somatic ways to release it without harming anyoneHow to teach kids that all emotions are okay while still holding clear limits on behaviorBreathwork as the built-in remote control for your nervous system, and how to weave it into ordinary momentsA note: this episode includes candid discussion of trauma, including abuse, loss, and suicide. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If you're struggling, reach out to a licensed professional or a trusted person in your life.--

Panic Attack Relief — Mindful Breathing to Calm a Racing Chest | 10-Minute Guided Meditation with the Physiological Sigh Panic attack relief starts with one breath — and this ten-minute guided meditation gives you the fastest one there is. If your breathing has gone high and shallow, if you are trying to take a deep breath and it keeps stopping halfway, this session is built for exactly that moment. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, today's practice is about mindful breathing and one named technique: the physiological sigh. Two breaths in through the nose, a short sip of air stacked on top, then one long, slow release. It is the quickest way we know of to bring a heart rate down in real time, and it is the breath Martin coached people through on the front line. From there you are guided into stillness beside water at dusk — the setting sun, the ripples and reflections on the lake — while five gentle affirmations settle the nervous system and remind you that a panic attack cannot outlast a long, slow breath out. Whether you are riding out a wave of anxiety right now, managing daily stress, or looking for a breathwork practice you can return to every morning, this is anxiety relief you can carry with you and use anywhere. You are not broken. You are not in danger. Your breathing has simply got ahead of you — and it can be brought back. ⏱️ Time Chapters * 00:00 – Your breathing has got ahead of you* 01:06 – Welcome to Calming Anxiety* 01:25 – Anchored arrives on iOS this Thursday* 01:45 – Instant Calm: your always-on panic attack session* 02:18 – Settling in* 02:32 – The physiological sigh explained* 02:50 – Guided breathing, three rounds* 04:54 – Letting the words land* 05:23 – Today's affirmations* 06:22 – Stillness by the lake at dusk* 06:51 – Affirmations, second pass* 08:08 – Your three daily caring tips* 08:58 – Coming back into the room* 09:37 – Anchored, sharing, and the sign-off 

This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of The Way Forward, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.Want to explore more of Mark England's work? Enlifted teaches a simple, language-based approach to mindset, helping you change the words and stories that keep you stuck and build a more resilient mindset.