Fine. Stressed. Overwhelmed.

We use these words every day, but they can conceal far more than they reveal. Anger and disappointment may feel remarkably similar in the body, yet one may point towards perceived injustice while the other emerges from an unmet expectation. If we cannot recognise the difference, we may reach for entirely the wrong response.

In this episode, Ashley begins a new season of Mindful Mondays devoted to exploring the inner toolkit: the many psychological ideas, modalities and practices that can help us understand and support ourselves more deeply.

Drawing on the work of Yale psychologist and emotional-intelligence researcher Dr Marc Brackett, Ashley explores what emotional intelligence actually means - not permanent calmness, relentless positivity or talking about our feelings all day, but learning to recognise, understand and respond wisely to the information our emotions carry.

Through her Aware, Allow, Align framework, she considers emotional granularity, affect labelling and the space between feeling and action. What changes when we stop treating anxiety as an intruder? How can allowing a feeling differ from handing it control? And how might alignment help us move from automatic reaction towards a more conscious response?

Ashley also brings essential Neurodivergent Nuance to alexithymia, masking, overload and delayed emotional processing - because sometimes the body knows that something is happening long before the words arrive.

The episode closes with a traditional Yoga Nidra for emotional grounding, inviting you to move awareness through the body, cultivate the witness and meet whatever is present with a little more compassion and choice.

Practise with Ashley on Insight Timer:

https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

Follow Mindful Mondays with Ashley Dupuy:

https://mindfulmondayswithashleydupuy.buzzsprout.com

Visit Ashley’s website:

https://www.integrativeiom.co.uk

Our Sponsors:

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy & https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

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