The Autonomic Healing Podcast - Conversations with Tom Pals

In this episode, our guest Scott Turner shares his insights on homeostasis.  J Scott Turner is a distinguished scientist and author known for his groundbreaking work in the field of biology. With a passion for understanding the intricate relationship between organisms and their environment, Turner has made significant contributions to the study of animal physiology, behavior, and ecology. He is also one of the leading voices on the topic of homeostasis in the nation and in this episode he shares his knowledge with Ruth & Tom. Understanding homeostasis is a key area for Autonomic Healing and Scott’s work and writing have deeply impacted Tom over the years as a therapist as he’s developed Autonomic Healing Activation. Listen to part one of this fascinating conversation.

In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, hosts Ruth and Tom explore the concept of grace. They discuss how grace is not only a place of poise, but also a place of gifting. So many people who want to contribute to the world with their gifts are limited because of their perceptions, especially when they encounter the tsunami of stress. Through their conversation, Ruth and Tom they offer insights and strategies for cultivating grace in our daily lives. 

Join hosts Ruth and Tom on this episode of The Autonomic Healing Podcast. They delve into the topic of contentmentand its crucial role in rational intimacy. In spite of the fact that many of us desire contentment, in our never-ending to-do lists it is often pushed to the side. Ruth and Tom discuss why this is the case and offer practical tips on cultivating a content mindset. They also explore how contentment positively impacts our relationships, leading to deeper emotional connections and increasing healthy intimacy with others. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation and learn how to prioritize contentment in your own life. 

In this podcast episode, hosts Ruth and Tom delve into the concept of Rational Intimacy and how it can be seen as life's beautiful offering. Ruth shares a poem she wrote about the revelation she had regarding this idea and how it has impacted her life.They explore the biblical reference to Rational Intimacy in Ephesians 2:10 where Paul writes that we are God's workmanship - the Greek word here is "poiēma" meaning masterpiece. In this scripture, Paul emphasizes that our relationship with God is one of intimacy, not obligation. We are constantly being shaped into the masterpiece God has created for us by His constant work.Tune in to this thought-provoking podcast episode to learn more about Rational Intimacy and how it can transform our relationships and lives.

In this episode Ruth & Tom explore the neuroscience behind the secure and insecure pathways of the brain. When we feel safe and secure, the brain's secure pathway is activated, and the parasympathetic nervous system takes over. This system helps us relax, slow down our heart rate, and decrease blood pressure, allowing our body to rest and recover. When we feel calm and relaxed, we can think more clearly and make better decisions.On the other hand, when we sense or perceive a threat or feel  insecure, the insecure pathway of the brain is activated, and the sympathetic nervous system takes over. This triggers the fight or flight response, which prepares our body to either confront the threat or flee from it. Autonomic Healing Activation intervenes in this predictable brain trajectory - empowering people to stop the inevitable pathway of the insecure and seemingly rational perceptions. 

In this episode, Tom and Ruth discuss the dynamics behind our perceptions of ourselves, others, and situations.Listen to them explain why seemingly rational perceptions exist, why they follow a distinct pattern, and how they can be transformed into rational perceptions through the activation of homeostasis. 

In this episode, Tom and Ruth discuss perceptions, the role they play in our lives, and the importance of understanding them. The risks of our seemingly rational perceptions are real - unchecked they keep us in the detrimental patterns of the tsunami of stress.Learn why perceptions seem rational, how AI is a reflection of this, and why discovering our actual rational perceptions is so important.

Community is a word that's tossed around lightly these days. But how do we create our own sense of community in a world that feels less and less safe? The epidemic of loneliness continues even though we are more connected than ever. There is a real ache in people's hearts for a sense of belonging to a genuine community. But how do people approach community when the risk of being hurt or let down by others is real?Listen to this episode where Tom and Ruth talk about these dynamics. They discuss the differences between vulnerability and availability, secrecy and privacy, and how knowing the difference can allow you to build healthy intimate relationships with others.

There can be a lot of stress associated with change. Generally, it involves the loss of something, someone, or a situation from the past that is no longer present. As a result of it, we are moved towards new realities and led towards the possibilities of what might be. The way in which we respond to change in a healthy way is crucial because either we are able to take advantage of its benefits or we become stuck in damaging ways of thinking. Listen in as Tom and Ruth talk about these dynamics within a change context. In particular, they discuss how grief plays a key role in the acceptance of the seeds of change that are being planted. 

Welcome to Season Two of The Autonomic Healing Podcast! As Ruth & Tom introduce the upcoming season's overarching journey, they'll be taking us on a deep dive into rational intimacy, which is the focus of the new season. A huge aspect of our lives is how we relate to ourselves and to each other as a whole. It can either be a stressful experience or a life-affirming experience. When a person finds themselves in a state of homeostasis, rational intimacy becomes accessible as the alternative paradigm to the tsunami of stress. 

As we close out Season One of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, we look at Hope's importance in our lives.Listen as Ruth & Tom talk about the role of Hope in our lives. Hope is the antidote to negative anticipation. It resembles light coming in the darkness and new life being around the corner. As we enter 2023, we wish you all a hopeful New Year! See you in January for Season Two. 

Merry Christmas from the Autonomic Healing Podcast! In this special Christmas episode, Ruth & Tom read excerpts from Margery Williams British Children’s novel ‘The Velveteen Rabbit - How Toys Become Real.’ First published in 1922, this beautiful story depicts themes humans can easily relate to - the desire and journey we all embark on to become real versions of ourselves and the productive pain we can all experience as we embrace love. 

The great discovery of every human is to find out who we are. Finding out about our identity is fundamental to our being. Listen as Ruth and Tom explore how Autonomic Healing and the activation of homeostasis in Spiritual Formation brings Identity formation—allowing us to thrive instead of just surviving.

In Greek, the root word from which we get 'faith' is the noun Pistis. The word 'faith' can be a loaded word carrying all sorts of connotations for people - good and bad (depending on the person's experience) but at the heart of faith is the invitation to take healthy risks into the unknown so that we get to adventure into the expanse of purpose and desire. Listen in as Ruth and Tom deeply dive into what Autonomic Healing Spiritual Formation is, why it matters and how it brings life, adventure, and freedom as we discover our humanity. 

Ruth and Tom continue to talk about Autonomic Healing and Spiritual formation. In this episode, Ruth unpacks her AHA spiritual formation session, sharing how God spoke to her very visually, which has dramatically impacted her life.

Tom and Ruth continue to unpack Autonomic Healing Problem Solving, where the brain informs the mind what is actually rational. Tom shares the patterns of seemingly rational perceptions that people have and how AHA PS empowers them to move into their actual rational alternatives. 

Many people have phobia's - fear of snakes, fear of small spaces, fear of dentists! In fact there are more than 400 phobia's that people experience.In this episode Tom and Ruth share their latest adventure of climbing one of Colorado's 14,000 ft mountains - Grey's Peak. Listen as Ruth shares how this was an achievement in more ways than one, as her Acrophobia (fear of heights) has always hindered her from climbing. They share how Autonomic Healing and the activation of homeostasis helped her normalize as she achieved the climb and managed to submit the mountain. 

Stress and trauma's lingering effect settles itself in our perceptions of ourselves, others, and the situations we face daily. We all have (what Tom calls) seemingly rational perceptions - they seem perfectly rational to us, but often they are a product of how stress and trauma have formed us.In this episode, Ruth and Tom introduce the work of AHA Problem Solving - where the activation of homeostasis helps individuals to see a problem from an actual rational perspective enabling them to be the authentic version of themselves.