The Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast

Thomas Pals and Ruth Lorensson
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Bimonthly

Welcome to our podcast dedicated to exploring emotional resilience, neuroscience, and trauma recovery. Each episode delves into the science of autonomic homeostasis and stress healing, providing insights and practical tools to help you thrive emotionally and physically. Join us on this journey toward holistic wellness and nervous system balance through expert interviews and evidence-based discussions.

  1. 1d ago

    Neuroscience, Trauma Recovery and Emotional Resilience | The Brain, Minds and Emotions

    Send us Fan Mail 100 episodes in — and we're marking it with one of the most important conversations we've had. What does the science of your nervous system have to do with healing from trauma — and why does autonomic homeostasis sit at the heart of lasting stress healing? In this special milestone episode, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson go deep into the neuroscience of emotional resilience and trauma recovery: how the brain and body store stress, why so many people stay stuck in cycles of dysregulation, and what it actually takes to shift that at a biological level. This is holistic health podcasting at its most evidence-based — a conversation that bridges mind-body science with the real experience of healing. In this episode: The neuroscience of how trauma is held in the bodyWhat autonomic homeostasis is and why it matters for recoveryBuilding emotional resilience from the inside outPractical frameworks for stress healing grounded in scienceThe Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast is a wellness podcast and alternative health podcast at the leading edge of health and wellness podcasting. If you're drawn to holistic health podcasts, health and wellness podcasts with real depth, mind-body approaches to healing, or wellness podcasting that takes the science seriously — you're in the right place. Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    33 min

  2. May 16

    Interoception Explained: How Your Brain and Body Work Together to Heal Stress

    Send us Fan Mail What is interoception—and why does it matter so much for stress, trauma, healing, and overall wellbeing? In this episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Ruth Lorensson and Tom Pals explore interoception, the brain’s sensory awareness of the body’s internal state. Together, they unpack how the brain and mind interpret feelings, emotions, pain, stress, and bodily sensations—and why interoception is central to nervous system regulation and homeostasis. Through conversations around trauma, healing, embodied cognition, and neuroscience, Ruth and Tom explore how the brain works to preserve life and support wellbeing, even when the mind feels overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck in fear. You’ll learn: What interoception is and why it mattersHow the brain interprets stress, pain, and emotionThe relationship between the brain, mind, and bodyWhy homeostasis is about adaptation, not perfect balanceHow embodied cognition influences healing and wellbeingThis episode offers a powerful reframe of the brain—not as a machine working against you, but as an intelligent, living system working to support life, resilience, and flourishing.  Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    39 min

  3. Apr 28

    Autonomic Nervous System Explained: Why You Feel Stuck in Stress (and How to Reset)

    Send us Fan Mail What is the autonomic nervous system—and why does it matter so much for stress, anxiety, and overall wellbeing? In this episode, Ruth Lorensson and Tom Pals break down the autonomic nervous system in a clear, practical way—exploring how the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) systems work together to support homeostasis. If you’ve ever felt stuck in stress, overwhelmed, or unable to “switch off,” this conversation will help you understand why. Rather than seeing stress as the problem, Ruth and Tom reframe the sympathetic nervous system as a protective ally—and explain what happens when it dominates the system. You’ll learn: How the autonomic nervous system regulates stress and recoveryWhy “balance” isn’t the goal—dynamic homeostasis isWhat keeps the body stuck in fight-or-flightHow the brain and body work together to restore regulationThis episode offers a new way to understand your nervous system—so you can move from chronic stress into greater resilience, stability, and wellbeing. Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    39 min

  4. Apr 21

    Mind vs Brain: Is Your Brain the Source of Consciousness?

    Send us Fan Mail What if the brain isn’t just an organ—but the context for everything we experience? In this episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Ruth Lorensson and Tom Pals explore the mystery of the brain, moving beyond a purely scientific lens into something more expansive. Together, they challenge the common assumption that the mind and brain are the same—and instead suggest that the mind is just one function of a much larger system. They unpack what happens when we stop trying to solve problems through the mind alone and begin engaging the brain itself—through interoception, homeostasis, and the practices behind AHA. From real-life examples to deeper philosophical questions, this conversation opens up a different way of understanding consciousness, identity, and human potential. This episode doesn’t aim to give definitive answers. Instead, it invites curiosity—and a shift in perspective. Because the real question might not be how your brain works… but what your brain actually is. Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    26 min

  5. Mar 28

    The Brain Isn’t Just in Your Head

    Send us Fan Mail What if the brain isn’t just in your head? In this episode, we take a 30,000-foot view of the brain and challenge one of the most common assumptions in modern neuroscience. Exploring the enteric nervous system—often called the “second brain”—we uncover why it may actually be the first, and what it means to understand the brain as a whole, integrated system throughout the body. From interoception and the vagus nerve to the role of internal “conversation” within our bodies, this episode reveals how health is not driven by isolated parts, but by connection. When that connection breaks down, dysfunction follows. When it’s restored, the system can regulate, heal, and thrive. This conversation offers a powerful reframe of how we understand the brain, the body, and what it really means to experience well-being in a complex, connected system. Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    37 min

  6. Mar 14

    A 30,000-Foot View of the Brain

    Send us Fan Mail What is actually happening in the brain when we feel calm, overwhelmed, reactive, or grounded? In this episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson step back for a 30,000-foot view of the brain—a simple but powerful overview of the neuroscience behind how we process stress, trauma, and wellness. Rather than approaching the brain as something mysterious or overly technical, Tom breaks down its core structures using clear, accessible analogies—including the brain as a baseball mitt with a ball inside—to explain how different parts of the brain work together to help us survive, adapt, and thrive. Together they explore: Why the brain is fundamentally your ally, designed for your well-beingThe role of the prefrontal cortex in executive function, anticipation, decision-making, and problem-solvingHow the limbic system, including the hippocampus and amygdala, stores experiences and evaluates signals of reward or threatWhy your brain remembers everything you’ve ever experienced—even when you can’t consciously recall itHow the autonomic nervous system carries signals from the brain throughout the bodyWhat happens when the brain shifts into sympathetic (fight/flight) or parasympathetic (rest and restore) statesWhy past experiences and trauma can shape how the brain interprets present situationsThe conversation highlights a key insight: Understanding the brain doesn’t require becoming a neuroscientist—but having a basic map of how it works can dramatically improve how we respond to stress, relationships, and everyday challenges. Next episode we look at why the brain is actually three parts and how the original part of the brain lives in your gut. Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    52 min

  7. Feb 22

    Vicarious Trauma & the Nervous System: How to Stay Grounded in a World on Fire

    Send us Fan Mail In this timely and deeply practical episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom and Ruth explore what it means to live in a world saturated with distressing information — from global conflict to cultural upheaval to deeply personal stories of abuse and loss. We are not just observers anymore. Through constant news cycles and social media exposure, we are often participants in vicarious trauma — absorbing pain that is not directly ours, yet deeply affects our nervous systems. In this conversation, we unpack: What vicarious trauma actually is — and how it differs from everyday stressWhy some stories trigger us more than othersThe difference between sympathetic responses (stress, anxiety, anger, depression) and parasympathetic processingHow collective events like COVID may have shifted our baseline stress levelsThe surprising neuroscience insight: pain is not the enemy — it’s a homeostatic signalHow to move from reactive fight-or-flight to restorative regulationWe explore a powerful reframing: Pain functions much like thirst or hunger. It is not something to suppress, but something to respond to wisely. When processed through the parasympathetic nervous system, pain becomes productive — guiding us toward restoration rather than reactivity. This episode is especially for: Parents navigating hard conversations with their childrenLeaders and caregivers carrying collective weightAnyone feeling overwhelmed, anxious, angry, or numb in today’s climateTherapists, coaches, and helpers managing emotional proximity to others’ traumaIf you’ve felt “off,” on edge, or emotionally flooded after scrolling headlines — this conversation will help you understand why. And more importantly, it will help you return to center. Because the goal isn’t shutting down pain. It’s learning how to process it in a way that restores homeostasis — in body, mind, and spirit. Take a breath. Let’s activate regulation together. Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    48 min

  8. Jan 25

    The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own (Part 2): From Survival Loops to Cognitive Homeostasis

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson explore how the brain thinks independently of the conscious mind—and how this capacity supports healing, clarity, and thriving. Building on their previous conversation, they examine the difference between mind-based problem solving and brain-based wisdom, introducing the concept of cognitive homeostasis. The discussion unpacks why the mind often loops in fear, trauma, and overanalysis, while the brain integrates information holistically and delivers insight through spontaneous “aha” moments. You’ll learn: What cognitive homeostasis is and how it differs from somatic homeostasisWhy the brain generates involuntary insights, memories, and realizationsHow trauma and stress disrupt the brain–mind partnershipWhy “thinking harder” often blocks healing and problem-solvingHow Autonomic Homeostasis Activation (AHA) facilitates access to the brain’s wisdomThis episode is especially relevant for anyone experiencing chronic stress, trauma patterns, health anxiety, or feeling stuck despite trying to “figure things out.” Support the show Thanks for listening! You can follow us on Facebook Instagram Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com Support us We appreciate you!

    26 min
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5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Welcome to our podcast dedicated to exploring emotional resilience, neuroscience, and trauma recovery. Each episode delves into the science of autonomic homeostasis and stress healing, providing insights and practical tools to help you thrive emotionally and physically. Join us on this journey toward holistic wellness and nervous system balance through expert interviews and evidence-based discussions.

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