Episode Details

Today’s episode builds on Episode 48: Cattitude: Purr! Hiss! Freeze! and the Polyvagal Purrs approach I developed years ago to include MORE of the Divine. More of what inspires awe, love, hope and other transpersonal – beyond the person – qualities. Nature? (Cats are part of nature and so are you!) Great art? What helps you connect with suPURR (super ventral) energy?

How can you do more of these things on purpose?

If you’re a trauma survivor and AuDHDer like me, or you simply find self-care more of a ‘should’ than a joy, this podcast is for you.

I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham, a trauma therapist, AuDHD and self-care coach, senior accredited supervisor, columnist and author of 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-Care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing.

Each Tuesday I share a mix of solo episodes and conversations with other self-care professionals. From other therapists, coaches, yoga teachers and authors to neuroscientists and medical professionals, many of them neurodivergent themselves and all honest enough to share the gap between their own ideal and their ACTUAL self-care.

Find Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD with Eve Menezes Cunningham every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Substack, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn to love and care for all your parts, from the soles of your feet to your soul.

And for bonus content, polyvagal-informed journal prompts and more, sign up for my free newsletter, Míle Buíochas Mondays, at solestosoul.ie

LINKS

Deb Dana

https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/

Stephen Porges

https://www.stephenporges.com/

365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing https://solestosoul.ie/book

Cattitude: Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Episode 48 of Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD with Eve Menezes Cunningham watch

CHAPTERS

0:00 Not about spiritual bypassing

1:07 Podcast introduction and rebrand

1:28 Background with polyvagal theory

2:18 Introducing a fourth state

2:59 Purr! ventral vagal safety and connection

3:25 Hiss! sympathetic survival stress response

3:58 Freeze! dorsal vagal shutdown

4:26 Naming and understanding nervous system states

5:22 Introducing suPURR (super ventral)

6:01 Feel: self-care practices to access suPURR

8:07 Love: connecting with your inner self

9:43 Heal: collective care and co-regulation

10:53 Awe, DHEA and reducing stress

11:39 Focusing on hope and positive stories

12:29 Closing and reflection prompt

HASTHAGS

#polyvagalpurrs

#newpodcastepisode

#traumainformed

#yourepartofthedivine

#evemenezescunningham

FULL TRANSCRIPT

It’s not about spiritual bypassing, very much not. If you take the example of yoga, if you have a yoga practice or any kind of psycho-spiritual practice, I’m always struck, because I’m a yoga therapist as well, watching people when I’m teaching, doing it myself. I know that I can be going through an emotional rollercoaster and look very serene.

I also know that feeling all the feelings, allowing what’s coming up for to come up is so, so powerful. This is not about pretending super, awe, pride, joy, all the things, love. It’s about really connecting with all your parts and knowing that there’s so much more to you than all of the angst, everything you’ve survived, everything you’re worried about, challenges you might be facing, being able to connect with that more than, but also recognising the reality, recognising what is.

You’re listening to Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD with Eve Menezes Cunningham. It used to be the Feel Better Every Day Podcast and I’m still getting used to the rebrand after so long. Here’s little Meadbh and it feels appropriate for today’s e