Pain isn’t just about tissue, it’s about the story your body tells after the tissue heals. In this episode, we explore how the nervous system learns protection, why fear and pain share the same circuitry, and how small acts of safe movement can rewrite the body’s story. Featuring insights from neuroscience, patient stories, and Alex Honnold’s “Free Solo” mindset, this episode invites you to see your body not as broken, but as remembering and ready to relearn safety.
In this opening episode of the How to Heal series, we begin with three threads that shape every healing journey: pain, love, and loss. I share why understanding the brain’s role in pain is the foundation for recovery, and how unhealed experiences both physical and emotional can keep us stuck in cycles of suffering. Through reflection, compassion, and perspective, this episode invites you to see pain not as the end of your story, but as a doorway to transformation.
What if the version of you that’s stuck in pain… is only alive because you keep rehearsing it?
In this episode, we explore what it really means to change not just think differently, but to become different. Through the lens of neuroscience, cellular biology, identity, and behavior, we’ll unpack how healing requires more than tools or tricks—it requires the biological death of the old self.
You’ll learn:
Why thoughts, emotions, and behaviors become embedded in your biology
How rehearsing pain—mentally and physically—keeps you stuck
What true transformation looks like at the cellular level
Why identity must evolve for healing to last
How to use daily awareness to interrupt old patterns and build new ones
Real-life examples of pain, movement, and emotional rewiring
This episode is a call to stop tweaking the old story… and start becoming the person you’re meant to be.
You don’t just heal by doing. You heal by becoming.
And the process starts now.
This week, I took on the dopamine detox challenge to see if cutting out instant gratification really makes a difference. From battling my phone to finding joy in simple moments, I’m sharing the highs, the lows, and the surprising lessons I learned along the way. Tune in to hear how a week without screens, snacks, and distractions reset my brain—and why it might be worth a try for you too.
In this episode of The EverythingMatters Podcast, we explore the role of dopamine in motivation, pleasure, and pain. With insights from Dr. Anna Lembke, we’ll uncover how chasing instant gratification can throw our brain’s balance off and why leaning into discomfort might be the secret to better health. Plus, meet Sam, whose journey from dopamine overload to finding balance offers some valuable lessons. Tune in for humor, relatable stories, and practical tips for restoring your dopamine balance.
Today, we’re going to dive into something that has changed my perspective on life, healing, and even chronic pain—the *Map of Consciousness* by David Hawkins. Now, if you haven’t heard of it, don’t worry. We’re going to break it down together, and by the end of this episode, I hope you’ll see how understanding this map can help you navigate everything from emotional turmoil to physical pain.
I tell the Story of Alex and Taylor's Hike up the hill of consciousness and Mark's story of overcoming chronic low back pain by ascending the levels of consciousness.
Today, we’re exploring how our beliefs shape us biologically. I want to touch on neuroplasticity, the placebo effect, stress responses, gene expression, and more. And, to make it real, I’m going to take you through some emotional stories and examples of how these concepts play out in our lives—because, let’s face it, this isn’t just science. It’s *life.*
Thanks to everyone who has participated as a guest and thanks to everyone who has chosen to listen to the podcast. I appreciate your support and helping me build this project. I will be taking a break for a little while and wanted to leave you with a goodbye for now and a review of what we have done together.
This week we have Siera Heaton. Siera is a licensed marriage and family therapist focusing on chronic pain, anxiety and trauma. She runs the Creek Retreat, a unique chronic pain and illness retreat outside of Zion National Park.
We have a fun conversation about pain and emotions and discuss the way out of suffering.
You can find her here: https://www.sieraheatontherapy.com/the-creek-retreat
Learn the simple steps to letting go
You will here about a patients success story of letting go and the 5 step process that you can start implementing everyday.
Meet Rick Visser
Rick is an Iraq war veteran who struggled with substance abuse that led to him being a homeless alcoholic and in a psych ward by age 23. Rick has lived a great deal of life in a short amount of time and through all his pain and rehabilitation he found a passion for facilitating internal growth and peace in people. He has been mentoring and teaching for the last 10 years and has been a life coach for the past 6. He owns a life coaching company called True Freedom Coaching. You can find his Instagram @truefreedom_coaching and Living the P.R.O.M.I.S.E
Rick shares his amazing origin story and we discuss life-skills to help you take back your free agency and live the life you were meant to live.
This week I sit down with Tami.
Tami tells her story of how she overcame her chronic back pain, emotional breakdown, depression, and the end of her long term relationship with a cross country move, strength, resilience and love.
She had lost hope that she could return to the active lifestyle she loved to live after a back injury that led to surgery and an eventual diagnosis of chronic vertebrogenic low back pain.
We hope her story will inspire you and help give you strength to overcome your own challenges
How do we learn to be more present and learn to take action to live more and embrace the beauty and miracle of life. Find yourself motivated to be a better self with this episode and learn 10 ways to live in the now.
Fear plays a significant role in our growth. Our ability to allow it to be felt and use it as a tool to better understand and expand ourselves is crucial to life success.
Rather you struggle with challenging your body, your mind or your soul this episode will give you some insight and tools to use to move forward with fear and change the process of your life.
Part 2 of Somatic tracking
Try this exercise to calm your pain, improve emotional regulation and improve your overall well being.
Great for anyone with physical or emotional pain/discomfort
Do it as a daily practice and change your nervous system!!!
In this episode you will learn the benefits of somatic tracking for pain, sensitivity and emotional regulation.
Somatic tracking is a mindfulness technique where you focus on bodily sensations to become more aware of your physical experience in the present moment. It involves paying attention to sensations like tension, relaxation, warmth, or coldness in different parts of your body, helping you better understand and regulate your emotions and stress levels.
This week we discuss herniated discs and a better understanding behind healing and recovery.
The good news is....... Discs heal! Discs heal just like all the other tissues of the human body and if you have chronic back/neck pain related to disc injuries from the past, the good news is you don't have to be stuck in a cycle of pain and suffering, you have hope too!
Learn to better understand disc anatomy
Learn to better understand the data/stats behind disc injuries
Learn to better understand how to get your body and your life back
Learn more about intervertebral discs, herniations, imaging and all the things that need to be accounted for when going through the recovery process after this type of injury.
We're BACK!!!
This is season 2 of the EverythingMatters Podcast
This week learn about the foundational need of trust for health and healing.
Rather it be physical or emotional injury that has caused us to distrust. The process of rebuilding trust and gaining quality of life is quite similar.
This week I sit down with Brandon Lewis
Brandon is a Certified Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner
We will be discussing all things related to heart health. Brandon tells the story of his wife's heart surgery and how that experience led him to a passion for helping patients with their heart health.
We discuss how nutrition, anxiety, sleep, exercise and happiness all play crucial roles in having a healthier heart and life.
So many cultures look to the heart to understand human life. It’s a symbol of love. Its a symbol of courage, its a symbol of passion and a symbol of living life. The heart starts beating while we are still growing in the womb and it beats and beats and beats until the end of life. It’s the perfect definition of consistency. It is always working and changing its rhythm to meet the demands of our life. It speeds up when we need it to and it slows down when we need rest. It pumps our life blood. It circulates our oxygen, our hormones and with many other things it circulates our healing. Every tissue of the human body depends on the heart to supply the nutrients we need through our blood stream to continue growing, changing and adapting. The best healers have a strong heart both literally and figuratively.
Paige's Story
Paige has been through a life of obstacles.
It's the perfect example of how you gotta "Feel it to Heal it" She has overcome so much and is one of the most beautiful souls you will ever meet!
From dyslexia, physical assault, dissociation, knee reconstruction, being in a car accident and coming to us while trying to recover from a traumatic brain injury.
Why does Feeling Matter? Listen and Heal as you learn the importance of listening to your body and mind.
Dr. Tyler Burton will also be joining us for insight in how Paige turned things around and created something beautiful out of destruction.