We unpack polyvagal theory, starting with neuroception, the body’s below-conscious radar that constantly scans for danger or safety. When that radar gets oversensitive after stress, adversity, or trauma, it misreads harmless cues as threats. The result is chronic dysregulation that fuels neuroplastic pain, fatigue, gut issues, and anxiety—even when your logical mind says, “I’m fine.” We walk through the four core states—ventral vagal (safe and social), sympathetic (fight or flight), fawn (pe...
PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER BELOW BEFORE BEGINNING THIS PROGRAM. If you live with chronic pain, fatigue, or illness, you’ve probably tried everything — medications, treatments, diets — and nothing seems to work long-term. That’s because for many people, the real root of chronic symptoms isn’t in the body… it’s in the brain and nervous system. This video introduces a free 30-day program designed to help you retrain your brain, calm your nervous system, and begin healing from chronic pain and ...
What if the aches, tension, and fatigue you’ve been fighting are your emotions asking to be felt? We unpack the research on emotional suppression and show how a nervous system stuck in “danger” can translate stress into very real pain/illness—without structural damage. Drawing on studies of suppression and stress reactivity and clinical insights from neuroplastic pain work, we make the science practical, humane, and doable in everyday life. We walk through four patterns that keep feelings tr...
What if your most stubborn pain isn’t a broken body, but a brilliant brain trying to protect you? We open up about Tanner’s journey from spreading knee, shoulder, and back pain to a full recovery, and how the real turning point came when he reframed pain as a danger signal from the nervous system—not proof of damage. You’ll hear the messy middle too: fear, failed treatments, shrinking routines, and the isolation that follows when life gets small. We break down the five pillars that changed e...
Your brain can learn safety, and that changes everything about chronic pain and illness. We’re pulling back the curtain on brain retraining—what it is, what it isn’t, and how to use it day to day without turning healing into a pressure-filled project. If you’ve ever tried a practice, felt your pain/symptom drop once, and then chased that result like a pain pill, this conversation will reset your approach in the most helpful way. We start by defining brain retraining in clear terms and ground...
The body’s alarm system can get stuck on high when chronic pain and persistent symptoms take over, and we give that pattern a name: sensitization trauma. We unpack how symptoms, scary medical opinions, and hope-disappointment cycles teach the nervous system to brace, avoid, and shut down—and why recognizing this isn’t a setback, it’s a turning point. We start by defining sensitization trauma as the trauma caused by the onset, progression, and life impacts of chronic symptoms, then walk throu...
Fear quietly writes rules that shrink a life: no hard chairs, no long walks, no lifting, no plans. In this episode, we share a practical roadmap to go from bedbound and fearful to confident and moving, grounded in the science of neuroplastic pain/symptoms and the lived experience of rebuilding capacity step by step. We start with the real pivot points—those “open window” moments when symptoms ease or stamina returns and the brain shows its hand. From there, we layer in safe self-talk that ac...
Have you found yourself avoiding more and more activities as your pain or symptoms increase? Do you have an ever-growing list of movements, positions, or situations you need to avoid "or else"? You're not alone, and there's a fascinating explanation for why this happens. Tanner and Anne dive deep into how chronic pain creates a shrinking world through avoidance behaviors. Drawing from Tanner's personal journey from being nearly bed-bound to fully active again, they explain the neurological m...
Could your morning routine be secretly sabotaging your chronic pain and illness recovery? In this illuminating episode, we explore how those critical first moments after waking profoundly impact your nervous system's regulation and pain processing throughout the entire day. When you first open your eyes, your brain is in a uniquely vulnerable state—actively scanning your environment and asking: "Am I safe today, or am I in danger?" The signals you send during this transition period can eithe...
Ever wondered why, despite trying countless treatments, your chronic pain and illness persists? The answer might be hiding in your daily habits. Tanner and Anne reveal how our lifestyle patterns can keep us trapped in cycles of pain and symptoms—even when we're doing everything else "right." The MindBodyCouple hosts dive deep into three critical habits that maintain chronic pain. First, they explore high-intensity living—that relentless cycle of overworking, perfectionism, and ignoring basic...
Have you ever felt stuck in anxiety, shutdown, or constant stress despite your best efforts to feel better? Your nervous system may need manual intervention—and waiting for automatic regulation might not be enough. In this deeply insightful episode, Tanner and Anne tackle the crucial concept of manually regulating your nervous system when it's not naturally returning to states of safety and connection. They begin by contrasting the ideal—a flexible nervous system that moves easily between hi...
Ever wondered why changing your thoughts isn't enough to heal chronic pain? Somatic therapy might be the missing piece of your healing puzzle. We dive deep into the crucial distinction between top-down approaches (like CBT and traditional talk therapy) that focus on changing thoughts, and bottom-up approaches that work directly with body sensations and nervous system regulation. While cognitive work has value, when it comes to chronic pain, trauma, and nervous system dysregulation, you simpl...
Ever find yourself trapped in a cycle of obsessing over every twinge, googling symptoms endlessly, or talking about your pain nonstop? That mental fixation isn't just a reaction to your chronic pain and illness—it might actually be the force keeping it alive. In this transformative episode, we unveil our powerful "Go From T to S" brain retraining technique for breaking free from chronic pain and illness patterns. This simple yet profound approach helps you identify when you're feeding sympto...
Ever notice how your thoughts about pain or symptoms seem to make it worse? You're not imagining things—negative thinking patterns actually trigger and intensify chronic pain and symptoms by dysregulating your nervous system. In this revealing episode, we dive deep into the powerful connection between your thoughts and physical symptoms. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, we share our own recent struggles with anxiety spirals—Anne's obsessive worrying about her...
When chronic pain or symptoms grip your life, the real culprit often lurks beneath the surface—a nervous system stuck in a state of perpetual danger. In this illuminating episode, Tanner and Anne share five powerful, scientifically-backed techniques to regulate your nervous system and create the internal safety your body desperately needs to heal. Most of us instinctively flee from uncomfortable sensations, a natural human tendency that paradoxically keeps us trapped in pain cycles. "Safety ...
The struggle for control lies at the heart of many chronic pain conditions—but what if letting go could offer more relief than fighting ever could? When faced with persistent symptoms, our natural instinct pushes us to fight, fix, and control. We've been conditioned to believe that addressing physical problems means actively engaging with them, finding their cause, and eliminating them through sheer determination. Yet for those with neuroplastic pain and symptoms, this approach often b...
Depression and chronic pain create a vicious cycle that can feel impossible to break. If you're caught in this loop, you're not alone – and there's hope for healing both simultaneously. Many people experience depression as a natural response to living with chronic pain, but few understand how these conditions feed each other through nervous system dysregulation. When your system stays in a heightened state of danger for too long, it can trigger both physical symptoms and a freeze/shutdown re...
Why do some people recover from chronic pain and illness with seemingly imperfect techniques while others follow every strategy meticulously yet struggle? The answer lies not in what you're doing, but how you're doing it. The foundation of effective healing isn't mastering complicated strategies—it's cultivating the right mindset. When we approach recovery with intensity, pressure, perfectionism, or fear, we inadvertently signal danger to our nervous systems, perpetuating the very symptoms w...
Have you ever wondered if your determination to overcome chronic pain might actually be keeping you stuck? This eye-opening discussion reveals how our natural tendency to fight against uncomfortable symptoms can backfire by triggering more nervous system dysregulation. Tanner and Anne expertly break down the fight response – not just physical fighting, but the tension, racing thoughts, urgent behaviors, and constant attempts to fix and figure out our symptoms. "I was perpetually in fight mod...
What if the key to healing chronic pain isn't fixing your symptoms, but releasing the emotions trapped in your body? When our nervous systems get stuck in protection mode due to stress, trauma, or childhood experiences, physical symptoms often follow—creating a feedback loop that's difficult to break. Most of us respond to difficult emotions in ways that keep us stuck. Some disconnect completely, living "neck up" in a state of perpetual analysis (alexithymia). Others view emotions as inheren...