Nicole Hutton Shannon, Ph.D., joins us to discuss holistic wellness, accessibility, and the many ways people can support their health and well-being. As the owner of HSB Crossbuck LLC, a holistic wellness boutique in Shelbyville, Michigan, Nicole offers dry salt therapy, sound baths, yoga, barre, and movement experiences designed to promote relaxation and connection.

A certified Halotherapist™, Sound Facilitator, Barre Instructor, and Registered Yoga Teacher, Nicole shares how her personal experiences living with a limb difference and autoimmune conditions have shaped her approach to wellness. In this episode, we explore the importance of accessible wellness, reconnecting with the body, and discovering what living well can look like for each individual.

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Website: LessStressinLife.com/podcast/

Stay tuned for more conversations to empower you to live well, manage stress, and build a thriving, healthy life!

What happens when life changes in an instant—and pain becomes part of your everyday story?

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Esther Combs, educator, therapist, and founder of The Alternative Counseling Center. Esther shares how a serious car accident changed her relationship with pain, resilience, and recovery, and how that experience now shapes the way she supports others.

We explore self-advocacy, the impact of past experiences, finding your own “recipe” for well-being, and learning to give yourself grace while still looking toward what comes next.

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Website: LessStressinLife.com/podcast/

Stay tuned for more conversations to empower you to live well, manage stress, and build a thriving, healthy life!

Living with chronic pain can make it difficult to truly rest. Even when the body slows down, the nervous system may remain on high alert—watching, anticipating, and responding.

In this episode, Deb and Lindsay are joined by Debra Hart, Level 1 iRest® Meditation Teacher, to explore iRest, a guided meditation practice designed to support deep rest, body awareness, and nervous-system regulation.

Deb shares how iRest grew from the practice of Yoga Nidra and how it is being used with people experiencing chronic pain, stress, sleep difficulties, trauma, and other challenges. We talk about what actually happens during an iRest practice, why body sensing and choice are important, and how practices like iRest can complement—not replace—conventional approaches to pain care.

We also explore an important theme of this season: there is rarely one tool that works for everyone. Building a personal toolbox and discovering what helps your body feel safer, calmer, and better supported can be an important part of living well with persistent pain.

Resources:

https://www.healwithcfte.org/research

https://shop.irest.org/pages/about-irest

iREST Meditation event registration

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Website: LessStressinLife.com/podcast/

Stay tuned for more conversations to empower you to live well, manage stress, and build a thriving, healthy life!