Fear is often framed as something we should push through or conquer. But in practice, the relationship with fear is usually more nuanced.

In this episode, I share reflections from a solo trip through southern Utah, including a memorable night of stargazing under the Milky Way at Cedar Breaks National Monument. The experience brought up an interesting tension between awe and instinctive caution.

From that moment, I explore a broader question: how do we grow without overwhelming ourselves?

Rather than ignoring fear or letting it run the show, there is a middle path where we can listen to our instincts, stretch beyond our comfort zone, and still maintain self-trust. This approach allows for meaningful expansion without creating the backlash that often comes from pushing too far.

• A stargazing experience that sparked reflections on fear
• Why unfamiliar environments activate our survival instincts
• The difference between healthy expansion and overwhelm
• Why pushing through fear isn't always the best strategy
• How to grow while maintaining self-trust and inner balance

Want to support my work and be supported by my team of guides? Check out my membership offer: https://www.patreon.com/practicalshamanism

Want more audio content from me? Check out my online academy at https://academy.handsoverheart.com/

Sound editing by Kev Young. You can reach them at kyoung.keviny@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The suggestions and information provided here are intended for personal growth and exploration. The content of this podcast is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or psychological treatment. Please seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

To learn more about me and my work, please visit my website at https://handsoverheart.com

AKA- Sacred Gardens and Echo Chambers: What We're Building With Our Attention

We're living in a time our ancestors couldn't have imagined—urban density, the internet, constant information, and a level of psychic "noisiness" that can leave even grounded people feeling subtly stressed, reactive, or strangely disoriented.

In this episode, I reflect on what's universal across lifetimes and ancestry… and what's truly unprecedented about modern life. We explore how our brains are wired for threat and drama, how echo chambers and information overload can shape our inner world, and why so many people are walking around with low-level activation that quietly impacts health, emotions, and decision-making.

I also share a shamanic lens on energetic hygiene for the modern era—less about "hostile forces" and more about protecting yourself from ambient overstimulation and other people's untrained, messy energy. If you're sensitive, empathic, or simply tired of feeling amped up by the world, this episode offers a grounded map for coming back to center.

• Universal human themes vs. modern experiences our ancestors didn't face

• Why root chakra recalibration matters when you've lived in many places (or continents)

• The gift and challenge of "choose-your-own-adventure" modern life

• How information overload + confirmation bias can distort reality

• Echo chambers, polarization, and the energetic cost of contempt and outrage

• "Head-blindness" and the disorienting feeling of not being able to orient psychically

• Parasocial connection, loneliness, and the difference between real nourishment and "receptor hits"

• Why energetic protection today is often about filtering ambient noise, not fighting enemies

• Practical reminders: calm the instincts, soothe the nervous system, and tend your energetic boundaries

Want to support my work and be supported by my team of guides? Check out my membership offer: https://www.patreon.com/practicalshamanism

Want more audio content from me? Check out my online academy at https://academy.handsoverheart.com/

Sound editing by Kev Young. You can reach them at kyoung.keviny@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The suggestions and information provided here are intended for personal growth and exploration. The content of this podcast is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or psychological treatment. Please seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

To learn more about me and my work, please visit my website at https://handsoverheart.com

After 25 years in practice, I've noticed something consistent: when I do soul retrieval work, the most common place to find entanglement is with parents. Sometimes it's literal soul part holding. Sometimes it's outdated maps, control, codependent resourcing, or an adult child who is still being related to as if they're 12.

In this episode, I offer a different way of looking at the parent story, especially if you've already done plenty of processing and you can feel yourself looping. I'm not here to tell your heart what to do, or to insist you forgive, reconcile, or maintain contact. I'm interested in one thing: helping you relate to your parents inside your own mind in a way that stops the energy leak and returns you to your center.

We'll talk about the cultural storytelling that shaped modern expectations of mothers and fathers, how the nuclear family model intensified pressure on two imperfect humans to be everything, and why rumination can feel like it's helping while quietly keeping you on a hamster wheel. I share pragmatic reframes my guides often suggest. And I'll offer a metaphor that can be surprisingly liberating: if a well doesn't reliably give clean water, you're allowed to stop hauling your bucket there, and build connection with people who can actually meet you now.

Want to support my work and be supported by my team of guides? Check out my membership offer: https://www.patreon.com/practicalshamanism

Want more audio content from me? Check out my online academy at https://academy.handsoverheart.com/

Sound editing by Kev Young. You can reach them at kyoung.keviny@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The suggestions and information provided here are intended for personal growth and exploration. The content of this podcast is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or psychological treatment. Please seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.

To learn more about me and my work, please visit my website at https://handsoverheart.com