Send us a text

Are the people, habits, and perspectives in your life fueling your flourishing—or quietly draining it? In this candid conversation, Ruth and Tom unpack a deceptively simple filter that can transform every choice: beneficial vs. detrimental. From there, they reveal the Five P’s that either propel us toward thriving or pull us back into mere survival:

1. People – Why the company you keep (including you) shapes every other dimension of health.
2. Purpose – How clarifying “why I’m here” guards you from living everyone else’s agenda.
3. Perspective – Expanding (or shrinking) your worldview and its ripple effects on resilience.
4. Perception – The sensory lens—SOS, anyone?—that colors your emotions and decisions.
5. Passion – Turning reclaimed energy into a laser-focused, life-giving drive.

You’ll hear practical exercises—like the “People List” audit—to diagnose hidden drains, plus stories of extrovert overwhelm, introvert isolation, and the surprising boost of cross-cultural friendships. Whether you’re recalibrating mid-year goals or just feeling “funky,” this episode hands you a roadmap to evaluate every input through a wellness lens.

Listen in and learn how to trade survival mode for sustainable, whole-person thriving—one beneficial choice at a time.

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

You can follow us on
Facebook
Instagram
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website

Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org
Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com

Support us

We appreciate you!

Send us a text

Personal wellness does not happen in isolation. In this Fundamentals of Wellness episode, Tom and Ruth examine how health is shaped by both individual habits and our shared environment.

Using the recent Fort Collins mall incident as a case study, they address:

• Vicarious trauma – why events you only hear about can still activate your stress response.
• Me-We homeostasis – the science of co-regulation and how supportive communities shift us from fight-or-flight to rest-and-recovery.
• Chronos vs. Kairos – understanding linear time versus “the opportune moment” to steer your well-being in a healthier direction.
• The power of “AND” – moving from anxious “yeah, but …” thinking to productive “yes, and …” mindsets that open space for healing.

You’ll learn practical ways to notice sympathetic surges, create collective resilience rituals, and make time work for—rather than against—your health.

Listen in to turn moments of strain into pathways toward shared strength.

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

You can follow us on
Facebook
Instagram
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website

Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org
Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com

Support us

We appreciate you!

Send us a text

In this eye‑opening installment of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson peel back the layers of a sense most of us never knew we had—interoception, the brain’s moment‑to‑moment read‑out of everything happening inside the body. Moving beyond Aristotle’s famous “five senses,” Tom explains why modern neuroscience recognizes at least 21 human senses and argues that interoception is the one that lets us feel all the others.

Together they explore:

• Pain as a homeostatic emotion – drawing on A.D. (Bud) Craig’s groundbreaking work to show how pain isn’t just a warning siren but a built‑in motivation to heal, rest, and restore balance.
• The sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous systems, and how our mind‑jerk reactions can flip pain from a helpful signal into runaway anxiety, anger, or depression.
• Real‑life stories—from Ruth’s post‑spine‑surgery recovery to lived battles with hypochondria—illustrating how re‑interpreting internal sensations can turn distress into a path toward wellness.
• Practical tips for “letting the brain inform the mind”: noticing bodily cues without judgment, shifting from threat mode to curiosity, and partnering with the body’s natural drive toward equilibrium.

Whether you’re a clinician, a bio‑hacker, or simply tired of being ruled by aches, twitches, and racing thoughts, this conversation will change how you feel about…well, how you feel. Tune in and discover how activating interoception can unlock true mind‑body‑spirit homeostasis.

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

You can follow us on
Facebook
Instagram
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website

Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org
Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com

Support us

We appreciate you!