In the very first guest episode of Dysfunctional, I’m joined by writer and embodiment coach Leona Waller — and we go all in on the toxic side of self-improvement culture.

We explore how the wellness and personal development world can subtly (and not-so-subtly) feed the same control, shame and conformity that many of us grew up with. We talk about embodiment as an antidote — not the trendy version, but the real, messy, human kind. The kind that gets you out of your head, back into your body, and into a life that actually feels like yours.

We also dig into:

— Why gratitude lists can actually make things worse

— How capitalism hijacked healing

— Why being “zen” isn’t always the answer

— The problem with trying to meditate your trauma away

— And how embodiment can help you feel less crazy and more you

Leona Waller is a writer and facilitator helping people trust their own bodies and emotions more than Instagram wellness influencers. She’s the co-creator of The Body Knows, a newsletter and community using somatics and embodiment to help people stop optimizing life and start living it. With a background in neuroscience and emotional psychology, she creates spaces where people shed the shoulds and come home — to the power and joy that are their birthright.

Follow Leona’s work here:

🔗 The Body Knows on Substack

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