Visionary Somatics with Dr. Brian Tierney

"What if the trickster is the missing ingredient in modern healing—and humor is the most serious medicine we've overlooked?"In this special episode roles reverse as Dr. Michael Shea interviews host Dr. Brian Tierney about his book Visionary Somatics. 🫵🏽 Are you interested in reading this book?💬 Comment with what interests you!Visionary Somatics Book:https://www.innertraditions.com/visionary-somaticsDr. Brian Tierney:www.somaticdoctor.comDr. Michael Shea: https://www.ourbirthjourney.com/michael-sheaChapters00:00 Visionary Somatics Praise01:12 Welcome and Laugh Warmup01:56 Humor Across Cultures07:33 Trickster and Inflation10:55 Affect to Archetype Bridge16:24 Seven Affects and Warrior Lover21:07 Trauma Discourse Critique27:24 Beyond Neurocentric Models30:55 Embryology as Blueprint34:27 Rage and Sacred Cows38:28 Richard Gordon Long Waves41:08 Clinical Assessment Body Reading43:47 Beyond Reichian Types44:35 Stillness Touch Basics45:32 Self Regulation Critique47:08 Mental Imagery Healing48:54 Psychoid Mythic Sensing51:37 Cosmos Into Clinic53:10 Embryonic Wave Rhythms55:33 Royal Archetype Blessing58:55 Humorless Healing Cultures01:01:21 Trickster Pleasure Activism01:03:06 Magician Versus Royal01:09:37 Triple Network Sailboat01:14:25 Somatics Lineage Wrap Up01:17:45 Gratitude And FarewellHashtags#VisionarySomatics #BoundlessBody #BrianTierney #MichaelShea #SomaticHealing #TricksterArchetype #HumorAsMedicine #JungianPsychology #Panksepp #AffectTheory #TraumaDiscourse #Embryology #StillnessTouch #BodyReading #Somatics #Polyvagal #TripleNetworkModel #Reich #Neuroscience #HealingCommunities #PleasureActivism #Archetypes #MindBody #PodcastEpisode

Don’t Postpone Your Peace - Somatic Experiencing, Mindfulness & Executive Resilience with Elaine HuangThe peace you seek is not a destination.It is a practice. A breath. A moment.🧘 A Poetic SummaryA sensitive child becomes a guide.From fashion to social work, from anxiety to breath.She learned to listen to the body's whisperbefore it became a shout.Now, she teaches leaders to find stillness in the storm.To not postpone their peace.To arrive, fully, in the moment.🎙️ In This EpisodeElaine shares her journey—from an anxious, highly sensitive child of Chinese-immigrant parents, through social anxiety in college, to finding relief through yoga, meditation, and breath-focused practices. Her core message: "Don't postpone your peace."She recounts moving from fashion retail into social work and corporate EAP work at AT&T, later teaching meditation seminars in corporate settings and pursuing further clinical training.Key Topics:✦ Somatic Experiencing and trauma work✦ Mindfulness and parts-oriented language in coaching✦ Psychological safety and vulnerability in teams✦ Intuition in business leadership✦ Simple daily micro-practices to reset the nervous system✦ A corporate case study using orienting and the window of tolerance💬 CommentWhat does "not postponing your peace" mean to you?Share your thoughts—or a micro-practice that helps you find calm—in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you.🔔 SubscribeIf this conversation resonated, subscribe to the Boundless Body podcast for more explorations into healing, resilience, and the wisdom of the body.🔗 Links🎙️ Guest: Elaine Huanghttps://www.mayyouawaken.com/🎙️ Host: Dr. Bryan Tierneywww.somaticdoctor.com------------------------⏱️ Chapters00:00 Don't Postpone Peace00:58 Show Welcome and Subscribe01:38 Meet Elaine Huang03:52 Initiatory Illness Explained05:51 Anxious Childhood and Belonging10:11 Yoga and Meditation Breakthrough13:23 Host's Healing Arts Path17:49 From Fashion to Social Work21:40 Mindfulness Enters Corporate25:12 PhD Doubts and Somatic IFS29:01 Translating Practices for Execs32:10 Corporate Case Study: Micro Practices40:08 Arrivalism and Inner Wellbeing42:59 Sacred Canopy and Bingo Moments45:56 Goosebumps as Truth Signal48:44 Intuition in Business Coaching51:03 Vulnerability and Team Safety56:35 Somatic Experiencing Origins01:01:05 Cerebellum and Resequencing01:06:46 Satori and Kundalini Opening01:16:12 Play as Corporate Medicine01:18:35 Micro Practices for Calm01:29:02 Hopeful Models of Leadership01:32:56 Retreats and Final Wrap-------------------#️⃣ Hashtags#SomaticExperiencing #Mindfulness #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #Resilience #TraumaHealing #NervousSystemRegulation #BoundlessBody #ElaineHuang #DrBryanTierney #DontPostponeYourPeace #CorporateWellness #PsychologicalSafety #MicroPractices #Intuition #InnerPeace

How Horizontal Gene Transfer, Ancient Viruses, and Shamanic Practice Reveal the Porous, Shape-Shifting Truth of Your Body"The idea of a singular, static 'Self' is a biological lie."That’s not science fiction.That’s microbiology.Most people think their identity is a fixed, genetic blueprint. It’s not. You are a fluid, dynamic ecosystem—an ongoing negotiation between ancient bacteria, viral fragments, and a microbial cloud that extends far beyond your skin.In this episode of the Boundless Body Podcast, Dr. Brian Tierney sits down with Simon van der Els—molecular microbiologist and shamanic practitioner—to shatter the myth of the isolated self. They reveal how mobile genetic elements don’t just drive evolution; they are the biological blueprint for how culture, ideology, and personal identity can be decoded, disrupted, and renewed.⚡ What You’ll Learn (And Unlearn)✅ Why your genome isn’t a “consensus sequence” but a chaotic cloud of mobile elements✅ The evolutionary orgy that created complex life—and why it’s still happening inside you✅ How horizontal gene transfer destroys the concept of a static species✅ Why an “initiatory illness” (existential depression) is often the price of entry into deeper knowing✅ The connection between memeplexes, rigid ideology, and the scaffolding of your embryonic self✅ Why “meta flexibility” is the only survival strategy for a disrupted biosphere✅ How shamanic practice decodes cultural rigidity just as science decodes genetic rigidity🧠 About Simon van der ElsPhD in Molecular Microbiology focusing on mobile genetic elements and horizontal gene transfer.Long-term coaching practice integrating altered-state journeys and energetic interventions.Facilitator of group journeys bridging scientific inquiry and shamanic decoding.Active on LinkedIn, sharing insights at the intersection of microbiology and consciousness.Golden Nugget 💛Shape-shifting the biosphere: Why your inner work matters"Identity is a temporary eddy in a genetic and memetic river. Shamanic practice is learning to swim."📌 Resources🔗 Connect with Guest Simon Van Der Els: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/simon-van-der-els-phd-66434b231🔗 Connect with Host Dr. Brian Tierney: www.somaticdoctor.com🎧 Subscribe to Boundless Body Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@BoundlessBodyPodcastListener discretion is invited, alongside an open, porous mind.🎧 Listen now if you’ve ever wondered:“Is my sense of self just a fragile story holding back a much wilder truth?”Spoiler: It is.---------------------------------------------Hashtags ✨#BoundlessBodyPodcast #SimonVanDerElt #HorizontalGeneTransfer #MobileGeneticElements #Microbiome #Endosymbiosis #PorousBody #BeyondTheSelf #ShamanicScience #SomaticInquiry #Memeplexes #EvolutionaryBiology #ClimatePsychology #Initiation #ExistentialCrisis #SpiritualEcology #ConsciousnessShift #GeneticRenewal #Metaflexibility #CulturalDecoding #Biohacking #DecolonizingScience #IndigenousWisdom #PlantMedicineIntegration #Epigenetics #AncestralTrauma #MindBodyEcology #NomadicMind #ScienceAndSpirituality #NotYourMothersMicrobiology

What if the key to healing trauma isn't in the story you tell, but in the sensations you feel?Dr. Brian Tierney talks with Robert Weiss, PhD—a retired psychologist with 52 years of clinical experience and the developer of Mindfulness-Based Somatic Emotional Processing (MBSEP). Born in Lima to German Jewish Holocaust survivors, Weiss shares how his own early trauma shaped a career that evolved from behavioral training into Ericksonian hypnosis, EMDR, brainspotting, and finally MBSEP. He explains why mindful attention to bodily sensations often heals more deeply than narrative or meaning-making, and how breath, resourcing, and therapeutic relationship can address dysregulation and fragmentation. Through powerful case examples—intergenerational grief, workplace anger, childbirth loss, and even his own Parkinson's diagnosis—Weisz illuminates what it truly means to move into fear and transform through the body.Highlights:- How early trauma as a child of Holocaust survivors shaped Weiss's clinical path- Why MBSEP focuses on sensation over storyUsing breath and "scene work" for regulation and resourcing- How Ericksonian hypnosis built the foundation for relational safety- Intergenerational trauma and the therapeutic use of numinous imagery- Working with anger, shame, guilt, and mixed emotions- Moving into fear as a practice—including Weiss's own journey with Parkinson's- Ayahuasca, love as transformation, and the limits of "McMindfulness"Guest: Robert Weiss, PhD https://mbsep.com/about/robert-weisz-phd/https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Robert-Weisz/248111300Host: Dr. Brian Tierney www.somaticdoctor.comWe want to hear from YOU:What resonated most with you—the intergenerational case example, working with anger, or Weiss's perspective on moving into fear with Parkinson's? Let us know in the comments below.-------------------------------------------------------Hashtags:#TraumaHealing #SomaticTherapy #MBSEP #BoundlessBodyPodcast #RobertWeiss #Mindfulness #Hypnotherapy #EricksonianHypnosis #IntergenerationalTrauma #ParkinsonsAwareness #EmotionalProcessing #SomaticExperiencing #IFS #Brainspotting #EMDR

🔥 BORING SEX IS A WARNING SIGN How to Expand Your Window of Pleasure "I used to lie there wondering when it would be over."That’s not a confession. That’s a call to awakening.Most people think bad sex is a technique problem. It’s not. It’s a tolerance problem—your nervous system simply cannot hold that much pleasure yet.In this episode of the Boundless Body Podcast, Dr. Brian Tierney sits down with Shashi Solluna—Oxford-trained psychologist turned international Tantra teacher—to reveal why boring sex is actually a spiritual signal, and how to systematically expand your capacity for embodied ecstasy.✅ Why "just relax" is terrible advice for trauma survivors—and what to do instead✅ The difference between goal-driven sex (exhausting) and nourishing yin sex (restorative)✅ How a decade-long tantric partnership transformed Shashi from celibate seeker to pleasure teacher✅ Why your pelvic floor holds the key to both trauma and transcendence✅ The "pendulation" method: moving between contraction and expansion without dissociation✅ How anger and grief are not obstacles to passion—they are its raw fuel✅ A simple self-pleasure practice (perineum + breath) that rewires full-body orgasmic potential-----------------------------------------------Sashi Solluna:B.A. in Experimental Psychology, Oxford UniversityTrained in Osho active meditations (embodiment, catharsis, therapy)Certified in Mantak Chia’s Daoist sexual arts (including dark-room retreats)Lineage-holder in classical Indian tantra yogaFounder of LiveTantra.com – one of the world’s largest online Tantra platformsAuthor of Tantra Made EasyComing soon: films Sex to Spirit + Tantra Unveiled"You can't learn this out of a book. You have to feel it in your bones."---------------------------------------------------------------The Circle of Light practice (erotic innocence reboot)The Perineum + Breath Reset (from 55:43)Place gentle awareness on the perineum (between genitals and anus)Breathe softly into that space—no forcingAllow micro-movements: a slight lift on the inhale, release on the exhaleNotice if pleasure arises, or numbness, or both. Stay curious.Do this for 3 minutes alone, then bring into partnered touch.-------------------------------------------------------------------------"Pleasure is a capacity, not a goal. You build it the same way you build a muscle—slowly, with repetition, and without shame."🌐 Shashi’s platform: LiveTantra.com📖 Book: Tantra Made Easy🎬 Upcoming films: Sex to Spirit + Tantra Unveiled🎧 Subscribe to Boundless Body PodcastThis episode contains mature conversations about sexuality, trauma, and the nervous system. Listener discretion is advised—and welcomed.🎧 Listen now if you’ve ever wondered:“Is this really all sex is supposed to feel like?”Spoiler: It’s not.-----------------------------HASHTAGS #BoundlessBodyPodcast #ShashiSolluna #Tantra #SacredSexuality #ConsciousRelationship #PleasureEducation #TraumaInformed #WindowOfTolerance #NervousSystemRegulation #SomaticHealing #Pendulation #DissociationRecovery #PleasureActivism #EmbodiedSex #FullBodyOrgasm #SlowSex #YinSex #EroticInnocence #PerineumCare #TantraMadeEasy #LiveTantra #Osho #MantakChia #SexToSpirit #SpiritualSexuality #TantricLove #ShameHealing #ShadowWork #SexualHealing #EmotionalSafety #Catharsis #BoringSex #NotYourMothersTantra #MindBlowingLovemaking #SexEdButMakeItSpiritual #HealYourSexLife #TraumaTherapy #SexTherapist #SomaticExperiencing #RelationshipCoach #PelvicHealth #WomensHealth #MensWork

"Before the body remembers, the mind only theorizes. But when the body speaks—through eyes that won't meet, jaws that won't release, breath that won't descend—that's where bioenergetics begins."Dr. Brian Tierney connects with Diana Guest—certified bioenergetic therapist, international trainer, and living bridge to the roots of somatic psychotherapy—for a masterclass on Bioenergetic Analysis.Together they trace the lineage from Wilhelm Reich to Alexander Lowen to the present moment, exploring how character structure lives in the body's seven segments:👁️ Eyes👄 Jaw🫁 Throat❤️ Chest🌬️ Diaphragm🫀 PelvisDiana defines bioenergetics as a holistic, somatic, relational psychotherapy—one that treats the body not as metaphor, but as history made visible.🧬 What Bioenergetics Actually IsA living lineage from Reich and Lowen, distinct from New Age appropriation—👁️ The EyesHow we charge, discharge, and reveal character through the first body segment—💑 Couples WorkEye contact interventions that bypass narrative and land in the body—🤲 Touch LiteracyConsent, ethics, and the therapeutic power of skilled, safe touch—👄 The Mouth, Jaw, and VoiceBiting, sucking, rooting—the unfinished business of the oral stage—🗺️ The Character MapSchizoid, oral, borderline, narcissistic, masochistic, rigid: where we hold and why—🌬️ The DiaphragmThe breath breakthrough that changes everything—🫀 Pelvis and SexualityThe "sexual cornerstones" that shape intimacy and expression—🌍 GroundingNot as metaphor, but as felt relationship with the earth beneath us—🎙️ Host: Dr. Brian Tierneysomaticdoctor.com🧑‍🏫 Guest: Diana Guestdianaguest.com📚 Diana's Books:Becoming Grounded and moreAmazon Link🔔 Follow for more conversations at the intersection of body, psyche, and soul#Bioenergetics #SomaticTherapy #BodyPsychotherapy #DrBrianTierney #DianaGuest #TraumaHealing #NervousSystem #Grounding #TheBodyKeepsTheScore #WilhelmReich #AlexanderLowen #BoundlessBody

What if everything we think we know about education and therapy is wrong? Christopher Daradics makes the case for a radical reset, drawing on insights from some of history's most brilliant minds.#Pedagogy #LearningTheory #MixedReality #Play #Innovation #Christopherdaradics #ResonanceBuilding #XR #Education #Philosophy #Deleuze #GregoryBateson #Wayfinding #Podcast #HigherEd #ExperientialLearning #EugeneOregon

Why do the most profound learning experiences often feel like getting lost in a good game?In this episode, Brian sits down with Christopher Icks, a philosopher, applied linguist, and experiential learning designer, to explore why "play" isn't just for kids—it’s a vital engine for deep, transformative learning. From his work at the University of Oregon's CASTLES to his stewardship of Eugene’s eclectic Resonance Building, Christopher reveals how we can design spaces and experiences that foster genuine connection, wayfinding, and what he calls "vital surplus."They dive into the tension between rigid institutional metrics and the messy, beautiful reality of how we actually learn. Get ready to question the classroom circle, embrace a little vertigo, and discover why a "Bring Your Own Puppet Party" might just be the future of professional development.🏛️ The Resonance Building: A deep dive into this unique hybrid space (healing arts + community workshops) and its three pillars: Somatic Attunement, Mind-Body Integration, and Co-creation. How play became the "engine" that keeps the space open and alive.🔄 Theory vs. Practice: The challenge of translating post-structuralist ideas (Deleuze, Guattari) and affect-oriented pragmatics into projects that are legible to grant committees and institutions stuck in conventional metrics.🧭 Cartesian Subjectivity & The Grid: Christopher explains how Descartes' grid created a "view from nowhere" that still shapes our institutions, identities, and how we measure learning—often to our detriment.🌀 The Power of Vertigo: Referencing Roger Caillois, they discuss vertigo as a critical form of play that disrupts our "compulsive centering" and opens us up to new possibilities.📚 Bateson's Levels of Learning (0–3): A brilliant breakdown using examples from throwing a rock to skeet shooting, illustrating why trying to create systemic change (Level III) using Level I metrics (like KPIs) creates double binds and pathological gaming of the system.🎭 Liberating Structures & Mixed Reality: Christopher shares his work on 'Escape from Bia Oxia,' an XR experience used for Fulbright orientations that teaches cultural pragmatics through an escape-room format.💩 Crass Metaphors & Creativity: A discussion on the role of "excrement" and "nutriment" in language and creation, drawing from philosophical and artistic traditions like Fluxus and John Cage."Play repeatedly emerges as the 'engine' that keeps spaces open and resists closure or 'capture.'"What's a time you felt completely "lost" in a learning experience—and came out the other side transformed? Tell us in the comments!--------------------------------------------------------------------Guest: Christopher DaradicsWork & Projects: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daradicThe Resonance Building: https://resonancebuilding.com/about-1Mixed Reality & Liberating Structures (EUGLSS): https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23997277?source_impression_id=p3_1771428102_P3jjH8PWJ3kTrbxZ- https://www.instagram.com/swagadics/?hl=enHost: Brian Tierneywww.somaticdoctor.com---------------------------------------------------------------HASHTAGS#Pedagogy #LearningTheory #MixedReality #Play #Innovation #ChristopherIcks #ResonanceBuilding #XR #Education #Philosophy #Deleuze #GregoryBateson #Wayfinding #Podcast #HigherEd #ExperientialLearning #EugeneOregon

This is one of the most incredible stories I've ever heard.Dr. Michael J. Shea is the true definition of a pioneer, teacher, mentor, and sage.If his work touches your heart, please help it reach others:👍 Like | 🔄 Share | ✅ Subscribe | 💬 CommentFull Episode Link:A Trained KILLER Called To HEAL: From PTSD to PIONEER with Dr. Michael Shea - Boundless Body Podcast | Podcast on Spotify#PodcastNote #MustListen #HeartCentered #Pioneer #Wisdom #DrMichaelJShea #PodcastDiscovery #LifeChangingStories

Forget everything you think you know about healing. This isn't just about therapy; it's a journey to the very origins of consciousness, where trauma meets transcendence, and sorrow becomes the seed of boundless compassion.Welcome to the Season 2 Finale of the Boundless Body Podcast, where we explore Healing from Conception to Cosmos. 🕊️We’re joined by the legendary Dr. Michael Shea, a pioneering voice in somatic psychology, craniosacral therapy, and pre- & perinatal psychology. We’re unraveling the deep imprints of our earliest experiences, the sacred bridge between fascia and metabolism, and why laughter might be the most profound ignition system for healing. Get ready for a conversation that connects Navajo wisdom to embryology, and prolonged exposure therapy to the divinity found in our own bodies.Key Topics 🗝️🌀 From Wound to Wisdom: Michael’s personal journey through trauma and into the heart of somatic healing.👣 The Earliest Imprints: How pre- & perinatal experiences shape our consciousness, and why the birth process is our first great story.🤲 The Compassionate Hand: Integrating craniosacral biodynamics, Navajo traditions, and the crucial role of slowness and stillness.🔥 Metabolism & Metaphor: Why the trauma resolution community must address the gut, fascia, and our metabolic health to truly heal.😂 The Ignition of Humor: How laughter and embodiment help us walk between worlds, reclaim our bodies, and touch our own divinity."This conversation didn't just touch the mind—it spoke to the soul of healing."What’s one moment from your own life where compassion, humor, or a somatic practice shifted your healing? Slide into our DMs and tell us your story. 🔥------------------------------------------------Connect with Dr. Michael Sheahttps://www.ourbirthjourney.com/michael-sheahttps://www.northatlanticbooks.com/author/michael-j-shea-ph-d/Connect with Dr. Brian Tierneywww.somaticdoctor.com---------------------------------Hashtags ✨#boundlessbodypodcast #SomaticPsychology #TraumaHealing #Compassion #CraniosacralTherapy #PreNatalPsychology #Embodiment #Consciousness #Spirituality #Biodynamics #HealingJourney #MichaelShea #PodcastFinale