A Gentler way of Living with Joanna Waddell

In today’s episode of the Tranquil Awakenings Podcast, Debbie will be in conversation with Joanna Waddell who is a counsellor, and a breathwork and meditation teacher.

After rushing around and attempting to do it all, Joanna became ill with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). As she began to search for answers to assist with her recovery, she came to realise that we are encouraged to spend so much time being busy that we spend little time on our self-care. Understanding that this had to change, Joanna embarked on embracing a gentler way of living, something which she now nurtures within her clients and herself.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Rest and self-care need to be seen as a priority.
• In order to function in our lives effectively, we need to take care of ourselves.
• What is happening in the world around us can impact our health and wellbeing.
• Community is important for wellbeing.
• Resting is a skill that many of us need to learn which needs to be practised.
• Our body and mind communicate with us to give us messages.
• We are a part of the natural world and when we connect with it, we feel better.

BEST MOMENTS

• “I found myself listening to their stories. It felt really important to listen to people's stories. And I found I worried that I didn't know how to listen appropriately to people's stories.”
• “And then I was kind of doing self-care, sort of tacked on to the end of a very long day if I had anything left. And yeah, I just started to become really ill. I got brain fog, that was so bad. I couldn't recognize people's faces. I couldn't drive. I was so exhausted.”
• “I felt a great deal of shame about getting so sick when I kind of should have known better because I was caring for other people's mental health and the knock-on effects on their physical health and yet managed to get so ill myself.”
• “And so, I sort of created it as, you know, a gentle way of living for people, for communities, and for the planet.”
• “I realized that actually a big part of what people need is community and, places to be together with other people who, you know, want to live more gently, to sort of share ideas, but also to learn practices of rest.”
• “Whereas now I if I have those sorts of playful thoughts, I think that's what my body's asking for you know and go and do it.”

HOST BIO

Debbie is a seasoned therapist whose journey from being a primary school teacher to an adept therapist has been fuelled by her fascination with the intricacies of human nature. Equipped with advanced certifications in diverse modalities like hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming, mindfulness, meditation, past life regression and many more she has honed her expertise to bring about transformative change.

As a full-time therapist and trainer, Debbie's driving passion is guiding others, as well as herself, towards their best selves. Embracing the concept of holistic beings, she firmly believes in addressing the mental, emotional, physical, social, energetic, and spiritual facets of well-being and healing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.