60: Protecting Sensitivity With Spirituality

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My spirituality helps me protect my sensitivity.
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For a long time, I looked at my sensitivity as something that had to be managed, but I feel, as a result of my spiritual practices, I'm able to care for myself in a lot deeper, a lot more meaningful way.
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Meaningful way.
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Welcome to Sensitive Stories, the podcast for the people who live with hearts and eyes wide open.
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I'm your host, psychotherapist and author, april Snow.
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I invite you to join me as I deep dive into rich conversations with fellow highly sensitive people that will inspire you to live a more fulfilling life as an HSP without all the overwhelm.
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In this episode, I talk with Tiffany Green about how spiritual practices help you embrace your sensitivity, care for your nervous system, enhance your natural intuitive abilities and create a sense of belonging.
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Tiffany is a trauma-informed somatic coach and psychotherapist based out of Chicago.
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She specializes in supporting women, bipoc and LGBTQ plus professionals with depression, anxiety and burnout symptoms.
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Using a culturally affirming, spiritual and body-based approach, tiffany helps her clients redefine success on their own terms.
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She's passionate about creating space for rest, authenticity and sustainable healing.
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For more HSP resources and to see behind-the-scenes video from the podcast, join me on Instagram, tiktok or YouTube at Sensitive Strengths or sign up for my email list at Sensitive Strengths or sign up for my email list.
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Links are in the show notes and at sensitivestoriescom.
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And just a reminder that this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment with a mental health or medical professional.
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Let's dive in Well, tiffany, welcome to the podcast.
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I'm so happy to have you here today.
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Thank you so much, April.
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I am really excited to be here today.
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Yeah, thank you, and I'm wondering if you could start off by sharing your HSP discovery story.
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Yeah, I think, like most HSP, we knew we were sensitive at an early age, like I definitely knew it in childhood, but I didn't have the words or language to really describe what it was that I was feeling and then flash forward 30 plus years and I'm working a really stressful job and I'm not taking care of myself and I'm not taking care of my sensitivity and I ended up burning out.
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I ended up catching pneumonia.
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I had to be hospitalized, and it took me almost eight months to fully recover from that illness, and so during that time, I was looking for all the information that I could find about why that had happened to me.
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It was a very traumatic experience, and I wanted to figure out how to not let that happen again.
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I did a lot of research, read a lot of books, and in the course of that eight months, I saw an interview with Elaine Aron and she was talking about highly sensitive people and I was like, is that me?
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And so I immediately went to her website and I took her quiz and I scored over I think 80% at the time, went out and got her book and it was just, it was so enlightening, like I really felt seen as a result of reading her book and connecting with her story.
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And when you are labeled as sensitive, sometimes you internalize some things, and so I had done that, and I also had a lot of sensory issues that I had never heard talked about before, like lights and sound, yeah, and really needing to be comfortable in my physical environment.
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So that was the first time I had my emotional sensitivity married with my sensory sensitivity, and that just changed everything for me.
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Wow, yeah, everything starts to make sense.
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Absolutely, absolutely, yeah.
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And so, like I, as a result of that, I started looking at, I started looking at my life, I started looking at my nervous system, I started looking at the ways I offered self-care for myself a lot differently.
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Yeah, yeah.
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I think a lot of folks have that moment, including myself, where there's this wake-up call, where you hit your limits, your body starts to shut down.
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You can't live that non-HSP life any longer.
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Yeah.
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But you don't realize what's happening.
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Yeah, yeah, I love that phrase non-HSP life.
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I was definitely living that before my illness.
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And I wonder.
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We're going to talk about spirituality today.
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I wonder if that was part of it for you.
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Did you discover that then?
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Was it get more into it?
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I know, but I'm just curious at this point Was that part of your eight months or was that already in place before?
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That was already in place before.
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Beautiful.
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Yeah, I think my first introduction to spirituality was church.
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My mom would take my sister and I to church and Bible school and I sang in the choir all these songs, this awesome, amazing God, this divine energy.
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And in the church where I was raised, a Protestant church I was taught that I could have a relationship, a personal relationship, with this God, and so I think that's where the seed was planted, and from there I just did all sorts of exploration, reading about Greek mythology and Egyptian gods.
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I wanted to know more and more, and that I think following that path led me to actually go back to graduate school to get my degree in divinity, because I wanted to understand this God, this divine energy.
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I wanted to have a relationship After my illness I would say that that is when I really started to focus on my spiritual practices as a form of self-care, but I think the seed was planted for me in childhood.
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Yeah, yes, I think so many HSPs are seekers, whether it be religion or spirituality, and it seems like you've.
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I love it.
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You've been such an explorer of all the different pieces and, for folks who aren't quite sure, could you define what spirituality is?
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Is it just religion?
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Is.
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I want to say this before I provide my definition is that spirituality is a topic that means so many different things to so many different people, and there are some people who are confused by it, who are not aligned with spirituality as a belief and a concept.
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But I will say that the majority of us are, and I have proof.
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But I will say that the majority of us are, and I have proof.
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There was a study that was conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2003.
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It was the first time they had ever studied spirituality in the United States, and what they found was that 70% of US adults believe that they are spiritual on some level.
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70%, yes, yeah.
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And also, like 83% of US adults, believe that we have a soul or spirit in addition to our physical bodies.
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Wow, that's a high number.
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That is a very high number.
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I was so shocked when I saw it.
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So the definition of spirituality that I use is something that provides meaning and purpose in your life, that connects you with some energy, some entity that feels greater than you, and that can be God, that can be divine energy, that can be nature, that could be the world.
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It really the only criteria is that it makes you feel connected to something bigger, even humanity.
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So that's the definition I use.
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It makes sense, given that definition, that so many of us I think it's almost an essential part of being human is to find some deeper connection with something Absolutely Right the meaning, the purpose.
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That's so essential for me and I know even a lot of non-HSPs that I know yeah, we need that right.
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Yeah, yeah, it is grounding, it's a form of connection and it gives our everyday lives a certain amount of purpose.
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Yes.
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Yeah, it's like the substance of life, absolutely yes, yeah, it's like the substance of life, absolutely yes, and I really appreciate your saying.
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You can find that in so many different ways, depending on what works for you.
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Yep, it doesn't have to be.
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It might be God, it might be nature.
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There's so many versions of that.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, it's beautiful.
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Yeah, I have worked with people who consider themselves to be atheists or agnostic.
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And spirituality immediately I'm not going to say immediately but causes them sometimes to have pause.
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But when framed in this way, you can connect with humanity, you can connect with the world, you can connect with nature.
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That just opens a whole world for them to have this meaning and purpose in their lives.
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I love that If we expand the definition, we get to bring more people in.
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Absolutely, absolutely.
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I love that.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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That's really great.
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And as a sensitive person because I think of sensitive people as very spiritually oriented for you personally, how does your spirituality align with your sensitivity?
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Do you see any connection points there?
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But I feel, as a result of my spiritual practices, I'm able to care for myself in a lot deeper, a lot more meaningful way.
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So that is how I frame it and that is the relationship that I use on a daily basis when I am engaging in my spiritual practice.
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And that just hit me at a really deep level.
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It did.
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Spirituality protects sensitivity.
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It just feels so true Like this.
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I don't know what it is, but like this buffer, this blanket, this shield, right, because you were talking earlier about sensory sensitivity, emotional sensitivity, and yeah, spirituality for me just quiets everything Right back to the essence.
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Absolutely.
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It really helps me stay grounded, it really helps me manage my time and energy better, and I have an added incentive is that I don't want to experience burnout again.
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So yeah, spirituality and my spiritual practice are really important, so we could even maybe say it buffers against burnout.
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Absolutely Part of that puzzle, absolutely, or that toolkit, yeah.
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Yeah, oh yeah, oh, it's so true, yeah, so that's one of the benefits If we're connected to our spiritual practice, we can guard our sensitivity, protect it hopefully not lead down the path to burnout and overwhelm and all the things that are hard about being sensitive Maybe get to access the beautiful parts of sensitivity the joy, the bliss, the awe.
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Absolutely.
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Spirituality has really helped me reframe it.
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Spirituality has helped me see my sensitivity as a gift and helped nurture and helped open myself to seeing different dimensions of that gift.
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Yeah, yeah, it brings more nuance to it.
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Yes, yes, that is a good word.
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Yeah, yeah, I think about this a lot.
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How a lot of times the gifts of our sensitivity, they get pushed aside, maybe not recognized.
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The gifts of our sensitivity they get pushed aside, maybe not recognized.
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They're all around us, how we show up for others, how we experience the world, how we can notice little details and the joy of that, but those things get pushed aside.
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But this could help bring it more to the surface, potentially tap into those deeper feelings and the purpose, the meaning.
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Yeah, yeah, I'm wondering what are some of the other benefits we might see when we develop a spiritual practice.
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Other things that we haven't talked about.
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I have a whole list for you.
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Oh, I love this.
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A whole list for you, april, please.
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Yeah, one of the biggest ones that I've seen from myself and my work with clients is nervous system regulation is nervous system regulation.
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Like a lot of times, we as HSPs like we're prone to emotional and sensory overstimulation.
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And what a spiritual practice does, especially like something like meditation, prayer, breath work.
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It helps calm and regulate the nervous system.
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So that is a big one.
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Yes, yeah, that's a huge one isn't it?
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Yeah, yeah, and I'm a somatic therapist.
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I'm trained in somatic experiencing and I really, to my clients who are open to it, I really support them in developing a spiritual practice in order to help manage the daily stressors that we all experience.
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I feel like more and more these days.
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This is exciting for me because we often see regulation practice.
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Now they're everywhere at this point all over.
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Instagram and everywhere.
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They almost seem so functional, empty in a way.
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Do this to feel like this and get on with your life.
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We can fold in a deeper experience around these practices, so I think about for myself, like my yoga practice, for instance.
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It's not just a physical practice, it is a spiritual practice.
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It's very sacred to me.
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I've done it for 20 plus years, same with my regulation practices.
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There's a mindfulness element.
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It's not just me calming overwhelm or anxiety.
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I'm reconnecting with myself and something.
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There's an energy, there's just something beyond me that happens and I don't know that I've ever heard anyone talk about that overlap before.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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It is definitely there for people who are seeking it and I feel I describe it as because a lot, lot of people, when they're starting a spiritual practice, are just like how is it?
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Is it working Right?
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How can I tell if I'm receiving the benefit?
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And nervous system regulation is one that you can almost experience immediately.
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And whatever practice you've chosen, if you feel a little bit calmer, if you feel like you just had a nice drink of water or a nice, you can do a nice sigh.
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You know it's working.
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Yes, yeah, something starts to soften.
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Yes, I'm often talking with my wife about this because she's like how do you know it's working?
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She'll often ask me that I'm like oh, I just felt my nervous system relax.
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She's like how do you know it's?
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working.
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She'll often ask me that I'm like oh, I just felt my nervous system relax.
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She's like how do you know it is?
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It's just like a oh, an exhale.
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Yeah, and sometimes that's really hard to describe, but once you feel it, you understand.
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Yes, yes, Exactly yeah, yeah, but that's a great question, though how do I know it's working?
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Yeah, yeah it is.
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It depends on what your spiritual practice is.
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But what I have found is that the biggest way to tell if it's working is when you show up differently, like immediately, you can have that sense of deep breath that is very cleansing.
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Deep breath that is very cleansing, but on a more significant basis, like if you can say normally I would have been at a level nine, a level of nine activation in this circumstance, but I showed up and I was a six.
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To me, that is a big indicator that something is, something positive is happening.
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Ooh, I love this.
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Yeah, it's like there's these ripples that go out.
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Yeah, and sometimes when you change, you're not, you don't have a conscious understanding that you have changed until you're in a similar situation and you show up differently, you react and respond differently.
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It's so true.
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I always wished I could sit next to myself five years ago, could sit next to myself five years ago and see the difference.
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We can't do that, but we can.
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So it might not be immediate, but when you're in that similar situation again, maybe at work or in a relationship with a certain person, oh, I'm different.
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Yeah, absolutely something's changed absolutely, and that is definitely growth, and a spiritual practice can definitely help in helping to facilitate that growth.
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Yeah, I'm wondering if we could get so for folks who maybe aren't.
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They haven't embodied this experience yet, they haven't seen themselves show up differently, or maybe haven't tracked it.
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Maybe they have, they just haven't taken that in what could be an example.
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Is it I'm maybe less irritable with someone, or I have more tolerance for someone who's pushing my boundaries?
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I'm curious if there's something, an example of what one might notice if something changed Like all of that, yes, all of that.
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And for HSPs, we are very conscious of our levels of activation.
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And a lot of times when working with HSPs.
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That's the gauge that I use.
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Sometimes the clients my HSP clients will say I was so dysregulated I couldn't speak, like I couldn't even figure out what to say in that moment.
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And so if a client can find themselves in a similar situation with a supervisor, a friend or a partner and they could say I was able to stay grounded, I was able to hear what was being communicated to me.
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I was able to respond.
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So a lot of times.
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My baseline is level of activation.
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It's so true If you can find your words in the moments if you are in the room.
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That's a big change.
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Yes, that is a huge change, because sometimes the overwhelm gets to be too much, whether it's emotional or sensory, and we don't know what really is happening.
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Exactly.
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We can yeah, I think out of self-protection just start to maybe check out of the situation, and our nervous systems are trying to manage everything that's coming out, especially if we're coming in already activated and then that's just overflowing.
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So that could be a huge sign there's a little bit more capacity, a little bit more presence, a little bit more ability to stay in the moment and actually say what you want to say definitely, and another benefit april that I wanted to talk to you about is boundary strengthening.
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A lot of times we use hsps like we are overwhelmed by other people's emotions and sometimes we can't tell where someone else's emotions end and ours begin.
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So spiritual exercises like grounding and energy work.
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They can help us build up that boundary, to have an increased level of discernment.
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That's true.
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You can start to see where you start and the other person begins yeah, I mean yeah that's true, because the more I'll speak for myself, the more dysregulated I am.
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My boundaries become a lot more porous, and it's dangerous.
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Yeah, it's dangerous.
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Yeah, it can be, definitely.
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Yeah, yes, yeah, it can be definitely, yeah, yes, so you have more ability to discern, to set those boundaries, those limits with people.
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Yeah, and I wonder too, I'm I feel like there's something deeper even there, maybe understanding why it's so important, or more self-preservation, I'm not sure I would maybe see what I'm protecting my own energy, my peace, whatever it is.
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There's something there.
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I can't put my finger on it.
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Yeah, yeah, I hear you, and maybe that leads a little bit into another benefit that I wanted to talk about which?
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Is having self-compassion, and this one was a big one for me and, like you were touching on before, sometimes, when you are overwhelmed by someone else's emotions, setting that boundary can be an act of self-compassion.
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I am going to do this because I have value, I have worth.
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I am like protecting this gift, so it's more like an incentive to engage in setting these boundaries.
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When you start to recognize the value you bring or that you inherently have.
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Yeah, yeah, because most of I'm not going to say most, because a lot of us were told we're too sensitive, we're too much, and so it is a big deal to get to the point where you can say I am enough and it is fine, and I have this difference and I am going to look at it as a gift and maybe a spiritual practice can support me in shifting some of these views that I have that no longer serve me to the same degree as before.
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I'm going to say that they probably didn't serve you at all, but some of us believe that those beliefs served us at some level.
00:22:38.967 --> 00:22:39.671
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:39.671 --> 00:22:48.586
So this seems like another layer of spirituality, protecting sensitivity in the sense of that our sensitivity has inherent value.
00:22:48.586 --> 00:22:52.349
Yeah, we can feel worthy as a sensitive person.
00:22:52.349 --> 00:22:56.144
Yeah, that makes sense, I wonder.
00:22:56.144 --> 00:23:18.769
So I wonder if this is a belief that you have, that you know we are divine beings, that there is maybe a god, but there's also a god in us, that we, and if we can see ourselves with that view, we can understand that our sensitivity maybe has a deeper purpose that is sacred just as inherently, and we don't have to try to squash that in ourselves.
00:23:18.769 --> 00:23:19.149
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:20.740
Like.
00:23:20.740 --> 00:23:46.067
We have a piece of God within us and, as beings with spirits and souls and our own level of divinity, we are created in God's image with a purpose here on this planet at this time, and all of that can be enhanced with a spiritual practice and we can start to treat that with grace, with care.
00:23:46.708 --> 00:23:49.934
Yeah, with respect yeah, just as we would.
00:23:49.934 --> 00:23:57.072
Something else we're looking to, whether it be God or energy or the universe, whatever words you want to put to it.
00:23:57.072 --> 00:24:00.145
Yeah, yeah, we can send that back.
00:24:00.145 --> 00:24:02.715
Yes, yeah To ourselves.
00:24:03.196 --> 00:24:10.813
Yeah, yeah, we spend so much energy, a lot of time caring for others and being present for others and being a support.
00:24:10.813 --> 00:24:14.048
This is an opportunity for us to support ourselves.
00:24:14.307 --> 00:24:15.531
Absolutely yeah.
00:24:15.531 --> 00:24:22.048
Yeah, through setting boundaries, through compassion, through nurturing our nervous systems.
00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.377
Yeah, yeah.
00:24:23.681 --> 00:24:27.431
I love reframing all of these practices as sacred practices.
00:24:27.431 --> 00:24:28.865
That feels really special to me.
00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:32.125
Yeah, I think they definitely are.
00:24:32.125 --> 00:24:32.567
Yeah it to me.
00:24:32.567 --> 00:24:33.809
Yeah, I think they definitely are.
00:24:33.809 --> 00:24:34.932
Yeah, it's beautiful.
00:24:35.653 --> 00:24:46.915
Yeah, before we start talking about, maybe, how to pull in spiritual practices into our lives outside of these, I'm wondering was there any other benefits that you wanted to touch on that you felt were important?
00:24:48.240 --> 00:25:20.995
Yeah, yeah, I think connection and belonging, like a lot of times we feel, as HSPs, isolated in terms of our sensitivity to the experiences in our lives, experiences of people in our lives, spiritual practice with others, like in going to church or meditation or yoga it's a way to have a greater sense of connection with others and a lot of times that can be helpful.
00:25:20.995 --> 00:25:29.663
For us as HSPs, who sometimes maybe feel a little bit more isolated than other people, connection and belonging is a big one.
00:25:29.663 --> 00:25:35.220
And the last one I want to share is greater creativity and intuition.
00:25:35.220 --> 00:25:49.537
Like we, by nature, have a tendency to be very creative, and a spiritual practice can sometimes enhance our openness, our ability to be reflective, which benefits our level of creativity.
00:25:50.379 --> 00:25:53.168
It opens up those channels within us.
00:25:53.168 --> 00:26:10.735
Yeah, yeah, I want to go back to the belonging and make sure not to skip over that, because I think about a lot of HSVs who I work with, who I've talked to, who feel pretty isolated and even if there are opportunities for connection, it may not be the types of connection that nourish them.
00:26:11.458 --> 00:26:11.559
Yeah.
00:26:11.840 --> 00:26:29.785
And I think about spiritual spaces, whether it's church, whether it's a meditation hall, a buddhist meditation circle, whatever it is, where there's those communities that are joining around something deeper it's not just superficial socializing, which that can be fun sometimes.
00:26:29.785 --> 00:26:35.287
But yeah, I think for hsps we yearn for that socializing, which that can be fun sometimes.
00:26:35.287 --> 00:26:38.278
But I think for HSPs we yearn for that depth of connection which spiritual, religious spaces can provide.
00:26:38.921 --> 00:26:40.287
Yeah, I agree.
00:26:40.287 --> 00:26:47.252
By its nature it supercharges the level of belongingness that could be possible in those spaces.
00:26:48.060 --> 00:26:51.109
There's something very strong bringing you all together.
00:26:51.109 --> 00:26:59.412
Yeah, yeah, I don't go to church, but I've always had a yearning to have a space like that.
00:26:59.412 --> 00:27:08.849
Yeah, and not growing up religious, but have great reverence for it, because it is a beautiful way to bring people together and to tap into something beyond yourself.
00:27:08.849 --> 00:27:11.582
Yeah, yeah, I think we need more of that, more than ever.
00:27:11.983 --> 00:27:12.484
I agree.
00:27:12.484 --> 00:27:13.987
I agree, april.
00:27:13.987 --> 00:27:19.166
Yeah, especially with some of the turbulence that is going on in the world.
00:27:19.607 --> 00:27:29.246
The more spaces we have like that, the better yes, the more safe, deeply connected spaces where people can just join in real time.
00:27:29.246 --> 00:27:33.093
In real life, yeah, really important, yeah, yeah.
00:27:33.093 --> 00:27:44.633
So let's say someone is listening and they're either curious to develop a spiritual practice or maybe they want to return to one that they've disconnected from.
00:27:44.633 --> 00:27:47.646
How might they start to do that?
00:27:48.609 --> 00:27:59.096
Yeah, I think the beauty is that a spiritual practice can be almost anything, and the challenge is that a spiritual practice can be almost anything.
00:27:59.096 --> 00:28:00.685
Yeah, it's both.
00:28:00.685 --> 00:28:06.088
So it really depends on the individual.
00:28:06.088 --> 00:28:14.621
But there are three keys that I use when I'm supporting a client in developing a spiritual practice that is going to be effective for them.
00:28:14.621 --> 00:28:21.624
And the first one we mentioned before is it helps you connect with something that feels greater than yourself.
00:28:21.624 --> 00:28:23.870
That is probably the biggest one.
00:28:24.682 --> 00:28:31.291
The second one is this is a practice, and so there has to be some level of frequency that is involved.
00:28:31.291 --> 00:28:33.467
There has to be accessibility there.
00:28:33.467 --> 00:28:36.890
There has to be something that can be easily repeated.
00:28:36.890 --> 00:28:45.183
You might love climbing mountains, but if that is something you can only do once a year, I don't know if that would be.
00:28:45.183 --> 00:28:50.033
I don't think it would meet my idea as a spiritual practice.
00:28:50.033 --> 00:28:55.615
And then the third thing is something that allows contemplation and personal reflection.
00:28:55.615 --> 00:29:06.023
It is fine if you want to engage in a spiritual practice with other people, but the goal is for you to have your own unique experience within the group.
00:29:06.023 --> 00:29:08.570
So those are the three keys that I use.
00:29:09.259 --> 00:29:09.359
Right.
00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:16.227
It sounds like finding a practice that can be sustainable, that you can connect with daily or weekly at least.
00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:18.066
Yeah, yeah, Daily, weekly.
00:29:18.066 --> 00:29:22.001
Some clients I've had were just like all right, I'm going to start off slow.
00:29:22.001 --> 00:29:24.922
I'm going to do bi-weekly, once every two weeks.
00:29:24.922 --> 00:29:25.923
I'm like I'll take it.
00:29:26.325 --> 00:29:26.705
That's it.
00:29:26.705 --> 00:29:29.633
Yeah, start where you can.
00:29:30.179 --> 00:29:43.947
Absolutely, and I do want to reference that Pew Research because they listed some of the practices, spiritual practices that are the most common, and they include meditation, yoga, exercise and being in nature.
00:29:43.947 --> 00:29:52.260
So, if all else fails, you can begin with one of those in order to like jumpstart, finding a spiritual practice that works for you.
00:29:52.442 --> 00:30:02.085
So you could potentially take something you're already doing, yeah and bring a spiritual intention to it, absolutely.
00:30:02.566 --> 00:30:17.091
Yeah, like I like a spiritual practice and maybe, like when we use the definition that I presented, people can say to themselves huh, maybe that was a spiritual practice, that I didn't even realize it.
00:30:17.091 --> 00:30:29.366
I know some people their spiritual practice is walking, some it's painting, some it's writing, some it's tarot, some it's like other types of movement, like a tea.
00:30:29.366 --> 00:30:35.106
It can be almost anything as long as it meets those keys that I outlined.
00:30:35.607 --> 00:30:37.932
Yes, wow, so many opportunities.
00:30:37.932 --> 00:30:41.326
Absolutely, absolutely, yes.
00:30:41.326 --> 00:30:45.523
What can you show up to what works for your life?
00:30:46.326 --> 00:30:49.067
Yes, and as an example, I have my own.
00:30:49.067 --> 00:30:50.887
I have three spiritual practices.
00:30:50.887 --> 00:30:53.788
My first one is gardening.
00:30:53.788 --> 00:31:06.115
Like I love being in the garden, I love planting a seed and watching it grow and potentially be harvested at some point in the near future.
00:31:06.115 --> 00:31:14.835
It just connects me to the rhythm of life, the seasons, and that is very life-giving for me.
00:31:15.520 --> 00:31:17.245
I also engage in meditation.
00:31:17.245 --> 00:31:24.568
I meditate daily and that allows me to connect with divine energy, which is very grounding for me.
00:31:24.568 --> 00:31:36.139
And then the third one is I have an ancestor shine in my home and it just being present me, seeing it on a daily basis, me, refreshing it with water and flowers.
00:31:36.139 --> 00:31:52.431
It just reminds me of every person who has ever lived that is responsible for me being here, like some names I know, like my grandparents and great-grandparents, some I will never know, and that just provides me with a greater sense of purpose.
00:31:52.700 --> 00:31:56.510
Yeah, just connecting into that lineage those roots that you have.
00:31:56.510 --> 00:32:08.566
I also have an altar, and there is something about being able to see it every day, to interact, to engage with it, and having photos is really, it's really powerful.
00:32:08.726 --> 00:32:14.825
Oh, here's where I came from yeah yeah, yeah, it's a great way to you extend beyond yourself.
00:32:14.825 --> 00:32:18.391
And also, I appreciate these examples of oh.
00:32:18.391 --> 00:32:38.293
This is how you can do it in a very tangible way and it is a experience, but it's also a very spiritual, energetic experience, emotional experience, yeah, yeah, I just love all the options and being able to see, oh, I bet there's spirituality already happening for most people.
00:32:39.799 --> 00:32:48.625
Yeah, knowing now that 70% of US adults are homosexual, I would say that is very likely like exercise or walking.
00:32:48.665 --> 00:33:10.668
How can we bring a spiritual intention to something like that, which may be purely physical in a certain level?
00:33:10.668 --> 00:33:12.492
Do you have any ideas about those?
00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:23.713
Yeah, I will say that I feel like you're probably more likely to have a deeper spiritual experience being outside when you're engaging in this activity.
00:33:23.713 --> 00:33:34.403
But I know some people who walking is their spiritual practice and it's a process of moving their bodies and feeling connected to their bodies.
00:33:34.403 --> 00:33:50.269
It's a process of being present to the neighbor who is getting the mail and the dog who is sniffing the grass, and all of that involves connection with nature, connection with humanity.
00:33:50.269 --> 00:33:59.773
So those are the things that can really infuse an experience like exercise to make it feel more spiritual and meaningful.
00:34:01.140 --> 00:34:03.146
It doesn't have to be a perfect container.
00:34:03.146 --> 00:34:11.284
Yeah, that's refreshing to hear because I think a lot of times we feel like, oh, I have to have this perfectly quiet, no interruptions.
00:34:11.284 --> 00:34:12.106
Experience.
00:34:12.106 --> 00:34:17.541
Yeah, but you could have a spiritual experience in the world in your life.
00:34:18.943 --> 00:34:25.315
Absolutely, and I know a lot of people where that type of experience is more meaningful for them.
00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:28.365
Yeah, why do you think that is?
00:34:28.365 --> 00:34:30.612
Is there a connection point?
00:34:32.360 --> 00:34:33.923
Yeah, I think it's connection.
00:34:33.923 --> 00:34:42.413
I think, for HSPs especially, sometimes it's being in the world on your own terms and not being bombarded by it, I feel.
00:34:42.413 --> 00:34:45.796
But I think it's a mix of those things.
00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:47.545
Yeah, that makes sense to me.
00:34:47.545 --> 00:35:02.914
There's something about having those little shared moments and the neighbor might just be grabbing the mail, but I'm bringing them into my spiritual experience because I'm in the garden out front planting flowers yeah yeah, it's pretty special.
00:35:02.934 --> 00:35:03.596
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
00:35:03.596 --> 00:35:04.197
Yeah, oh, I planting flowers.
00:35:04.197 --> 00:35:04.978
Yeah, it's pretty special.
00:35:04.978 --> 00:35:06.080
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
00:35:06.100 --> 00:35:07.324
Yeah, oh, I love this.
00:35:07.324 --> 00:35:18.718
Yeah, tiffany, I'm wondering if there's any final thoughts you want to share for HSPs who are reconnecting with their spirituality, who are feeling inspired by this conversation.
00:35:19.079 --> 00:35:34.370
Yeah, I want to encourage HSPs to try it or maybe recognize the spiritual practices that they already have in their lives and being a little bit more intentional about those.
00:35:34.370 --> 00:35:52.774
Like I said before, it can be almost anything that works for an individual and their life and I think by engaging in a practice they will see some real, tangible benefits in their lives.
00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:58.793
You've done such a great job of outlining all the ways that spirituality can infuse our lives.
00:35:58.793 --> 00:36:05.730
It can bring not just more depth and meaning, but also like more connection to self and potentially, more connection to community.
00:36:05.730 --> 00:36:09.635
Yeah, this feels like a center point of life.
00:36:09.635 --> 00:36:21.644
Yes, everything else stems from, yeah, such an important piece to nurture in ourselves and as HSPs I always like to remind people we will soak that up like a sponge.
00:36:21.644 --> 00:36:25.548
We will feel that so much more deeply and why miss?
00:36:25.629 --> 00:36:28.572
it absolutely, absolutely.
00:36:28.572 --> 00:36:38.854
If there's something that you know could possibly enhance our life, our experiences in the world, give it a go, give it a try yeah, give it a go.
00:36:39.054 --> 00:36:41.660
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:36:41.660 --> 00:36:50.515
And then feeling into those sensitive gifts of intuition, creativity, empathy, I really see spirituality fueling those as you shared.
00:36:51.302 --> 00:36:52.688
Yeah, thank you for that perspective.
00:36:54.059 --> 00:36:56.504
Tiffany, this has been a wonderful conversation.
00:36:56.504 --> 00:37:08.052
Like I shared, I'm so excited about this topic and I think it's one that's so important for our community, and I want to make sure folks can connect with you, so I will share all of your resources in the show notes, your website, your social media.
00:37:08.052 --> 00:37:10.929
I know you offer therapy and coaching both.
00:37:10.929 --> 00:37:13.468
Could you share a little bit more about those services for folks?
00:37:13.909 --> 00:37:29.085
Yeah, my practice is based out of Chicago and I provide online therapy for women, bipoc and queer professionals in Illinois and Missouri and addressing anxiety, burnout and depression symptoms.
00:37:29.085 --> 00:37:46.015
Yeah, beautiful, yeah, in my coaching program, my coaching is called A Wellness, and I call it that because I was very much a type A personality before my burnout experience and now I am proudly type A minus.
00:37:46.015 --> 00:37:47.637
I love those, yeah.
00:37:47.637 --> 00:38:02.193
So what I do is I support clients across the country who have achieved a certain level of perceived outward success, but it's come potentially at the expense of their overall health and well-being at the expense of their overall health and well-being.
00:38:02.193 --> 00:38:14.152
So what I do is I work with them many of them who are highly sensitive in order to assess what's going on, to provide some guidance and then reframe what success really looks like for them.
00:38:14.152 --> 00:38:17.588
So that is my coaching program.
00:38:17.829 --> 00:38:18.291
I love that.
00:38:18.291 --> 00:38:30.408
So folks who maybe are hitting that limit, who maybe are approaching or have gone through a burnout, want to maybe reconfigure some parts of their life, find some more balance, you are the person that can support them.
00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:31.221
Yes.
00:38:31.481 --> 00:38:32.426
I am that person.
00:38:32.426 --> 00:38:34.402
I love it, Tiffany.
00:38:34.402 --> 00:38:35.326
Thank you again so much.
00:38:35.326 --> 00:38:36.485
This has been a joy.
00:38:37.221 --> 00:38:39.280
Yes, thank you so much for having me April.
00:38:39.280 --> 00:38:42.102
I really appreciate it Absolutely for me April.
00:38:42.102 --> 00:38:44.066
I really appreciate it.
00:38:45.449 --> 00:38:45.709
Absolutely.
00:38:45.709 --> 00:38:54.324
Thanks so much for joining me and Tiffany for today's conversation.
00:38:54.324 --> 00:39:02.071
What I hope you remember is that spirituality can show up anywhere, at any time, from walking your dog to going to church, to sitting in meditation, to intentionally moving your body.
00:39:02.071 --> 00:39:13.105
If you're a high achiever who needs support with navigating burnout or starting a spiritual practice, you can visit Tiffany's A-minus coaching program at her website.
00:39:13.105 --> 00:39:14.809
The link is in the show notes.
00:39:14.809 --> 00:39:21.512
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Sensitive Stories podcast so you don't miss our upcoming conversations.
00:39:21.512 --> 00:39:28.851
Reviews and ratings are also helpful and appreciated For behind-the-scenes content and more HSB resources.
00:39:28.851 --> 00:39:34.250
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00:39:34.250 --> 00:39:40.706
Check out the show notes or sensitivestoriescom for all the resources from today's episode.
00:39:40.706 --> 00:39:42.208
Thanks for listening.