1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:05,720 What if your brain wasn't broken because you couldn't meditate? 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:10,760 What if the problem was the meditation? 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,680 Welcome back to Beyond Chronic Burnout, where we're rewriting 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:20,800 the rules of well-being, one neurodistinct nervous system at 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,320 a time. I'm your host, Carol Jean 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,920 Whittington, and today we're flipping the meditation 7 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:31,640 narrative on its head. Let me guess, you've tried. 8 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:38,000 Clear your mind, sit still, follow the breath, only to end 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:43,080 up more anxious, more frustrated or convinced you're failing at 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,600 something everyone else seems to swear by. 11 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,120 Well, you're not alone, and you are not doing it wrong. 12 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:57,560 Our guest today gets it, and in the most personal lived in way. 13 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,960 Tanya Roberts is an Audi HD Artist, meditation guide and the 14 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,200 creator of Mindfulness Done Differently, a space where 15 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:12,760 fidgeting, sensory play, sound and movement are the meditation. 16 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,600 After years of struggling with panic disorder and feeling like 17 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:21,880 a mindfulness misfit, her autistic and ADHD identification 18 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:27,560 unlocked a whole new world and helped her create practices that 19 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,720 work with spicy brains, not against them. 20 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,960 She's here to help you stop forcing peace and start feeling 21 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:39,760 it on your terms. In today's episode, we're going 22 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,400 to discuss why traditional meditation can backfire for our 23 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,800 bodies and brains. What accessible mindfulness 24 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,160 actually looks like. Spoiler alert, it might include 25 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:57,600 a stress ball, so grab yours. How to regulate your nervous 26 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:02,680 system with tools that honor your wiring and what Tanya would 27 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:08,880 tell her younger autistic Audi HD self about healing, self 28 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,480 trust and rest. So grab your fidget tool, get 29 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:18,640 comfy, and let's dive in. Are you an autistic woman or a 30 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:23,000 helping professional seeking a fresh perspective on unmasking 31 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,560 and burnout recovery? Then you need to hear about my 32 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,600 new book, Living Unmasked. In Living Unmasked, I share my 33 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,320 own personal journey and lay the essential groundwork for 34 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,240 autistic women to build a joyful and authentic relationship with 35 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,320 themselves. For therapists, clinicians, and 36 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,680 coaches listening, this book offers invaluable insights to 37 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,480 deepen your understanding and support of your autistic 38 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,440 clients. It's time to discover the path 39 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,960 to truly getting into your comfort zone. 40 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,480 Learn more about Living Unmasked and begin your journey today. 41 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:07,360 You can find allthedetails@whittingtonwellbeing.com 42 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:13,920 thatswhittingtonwellbeing.com. Take the first steps towards 43 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:17,480 reclaiming your life with Living Unmasked. 44 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,720 Step out of the shadows. Feel the power will rise. 45 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:27,360 Catch the spark inside you. Let your spirit fly beyond the 46 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,600 chronic burner. Carol Jeans, your guide. 47 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,880 Find your step. Be with all nice joy on the 48 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,680 tide. Push forward, bright and bold. 49 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,240 Leave the burner. Pop behind. 50 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:49,720 In this journey, hearts unfold. How was yours? 51 00:03:49,800 --> 00:04:03,080 He can find. Welcome to the show Tanya. 52 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:04,880 I am so excited to have you here. 53 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,760 You are one of my favorite folks and we always have so much fun 54 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,080 whenever we get together. We do. 55 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:10,920 Yeah. I'm so excited. 56 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,120 Carol Jean. Well, I wanted to have you here 57 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:19,640 on the show during self-care September because what you do is 58 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,560 really magical. And I know that in other 59 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,320 conversations you and I've had that in in a lot of the work 60 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,280 that you do, you share really often that you had a panic 61 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:34,760 disorder and it was a really big part of your journey before you 62 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:39,360 were identified as Audi HD. So I would love to know what was 63 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:44,040 that time like for you and what helped you begin to climb out A 64 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,240 burnout and those those panic attacks and anxiety. 65 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:48,920 Yeah. Well, good question. 66 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,320 I mean, it's, it's hard to think about this because it was such 67 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:54,800 an awful time, but I think telling the story is really 68 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,080 important because I'm hoping you know, someone out there will 69 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,080 feel less alone and maybe relate to this. 70 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,000 And no, it doesn't have to be like this forever. 71 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,160 Because when you're in that time, it feels, you just feel so 72 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,680 desperate for relief because you don't get it any, you know, 73 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:13,400 ounce of relief day or day in, day out, you know, 24/7. 74 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,000 The panic is just tormenting you. 75 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,720 So if this helps anyone, you know, then I'm happy. 76 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,440 So I've always been a bit anxious even as a child, but I 77 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,920 think I didn't really recognize that it was sort of a low level 78 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,720 anxiety, just, you know, sensory overwhelmed. 79 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,160 Things like that that I didn't recognize back then were sensory 80 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,600 overwhelmed, just just kind of felt a little overwhelmed all 81 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,520 the time, you know? Then Fast forward to early 82 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,680 adulthood, early 20s, I started working in a tech job. 83 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,240 It was a tech marketing job, open concept office, tight 84 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,440 deadlines, you know, steady flow of caffeine and deadlines and 85 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,360 all that. I was kind of on display for 86 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,480 everyone to look at, you know, in the center of the office. 87 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,040 A lot of distractions we would do. 88 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,360 And just thinking back on this now, it makes me cringe. 89 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:00,680 We would do work trips to Vegas. I planned trade shows as part of 90 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,520 my job. And I would share a hotel room 91 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,600 with a female colleague. And we would just be expected to 92 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,440 socialize all the time on the lunch break, you know, after 93 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,880 work. And I was completely burning 94 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,120 out. And I got to the point where I 95 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,520 was having multiple panic attacks a day, really, really 96 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,760 intense anxiety. And I, I couldn't even go into a 97 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,560 work meeting without having a panic attack. 98 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,160 And I was, I was masking through it the whole time, just 99 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,000 pretending everything's OK. I don't run out of the room. 100 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,680 You're going to be fine. Trying to do my box breathing, 101 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,560 which actually helped a little bit, but I was still just on the 102 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:40,600 verge of that panic attack almost the entire day for a full 103 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,280 year. It was, it was absolute hell, if 104 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:45,480 I'm being honest. It was, it was complete and 105 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:47,520 utter hell. And sometimes I'd wake up at 106 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,440 night having a panic attack. I would just wake up, you know, 107 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,200 gasping for air, sweating, not being able to bring my heart 108 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,880 rate down. I was beyond, beyond burnout. 109 00:06:58,280 --> 00:07:01,680 I was, I was at rock bottom, I think. 110 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,680 And so I turned to alcohol thinking, OK, well, maybe this 111 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,720 will help me relax. Spoiler alert, it didn't. 112 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,200 It made the anxiety much worse the the next day particularly 113 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,080 and impacted my sleep. It it was bad. 114 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:15,920 I mean, I didn't have a problem with it, but I think I was 115 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,200 having a wine every day and it wasn't helping me. 116 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,920 So tried exercising and that helped quite a bit, but I was 117 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,600 still really mega anxious. And then I went to therapy and 118 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:30,280 they did the classic, no shade to therapist because a lot of 119 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,240 them are really good professionals, but they didn't 120 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,720 know I was nerve divergent. So they did a typical, OK, let's 121 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,520 look at your childhood, your trauma, you know, what event 122 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,200 happened to make you feel anxious? 123 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,000 But nothing, nothing was quite clicking. 124 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,560 You know, they had me do exposure therapy in situations I 125 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:48,200 felt panic. It made it worse. 126 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,560 Nothing was helping. And I tried meditation at the 127 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,880 time, but that was hard too because I had trouble sitting 128 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:57,160 still. I just thought I sucked at it. 129 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,920 So I kind of just threw in the towel and the meditation pillow 130 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,080 and essential oils and just said, you know, I suck at 131 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:07,080 meditation, whatever. This is my lot in life so. 132 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,360 Sit right there with you. Yeah, decide this is not for me. 133 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,920 But then Fast forward. So, so I remain anxious, not to 134 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,600 that level, but still much more anxious than I needed to be for 135 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,080 many years after that. And it was only 2 1/2 years ago 136 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:27,080 I discovered, you know, I went to a psychologist, an expert in 137 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,400 their divergent women. A lot of people in my family 138 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,320 were starting to get diagnosed or identified as autistic ADHD. 139 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:35,600 So I started thinking, wait, I can relate to that. 140 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,120 Maybe I'm a little spicy in the meatball too. 141 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:43,600 So I sought out this expert and went through a long process, you 142 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,600 know, brought a categorized list to her, which is the most 143 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:48,920 autistic thing I could think of. She should just rubber stamped 144 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:50,320 it right there. You know, you're one of us. 145 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,480 It's. Like how do you say it without 146 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,640 saying it? Yeah, I brought my binder. 147 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,560 Yeah, I brought my binder categorized. 148 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:01,000 I had like childhood development, you know, RIP 149 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,760 headed a body movement, special interests, you know, social, 150 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,840 really everything. It was all categorized, very 151 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:12,880 detailed and yeah, so she went through a process and by the end 152 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,080 identified me as autistic and ADHDADH. 153 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,360 She was a surprise to me, but it makes sense now. 154 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,800 All the conflicting traits, how I never quite felt like I 155 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,240 identified 100% with autism. So. 156 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,800 So that was interesting and a, a lot changed after that, 157 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,320 particularly, you know, pay more attention to my social and 158 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,320 sensory needs. And I don't know if you can 159 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,160 relate to this Carol Jean, but I just started going, Hey, I'm on 160 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,080 the fidgets. I'm like, OK, just Amazon 161 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,040 packages were coming every day with every kind of fidget, you 162 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,720 know, you can think of. I was really leaning and hard to 163 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:49,760 meeting my sensory needs. And I have this, this really 164 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:54,560 squishy stress ball that I used. And then I, I thought, OK, why 165 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:55,960 don't I combine that with meditation? 166 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,280 So I meditated to use this, use the stress ball, and then all of 167 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,040 a sudden I felt like I could concentrate and meditate and get 168 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,040 into that mindful state a lot easier when I was using the 169 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,040 fidget. So that's kind of when my 170 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,080 mindfulness Done differently approach was born. 171 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,120 You know, combining things that I know for me help my 172 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,760 neurodivergent brain, you know, movement, fidgeting, art, 173 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,360 sensory play and sound, and combining that with meditation 174 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,000 to make it kind of more accessible to spicy brain folks 175 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,280 like myself. And that that for me was the 176 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,240 key. And, you know, obviously, along 177 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,400 with other things like the right therapy, accommodations, 178 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:33,040 lifestyle changes and the meditation, exercise, all of 179 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,000 those things together help me slay what I call the anxiety 180 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,600 monster. So that's kind of my, my back 181 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:40,440 story on that. Oh. 182 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,840 My gosh, it, it's just so stinking relatable. 183 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:48,240 And for those of us and anybody out there listening, if you were 184 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:52,520 relating to what Tanya was just sharing about, you know, panic 185 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,160 attacks and it's like things would get worse and it would 186 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,080 wake you up in your sleep. You you might also, if you're 187 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,320 one of us and you have M cast mast cell activation syndrome 188 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:06,360 and you were having histamine floods, it shows up like anxiety 189 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:08,920 and a panic attack. And so, you know, a lot of us 190 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,080 have these really similar occurrences and, and 191 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,960 experiences, but they come in in different ways and for different 192 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,280 reasons. And so, you know, as an M cast 193 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,960 last patient over here, I'm so relating because I remember 194 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:25,000 laying in bed and I was in a dead sleep and I remember waking 195 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:29,560 up out of a dead sleep like in a full blown what I thought was a 196 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,440 panic attack. But what turned out to be a 197 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:35,840 histamine flood and adrenal surge from from M cast. 198 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:37,720 But I didn't know that at the time. 199 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,760 And I was just terrified. It was so scary because all I 200 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,480 remember the and this is the only time this ever happened. 201 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,640 But I remember when I sat up and I was like gasping for air and 202 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:53,120 all in my brain kept thinking is Oh my gosh, I'm about to die and 203 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,800 terrifying. Isn't it Oh my God, you do you 204 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,440 feel like you're dying? Whether it's an M cast, I think 205 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,360 you said M cast, whether it's a histamine response, a panic 206 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,160 attack. We don't know what's happening 207 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,600 in there our our brain saying this is it you you're dead. 208 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:11,000 This is, you know, say your final danger, Will Robinson 209 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,920 danger, danger. And we can laugh about it now, 210 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,000 but at the time it's absolutely terrifying and feeling like you 211 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,520 have no control over your body. That was that was the worst that 212 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:27,080 I cannot controlled this. It's controlling me that you're 213 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:29,360 almost like a prisoner in your own body. 214 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:34,840 Yeah, and I so relate to that, you know, having, it's like, oh, 215 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:37,560 I didn't have anybody telling me I was doing it to myself. 216 00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:40,800 So that's like bless my heart moment, but I was like, I got to 217 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,520 get in this situation, you know, like the exposure therapy. 218 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:44,600 I kind of put myself in this thing. 219 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,480 I got to get over this. I got to knuckle down and and 220 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,640 get through this, right. I got to figure this out. 221 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:52,960 I got to suck it up, buttercup, and it just made everything 222 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,360 worse. And it was in those situations 223 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:00,000 where I mean everything. And it was just like this cycle. 224 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,760 And I had tried some meditation and I was doing, you know, some 225 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:06,840 yoga and things at the time with one of my friends. 226 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,840 And I just remember thinking, I am about to jump out of my skin. 227 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,720 I wanted to scream. And everybody else is in this 228 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,200 room, like, all relaxed and like, oh, this is so wonderful. 229 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,360 And I'm like, I'm going to kill one of you if you don't move out 230 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,920 of my way. Let me out of here, you know? 231 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,520 And so then I'm thinking, oh, my gosh, I'm so broken. 232 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,960 I just can't do this. And I'm like, plus the sensory 233 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:35,640 ick of like Pachulian feet. Oh yeah, yeah, the sensory ick 234 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,400 Yeah, yeah, it's, it's terrible. It's terrible. 235 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,040 And I, I think that that a lot of times this you made it you 236 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,640 made it an important distinction. 237 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:49,040 I think a lot of times we are anxious, but there's also 238 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,440 potentially other health things that shouldn't be ignored that 239 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,520 should be looked into in tandem with dealing with the anxiety 240 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,440 because bringing that down can help you kind of have more of 241 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,240 the wherewithal to advocate for yourself and get your answers. 242 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,000 Because I don't know about you're in America. 243 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,520 I'm in Canada, but traversing the medical system here is 244 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,360 probably similar to there. It's very difficult. 245 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,800 Women are not listened to women and them presenting folks for 246 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,920 and and oftentimes some male presenting folks as well. 247 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,040 We're we're told that we're just broken. 248 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,800 It's all they always jump to mental health and very, you 249 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,720 know, oftentimes it is there. We are anxious, but also 250 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,280 there's, it's not this, it's a multi factorial thing. 251 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,320 It's not just one thing is going on, particularly if you're 252 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,960 neurodivergent could be POTS like and then the, the histamine 253 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,080 response, it could be a lot of things, but it doesn't mean it's 254 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:43,080 not also anxiety. So, so dealing with that is not, 255 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:47,080 it's not sort of a A1 shot deal and you're going to meditate and 256 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,200 your life will be perfect. I think, I think Dan Harris says 257 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,280 it'll make you 10% happier, but I'll take it. 258 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:57,560 I'll take the 10%. Yeah, it's, it's, it's realistic 259 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:01,120 that this is not the only thing we need to do, but it is a very 260 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,960 important thing that can help you in those those moments, 261 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,880 moments of panic and overwhelm. So you can kind of deal with a 262 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:08,680 stress before you deal with a stressor. 263 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:14,960 Get your body a little bit more regulated so you can deal with 264 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,600 the other things. And I think that's one of the 265 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,880 important things and it's it's why I'm getting my master's in 266 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:26,120 public health, specifically on making sure that we as autistic 267 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,840 women in particular and, and female presenting that we are, 268 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,800 are getting HealthEquity, that we are actually being heard. 269 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:40,440 Because you know, when we look at how men and women are, you 270 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,720 know, in a binary sense are, are treated within the healthcare 271 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:46,920 industry. When we go in and we have the 272 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,600 same exact symptoms, we're saying the same exact thing. 273 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,920 The guy, the man is usually getting treated immediately. 274 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,160 And it takes 6 to 8 months for us to be listened to and 275 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,480 anything to be done. And it's usually dismissed, you 276 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,800 know, as some kind of mental health challenge or it can't 277 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,360 possibly be as bad as you're saying it is. 278 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,640 And when you are also neurodivergent, that is even 279 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,280 longer. It takes even longer to be heard 280 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,720 and listened to. And it can be just the health 281 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,440 trauma that builds up. So, you know, when we have all 282 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,160 of these things, it's never just one experience. 283 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,560 And I love that we can talk about this today. 284 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,720 And I would really love to know, as we're talking about 285 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:32,200 meditation and mindfulness, in your experience, what are some 286 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,960 reasons that traditional practices tend to totally 287 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,640 backfire or just go in the opposite direction against what 288 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,880 you would think? Would it be your response for 289 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:47,800 our neuro sparkly folks? And what makes mindfulness done 290 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,080 differently different? Yeah. 291 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:52,960 I love the term neuro sparkly, by the way. 292 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,760 I'm going to have to use that. I love that neuro spicy neuro 293 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,240 sparkly. I love it. 294 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,560 That's so great. Well, OK. 295 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,200 So I think to answer your question, I think it's safe to 296 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,480 say that anything conventional, including traditional meditation 297 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,000 is kind of built for the basic factory model brain, which is 298 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000 not us. Our brains are anything but 299 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,160 basic, right? I don't know. 300 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,240 Oh my. Gosh, yeah, always say the slow 301 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,160 brains. We are not slow brains. 302 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,800 No we are not. Or that's like there's ferrets 303 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,040 parkouring through a head right? That's our parkour curing 304 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,359 through our brain. I don't, I don't know if I'm 305 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:28,680 butchering this stat or not, but I think it said that 306 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:33,000 neurodiversion, autistic and ADHD brains are 40% more active 307 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:34,960 at rest due to less synaptic pruning. 308 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,280 So that's a lot of extra activity, a lot of extra 309 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,400 opportunity for rumination. And there's some signs to 310 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:46,240 suggest that we're more self critical, likely due to trauma 311 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,360 and internalized criticism that we've heard from other people 312 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,840 throughout the years. So there's, there's a lot going 313 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,480 on there. It's not, you know, a simple 314 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,640 thing of just sit down and breathe and meditate. 315 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,640 We have a lot more, I think, barriers to doing that than 316 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:02,920 other people. And a couple more things. 317 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:06,960 Some of us have a Fantasia where we can't picture anything in our 318 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,200 mind's eye. But a lot of meditation 319 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,360 practices implement visualization and they don't 320 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:15,800 sort of factor that in or include any modifications for 321 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,280 that. And then there's persistent 322 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,240 desire for autonomy, PDA, so instructions can feel like a 323 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,960 threat to the nervous system. So just the way I position it as 324 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,160 always a suggestion, there's always options. 325 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,240 You can sit out, you know, you can participate, you get to 326 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,880 decide what you want to do. No one's handing anyone a 327 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,200 demand. So that's important too. 328 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,880 And then of course, attention differences, especially with us 329 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,720 ADHD years, it can be hard to just sit there knowing I'm 330 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,040 sitting here for an indefinite amount of time and my brain can 331 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,760 just wander. And then we beat ourselves up 332 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,880 for not being able to do it, you know, having unrealistic 333 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:58,280 expectations of what we should actually be realistically be 334 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,720 able to achieve because the the conventional meditators don't 335 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,040 share the subtext, which is they're doing this with 5% 336 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,200 success at most. They're no one sitting there 337 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,600 with a completely clear and calm mind. 338 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:15,080 I mean, even there's a bona fide monk, Yogi Menger Rinpoche, who 339 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,760 has panic attacks and he observes them as they're 340 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,080 happening. So, but they don't share that. 341 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,280 You know, that's kind of an inside thought. 342 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,240 They don't, they don't share with us neurodivergence. 343 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,880 Hey, this is not meant to be perfect. 344 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,120 You don't have to be calm when you're doing this. 345 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,480 If your mind wanders a million times and you just notice once 346 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,120 that it has and you bring your focus back, you've meditated 347 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:40,560 bringing the bar way down. And I kind of liken it to, I 348 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,080 have an exercise example that I use that you know, you wouldn't. 349 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:45,960 Can I swear on this podcast, by the way, or no? 350 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:48,200 Oh, absolutely. How? 351 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:50,200 About OK. Let it RIP tater chips. 352 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,240 Awesome, I'm going to let it RIP. 353 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,240 So I say that you know, you wouldn't do 1 squat and expect 354 00:19:58,240 --> 00:19:59,920 to have an ass like Beyoncé, right? 355 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:04,440 Unless you're naturally blessed, you know, and if you have a knee 356 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,160 injury, you put on a knee brace before you even did one squat. 357 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,680 So what I mentioned there about, you know, the expectations that 358 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:16,920 it's a practice, you need to do it over time and be kind and 359 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:21,920 gentle with yourself and don't expect instant results and have 360 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,720 those accommodations, those metaphorical knee braces which. 361 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,920 In in this case with my community, it's movement, 362 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,520 fidgeting, art, sensory play and sound, kind of pacing 363 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:35,760 instructions, you know, really intentional instructions, things 364 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,280 like that, so that the practice is even accessible for you in 365 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,480 the first place. That's what I loved about this 366 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,160 session that I joined over in the community and it was so much 367 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,000 fun. And it's just not only is it 368 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:55,040 accessible and different entry points, I really love because 369 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:58,120 I'm also a certified meditation and breath work instructor. 370 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:01,880 And so I approach it from a trauma sensitive and rejection 371 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:06,080 sensitivity and PDA and formed plays because I'm like, nobody's 372 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,160 telling me what to do. Because you know, I'm one of 373 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,960 those people. It would be nice if you just 374 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:15,760 opened an invitation and, you know, for those folks that don't 375 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,960 have a vivid memory and they have aphantasia, how about we 376 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,440 just talk about how you know or sense something, you know, And 377 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,160 sometimes that's just easier place to start. 378 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:31,520 But I loved the community connection that also happens. 379 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,800 It's not just showing up to meditate or playing or 380 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,280 experimenting, but it's also connecting, which I really 381 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,560 loved. Well, thanks Carol Jean, thanks 382 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,160 for the kind words. And and I just wanted to mention 383 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:46,720 reinforce again why the community is important, because 384 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,240 a lot of us, well, many reasons, a lot of us have been told 385 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,840 we're, you know, bad, broken, the way we see experience the 386 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,440 world, feel things is is wrong or we shouldn't be doing it this 387 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:58,920 way. So it's nice to connect with 388 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,280 people who just get it, who who think, I mean, not every neuro 389 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,880 divergent person is the same. We're all different, but just to 390 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:07,240 be on the same wavelength. OK, someone gets me. 391 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,400 I don't have to over explain. I don't have to dig for context. 392 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,280 They just know. They just understand. 393 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:17,600 And another thing a therapist mentioned that was actually, I 394 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,640 don't know why it was shocking to hear, but we're not meant to 395 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:22,680 regulate our emotions by ourself. 396 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,080 We're meant to do it with other people. 397 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,480 So if you're going off and doing your meditation videos, you 398 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,440 know, by yourself, that's fine. I mean, there's no problem with 399 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:32,600 that. That's, that's good. 400 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,880 That's a good thing to practice. But when you add the community 401 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,200 and the Co regulation, then you're really getting to a point 402 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,960 where you can fully relax into yourself and feel that belonging 403 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,080 and acceptance. And also your nervous system can 404 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,440 just do a big sigh of relief because we need that belonging. 405 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,400 And we when we don't feel like we belong. 406 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,200 I mean, if you go back to caveman days, not belonging was 407 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,960 a death sentence. You would literally be dead if 408 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,760 you do not belong. So our bodies don't forget that, 409 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:04,960 that we need that belonging and community to feel safe inner 410 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:06,800 bodies. And then you layer on the 411 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,000 meditation and now we're adding in even more safety. 412 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,040 So that's kind of how I that's, that's kind of how it all came 413 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:14,600 together, the thinking behind it. 414 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,080 And it's just such a beautiful, magical place. 415 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,760 It really is. But what I, I love not just that 416 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,880 element of it, that community element of it, but you know, as 417 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,920 an instructor, I'm always learning from other teachers. 418 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,160 And you taught me something that I really loved. 419 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,160 And I'm like, oh, I'm going to definitely incorporate that. 420 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:36,120 This was so genius. But you have like a pause for a 421 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,840 stretch break. And as we're going through the 422 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:40,960 meditation, you're like, OK, so we're here. 423 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,280 And if you just need to move, stand up, stretch, whatever, go 424 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,840 for it. And I'm like, oh, wow, that was 425 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,560 just like, I didn't even realize that I needed to because 426 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,160 normally I'd, you know, I, I'm not anymore. 427 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,960 I can kind of sit, but I was like, oh wow, I actually did 428 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,160 need like a good stretch just then. 429 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,760 And it was so perfect and just a beautiful experience. 430 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:06,680 And I love how you invite everybody in the way that you 431 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:12,400 just give so many different ways to experiment and really play 432 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,560 without all of the, you know, I'm doing it right or I'm doing 433 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:20,200 it wrong. It runs in the background for so 434 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:21,440 many of. Us. 435 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,280 Yeah, exactly and I know because I think in a similar way and. 436 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,400 And for me, sitting for long periods of time is hard. 437 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:33,880 And for a lot of neurodivergent people, particularly ADHBTADHD 438 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,200 folks, it can be hard to just sit still. 439 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,080 And I like that with. So I try to integrate the 440 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:41,800 movement breaks every two to three minutes in a meditation. 441 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:46,080 So you're never sitting for much longer than 5 minutes and moving 442 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,520 your body however you want. So for me, that's, that's 443 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,760 stimming. You know, we, we can celebrate 444 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,360 stimming as a way of expressing ourselves and meeting our 445 00:24:54,360 --> 00:24:56,800 sensory needs. I think that the sensory piece 446 00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,560 is really important to me, and I think when it comes to anxiety 447 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:03,960 for nerdivergent folks, I think it's a very overlooked piece. 448 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,880 I mean, you know, when you're a kid, if you're speaking about an 449 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,880 autistic radiation kid, it's like there's all the colors of 450 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,920 the rainbow for every fidget Susie hit 10 or 11, it's like, 451 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:14,680 well, you don't need sensory stuff anymore. 452 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,600 I guess you've aged out of that. But we still have a body, we 453 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,280 still have sensory needs. So I really like to integrate 454 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,240 that because I think it's something that's not talked 455 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,480 about a lot for adults or nerdivergent adults. 456 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,800 Well, I, I 1000% agree with you. It's one of the things that, 457 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,800 that you and I really connected on that I appreciate so much 458 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,160 about your approach because in the unveiling method and in my 459 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,400 research over the last four years, one of the most impactful 460 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:49,520 areas is our sensory system. And when we can nourish all 7 461 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:55,280 plus areas of our sensory system and help regulate and create 462 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:59,920 sort of this safety within our nervous system and our sensory 463 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:03,760 system, which are directly wired together, that is where 464 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:08,560 restoration comes in. That is where that reclamation 465 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,320 of our self comes in. That is where we start to 466 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,640 unmask. That's where we step into the 467 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,480 absolute incredible version of us that has been under all of 468 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,600 the stuff that the world has held on top of us. 469 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:28,880 And it's so important to give ourselves permission to know 470 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,840 that. Number one, 100% of research 471 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:36,280 respondents in my study said an area of their sensory system was 472 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:41,440 heightened during burnout. And so how we approach something 473 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,600 in burnout and how our sensory system is responding, depending 474 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:48,120 on the degree of burnout you're in, is going to be different 475 00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:50,920 than when you're in a state of optimum well-being. 476 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:55,480 And just being able to recognize those things for me through the 477 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,600 practice of mindfulness and meditation and really leaning 478 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:02,200 into the sensory system was just huge. 479 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,360 I don't know about you. And I would love to know since 480 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:09,320 you discovered your Audio HD and you really started to unpack 481 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:14,600 what that means for you in your life and this beautiful stemming 482 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,520 and mindfulness practice and community that you've created, 483 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:22,400 what has been the most profound shift in your life personally, 484 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:26,040 professionally, you know, whatever that is for you, what 485 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,160 what's come up for you. Oh, so many things. 486 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,760 I just wanted to comment on the sensory stuff quickly before 487 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:33,360 sharing that the shifts in my life. 488 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,320 I'm a bit obsessed with this. So I, I, I kind of turned the 489 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,360 sensory stuff into a bit of a special interest. 490 00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:44,400 So I put hundreds of hours into a course in my community on 491 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,240 meeting your sensory needs. I have a very detailed sensory 492 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:50,520 self-assessment questionnaire and as you mentioned, our 493 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,200 sensory system can change throughout our life, you know, 494 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,560 during burnout and with hormone changes as well. 495 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,240 So looking at, you know, what's your profile? 496 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,440 Are you over responsive or under responsive or you know, 497 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:05,320 vestibular proprioception, all the 8 senses that we know of, 498 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,960 there could be more. What is your profile? 499 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,080 For example, for me. So vestibular, as you know, is 500 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,640 the, you know, the movement in your inner or the fluid in your 501 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,160 inner ears when your head moves, it sort of sends signals to your 502 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,160 brain about your, you know, position, space and time or 503 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:21,360 whatever. And some people are over 504 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:24,080 responsive to that, like me, I don't like to spin, I don't like 505 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:27,240 to be on roller coasters. But some people need that to 506 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:29,880 regulate. They they like to roller skate, 507 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,040 they like to be on fast rides, they like to spin. 508 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:36,840 So just knowing about knowing that about yourself can help you 509 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,760 understand what are the things I need to do sensory wise that 510 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:45,160 will help me regulate my body. And you know, a lot of I try to 511 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,720 integrate a lot of proprioceptive activities, which 512 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,840 is the feedback to the muscles, joints and tendons and you can 513 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,200 be over responsive to it, but it's very rare. 514 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,600 So it's kind of the occupational therapist go to let's get some 515 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:00,400 proprioceptive input. So I have some meditations where 516 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:02,760 I integrate that in there, you know, hugging A stuffy, 517 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,160 squeezing our hands together into fists, putting our tongue 518 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:10,000 to the roof of our mouth. So really I, I think the sensory 519 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,360 stuff is so, so important, but also understanding it's not just 520 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:14,880 about buying a bunch of fidget spinners. 521 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:19,040 What is it that you personally need for your sensory system and 522 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,640 how can you use that information to better meet your needs 523 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,120 throughout the day? Absolutely. 524 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,600 And if you are an unveiler and you are listening right now in 525 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,920 your toolkit, you have your sensory profile blueprint that 526 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,040 looks at all seven different areas of your sensory system, 527 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,240 including your sensory seeking and avoiding. 528 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,160 So you can get that really quick hit list of what comes and 529 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:45,040 regulates and helps you focus, What are the things that are 530 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,080 really disruptive and energy draining. 531 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,480 And you can get that really quick list right off the top in 532 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,000 that sensory profile blueprint. So make sure if you have haven't 533 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,760 dived in and used that and played with it yet, make sure 534 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,920 you do if you're an unveiler here, but I love that you do 535 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,560 that in your community and I didn't know that. 536 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,520 So I am loving that you have a little class on that. 537 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:10,640 But so here with us, like what has now that you know what you 538 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:14,040 know and you do what you do, what's been like the biggest 539 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,680 shift in your life for this? I mean, I it's I know how 540 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,160 magical it can be. It's almost like I can't believe 541 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,760 that was me back then and now this is me today. 542 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,800 Yeah, I mean, it was, it is a like a magical process. 543 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:30,400 I mean, sometimes, to be frank, it has been a painful process 544 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:32,680 of. Oh, for sure. 545 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:37,480 You know, not believing your neurodivergent because the for 546 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:42,040 the first, for the first year or two, I didn't believe it because 547 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,280 I was like, I need proof. I need, you know, people would 548 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,080 say, oh, you're not autistic. What are you talking about? 549 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:48,960 No, because they don't understand autism and nerve 550 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,600 divergent in female presenting folks. 551 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,240 So that was really hard, the imposter syndrome. 552 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,280 But then I started meeting other nerve divergent people and I'm 553 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,400 like, of course I am, you know, I'm very similar to all of you. 554 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:04,480 So it just that that connection with the community is what 555 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,520 helped me really step into my nerve divergent identity. 556 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,480 So I'm very grateful for that. I think one of the big biggest 557 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:16,840 changes is for I used to force myself to do things I thought I 558 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:19,600 should like or people expected me to like. 559 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,200 Like for example, going out for dinner with 10 friends at a 560 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,960 noisy restaurant on a Saturday. I just thought, OK, maybe I'm 561 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,280 just a bit anxious here. This should be fun. 562 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:32,360 I'm supposed to be having fun. But I wasn't and I would keep 563 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,800 forcing myself to do those things, trying to fit into the 564 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,240 mold of what everyone else thought I should be. 565 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,520 Kind of like I say, I was like a square peg shoving myself into a 566 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:43,400 round hole in the corners were breaking off. 567 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,880 If you kind of at a certain point begin to gaslight yourself 568 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:51,120 into thinking your needs and feelings and preferences are not 569 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,200 valid. And so they get forgotten and 570 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,760 ignored. But my body was kind of 571 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,680 screaming at me to listen, you know, hey, we don't like this. 572 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:03,080 This is social and sensory hell. And now that I have the lens, a 573 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:05,240 different lens through which to look at my, my life and 574 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,440 experiences, I know it wasn't just anxiety. 575 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:12,640 Yes, there was anxiety, but my sensory needs, you know, being 576 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,920 over responsive to noise, having trouble sitting at a table, 577 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,040 having trouble with the eye contact, auditory processing 578 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,400 differences, you know, not being able to keep track of multiple 579 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:25,040 conversations, the social anxiety. 580 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:29,520 Just understanding the reasons for my experience of anxiety 581 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:35,440 helped me to know what can I do to help myself in this, in this 582 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,360 moment. And I don't have to do this if I 583 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,800 don't want to. I don't have to like the things 584 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:41,360 that everyone else likes. I get to. 585 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:43,760 If I want to go to a quiet restaurant with one other 586 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,840 person, that's my progress. If I don't want to go, I don't 587 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,920 go anymore. I don't force myself to do 588 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,760 things that other people expect me to do anymore, especially if 589 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:57,240 I'm low on spoons, and that includes obligatory social 590 00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,920 gatherings. I just say no to them now if I 591 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:02,760 don't have the energy, and I don't feel any guilt anymore 592 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,000 that I'm doing something wrong for meeting my own needs. 593 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:07,960 So I'd say that's probably the biggest thing. 594 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:13,560 That is so powerful. Just that awareness, you know, 595 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:16,680 knowledge is freedom. Because then we get to choose 596 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,560 what works best for us. We get to, you know, say not now 597 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:22,800 or no. Not. 598 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,520 To always, not today, instead of like always feeling like we have 599 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:31,240 to force ourselves into that round hole and all of the edges 600 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:34,160 are getting, you know, shorn off and we're feeling like we've 601 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:36,160 just been skint to the bone right. 602 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:37,200 It's. Like our? 603 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,800 Endings are just raw and it's like. 604 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:43,640 This is fun. So much fun at this standard and 605 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,600 then feeling bad that you didn't have fun and, and feeling more 606 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,440 lonely at the end of it because it's like, well, these social 607 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,600 things are supposed to provide connection and they're not. 608 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,560 And it's this very confusing experience to feel lonely in the 609 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,480 presence of others when you're not being your true self. 610 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:02,840 You're not really connecting to others when when you're in that 611 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,560 that state of mind. You're really not. 612 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,800 And I'm really curious too, just on the professional side of 613 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:12,639 things. I mean, you mentioned going to 614 00:34:12,639 --> 00:34:15,760 all these big conferences in Las Vegas and all the socializing 615 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:21,800 and all the stuff and, you know, just being able to look at how 616 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,920 are you experiencing your professional life now with this 617 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:28,199 beautiful mindfulness done differently, the awarenesses 618 00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:31,400 about yourself. How has your meditation 619 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:35,520 mindfulness practice really moved into your your career 620 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,760 today? Yeah, well, oh, a lot's changed 621 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:42,040 since back then. I've been working full time 622 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:45,320 self-employed for the last 12 years and that change in itself 623 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:49,400 has been huge be having control over my own environment, getting 624 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:53,280 to decide what my schedule is. All of this is, you know, a big 625 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:56,000 opportunity. And I just want to be mindful 626 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,640 of, of the fact that not everyone has this opportunity. 627 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,560 Some people have to go to jobs they don't like, they have to 628 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:03,760 pay the bills, feed their family, and they're forced to do 629 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,320 this. So I, my heart goes out to if 630 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,240 that's the case, there are things you can do to help with 631 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:11,640 your sensory needs, you know, loop ear plugs, things like 632 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:13,520 that. But I get it, it's really hard. 633 00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:17,560 So I was privileged enough to be able to make that, that career 634 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:19,920 move. And my mindfulness practice has 635 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:24,240 changed because I have two young kids, a A7 year old and a 2 year 636 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:26,320 old. So I don't have a lot of time 637 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:30,280 and my life's really chaotic. So I like to as much as I can, I 638 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:31,920 try to do a meditation before bed. 639 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:33,800 I don't do one every day. So it's, it's OK. 640 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,200 Some days I skip it if I have to, if I'm really tired. 641 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:39,080 And I try to bring that mindfulness more into my day, 642 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:40,920 what I call free range mindfulness. 643 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,160 So when I'm on a walk, noticing the colors, you know, let's 644 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:46,520 notice the color brown, let's notice the color red. 645 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,880 And then paying attention to the feeling of my feet, noticing 646 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,680 thoughts, bringing it back to the meditation anchor, you know, 647 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,080 having more mindful moments, drinking my coffee in the 648 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:59,840 morning, noticing how the cup feels, what it smells like, what 649 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:01,720 it tastes like being in the garden. 650 00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:05,360 So all of these things can be considered mindfulness and 651 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,280 meditation. If you have your meditation 652 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,440 anchor, you focus your thoughts or your your attention back to 653 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:14,120 that, that anchor when your thoughts wander and drift. 654 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,320 All of life can be a meditation. You don't have to just be 655 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:21,360 sitting on a meditation cushion. So I like to approach it in that 656 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:25,320 way because it's it's more portable and I do the breath 657 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:27,280 work quite often. If I'm feeling a bit 658 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,640 overwhelmed, I do the square breathing, the diaphragmic 659 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,520 breathing. That's a go to for me as well. 660 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:35,360 But I just wanted to let everyone know that you don't 661 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:39,480 have to be doing this every single day in a very linear way. 662 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:43,280 You could do it for a couple days, skip a couple days, do 663 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:45,520 meditation in your garden, go for a walk. 664 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:48,040 It can be very easy and it doesn't have to be this rigid 665 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,960 practice that you're this punishing practice of. 666 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,880 I have to do this where that where it becomes something that 667 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:58,560 you use to suppress yourself. It should be a joyful addition 668 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:03,280 to your life, activities that you enjoy doing and coming back 669 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,600 to, and not something you force yourself to do or kind of use as 670 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,080 another reason to to beat yourself up. 671 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,760 That is so true. You know, I, I love that I, I 672 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:17,360 don't meditate every day either. I mean, I do breath work every 673 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:20,280 day because I, I do it before I ever get out of bed in the 674 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,640 morning because that's just part of what helps me feel better. 675 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,280 But you know, I, I started to look at it in a different way 676 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,440 and this is a question I asked myself, so I'm going to share 677 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:29,640 it. Maybe this is something that 678 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:32,440 might just be the thing that you needed to hear today. 679 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:36,800 When I think about any type of practice that I'm doing, 680 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:40,360 meditation, breath work, you know, going for a walk, any of 681 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:45,640 it, I kind of just check in for a minute with my body and I see 682 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:48,880 like, what's my brain speed? Is it fast, neutral or slow? 683 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,000 What kind of thoughts or words are kind of running through 684 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,040 right now? Is there a distinct feeling or 685 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:57,960 emotion that I'm having? And I know if I'm doing 686 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:02,440 something that's aligned in the moment, when I ask myself, do I 687 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:07,160 feel expansive in this? Do I feel like, like I, I am 688 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:11,080 sort of in the flow of things? Or do I feel restricted and 689 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:16,200 somehow more concrete, Right. And, and if I feel concrete, I 690 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,600 feel like I'm forcing something that I know that's not, it's not 691 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:21,280 the time. Maybe it's not the thing. 692 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,720 But if I have that sort of expansive feeling and it's kind 693 00:38:24,720 --> 00:38:29,320 of a flow, I think like water, that's when I know I'm I'm doing 694 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:33,440 the thing that's nourishing me. Yes, they love, I love your, 695 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:37,720 your metaphor of, of comparing it to water, because something I 696 00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:41,520 say is, I'll see if I can explain this properly, but don't 697 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:45,520 turn your river into concrete. Because I think we have this 698 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:48,960 idea that thoughts and feelings are this fixed thing. 699 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:50,880 What thing like a concrete statue. 700 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:55,360 But in reality, they're more of this fluid flowing thing that if 701 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,520 we if we pay attention to them and we're mindful of these 702 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:02,000 thoughts and feelings, they kind of just flow into the next one 703 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:07,080 and we can move on versus being so fixed on, you know, one state 704 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:09,600 of mind or emotion. And I think I mean folks with I 705 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:12,840 know you're, you're lexithymic to Carol Jean Somai. 706 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:18,160 I find that if I do my regular meditation practice, I'm not 707 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:20,360 saying this is true for everyone, but it does improve 708 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,040 for me. I start to notice bodily 709 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:27,000 sensations and emotions much more readily and more positive 710 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,760 emotions and and feelings of presence, you know, for example. 711 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:34,200 I mean, this is a bit of a weird example, but whatever, It's OK 712 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,080 to be weird here. Just let me. 713 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:39,440 I don't I don't know any other way to be so bring it. 714 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:44,040 Know, know your audience. But just looking at a bottle of 715 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,360 olive oil and thinking, wow, the bubbles are so beautiful. 716 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:50,920 I just find myself getting caught up in these ordinary, 717 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:55,120 beautiful moments of complete presence versus, you know, a 718 00:39:55,120 --> 00:40:00,240 break from that rumination. And with Alexithynia, you know, 719 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:02,480 if we can, I have a bunch of meditations on this. 720 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:06,240 If we can focus more into the sensations in the body, we can, 721 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:09,520 you know, and attach it to something we know brings us joy. 722 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:12,600 For example, special interests, which I called joy portals. 723 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:15,160 I have a meditation on this. We're reflecting on our special 724 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:18,040 interest, noticing what's happening in the body. 725 00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:21,240 We kind of start to create a blueprint for what that emotion 726 00:40:21,240 --> 00:40:24,360 might be. Is this joy I'm having tingles 727 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:26,920 in the right side of my head? Is that what joy feels like in 728 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:29,760 my body? Rather than just asking someone 729 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:31,840 what are you feeling, what's the emotion? 730 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:34,960 Because many people can't, can't say what that is. 731 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:39,120 So we're sort of doing a little bit of detective work to put 732 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:43,120 those create a bridge, if you will, to understanding and 733 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:47,640 feeling emotions in our body, which it it is possible. 734 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:49,960 We can improve that with meditation. 735 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:55,040 And that right there, folks, is mindfulness done differently. 736 00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:59,080 Sure is. That right there and I love it. 737 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:01,560 That is just, oh, it makes my heart so happy. 738 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:06,200 So, Tanya, if you could go back and speak to your younger self, 739 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:09,400 that version of you who felt like she was failing at 740 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:14,720 mindfulness, well-being, or just being human, what would you tell 741 00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:19,000 her right now? So many things I wish I could go 742 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:23,400 back, make a time machine. Well first of all, I would tell 743 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:27,280 her she's not broken, bad, wrong or too much or not enough. 744 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:30,520 I would tell her she's she's beautiful and worthy of love for 745 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:34,800 just existing, not performing. I would ask her to stop trying 746 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:38,440 to shove her square pegged self into round holes and, you know, 747 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:42,640 having those corners break off. And I I would tell her that 748 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:45,040 trying to change everything about herself to fit in means 749 00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:48,680 she's going to lose herself and everyone will fall in love with 750 00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:51,840 a mask, but that will inevitably just lead to loneliness. 751 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:54,040 And that's not what she deserves. 752 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:57,560 She deserves to be accepted, you know, for who she is to find her 753 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:01,040 weirdos and stop trying to make other people happy at the 754 00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:03,920 expense of herself, you know, making herself small. 755 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:06,720 And I tell her, you know, get the nose ring, dye your hair 756 00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:09,240 purple, get the bird tattoo. You know people are going to 757 00:42:09,240 --> 00:42:13,080 stare anyway, so it's OK to do the things you want to do and 758 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:15,280 you don't have to always run it through the lens of what will 759 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:17,400 people think and how will they judge me? 760 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,640 Because they're going to judge anyway, so might as well give 761 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:20,760 them something to look at, right? 762 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:24,720 That's so beautiful. And I mean, I kind of got me 763 00:42:24,720 --> 00:42:26,880 tearing up just a little bit, if I'm being honest. 764 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,880 I'm so glad that I I'm so glad I can be one of your weirdo 765 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:31,560 friends because I'm you're 1 of mine. 766 00:42:32,560 --> 00:42:34,600 Me too. You're such a, such a sparkly, 767 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:37,560 so neuro sparkly Carol Jean, you're the best. 768 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:41,080 Oh, thanks, Tanya. I feel the same way about you. 769 00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:45,840 And you know, if you just heard what Tanya said and it really 770 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:48,360 spoke to you and that's maybe something that you wanted to 771 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:54,240 tell your younger self, take that moment, take that moment 772 00:42:54,240 --> 00:42:56,560 right now and just put your hand on your heart. 773 00:42:57,520 --> 00:42:59,160 And you don't have to think anything. 774 00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:02,560 You can just even just like feel what you're feeling and just 775 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:05,520 send that to that younger version of you. 776 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:10,440 But then also claim that same love, that same grace, that same 777 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:15,400 kindness for yourself right now, the you that's here today, that 778 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:20,880 present beautiful, wonderfully wired, nerosparkly perfect, 779 00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:24,080 perfect thing that you are right now. 780 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:26,800 Because you don't need to be anything different. 781 00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:30,920 Yes, exactly. And we can we can re parent 782 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:32,920 ourselves. We can re parent our inner 783 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:35,360 child. You know, we haven't had a good 784 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:37,800 childhood. I mean, it's obviously seek out 785 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:41,120 therapy if you need to, but we can, we have that opportunity 786 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:46,000 now as adults to, to go back metaphorically and, and give our 787 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:47,800 child's self what they didn't get. 788 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:49,840 You know, we're, we're the responsible adults now. 789 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:52,640 We get to decide what love we extend. 790 00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:55,240 And that may seem a bit woo woo, but there's a lot of science 791 00:43:55,240 --> 00:43:59,280 around inner child work. I am so not responsible adult. 792 00:44:00,680 --> 00:44:07,640 Responsible enough? Thank gosh for people in my 793 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:13,440 life. I try to, I try to do the 794 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,600 adulting thing, but sometimes I just do it my own way and it may 795 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:19,360 not look like everybody else's version. 796 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,600 If that's you too, you're doing all right. 797 00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:26,000 Good. Enough. 798 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:30,440 Oh my goodness, Tinny, thank you so much for showing us that 799 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:35,080 peace doesn't have to be silent, that stillness doesn't have to 800 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:40,280 mean not moving or stemming, and that regulation can be 801 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:43,560 reimagined for every kind of brain and body. 802 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:47,600 You reminded us that we don't need to fit into someone else's 803 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:51,960 mold to feel grounded. We just need to come home to the 804 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:54,520 way we were designed to. Calm. 805 00:44:55,240 --> 00:44:57,320 To all of our unveilers listening. 806 00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:01,320 If you've ever thought, why can't I just relax like everyone 807 00:45:01,320 --> 00:45:03,760 else, I must be doing something wrong. 808 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,080 Or maybe meditation just isn't for me. 809 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:11,920 Please hear this, you are not too much, you just haven't been 810 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:15,120 offered the right kind of support for your beautifully 811 00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:19,200 wired brain and body. Please check out Tanya's amazing 812 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:22,160 experience with Mindfulness Done Differently. 813 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:25,760 We have a link down in the show notes so you can try it for 814 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:30,360 yourself and experience how STEM meditation can be playful, 815 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:34,160 fidgety and fun. You can use code Beyond Burnout 816 00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:38,680 with the link below and get your first 30 days for free. 817 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:43,680 Thank you for that gift, Tanya. This is exactly right. 818 00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:45,480 It's so sweet. I love it. 819 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:48,880 Because self-care September is all about exploration. 820 00:45:49,040 --> 00:45:50,800 It's about finding what works for you. 821 00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:54,440 And this is exactly what Beyond Chronic Burnout and Whittington 822 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:59,560 well-being are here to give you. A way to play, explore and find 823 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,360 what works for you, not someone else. 824 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:06,160 Take the Spicy Pepper Burnout Quiz today to discover your 825 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:10,280 burnout level from a Poblano level 1, where you might just be 826 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,800 simmering up to that Ghost Pepper Level 5 where you could 827 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:19,320 possibly so hot you're not. And receive our new free audio 828 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:23,600 miniseries customized to your exact burnout level. 829 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:27,720 This isn't generic advice. We don't do that around here. 830 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:32,560 It's built for your brain, your nervous system, and your healing 831 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:35,480 journey. Take the quiz now at Whittington 832 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:38,960 wellbeing.com or find the link in today's show notes. 833 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:44,600 Until next time, give yourself permission to find calm in your 834 00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:47,520 own way. You deserve peace, and it 835 00:46:47,520 --> 00:46:50,160 doesn't have to look like anyone else's. 836 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:54,840 See you next week. Thanks for being here. 837 00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:58,000 It's been quite all right. Energy mastery, let's turn the 838 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:02,400 tide. Top shelf guests dropping wisdom 839 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:04,560 bombs. Join us next week. 840 00:47:05,200 --> 00:47:09,920 Where the energy's strong be on crying run out, we're breaking 841 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:13,320 free. A gas pumping full of energy. 842 00:47:13,480 --> 00:47:16,200 Tips and tricks to push your fight. 843 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:19,760 Fast pace and fun. You'll feel alive. 844 00:47:20,880 --> 00:47:25,480 Energy mastery. Come along for the ride behind 845 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:35,960 the on the rise. Join us as we form our top Shut 846 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:36,280 guests.