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What if pain wasn’t the enemy… but a messenger?

What if stress wasn’t just something to “push through”… but the root of nearly every ache, tension, and health challenge in the body?

In this deeply insightful episode, host Amanda Russo sits down with Njideka Olatunde, founder of Focus on Healing Wellness Institute, reflexology educator, and pioneer in medication-free pain relief… for a conversation that reframes everything listeners think they know about pain, stress, and healing.

Njideka shares how growing up with home remedies, herbal “concoctions,” and doctors who made house calls shaped her early vision of becoming a healer. After witnessing gaps in the medical system as a social worker, she followed a new path into naturopathy and reflexology, where she has now spent over 40 years helping thousands find relief without relying on pharmaceuticals.

At the heart of the episode is one core truth: pain and stress go hand in hand. Njideka explains why the body never betrays us, how stress internalized becomes physical pain, and why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch. She introduces the concept of multiple forms of touch, physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and even financial and reveals how something as simple as a smile, gratitude, or holding space can begin the healing process.

The conversation also explores personal responsibility in healthcare, asking better questions, stepping “out of the box,” reconnecting with the inner child, and why healing requires participation... not passive prescriptions.

It’s a powerful reminder that the body is intelligent, healing is collaborative, and empowerment begins the moment we decide to take back control.

💡 In this episode, listeners will discover:

🖐️ Why pain and stress are inseparable
🧠 How internalized stress becomes physical symptoms
👂 Why listening is the first and most powerful form of touch
🌿 How reflexology activates the body’s natural pain relievers
💊 Why medication should be questioned, not blindly accepted
💰 How financial stress silently contributes to illness
🎈 Why reconnecting with your inner child relieves tension
🙏 Why gratitude is the foundation of healing
🔥 How taking responsibility transforms the healing journey

⏰ Timeline Summary

[3:12] Childhood home remedies and the early vision of becoming a healer
[8:45] The stress pain connection explained simply
[12:18] The “mechanic” analogy
[16:40] Listening as the first form of touch
[22:55] Reflexology explained through the nervous system
[31:07] Financial pain as a root cause of stress
[38:42] Creating a “silly day” to reconnect with your inner child
[47:10] Celebrating 40 years of impact in reflexology