We all face those moments in life when everything feels out of control—when something happens that shakes us and pulls us into a reactive state. Whether it's a situation that causes anxiety, a fear response that tightens our chest, or the urge to fix something immediately to escape uncomfortable feelings, these moments can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from our center.  

But what if there was a way to prepare for these moments before they arise? A practice that helps us not only manage difficult emotions, but also transform them into opportunities for peace and growth?  

In my experience as a yoga therapist and somatic healer, I’ve learned that the tools we use in our formal practices—like yoga, breathwork, prayer, meditation, and nervous system regulation—don’t just offer us calm during peaceful moments on the mat. They are there to serve us when life pulls us into the more challenging, messy moments too.  

A Real-Life Example of How Our Practice Helps Us Respond 

Recently, I had a powerful reminder of how our practices support us, not just in quiet, peaceful settings, but in the moments that really stretch us.  

I was at a gymnastics free-play with my toddler, simply there to play with my kid. But my attention was pulled toward a child who appeared to be alone, without an adult present to supervise them. As a parent, I felt the rush of anxiety, fear, and discomfort—the kind that tightens your chest and leaves you feeling powerless. I wanted someone else to step in and take control, to relieve me of the discomfort of not knowing what might happen.  

I took action, alerting the responsible adult, but the discomfort didn’t leave me immediately. I still felt the unease, the anxiety, and the rush of adrenaline.  

That’s when I had to ask myself: Am I going to let this situation steal my peace?

The Power of Yoga, Breathwork, and Somatic Practice in These Moments  

This is where our practices—yoga, breathwork, and somatic healing—come into play. They are more than just tools for relaxation. They are powerful practices that **reshape** our nervous system, allowing us to respond to life’s triggers with more clarity and calm.  

Each time we take a moment to slow down and breathe, we are building a sacred reservoir of peace and presence inside us.  

The more we practice these tools, the more we develop the ability to:  
✨ Pause before we react.  
✨ Stay present instead of getting caught up in fear or anxiety.  
✨ Soften instead of spiraling into overwhelm.  
✨ Trust that we can choose how we respond to challenging situations.  

Over time, yoga and somatic practices **rewire our nervous systems** to help us stay grounded in the present moment, even when life feels chaotic.  

How Consistent Practice Changes the Way We Live

I want to remind you—if you’re ever wondering whether your practice is “working,” it is. Even in those moments when you feel overwhelmed, or when your nervous system is in a heightened state, your practice is working behind the scenes to help you stay calm, present, and trusting in your ability to navigate life’s challenges.  

When we approach these moments with a practice that has already shaped us, we choose peace instead of letting our emotions take control.  

If you feel like you’re in a season of life where you need extra support to deepen this work, I’m here for you. Whether it’s through 1:1 coaching, guided yoga and somatic healing sessions, or simply connecting with you over a conversation, I’m ready to offer support.  

Join Me at the Next Nourished & Whole Retreat 

If you’re feeling the pull to deepen your practice and reconnect to yourself, consider joining me for the next Nourished & Whole Retreat. In this retreat, we’ll explore yoga, breathwork, and somatic healing in a supportive environment to help you nurture your nervous system and fill your sacred reservoir.  

🧘‍♀️ Nourished & Whole Retreat with Chef Tanner marino
📅 Sunday, March 23rd | 3-6pm at GIFT Counseling Center for Wellness

You know that moment when everything clicks—when you have the big realization, the spiritual breakthrough, the deep moment of clarity?

It’s like the skies part, angels sing, and for a second, you see it all so clearly.

I’ve had a lot of these moments over the years. And for a long time, I thought they were it—the turning point, the thing that would finally shift everything.

But here’s what I’ve learned… breakthroughs don’t change us. Integration does.

Because after every big moment of insight, life keeps moving. Patterns resurface. And if we don’t do the deeper work—if we don’t let our bodies catch up to what our minds now understand—we end up circling the same struggles.

Healing Isn’t Just a Mindset Shift

​I’ve seen this in my own life, especially in my relationship with trust.
​
Trusting myself.
Trusting money.
Trusting support.
Trusting that life (and God, and the universe) actually has me.

And whew, that’s been some real work.

Even after all the healing, the growth, the somatic work, I’ve still found parts of me holding on, gripping, bracing against life—waiting for proof that I’m safe. That I’m loved. That everything is okay.

And that’s where the real transformation happens: in the nervous system, in the body, in the space where those old patterns live.

Because the truth is, most of us don’t struggle because we don’t know what to do. We struggle because our bodies haven’t caught up to our wisdom.

The Missing Piece: Nervous System Repatterning

We can have all the awareness in the world, but if our nervous system is still wired for survival—if it’s still stuck in old patterns of fawning, freezing, or gripping tightly to control—no amount of mindset work will move us forward.

For me, this has looked like…

✨ Doing the deep nervous system work to unhook from old scarcity patterns.
✨ Letting go of the need to constantly prove my worth.
✨ Learning how to soften, to trust, to receive without bracing.

And let me tell you—it’s not always pretty. Healing isn’t just one big aha moment and suddenly you’re free. It’s a process of rewiring—one breath, one choice, one somatic shift at a time.

So How Do You Actually Grow Into The Next Version of You?

1️⃣ You slow down enough to listen. Your body is always giving you signals. The gripping, the tension, the anxious buzzing and the disconnect from your body? That’s unprocessed survival energy.

2️⃣ You stop just thinking your way through it. Insight is beautiful, but transformation happens when you feel the shift in your body and when you learn to embody it fully. 

3️⃣ You repattern your nervous system so that safety, trust, and ease become your new normal.

That’s the key. That’s how you actually grow into the new version of you.

Because you don’t need another breakthrough—you need the path to embody it. And that’s exactly what I want to share with you.

If you know you’re ready to go deeper—to break free from old patterns, rewire your nervous system, and step into the next level of your healing and growth—I’d love to support you 1:1.

This is the work I do with my private clients: helping you integrate the big breakthroughs, rewire the deeper patterns, and step into a life that feels more free, aligned, and effortless.
If you’re feeling the nudge, let’s talk.

​You can explore my 1:1 Coaching and Yoga Therapy here. 

One breath, one shift at a time. 💫

One of the most profound gifts of yoga is that it puts the power back in your hands.

At the same time... it teaches you to surrender, trust, and allow the divine to hold you.

This balance of empowerment and surrender is what makes yoga so deeply healing. And it’s why I created my The Nourished Woman Membership—to help women like you experience this transformation in a way that’s accessible, supportive, and grounded in real life.

Owning Your Power Through Yoga

Yoga isn’t just about movement. It’s a practice of reclaiming yourself on every level:

✨ Physically: Coming Home to Your Body
Your body holds so much wisdom—it just needs space to be heard. Through breath, awareness, and intentional practices, you can unwind tension, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with your innate capacity for balance and healing. This isn’t about achieving a perfect pose; it’s about feeling good in your body again.

✨ Energetically: Tending to Your Sacred Energy
Everything is energy—your words, actions, the people you surround yourself with. Yoga helps you recognize and direct your energy intentionally, giving you the tools to protect your peace, set boundaries, and cultivate what truly nourishes you.

✨ Mentally: Untangling from Illusions
So often, we get caught in old patterns, limiting beliefs, and stories that keep us stuck. Yoga helps you step back, see clearly, and shift from feeling trapped to feeling free. You become more aware, more present, and more capable of choosing a new way forward.

✨ Spiritually: Trusting That You’re Held
When we’re disconnected from spirit, life can feel like an uphill battle. Yoga fills that space—not with something external, but with a deep, unshakable connection to yourself and the divine. You don’t have to hold it all alone. You can exhale. You can trust.

Ready to Feel the Difference?

These teachings are woven into every part of my The Nourished Woman Membership.

✔️ Short, potent practices (15-30 min) designed to fit your real life
✔️ Gentle, somatic-based yoga that helps you regulate your nervous system
✔️ Guided tools for deeper healing—beyond just movement
✔️ A supportive community of women walking this path alongside you
✔️ A monthly group gathering to keep you inspired and connected

If you’re ready to feel lighter, more at home in your body, and more connected to yourself and spirit, this is your invitation. 

​I'm here holding the vision of what's possible for you, and the reality is - no one is coming to save you - except YOU. The sooner you own your power, the sooner you can start feeling more free. 

Which part of yoga has been the most healing for you? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Have you been craving a space to slow down, reconnect, and truly care for yourself? Imagine setting aside three hours where the only thing you have to do is show up—to be guided, nurtured, and deeply supported in your own healing.

That’s exactly what Nourished & Whole Retreat is all about.

Join us on Saturday, February 22nd, from 9am-12pm at GIFT Counseling Center in Greenville, SC for a retreat designed to bring you back home to yourself. Whether you come alone, with a friend, or with a partner, this experience is open to women, men, and LGBTQIA+ folks who are ready to embrace self-care in a deeply restorative way.

What to Expect:

🌿 A Warm, Welcoming Space – You’ll be greeted with a cozy mug of tea, soft music, and a sense of ease as you step into a space intentionally created for rest and renewal.

🧘 Two Hours of Gentle Yoga, Relaxation & Somatic Healing – Led by a seasoned Yoga Therapist, this practice will help you release stress, reconnect with your body, and drop into blissful rest.

🍽 A Nourishing, Chef-Prepared Meal – A top-notch Chef will serve you a beautifully crafted, healthy meal made with love and intention. Savor each bite, knowing that this time is just for you.

🧘 Meditation & Chanting – To close our time together, we’ll sit in meditation and chanting, re-patterning the nervous system, centering ourselves, and deepening our connection to the present moment.

Why Join Us?

Because you need time to pause. To be cared for. To feel Nourished & Whole.
This retreat isn’t about doing more—it’s about allowing yourself to receive and walk away feeling lighter, refreshed, and deeply supported in a way that ripples out positively impacting you, your kids, partner and community. 

✨ Space is limited, and we would love to have you there! ✨

Healing from childhood trauma is a journey that unfolds in layers. Just when you think we’ve processed it all, new insights and emotions can surface, asking for your attention. This is a natural part of the healing process—each time you revisit your experiences, you gain a deeper understanding and the ability to move forward with greater clarity.

Healing is Not Linear

You will have periods where you feel light and steady. Other days, emotions rise like a storm—unexpected tears, a heavy heart, or a sense of overwhelm. This isn’t a setback; it’s part of how the nervous system releases and integrates past experiences. Trust the process. 

An Integrative Approach is Best

Trauma isn’t just stored in the mind; it lives in the body, shaping how we respond to stress, relationships, and daily life.

Healing requires more than just thinking through your past—it requires reconnecting with the body, regulating the nervous system, and creating space for emotional processing. Yoga, breathwork, and somatic healing techniques help support this process by allowing emotions to move through rather than remain stuck.

If you find yourself navigating old wounds resurfacing, here are 5 key practices to support your healing:

5 Ways to Support Your Healing Journey

✅ Trust Yourself
Healing takes courage, and you are capable of doing hard and meaningful work. It’s okay to ask for support along the way—whether from a therapist, a coach, or a trusted friend. You don’t have to go through it alone.

✅ Tame Shame
Shame often tells us we are broken or unworthy, but these feelings are not the truth. Shame is a protective response, and healing begins when we acknowledge it with kindness. Talking to someone who listens without judgment can help shift the narrative.

✅ Observe & Feel
Emotions need to be processed, not suppressed. Give yourself permission to acknowledge what happened, how it shaped you, and the impact it had. By witnessing your emotions rather than getting lost in them, you create space for healing.

✅ Regulate Your Nervous System
The nervous system needs care during and after emotional processing. Grounding techniques such as deep breathing, gentle movement, or simply bringing awareness to the present moment can help restore a sense of safety. Small practices—like a warm cup of tea, stretching, or stepping outside for fresh air—can make a significant difference in how you feel.

✅ Embody Your Body
Trauma lives in the body, and processing it isn’t just about talking—it’s about moving, feeling, and repatterning your nervous system. This is why yoga and somatic practices are so powerful. They help us process and balance what words alone can’t touch.  

Healing Is a Lifelong Journey

Trauma often teaches people to abandon their needs, mold themselves to fit others’ expectations, or tolerate unhealthy situations. But healing teaches the opposite—to honor your emotions, set boundaries, and reclaim your sense of self.

Wherever you are in your healing journey, know that progress isn’t about perfection—it’s about creating space for growth, self-compassion, and getting aligned support.

Looking for a guide? Here’s How We Can Work Together:


 1:1 Coaching & Yoga Therapy – Personalized guidance to help you navigate your growth & healing journey. I blend yoga therapy, somatics, nervous system and inner work to help you thrive. Learn more here.

The Nourished Woman Membership – On-demand bite-sized yoga & somatic healing to support your nervous system. Quietly, I’ve kept the doors open to this despite plans to close it and I’ve loved seeing some of you join each week. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll keep them open, but for now you can join anytime. Find out about the membership here. 

Nourished and Whole Retreats – A half-day immersive experience to counterbalance, reconnect to your body, mind and spirit, and be nourished hosted by my husband and I. First one is February 16th from 3-6pm at GIFT Counseling in Greenville.  Sign up while you can here.

Have you ever caught yourself snapping at your kids or feeling completely overwhelmed by the smallest tasks? That gap between the version of yourself you dream of and the one showing up every day often stems from a dysregulated nervous system.

When your nervous system is out of balance, life feels harder. It’s like being stuck in survival mode—reacting instead of thriving, disconnecting instead of embracing. Many of us are living this way, especially after years of giving more to others than to ourselves.

But here’s the hope: it doesn’t have to stay this way. Yoga offers a gentle, powerful path to healing.

Yoga and somatic practices help you reconnect with your body, release stored tension, and invite calm back into your life. These tools don’t just change how you feel in the moment—they rewire your nervous system over time, helping you become more resilient and present.

Imagine showing up as the mom, woman, and friend you truly want to be—not just in flashes, but every day. Imagine pausing, breathing, and responding instead of reacting. That’s the gift of healing your nervous system. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about feeling more like *yourself* again.

This is why I created The Nourished Woman Membership. It’s designed to meet you where you are, offering short, accessible yoga and somatic healing practices that fit into even the busiest days. Whether you have 15 minutes or half an hour, these guided sessions support you in calming your mind, strengthening your body, and re-centering your spirit.

You’ll also find:

- A clear path forward: Practices rooted in nervous system science to help you heal and thrive.
- Flexibility: On-demand videos you can access anytime.
- Community: A group of women who understand and support you.
- Live connection: Monthly gatherings to ground and grow together.

When your nervous system is regulated, everything changes. You feel lighter, more connected, playful and more in tune with yourself and your relationships.

​That’s what this membership is about—helping you step into the version of yourself you’ve been longing to be.

Do you ever feel like you’re a sponge for other people’s moods, emotions, and vibes? Like you’re carrying not just your own feelings, but everyone else’s too?

If so, you might notice things like:

- Giving so much of your time, energy, and presence that you’re left feeling unsupported and completely out of balance.
- Always tuned into what others want, need, or feel—but forgetting to check in with what *you* want or need.
- Feeling emotionally wiped out after an interaction with your child, a friend, family member, or co-worker. Maybe you find yourself slipping into people-pleasing, zoning out, or numbing (hello, Netflix marathon).

If any of that sounds familiar, I just want to say: I. See. You.

Why This Happens

I’ve been there too. And honestly, this pattern of losing connection with yourself is so much more common than you might realize. A lot of us have been taught—directly or indirectly—to put others first, even when it leaves us feeling drained.

I’m reading this amazing book right now by Rachel Rodgers, and she writes: “...we routinely accept less money for our work, give away our skills for free, or don’t believe we are worth more. We put other people’s needs before our own. And we fear the discomfort of disappointing people, saying no, and putting up boundaries.”

Wow, right? It’s like she’s calling all of us out—in the best way.

The Holiday Season Makes It Even Harder

And now, here comes the holiday season. If you’re anything like me, the to-do list gets longer, and the time for self-care shrinks. As a mom of three kids married to a chef, I feel you. It’s a lot.

But let’s be real: it’s not just about having too much to do. A big part of what makes this time of year so overwhelming is the old patterns in our nervous systems—stuff we’ve picked up from past experiences and from absorbing other people’s emotions.

When these patterns kick in, they can send us into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. And when that happens? Boom. We’re totally disconnected from ourselves.

What That Disconnection Feels Like

When you’re disconnected, you lose touch with your body, your needs, and your wants. Boundaries feel impossible. Slowing down feels like a luxury you can’t afford. And self-care? Forget it. It’s the first thing to go.

No wonder you end up feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and out of sync with who you really are.

The Good News

Here’s the thing: this doesn’t have to be your reality. The answer lies in reconnecting with yourself—and that starts with boundaries, self-care, and learning how to manage your energy. It’s about finding your balance again so you can show up as the best version of you—not just for others, but for yourself too.

One Simple Action You Can Take Right Now

If this is hitting home for you, I’ve got something that might help. I put together a two minute private podcast (see below) on how to protect your energy using a body, mind, and spirit approach. It’s not about overhauling your life overnight. It’s about taking small, meaningful steps that add up to big changes.

You deserve to feel supported. You deserve to feel balanced and connected to yourself. And you’re absolutely worthy of taking up space and prioritizing your needs.

I’m here to remind you of that—and to walk with you as you start reclaiming your energy and your life. You’ve got this.

The work you've done in psychotherapy and counseling, as long as it was with a well aligned practitioner is immensely helpful. In talk therapy, you have a space to share what's on your heart, recalibrate your mind and build emotional skills. 

Personally, I see a therapist on a monthly basis and have had many periods of life where I went more often while processing really hard things. For me therapy, gives me a neutral space to sort through things, ask myself questions and have her reflect back to me things I'm too close up to notice. Knowing she is out there in the world for me to lean on...is so comforting. 

Also, personal growth, healing and evolution are a WHOLE SELF experience. They encompass your body including your nervous system, mind, spirit and life and these other aspects of Self are often missing in the talk therapy relationship. 

It's limiting to think that psychotherapy is the only place where we can go to improve our mental well-being, process trauma and suffer less. There are so many places to do inner work, outside of psychotherapy. 

Evidence and experience shows us that mental health is not just about your mind. 

In fact, a large part of the struggles you have mentally stem from things your nervous system and body are holding. 

Ironically, modern lives and past traumas (big and small) disconnect you even further from your body. 

Now, more than ever you need body-based approaches that re-pattern your nervous system, gently release what your body is holding and bring you back to your wholeness. 

This is where yoga and yoga therapy really excel, because this mystical tool box and philosophy is for your WHOLE self. Dr. Timothy McCall said in his book, "Yoga as Medicine," that yoga is like one stop shopping...it's unique because you can work on your relationship with your body, nervous system, breath, tap into energy medicine, illuminate limiting beliefs, emotionally balance, connect to the God of your understanding and live a more purposeful, meaningful life. 

Most people have no idea just how vast, helpful and impactful yoga truly is and I'd like to help you discover how it can help you feel more at ease, joyful and confident. 

If you're interested in learning more about a yogic body-based approach to mental well-being, join me for my upcoming workshop Beyond Therapy: Yoga, Somatic and Nervous System tools for Improved Mental Health.  

One of the MOST helpful skills you could ever learn is to understand your nervous system and how to regulate it. 

Your nervous system is KEY to growth and healing work. You can do all the mindset work in the world, but if you leave out your nervous system you're going to keep repeating the same patterns, feeling stuck and frustrated because you are aware of the issue, but can't seem to move beyond it in a lasting way. 

Watch this video for a quick info to learn about your nervous system, find out the state of your nervous system is in now and learn how to help yourself feel more at ease, joyful and whole.