On and Off Your Mat Yoga Podcast

In this special episode, I sit down with my client Pascale Etienne, a high school teacher and plant whisperer, to celebrate her incredible transformation through one-on-one somatic coaching. Pascale openly shares her journey from feeling engulfed by her emotions, to developing the tools to harness sensitivity as a superpower. If you want see the process for getting out of overwhelm and exhaustion as a sensitive person, this episode is for you. Discover the power of somatic practices, self-compassion, and giving yourself permission to feel your feelings. Pascale's experience will inspire you to invest in yourself, embrace the discomfort of doing the inner work, and cultivate a loving relationship with your emotions. Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/251

Do you feel more anxious, scattered, or physically cold and dry as fall sets in? If so, you're not alone. As a highly sensitive person, I feel the shift from summer to fall intensely, and I've noticed it in my clients too. Everyone seems more tired and anxious right now.Explore why fall feels like a challenging transition from the perspective of Ayurveda. I discuss the elements that create the essence of autumn in your mind, body, and energy. Learn to recognize characteristics of a Vata constitution and discover practical tools to bring more balance, groundedness, and warmth into your life.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/250

If you suddenly feel drained, weighed down, sad, or anxious without knowing why after a family gathering, if you experience unexpected aches, tightness, or tiredness during holiday get-togethers, or you find yourself overthinking other people’s problems or wondering how to help everyone around you, or even if you sense the needs and moods of everyone and try to accommodate without them asking... today’s practice is for you.Whether it’s family dinners, office parties, or cozy moments with friends, the holidays can make it even harder to tell where others’ energy stops and yours begins.I’ve used this practice with clients who find it hard to spend the day people-ing, especially with family to✨ bring them to the present moment✨ get grounded✨ let go of pent-up energy✨ process emotions out of your body✨ self-soothe✨ bring back a sense of control over their body and emotions✨ and create an energetic boundary around themThis practice is part of our premium subscription, to get access to it, become a premium podcast member.When you leave a review for the podcast on iTunes you can get a free trial. DM @onandoffyourmatpodcast or email (erika.belanger@gmail.com) me a screenshot of your review and we'll get you set up.Your podcast premium membership (as low as $5/month) allows me to continue to create and produce this podcast. I choose to keep this add-free for a better listening experience, so there are no revenue and the membership keeps this podcast alive. If you love On and Off Your Mat and want it to continue, support the show here and have access to this somatic practice and so much more.

Last week, in part one of our episode on psychedelic healing, we talked about the before the journey, during the journey, what you need to know, how to properly prepare, and how to navigate your experience. Today we dive into what it means to integrate, how to integrate effectively, the importance of support and community, and how to avoid a “bad trip” (or how to deal with one if you find yourself in one).If you're a Highly Sensitive Person considering plant medicine or psychedelics, this episode is a must-listen. Chuchu and I discuss the extra considerations HSPs should take into account, the power of trusting your intuition throughout the process, and how to step into your greatness through proper integration practices.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/248

As psychedelics become more mainstream and popular, it's crucial to approach these powerful medicines with caution, integrity, and responsibility - especially if you're a highly sensitive person. To help me explore this topic, I have psychedelic healing expert Chuchu Wang on the podcast. Through her own personal experiences and the work she does at Ceremonia, the retreat center she co-founded, Chuchu has witnessed both the beautiful, magical healing that can happen with psychedelics and the tragic, re-traumatizing experiences that can occur in the wrong setting with the wrong facilitator.In part one of this two-part episode, we discuss the fundamentals of psychedelic healing, what you need to know before deciding if this modality is right for you, how to properly prepare for a journey, and the foundation for navigating the experience itself. Be sure to return for part two next week, where we talk about integration, support, community, and how to avoid or deal with a "bad trip."Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/247

The first step in overcoming overwhelm is to understand what it is and how it feels in your body. By learning to recognize overwhelm, you can start to regulate your nervous system and manage stress more effectively. Join me to dive deep into the physical sensations of overwhelm and explore how to process this intense emotion in a healthy way.In this episode, I share the exact process I use with coaching clients to help them overcome overwhelm. As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), you may be more prone to overwhelm than the average person. You’ll learn why overwhelm is a common experience for HSPs, and why it doesn't have to control your life.Click here for the 1:1 Somatic coaching application or click here to join the waitlist for my Feel It to Heal It mini course.For everything else, get full show notes here: https://erikabelanger.com/246

If you experience a lot of worry or anxiety, or you’re always replaying in your head what happened, or always thinking about what needs to be done or what might happen in the future today’s practice is for you.A lot of my coaching client find TOUCH to be a really resourcing sense to turn to when orienting, creating inner safety, or widening their capacity for processing uncomfortable emotions and deal with challenges, so I thought I would share one of my favorite, super simple touch meditation practice.I’ve used this with clients to✨ bring them to the present moment✨ reconnect to their body and sensations✨ get out of anxiety, overwhelm and hyper-vigilance✨ regulate their nervous system✨ bring back a sense of control over their body and emotions✨ and even rewire old beliefs like “I’m not enough”This practice is part of our premium subscription, to get access to it, become a premium podcast member.When you leave a review for the podcast on iTunes you can get a free trial. DM @onandoffyourmatpodcast or email (erika.belanger@gmail.com) me a screenshot of your review and we'll get you set up.Your podcast premium membership (as low as $5/month) allows me to continue to create and produce this podcast. I choose to keep this add-free for a better listening experience, so there are no revenue and the membership keeps this podcast alive. If you love On and Off Your Mat and want it to continue, support the show here and have access to this somatic practice and so much more.

Today, I sit down with Shanna Farnsworth to explore practical strategies for confident class planning. Shanna’s journey as a yoga teacher began 15 years ago in a New York City church basement. Since then, she has honed her skills in intelligent sequencing and mentored hundreds of yoga teachers. Her goal is to help teachers feel prepared and confident when leading classes, fostering meaningful connections with their students.Discover Shanna’s tried-and-true methods for crafting sequences that are both creative and purposeful. She offers insights on breaking down poses, using props effectively, and creating a cohesive class experience that fosters meaningful connections with your students.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/244

If you feel sluggish, drained of energy, and experience a lingering sense of emptiness or a hollow ache in your heart, today’s episode is for you. As Highly Sensitive People (HSP), we often wish we didn’t feel so deeply, so we tend to repress our emotions, leading to outbursts of tears. This makes it difficult to identify whether we’re actually feeling sad, angry, disappointed, ashamed, and so on.Tune in this week to discover how to feel your sadness so you can heal it. I discuss how truly feeling your sadness allows you to show up more fiercely and fully as yourself, enabling you to access more joy in your life. Learn practical strategies you can use right now when sadness hits, allowing you to express your sadness in ways that truly serve you.Get full show notes and more information here: https://erikabelanger.com/243