Body Wisdom Academy

The New Human Approach: Dr. Kevin Preston on Heart-Centered Healing and Transformative Events

• Alyssa Stefanson

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Dr. Kevin Preston shares his heart-centered approach to healing that recognizes we are complex beings with physical, spiritual, emotional, and energetic dimensions. His New Human events create powerful community spaces where people experience profound healing through collective energy and authentic connection.

• Transitioning from a clinical practice to focusing more on community and group healing work
• Navigating through the discomfort of rapid transformation and change 
• The importance of simplifying life when facing overwhelming change and stimulus
• Following inner guidance and visions even when the path isn't clear
• How manifesting works best when we become vibrationally aligned with our vision
• Creating safety in group settings as the foundation for healing to occur
• The power of community healing versus attempting to heal in isolation
• How trauma gets processed when witnessed by empathetic others
• The New Human Event happening October 3-5, 2025
• Finding your people and creating a team for your health journey

Connect with Dr. Kevin Preston at drkevinpreston.com or newhumanevents.com and on Instagram @drkevinpreston. Check out his podcast "The New Human Experience" for more insights on healing and community.


Alyssa's IG: @thealyssastefanson

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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to those who have been listening to this podcast for a while, and also welcome to any new listeners. I'm thrilled to introduce a truly remarkable guest today, dr Kevin Preston. He is a dedicated doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, herbalist and an acupuncturist trained in biological medicine. But what sets Dr Preston apart is his heart-centered approach to health and healing, recognizing that we are much more than just biological beings. We are complex individuals with physical, spiritual, emotional and energetic dimensions that all play a role in our well-being. I first connected with Kevin as a fellow coach in Sarah Swain's MYM Expanse community for entrepreneurs, so I've had the privilege to witness Kevin in action. He truly speaks to the souls of those he interacts with. His holistic perspective on health emphasizes the importance of processing and integrating the stories our bodies hold, addressing suppressed emotions, intergenerational trauma and helping us to live in alignment with our soul's purpose. Kevin's work resonates deeply with me and I'm excited for you to hear him share his insights. Recently, kevin transitioned from his clinic in British Columbia to focus on hosting events and retreats, including the Transformative New Human Event. This gathering has welcomed some powerful figures such as Zach Bush, charles Eisenstein and Mark Groves, and I can't wait to see who he brings in for the next event in 2025, right here in Canada. The name New Human perfectly captures the essence of his work a unique approach to healing that embodies the principles he teaches. It's a powerful reminder that true healing happens not just through intellectual understanding, but by living and embodying those teachings ourselves. When we can genuinely hold space for others and see them for who they truly are, that's when transformation occurs. So join me as we dive into this conversation with Dr Preston and explore the beautiful synergy of heart-centered healing, holistic health and the journey to becoming the new human.

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to another episode of the Body Wisdom Academy. I'm your host, alyssa Steffensen, and it is my intention, with this podcast, to deliver empowering resources, insights and tools to help you heal, awaken and return to your wild, sacred nature and the innate wisdom of your body. Join me as I interview some of the leading experts in the fields of holistic health, somatic healing and trauma recovery. In these episodes, we'll explore innovative and cutting-edge tools and techniques that challenge some of the conventional approaches, all while diving into some of the more controversial yet transformative practices that blend together modern science with ancient spiritual insights. And if you enjoy these episodes, it would mean the world to me if you could take a moment to leave a five-star review to help this podcast grow and reach more people. Thank you so much for tuning in.

Speaker 1:

Now let's get into the episode. So, kevin, you're in a major transitionary period right now. You just closed your clinic in bc um, how is that going? How is that landing? What are you experiencing right now? This just happened a few weeks ago and can you share a little bit about what direction you're at now going in?

Speaker 2:

yeah, it's been a process for sure and I think sometimes, you know, from the outside, looking in, people may view, you know, people like ourselves where we're guiding or leading and you know hosting all kinds of events and things, that we always have it together and I can tell people that I don't always have it together for sure and so human in the process of you know, a bit of grief and some of the sadness kind of mixed feelings a little bit about transitioning out of the space I was in in Vernon BC. That was a seven year cycle actually to the month of when I'd opened here and then transitioning out. And I do have a little one room office space that I transitioned into in Armstrong BC here and along with that transition you know the downsizing, some of these pieces of oh, I miss my old space where we had other practitioners and, you know, had a little bit more space to move around physically and then also that space held us really well, so just letting everything sort of lands. After that I've been working in the new space a little bit but you know, a big part of that direction was to simplify. It's a big theme in my life personally right now and professionally and what I'm wanting to do is free up more space to allow other things in.

Speaker 2:

And I've been in the clinic doing one-to-one work for over 16 years now and I've loved it. It's been so rewarding, challenging, tremendous, like amazing connections all the way around. And I want to take that into more community spaces and group work. And you know speaking and I've already been doing that for a number of years now. So it just seemed like it was time to make a shift and you know kind of set down some of the things I was holding in the way that I was to allow new elements to emerge. So, yeah, just giving it room to breathe right now and getting used to driving somewhere else. You know our nervous systems, our brains, get wired of like, hey, when I get to the end of my road, turn right, don't turn left, because the muscle memory still wants to go that direction. So it's been kind of a cool process and seeing life in a new way, a new perspective. So I'm I'm up for lots of unknowns right now. It seems like.

Speaker 1:

I so feel you on that. Um, you even just mentioning that seven year cycle. I've just like finished a seven year cycle of when I first got sober seven years ago, so really just started this healing journey, starting my whole life over, and I'm definitely starting a whole new seven-year cycle where I don't really know where it's taking me. Spirit has different plans than I had originally thought. What my ego desired. It's now going in a completely different direction. So I'm really just trying to surrender and I myself getting really pulled into that community space. I really do feel like that. That is what is needed, because once you experience that and you see the power of healing and community, you just feel a calling and you know it's something that we really need to collectively move more towards. But yeah, with that, I find anytime we're ending like a seven year cycle and starting a new one.

Speaker 1:

I don't know if you experienced this, but like often, these old beliefs and old patterns like resurface, that were like from the past seven years, they all come up to to clear, and that was really what I was experiencing. It was like almost like these self-sabotaging thoughts where you know you almost want to pull yourself back and go back in time and keep yourself small and keep yourself safe. But there is that period of like taking the leap and going into that trust fall, because sometimes we're not caught right away and sometimes we actually can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we just have to surrender, we have to trust, which can be really, really challenging, and eventually it does turn out, often better than we had even imagined. But there is that period of like falling through the void is how I explain it. Do you relate to that at all?

Speaker 2:

This is actually something you know. Maybe we can even unpack a little bit more because the amount of conversations I've had lately with clients of mine, patients of mine and friends and myself, the amount of change happening right now is really rapid and one could say, oh, that's just sort of your unique dynamic of your life right now and some of the people close to you and it's just a small number of people. But when I look at the macro and the micro, it seems really widespread. And you look at the first few months, even of this year 2025, for a lot of the people I've talked to, it feels like they've already lived like a year's worth of material in an accelerated way and a lot of what's happening and directly with patients that I've seen. You know the last month or two huge changes. You know the last month or two huge changes. You know changes in relationships, career professional dynamics moving. You know, physically and otherwise, and, yeah, new opportunities coming in or things happening quite unexpectedly and lots of emotional dynamics in there.

Speaker 2:

And you touched on it already that a lot can come up that maybe is not fully integrated or there's another layer of healing available within ourselves and we're gaining more access to that when you kind of shake things up a little bit in life, it does provide opportunity for it to come up, and so I think there's a few really key places here, and one of them it is about the unknown and it is about the discomfort of that or how scary that can be and what I've seen with patients over the years and in group settings and retreats the people that are willing to be open and curious, that it's like having the student mind or the beginner's mind, like what if I don't know my path exactly as it should unfold? What if there is something better, something different? But to do that you also need to touch into the face of a lot of discomfort and a lot of unknown, and I feel like that's where so many people get stuck. And when we make a big shift, there's often the tests or the gatekeepers you know internally and externally, from even family and friends of. Are you sure you want to do that?

Speaker 2:

I don't know if that's a good idea. What about this, what about that? And a lot of people are orienting to what's comfortable and what they know is safe for them. Even if it's not healthy, it could still feel safe. So I feel like a lot of us have been riding that edge a little bit, where of course we want to still keep our nervous system functional as much as we can, but leaning in to places that might be filled with uncertainty. And can we let go of the need for that regular rhythm.

Speaker 1:

Every day we know what's happening and kind of break out of some of these older molds, like that's what is kind of required what is kind of required Absolutely and this is a theme that I've also been seeing come up just with a lot of not even necessarily just my clients, but like friends and just people who I connect with online is just what you said. Just that rapid transformation in a very short period of time and it can be very destabilizing to our system. Any tips or advice on how to navigate that? Because you know it's so easy to say to just surrender, but if surrender doesn't feel safe to our body possibly it wasn't safe to surrender before Like how, what? What suggestion would you give to someone to help like navigate that, to help bring more stability and safety to their body so that they can like trust the process?

Speaker 2:

I do feel that life is a team sport and we'll probably, you know, touch on this theme throughout this conversation, because it's something we're both interested in is don't do it alone. And I tell my patients all the time health is a team sport. For that reason, like, don't just rely on me, you know, maybe seek out somebody like you get some somatic work done, like have some other people in your corner, have some other skillsets, some other talents everybody's gifted in different ways. There's lots that I can offer with my skillsets. There's also lots that is not in my full like zone of genius, and so I often refer people to hey, maybe you need, yeah, you need to see that Cairo, or you need to get some massage, or maybe see somebody else for some acupuncture or body work, or maybe you do need some really deep nervous system elements. And I often prescribe nature time and you know it's it's kind of funny to say, right, a prescribing nature time.

Speaker 2:

But those are the key pieces. That I see is like get a good network of people. They don't have to be practitioners necessarily, but they can be, especially if you maybe have moved to a new location, or what I've seen the last few years is a lot of the friends dynamic and family dynamics have changed in a big way. Not everybody's aligned with their beliefs or their values and some people start drifting. And if you're going through a lot of rapid change, not everybody maybe understands that or feels good with you changing or stepping into a new career. That sometimes that is the first bridge is, you know, hire somebody, a beautiful coach or somebody that can help guide you through that process. If your network is suddenly shifted or the people that you used to resonate with maybe you don't anymore and you're finding yourself a little bit in that lonely space, reach out. There's a lot of different things. There's a lot of communities that are popping up and you know leading events and different things can be part of that for us. But if you cultivate a good network of practitioners that you can develop a good, solid relationship with, that you know that you can call or you can book an appointment to help you with different elements that are coming up, it will make a big difference. You know team sports and everything else, like it's not one person that wins the cup or the game or whatever it's like. All of those different roles are really vital. So I have this for myself. I have practitioners that I reach out to. I've got really good friends that I'm so grateful for that. I have put time and energy and focus into cultivating those safe spaces, those places that are, you know, less judgmental, where they can allow me to go through changes, they can allow me to be messy, and I can hold that for them as well, and we can share wins that they will love you through the process anyway. And I know that can be challenging to find, but that is available. And so I would say, you know, keep finding your people. And so, just in the external sort of dynamics, I feel like those are really key.

Speaker 2:

And then, if I go back to nature, the simple things, and again this is the theme I'm in in my life when there's a lot of chaos, there's a lot of change. We do need to simplify, or at least that's my view on it now, because the amount of stimulus coming in is really high. And I got my haircut with my barber buddy in Vernon the other day and we were chatting about this topic a little bit and he said don't quote me on the stats. I'll say that, don't quote me here, but some of the studies, something like compared to 1940. Until now, the amount of data input and information that we're accessing and sort of being bombarded with in some ways, compared to back then, is cumulatively like a thousand times more on an annual basis. And I don't know if that's actually the number. Maybe it's 500 times or 10,000. Like it doesn't really matter. The point is there's so much coming in. So how does our body and our nervous system possibly ground or integrate that level of data?

Speaker 2:

And I find you got to simplify your life and start looking at what's essential here. And what do I need to support myself when there's the accumulative nature of just way too many poles and 50 directions in your life, and I think it's like the ancient'm trying to create, or if I'm working on something deep within and I'm working on healing what is actually going to be a beautiful space to do that? And what container do I need for myself to put myself in a position of success or more likely success? And I keep coming around to this again and again simplify, you know. Set down some of the things that are extra, that are not needed. Learn to say no and get your feet on the earth like barefoot more often. Be in nature, be in the forest, be by the trees. There's ancient wisdom there and I find it really helps connect us to our ancient wisdom that's inside.

Speaker 2:

You know there's such this sort of rapid technological advancements and like even health and wellness, the biohacking community, and you know I'm not saying it's good or bad necessarily, but there's a lot and you got the red light masks, the red light helmets, the body suits, the infrared sheets and grounding mats and millions of other electronics and Oura rings and everything else and some of that stuff I find really cool and really beneficial. But I'm also being drawn back more to the, the old school things, the ancient things and simple, and a lot of them are free. Get with a big tree in the forest and just sit there Doesn't cost you anything, and there's never been a time I've done that that I haven't felt better for doing. So it works. Every time I've done that that I haven't felt better for doing so it works every time.

Speaker 1:

I love that the word. The theme for me that really came through this year that I've been focusing on is being more intentional and devotional, which really correlates with simplicity, like simplifying a lot of things and taking a lot of things away and just being more intentional when I do things. And I was just having this conversation with a client the other day, um, where his his life is already stressed, like he's already stressed to the max, he's working extremely long hours and he was trying to fit in like all the workouts, all the meditations, like adding in all these extra things. And I'm like, if we're already stressed, like we don't need to add in more, like what, what can we take away? And just start being more intentional with these things when we do add them in, and that just like pivoted and changed everything for him, right, like sometimes it is actually taking these things away and doing less. And even a practice for myself that I'm really starting to implement, now that the weather is getting a lot better, is I'm going to find a spot in nature, do my sit spot meditation for 90 days straight. So it's you find a spot in nature that's ideally close to your home. So they say, like around you know, like within like 10 minutes, like a 10 minute walk, maybe a five minute drive, and you go there every single day and you sit in the spot and you meditate and you really cultivate a relationship with nature. And so many people have shared that they have had such profound experiences with nature or like with animals, like encounters with animals. From doing this consistently and even just doing like a little like ritual or building an altar in nature, is what I'm really feeling called to do Integrating, like cultivating ceremonial and ritual practices in everyday life.

Speaker 1:

Because one thing that I really find I'm not sure if you've experienced this or heard this yourself For many people who experience these events that we host or retreats, they go to this, they have these profound experiences Like it's unbelievable, it can't not be. When you're in that energy and that space with like all these high vibrational people and you're healing together and you're practicing these different rituals, then you go back to your everyday life and it's like the expansion contraction. So it's like expansion contraction, so it's like not only have you shifted vibrationally like from that experience and then you have to go through this recalibration process and like really trying to everything kind of feels out of alignment when you return back to your ordinary life, but also not feeling like, um, like feeling like they have to have those experiences to be able to cultivate. That feeling, which you don't like you can integrate ceremony into everyday life, is just being very intentional with it. Simplifying things is a big way to do that right, like taking away all the unnecessary stuff, like you had just said, and treating everything like it's a ceremony, because life is a ceremony.

Speaker 1:

But even I was sharing with my clients because they're like well, there isn't really anything in my city or in my province like any spiritual practices or retreats or anything that I can go to or any community that I can connect with.

Speaker 1:

That is like very like-minded in this space and you really do have to look for it. Because there is, like I guarantee that you will find it when you start to look for it. And just recently I started really committing to going to sweats which I'm so fortunate because we have so many in Manitoba and like what a privilege and what an honor to be able to go to those and to learn from an indigenous elder, and we have them everywhere. So there's things like this where you just have to look for them, like they're everywhere, but once you open your eyes to them and you open up to those possibilities of them, synchronicity will guide you and they will show up. So there are ways that we can implement those in everyday life. So has that been something that you have found, that has come up for people that you work with after having these experiences, at these events or retreats?

Speaker 2:

Integration is, you know, the, I think, the keyword there and probably something that is getting talked about more now, just because we're learning more, we're learning more about the psyche, we're learning more about our nervous systems and that you can go seek out peak experiences anywhere and lots of different. You know layers of availability there, but it doesn't necessarily lead to meaningful change and maybe for some yes and for some no, they kind of go right back to the patterning of what they had previously and sometimes you'd wonder like how's that possible? How could that experience? Then it's like all the air gets let out of it over the next few weeks or months and nothing really happens. And I would say a couple things about that. Number one we do need repetition. You know, not everything is going to shift overnight. Sometimes it does for some people if they were in that space of being ready in some way, like they had an awakening experience or they had like a big enough activation or initiation that they were able to integrate on some level, and then it becomes embodied, which is really tremendous, like that can happen. And for other people it does need to be more the regular day-to-day experience. And what I've found is the little things that, even when you wake up in the morning, what's the way that you feel and can we shift that? Like the first thing that you do when you open your eyes, usually people will tell like they might have a feeling of anxiety or excitement or peace or unhappiness, anger, whatever that is. And those are the places I like to get really curious is, what are those things? Because you're with yourself all day long, ideally, and there's like a thousand opportunities every day to make different choices with every element of life. And so sometimes I think we and I've done this that I'm looking for the things outside of myself to create a big shift or change for me.

Speaker 2:

And in the past I would ask everybody what their opinions were of what I should or shouldn't do, and I never really checked in with myself at a deep level and then I got a lot of experiences from that, but they didn't necessarily land or resonate for me because I wasn't choosing that. I was outsourcing my own wisdom, I was outsourcing my own innate guidance and intelligence and I really had to start owning that. And I had enough of experiences realizing that we're all human. How could anybody else possibly know deep down what I'm sensing and feeling right now they might have an idea, and just for somebody else I won't know their true experience of what they're having happen inside. I can listen, I can provide guidance, but I've shifted a lot of my career over the years to just asking more questions to help people find that answer for themselves. Because if I told them the answer, I'm still human.

Speaker 2:

I may have a subconscious agenda that I'm not even aware of, or I might have my own bias and opinions based on my own life experiences that may or may not be the best advice for them, and the more I come into that simplicity, the more I get adept at listening and being present and having divine neutrality as much as possible. I can reflect much more clearly and help guide them in a way that they get to discover what is true for them, and to me that's more lasting from an integrative point of view, because I'm not giving them the answer. They need to find it for themselves. But we can really help that and that is, I think, what lands in a much more longstanding impact, whether it's a session or retreat or like a big group.

Speaker 2:

Experience is to provide a container in a way where people can find that for themselves, make profound changes and three months later, a year later, ask how's it going? And they have a lot to share and you can tell by looking them in the eyes, the color in their, their complexion and that aliveness of spirit that's there and you know they've changed things and they took all that energy and transformed it in a beautiful way. So, yeah, the insourcing is a big key.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. I definitely want to speak to your events that you host. So this is is this the fourth new human event that you'll be hosting?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, october coming up 2025. This will be yeah, number four there as speakers.

Speaker 1:

Definitely looking forward to hearing that. Last time you had Zach Bush, and is it Charles Eisenstein?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, charles Eisenstein, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

And what was that like? How did that unfold?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, first of all, they were both absolutely tremendous and I had dear friends of mine, mike and Courtney, there they work with relationships and coaching of all kinds too and my friend Andrea, who led a beautiful segment on the voice, and we had some singing with my friend Zoe, and yeah, there's all these really beautiful elements that I'm often wanting to create and curate to give people the greatest potential to find those parts of themselves, just like we're talking about, that can activate gifts and create big transformational changes, but not necessarily from every peak experience, but we really dove in and did some deep work in like dyads and triads and things like that, where we are actually working with the root source material. That we weren't just talking about it, we were living it and sharing it authentically and vulnerably. And it was yeah, it was tremendously powerful and that was my experience and I got a lot of reflections from people there and you could just watch the space and feel it. It was really beautiful to be a part of, and the way I build events and retreats is. I do ask for a lot of inner guidance and kind of trust, the intuition that comes up, especially at this phase where I'm not in my head as much as what I used to be, and so I've been a big fan of Dr Zak for a long time and a lot of the ideas and philosophies in medicine I've been practicing myself and seeing play out in the clinic over all those years. And I think I was maybe walking in the forest, I can't remember if maybe I was meditating or outside, but that's usually where a lot of things drop in for me and just some solo time.

Speaker 2:

And I had led a bunch of other retreats with like 10, 15, 20 people and more adventures and things in between, and I started having these visions come through of doing a bigger event and, you know, even just like a one day. And part of my curiosity with that was I wonder if I could get somebody for a whole day instead of an hour or two in clinic. What would be possible with that? And what if we had a bunch of people together, that we were there together for the whole day? And what if we set some things up to be able to, you know, maybe unravel some pieces that were stuck for all of them at the same time? What would happen? And so I ended up doing an event called that were stuck for all of them at the same time. What would happen? And so I ended up doing an event called Yankstess this is three years ago now and it was one day. It was like 100 people. It was on a farm, in a pole barn, open to the elements, and it was beautiful. It worked really well and I saw a lot of shifts and transformations and I liked it. I got to have a lot of impact in one day. So the effectiveness and the efficiency really spoke to me that we could all heal a bunch of things together in one day and that would make a big impact in the community and it would be more accessible too. And so I ended up doing another one after that a few months later, called the Equinox Emergence, and again we had like 100, 125 people there.

Speaker 2:

And then after that I was kind of feeling into what's next and I thought what if we had two days? And what if we brought in more people and other speakers and it wasn't just me? What would that look like? And I started having these visions.

Speaker 2:

And Zach was a part of that early vision. And I'd been a fan of Charles Eisenstein for years as well. I read a lot of his books, really love how he articulates things and different philosophies that he has, and he's such a great speaker. And Mark Rose was a part of that early vision as well, and that was the first new human. Mark Rose came and spoke at our first one in 2023. And that was an amazing experience. He's an amazing man and now we're friends and it's been a cool journey and, as I've been following along, following the inner vision, more connections would start happening and what I would say that you know, hopefully, is going to you know, land this for people that are listening that sometimes people ask me how do you manifest these things? Like, is this just a horseshoe? Or like you're getting lucky and it's like I? I don't know entirely, but I can tell you what my process is. One of them is trusting the visions that I get and when I feel that deep yes, or that deep resonance, I will start orienting in that direction. And you know some people don't know this, but I think I filled out dr zach's speaker form like 10 times over a period of two or three years at least, and it was not until a few years of other things connecting and landing that we actually got to have a conversation and then he was able to say yes to come and be a speaker.

Speaker 2:

So when I retraced my steps, it was getting a vision, creating a clear space for myself to be able to receive and listen, like in the forest, just by myself getting quiet, and then trusting these things that I'd be shown in my mind or my heart would bring forward. And then I would start taking steps or actions, without knowing how it was going to happen, but just trusting I'm going to follow this direction. We'll see what happens. So. So I'd always find when I would take a step the universe would meet me, and sometimes I would need to take three, four, five or eight or 10 steps before it felt like I would get met. But I always would. And sometimes I'd need to hold that vision for a year, two, three, four years.

Speaker 2:

And I think in society we can become impatient. I know I have at times. But a lot of the things that I've held the vision on it, just if I stick with it and I'm willing to take those risks or those leaps into the unknown like do a big event that there's no guarantee of success, you don't know if people are going to come, but you're going to invest a lot of your own money, that maybe you don't even have, just to really deeply trust that vision. So I would say that was something that started unlocking things. For me, more was just trusting that inner guidance, even if it looked a bit crazy, even if it looked a bit risky or how's that going to work, or do you know that's going to work or not? And I didn't, but I could feel that it was a direction I needed to go in anyway, and it's hard to kind of put it in words.

Speaker 2:

And then after a while things start showing up and people say, yes, that you maybe don't expect, but I could feel that direction and just sticking with it and then doing another one and just showing up consistently and it seems like the universe will meet you halfway.

Speaker 2:

But you're going to have to take the first step is what my experience has been. It may not just come and find you, you know, and land right in your lap without you really taking any action. So it seems like there's a bit of a balance. It's a bit of you know back and forth that you got to take some steps and, even if you don't see the action externally happening, to take some steps and even if you don't see the action externally happening. If you feel guided and pulled, then keep going, you know, don't give up. And I find that's where there's a big test, and I definitely felt some tests along the way, almost giving up, almost quitting a lot of self doubts, and I find that's actually where that magic sweet spot is that if you can move through that and stay with it, suddenly doors open and you're like in awe of what just happened then. So thanks for that question and my long-winded answer.

Speaker 1:

So what you're saying is you get the vision and you would have. Did you feel like a clear knowing like this was going to happen, like it wasn't just a desire, it was almost like a knowing in your body that you felt.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I would say it felt that way to me and there's and I only know my own experience in, you know, the visions that I get shown or I don't even know where they come from. Sometimes I can't even say it's like my idea. But in the way I'm seeing it more now is there's a lot of ideas in the general collective field and you can reach into that big, you know, bubble of awareness and some of them will drop in spontaneously, I think, and others, may you know, you maybe can pull them in and try them on a little bit, and different ideas I get. I can kind of tell like, oh, maybe that's down the road but I don't feel like a giant pull in that direction, or it's not really lighting me up, or it's not lighting up my energy, or maybe it does a little bit and it grows over time. I can tell I should actually keep following that up. And in terms of following up with speakers, there's somebody I'd invited in the past that wasn't able to come, but I still felt resonance there and I recently reached out to them again because I felt it oh, I wonder if they can make it to this. Does that still feel good or has it shifted for me, or has it shifted for them? And I sent a message and we're going to have a meeting here shortly of. Yeah, I still feel like that is going to be a really beautiful addition that could bring a lot of value into the space of the new human event.

Speaker 2:

But there has been other times I've had ideas and then, you know, maybe it passes and I'll I'll like put it back in the, the river of life, or put it back in the stream and and let it go and just kind of trust that oh yeah, no, that doesn't feel like the right direction anymore, and to not cling to them too much or not hold on it too tightly. And then, when it drops in and it's something that brings my energy forward, I can tell there's a difference there. There's a, there's a different feeling inside, like it doesn't go away and it'll be there the next day and the next day. And then I know it's like, oh, this has some staying power. What is that about? And even if it doesn't lead to the outcome that I'm anticipating or wanting, it does lead to something, though.

Speaker 1:

I love that and I resonate with that so much. I've had similar experiences not to the degree that you have, but definitely I've had similar experiences where I get strong knowings that something is going to happen and then it does and my brother is like blown away. Because there's been incidences in my life where, um, even a podcast platform, um, like a partnership that I was in that I stated to my brother that I was going to be on like this podcast platform, um, and it was going to lead. I could already see what it was going to lead to and it happened pretty instantaneously, um, which was pretty wild. And these things happen often very similar, where it's like I have that vision, I have just a knowing, like just a knowing, but there isn't an attachment Like it's not like this um feeling of it needs to happen. It's just a knowing and then I let it go.

Speaker 1:

But what I have found and there's this really powerful, potent exercise that I've actually done in retreats with a lot of people and I've done this in my online community as well is when we have a vision of our future. So say you write down on a piece of paper like the future that you want, say five years from now. So you get full, detailed like on what that looks like, what that feels like, and then what I'll get them to do is I'll get them to start stepping towards it and noticing what's arising in their body and I'll say, okay, now that's four years away, now that's three years away, now that's two years away, now that's one year away. Like, what does that feel like in your body? Is there resistance? Because it should feel natural. Feel natural when it feels natural. That's when we like manifest things pretty quicker.

Speaker 1:

But when it feels unnatural and like we feel like too excited, it's too overwhelming for a system, then we're not like in a vibrational resonance with that quite yet. And I even experienced that when I did have something, uh kind of fall into my lap in the summertime, where it was a complete dream come true, but it felt so overwhelming for my system, like I didn't feel worthy of it quite yet, and so there was a leg before that all came together. So I experienced it. The universe was like this is a taste of what you're about to receive, but you have to get into like vibrational alignment with this.

Speaker 1:

And so I went through a period of all of my fears and all my insecurities, everything coming up wanting to self-sabotage. It was bizarre, like it was like like all my unworthiness, wounds were surfacing and I realized, okay, I need to clear these before this is actually going to come in. And so, sure enough, I did that inner work, I focused on that over several months and now that's coming back into my life Like it's circling back around. But the difference is now is it actually feels natural, like I don't feel this, like overwhelming excitement. It's just who I am, because I've been able to recalibrate and like stabilize that energy.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you've become that frequency.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and that's who you are now which is, yeah, like we can do these things as humans. And if something's not a vibrational match this is a question I've sat with for myself is you know when I've reached out to you know different speakers or different visions? If it hasn't happened, or in some cases where it took a few years before it did, the way I saw it back then was oh, it's A. This is not the most perfect timing for this, and I got to trust that and not fight it and still take the steps to keep orienting in whatever direction I feel inspired by. And what are the layers of work that I get to do within myself to become a vibrational match to you know, that event happening where you know, especially at the new human like who do I need to be to step on the stage to deliver the most value that I can at that point in time, and it's always so interesting the things that will come up for me with each event. It's not a small thing that the events will challenge me greatly in the months leading up to it, because it's almost like I feel the event requires this version of me, and so anything that is not an alignment or things that are holding me back self-sabotage, doubt, whatever that might be, that might prevent me from delivering the highest level of experience, of value and impact at that event. Then the months leading up to it, all that stuff will surface and then I get to work on it and I get support and I do somatic sessions or whatever it needs to be to work with all those layers. And then by the time I get to the event I can feel like, oh, this is who I am now and it's kind of funny. Then I feel like, okay, everybody, I've done my work over the last bunch of months to prepare for this, to hold the energy in a way that would land in the most beautiful way, in a way that would land in the most beautiful way. And now it's all your turn. So let's, you know, let's get to business, let's get down to work.

Speaker 2:

And then people go through a lot of shifts. But I feel like sometimes I'm being really stretched and pulled and squeezed through different layers of my own material to prepare me to lead properly. And you know, for anybody that is in a position of leadership, in any capacity, I have a huge amount of respect for that, because leadership is not to be taken lightly. You know, we don't want to hold it with too much tension, but there's a lot that can come through with that and there's a lot of that like powerful responsibility to you know, become somebody that can lead in a clear way and a healthy way.

Speaker 2:

And I'm also very human and there's things I make mistakes on or wish I could go back and change or do better. But then I see, okay, let's address that for the next one and let's see where we can make improvements, because we also don't need to be perfect, and if we wait until everything feels a hundred percent healed or that we're done with a particular part of our own story or material, we're going to be waiting a lifetime, and so you don't have to be perfect to be of service to others. I guess is what I'm trying to say.

Speaker 1:

Totally, and we're never fully healed, right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah obviously we want to be intentional and and moving in that direction, be committed and devoted to our own inner work, but we're always going to be going through stuff. People are going to hurt us. You know, we're going to experience trauma throughout our lives and sometimes we think we've healed something, but it resurfaces again later on because we're able to approach it with a different level of consciousness. Every single time it circles back around and I'm really curious single time it circles back around and I'm really curious.

Speaker 1:

One thing that I feel from you I don't know you well, but one thing I really feel is a very safe energy and that's one thing I've heard from many people who do know you well and have experienced sessions with you is the safety that they feel in your presence, which is the foundation of what we need to heal. Which is the foundation of what we need to heal. And do you find, have you found it like different creating that safety in such a large group environment, like at an event, creating safety like that in a space of that capacity, compared to one-on-one sessions? Like what is that like? What is the difference like there?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's a great well. First of all, yeah, thank you and thanks to all the people that have allowed me to hold space for them over many years and clinical hours and, you know, retreats and big events and it's something that I hold in a really sacred way and maybe that's part of it is understanding like, wow, this is such an honor and a privilege to be able to be in a position to hold space. And again, when I kind of look back over the years, that it's been not an overnight thing, that you know, 16 years of clinical practice and I ended up spending a lot of years in school prior to that and then all of life's experiences bring us something. They all count all the jobs that I had, all the you know the ups and the downs, relationships and everything else, like we get to bring all that forward, how we put that work together and you know, how we connect all these dots within our own story. I think is what brings that to the forefront. More so when I think of thousands and thousands of one-to-one visits over the years I've been in practice. That has really helped build a beautiful foundation and there's probably a lot of the time earlier in my career where maybe I wasn't holding as much safety as I could not unintentionally like I was showing up to help and be of service, but my capacity was what it was at the time. But my capacity was what it was at the time, but I was dedicated to doing more courses, to doing training, to reading, to listening and taking time with people and hearing what they had to share, and so I think that's maybe been one of the biggest skills is listening, not just to what somebody's saying, but listening to their energy and tracking how they're feeling, even in a one-to-one setting or in a bigger setting, is looking at the overall dynamic field of the event. And to fill in those gaps there are thousands of office visits.

Speaker 2:

And then I started doing retreats with, yeah, like 10 people, and I remember that gap of oh, I've worked with one-to-one people or families, you know, maybe a few people being in one visit together some kids, a wife, a husband, whatever and then a retreat setting for several days with 10 people and it stretched me a little bit and I could feel the discomfort, but I could feel that I was ready for it at the time and some growth happened along the way. And then the next one we did. I think there was, you know, maybe 13 or 14 people and then doing a handful of those numbers in a setting for, you know, two and a half, three days, and then having 20 people show up for five days and then, you know, really just taking time and not, you know, maybe over overstepping too much with where I was at, and then learning and filling those shoes and then pushing it a bit more. And so when I made the jump from 20 people to a hundred, you know I shaved down the three days to like one day for that and I also wanted to test it out as like, can I hold this really well? Do I have the capacity for this? And then I tested it out and it felt good and it stretched me, but it's like it gave me another gear in my system of how to hold for a bigger group, and it is different than one-to-one, but I think the underlying dynamics are similar that I have to make sure I'm as aligned and grounded as possible, and that it's like working out. You wouldn't give somebody a hundred pound weights on their first workout If they haven't been to the gym. You'd start off with a five pound, and that's kind of how I've seen it over the years of doing retreats and events, that it's like organic growth and each new layer pushes me a bit more, but I have that foundation. Now that's there, and again, there's lots of room for improvement.

Speaker 2:

I'm always looking at how can I, you know, be more effective or or, yeah, create more safety?

Speaker 2:

And then what I started doing with the bigger events is inviting more people in to help hold that energy container with me.

Speaker 2:

So designated space holders is something that we do have at the new human, and their job, their role, is to hold the energy and help create safety for the entire group, for the whole event, because when you're dealing with that much depth and vulnerability and healing, you need a really solid container so that that can actually happen. Otherwise it won't happen. And my friend Courtney and you spoke to it earlier she'd always say in some of the retreats we did together if there's enough safety in the field, then healing will happen, and if there's not, then that amount of healing is quite limited. And so the more we can hold that together, create an environment that is conducive to, you know, the healing process, where people can actually sink into their body and feel that safety at a visceral level, all kinds of things start transforming. So, yeah, it's been something I want to keep learning about and quite a journey up until now, and I'm sure it's going to continue something I want to keep learning about and quite a journey up until now and I'm sure it's going to continue.

Speaker 1:

One thing I love about bringing people together in a community to heal is that often others will help them carry the pain. So when someone's moving through something and maybe they feel stuck or they feel stagnant, it's actually pretty powerful how you'll see someone actually someone else actually helped them, how you'll see someone actually someone else actually helped them clear it, and I've experienced that in ceremonial settings which was unbelievable, like it was a mind blowing experience. It was when I was in Costa Rica last and we were all in ceremony and one of the girls was moving through some really heavy childhood trauma and there was a lot of practitioners around her supporting her through it and I guess during her session she felt called to scream but she couldn't let anything out and I'm lying there and out of nowhere. I just felt the call to scream. I didn't know why, but I don't question these things.

Speaker 1:

If I feel called to scream, I just let it move through me. And so I let out a blood-curdling scream. And I just let it move through me. And so I let out a blood curdling scream and afterwards she came up to me and I guess they were saying to her let her screams be your screams. And she came up to me and she said you were screaming for me, like I felt like I needed to scream and I couldn't let it out and then all of a sudden you started screaming. It's so powerful, like how connected we are when we come into like a group like that, a community like that, how much we can support each other, help, helping each other, support, moving that energy through our bodies. We don't have to carry it all on our own yeah, we absolutely don't.

Speaker 2:

This is the power of community, especially when it's in, you know, the right frequency or the, the right dynamics, or have all come together the right, then anything is possible in those spaces, because some things are too big for one person to hold. And I think this speaks back to a lot of our roots. If you go back far enough, most I think you know cultures, ancient cultures especially. They heal in community all the time, like that wasn't unusual. What's become unusual, I think, in our society is that there's so much isolation where we're sort of expected to heal in secret, in quiet, you know, go to your room kind of vibe, until you're sorted out and then you can come out and suddenly you're better. But you're not actually, because any of those dynamics often need a witness or you know you need to be held in a certain way energetically, emotionally, whatever it might be, and even physically. Sometimes being held or hugged properly with safety allows the nervous system to transform and alchemize some of these things that previously have been stuck in the body, and so in that group setting there's a lot of amplification of energy and then things that maybe you can't access on your own you suddenly gain access to, because then we create a shared nervous system that suddenly so much more can move.

Speaker 2:

And I think individual healing is just as powerful and just as valid. But in my experiences of both attending and leading retreats, there's an extra layer of accessibility that can be there and then suddenly those things that have been blocked for 10 years or 20 or 30 years, they can open and shift and have some light pour in, you know, to those places. And I have had patients say this, like one weekend with some of our events, you know, created a shift that was worth, you know, 10 years of counseling or some of the things that they're working, created a shift that was worth, you know, 10 years of counseling or some of the things that they're working on. And it's like, well, yeah, there's 500 people there working in a similar direction with space holders, and we build the energy and build the containers for these events for months and months ahead of time so that people do feel really protected and grounded and landed, even though there's deep work going on. It changes everything. It changes what's possible.

Speaker 1:

Wonderful and, like you were saying, like trauma, the event itself is actually not traumatizing. Trauma is what happens within us without the presence of an empathetic witness, and trauma happens in isolation. So we don't heal in isolation, we heal in community. Yes, we can become aware of a lot of our patterns and I should say that I wouldn't say that we don't do any healing in isolation, because part of my healing process and becoming more individuated was spending time in solitude and reconnecting back to myself. So it's coming back into relationship with ourselves, for sure, but reconnecting with others and healing in relationship is such an important piece because there are certain things that we actually can't heal without other people. They're mirrors. They're mirrors to us and we need those containers to be able to really dive deep and to be able to come back into relationship with ourselves, the environment and others. And so can you share a little bit about, I guess, the upcoming event? How can people find more information about it? When are you going to actually announce the speakers? Can you share a bit more about that?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'd love to. I think also some of the comments from many of the attendees at the events we've been doing. They feel a sense of home and they feel a sense of belonging and I would say that's not a want or a desire, that's a need of being human is we need each other, we want to feel connected at a deep level because it's built into our soul blueprint and I do think we came here to be relational and there's a time and a space for solitude and I definitely am one of those people. I need my time away and then I love being in groups and having these big shifts happen. So, from an event point of view, I think that's something that we do a bit uniquely or is a little bit special, that there's a different felt sense of belonging and connection because it's at a deep level and it's kind of more grassroots. It's really authentic. We're all human there. I'm human as much as everybody else and anybody that's been on stage at our event.

Speaker 2:

Speaking, some of my requirements are that they're incredibly heart-centered as a leader and that is something I feel that you can't fake. Everybody can tune into that in a room and so people that are aligned and live the most embodied version of themselves, whatever that might be, and that it's true and it's authentic. And that's an edge that I'm always bumping up against within myself, because I have gaps in my system, too, where I want to show up this way, but I haven't quite, you know, closed that gap. And I'm getting close, or there's progress there, and then I see sometimes where I do, you know, create a rupture or there needs to be some repair, and maybe I wasn't as safe as what I wanted, not because that was my intention. Just I have my own patterns, I have my own stuff that I'm working on too. But as I bring more light to that and as I have beautiful people in my life that can help point a light or call me out or hold space for that healing to happen, then I am able to step into higher levels of service. And so when we show up at the event, there's a lot of layers that are already prepared and ready to receive people.

Speaker 2:

So this next event, october 3rd to 5th 2025, I'm not sure when this podcast is going to be released, but early May is when we're going to release tickets and we'll be doing a proper launch and making announcements on who's going to be there and where it's going to be. It's going to be in the North Okanagan still, but we've outgrown our last venue and, yeah, we haven't um, we haven't released yet where it's going to be, but it's going to be more in nature and it's going to be a new experience and we love changing things up. Anyway, we don't really do things the same for each event, which I'm grateful to my team. The beautiful people that helped me are like, hey, we just got this dialed in and now you're going to change it. Like, yeah, of course, like we got to do it different. So everybody's always growing and expanding in the support of the event, which I'm also really grateful for. The community here has been tremendous, and so, yeah, ticket sales will go on in May and a lot of announcements and I'll be talking about it a bit more over the coming month leading up to that and, yeah, I can't wait to share more. But it's going to be two and a half days again.

Speaker 2:

We're going to start on Friday the 3rd after lunch and then we kind of go into the early evening and then full day Saturday, full day Sunday, and so there'll be deep teaching, there'll be deep processes because, like I said earlier, we really love embodying and getting things into the body, because Because my intention as well is that when people leave, they are different and they are changed in the most beautiful way possible, but that it sustains that longevity through their life.

Speaker 2:

It's not just kind of a flash in the pan had a great time, had some fun, and what I've seen now that we've done a few over the last couple of years the amount of connections and friendships and co-workers and people that are now doing podcasts together or traveling together or doing events together and I get these messages all the time which really fills my heart with like so much joy.

Speaker 2:

Connection and community is one of the driving forces of why I want to create these things, in part from my own healing process of times in life where I felt so alone, where I felt that deep loneliness or didn't feel like I belonged or didn't feel like I really fit anywhere, and I know there's a lot of people that still feel that way or have felt that a lot, and so this is kind of a unique space. It's a unique group of people that get called to this of you know, a lot of us are healing, we're doing the deep work. We're showing up in community, we're connecting, we care about the planet, we care about, you know, each other in community and healing whatever's there for ourselves, and so that's what we're going to be doing on a few different levels, and we usually have like sound baths and a bit of breath work mixed in there, but the processes can be quite profound and lasting and, yeah, it's exciting, it lights up my heart for sure, to be moving in this direction again.

Speaker 1:

Super exciting. I'm really hoping to be there. I haven't been able to attend an event yet, so, fingers crossed, I will be at this one for sure, because I've experienced the power of being in community like that and just how much it has accelerated my own growth and my own healing. And for anyone who feels intimidated, just know, like that is normal, going to these events for the first time if you haven't been to one, I definitely felt like super nervous and intimidated, like first putting myself into containers like that and I used to have really bad social anxiety.

Speaker 1:

And that's how we heal it. Like we slowly start to show ourselves that it is safe and it's a perfect place to do it, because it's such a beautiful, incredible community of like-minded people. And I really love how you even just shared that you're not perfect and you're still healing. Like as leaders, as healers, we're still doing our work too and we never want to create that gap between client and practitioner. Like we're human too and we're here to hold space for you. And just know that if you do have some nerves, that's completely normal and that's okay and allow them to be there and all you have to do is just show up, allow those parts to be there and slowly they start to dissipate.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely yeah, there's. I think there'll be something there for everybody, and that's part of the intention too. Is that all the things that we build in terms of the experience, the people, the speakers, the space, my support staff, everybody that's helping out is that everybody will be able to take something away from that and we can meet them where they're at. Whether you're a seasoned, advanced, you know healer, extraordinaire, there'll be something there for you too, because there is a lot of practitioners that show up to these events and they often have some pretty big transformation. Because I also feel like the healers, the practitioners, the doctors, nurses, all of it practitioners like yourself. We need healing and space held for us as well, especially people that are holding space and supporting their communities and guides and leaders. Where do they go, what's happening for them? And so, yeah, I think there's.

Speaker 2:

You know, we take a lot of pride in trying to do our best at holding a high level of container for people that are very gifted already, they're already on their path. That a place that they can kind of lean into and sink into and be held in a way that maybe they haven't before, even in a bigger group setting. And if you're one of the people that has difficulty with groups or it's a lot of stimulus. You can always step outside and get some fresh air, get your feet on the ground. We've got support staff there too, and there is times I hear this from people just recently actually kind of the you know, the lone wolf a little bit. They they're not always in groups, but they they felt called to be there and you know, maybe it was feeling a lot, and they hang out at the back and then suddenly there's another person back there. That's kind of like that too, and then they become friends because they understand what's going on. I'm like, oh, this is a lot for you too, and now they're friends and now they chat. And for you too, and now they're friends and now they chat.

Speaker 2:

And this was just shared with me the other day and I was like, ah, that's beautiful, you're still in the room, but you're going to find your people there too and it can be life-changing, like I started the conversation with. Like life is a team sport. The people you hang around with matter, the frequency matters and if you're finding a bit yourself, you know, isolated, or that loneliness is there. Sometimes you just got to be in the room and magic starts happening and you may find a lot of resonance there. So I'm excited to keep creating spaces where this happens. And, yeah, just, it's satisfying to no end to be on stage or be on the side and watch people interacting and the amount of hugs and connections and smiles and tears at times. It's profoundly beautiful. You know, it's just part of the human experience.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, that's why it's called the new human Love it, love it, and so, without your clinic, how can people work with you? Do you have courses available, like what? How can they connect with you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so drkevinprestoncom is still our site that we're using. I am building courses. I've got a free course coming out soon. There's a few things up on the site already as resources and you know meditations and things. I do a word of the year process Every year. It's free. People can go on and find their word of the year and there's a guided meditation as part of that. It's different every year. So, yeah, there's a bunch of free resources up there already.

Speaker 2:

And then the other website is newhumaneventscom. That's where you can find out about the events that we're speaking about here and you know when ticket sales go live, it'll be there. And then I am on Instagram a bit and kind of, you know, weave my time in and out of social media a little bit, but I'm doing, doing my best to, you know, share what's happening and informing people what we're up to. And that's drkevinprestoncom or, sorry, just drkevinpreston is the Instagram, and, yeah, you'll be able to access all the things that we're up to there. And then I have a podcast as well that I would love to have you on as well, and it's called the new human experience. And you know we do much more than talking about events and you know I had an episode with Zach on there and Charles Eisenstein and Rainier Wild and other really cool humans doing cool work in the world that have to do with healing and connection and community and more to come.

Speaker 2:

And, yeah, I'm excited about all the things to unfold and I do also one year. Well, sometimes I'll change it or modify it, but I do deep dive containers with more kind of high impact leaders that are willing to do that next level of work, especially ones that are supporting a lot of people or they're here with their mission of making the world a better place. I love working with people in that world. And then I still am working in the clinic a little bit doing some of the testing. But we have a program called the Vitality Collective that I'm running right now, another cohort online and that's where we meet every week. Online. We do a lot of detox work. People get gear and remedies from me to really guide that process and a lot of transformation happens in that. But there's also a sense of community involved. So, yeah, it feels like I got a few things on the go that I'm, you know, really lit up by and so grateful for that.

Speaker 1:

A few things. A few things for sure. It's incredible. Well, I'll share all that in the show notes for everyone as well. So thank you so much for being here. It's such a great conversation.

Speaker 1:

Well, thank you for having me yeah, very honored to be here with you, and I encourage you to check out the show notes for all the details we discussed today, including links to Dr Preston's courses and information about his upcoming events. You won't want to miss out on the transformative experiences he has in store and if you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate and review the podcast. Your support means the world to me and helps us reach more people with these important conversations. Thank you again for listening and I can't wait to connect with you in the next episode. And just a reminder soft jaw, straight spine, open heart and deep breaths.