Jonathan Shanks works with trauma, nervous system dysregulation, inherited patterning, and disconnection from the self through a blend of somatic, energetic, ancestral, and systemic approaches. At the core of his philosophy is the belief that acceptance is the gateway to authentic healing, and that meaningful change cannot occur without first including the parts of ourselves that have been rejected, suppressed, or disconnected. In this interview, Jonathan shares his journey from a successful career in advertising and digital production into healing work, the principles that guide his practice, and why he believes genuine transformation begins with honesty, embodiment, and a more cohesive relationship with the self. Jonathan Shanks, Healer, Facilitator, Energy Worker How would you describe what it is that you do? I help people reconnect to themselves. That means connecting back to the body, recalibrating their relationship with the mind and belief systems, and opening the doorway to spirit. Spirit, in this context, is the sense of being part of something much greater than the self. It’s not about fixing anyone. It’s about helping to remember what was never lost. At its heart, my work is about helping people come back to the reality of themselves. Beyond trauma, fear and stuck-ness, towards freedom, liberation and authentic self-expression. How did you get involved in this line of work? I spent the best part of 30 years bypassing my own complex trauma, overwhelm and nervous system dysregulation. Like many people, I was functional on the outside but disconnected internally. Eventually, life forced me to stop and confront what was unresolved. Those moments of collapse were also the beginning of transformation. In my 30s I went through two pivotal traumatic experiences which completely changed the trajectory of my life and forced me to start looking deeply into myself to try and understand why these things had happened to me. I call them my big red stop signs. They were forced opportunities for waking up. Did you do something else before this? Yes. I worked for over two decades in advertising, digital production and product development. I travelled extensively and operated in environments that demanded constant output and high performance. It was unfeasible and unsustainable. The contrast between that world and the work I do now couldn’t be more stark. Still, what I learned about business and systems continues to inform how I structure and hold my healing work today. What’s it like retraining later in life? The biggest challenge is psychological. You have to confront the internal voices that say “you’re too old, it’s too late, or that you’ll never manage it.” These are fear responses, not truths. Once you meet them enough times and change your relationship to them, they start to lose their grip on you. Financially, the shift was just as tough. Going from disposable income to none at all was a challenge. But like everything, it brought its own teachings. How did you choose what to study and train in? I was initially drawn to Osteopathy. A tutor at nutrition college was an osteopath, and he taught in a deeply embodied and intuitive way. That seemed to stay with me. From there, my path unfolded through direct experience. I followed what felt alive in my body. I studied Naturopathic Nutrition, Yoga and Embodied Movement, TRE and Nervous System Regulation, Family / Systemic Constellations, and later began focusing heavily on energetic and shamanic practices, to tie together evidence-based work with wider-lens modalities, rooted within belief. Why do you call yourself a healer? It’s the word that best describes what I do. I’ve explored many ways to name my offering, but healer remains the most accurate. One of my mentors once suggested the term ‘Energetic Transformation Coach’, but it felt like too much of a mouthful. Healer is simple and truthful. I also refer to myself as a Facilitator and an Energy Worker as the reality is that I’m all of these things. What kinds of modalities do you work with, and how do they integrate? My work brings together a number of different approaches. I use energetic awareness, shamanic principles, somatic regulation tools, Family / Systemic Constellations, and re-programming of the conceptual and subconscious aspects of the mind. In some sessions, elements of Physical Mediumship may also arise, depending on what the client’s system is ready to work with. These modalities don’t sit side by side. They blend and respond intuitively to what’s present in the session. Some work happens in the body, some through the energetic field and some through ancestral connection. My role is to track the intelligence of the client’s system and follow what it reveals. Unlike traditional talk therapy, my work moves beyond the mind to engage the body and energetic field, enabling shifts that happen more deeply and often more quickly. What kind of issues do people bring to you? I work with a wide range of challenges, but most clients are navigating unresolved trauma, nervous system dysregulation, long-term fragmentation from the self, and inherited patterns that sit beneath conscious awareness. Many clients come after trying talk therapy or coaching and finding that it hasn’t reached deep enough. The work I offer is experiential. It allows the body and the field to reveal what’s ready to be seen and included. Clients often describe feeling more embodied, clearer in their purpose and more able to move through life with greater ease after just a few sessions. What does a session with you usually involve? Every session is different, but we always begin with grounding and sensing into the body. I do this by allowing my energetic system to regulate the client’s body, then guiding them into simple nasal breathing. This activates the primary breathing muscles and starts to shift the nervous system into a parasympathetic state. From there, I follow what emerges. This could involve energetic transformation, somatic release, ancestral connection or embodying a hidden aspect of the psyche. I act as a translator, reflecting back what I sense and feel in the client’s system, allowing unspoken or subconscious material to surface and be looked at. It’s not scripted. It’s about meeting what’s there, honestly. What do you think drives someone to do this kind of work? It’s not something you choose in the traditional sense. It's something that’s moving through you. My whole life I felt connected to everything and everyone, without understanding why. Eventually, I realised that life itself had been preparing me. Training with elders has helped me see that this path is less of a career and more of a calling. How do you look after yourself while holding complex trauma, personally and ancestrally? I have daily non-negotiables. I regulate my nervous system, practise TRE, and use energetic hygiene to clear what’s not mine. I go regularly to a traditional Banya sauna, which helps me release and reset on a physical level. I also find restoration in sound, especially deep electronic music. I’m a nudist and so being naked outside, close to the elements reminds me how small and insignificant I am in comparison to the vastness of the natural world. It’s grounding and it brings me directly into reality. Comedy also plays a big role. I watch stand-up live or via YouTube regularly. It helps keep things light. It’s a polarity practice. A way of balancing the depth and tenderness of the work I do. Who and what inspires you? My close friends who are walking similar paths and developing meaningful work in this space. My teachers, old and new, who remind me to stay humble and continue excavating the parts of myself that are still hidden. Gabor Maté’s early work, especially When the Body Says No, had a strong impact on me. Neville Goddard opened me up to the power of imagination and the importance of a faith-based practice. More recently, Joshua Schrei of the Emerald Podcast has been a profound source of insight and inspiration, thanks to the depth and nuance within his teaching. I’ve just begun reading William Blake. I have a sense he will provide a significant amount of creative nourishment over the latter part of this year. What values do you hold yourself accountable to? I try to live by these words, integrity, honesty, transparency, and practicality. It’s my mission to redefine how this kind of work is spoken about and delivered. So much of the world I move within can be overcomplicated and jargon-filled, with fluffy language and overly conceptual frameworks trying to explain what’s happening. That’s why people glaze over when you mention the words psychic or medium. They often associate these things with airy, untethered or ungrounded people. I deliver all my work from a place of unconditional love and radical acceptance of what arises. But I’m also incredibly direct, honest and transparent about what’s unfolding and why clients may be stuck or not seeing shifts. It’s not my job to do the work for them. I point and show the way. It’s then up to the client to walk the new path. It’s possible to work with esoteric or indigenous healing frameworks, whilst delivering them through a modern lens. That’s my exact intent for how I deliver my work. How do you find new clients? I work mostly by word of mouth. That has been the foundation of my practice. I also send a newsletter through my website, where I share reflections, updates and case studies. I’ve resisted traditional marketing and social media for a long time. This partnership with Brainz is my first step toward more traditional forms of visibility and promotion. Who do you work with? As a gay man who spent years struggling with authentic expression, I have a deep desire to work with the gay population. There’s so much trauma in this group, often rooted in early childhood experiences, abuse, neglect and rejection. The epidemic of chemsex and addiction isn’t about pleasure or freedom. It’s a direct response to unresolved pain and abuse. That said, I work with everyone. My one-to-one client base is evenly split between men and women. As I begin to move more into group settings, I’ll offer spaces specifically for gay men, as well as mixed and gender-specific groups. What’s coming next in your work? Over the past 2 years I’ve focused almost entirely on one-to-one sessions. That period was about refining the work and allowing it to mature. Now I’m beginning to focus more on group offerings, with a new brand that will launch in 2026. This will include workshops, retreats and week-long intensives that allow for deeper transformation and more communal healing. I also plan on collaborating with other practitioners whose work complements my own. What do you think is the biggest issue in the wellness or healing industry? The difference between healing and self-improvement. Most of the wellness industry offers self-improvement, not healing. Healing begins with complete acceptance of the self, through all layers of the mind and body. You cannot truly grow or evolve until you’ve met yourself fully and accepted what is. It took me more than 40 years to fully understand and embody this. I spent thousands of pounds and countless hours trying to improve myself whilst still rejecting who and what I was. This is the ultimate dance of delusion. I’ve written an article about this, using my personal experience to communicate the point. What would you say to someone who is curious about healing but unsure where to start? Be open and curious. Choose a practitioner who feels safe and whose language resonates with you. Healing doesn’t require you to be fixed. It only asks that you’re willing to meet yourself more honestly than you have done before. Try to find someone who can work with both the mind and the body. Go with what you feel. Let your decision come from intuition or body wisdom. That initial response in your gut often carries more truth than the endless spin of the mind. Many people also wonder whether energy or somatic work is right for them. I encourage openness, because this kind of healing is accessible to anyone. How can people find out more about you and your work? The best place is through my website, but I’ll list below the ways that you can get in touch with me: Email: js@jonathanshanks.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 7967 075377 On my website, you can also sign up to my newsletter, where I write about the themes I’m exploring in my work, share reflections and case studies, and offer ways to connect. I offer a free 20-minute video call to anyone interested. It’s a chance to connect and see whether we’re the right fit. So if you’re ready to dive in, you can go ahead and book your session here. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jonathan Shanks

Written by Valerie Priester, Self-Trust & Clarity Guide for Established Women Entrepreneurs Valerie Priester is a Self-Trust & Clarity Guide who helps established, heart-centered women entrepreneurs build unshakable self-trust. She supports them in moving forward with clarity, courage, and consistent action. You may already know what needs to happen next. The question is whether you trust yourself enough to move. There comes a point when clarity is no longer the thing you are waiting for. You have reflected, gathered information, considered the possibilities, and looked at the decision from every angle. Somewhere beneath all of that thinking, you already know. You know the conversation that needs to happen. You know what is no longer working. You know what wants to change, even if you cannot yet see exactly where that change will lead. This is often where clarity becomes uncomfortable because once you know, the work changes. The question is no longer simply, “What do I want?” It becomes, “Do I trust myself enough to honor what I know?” Clarity is not the finish line We tend to think of clarity as the breakthrough. If we could just get clear, then everything else would fall into place. Clarity matters. It helps us separate what is true from what is expected, familiar, or convenient. It reveals what still fits and what no longer does. But clarity alone does not create change. There is a space between recognizing what is true and actually living from that truth. That space is where self-trust becomes essential. You can know an offer no longer fits your business and continue delivering it because it is familiar. You can recognize that a boundary needs to change and still postpone the conversation. You can feel drawn toward a new direction and keep researching because you want proof before you begin. That does not necessarily mean you lack clarity. Sometimes it means clarity has done its job and is now asking something more of you. It is asking you to move. More information will not always make the decision easier There are times when more information is exactly what you need. Research, data, trusted counsel, and thoughtful conversation can sharpen a decision and reveal what you may not yet see. There is also a point when gathering more information becomes a way of delaying the vulnerability of choosing. We keep looking because we hope the next conversation will remove the risk. We ask one more person because we want confirmation of what we already sense. We revisit the decision because we want certainty to arrive before we move. The problem is that many meaningful decisions do not come with that kind of certainty. Leadership rarely offers a guarantee. Self-trust is not believing you will always make the perfect choice. It is knowing you can make the most honest decision available to you and trust yourself to respond to what unfolds. That is a much more grounded kind of confidence. You do not need the whole path Indecision often grows when we confuse the next step with the entire journey. We think that before we act, we should understand exactly how everything will work out. If we change the offer, we want to know what will replace it. If we say no to an opportunity, we want to know when another will appear. If we choose a new direction, we want proof that it will succeed before we begin. We try to solve the future before responding to the present, but clarity often arrives in layers. You may not know what the next version of your business will look like, but you know what you can no longer continue doing. You may not have every detail of a new direction, but you know what feels more honest now. The next aligned step does not need to answer every future question. It only needs to be true enough for where you are today. Movement creates the clarity that thinking alone cannot. Hesitation deserves discernment Hesitation is not something to ignore, but it is not always a stop sign either. Often, hesitation is wisdom. It asks you to slow down, gather more information, or acknowledge that something is not right. Other times, hesitation shows up because a decision requires more of you. It may ask you to become more visible. It may challenge an old identity. It may require you to disappoint someone, change your mind, or move without the reassurance of consensus. Feeling stretched does not automatically mean you are moving in the wrong direction. The more useful question is not, “Why am I hesitating?” but “What is this hesitation trying to tell me?” There is a difference between genuine misalignment and discomfort with growth. Self-trust develops as you become more capable of recognizing that difference. Self-trust is built in motion Many women wait to feel completely confident before making the decision, but confidence often comes after movement, not before it. Self-trust grows through evidence. You make a decision and discover that you can handle the outcome. You set a boundary and realize the relationship survives. You share the idea and learn something from the response. You change direction and see that evolution does not make you inconsistent. With each experience, you learn that you can rely on yourself. Not because every decision turns out exactly as planned, but because you become more confident in your ability to navigate what happens next. This is why self-trust is not something you simply think your way into. At some point, you have to practice it. Aligned action is not forced action Moving forward does not mean pushing yourself into constant action. There is a meaningful difference between stretching and overriding yourself. Aligned action can still feel uncomfortable. It may ask for courage, visibility, investment, or the willingness to leave something familiar behind, but beneath the discomfort, there is often a sense of congruence. Something in you recognizes that the move is yours to make. Forced action feels different. It is often fueled by urgency, comparison, proving, or the belief that you must disconnect from yourself in order to succeed. The goal is not to eliminate discomfort from decision-making. It is to become discerning enough to know when discomfort is part of growth and when pressure is pulling you away from yourself. Self-trust allows you to move without abandoning yourself in the process. The right support brings you back to yourself Self-trust does not require you to do everything alone. Sometimes support is exactly what helps you stop circling a decision long enough to hear what you already know. The right coach, mentor, advisor, or community does not replace your authority. They help strengthen it. They offer perspective, ask better questions, and reflect what can be difficult to see from inside your own experience. Support should not make you more dependent on someone else's answer. It should make you more capable of recognizing your own answers. That distinction matters because the goal is not to become better at following direction. It is to become more deeply connected to your own discernment. What if you already know? There may be something in your business or life that you have been trying to get clearer about, but sometimes the search for clarity continues long after the answer has already begun to take shape. In those moments, the more useful question may be, “What do I already know that I have not yet allowed myself to act on?” Often, what keeps us still is not confusion but the desire for reassurance. We want to know if the decision will work, that others will understand it, or that we will not regret it later. Yet self-trust asks us to loosen our grip on certainty and become more willing to honor what feels true now. That does not mean acting impulsively or forcing movement before we are ready. It means recognizing when clarity has already arrived and allowing it to influence how we lead, decide, and move forward because clarity becomes transformational when it stops being something you understand and becomes something you are willing to live. Ready to trust what you know? If you are clear that something in your business or life is ready to shift, but you find yourself circling the decision, second-guessing what you know, or waiting for certainty before you move, I would love to support you. You do not need someone else to hand you the answers. You may need the space to hear your own answers more clearly, trust what is already emerging, and identify the next aligned step. The Next-Level Clarity Session is the first step. It is a space to explore what is true now, uncover what may be keeping you in hesitation, and reconnect with the self-trust needed to move forward with greater clarity and intention. Click here to schedule your Next-Level Clarity Session. Designing your victory is a choice. Start today by trusting yourself enough to take the next honest step. Follow Valerie on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or visit her website for more info. Read more from Valerie Priester Valerie Priester, Self-Trust & Clarity Guide for Established Women Entrepreneurs Valerie Priester is a Self-Trust & Clarity Guide who helps established, heart-centered women entrepreneurs build unshakable self-trust so they can move forward with clarity, courage, and consistent action. As the creator of The Confident Clarity Pathway, she blends reflective depth with grounded planning to help women expand without overworking or abandoning themselves. Her work centers on one belief, "When women trust themselves deeply, they move boldly."

Written by Tara Swann, Emotional Empowerment Coach & Author Tara Swann is an Emotional Empowerment & Embodiment Coach and three-time author who guides women to alchemise emotional patterns and reclaim their inner power. She helps women manifest a life that reflects their deepest truth. As someone who struggled with anxiety for most of my life, I thought confidence was just something some people were gifted with. Anxiety was something I identified with, and something I thought I had to live with forever, until I discovered that the doorway between my anxiety and confidence was feeling. You don’t have anxiety When I was diagnosed with anxiety in my early 20s, I thought it was a life sentence. I’d think to myself, “I have anxiety now, and it’s just something I have to live with,” but what I wrote in my book, You Don’t Have Anxiety, is that anxiety should never be a diagnosis, it is a symptom, a symptom of something deeper. Eighteen months into my coaching business, I announced a free online training and immediately felt consumed by anxiety. I paced my house thinking, “How can I do this? I can’t speak to people,” and I almost cancelled. My coach at the time offered a perspective that changed everything, “Your thoughts are attached to feelings. If you release the feelings, the thoughts will disappear as a byproduct.” I sat quietly, breathed into the tightness in my chest and throat, and let myself feel it without judgement. Eventually, I cried, and with that release came unexpected clarity. I realised my fear of speaking stemmed from childhood, years of feeling criticised and challenged by my sister led my younger self to believe it wasn’t safe to use my voice. Those unprocessed emotions had quietly shaped my ability to speak for most of my life. Once I released the shame, worthlessness and inadequacy attached to those experiences, I showed up to that training with confidence, certainty and clarity. I remember thinking to myself, “If I can overcome a lifelong fear of speaking in 15 minutes, what else can I do?” Claiming your potential I always wanted to become a writer and published author, but a voice inside me told me I didn’t know enough and wasn’t good enough to write books. That voice stopped me from sharing my writing for years. Once I knew I could overcome these voices and fears, I used the tools to propel myself forward and not only write one book but publish three in the space of six months, as well as land some incredible speaking opportunities. When you claim what you desire, your internal voices and fears will inevitably arise. You can either let them control you, or you can observe them and allow them to lead you to what it is that you’re holding in your body as well. This is the doorway to your confidence. 3 steps to release your fears 1. Acknowledge the voice in your head Each time you try to claim your desires, whether it be writing a book yourself, going for a more challenging but exciting job, or maybe starting that business that lights you up, you have a voice that jumps in, telling you you’re not good enough, you need to know more, or maybe it’s better to stay where you are. That voice immediately attempts to talk you out of it, and if you’re reading this, you’ve likely listened to it a lot in the past. What if, instead of listening to it, you observed and acknowledged it? Thank that part of you for trying to keep you safe, since that’s ultimately its intention. 2. Feel what’s beneath the surface Once you’ve acknowledged that quiet but persistent voice in your mind, move your attention into your body and feel what’s there. You may feel a tightness in your chest, a knot in your stomach, or a sensation somewhere else in the body. Sit with that, place your hand on it, and just be present with it. After a moment, you may feel it shift or move, you may even want to cry or express and release your emotion in some other safe way. Allow it to move as it wants to, without judgement or pressure. Just observe and move with it. 3. Make your new choice Once you’ve felt the energy move through your body, take a few deep belly breaths. If you haven’t felt it move, that’s okay too. Just keep acknowledging it and breathing into it, without needing to fix or change anything. Whether it has or hasn’t shifted, you can still make a new choice. Your new choice may be that you are good enough. Your new choice may be to start your passion project and keep using this process whenever fear arises. Your new choice may be to raise your standards for yourself and how you show up. Whatever it may be, move forward in a way that honours that new choice. This is how you create self-trust and lasting change. Igniting your confidence The only thing standing between you and your confidence is the voice of fear. That voice of fear is likely a younger version of yourself, basing your ability to achieve your current desires on past experiences that simply aren’t relevant now. Using the 3-step process above to observe that voice and feel what’s there is how you begin to take back your power, show up differently, and truly claim what you want for your life. Some will say confidence grows when you do the thing that scares you, when you put yourself out of your comfort zone, and I don’t disagree, but what if you could also nudge your nervous system instead of stressing it? I found that stepping out of my comfort zone often meant my body went into a freeze response, which wasn’t at all helpful for my confidence, but allowing myself to become familiar with all parts of myself let me observe my responses instead of being overtaken by them. Command what you want You can command what you want for your life without wavering and allow life to show you where you’re still holding yourself back. You can do this before you “get out of your comfort zone.” By commanding what you want and raising your standards, you’re going to stretch yourself and your nervous system’s capacity to hold what you want, whether it’s a more fulfilling career or business, a deeper, more connected relationship, or more wealth and abundance. For me, that looked like stating to myself, “I am an author.” Then I showed up differently, wrote the book, and with each fear that arose, I stayed with it instead of trying to push through it, that process has led me to where I am now. Self-led liberation Life is going to continually show you where you’re not yet free, where you’re still living out of alignment, where you’re not showing up as your higher self, and where you’re not living up to your potential. This is a beautiful thing. This also means you don’t need to go digging for where you’re lacking confidence, but instead ask for what you want, start moving in that direction, and allow life to show you, through your thoughts and emotions, where you’re still internally blocking yourself from being a match for that. You get to liberate yourself, moment by moment, by observing what life is showing you instead of becoming a victim to it. At the end of the day, you have the confidence to create whatever it is you want, you just need to stop telling yourself you don’t. If you would love to learn other ways to activate your confidence, get your copy of You Don’t Have Anxiety, available in paperback, e-book, or audiobook. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Tara Swann Tara Swann, Emotional Empowerment Coach & Author Tara Swann is an Emotional Empowerment Coach, Author, and Speaker known for helping women alchemise emotional patterns into personal power. She guides women into deeper confidence, clarity, and self-connection through her unique blend of emotional mastery, feminine embodiment, and manifestation work. Tara is the author of You Don’t Have Anxiety, Becoming Her, and The Ocean Is She, and is currently deepening her expertise through formal Tantra Practitioner training. Her mission is to help women remember who they are and consciously create lives that feel aligned, expansive, and unapologetically alive.

Written by Dr. Moniek Garside, Mental Health Expert Dr. Moniek Garside, LCSW, is a mental health expert, licensed psychotherapist, speaker, educator, and author dedicated to helping people move from autopilot to awareness. Through her work in therapy, education, and wellness, she empowers individuals to prioritize self-care, set boundaries, and create space for intentional growth and healing. Suicide is complex. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is rarely the result of one circumstance or event. Many factors can increase risk, but there are also factors that can offer protection. These include support from family and friends, feeling connected to others, and having meaningful connections within our communities. Perhaps that is one of the most important places for us to begin the conversation during Suicide Prevention Month, connection matters. Suicide prevention isn't only a conversation for therapists, crisis professionals, or the month of September. It is also about how we show up for one another in our homes, friendships, workplaces, faith communities, schools, and everyday lives. We often hear the phrase "check on your people." It's an important reminder, but what does checking in actually look like? How do we create relationships where someone feels safe enough to tell us they aren't okay? When someone does open that door, can we stay present with what they're sharing rather than immediately trying to fix, minimize, or change what they're feeling? The CDC emphasizes that suicide prevention begins before a crisis. Our everyday interactions and relationships matter. The communities we create can help people feel connected, supported, and less alone. Breaking the stigma starts with safe conversations Stigma can show up through the negative beliefs, assumptions, or judgments we attach to certain experiences. When it comes to mental health, those beliefs can make an already difficult experience feel even more isolating. Someone may hesitate to talk about what they're experiencing because they're afraid of being judged, misunderstood, treated differently, or becoming a burden to the people they love. Others may simply not have the words to describe what they're feeling. Some of these beliefs are deeply rooted. They may have been passed down through families, cultures, communities, or generations. Perhaps you grew up in a home where mental health wasn't discussed. Maybe difficult emotions were something you were expected to "get over," keep private, or simply push through. We have an opportunity to change that narrative. Breaking stigma doesn't require us to become mental health experts. It can begin with compassion, empathy, and creating environments where people don't feel they have to hide what they're experiencing. Those conversations can begin early. No one is too young to need space for their emotions. When children learn that sadness, fear, disappointment, anger, and uncertainty are feelings they can talk about, we help give them a language for emotional well-being that they can carry into adulthood. Imagine what could change for future generations if asking for emotional support became as normal as asking for help when we are physically unwell. It's also important to remember that there is no single personality, diagnosis, experience, or circumstance that tells us who may experience suicidal thoughts. Someone can appear to be doing well and still be struggling beneath the surface. Rather than trying to determine who "looks" like they may be struggling, we can focus on creating relationships where people feel more comfortable talking honestly about how they're doing. Learn to notice when something has changed Sometimes supporting someone begins with knowing them well enough to notice when something feels different. A person who normally engages with family or friends may begin withdrawing. Someone may express increasing hopelessness, talk about having no reason to live, describe themselves as a burden, or begin saying goodbye in ways that seem unusual. Other warning signs can include significant changes in mood, sleeping or eating patterns, increased alcohol or substance use, giving away meaningful possessions, taking unusual risks, or making plans related to suicide. One change alone doesn't necessarily tell us what someone is experiencing. But new, concerning, or increasing changes deserve our attention. There is also an important difference between solitude and isolation. Solitude can be intentional and restorative. Someone may choose time alone to think, rest, pray, create, or recharge. Isolation can look different. It may involve pulling away from relationships, activities, or sources of support, particularly when that withdrawal represents a noticeable change from someone's usual behavior. Instead of assuming someone is "just keeping to themselves," we can become curious. A simple statement such as, "I've noticed you haven't seemed like yourself lately. How are you doing?" may create an opening for a conversation that otherwise might not have happened. Holding space doesn't mean having the perfect response One reason people may avoid conversations about suicide is the fear of saying the wrong thing. You don't have to have the perfect words. Holding space can be as simple as listening without judgment, resisting the urge to immediately problem-solve, taking someone's concerns seriously, and giving them room to speak honestly. It doesn't always require a formal sit-down conversation. Sometimes holding space happens in the car, while taking a walk, over coffee, or during an ordinary moment when someone begins sharing something deeper. We don't always have to bring attention to the moment. Sometimes we simply need to give the person our attention. Put the phone down. Listen. Ask another question. Allow silence. Try to resist immediately responding with "You'll be fine," "Don't think like that," or "Look at everything you have to be grateful for." These responses may come from a place of love and a desire to make things better, but they can unintentionally close the door someone has just worked up the courage to open. Instead, we can say, "I'm glad you told me." "I'm here with you." "Tell me more about what you've been experiencing." If you're concerned that someone may be thinking about suicide, it is okay to ask directly. Research summarized by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) indicates that asking someone whether they are thinking about suicide does not increase suicidal thoughts or behavior. NIMH recommends five actions, ask, be there, help keep them safe, help them connect, and follow up. You don't need perfect words to be a safe person. Sometimes presence is more powerful than advice. At the same time, holding space doesn't mean taking sole responsibility for someone's safety or well-being. Know your capacity and recognize when additional support is needed. Helping someone connect with a mental health professional, healthcare provider, crisis counselor, trusted family member, or another appropriate resource can also be an act of care. Creating communities where asking for help feels normal Suicide prevention isn't only about what happens between two individuals. We can also think about what we're creating collectively. What would change if emotional check-ins were a normal part of family conversations? What if "How are you really doing?" wasn't reserved for moments when something was obviously wrong? What if workplaces made conversations about mental well-being and available resources part of their culture rather than waiting until someone reached burnout or crisis? What if friends felt comfortable saying, "You've been quiet lately. I just wanted to check on you." What if parents gave children permission to name difficult emotions without immediately trying to fix or dismiss them? Creating supportive communities doesn't mean every conversation needs to center on mental health. It means creating enough openness that when someone does need to talk, the conversation doesn't feel unfamiliar or shameful. The CDC's approach to suicide prevention includes strengthening healthy connections, developing coping and problem-solving skills, improving access to care, and creating supportive environments. We aren't only watching for crises. We're building connections before a crisis occurs. 5 ways we can hold space for one another Ask beyond "How are you?" Our everyday questions can sometimes produce automatic answers. Try going one step further, "How are you really doing?" "What's been weighing on you lately?" or "How have you been feeling?" Then give the person enough space to answer honestly. Listen without rushing to fix. Not every difficult feeling requires an immediate solution. Sometimes people need an opportunity to say what they're experiencing without being judged, corrected, or rushed toward positivity. Pay attention to meaningful changes. Notice significant changes in someone's mood, language, behavior, relationships, sleep, substance use, or level of engagement. You don't have to diagnose or determine exactly what the change means. You can acknowledge what you've noticed and check in. Ask directly when you're concerned. If you are concerned that someone may be thinking about suicide, it is okay to ask, "Are you thinking about suicide?" Asking directly does not put the idea into someone's mind. Instead, it can create an opportunity for honesty and connection. Help connect and stay connected. Support doesn't have to end with one conversation. When appropriate, help someone connect with professional or crisis support and continue checking in afterward. A text, phone call, visit, or simple "I've been thinking about you" can remind someone that they don't have to navigate a difficult season alone. Final thoughts: Be a safe space Suicide Prevention Month reminds us that we all have a role to play, not by becoming therapists to the people we love, but by becoming more intentional about how we connect with one another. We can listen more carefully. Ask questions openly. Notice meaningful changes. Create homes where emotions can be discussed. Build friendships where vulnerability isn't treated as weakness. Encourage professional support without shame. Most importantly, we can remind the people around us that they don't have to wait until they're in crisis to say, "I'm struggling." Most of us will experience seasons when life feels heavier than usual. Normalizing honest conversations about those moments can help create communities where reaching for support feels less like an exception and more like something we are allowed to do. Sometimes holding space begins with something as simple as, "You don't have to go through this alone. I'm here, and I'm listening." This month, consider one small way you can help create that space. Check in with someone you haven't heard from. Make emotional conversations more normal in your home. Learn the warning signs. Share a mental health resource. Or simply become more intentional about listening when someone tells you how they're really doing. We may not always know what someone is carrying, but we can help create communities where they don't feel they have to carry it silently. If you or someone you know needs support If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or having thoughts of suicide, support is available. In the United States, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Support is available 24/7, and you can also contact 988 if you are concerned about someone you love. If there is an immediate life-threatening emergency, call 911. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Moniek Garside Dr. Moniek Garside, Mental Health Expert Dr. Moniek Garside, LCSW, is a mental health expert, licensed psychotherapist, speaker, educator, and author dedicated to helping individuals move from autopilot to awareness. With over two decades of experience in social work, psychology, healthcare, and education, she brings a practical and integrative approach to self-care, boundaries, and personal growth. Through her work, she creates space for reflection, healing, and intentional living. She's the founder of FitLife Wellness, LLC, where she supports clients, professionals, and communities in prioritizing their well-being. Through her writing and speaking, she empowers others to live with clarity, purpose, and self-awareness.

Fertility yoga teacher and reproductive wellbeing practitioner Alessandra Taylor supports individuals and couples navigating the emotional and physical challenges that can come with trying to conceive. Drawing from her experiences with motherhood and personal challenges, she explores how yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness can complement clinical fertility care while helping people reconnect with their bodies during uncertain times. In this exclusive interview, Alessandra shares how her journey into fertility yoga began, how practices can be adapted throughout fertility treatment, and the importance of self-compassion, communication, and emotional wellbeing along the path to parenthood. Alessandra Taylor, Yoga & Wellbeing Instructor What first led you from general yoga teaching into fertility and reproductive wellbeing? After having my children, I learnt that not everyone has the smooth-running fertility path that they should have. When a couple of my clients came to speak to me about whether yoga could help, it got me thinking, and I became curious to learn more about blood flow and how yoga can support lower cortisol levels. I realised yoga had so many benefits for supporting Fertility, so I delved deeper into finding out more. A lot of my clients were in stressful jobs that felt overwhelming. They also felt they couldn’t share if they were having Fertility treatment, therefore adding to their stress levels, which didn’t put their bodies and minds in the best place for conception to take place. I was pleased to explore further, as it has helped so many individuals and couples. How do you adapt a fertility yoga session for someone trying naturally compared with someone going through IVF? First, it is important to take a history from each person and understand whether there are any other symptoms that could affect their yoga practice. For someone trying to conceive naturally, the approach is similar to that of those who are undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Gentle hip-opening poses are good to get blood flow to the pelvic region, as well as a focus on the abdominal area to encourage a sense of connection. During IVF, the poses are adjusted according to each stage of the IVF cycle, from egg stimulation/collection to post-egg transfer, to factor in lethargy and tenderness in some parts of the body. Everyone has a different experience, so adapting the yoga practice is required here. Why do you encourage partners to be part of the fertility journey rather than focusing only on the person undergoing treatment? I believe conception is a shared journey, and it’s not just about the person who carries the child or who gives birth. When you feel an emotional connection with your partner, it ignites a spark and makes you feel that you are both in it together. It also helps the partner who is not carrying the child feel part of the experience. It is important to support each other every step of the way, which is why I encourage partners to be involved too. Now, I am a realist, and not all partners are willing to participate. I get that, and I am not here to make someone do something they don’t want to do; that defeats the objective. Like anything, the partners need to want to be involved, not just for their partners but for themselves. Some give it a go and realise it’s not for them, and others enjoy it and feel invested. I have found myself having to talk to couples where it is not working together and suggest focusing on the one having the treatment so they get the most out of the practice. Where do you think yoga and other wellbeing practices can genuinely support someone alongside clinical fertility care? Yoga, as well as other wellbeing practices such as meditation or breathing techniques, can help find inner peace and calm. When you want something so much, you can become fixated on it, which means it consumes your mind. You become anxious waiting for your period to come, and when it doesn’t, you become disappointed; the same happens when embryo transfer doesn’t work or when your body doesn’t collect enough eggs. This does not provide good balance for the body and mind. Gentle yoga practice and breathing can help the body and mind calm down a little. It doesn’t need to be a lengthy practice, even just 10 minutes per day to set your intention and provide clarity. Positive affirmations are also good, as well as being kind to yourself during this time. It helps prepare you to be in the most optimal state to receive. How has motherhood changed your understanding of pelvic floor health and the way women may need to adapt their yoga practice over time? I became a mother at the ages of 36 and 40. I have always been healthy and active, aware of my body and what it needed. So, when I did pregnancy yoga and Pilates, the instructors spoke a lot about the pelvic floor, how to engage it properly to support lower back pain in pregnancy and the importance of doing your pelvic floor exercises during and after pregnancy every day. I soon realised the relevance of this after giving birth naturally and noticed that I needed to work harder on my pelvic floor to avoid any issues later on in life. Thankfully I did, and I have a strong pelvic floor. I also recommend going to see a women’s health physio post-childbirth to test how strong your pelvic floor is. I managed to regain mine thanks to the exercise and knowledge I was given. What practices are most useful when fertility treatment starts to feel physically or emotionally overwhelming? It is important not to get yourself more overwhelmed than you already are. I think listening to a Fertility meditation helps calm the nervous system. I created one, based on the sacral chakra, which is focused around the abdomen area and helps restore calm and connection. Focusing on breathing techniques supports your inner peace; I am a big fan of the humming breath, which has supported me through difficult periods and reduces anxiety. I also like the cat and cow stretch to move the spine like a wave to reduce tension, and it doesn’t require you to think too much about holding a pose or breathing as you move. Sometimes you just need to flow and do what your body needs at that time. Undergoing Fertility treatment can be so stressful, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. Treat yourself with the care you deserve during this time. What can couples do to stay connected when fertility challenges begin to place pressure on the relationship? Honest and open communication is key to the success of any relationship. Talking to each other about your feelings and worries helps share the load and makes you feel like you’re not alone. Having a deep understanding and appreciation for the other person’s feelings makes them feel seen, valued and heard. Having someone to hold you through your toughest days strengthens your connection and love for each other. It also helps you move closer to your shared goals and takes the pressure off. This is a great foundation to lead with into parenthood; it is also important to talk about how you would parent your children, as everyone has different upbringings and approaches to parenthood. Again, this all comes down to good communication and having the difficult conversations, even when you don’t want to. What has your own experience of grief taught you about finding the inner peace and calm you now encourage in others? Grief comes at different points in your life, whether it be the passing of a loved one or a relationship breakup, but acceptance of a situation helps with the healing process. We can all be prisoners to our minds, asking ourselves questions constantly and trying to make sense of why something has happened in the way it did. All that does is send your nervous system into a tailspin, and you feel vulnerable. I have sat with my feelings through difficult times. When I feel sad, I let my emotions come like a wave; I sit with them and don’t try to understand why it is happening. I allow myself to stay still with my thoughts and protect my peace. I tell myself this moment will pass, and I will be ok. Being kind to yourself during moments like this and telling yourself you are enough and that one day things will look brighter helps keep your body safe and still. What would you most like someone facing an uncertain fertility journey to understand about caring for themselves along the way? I would like them to feel that they are enough and to be kind to themselves. There is a tendency during these times to ask yourself why it is you who is experiencing such uncertainty, and I understand that way of thinking. However, flip it on its head and consider that this is only a chapter in your story and it is not the end. It is a moment of uncertainty, but consider that things can change and manifest the life you want to have, which includes children. This helps reset your focus and provides light and hope that you need to move forward. We always think we have a lot of time, but time doesn’t stand still, so use your time to focus on what you want and how you will set out to get it. Choose yourself, love yourself and give yourself permission to rest when you need to. Spend more time getting plenty of sleep, at least 7 hours and try to limit doomscrolling. Give your body the attention it deserves. For me, a walk in nature, moving my body each day for 20 minutes, and a good night’s sleep are the best remedies for self-care, which cost nothing. Follow me on Instagram for more info! Read more from Alessandra Taylor

Written by Connie Ng, Holistic Practitioner, Quantum Healing Facilitator & Transformational Coach Connie Ng is an international speaker helping people overcome chronic pain, mobility issues, and complex health challenges, especially when conventional approaches fall short. Integrating Five Elements philosophy, vibrational medicine, and mind-body coaching, she empowers clients to reclaim their health, reconnect with who they truly are, and create lasting transformation. In my previous biohacking article on Tissue Salts, I ended up asking a rather ambitious question: what if the real future of biohacking is not simply better gadgets, but becoming so biologically literate that we recognise imbalance earlier and prevent far more disease in the first place? I still like that idea enormously, but there is another side worth exploring: what happens when the desire to understand and optimise ourselves becomes so intense that health turns into another thing to control? I am very much pro-life in the literal sense. I want as many healthy years as I can get, and I suspect most biohackers do too. Why else invest so much time, money and attention in extending healthspan? Yet I am even more pro-living, because extending life and being sufficiently healthy, free and present to actually enjoy it are not quite the same thing. Spending those additional years auditing every meal, workout, supplement, glucose reading and sleep score rather defeats the purpose. It reminds me of the distinction between being fit and being healthy. They often overlap, but they are not automatically the same thing. Neither are longevity and living well. There comes a point where I have to ask whether we are still pursuing health or becoming increasingly anxious about our mortality. Can you really out-biohack a nervous system that still believes it needs to stay on guard? When longevity turns into mortality management An emerging phrase, “longevity fixation”, describes what can happen when trying to extend life becomes so consuming that the pursuit begins interfering with the life somebody was supposedly trying to preserve. It is not a formal medical diagnosis, but the behavioural pattern is interesting: increasingly rigid eating, obsessive tracking, elaborate supplement regimes, fear of missing workouts and experimentation with interventions that promise another possible advantage. Someone can look exceptionally disciplined from the outside while becoming increasingly preoccupied with illness, decline and death, until a pursuit that began with wanting more life quietly turns into an obsession with mortality. We can discuss endlessly what someone is eating and how they are training, but if mortality has become an obsession and every health decision is being made from fear, I would be keen to measure what that is doing to the nervous system. There is something wonderfully ironic about monitoring every conceivable marker of health while overlooking the anxiety generated by the monitoring itself. Most longevity enthusiasts presumably began because they wanted more life. That is precisely why pro-living resonates with me far more than merely accumulating years. What future are we training the nervous system to expect? Neuroplasticity means repeated experiences can shape brain function, while chronic stress can affect systems involved in threat processing, emotion, decision-making and autonomic regulation. That makes the story we repeatedly tell ourselves about our health rather important. A disappointing sleep score can remain useful information, or it can colour the entire morning because someone decides they have recovered badly. Missing one workout may be inconsequential, unless that person genuinely believes every skipped session is stealing something from their future. Even eating can become strangely joyless when every mouthful is mentally assessed for glucose response, inflammation, macros and longevity credentials. Growing older then stops being a stage of life and starts becoming an opponent. Nocebo research gives us another reason to take expectation seriously because negative expectations and learned associations can influence symptom and pain experiences. I explored neuroplasticity from another direction in What Future Has Your Diagnosis Quietly Persuaded You to Stop Imagining? For the longevity-minded reader, I would turn that enquiry around, "If we spend every day anticipating decline, what future are we training our nervous system to expect?" The need for control is already information This is where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Five Elements theory gives me another lens through which to explore longevity fixation. I would never assign obsessive biohacking neatly to one element. What catches my attention is the increasing need to control food, sleep, exercise, supplementation and health metrics simply to feel okay. Through a Five Elements lens, that need for control immediately makes me curious about what is really driving it. Water is traditionally associated with fear, which may include fear of ageing, illness, losing capability or mortality itself. Earth brings themes of worry and overthinking, where looking after one's health can turn into an endless mental audit. Metal may show itself through rigidity, perfectionism and difficulty letting go, while Wood can become decidedly irritated when real life has the audacity to disrupt a beautifully organised protocol. I explored these emotional relationships more fully in When the Body Speaks: Decoding Mental Health with the Five Elements. When a longevity routine becomes rigid, compulsive and fear-driven, I would therefore look beyond whether the protocol itself is technically effective. The need to control it so tightly may already be an outward sign of emotional or psycho-spiritual imbalance, with the nervous system trying to manufacture safety through increasingly strict external rules, which is rather different from genuinely feeling safe within ourselves. Biohackers have become extraordinarily sophisticated at measuring the chemistry and performance of the body. I wonder whether the next frontier is becoming equally sophisticated about the emotional state of the person inhabiting it. If fear, worry, rigidity or another emotional pattern is helping to drive the need for control, another performance protocol would not necessarily be my first port of call. In my own practice, Plant Essences are among the quieter tools I may use alongside Five Elements Coaching and holistic counselling when exploring the emotional and psycho-spiritual terrain underneath what somebody is experiencing. I explored this more deeply in The Ancient Elixir Powering Quantum Performance (But No One’s Talking About It). Within vibrational medicine, we speak about emotional and energetic frequency, which may be a very different language from the metrics familiar to a biohacker. Yet the underlying question feels relevant: if we are prepared to optimise glucose, sleep, oxygen uptake and cellular health, why would emotional health sit outside the optimisation conversation? Plant Essences appeal to me in much the same way Tissue Salts do. Both are comparatively humble, low-tech systems centred on restoring balance rather than simply pushing the body towards another performance target. When a “gold standard” becomes everybody’s protocol Longevity culture understandably becomes excited when research identifies an intervention that improves an important marker. The Norwegian 4x4 is one example. It uses four high-intensity, four-minute intervals and has been studied for improving maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂ max). In one study involving healthy men averaging about 39 years of age who had not previously undertaken structured high-intensity training, the group using the 4x4 protocol improved VO₂ max by around 9% over six weeks. Cardiorespiratory fitness matters, and higher VO₂ max is strongly associated with better cardiovascular outcomes and lower mortality risk. Useful research, however, does not automatically become the right prescription for every person. Someone who sleeps beautifully, recovers quickly and genuinely enjoys hard interval training is starting from a very different place from somebody depleted, chronically stressed or dragging themselves through another session because they are frightened of losing fitness. That is why I resist the universalisation of a protocol. Research can tell us what happened within a studied population; it cannot tell us how you woke up this morning. TCM longevity also asks what we preserve Traditional Chinese Medicine brings another longevity concept into the conversation through Jing (精), or Essence. Pre-Heaven Jing is traditionally understood as our inherited constitutional reserve, associated with growth, development, reproduction and ageing. The Huangdi Neijing, the foundational classical text of Traditional Chinese Medicine, describes human development in age-related cycles. For women, the body is described as reaching a physical prime around 28, with decline beginning around 35 in the Yangming channels, referring here to the Stomach and Large Intestine meridian systems traditionally associated with abundant Qi and Blood. Men are described as reaching strong physical maturity around 32, with Kidney Qi beginning to decline around 40. Within that worldview, moving further through adulthood makes preserving deeper reserves, rather than continually testing how much we can expend, increasingly relevant. That gives repeated high-intensity training an interesting counterpoint. TCM certainly does not ask us to become sedentary and preserve ourselves like museum exhibits. Movement remains fundamental because Qi needs to circulate, and stagnation within the traditional framework is associated with imbalance. The more useful question is how we move. Taiji and Qigong combine controlled movement, posture, attention and breath without requiring every exercise session to become a contest with the body. Yoga brings its own traditions of Prana and breath, while Pilates approaches controlled movement, alignment and core strength from another lineage. Their philosophies differ, but they all remind us that movement can build strength, stability and vitality without necessarily needing to be punishing. VO₂ max matters, but HIIT does not own the patent on oxygen Modern research makes this contrast with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) even more interesting. A meta-analysis of 24 studies in older adults found that regular Tai Chi practice improved several measures of cardiorespiratory fitness, including VO₂ max, oxygen pulse and vital capacity. Qigong research offers another angle. One study comparing older Qigong and Tai Chi practitioners with sedentary controls found higher oxygen uptake and oxygen pulse among Qigong practitioners, as well as greater tidal volume, with diaphragmatic breathing suggested as one contributor to improved breathing efficiency. Another study found that three months of Qigong improved abdominal breathing, heart rate variability (HRV) and anxiety measures in college students with anxiety. Traditional Chinese internal practices often direct breath and awareness towards the Dan Tian (丹田) in the lower abdomen, understood within those traditions as an important centre for cultivating and storing Qi. Qi and VO₂ max belong to very different explanatory systems, but the overlap still intrigues me. Modern physiology can measure oxygen uptake, breathing efficiency, cardiorespiratory fitness and autonomic regulation, while traditional practices have spent centuries working with breath, movement and the cultivation of vitality. Perhaps modern research is starting to provide physiological language for some benefits that older movement traditions have observed experientially for a very long time. Seen from that perspective, modern biohacking's enthusiasm for breathwork suddenly looks rather less revolutionary. Hormesis, peptides and the increasingly long longevity laundry list Modern longevity medicine is increasingly interested in hormesis, adaptive stress and cellular ageing, which has inevitably created an expanding catalogue of interventions. Peptides are now firmly on that list. Approved peptide medicines have legitimate clinical uses. A rather different market has also developed online for unapproved injectable peptides promoted for anti-ageing, muscle growth, recovery and performance. Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been particularly vocal about this lately. In August 2026, it seized more than A$120,000 worth of illicit peptide and anabolic steroid products, including retatrutide, CJC-1295 and BPC-157/TB-500 combinations. The regulator has also reported serious adverse effects associated with unapproved peptide products and warns that many sold online have not been assessed for safety, quality or effectiveness. If fear of ageing eventually persuades somebody to inject an unapproved product purchased through social media or an overseas supplier, I think it is reasonable to ask whether that remains a genuinely pro-life decision, or whether fear of mortality has quietly taken over the steering wheel. This also brings the discussion neatly back to the cellular foundations I explored in the article preceding this one. The basic idea that healthy cells matter is hardly new. Wilhelm Heinrich Schüssler was exploring mineral constituents of cells and tissues through Biochemic Therapy in the 19th century. In Can 12 Mineral Salts Change How We Think About Cellular Optimisation?, I explored that older framework through mineral relationships, absorption, dose, body intelligence and cell health. New does not automatically mean better, and old does not automatically mean wiser. What matters to me is whether we understand the basics before allowing the increasingly lengthy longevity laundry list to fry the nervous system we are supposedly trying to preserve. If the body is the temple, the Heart is the sovereign This brings me back to one of my favourite TCM ideas. The Huangdi Neijing describes the Heart as the sovereign ruler of the body and associates it with Shen (神). Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shen is commonly translated as Spirit, mind or consciousness. In broader Chinese usage, Shen (神) can also mean a god or deity. That linguistic overlap intrigues me. We often hear that the body is our temple. If Shen resides in the Heart and the same character can also carry the idea of deity, there is a philosophical connection here that I cannot resist. The modern biohacker is already trying, in a sense, to play God with their own biology. I am not taking the mickey out of biohackers here. Taking responsibility for our health and refusing to leave our future entirely to chance can be deeply empowering. In fact, that impulse is very close to the provocative idea I explored in the Tissue Salts article: perhaps increasingly sophisticated health technology should ultimately make us more biologically literate and more capable of recognising imbalance early. But sovereignty over our own health requires something more intimate than collecting information. We have to know the kingdom we are attempting to govern, and that means being able to 'feel' it. Can we notice our mood, tension, breath, digestion and energy well enough to distinguish genuine vitality from adrenaline? Can we tell whether today really feels like a day to sweat, or whether walking, Taiji, Qigong, Pilates, breathwork or an unapologetic rest day would serve the body better? A wearable can add information, but it cannot inhabit the body on our behalf. If the body is the temple and the Heart its sovereign, our emotions and physical sensations are not inconvenient noise interfering with the data. They are part of the information itself. This is what I have meant throughout this series when I talk about biohacking wiser. The Tissue Salts article asked whether modern tools and older systems of observation could help us recognise imbalance earlier, understand cellular health more intelligently and become better custodians of our own biology. This article adds another condition to that vision: we cannot become genuinely sophisticated custodians of the body while remaining frightened and disconnected from it. Optimisation should help us become more present and at home within ourselves, rather than more suspicious of every fluctuation. That is also why I keep distinguishing between being pro-life and being pro-living. I am all for extending healthspan, but I am even more interested in being well enough, free enough and present enough to enjoy the years I have worked so hard to preserve. Otherwise, we may succeed in biohacking the lifespan while completely missing the life. After all, life is for living. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Connie Ng Connie Ng, Holistic Practitioner, Quantum Healing Facilitator & Transformational Coach Connie Ng is a Multi-Disciplined Holistic Practitioner and Quantum Healing Facilitator who specialises in helping clients overcome chronic physical and emotional conditions by addressing their root cause at the energetic level. Blending Five Elements wisdom with Star Magic Healing, vibrational medicine, and holistic counselling, she facilitates deep transformation for those who feel stuck despite trying everything. Connie is the founder of The Salt Therapy Clinic & Sanctuary and works with clients both in-person and remotely.

Written by Vinitha Edward, Life Transformation Coach Vinitha Edward is a Life Transformation Coach and Founder of Transform & Thrive, empowering women to build meaningful habits and shift their mindset through journaling. She inspires women to embrace personal growth and create lasting transformation. What if you don't need a completely different life to feel more peaceful? What if you need to learn to see your life differently? We often tell ourselves: “I’ll be happy when…” When I reach my goal, have more money, my children grow up, I get the job, and life becomes easier. We keep waiting for something outside of us to change before allowing ourselves to feel peace and joy. But gratitude offers us another way. Gratitude is the practice of intentionally noticing and appreciating what is good in our lives, while still acknowledging what may be difficult. When gratitude becomes a daily practice, it can influence how we think, what we notice, and how we experience our lives. Gratitude shifts your mindset Our minds can easily become focused on what is wrong, missing, or not happening the way we want. The more we repeatedly focus on negative thoughts, the more familiar that pattern can become. Gratitude gives our attention another direction. Instead of constantly asking, “What's wrong?” We begin asking, “What's good?” Instead of, “What am I missing?” We begin noticing, “What do I already have?” This doesn't mean negative thoughts will never appear. It means that with consistent practice, gratitude can help create a more positive mental habit and reduce the amount of attention we give to negativity. What we repeatedly choose to notice can influence the mindset we carry through life. Two ways to practice gratitude There is a simple gratitude practice I love because it goes beyond appreciating what we already have: 1. Gratitude for what you already have This is the gratitude we naturally understand. “I am grateful for my family.” “I am grateful for my home.” “I am grateful for my health.” “I am grateful for the people who support me.” “I am grateful for another day.” But take it one step deeper. Don't just list it. Pause and feel it. Notice the ordinary things you may have started taking for granted. The morning conversation with your child. A peaceful cup of coffee. A friend who checked on you. Your ability to walk, work, laugh, learn, and begin again. Sometimes what we are praying for today is something we once prayed for years ago. 2. Gratitude for what you are calling into your life This is where gratitude can become a powerful mindset practice. Instead of only being grateful for what has already happened, you can also express gratitude for the future you are working toward. For example: “I am grateful that I am living a healthy and energetic life.” “I am grateful that I have created financial abundance in my life.” “I am grateful that I am confident and courageous.” “I am grateful that I have built a fulfilling career.” The idea isn't to pretend something has already happened when it hasn't. It is about connecting your mind with the possibility of the life you want and approaching your goals from a place of belief, appreciation, and possibility rather than fear and lack. You are not saying, “I don't have it.” You are choosing to focus on, “This is what I am becoming, creating, and working toward.” That shift can change the emotional experience of pursuing your goals. Gratitude doesn't mean ignoring difficulties Gratitude is not toxic positivity. You can be disappointed and grateful. You can be tired and grateful. You can be going through a difficult season and still find something meaningful to appreciate. Gratitude doesn't erase your problems. It simply reminds you that your problems are not the entire story. Something difficult can be happening while something beautiful is happening at the same time. A one-minute gratitude practice You don't need a complicated routine. Every day, take one minute and ask yourself, "What am I grateful for today?" Then ask, "What am I grateful for becoming?" Write one answer to each. For example: Today: “I am grateful for my daughter's hug this morning.” Becoming: “I am grateful that I am becoming a calm, confident, and courageous woman.” Do this consistently. Over time, you may notice that your mind starts looking for things to appreciate instead of automatically searching for what is wrong. That is the beauty of gratitude. You don't need a perfect life to experience joy We cannot control everything that happens in our lives. But we can become more intentional about what we focus on. Gratitude lets us pursue more without believing our present life has no value. We can have goals and still be grateful. We can want change and still appreciate where we are. We can dream about tomorrow while being present today. Perhaps peace doesn't begin when everything finally falls into place. Perhaps peace begins when we learn to appreciate what is already in place. Perhaps joy isn't always something we have to find. Sometimes, we simply need to slow down enough to notice it. Gratitude changes the way you look at life, and when you change the way you look at life, you may begin to experience life differently. Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Vinitha Edward Vinitha Edward, Life Transformation Coach Vinitha Edward is a Certified Life Transformation Coach and Founder of Transform & Thrive, a platform that empowers women to create meaningful habits and mindset shifts through journaling and conscious living. She helps women overcome obstacles, build confidence, and find balance through intentional growth. Blending practical strategies with emotional awareness, Vinitha guides clients to move from feeling stuck to thriving with purpose. Her mission is to transform lives one step at a time.

Written by Quintin Gunn, Chief Strategic Officer Quintin Gunn is a Chief Strategic Officer (CSO) at Help My Medical Practice and draws on more than 25 years of experience in healthcare consulting and practice growth. He helps underperforming medical practices become more patient-focused, profitable, and operationally efficient. Nearly half of the physicians currently seeing patients in the United States are close enough to retirement that the decision about what happens to their practice is no longer theoretical. It's active. Physicians aged 65 and older now make up roughly 20% of the active clinical workforce, and another 22% are between 55 and 64, meaning more than four in ten practicing physicians are within a decade of traditional retirement age.[1] The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) puts it plainly: more than a third of the currently active physician workforce is likely to retire within the next ten years.[2] That demographic reality is colliding with a second trend: private practice itself is disappearing. Only 42.2% of physicians worked in a wholly physician-owned practice in 2024, down from 60.1% in 2012, an 18-point drop in just over a decade.[3] The share of physicians who hold any ownership stake at all fell from 53.2% to 35.4% over the same period.[3] Every year, fewer practices are physician-owned, and the physicians who still own theirs are getting older. If you own a practice today, this is the environment you're planning an exit inside of: a large wave of colleagues retiring at the same time, a shrinking pool of privately owned practices, and increasingly aggressive buyers circling every listing that comes to market. The retirement wave, by the numbers The scale of this transition is easy to state and hard to overstate: 20% of active physicians are already 65 or older, and another 22% are between 55 and 64, putting more than 4 in 10 practicing physicians within a decade of retirement age.[1] The AAMC projects a U.S. physician shortage of 13,500 to 86,000 doctors by 2036, driven largely by this retirement curve.[2] Nearly 39% of active physicians say they plan to retire early, and a 2024 Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) survey found 27% of medical groups had already lost a physician to early retirement tied to burnout.[1] Physician-owned private practice fell from 60.1% (2012) to 42.2% (2024) of all physicians, and ownership stakes fell from 53.2% to 35.4% over the same period.[3] Among physicians under 45, ownership dropped from 44.3% to 31.7% between 2012 and 2022, a much steeper decline than among physicians nearing retirement.[3] Why so few practices have an exit plan Knowing the wave is coming and being ready for it are two different things. Survey after survey shows the same gap: Sixty-nine percent of physician organizations report they don't have a succession plan in place for physician retirements.[4] Only 16% of administrators report having a formal, written physician succession plan, even though they rate the importance of having one at 7.5 out of 10.[4] In an MGMA member survey, 52% of practices said they had no succession plan of any kind at the time they were asked, and only about 37% had one specifically for physician owners.[1] Without a plan, the timeline that specialty guides recommend, starting five to ten years ahead of a planned ownership transition, or at minimum a year ahead of any sale,[5] quietly disappears. Practices that wait until retirement is imminent end up negotiating from a weaker position, with fewer buyers to choose from and less time to make the practice look its best on paper. Who's actually buying practices right now? The buyer landscape has shifted dramatically, and it's worth understanding before you decide who you want to sell to. Corporate entities, private equity firms, and insurers now own more physician practices than hospitals do. As of early 2026, corporate ownership (33.2% of practices) has overtaken hospital ownership (30.6%) for the first time.[6] In 2024, 6.5% of physicians worked in private equity-owned practices, up from 4.5% in 2022 [3]. Since 2024, hospitals have acquired roughly 5,800 physician practices, and corporate buyers have acquired more than 8,000.[6] Physician practice deals captured a record 46% share of first-quarter 2026 healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A) volume, up from 37% a year earlier, and deal counts grew 18% year over year, making physician groups the most active subsector in health services M&A.[6] Healthcare-focused private equity investment hit an estimated $191 billion globally in 2025, a new record.[7] Meanwhile, on the physician side, appetite for ownership hasn't disappeared, it's just being squeezed out. In one survey, 37% of physicians said they'd be interested in ownership opportunities even though they don't currently hold one, and physicians overwhelmingly (52% vs. 22%) believe ownership is decreasing across the profession.[8] Younger physicians in particular are showing renewed interest in physician-led settings: nearly 25% of physicians in health-system-led organizations are considering a change of employer, and 37% of those say they want to move to a physician-owned practice.[7] The case for selling to a new doctor instead of a corporate buyer Given how aggressively private equity and hospital systems are buying, why would you sell to an individual physician or small group instead? Faster, simpler transitions. A practice sale case study comparing two similar-sized practices found that an associate-driven sale, selling to a physician already working inside the practice, closed in 3 to 6 months, versus 18 to 24 months for a doctor-centered practice sold to an outside buyer, and still commanded a higher valuation multiple (3.6x Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) vs. 2.8x SDE).[9] Patient continuity and legacy. Selling to a new doctor who intends to practice medicine in your community, rather than a financial buyer optimizing for portfolio returns, keeps your patient relationships, your staff, and your practice's reputation intact. That continuity is often the deciding factor for physicians who built a practice around a specific community. Less regulatory complexity. Sales between physicians typically involve more straightforward fair market value (FMV) determinations, since anti-kickback and Stark Law concerns are heightened whenever a sale price could be read as compensation for referrals.[10] A ready pipeline of interested buyers. With ownership opportunities shrinking industry-wide, motivated young and mid-career physicians who want to run their own practice are actively looking. They just need to find practices that are positioned, priced, and marketed for them to find. How valuation works when you sell to a physician buyer Most independent practices are valued using Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) net profit, plus owner salary, personal expenses run through the business, depreciation, and one-time costs multiplied by an industry-specific multiple, commonly 4.0x to 8.0x for practices under $5 million in revenue.[11] Practices with an established patient panel, favorable payer mix, and more than one physician tend to land at the higher end of that range. By specialty, buyers are currently paying (in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) multiples): Specialty Add-on / smaller practice multiple Platform-scale multiple Primary care (family/internal medicine, pediatrics) 3x to 6x 8x to 12x Orthopedics and sports medicine 6x to 9x 9x to 13x Cardiology 8x to 12x 12x to 15x Obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn) and women's health 5x to 8x 10x to 14x Ophthalmology (including retina) 7x to 11x 12x to 20x Oncology and urology 8x to 12x 14x to 19x Source: FOCUS Investment Banking, 2026 physician practice M&A multiples. Valuation methodology generally follows one of three approaches: the income approach (discounted future cash flow, the most common method), the cost approach (tangible plus intangible assets, including goodwill), and the market approach (comparable local sales) [5]. Whichever method is used, the sale price must reflect fair market value. Federal anti-kickback and self-referral rules require this, especially when the retiring physician will continue seeing patients post-sale.[10] Most practice sales, physician-to-physician or otherwise, take 7 to 10 months from initial valuation to close, moving through confidential valuation, buyer marketing, negotiation and due diligence, and finally closing and transition.[11] Preparing your practice to attract a physician buyer The practices that sell fastest, and for the strongest multiple, share a few things in common before they ever go to market: Clean, separated financials. Buyers need to see practice performance independent of the current owner's personal compensation and expenses. Financial statements that clearly isolate SDE make due diligence faster and valuation more defensible. Documented payer contracts and reimbursement rates. A practice with strong, well-documented commercial payer relationships consistently commands a higher multiple than one with an unclear or heavily Medicare-weighted payer mix. An associate or transition track already in motion. Practices where a younger physician is already integrated into patient care close faster and at higher multiples than practices requiring a buyer to build trust with an entirely new patient panel from scratch. A visible digital presence. A prospective physician buyer will research your practice online before ever picking up the phone, the same way a patient would. A strong web presence, current patient reviews, and clear online information about the practice's services and reputation directly support the valuation story you're telling a buyer. Organized legal and compliance documentation. Articles of incorporation, payer contracts, employment agreements, leases, and a compliance plan should be assembled well before a buyer ever asks for them.[10] The window is open, for now The physician retirement wave isn't a future event. It's already underway, and it's reshaping who owns American medical practices faster than most owners have planned for. Practices that start preparing now, cleaning up financials, building a visible reputation, and creating a real pathway for a physician successor, are the ones capturing higher multiples and faster, smoother transitions. Practices that wait are increasingly finding themselves negotiating against corporate buyers on someone else's terms. If you're a practice owner thinking about your own timeline, the earlier you start positioning your practice, the more control you keep over who it goes to next and what happens to the patients and staff you've built it around. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Quintin Gunn Quintin Gunn, Chief Strategic Officer With over 25 years of Practice Development and Medical Marketing experience in the healthcare industry, and formerly with Social Media Solutions For Doctors. Quintin has helped with the growth and profitability of many practice groups in multiple specialties, such as Aesthetics, Med Spas, Cosmetic, Orthopedic, Sports Medicine, Integrative Health, Primary Care, Osteopathic, Ophthalmology, Brain and Spine, Regenerative Medicine, Anti-Aging and/or Age Management, along with Weight Loss and Chiropractic. Helping doctors and medical practices sell more than 5 million in patient treatments and medical services through practice development. Sources: [1] MGMA [2] AAMC [3] AMA [4] Jackson Physician Search [5] American College of Surgeons [6] Becker's ASC Review [7] Bain & Company [8] White Coat Investor [9] Trufonte Business Group [10] North Carolina Medical Society [11] John Salony M&A [12] FOCUS Investment Banking

Written by Cherriell Orius, Women Empowerment Trauma Coach Cherriell Orius is known for her work in trauma recovery, personal transformation and mindset development. She is the founder of CRB Enterprizezz, creator of Limitlezz Mindzet program, host of the Woman2Woman with Cherrie Podcast, and author of the Broken Compass: Life Out of Alignment. In a world that often encourages us to focus on what we lack, gratitude invites us to pause and appreciate what we already have. More than just saying "thank you," gratitude is a mindset that shifts our attention from scarcity to abundance. Researchers, psychologists, and health professionals have increasingly recognized gratitude as a powerful force that influences our mental well-being, physical health, and overall outlook on life. The psychology of gratitude Gratitude has a profound impact on the human psyche. When we consciously acknowledge the good things in our lives, our brains begin to focus less on problems and more on possibilities. This shift helps reduce negative emotions such as envy, resentment, and frustration, replacing them with feelings of contentment and optimism. Psychologists have found that people who regularly practice gratitude experience higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Gratitude encourages a positive mental framework that helps individuals cope more effectively with stress and adversity. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by challenges, grateful people are more likely to recognize opportunities for growth and maintain hope during difficult times. Additionally, gratitude strengthens emotional resilience. It reminds us that even in hardship, there are still blessings, lessons, and supportive relationships worth appreciating. As a result, individuals often feel more grounded, balanced, and emotionally secure. How gratitude shapes attitude Attitude is often the lens through which we experience life. Gratitude has the remarkable ability to improve that lens. When people adopt a grateful mindset, they tend to become more patient, compassionate, and understanding. Instead of dwelling on disappointments, they focus on solutions and opportunities. This positive outlook influences how they interact with others, creating stronger relationships and a more enjoyable social environment. Grateful individuals are also more likely to exhibit confidence and self-worth. They recognize their achievements, value their experiences, and appreciate the support they receive from others. This balanced perspective reduces feelings of inadequacy and promotes a healthier sense of self. Furthermore, gratitude fosters kindness. When people feel thankful, they naturally become more generous and willing to help others. This creates a cycle of positivity that benefits not only the individual but everyone around them. The physical health benefits of gratitude The benefits of gratitude extend beyond the mind and into the body. Scientific studies have shown that gratitude can contribute to improved physical health in several ways. People who practice gratitude regularly often experience lower levels of stress and anxiety. Since chronic stress is linked to numerous health problems, reducing it can have significant long-term benefits. Lower stress levels can help reduce blood pressure, support heart health, and strengthen the immune system. Gratitude has also been associated with better sleep quality. Individuals who spend a few minutes reflecting on positive aspects of their day often fall asleep more easily and enjoy deeper, more restorative rest. Quality sleep, in turn, supports overall health, mood regulation, and cognitive performance. Moreover, grateful people are generally more motivated to take care of themselves. They tend to engage in healthier behaviors such as regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and routine medical care. By valuing their well-being, they make choices that contribute to a healthier and more energetic life. Does gratitude attract positivity? Many people believe gratitude attracts positive experiences, and there may be truth behind this idea. While gratitude is not a magical force that guarantees success, it changes how we perceive and respond to the world. A grateful person is more likely to notice opportunities, appreciate relationships, and approach challenges with confidence. This positive attitude often influences behavior in ways that naturally lead to better outcomes. People are drawn to optimism, kindness, and appreciation, making grateful individuals more likely to build meaningful connections and supportive networks. Gratitude also helps us recognize abundance rather than lack. When we focus on what is already working in our lives, we become more aware of opportunities that we might otherwise overlook. This heightened awareness can lead to improved decision-making, greater motivation, and increased personal satisfaction. In many ways, gratitude does not necessarily attract positivity from outside sources; it allows us to recognize and create positivity within our existing circumstances. Cultivating a gratitude practice The good news is that gratitude is a skill that anyone can develop. Simple daily habits can make a significant difference: Keep a gratitude journal and write down three things you are thankful for each day. Express appreciation to family members, friends, and colleagues. Reflect on positive experiences before bedtime. Focus on lessons learned from challenges rather than only the difficulties. Practice mindfulness and become aware of small moments of joy throughout the day. Over time, these practices train the mind to seek out positivity and appreciation naturally. Conclusion Remember, what you water grows. Gratitude is far more than a polite social gesture. It is a powerful tool that can improve mental health, shape a positive attitude, enhance physical well-being, and enrich our daily experiences. By consciously appreciating the good in our lives, we create a healthier mindset, stronger relationships, and a more hopeful perspective on the future. In a fast-paced world filled with distractions and demands, gratitude serves as a gentle reminder that happiness often begins with recognizing the value of what we already have. When practiced consistently, gratitude can become a transformative force, helping us live healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cherriell Orius Cherriell Orius, Women Empowerment Trauma Coach Cherriell Orius is a transformational leader, certified trauma coach, author, speaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping individuals heal, grow, and rediscover their purpose. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she guides people in overcoming adversity, building resilience, and embracing personal transformation. She is the founder of CRB Enterprizezz, creator of Limitlezz Mindzet, host of the Woman2Woman Podcast, and author of The Broken Compass: Life Out of Alignment. Her mission is to help others transform pain into purpose and live with confidence, faith, and intention.

Written by Lee Lin Cher, SEC (O Level) English Tutor Mr Lee Lin Cher, SEC (O Level) English Tutor and Exam Strategist. Mr Lee Lin Cher is a veteran teacher and tutor, coaching students on the subject of English language for the Singapore-Cambridge SEC (O Level) English exams. He has been teaching since 1993 and has authored (to date) a total of 16 books on the subject. Every year, students ask me for a strategy for the Singapore-Cambridge O-Level English Paper 3 Listening Comprehension examination. For Paper 1, time can be divided. For Paper 2, sections can be paced. Paper 3 is different. The recording controls the clock. Once it begins, every candidate in the room moves at the same speed. That does not mean strategy disappears. It means strategy moves from the examination hall to the months before it. Students cannot control the speed of the recording, the speakers’ accents or the vocabulary that appears. They can control the quality of the ears they bring into the examination. Listening is not a talent that some students mysteriously possess and others do not. It is a trainable process: hearing sounds, separating words, recognising meaning, holding information in working memory and selecting the detail that answers the question. Weakness at any link can cause a student to say, “I heard it, but I did not catch it.” Paper 3 therefore rewards a system of preparation, not last-minute hope. Paper 3 is not a test of hearing Most candidates can hear the audio. The real test is whether they can convert a continuous stream of speech into meaning quickly and accurately. Spoken English does not arrive with punctuation. Words may be linked, reduced or stressed in unexpected places. A speaker may correct an earlier statement, change direction, imply an attitude or bury the required detail among examples. The good listener does not merely chase individual words. He or she follows the speaker’s purpose, structure and signals. Words and phrases such as 'however', 'instead', 'finally', 'the main reason' and 'what I mean is' tell the attentive listener where meaning is turning. Listening Comprehension is therefore comprehension delivered through sound. The subtitle bridge: Use English to reach English For students who find listening difficult, I recommend beginning with English-language films, documentaries and series on streaming platforms such as Netflix. At the beginning, switch on English subtitles. The eye helps the ear connect unfamiliar sound patterns to familiar written words. The important word is 'English'. Many learners automatically select subtitles in their home language. That may make the programme easier to enjoy, but it turns listening practice into translation practice. The learner follows the translated meaning while the English audio becomes background noise. It is a comfortable crutch, and it is a crutch that will not be available during the examination. Use subtitles as a bridge, not a permanent home. Watch a short scene once with English subtitles. Replay it without subtitles. Then replay only the troublesome sentence and imitate its rhythm aloud. Do not rewind every few seconds during the first viewing; that trains dependence on the pause button rather than sustained attention. The goal is gradual withdrawal of support. Move from supported video to pure audio Once students can follow video reasonably well, they must remove the visual clues. Faces, gestures and scenery make comprehension easier; Paper 3 demands that sound carry the meaning. My first recommendations are the BBC Learning English collection and the wider BBC World Service ecosystem. I do not recommend the BBC because students should imitate one supposedly superior British accent. I recommend it because its programmes expose listeners to English used across subjects, countries and speaking styles. This matters. English is an international language. Standard grammar and clear pronunciation remain important, but competent listeners must cope with legitimate differences in accent, rhythm, word choice and emphasis. The aim is not to label one accent “correct” and every other accent defective. The aim is intelligibility: can the student understand English as it is actually used around the world? Other useful resources include the British Council LearnEnglish listening library, which organises recordings by level and includes speakers of different nationalities; VOA Learning English, whose limited vocabulary and slower delivery provide an accessible route into audio-only practice; and TED Talks, where students can work with expert speakers, subtitles and interactive transcripts. Use them as a ladder: begin with levelled learner material, progress to authentic talks and broadcasts, then practise with unfamiliar clips under exam-like conditions. My four-listen training method Passive exposure has value, but exam preparation must become deliberate practice. I recommend the following four-listen routine with a clip of two to five minutes: First listen – build the map. Do not write full sentences. Identify the topic, speakers, setting and overall purpose. Second listen – hunt for detail. Note names, numbers, dates, reasons, contrasts and changes of mind. Use abbreviations, arrows and symbols. Third listen – diagnose the gaps. Replay only the missed portions. If a transcript is available, check what you misheard and why. Fourth listen – close the loop. Listen again without the transcript, then give a thirty-second oral summary or write three key points from memory. For one minute of the clip, add occasional dictation: write exactly what you hear, compare it with the transcript and mark omissions or substitutions. This reveals whether the problem is vocabulary, connected speech, concentration, spelling or memory. Improvement accelerates when students stop saying “My listening is bad” and start naming the specific breakdown. The Four-Listen Training Method closely parallels my Triple Read System for Paper 2, which I will cover in another article about Reading and Comprehension. Vocabulary is the engine of listening Listening is inseparable from vocabulary. A word that is not in a student’s word bank is unlikely to be recognised reliably at natural speed. Even a known word may remain invisible to the ear if the student has only seen it on a page and never learned its pronunciation, stress pattern or common partners. Students should therefore build an audible vocabulary bank. For every useful word, record the spelling, meaning, pronunciation, stressed syllable, one common collocation and one original sentence. Store short phrases, not isolated specimens: 'raise concerns', 'reach a conclusion', 'in contrast to'. Review them aloud and later listen for them in new contexts. Vocabulary becomes listening power only when the ear can retrieve it instantly. Keep an error log with four columns: what I heard, what was actually said, why I missed it, and what I will practise next. This turns every mistake into data. A serious student does not merely complete listening exercises; the serious student studies the pattern of his or her errors. A practical weekly listening system Monday – English-subtitle bridge: watch a short scene with English subtitles, then replay it without them. Tuesday – levelled audio: complete one British Council or VOA lesson and record five useful phrases. Wednesday – dictation: transcribe sixty seconds, check the transcript and classify every error. Thursday – global English: listen to a BBC interview or report featuring more than one speaker or accent. Friday – note-taking: listen once and capture only keywords, numbers, contrasts and conclusions. Weekend – exam simulation: attempt an unfamiliar listening task without pausing, rewinding or changing speed, then review the errors. Fifteen focused minutes a day will usually achieve more than a two-hour listening marathon once a fortnight. Frequency trains the brain to process speech automatically. Consistency, not heroics, produces fluency. What to do on examination day Although students cannot control the recording, they can control their readiness. Before each section, read the questions carefully and predict the type of answer required: a person, place, reason, number, opinion or sequence. Underline the words that separate one option from another. During the recording, listen for meaning rather than waiting mechanically for an identical word; exam audio may paraphrase the question. Take economical notes. Do not attempt to write everything. If one answer is missed, leave a mark and move on; do not sacrifice the next three answers while mentally chasing the previous one. Watch for self-corrections such as “Thursday — sorry, Friday” and contrasts such as “not the morning session, but the afternoon one.” Where the instructions allow a second hearing, use it to verify uncertain details, not to experience the entire passage as if for the first time. The final lesson: Train before the clock starts Paper 3 has no useful 10-40-40-20 formula because the recording owns the clock. The student’s formula must operate earlier: build vocabulary, connect sound to text, remove subtitles gradually, listen to global English, practise retrieval and diagnose errors. "Students cannot control the voice that comes through the loudspeaker. They can control the ears, vocabulary and discipline they bring to it." Listening Comprehension success is not created on the day of the examination. It is accumulated, one focused session at a time. Train the ear early enough, and when the recording begins, the student will not be hoping to understand. The student will be ready to understand. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Lee Lin Cher Lee Lin Cher, SEC (O Level) English Tutor Mr Lee Lin Cher, SEC (O Level) English Tutor and Exam Strategist. Mr Lee Lin Cher is a veteran teacher and tutor, coaching students on the subject of English language for the Singapore-Cambridge SEC (O Level) English exams. He has been teaching in one way or another since 1993 and has authored (to date) a total of 16 books on the subject. An unwilling educator, Mr. Lee had been trying to escape from the education industry forever. A life-changing experience in May 2025 convinced him that escape is not an option and that it is in his destiny to continue teaching and transforming the lives of his young charges.

Written by Genvièv St. Clair, Founder, Forensic & Clinical Director Genvièv St. Clair is an authority in the field of brain and central nervous system reprogramming. She is the founder of CORE NRG RESET®, a proprietary, science-backed methodology recognized for producing rapid and lasting transformation in cases considered chronic, complex, or resistant to treatment. Sometimes the life we have spent decades trying to hold together must break open before we can finally reach for what we have always needed. For me, that moment came with the loss I had feared my entire life – and the arrival of a horse named Ace. Photography by Cassandra Dameron I was two years old the first time I lost my mother Two strangers came to our home and took me away. To the two-year-old I was, they were cold. Icy cold, predatory, terrifying. Abruptly, they informed me that my mother was having a new baby, and I could no longer be “in her way.” Without my mom anywhere to turn to, the terror that descended upon me left me petrified. Unable to utter a single word, a silent scream tore through me: “I didn’t know I was in her way! If only I had known… If only she had told me… I would have stayed out of her way… I could have helped her…” I became an adult that day. Through my stupefied silence, my body understood, with total clarity, that I was being taken from the only world I had ever known, and the one person who was at its heart: my mom. The experience repeated itself, in different forms, for most of my childhood and much of my life. I was sent away. Placed in the care of others. Told, time and again, in ways spoken and unspoken, that there was no place for me at home. Eventually, I became an expat, exiled to the other side of the planet, carrying a lifelong longing for my mother, my home, and my native land and sea. More than half a century later, when my mother's health began to fail, the terror that took hold of me had little to do with ordinary grief. It was the oldest, most visceral fear I had carried from the start. The one that had resurfaced with every separation since. Only this time, there would be no coming back from it. The dream that was always out of reach When there is no safety, there is no room for indulgence. I learned early that the only way through life was total responsibility. There had been little place for childhood dreams, and that discipline followed me long after childhood was gone. For more than fifty years, this was exactly how I lived. As far back as I can remember, I longed for a horse. It was one of my earliest, most intrinsic callings. One I was never allowed to reach. A horse wasn't practical. It wasn't responsible. It didn't fit the plan. So I waited, year after year, decade after decade, always believing there would be a better time. Then, this past May, as my mother's decline accelerated with dizzying speed, I did something entirely unlike me. I stopped waiting. I knew the conventional wisdom and repeated it to myself: We should never make a major decision while going through grief. Yet, as though driven by a force outside of me, I woke up one morning and began urgently touring boarding stables and looking at horses. Had you told me only days earlier that I would acquire my first horse while losing my mother, I would have told you it was unthinkable. And then I saw him. TMR Ace in the Hole He was a vision from a childhood fairy tale. Iridescent white and gold. A Palomino Tobiano Gypsy Vanner with an endless mane, feathered feet, and soft velvet eyes hidden beneath a river of sparkling hair. I knew at first glance we were meant to be. Something else about him left me speechless. This extraordinary horse carried a name that seemed anything but accidental: TMR ACE IN THE HOLE. Puzzled by the term, I looked up its meaning and found the words: “Your backup plan when you need it most.” I sat there bewildered. My mother was dying. I had no idea how I was going to make my way through what was coming. And the horse I had longed for all my life had suddenly appeared, carrying a name that seemed to be speaking directly to me from above. I could not have known then just how Ace would come to embody those words, or how quietly and steadily he would carry me through the weeks and months ahead. Before I ever had the chance to meet him, I nearly lost him. What followed made little rational sense to me. I had never seen him in person or stood beside him. Never inhaled his scent or felt his breath against my face. I knew only one thing with certainty: I was already deeply bonded to him. He was carrying me before he ever reached me During the weeks that followed, I played Ace's film on a loop in the evening. Its soundtrack featured Ian Munsick's country song Long Haul. Night after night, as Ace moved across my screen, a soothing, masculine voice sang to me: “Girl, don't worry, this boy ain't gonna run… There ain’t no hurry, we got plenty of days left under the sun… Girl, I'm in it for the long haul…” While I feared he would disappear from my life before he had ever entered it, the song insistently carried the opposite message, as if Ace himself were speaking to me. And true to the lyrics, he found his way to me. Ten days that forever changed my life On May 15, I signed the paperwork. Five days later, on May 20, my mother left this world. Five days after that, having traveled across the country to reach me, Ace arrived. Ten days. In the space between May 15 and May 25, the loss I had feared my entire life became reality, while the dream I had waited more than half a century to touch suddenly stood before me, alive and breathing. When I finally wrapped my arms around Ace's neck, I cried every tear I had been holding for most of my life. “I just lost my mom, Ace” I told him. “I lost my mom. This is why you're here. To help me hold on to life.” He stood perfectly still as I buried myself against him and cried. His deep, soulful, dark velvet eyes held mine as he listened to me with an extraordinary depth of attention. I knew he understood. He, too, had lost his mom long before he came to me. For the first time since my mother had left this world, I had somewhere to place the enormity of what I was feeling. And I held on. The way of the horse For weeks, then months, Ace became where I went with my grief. There was no need to explain anything to him. I would press my chest against his, bury my face beneath his golden mane, and breathe in his intoxicating scent with every cell of my being. He would simply stand, still and patient, sometimes leaning ever so gently into my small frame, curving his enormous neck around me, and exhaling his warm breath against my cheek. I came to know the extraordinary softness of his ash-colored muzzle and the sparkling pink Ace of Diamonds marking above his nostrils. He would welcome me when I arrived at the barn, and no matter the state in which I reached him – undone, disoriented, grief-stricken – something had shifted by the time I drove home. I was calmer, grounded again. By his side, I could feel the tightness within me begin to soften. The change was palpable, undeniable. Even at my clinical center, away from Ace, his presence within me remained just as powerful. During a practicum with my students, while deep in subconscious work, my eyes closed, I was asked to go to a moment when I felt profound love. There was no searching. Ace appeared: the magnificence of his neck, my arms around him, my chest pressed against his, his scent enveloping me. It was love. Pure, unlimited love. And the researcher in me began asking a different question. The changes I experienced in the presence of Ace were not abstract. I could feel them physically. Both humans and horses release serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and other feel-good neurochemicals when together. If we can physically influence each other’s brains, can horses change our biochemistry? Survival had made me a student of the nervous system long before I had the language for it. Decades of forensic and clinical work later, that early necessity had become my specialization – understanding why deeply embedded patterns persist, and what allows them to change. What I was experiencing with Ace now posed a question I could not set aside: what role does the horse-human connection play in that change? The science of the horse-human bond Human beings have lived beside horses for thousands of years. They transformed our movement, agriculture, warfare, sport, art and culture. Increasingly, researchers are attempting to measure something horse people have described experientially for generations: interactions between horses and humans can produce measurable changes in physiology, stress regulation and emotional state. Research examining heart-rate variability describes changes consistent with greater relaxation and parasympathetic activity in people participating in equine-assisted activities. A 2024 study reported bidirectional synchronization in heart-rate variability between horses and humans, suggesting that physiological influence may not simply travel in one direction (source). Clinical research conducted through Columbia University's Man O' War Project reported significant reductions in PTSD and depressive symptoms among veterans following an eight-week equine-assisted intervention, with improvements persisting at three-month follow-up. EQUINE NRG RESET™ For decades, my forensic and clinical work has centered on a fundamental question: why do some patterns resist despite endless efforts to change them? CORE NRG RESET® was created to identify and release the underlying subconscious patterns and root causes responsible for persistent negative physiological, emotional and behavioral responses. As Ace carried me across one of the hardest chapters of my life, I experienced firsthand the regulation and connection horses can facilitate. My professional question became how to help this work last beyond the stables. The convergence of my forensic and clinical specialization with the wisdom of the horse became EQUINE NRG RESET™, the equine-facilitated application of CORE NRG RESET®. Created for equine-assisted practitioners, EQUINE NRG RESET™ brings advanced forensic regression, clinical neuroscience and hypnotherapy to your existing scope of practice. The result is a structured, root-cause methodology designed to move beyond symptom management by addressing the underlying patterns sustaining chronic and complex conditions. In addition to offering leading-edge specializations, the program expands your career freedom and flexibility. Coming full circle A package recently arrived from the other side of the world. Inside I found a photograph from my childhood. I stared at the five-year-old girl seated in awe on a white carousel horse, her small hand lovingly resting on the pale wavy mane. An inexplicable replica of a snapshot of me seated on Ace, captured mere days ago, my hand resting in the same position, on the same side of what seemed to be the same mane. Two photos taken more than half a century apart. The five-year-old had finally reached him. Except this time, the horse was real. Photography Bob Martin, Monte-Carlo Discover EQUINE NRG RESET™ For equine-assisted practitioners, equine-facilitated professionals, horse-assisted coaches and wellness professionals drawn to integrating the power of the horse-human connection with deeper clinical precision. Explore EQUINE NRG RESET™ CORE NRG RESET® and EQUINE NRG RESET™ are always used in collaboration with licensed medical providers. We do not diagnose, treat, prescribe or replace medical care. Learn more about Genvièv’s pioneering work by visiting her website, and connect with her on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Read more from Genvièv St. Clair Genvièv St. Clair, Founder, Forensic & Clinical Director Genvièv St. Clair is known for helping people from all walks of life experience rapid and lasting relief where other approaches have failed. Forced from early childhood to find ways to survive extreme adversity, she developed an intimate understanding of the brain’s capacity to adapt under pressure. She has since dedicated her life to helping others break through persistent suffering and achieve a quality of life they never imagined possible.

Written by Dr. Randall J. Dunn, Metaphysician, Teacher, and Author Dr. Dunn is a profound metaphysician, speaker, teacher, and author. He is a former law school trial practice professor and former adjunct professor. He has an educational background with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Metaphysics, a background in Nuclear Medicine Technology (nuclear physics & radiation biology), Cybersecurity, and a Juris Doctorate in Law. Spiritual awakening can change the way we understand ourselves, our experiences, and the reality around us. This article explores how shifts in consciousness, ancient wisdom, and modern research invite us to question what we believe and discover a deeper awareness of existence. There comes a moment in some people’s lives when the world they have always known begins to feel different. Nothing outside of them has necessarily changed. The same people are there. The same responsibilities remain. The same world continues moving around them. Yet somewhere deep within, a question begins to surface, quietly at first, and then with increasing persistence: Is there more to this life than what I have been taught to believe? Perhaps the reality I have been experiencing is not the entirety of reality. Perhaps I have been seeing life through a consciousness shaped by everything I was taught, everything I experienced, and everything I learned to believe. What happens when consciousness becomes conscious of itself? The answers may challenge not only what we believe about ourselves, but also what we believe reality itself to be. Let’s take a deeper look at this phenomenon. Part I: The moment you begin to question everything There often comes a time in life when something within you quietly begins to change. Nothing outside of you may appear different, yet the world you once understood no longer seems to tell the whole story. The beliefs you inherited, the identity you constructed, and the reality you were taught to accept begin to raise questions you can no longer ignore. You begin to ponder: Why am I here? Who am I beneath everything I was taught to be? And what if there is more to reality than what I have been conditioned to see? This is often where awakening begins, not with certainty, but with questioning. The truth is that we enter the world surrounded by beliefs about who we are, what is possible, what is real, and how we are expected to live. Family, culture, education, religion, society, and experience all contribute to the construction of our worldview. Much of what we eventually call “my reality” may actually be a collection of ideas we inherited before we were ever conscious enough to question them. Awakening begins when we become willing to examine those ideas. There is a profound difference between believing something and becoming conscious of something. Belief can be inherited. However, consciousness requires awareness. Belief tells us what to think; awareness invites us to observe, question, and discover for ourselves. You may eventually say to yourself: Perhaps I have been living according to someone else’s definition of reality. That realization can be unsettling, but it can also be liberating. Questioning the reality you were given does not necessarily mean rejecting everything you have known. It means becoming conscious enough to determine what is genuinely yours. It is the beginning of moving from conditioned belief to conscious awareness, from simply existing within a reality to actively examining the consciousness through which you experience it. Perhaps that mysterious feeling that there is “something more” is not a call to escape the world. It may be an invitation to finally see it, and yourself, with new eyes. Part II: When the old self begins to fall away Once you begin questioning the reality you were given, the questioning eventually turns inward. Who am I? Not your name. Not your profession. Not your accomplishments, possessions, relationships, beliefs, or social roles. Beneath all of those layers, who are you? This question can become one of the most powerful and unsettling questions on the spiritual journey. Much of what we call the “self” is constructed over time. We learn who we are supposed to be, what we are supposed to value, how we are supposed to behave, and what makes us worthy. We then build an identity around those experiences and unconsciously defend it as though it were our absolute truth. But awakening can begin to loosen that structure. The priorities that once seemed important may no longer satisfy you. Certain relationships may change. Old ambitions may lose their attraction. Beliefs you once defended may suddenly feel incomplete. Even familiar environments can begin to feel strangely foreign. This doesn’t necessarily mean something has gone wrong. Sometimes, the person you have been becoming is no longer the person you are being called to remain. And this is where awakening can become uncomfortable. There may be a period of confusion, solitude, grief, or profound uncertainty, a psychological and spiritual passage sometimes described as the “dark night of the soul.” The old identity is losing its authority, but the new sense of self has not yet fully emerged. It can feel less like discovering yourself and more like losing the person you thought you were. Yet perhaps that is the deeper transformation. You are not necessarily losing yourself. You may be discovering that you were never limited to the identity you created. The ego wants a fixed answer to the question, who am I? Consciousness invites us to remain present with the question itself. Awakening, then, is not simply the process of creating a better version of yourself. It may be the gradual realization that beneath the identities, expectations, and conditioning lies something deeper, an awareness capable of observing all of them. Part III: The transformation of consciousness When the old identity begins to loosen its grip, something remarkable can happen: you begin to observe your own consciousness rather than simply being carried by it. Thoughts that once seemed like unquestionable truths become thoughts you can observe. Emotions become experiences you can witness rather than identities you must become. Patterns that operate unconsciously begin to reveal themselves. You begin to recognize a distinction between what you experience and the awareness that is experiencing it. This shift can change the way you perceive yourself and the world around you. You may become more attentive to your thoughts, more aware of your reactions, and more sensitive to the meaning you assign to everyday experiences. You may even begin to notice connections between your inner state and the way you interpret the world. What once appeared ordinary can suddenly seem filled with greater depth, significance, and possibility. This is where spiritual awakening intersects with the modern study of consciousness. Psychology and neuroscience can investigate attention, perception, self-awareness, meditation, altered states, and the brain processes associated with our sense of self. Spiritual traditions, meanwhile, have explored these questions for thousands of years through contemplation, meditation, ritual, prayer, and direct inner experience. The languages may be different, but the fundamental question is remarkably similar: What is consciousness, and what happens when we become more aware of consciousness itself? It is important to note that spiritual awakening does not necessarily mean that the external world has suddenly changed. It may mean that the lens through which you experience that world has changed. Consider that the same circumstances can appear different when viewed through a different level of awareness. Fear may become an opportunity for understanding. Challenges may become catalysts for growth. Relationships may become mirrors through which unconscious patterns are revealed. Even silence can begin to feel less like emptiness and more like presence. Yet there is an important distinction to maintain. Science can study the measurable aspects and neurological differences of spiritual and mystical experiences. It can examine what happens in the brain, how attention changes, and how perception and the sense of self are affected. But science has not established that every spiritual interpretation of these experiences represents an objective description of reality. That mystery remains open. Perhaps that is precisely where the conversation becomes most fascinating. Awakening may not require us to choose between science and spirituality. It may invite us to recognize that each is asking different questions about the same extraordinary phenomenon: the human capacity to experience, observe, interpret, and ultimately transform consciousness. The deeper the awareness becomes, the more profound the question becomes: Are we simply changing the way we perceive reality, or are we beginning to perceive “dimensions” of reality that were always present but hidden by our conditioning? Perhaps the answer begins not by looking farther outward, but by looking more deeply within. Part IV: Ancient wisdom and the reality beyond conditioning Long before consciousness became the subject of laboratories, brain scans, and academic debate, ancient civilizations were asking profound questions about existence, identity, perception, and the nature of reality. Among them was Ancient Kemet, whose spiritual worldview placed human consciousness within a larger cosmic order. For the Kemetic sages, life was not simply a physical journey. Human beings existed within a universe governed by principles of balance, truth, harmony, and order. This understanding was expressed through the principle of Ma’at, a concept encompassing truth, justice, balance, harmony, and cosmic order. From this perspective, awakening can be understood not merely as acquiring information, but as restoring alignment between the individual and a deeper order of existence. Another powerful Kemetic concept was Heka, often translated as magic or sacred power. Yet Heka was not simply the supernatural practice portrayed in modern popular culture. It was deeply connected to the power of words, intention, ritual, and the ability to participate consciously in the forces of creation. The Kemetic understanding of the human being was also more complex than the modern idea of a single, isolated self. Concepts such as the Ka, Ba, and Akh described different dimensions of human existence and spiritual identity, reflecting a worldview in which the individual was connected to something greater than the physical personality alone. Today, these ideas should raise a fascinating question: What if consciousness was never meant to be understood as something separate from the universe, but as something experienced within a larger web of relationship, meaning, and existence? Modern science cannot simply be used to prove ancient spiritual teachings. The historical worlds are different, and we should resist the temptation to force ancient concepts into modern scientific terminology. But ancient wisdom can still give us something valuable: a different framework through which to ask the questions. The Kemetic sages were not necessarily asking, “How can I accumulate more knowledge?” They were asking deeper questions: How should I live? How do I remain aligned with truth? What is my relationship to the cosmic order? What happens to the human being who becomes conscious of that relationship? These questions remain remarkably relevant. Perhaps this is one of the most important lessons of ancient wisdom: knowledge alone does not transform consciousness. Information can tell you what others have discovered. Awareness requires you to discover something within yourself. The names have changed. The languages have changed. The civilizations have risen and fallen. But the question remains: Who are we beneath the identities we have constructed, and what might consciousness reveal when we become quiet enough to truly observe it? Perhaps the ancient sages understood something that modern humanity is only beginning to rediscover: the journey toward greater consciousness is not simply a journey toward knowing more about the universe. It may be a journey toward knowing ourselves differently or better. Part V: Awakening is not about escaping reality, it’s about seeing it differently Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding about spiritual awakening is that it means escaping the ordinary world. But it does not mean this at all. Awakening is not necessarily about withdrawing from life, rejecting the physical world, or becoming someone who has all the answers. It is about becoming more conscious within the life you are already living. The real measure of awakening is not how many spiritual books you have read, how many mystical experiences you have had, or how “highly evolved” you believe yourself to be. It is what happens when you return to everyday life. This is where awakening becomes embodied consciousness. There is also a subtle danger along the path: creating a new identity around being “awakened.” The ego can disguise itself in spiritual language just as easily as it can disguise itself through wealth, status, or achievement. The moment awakening becomes a reason to feel superior to those who have not “awakened,” the old pattern has simply found a new costume. True transformation moves in the opposite direction. It tends to create greater humility, curiosity, compassion, and responsibility. Perhaps the purpose of awakening is not to convince ourselves that we are more enlightened than others, but to become more conscious of the ways we are still learning, growing, and becoming. Perhaps that is where the real awakening begins. You were taught what to believe. You were taught what success looks like. You were taught who you were supposed to become. But consciousness gives you the capacity to pause and ask: Is this really who I am? That question can change everything. Perhaps the reality you were never taught to see is not necessarily a secret world hidden somewhere beyond the stars. Perhaps it begins much closer. It begins with becoming more aware of the consciousness through which you experience your entire existence. Spiritual awakening, then, may not be the end of the journey. It may be the moment you finally realize that the journey has been taking place within you all along. Conclusion: The reality that was always there Perhaps this is where ancient wisdom and modern consciousness research meet, not necessarily in the answers they provide, but in the questions they continue to inspire. Questions such as: What is consciousness? Who are we beneath the identities we have constructed? How much of reality remains invisible when we experience life through conditioned perception? We may not yet have definitive answers to these questions. Perhaps we aren’t supposed to. The purpose of awakening may not be to replace one rigid belief system with another. It may be to develop the courage to remain curious, to explore the boundaries of what we think we know while remaining humble about what we do not. True awakening is also not measured by how extraordinary our experiences become. It is measured by how consciously we live afterward. Perhaps the most important question is no longer: “Am I awake?” But rather: “What am I now capable of seeing that I could not see before?” Visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Randall J. Dunn Dr. Randall J. Dunn, Metaphysician, Teacher, and Author Dr. Dunn is a profound metaphysician, speaker, teacher, and author. He is a former law school trial practice professor and former adjunct professor. He has an educational background with a PhD in Metaphysics, a background in Nuclear Medicine Technology (nuclear physics & radiation biology), Cybersecurity, and a Juris Doctorate in Law. He has authored over 15 books ranging from such topics as cybersecurity, past life regression, consciousness, and extraterrestrial contact. Research articles: Spiritual awakening itself as a research subject: Corneille, J. S., & Luke, D. (2021). “Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings: Phenomenology, Altered States, Individual Differences, and Well-Being.” Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 720579. The neuroscience of consciousness: Koch, C., Massimini, M., Boly, M., & Tononi, G. (2016). “Neural Correlates of Consciousness: Progress and Problems.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17, 307–321. Meditation, self-awareness, and the brain: Brewer, J. A., et al. (2011). “Meditation Experience Is Associated with Differences in Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), 20254–20259. A major review of mindfulness and consciousness-related changes: Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). “The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16, 213–225. A 2025 study on spiritual awakening: Overall, J. (2025). “The Antecedents of Kensho Spiritual Awakenings: A Mixed-Methods Study.” Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.