What if healing does not require you to forgive the people who hurt you?

In this episode, I share why I do not believe forgiveness is always the goal, especially when it becomes a kind of spiritual bypass or pressure to feel something that is not actually true yet. Instead, I talk about the value of working toward neutrality: a place where the charge is gone, the rumination settles, and the past no longer has the same grip on your body, mind, and energy.

I explore the difference between emotional processing and rumination, why the brain can get stuck replaying painful experiences, and how self-trust, discernment, and nervous system support can help you move forward without pretending something was okay when it was not. I also touch on practices that can help loosen old patterns, including fire ceremony, transmutation breath, and bringing your attention back to what is alive and meaningful in the present.

In this episode, I discuss:

• why forgiveness is not always necessary for healing
• the difference between feeling your emotions and getting stuck in rumination
• how grudges and old hurt can become reinforced in the brain
• why neutrality can be a healthier goal than sending "love and light"
• the role of self-trust, discernment, and emotional processing in real recovery
• practical ways to begin shifting old emotional charge

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

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