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After a few months away, Shannon returns to the mic — not because it was scheduled, but because something was pulling her back. In this heartfelt solo episode, Shannon reflects on her intentional pause from recording, social media, and the constant intake of information, and shares what that stillness has revealed.

This episode was inspired by Shannon's final deep dive breathwork class at her Pennsylvania wellness center before her family's upcoming move to Florida. What unfolded in that room — the vulnerability, the connection, and one powerful theme — felt too important not to share.

That theme? Permission.

So many of us are waiting for someone to walk through the door and tell us it's okay — to slow down, to set boundaries, to pursue what lights us up, to prioritize ourselves. In this episode, Shannon explores why that permission was never theirs to give in the first place, and how simply naming that pattern can be the first step toward reclaiming your own authority over your life.

In this episode, Shannon shares:

• Why she stepped back from the podcast and social media at the start of 2026 — and what that stillness gave her
• What conscious connected breathwork does and why it creates space for deep inner exploration
• How the theme of permission emerged in her final breathwork class
• Why we outsource permission to people who may never actually give it to us
• The powerful question to ask yourself: Whose permission am I waiting for?
• What's next for the Motion of Gratitude podcast in this new season

Reflection question for you: What have you been waiting for permission to do — and what would change if you simply gave it to yourself?

Connect with Shannon: 🌐 www.themotionofgratitude.com 📲 @TheMotionofGratitude

There's more to life than going through the motions.

Stay Connected:

• Subscribe to our podcast to stay updated on future episodes.
• Follow us on social media @TheMotionofGratitude for more content related to holistic well-being.

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What if the symptoms you've been managing are actually signals your body has been trying to send you for years?

In this episode, Shannon sits down with functional health practitioner Amanda Soukoulis — a former collegiate dancer, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader finalist, and self-described health detective — who went from the peak of her physical performance to watching her health collapse almost overnight. What followed was a years-long journey through dismissal, confusion, and eventually, a complete transformation in how she understood the body.

Amanda now works with high-performing individuals across the country — from MLB players to lawyers to grandmothers re-entering the workforce — helping them uncover the root cause of what's happening beneath the surface, rather than just managing what's showing up on top.

This conversation weaves together functional medicine, nervous system awareness, peptide therapy, gut health, and the surprisingly simple things that make the biggest difference. Shannon and Amanda also find common ground in breathwork, the power of a morning routine, and what it actually means to heal — not just optimize.

If you've ever felt dismissed by conventional medicine, stuck on the health hamster wheel, or like you're doing everything right and still not feeling like yourself — this one is for you.

**Connect with Amanda Soukoulis:**
- Website: amandasoukoulis.com
- Instagram: @amandaSoukoulis
- LinkedIn, TikTok & YouTube: search Amanda Soukoulis

Stay Connected:

• Subscribe to our podcast to stay updated on future episodes.
• Follow us on social media @TheMotionofGratitude for more content related to holistic well-being.

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What if you didn’t have to “hit rock bottom” to decide alcohol isn’t serving you anymore?

In this episode of The Motion of Gratitude Podcast, Shannon sits down with Abby Calabrese (aka Alcohol Free Abby) for an honest, real-life conversation about what it actually looks like to shift out of drinking culture—without judgment, preaching, or perfection.

Abby shares her story of how alcohol was woven into everything: college, NYC work culture, marriage, motherhood, suburb life… until the anxiety, shame spirals, and “this isn’t who I want to be” moments became too loud to ignore. From blackouts that were normalized by culture to a defining Halloween night that planted a seed, Abby takes us behind the scenes of what led her to stop drinking on 11/11/23—and what happened next.

Together, Shannon and Abby talk about:

• Why so many women feel stuck in the “wine = relief / wine = fun” loop
• The surprising physical detox symptoms Abby experienced—even without “daily” drinking
• The social pressure and awkwardness of not drinking (and why it can make other people uncomfortable)
• How to navigate questions like “Are you pregnant?” and “Why aren’t you drinking?”
• Why “Dry January” doesn’t create true change if you isolate instead of integrate
• How alcohol impacts your nervous system baseline—and why anxiety can feel like “just who you are”
• The biggest unexpected gift of not drinking: mornings, peace, presence, and real ease
• Simple tools that help when you’re in autopilot (including Abby’s morning pages + slowing down)

This conversation is for you if you’ve been curious about exploring an alcohol-free season, feel like alcohol isn’t “a problem” but also isn’t helping, or you want to feel more present in your life without losing your sense of fun.

Connect with Abby

• Instagram: @alcoholfreeabby
• Podcast: Alcohol Free Rebellion (video available on Spotify)

What if you didn’t have to just survive the holidays this year?
Breathe Through the Holidays is a 7-week guided breathing space to help you slow down, feel calmer, and stay present through it all.
Each week brings a simple, science-backed breath practice and reflection to help you reconnect with yourself — even in the middle of the busy season.
Join now for $33 at TheMotionofGratitude.com/holiday and give yourself the gift of calm.

Stay Connected:

• Subscribe to our podcast to stay updated on future episodes.
• Follow us on social media @TheMotionofGratitude for more content related to holistic well-being.