Ep. 61 How to Rewire Your Brain for What You Want (Instead of What You Don’t) Solo Episode

Combining Somatic Wisdom with Spiritual Practices: Transformative Shifts and Everyday Alignments

In this episode of the Healed Now What Podcast, Lisa Dawn explores the intersection of somatic wisdom, spiritual practices, and the teachings of Abraham Hicks to achieve alignment and transformation in life. Using personal stories, such as training her Australian shepherd Merlin, Lisa highlights how changing perspectives can shift behaviors and improve relationships. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on positive sensations and experiences, and introduces a 30-day challenge combining Abraham Hicks' philosophies and somatic practices. Listeners are guided through practical tools for alignment, including naming desires, mindful breathing, and setting intentions, leading to a more connected and fulfilling life.

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00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:53 Training Merlin: Lessons in Perspective

06:16 Exploring Abraham Hicks and Vibrational Alignment

10:39 30-Day Challenge: Integrating Somatic Practices

17:48 Practical Tools for Daily Alignment

19:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

20:14 Podcast Announcements and Outro

Transcript

Lisa: 0:10

Hey guys, Lisa Dawn here. Welcome back to another episode of the Healed Now What Podcast. So today I wanted to dive into a topic that's been bubbling up for me lately. So, it's a blend of somatic wisdom, spiritual practice, and the teachings of Abraham Hicks. We'll also chat about this word alignment, what it means, how to access it, and why combining somatic awareness with spiritual practices can create such transformational shifts in our lives. But before we get into all that, does anyone have a dog? Or any kind of pet that they've been training. I bring this up because we've. I recently undertook training with our Australian shepherd named Merlin. If you've been tuning in for a while, you've heard me talk about him before and he is just this sweet, sensitive guy, but he's also pretty controlling. So, one of our main issues is, I mean, his, his greetings at the door. are horrendous. And when he greets other dogs, he likes to, he likes everything to be in order. So, yeah, he's He's kind of a rude greeter, we'll say. And we live on this property and there are three other dogs on the property and one in particular, Merlin, just seems to pick on. So finally, my husband and I decided to work with a trainer that actually just lives up the road. And so it's kind of like learning this new language. And I didn't I didn't realize that I was contributing so much to his behavior, which obviously like I've heard this a zillion times before, you know, it's not the dog, it's the owner. And I would just refuse to hear that. I'm like, Oh, I'm doing the best that I can, which is true. And also, you know, we don't know until we know. The first time that we met with the trainer. Well, it was actually two trainers, they gave us some really incredible insights, just what to do and what to look for and how to calm Merlin down upon greetings. And I realized that alongside with, you know, the teachings and the trainings and what to look for, that I also had to get into a state of looking for the positive and not treating Merlin as this, you know, troublemaker, he was kind of like the bad, the bad one. And so I noticed that as soon as I began to change my perspective to, you know, Merlin is just misunderstood mostly by me. My husband and I just haven't figured out his cues or exactly what he needs and that's okay. And we're just going to work together and figure this out. As soon as I made that statement and I actually looked at Merlin and had probably a three minute conversation with him about how committed I was to, you know, helping him calm down a little bit more and to, you know, he had some issues around, um, just being overly excited. And this excitement would lead into, it was coupled with panic and fear, which I know well from my work in, in somatics. And so there's a lot of through lines there. But within that realization, I was just like, Oh, I could feel my whole body relaxed when I was making these statements of, confirmation that everything was going to work out. We're going to figure it out. Even from that moment on the very next day when we went out to greet one of the dogs, he was doing much better. I noticed that he was looking to me for more of that leadership and things just. things were more in flow. This is kind of also what has sparked this, this episode. Because if you're like me, a bit of a science nerd, but also someone who feels deeply connected to the unseen, I think that you'll appreciate how all of these different perspectives intersect. We're going to explore how our connection to consciousness, somatic awareness, and neuroscience can help us live a more aligned, joyful, and fulfilling life. And I wanted to share that story with Marilyn because, it's an example. of how changing our perspective and looking for the good can make a really big shift in how we view ourselves and our relationships to our pets and to other folks. And also, um, just because I know there are people out there that are training. Pets that sometimes give up because they can be challenging. So don't give up. Okay, so back to the episode. For those of you who don't know, Abraham is channeled through Esther Hicks and this Collective of Consciousness offers a wealth of teaching centered on creating the life that you want through deliberate focus and vibrational alignment. So it's this philosophy that says the better that you feel, the better your life gets. And yet for those of us who've experienced trauma or struggle with nervous system dysregulation, the idea of just feeling better can feel like complete bullshit. But there is something to it, which we're going to chat about more in depth. I'm a total sucker for 15 and 30 day challenges. They give me structure, they highlight where I'm stuck, and often provide the nudge I need for a redirect. And recently, I rediscovered Abraham's teachings after more than a decade. So their messages started popping up in my feed, and I took it as a sign to revisit this work. And lo and behold, When I purchased their book, Ask and It Is Given, I found a 30 day challenge nestled within its pages. Hee hee! My science y brain was thrilled. But also my somatic lens couldn't resist analyzing how this could work in practice, not just mentally, but somatically. In somatic experiencing, we talk a lot about safety, capacity, and redirecting towards sensations that feel better or at the very least suck less. So this is part of, part of the teachings of somatic experiencing. And so this is where the overlap with Abraham Hicks feels pretty profound. So they teach, if you can't feel good right now, find a thought that feels less bad. And from a nervous system perspective, this is brilliant because it's not about faking positivity, but slowly titrating away from distress to give your system the space to feel safe again. So here's how it works. So we're turning down the threat responses. When we consciously redirect our attention towards something that feels even slightly better, we can help deactivate the brain's alarm system. We signal to the amygdala that, you know, the tiger's no longer in the room. And then we also, activate a sense of well being by reminding ourselves of what is going well. A safe home, a kind friend, a moment of laughter. We're inviting our nervous system to shift out of survival mode and back into more regulation. And so this is foundational in healing. One of my favorite parts of Abraham's teachings is their emphasis on alignment. And again, from a somatic perspective, alignment isn't just a mental exercise. It's about how our body feels when we're in harmony with ourselves. So consider this. When you focus on a thought that feels good, just notice what happens for you. So the example that I gave above with Merlin's training is like we're just going to do this. Everything's working out for us and we're going to figure it out. So just choose a thought right now that feels a little better. And just notice what happens for you. What about your breath? Does it deepen? Does it soften? Do your shoulders relax? Can you feel more of yourself? Just notice what you notice. So these are some subtle cues that your body is moving towards safety. And the more you practice, the more your body learns to trust that this state is its default. Not the exception. So this 30 day challenge is all about gradually training your focus towards what feels good. And here's how I've adapted it with a somatic lens. So, the morning check in. When you wake up in the morning, just notice the coziness of your bed. How comfortable you feel right now. How the sheets feel on your skin. The temperature, if you're someone who wakes up with the sun without an alarm, maybe even just looking out your window and notice the sky or the sun coming up and pay attention to how noticing all of these things feels in your body. Maybe you might want to incorporate saying something like, good morning to me, or I wonder what good things will happen for me today. And then set an intention to notice and amplify that ease throughout the day. The next step is sort of a midday reset. So just pausing, maybe taking a few breaths, and perhaps just naming three things that are going well. Now these don't have to be life changing. Maybe your coffee was perfectly brewed, or the sun felt warm on your face. So really bringing those experiences into your body. Like how it felt to sip on that perfect cup of joe, or how the warmth felt on your face. And then as you settle into the evening. Maybe just taking a moment to either make a mental note or journal about what went well that day. Perhaps you met a friend for lunch, or someone complimented your shirt. Just little moments throughout your day about things that went well or things that felt good. And if it's easier, you can go backwards from the evening to the morning. I find that's really helpful for me. And again, as you do this, just notice how it feels to Think about these experiences and if there's a change or a softening that you feel within you. Abraham talks about focusing on what you want, not what you don't want. Sounds simple, right? Well, I thought so, but then when I started tracking my thoughts, I realized how often I was just affirming the things that I didn't want. Whoopsies. So, a little backstory on that. I'm historically known for making statements about what I don't want, hoping that someone Usually my husband will figure out what I do want. So a mini example of this is the other day, my husband asked about what flavor I wanted my smoothie to be, and I immediately replied, well, I don't want the chocolate one. He's like, yes, but what do you want? Sound familiar to anyone? I could literally give you millions of examples like this. So that's one part of the challenge is, Redirecting ourselves towards what we desire. And the other part is allowing our highest, most fulfilled version of ourselves to guide our actions. So in other words, getting into alignment with who you truly are and then taking action from that place. So the other day, I had a lot on my plate and before diving in, I took two minutes to breathe and set an intention. My intention was I want to feel productive, creative, and lit up. And as I observed my breath, I felt this sense of melting. Like my body was just letting go of resistance. And what came next was a nap, and then one of the most efficient, joyful work sessions I've had in a very long time. So this wasn't hustle, it was alignment. In that moment, I was allowing My higher self and my attuned nervous system to inform my actions rather than pushing through stress or tension. My own spiritual practice has played a huge role in just feeling better about my life and my place in it. It used to be countless hours of meditation and other rituals. And now it can be as simple as just a few minutes of tuning into my breath. A few minutes of connecting with my feet on the ground out in nature, a few minutes of playing with Merlin when he wants to play, of course. But our spiritual practice allows us to tap into this deep well of consciousness where things are just easier. Because it enables us to be in alignment with deep truth and so much suffering in this life comes from being out of alignment with who we are. So ultimately the combining of these tools in this journey has taken me from a place of despair to one of deep fulfillment. I've been thinking about just how often we try and separate science and spirituality, but the truth is science is just a lens, a way of observing, observing and understanding the world. Neuroscience, for example, shows us that. Cultivating spiritual practice can lead to greater resilience, optimism, and even protection against depression and overwhelming experiences. So instead of asking whether something is real, instead, I like to ask, does it work? And when I combine spiritual tools like meditation, intention setting, with somatic practices, I feel the difference. And so many people do. So, what are some more practical tools for alignment? I discussed, you know, combining somatics with getting in tune and just feeling better. How can we bring this into our daily lives? So, here's a few takeaways. Number one, name what you want. So, try instead of focusing on what's wrong, practice identifying what feels good or what you desire. Even small shifts in language can create profound changes in how you feel. Pausing and breathing. So take two to three minutes between tasks to just observe your breath. There's no need to change it or do anything with it. Just notice the sensations in your body and let yourself melt into the present moment. If breath doesn't feel so good for you, it could look like even just laying down on the floor on the ground for two to three minutes and allowing your body to just kind of feel the support of the floor. And then setting intentions before starting any activity. This could be really quick. Just set an intention of how you want to feel. I want to feel playful. I want to feel productive. And let that sense of alignment guide your actions. So, at the end of the day, what I feel about this is, alignment is about connection. Connection to ourselves, to others, and to something greater. It's about trusting that we're always being guided. Even in the messy shit storms of life. So whether you're exploring Abraham Hicks or some kind of other spiritual practice, somatic practices, or both, remember this, you are your own best guide, your heart, your body, and your spirit truly do know the way. So thank you for being here with me today until next time. Bye for now. As always, thank you so much for listening. Life is busy. So it means even more that you're carving out time in your day to be here. Listen, we've got so many great episodes coming up, so please make sure you subscribe to follow along on Apple podcasts or Spotify. And for those of you who like to watch your podcasts, we are now uploading them to YouTube. And if you appreciate these episodes, please do us a favor and leave a rating or a review and share it with anyone you think could benefit. See you again next Wednesday.

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