Ep9: Perceiving & Pulsing: How Your Senses and Circulatory System Keep You Thriving

02/03/25 • 38 min

In Episode 9 of your body speaks, Dr. Brook Sheehan explores two essential functions of the body—perceiving and pulsing. From how your body interprets the world around you through sight, sound, touch, and even lesser-known senses, to how your heart and circulatory system keep every cell nourished and thriving, this episode uncovers the hidden intelligence behind these vital processes.

You’ll discover how sensory perception shapes your daily experiences, why proper circulation is the key to vitality, and simple ways to optimize these systems for better health.

Key Takeaways:

The Seven Senses: Beyond sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, learn about interoception (internal awareness) and proprioception (body positioning).
How Sensory Perception Works: The role of the thalamus as your body’s "Grand Central Station" for processing external and internal signals.
The Power of the Circulatory System: How your heart, blood vessels, and lymphatic system keep oxygen and nutrients flowing while removing waste.
Nitric Oxide’s Role in Blood Flow: The surprising ways diet, breathing, and lifestyle impact circulation and overall well-being.
Managing Sensory Overload: How to recognize signs of overstimulation and practical techniques to restore balance.

Memorable Moments:

The Smell & Memory Connection: Why certain scents trigger strong emotional responses and how your brain processes them differently from other senses.
Brain Overload & Sensory Fatigue: How too much sensory input can shut down parts of the brain, leading to headaches, anxiety, and burnout.
The Circulatory System as a Highway: A simple analogy to understand how your heart, blood, and lymphatics transport oxygen, nutrients, and waste.
Boosting Nitric Oxide Naturally: The best foods and breathing techniques to improve circulation and heart health.

What to Expect in Future Episodes:

Next, we’ll explore pumping and purging—how your body pushes, filters, and eliminates what it doesn’t need to stay in balance.

Quote of the Episode:

“Your body is always perceiving and pulsing, adjusting and responding in ways you may never notice—but when you learn to tune in, you unlock a whole new level of health and vitality.”

Connect with Dr. Brook:

Website: www.drbrooksheehan.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrooksheehan
Join the Community: https://mailchi.mp/e9cc16e7ba0a/join-our-community

Tune in now to learn how your senses and circulation are shaping your health every second of the day!

You’ll discover how sensory perception shapes your daily experiences, why proper circulation is the key to vitality, and simple ways to optimize these systems for better health.

Key Takeaways:

The Seven Senses: Beyond sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, learn about interoception (internal awareness) and proprioception (body positioning).
How Sensory Perception Works: The role of the thalamus as your body’s "Grand Central Station" for processing external and internal signals.
The Power of the Circulatory System: How your heart, blood vessels, and lymphatic system keep oxygen and nutrients flowing while removing waste.
Nitric Oxide’s Role in Blood Flow: The surprising ways diet, breathing, and lifestyle impact circulation and overall well-being.
Managing Sensory Overload: How to recognize signs of overstimulation and practical techniques to restore balance.

Memorable Moments:

The Smell & Memory Connection: Why certain scents trigger strong emotional responses and how your brain processes them differently from other senses.
Brain Overload & Sensory Fatigue: How too much sensory input can shut down parts of the brain, leading to headaches, anxiety, and burnout.
The Circulatory System as a Highway: A simple analogy to understand how your heart, blood, and lymphatics transport oxygen, nutrients, and waste.
Boosting Nitric Oxide Naturally: The best foods and breathing techniques to improve circulation and heart health.

What to Expect in Future Episodes:

Next, we’ll explore pumping and purging—how your body pushes, filters, and eliminates what it doesn’t need to stay in balance.

Quote of the Episode:

“Your body is always perceiving and pulsing, adjusting and responding in ways you may never notice—but when you learn to tune in, you unlock a whole new level of health and vitality.”

Connect with Dr. Brook:

Website: www.drbrooksheehan.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrooksheehan
Join the Community: https://mailchi.mp/e9cc16e7ba0a/join-our-community

Tune in now to learn how your senses and circulation are shaping your health every second of the day!

Previous Episode

Ep8: Contracting & Connecting: Unlocking the Power of Your Muscles and Nervous System

In Episode 8 of your body speaks, Dr. Brook Sheehan dives into two essential processes that keep your body thriving—contracting and connecting. Learn how your skeletal muscles and nervous system work together to support strength, balance, and overall health. Discover why these systems are vital for longevity, cognitive function, and even maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

With practical tips and actionable advice, this episode empowers you to optimize your workouts, improve neural communication, and build a healthier, more connected body.

Key Takeaways:

The Sliding Filament Theory: Understand how your muscles contract and relax at a cellular level to keep you moving.
The Benefits of Strength Training: Build longevity, boost metabolism, and maintain mental clarity with consistent movement.
Sugar Pits in Muscles: How strong muscles regulate blood sugar and support lasting weight loss.
Nervous System Connections: Explore how the brain governs movement, emotions, and memories while maintaining balance in the body.
Common Exercise Mistakes to Avoid: Learn the importance of rest, proper form, and exercise diversity.

Memorable Moments:

The Role of the Vagus Nerve: How stimulating this vital nerve supports digestion, relaxation, and stress reduction.
Mindful Walking: The surprising connection between walking and dopamine production in the brain.
Strength Training Insights: Why preserving muscle mass can help you age more gracefully and improve overall health.
Practical Tips: Simple ways to build a balanced weekly workout plan, from strength training to active recovery.

What to Expect in Future Episodes:

Next time, we’ll explore perception and circulation—how your body takes in sensory information and the role of pulsing in your cardiovascular system.

Quote of the Episode:

“Your muscles and nervous system are constantly working in harmony to keep you thriving—honoring their roles is key to unlocking your body’s true potential.”

Connect with Dr. Brook:

Website: www.drbrooksheehan.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrooksheehan
Join the Community: https://mailchi.mp/e9cc16e7ba0a/join-our-community

Tune in to this episode and start building strength, balance, and a deeper connection with your body!

Next Episode

Ep10: Pumping and Purging – How Your Body Moves and Eliminates Waste

In this episode of your body speaks, Dr. Brook Sheehan explores two vital functions of the body—pumping and purging. While the heart is known as the body’s primary pump, did you know that other organs, like the lungs, liver, and lymphatic system, also play crucial roles in keeping your body balanced? This episode uncovers how these processes work together to optimize circulation, detoxification, and elimination.

You’ll discover how your body efficiently removes waste, why hydration is the key to organ function, and simple strategies to support digestion and detoxification.

Key Takeaways:

The Hidden Pumps of the Body: Beyond the heart, learn how the lungs, liver, and lymphatic system pump fluids to support oxygenation, detoxification, and immune health.
Hydration & Detoxification: How dehydration slows down circulation, thickens blood, and leads to sluggish digestion, brain fog, and joint pain.
Signs of Poor Elimination: Bloating, constipation, skin breakouts, and dark urine—what these signals mean and how to address them.
Food & Supplement Support: The best fiber-rich foods, probiotics, and magnesium to keep digestion regular and waste elimination smooth.
Stress & Digestion: How your nervous system impacts elimination and why deep breathing before meals can transform digestion.

Memorable Moments:

Lymphatic Flow & Movement: Why exercise and hydration are essential for keeping your body’s “trash removal” system working properly.
What Your Poop Says About You: A deep dive into stool color, consistency, and frequency—what’s normal and what’s a sign of imbalance.
Food Sequencing for Gut Health: How eating fiber first, followed by proteins and fats, can improve digestion and blood sugar balance.
Tracking Your Digestion: Why tuning into your body’s elimination patterns can help you optimize nutrition, hydration, and stress levels.

What to Expect in Future Episodes:

Next, we’ll explore depositing and dividing—how your body builds and regenerates tissues to maintain strength, repair damage, and sustain vitality.

Quote of the Episode:

“Your body is always working to eliminate what it doesn’t need. When you support its natural detox and digestion processes, you unlock greater energy and well-being.”

Connect with Dr. Brook:

Website: www.drbrooksheehan.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrooksheehan
Join the Community: https://mailchi.mp/e9cc16e7ba0a/join-our-community

Tune in now to learn how your body’s natural pumping and purging functions are essential for vibrant health!

your body speaks - Ep9: Perceiving & Pulsing: How Your Senses and Circulatory System Keep You Thriving

Transcript

The heart serves as your central pump to push oxygen-rich blood from your lungs and the nutrient-rich blood from the digestive system to every cell of the body. So I'm gonna break down each part. The oxygen-rich blood from the heart is essential for cellular respiration. Cellular respiration simply means the cell's ability to create energy. Welcome to the Body Speaks podcast with me, Dr. Brooke Sheehan. Join me on a journey in discovering how to interpret the subtle signs your body uses to com