The Nourished Nervous System

Kristen Timchak
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

An exploration of  stress, the nervous system, and resilience through the lenses of Ayurveda, Somatic Practice, Herbs, Neural Plasticity and much more!   

  1. 2d ago

    Why You've Stopped Feeling Like Yourself: Hormones, Nervous System,Midlife and Your Skin with Dr. Natalya Borakowski

    Send us Fan Mail Today's guest is Dr. Natalya Borakowski — a physician with nearly 20 years of experience in women's health and cosmetic dermatology, founder of Desert Bloom Skincare, and creator of Unveil You, a platform dedicated to helping women understand the biological, emotional, and cultural forces shaping how they feel about themselves in midlife. Dr. Natalya combines science, psychology, and compassionate education to help women move from burnout, self-criticism, and overwhelm toward self-trust, vitality, and genuine confidence. What I love about this conversation is that it goes to the root. So much of the conversation around women's health in midlife focuses on what to do — what to take, what to put on your skin, how to optimize. Dr. Natalya asks a different question: what is actually happening underneath? What we cover: Why high-functioning women often live in chronic survival mode without realizing it — what this looks like from the outside, why it is so easy to miss, and why the women who seem to have it most together are often the ones most in need of supportWhy so many women suddenly stop feeling like themselves during perimenopause — the intersection of hormonal transition and nervous system overload, and why this combination creates such a profound sense of disconnection from identityWellness as performance pressure — the difference between true nourishment and wellness becoming another item on the to-do list, another standard to meet, another way to feel like we're failingWhether aesthetic medicine and wellness can become unhealthy coping mechanisms — an honest, nuanced conversation about where genuine support ends and external fixing beginsWhat healing actually looks like beyond supplements, skincare, and optimization — rebuilding self-trust, emotional safety, and internal regulation as the real foundation of midlife vitalityThe pendulum between beauty extremes in midlife — a refreshing and non-judgmental conversation about the two poles women often feel pulled between: the "fixed" approach of dye, filler, and cosmetic intervention on one side, and the "natural" approach of gray hair and bare skin on the other. Dr. Natalya's perspective is that neither is right or wrong — what matters is whether the choice is coming from a place of self-expression and genuine desire, or from fear, shame, and the need for external validation. Judge neither. Ask only: is this coming from love or from fear?The resonance between Dr. Natalya's work and Ayurveda — the understanding that true beauty and vitality come from nourishing the inside, that ojas is what we're actually seeking, and that a settled nervous system is the beginning of everything Connect with Dr. Natalya: Free Gift Unveil You platformInstagram Dr. NatalyaInstagram Unveil YouResources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    Why You've Stopped Feeling Like Yourself: Hormones, Nervous System,Midlife and Your Skin with Dr. Natalya Borakowski

  2. Aug 27

    Flashback: The Low Down on Adaptogens: Herbs for Resilience

    Send us Fan Mail This is a "Flashback" episode of an episode that originally aired in September of 2024. You most likely have seen the word "adaptogen" on some type of herbal product or beverage in the past few years.  They are incredible herbs with an intelligence that helps our bodies adapt to stress. The thing is, they are so amazing that many companies use this word to market products that don't actually have adaptogens in them. In this informative episode I introduce listeners to adaptogens, a fascinating class of herbs celebrated for their ability to enhance the body’s resilience to stress.  And hopefully give some insight into what an adaptogen truly is so that you can be more savvy when buying products with these incredible herbs. The conversation starts with the rich history of adaptogens, from their ancient roots in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine to their discovery in the West during extensive USSR research.  Key adaptogens such as ashwagandha, American ginseng, and Rhodiola are highlighted, alongside the criteria that make an herb an adaptogen: non-toxic, non-specific stress response, normalizing effect, and impact on the HPA axis and SAS (sympathoadrenal system).  The episode also provides practical advice on choosing reliable adaptogenic products and emphasizes the importance of integrating herbs with a balanced lifestyle. Listeners are encouraged to explore adaptogens further and consider their potential benefits alongside lifestyle changes. In this episode: Introduction to AdaptogensHistory and Discovery of AdaptogensDefining AdaptogensPopular Adaptogens and Their BenefitsUsing Adaptogens Wisely Related Episodes: Episode 55 - Nervous System Herb Allies Episode 53 - The Window of Resilience References: Winston, D., & Maimes, S. (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press. (n.d.). The Definitive List of Adaptogens. Rasa. https://wearerasa.com/pages/what-are-adaptogens#definitive-list Resources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    Flashback: The Low Down on Adaptogens: Herbs for Resilience

  3. Aug 20

    Ritu Satmya: The Ayurvedic Art of Easing Into the Next Season

    Send us Fan Mail This is a quickie episode — and honestly, the fact that it's a quickie is kind of the point. I came to record today feeling blank and tired, with a bigger episode still in the works. And then I realized: that feeling is exactly what this episode needed to be about. Because if you're feeling that way too right now — like your reserves are dwindling, like you're treading water, like everything's a little drier and a little slower — you are not failing. You are in a season. Today I'm talking about ritu satmya — one of my favorite Ayurvedic concepts, and one that feels especially alive right now. What we cover: What ritu satmya actually means — ritu (season) and satmya (wholesome, suitable, what we're habituated to) — and why the key word is graduallyThe concept of ritu sandhi — the junction between seasons, which like the joints of the body is both more vulnerable and more potentWhy this late summer moment is such an important transition point — we are moving from pitta season (fire, heat, intensity, irregularity) into vata season (air, dryness, movement, lightness) — and how we navigate this junction shapes how we feel all the way through autumnWhat ritu satmya actually looks like right now — small, practical, doable shifts including warming the food a little, bringing oil back to the skin, rebuilding morning or evening routine, noticing what you actually have capacity for, and choosing movement that grounds rather than depletesWhy routine is medicine for the nervous system — and why this natural re-entry into structure as summer ends is something to embrace rather than resistA gentle reminder that this accumulation of tiredness is not a personal failure — it is the season arriving in the body, right on schedule Coming soon: The Ayurvedic & Somatic Perimenopause Toolkit — practices to actually get into your body.  Join the email list to be the first to know when it's available.  Resources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    Ritu Satmya: The Ayurvedic Art of Easing Into the Next Season

  4. Aug 13

    It Was Never About the Food: On the Path of Healing Disordered Eating from the Inside Out with Amber Caudle

    Send us Fan Mail Today's guest is Amber Caudle — chef, author, speaker, and coach devoted to helping women heal their relationship with food, their bodies, and themselves.  She is the founder of The Source Cafe, a health-focused restaurant in Southern California, and the author of Hungry: Finding Food Freedom and Reclaiming Body Peace. Amber's story is one of the most honest I've heard — decades of a very public career nourishing others while quietly struggling behind closed doors, and the long, non-linear journey toward something she describes not as being cured, but as being on the path. This conversation felt very close to home for me personally, and I think it will for many of you too. What we cover: Amber's story — 30+ years of binging and restriction, exercise obsession, diet pills, laxatives, drugs and alcohol, and the exhausting performance of looking healthy and successful while deeply unwell, and what finally cracked things openFood as emotional language — the core reframe of Amber's work: the food was never the real problem. It was the language available for much deeper unmet needs — safety, connection, worth, rest, and belongingWhat our cravings and behaviors are actually communicating — every impulse toward binging, restricting, or emotional eating as a divine message that something is out of alignment, and how to get curious instead of shamefulThe shame piece — why this lives so deeply in the shadows, how shame actually perpetuates the cycle, and what begins to happen when we name what's happening with honesty and self-compassionHow nervous system regulation changes digestion — the science of eating in a sympathetic state, why up to 60–70% of our digestive capacity is cut off when we're in fight or flight, and why slowing down is one of the most powerful things we can do for our relationship with food and our bodiesThe practice of slowing down — what this actually looks like in practice, the pattern interrupt, talking out loud, naming what's happening, and why even pausing before a binge is meaningful progressBiohacking can't replace the basics — why red light therapy, cold plunges, peptides, and supplements become Band-Aids when the foundation of rest, nourishment, hydration, connection, and nervous system safety isn't in place firstAging strongly — what this means to Amber at 50 and why she feels more vital now than she did in her 30s and 40sThe resonances between Amber's work and Ayurveda — you are not what you eat, you are what you digestA note on this conversation: If this topic touches something personal for you, Amber's work is a beautiful place to start — and specialized support is always available.  The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness helpline is available at 1-866-662-1235. Connect with Amber: Website The Source Cafe, Hermosa Beach, CaliforniaBook — Hungry: Finding Food Freedom and Reclaiming Body PeaceLinkedInInstagramResources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    It Was Never About the Food: On the Path of Healing Disordered Eating from the Inside Out with Amber Caudle

  5. Aug 6

    Shedding the Skin: Who You Are Becoming in Perimenopause

    Send us Fan Mail We are at the height of summer here in Maine — that peak of the pendulum swing before it begins its long arc back toward the quiet of winter. And I've been feeling that shift in my own body, that sense of the tide beginning to turn. It felt like the right moment to talk about something I've been sitting with for a while. We have no shortage of conversation about the physical symptoms of perimenopause. And those symptoms are real and deserve to be taken seriously. But I rarely see the other side of this transition named — the awakening, the shedding, the emergence into a version of ourselves that is more whole, more embodied, more able to speak our truth and follow what we actually need. This episode is about that other side. What we cover: The pendulum of the seasons — how the arc of summer into autumn mirrors the arc of our own lives, and why recognizing those rhythms matters in a culture built around samenessPerimenopause as portal — why this transition is not just a hormonal event but an identity shift as profound as puberty or becoming a mother, and why the disorientation of it makes complete senseThe snake shedding its skin — what it feels like to have previous versions of yourself fall away, and why the essence underneath was always thereThe archetypes: maiden, mother, virgin, crone — how we move through different versions of ourselves at each major hormonal threshold, and why none of those previous versions ever fully disappearsThe midlife virgin archetype — not sexual initiation, but wholeness. The person who is whole unto themselves, whose validation comes from within rather than without. Like virgin wool, virgin forest, virgin olive oil — undiluted, pure unto itself.Doing from being — why this season isn't about doing less, but about the doing coming from a place of being rather than the being being a result of what you doThe ripple effect — how the women who are navigating this transition consciously are doing it not just for themselves but for every younger woman watching, and for the cultural narrative around what midlife actually means for womenThe invitation — who are you when you're not people pleasing? What actually lights you up? Who is emerging on the other side of this fire?Resources & people mentioned: Kimberly Ann Johnson — mother circle training, The archetypes of maiden, mother, virgin, and crone in women's wisdom traditionsResources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    Shedding the Skin: Who You Are Becoming in Perimenopause

  6. Jul 30

    The Hidden Cost of Masking: Neurodiversity, the Nervous System & Energy Healing with Nicole Theron Parks

    Send us Fan Mail "You're so successful — you must be fine."  But what did it cost to get there?  In this conversation, psychologist and energy healing coach Nicole Theron Parks shares her journey to being diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and OCD at 32, and what she discovered on the other side of that diagnosis: that the exhaustion, chronic pain, and decades of anxiety weren't character flaws — they were the cost of trying to fit into a world that wasn't built for her.  This is a rich, layered, deeply honest conversation — about what it costs to mask, what it feels like when the wellness world's advice doesn't fit your nervous system, and why energy clearing has offered something that talk therapy alone couldn't reach. What we cover: Nicole's story — growing up in a small traditional town feeling like she was observing everyone else from the outside, the emotional abuse she named while the adults around her denied it, and the high school experience that turned her autism from a difference into a disabilityThe diagnosis at 32 — why getting a name for what she'd been experiencing her whole life felt like finally being able to breathe, and the profound release of shame that followed: "It wasn't my fault"What neurodiversity actually means — why the Rain Man stereotype leaves so many people undiagnosed, what it looks like to be "silently drowning" while appearing successful on the outside, and why "you got a doctorate, so you must be fine" misses the point entirelyIs the anxiety inherent, or is it the system? — a fascinating conversation about whether anxiety is part of neurodiversity itself, or whether it's largely a product of trying to exist in a world that wasn't built for neurodivergent peopleWellness practices and neurodivergent nervous systems — why the pressure to have a perfect morning routine, journal every day, and heal on a timeline can actually cause more harm than good, and what a more flexible, shame-free approach to healing looks likeThe connection between neurodiversity and chronic pain — Nicole's own journey with chronic migraines, the pattern of control and self-suppression she traced beneath them, and the "at what cost?" question that runs through this entire conversationEnergy clearing — how Nicole describes it as moving the folder to the trash rather than opening it every day, why it works gently in the background without requiring you to re-live memories, and how it helps clear layer by layer in a way that talk therapy alone couldn'tA guided energy clearing meditation for anxiety — Nicole leads us through a full practice connecting above and below, clearing anxiety patterns from the body, and filling in with light and safety. Have your headphones ready — this one is genuinely beautiful.A message for anyone who has been gaslit by a doctor, therapist, or the people around them: there are practitioners out there who will believe you, accommodate you, and meet you where you.Connect with Nicole: Website: https://www.nicoleparkescoaching.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleparkescoaching/1:1 Energy Healing Packages:  https://www.nicoleparkescoaching.com/servicesResources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    The Hidden Cost of Masking: Neurodiversity, the Nervous System & Energy Healing with Nicole Theron Parks

  7. Jul 23

    Not All Yoga Is Medicine: Nervous System-Centered Yoga Therapy with Liz Albanis

    Send us Fan Mail Today I'm sitting down with Liz Albanis — a senior yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and personal trainer based in Canberra, Australia, who has spent over 14 years exploring one of the most important questions in the wellness space: when does yoga help, and when does it actually harm? Liz works with people who don't feel supported in traditional yoga environments — people with injuries, trauma, nervous system dysregulation, or who have simply walked out of a yoga class feeling worse than when they walked in. She brings something rare to this work: a deep understanding of both the science and the ancient wisdom, combined with her own lived experience of complex PTSD, surviving two house fires, and discovering that a practice designed specifically for her nervous system changed everything. What we cover: Who traditional yoga leaves behind — why the modern Western yoga class, however well-intentioned, can be inaccessible, overwhelming, or actively harmful for a large portion of the population — and why this is not the student's faultThe penicillin analogy — why yoga poses, breathwork, and even meditation are not universally safe, with specific examples including fast-paced breathwork and yoga nidra, and who needs to be especially carefulWhat actually creates safety in the body — why candles, incense, and soft music don't automatically create a safe space, and what grounding, the ocular cardiac reflex, and eye movement actually do to the nervous systemTrauma stored in the fascia — the concept of psychosomatic posturing and how a skilled yoga therapist reads the body from the moment someone walks through the door — blink rate, breath pattern, nostril dominance, posture, skin color, nail bedsLiz's personal story — how Bikram yoga helped her quit a 14-year smoking habit in three months, how two house fires 20 years apart shook her nervous system to its foundation, and how yoga therapy brought her backWhat a trauma-informed assessment actually looks like — the intake process, discovery call, Ayurvedic questionnaires, contraindication screening, and the two-way street of building a treatment plan with a clientBottom-up vs. top-down healing — why talk therapy and medication alone are not enough for trauma and chronic pain, and why working with the body is essentialThe bee breath (Bhramari pranayama) — Liz's go-to practice for nervous system regulation, including the Hasta Mudra, the ocular cardiac reflex, and why she does it in trafficThe beautiful resonances between yoga therapy, Ayurveda, and marma points — including the connection between pressing on the eyes and vagus nerve stimulationFree resources from Liz: Bee breath video and freebie: https://www.lizalbaniswellness.com.au/freebiesRelax & Restore freebie: https://www.lizalbaniswellness.com.au/freebiesPrograms mentioned: Release, Relax, Restore — three-signature program combining yoga, mindset, fitness, and nutritionLife Force Yoga — accessible yoga for mental healthSleep programWellness Designed for You — one-on-one personalized programTeachers & traditions mentioned: Jo Phee — Liz's yoga teacher, Singapore-based yin yoga and yoga therapy educatorTom Myers — fascia and myofascial releaseAmy Weintraub — LifeForce Yoga for mental healthEMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)Bhramari pranayama (bee breath)Connect with Liz: Website: https://www.lizalbaniswellness.com.auInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizalbaniswellnessau/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lizalbaniswellnessauResources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    Not All Yoga Is Medicine: Nervous System-Centered Yoga Therapy with Liz Albanis

  8. Jul 16

    Tending the Fire: Yamas & Niyamas to Balance Pitta Dosha This Summer

    Send us Fan Mail This is the summer edition of something we explored earlier this year with kapha dosha — bringing the yamas and niyamas, yoga's ethical and personal observances, into conversation with the season we're actually in. And right now, we are in pitta season. Fire and water. Heat, intensity, drive, sharpness, focus — all of it turned up. Pitta's gifts are extraordinary. The clarity, the capacity to make things happen, the warmth. But when pitta goes out of balance in the height of summer  — the fire can start to scorch the very life it's trying to build. These five practices are the medicine. What we cover: Ahimsa (non-violence) — how pitta's perfectionism and self-criticism are the most common forms of self-harm we never name, why Ayurveda recommends exercising to only 60–70% capacity in summer, and a simple practice of just noticing the moments you override your body before trying to change anythingSatya (truthfulness) — the practice of learning to hear the voice of what is actually true for you beneath the voice of obligation, habit, and expectation, and how body-led movement like Somatic Stretch and Shake creates a small safe container to begin that listeningBrahmacharya (moderation) — why pitta is drawn to intensity and how the short, brilliant Maine summer perfectly illustrates the urge to consume everything at once, and what it means to direct energy into balanced endeavors rather than burning both ends of the candleSaucha (purity) — the nervous system cost of a cluttered space, why pitta season is naturally detoxifying without any imposed cleanse, the foods that are cooling and cleansing right now (including a beloved herb sauce recipe), and movement as a lymphatic practiceSantosha (contentment) — the research on why our brains are genuinely unreliable estimators of how much big achievements will make us happy, the impact bias named by psychologists Dan Gilbert and Timothy Wilson, what the hedonic treadmill actually does to us, and why collecting small daily moments of contentment — what the Japanese call Sho-Katkou, small but certain happiness — may be one of the most powerful things a pitta person can do Links mentioned: Somatic Stretch and Shake — free class on YouTubePitta season Somatic Stretch & Shake class coming soon — join the email list to stay in the loop: Email NewsletterResearch mentioned: Impact Bias — Gilbert, D. & Wilson, T. (1998). The tendency to overestimate how much future events will affect our emotions and for how longHedonic treadmill — Brickman, P. et al. (1978). Lottery winners and accident victims: Is happiness relative? Journal of Personality and Social PsychologySho-Katkou / micro-happiness — Small but Certain Happiness in Daily Life: Structure and Relation with Well-Being. Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer Nature, 2025The Big Joy Project — UC Berkeley study with 17,598 participants across 169 countries on micro-joys and wellbeingResources: Free Masterclass:  The Alchemy of the Perimenopause Portal Ayurvedic Dosha Quick Reference Guide Abhyanga Self Massage Guide Weekend Nervous System Reset Nourished For Resilience Workbook Find me at www.nourishednervoussystem.com and @nourishednervoussytem on Instagram

    Tending the Fire: Yamas & Niyamas to Balance Pitta Dosha This Summer
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About

An exploration of  stress, the nervous system, and resilience through the lenses of Ayurveda, Somatic Practice, Herbs, Neural Plasticity and much more!   

Information

  • Creator
    Kristen Timchak
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    168
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Nourished Nervous System
  • Show Website
    The Nourished Nervous System

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