In the very first guest episode of Dysfunctional, I’m joined by writer and embodiment coach Leona Waller — and we go all in on the toxic side of self-improvement culture.
We explore how the wellness and personal development world can subtly (and not-so-subtly) feed the same control, shame and conformity that many of us grew up with. We talk about embodiment as an antidote — not the trendy version, but the real, messy, human kind. The kind that gets you out of your head, back into your body, and into a life that actually feels like yours.
We also dig into:
— Why gratitude lists can actually make things worse
— How capitalism hijacked healing
— Why being “zen” isn’t always the answer
— The problem with trying to meditate your trauma away
— And how embodiment can help you feel less crazy and more you
Leona Waller is a writer and facilitator helping people trust their own bodies and emotions more than Instagram wellness influencers. She’s the co-creator of The Body Knows, a newsletter and community using somatics and embodiment to help people stop optimizing life and start living it. With a background in neuroscience and emotional psychology, she creates spaces where people shed the shoulds and come home — to the power and joy that are their birthright.
Follow Leona’s work here:
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Subscribe to Dysfunctional for raw, unfiltered conversations about healing, systems, and seeing clearly — because if you grew up in dysfunction, chances are, you’re still surrounded by it.
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