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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-being
• The role of the prefrontal cortex in executive function, anticipation, decision-making, and problem-solving
• How the limbic system, including the hippocampus and amygdala, stores experiences and evaluates signals of reward or threat
• Why your brain remembers everything you’ve ever experienced—even when you can’t consciously recall it
• How the autonomic nervous system carries signals from the brain throughout the body
• What happens when the brain shifts into sympathetic (fight/flight) or parasympathetic (rest and restore) states
• Why past experiences and trauma can shape how the brain interprets present situations

The 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.

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Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website

Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org
Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com

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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 stress
• Why some stories trigger us more than others
• The difference between sympathetic responses (stress, anxiety, anger, depression) and parasympathetic processing
• How collective events like COVID may have shifted our baseline stress levels
• The surprising neuroscience insight: pain is not the enemy — it’s a homeostatic signal
• How to move from reactive fight-or-flight to restorative regulation

We 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 children
• Leaders and caregivers carrying collective weight
• Anyone feeling overwhelmed, anxious, angry, or numb in today’s climate
• Therapists, coaches, and helpers managing emotional proximity to others’ trauma

If 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!

Send a text

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 homeostasis
• Why the brain generates involuntary insights, memories, and realizations
• How trauma and stress disrupt the brain–mind partnership
• Why “thinking harder” often blocks healing and problem-solving
• How Autonomic Homeostasis Activation (AHA) facilitates access to the brain’s wisdom

This 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!