What happens when the beliefs you grew up with leave you questioning whether you can be yourself and still belong?

In Season 3, Episode 14 of the Element Q Podcast, TJ Woodward welcomes singer-songwriter Gary Lynn Floyd for a personal conversation about growing up gay in a Southern Baptist community, navigating religious shame, and finding a path toward self-acceptance, spiritual connection, and healing.

Gary shares how childhood bullying, abuse, and secrecy shaped his early life—and how being outed disrupted the Christian music career he had envisioned. An unexpected opportunity at a Dallas cabaret helped him continue making music and discover connection within a new community.

Together, TJ and Gary explore the deeper work of questioning inherited beliefs, acknowledging painful experiences, and reconnecting with a sense of worth beyond achievement or approval.

Gary also shares a recent shift toward “presence over performance”: slowing down, enjoying ordinary routines, and recognizing the urge to continually prove that he has something to offer.

In this episode, we explore:

• Growing up LGBTQ+ within a conservative religious environment

• The emotional weight of shame, secrecy, and hiding your identity

• Music, creativity, and community as sources of connection

• Finding an affirming spiritual path

• Moving beyond positive thinking to acknowledge deeper pain

• Everyday mindfulness inspired by The Miracle of Mindfulness

• Choosing presence over performance

• Gary’s practice: “Orbit, return, rinse, and repeat” If you’ve ever felt pressure to hide who you are or earn your worth through what you do, this conversation offers an invitation to pause, get curious, and return to yourself.

🔗 Learn more:

Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Gary Lynn Floyd: https://www.garylynnfloyd.music/

In Season 3, Episode 13 of the Element Q Podcast, In this deeply moving conversation, TJ Woodward sits down with Shannon Cury (they/them) for a powerful conversation about identity, trauma, breathwork, meditation, nervous-system awareness and what it means to come home to yourself.

Shannon is a breathwork guide and somatic wellness facilitator whose own healing journey was profoundly shaped by a cancer diagnosis. What began as a physical health crisis became a deeper exploration of the mind-body connection, meditation, breathwork, identity and holistic healing.

In this episode:

The power of the “both/and” LGBTQ+ identity and healing

Trauma and the nervous system

The mind-body connection

Breathwork and somatic healing

Meditation and observing your thoughts

Why you are not your thoughts

Protective responses and survival strategies

Fear versus curiosity

Healing shame and reconnecting with joy Identity-affirming healing

Social media and nervous-system activation

The danger of turning healing into another hustle Learning to pause before reacting Coming home to yourself

🔗 Learn more:

Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Shannon Cury: https://collectivelywell.com

In Season 3, Episode 6 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward sits down with LGBTQ+ advocate, community leader, and San Diego Pride board member Melody Velaruz for a conversation about identity, healing, visibility, and love.

Melody shares her remarkable journey from growing up in a strict Mormon faith tradition to coming out later in life as a queer Latina woman, navigating divorce, embracing her authentic self, and finding a healthy, loving relationship with her fiancé, Roman, a transgender man. Together, they explore what it means to build a relationship rooted in accountability, therapy, communication, and personal growth.

TJ and Melody dive into important conversations about religious trauma, spirituality beyond organized religion, trans visibility, intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ community, and the courage required to challenge assumptions—even within our own community. They also discuss the impact of representation, the healing power of asking difficult questions, and how curiosity can create deeper understanding and connection.

This heartfelt episode is an invitation to move beyond labels, embrace nuance, and cultivate compassion for ourselves and others.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How therapy and personal healing strengthen healthy relationships

• Melody's journey from Mormonism to LGBTQ+ advocacy

• The challenges and rewards of trans visibility and representation

• Navigating age gaps, identity, and authenticity in relationships

• Religious trauma, spirituality, and reclaiming personal truth

• Why curiosity and courageous conversations matter in healing

• The importance of community, belonging, and chosen family

• How accountability creates deeper connection and growth

🎧 Whether you're navigating your own healing journey, exploring questions of identity, or seeking greater understanding of LGBTQ+ experiences, this conversation offers wisdom, hope, and inspiration.

👉 Please subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation.

🔗 Learn more:

Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Melody Velaruz: https://www.instagram.com/melodyvelaruz