Why I Walked Out of a Sound Bath | When Wellness Becomes Performance

Recently, we talked about how wellness has become performative. How it was more about looking serene than actually feeling or being it.This week, I’m taking that idea further. Because wellness isn’t just performative, I think it has become exclusive. It’s a club with an unspoken dress code, a price tag, and a very specific aesthetic.From £300 yoga mats to Alo tracksuits and the sacred Stanley cup, the modern wellness world isn’t about health, it’s about belonging. We’ll talk about:Why 'inclusive' wellness is often just clever marketingThe new uniform of wellbeing (and why trainer socks are apparently an indicator of age/being out of fashion)How thin privilege and class still shape who gets to be 'well'Why you never see wellness marketed to men - and what that says about who the industry’s really servingAnd how ancient cultural practices became content for InstagramThis isn’t a takedown of self-care, it’s a reality check on what wellness culture has become: a glossy performance that often leaves people out.Maybe real wellness isn’t something you can buy, post, or prove.Maybe it’s the small, unfiltered things that actually keep you human.🎧 Listen now for a wry, honest look at the business, aesthetics, and quiet absurdities of modern wellness culture.🌿 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emmaguns/📰 Substack https://emmaguns.substack.com/🎧 Listen to past episodes https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-emma-guns-show/id1102982843Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Worry can be motivating. It can be a driving force that spurs you into motion but then worry can also bring you to a sudden and grinding halt. In this episode, I talk about what happens when worry tips from useful to paralysing, and how I’ve been learning to worry less and act more.I explore:How worry often disguises itself as diligenceWhy even small tasks can feel heavy when your mind is busyThe moment motivation turns into paralysisAnd what it means to move with the worry instead of waiting for it to go awayA calm, honest reflection on overthinking, stillness, and quiet courage.Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or read more on Substack: https://emmaguns.substack.com/Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I did something I’ve never done before - I walked out of a sound bath halfway through. Then I went to a breathwork session that felt eerily like a cult. Both experiences made me realise how far modern wellness has drifted from its purpose.In this episode, I unpack why so many wellness practices now feel performative rather than healing; more about being seen to be “working on yourself” than actually feeling better. I talk about the way movements like clean eating and body positivity started as genuine acts of self-care, only to be hijacked by branding, aesthetics, and algorithms.What happens when wellness becomes performance? And what would it look like if no one could see it?Connect with me:🌿 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emmaguns/📰 Substack https://emmaguns.substack.com/🎧 Listen to past episodes https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-emma-guns-show/id1102982843Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On my last trip to San Francisco, something unexpected happened: I didn’t get jet lag. Normally, I’d spend the first few days wide awake at 3 a.m. and desperate for a nap by lunchtime — but this time, my body adjusted almost instantly.In this episode, I share the two surprisingly simple things that made all the difference: moving my body and drinking chia seeds. We’ll talk about why exercise acts like a reset button for your internal clock, how chia seeds can keep you hydrated and regular while travelling, and the three “anchors” your body uses to sync with a new time zone — light, movement, and meals.Plus, I share practical, easy-to-remember travel habits that genuinely make you feel human again:How to use sunlight and exercise to reset your circadian rhythmThe chia-seed hydration trick that supports digestion, skin, and energyWhy timing your meals and caffeine can make or break your recoveryAnd small tweaks - like magnesium, electrolytes, and morning walks — that make travel so much smootherWhether you’re crossing continents or just hopping time zones, this episode is your quick, no-nonsense guide to beating jet lag without expensive supplements or rigid routines.Connect with me on Instagram: @emmagunsJoin the conversation on Substack: The Emma Guns Show NewsletterShare this episode with a friend who needs a reminder that failure isn’t the end.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Failure. We all fear it, but what if it isn’t the end? What if failure is the secret ingredient to resilience, confidence, and real personal growth?In this episode of The Emma Guns Show, I explore why failure doesn’t have to derail you and how to use setbacks as stepping stones. Whether it’s in your career, relationships, or personal goals, learning how to fail well is the ultimate self-development tool.Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:Why failure is feedback, not finality.The importance of resilience over perfection.How to separate your self-worth from your setbacks.My take on “glow-up gurus” and why lived experience matters more than a curated aesthetic.Practical mindset shifts and tools to bounce back stronger.✨ This episode is for you if:You’ve recently faced rejection or disappointment.You’re tired of comparing yourself to online “success stories.”You want strategies to reframe failure as growth.Failure isn’t fatal, it’s formative. And once you stop being felled by it, you’ll see that every setback carries the seed of progress.Resources & Links:Connect with me on Instagram: @emmagunsJoin the conversation on Substack: The Emma Guns Show NewsletterShare this episode with a friend who needs a reminder that failure isn’t the end.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Polly Vernon has written the most incredible book and, if you are a woman, you should probably read it. Sooner rather than later. In this episode, Polly and I discuss the female body in all its weird, wonderful and miraculous ways and how getting to know it better is a wonderful journey on which to embark. How the Female Body Works by Polly Vernon is available now.Follow and subscribe to Polly over on Substack -- Broad with Polly Vernon.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Of all the podcasts I’ve ever recorded, it’s this one with motivational speaker, celebrity therapist and pioneering hypnotherapist that has generated the most feedback from listeners saying ‘this conversation changed my life’. Indeed, when I left Marisa’s house, I immediately bought all her books from my parked car and devoured all of them in a matter of days. Marisa uses her various skills to help people become ‘unstuck’ from the patterns that cause stagnation, frustration and in action. And, while you might think this would involve deep work, some of her observations and techniques can be quick and easy to apply. It’s why her technique has been dubbed ‘rapid transformational therapy’. At the core of her messaging is this idea of ‘being enough’ something which many of us don’t feel as has almost becoming a belief that we just aren’t good enough. Marisa explains how to untangle that untrue belief and move forward believing that you are not only enough but you are worthy.This conversation was originally published in 2017.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm reading two snippets from the internet to you today. One, from the brilliant Holly Tucker about podcasts and why she believes they are so strong as an audio-only medium and secondly something I read on Substack about how to properly relax. I'd love to hear your thoughts on both of these.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s handy to look on the bright side of life, right? Who doesn’t love an optimist? But, what if by always looking for a fix or the silver lining, you’re actually invalidating perfectly reasonable and logical emotions.More than that, what if being positive is actually making you toxic?In this conversation with Whitney Goodman, the radically honest psychologist, we explore how always being hopeful or trying to be helpful can actually be confusing and dissatisfying.It’s something we’ve seen creep into our vocabulary more and more with things like manifesting, but actually all this ‘looking on the bright side’ can make you vulnerable to failures and make you wonder what you’re doing wrong. Fear not though, in this conversation, we explore some valuable tools to help you eradicate toxic positivity, the ways in which you can be helpful and constructive and why a little negativity isn’t actually a bad thing…This conversation with originally published in 2022.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sure, I may be a little late to the party on this one but when Rylan Clark spoke about immigration on This Morning, why did no one in government use the opportunity to state facts and finally put to bed some of the falsehoods and misconceptions around asylum seekers and immigration? I'd love to hear your views on this.Also, why are women so judgemental about what other women eat? And I'm being specific here because it's a women-on-woman crime...This is brilliant feature Polly Vernon wrote on the subject that you may find interesting.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.