148 - Julie Brams: Re-Earthing: Nervous System Healing Through Nature

What if vulnerability opened the door to experiencing more? In this third episode of Sarah's Peru series, she reflects on the unexpected medicine of spending nearly two weeks surrounded by the mountains, the land, and a culture that experiences nature as alive and full of wisdom. Despite struggling physically with altitude, disrupted sleep, and low oxygen levels, Sarah found herself feeling more alive than ever. ot was quite the opposite of being in a society that expects us to keep performing no matter our challenges. Sarah explores the power of co-regulation, the difference between living in a hierarchy of productivity and living in reciprocity, and what it means to be supported even when we're not at our best. In this episode, Sarah explores: The unexpected experience of feeling more alive despite physical exhaustion and disrupted sleep in the mountains of Peru. The wisdom of the mountains and the cultural understanding of the aliveness of the land. Why leaving Peru brought up an unexpected sense of grief. The difference between a society that rewards performance and one that meets vulnerability with support. How co-regulation and being physically held by another person can change our experience. Recognizing when we've become the mountain for others and learning to let others be that for us. What it means to receive support, abundance, and connection even when we're not at the top of our game. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Join Juice

What if something difficult can be part of your growth without you needing to pretend it's a good thing? In this episode, Sarah continues reflecting on her experience in Peru, exploring the difference between optimism and bypassing. After becoming seriously ill during her travels, she began thinking about how we meet the unexpected challenges that interrupt our plans—and how we can remain open to what those experiences might bring without dismissing the pain of what we're going through. Sarah explores the cycle of awareness, from the disruption of our familiar way of being to the chaos, confusion, and eventual possibility of a new perspective. She shares how genuine optimism isn't about immediately finding a silver lining. It's about being willing to feel what's hard while remaining curious about what else might be possible. Through the care and support she received in Peru, Sarah reflects on the importance of recognizing our needs, allowing others to help us, and widening our perspective to notice the resources already around us. She also explores how we can be multidimensional humans: even when one part of our lives is struggling, another part may be growing, opening, or surprising us. This is the deeper work of resourcing ourselves—not suppressing difficult emotions, but bringing enough support to meet them while staying open to what life might offer. In this episode: The difference between optimism and spiritual bypassing Why we don't need to find the silver lining before we're ready The cycle of awareness and what happens when our familiar ways of being are interrupted How to stay curious when life doesn't unfold as planned Widening our perspective without dismissing our pain Learning to recognize and receive support from others How different parts of us can experience struggle and growth at the same time Using nervous system tools to support ourselves through difficult experiences Finding the helpers, blessings, and unexpected possibilities around us Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Join the Resourced waitlist

What if reconnecting with nature isn't about going somewhere outside of ourselves, but remembering that we are nature? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah welcomes psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher, forest therapy guide, and author Julie Brams for a conversation about our relationship with the natural world and what it means for our nervous systems, our communities, and our sense of belonging. Julie shares the threshold moment that shifted the direction of her work more than 20 years ago. While watching her young daughter play outside, she began asking how she could use her experience as a mental health professional to help people reconnect with the Earth. That question eventually led to her book, The Nature-Embedded Mind, and her concept of re-earthing—remembering that we aren't separate from nature, but part of it. Together, Sarah and Julie explore the ways modern life can disconnect us from our bodies, the natural world, and one another. They discuss the importance of reciprocity, the role of awe in nervous system regulation, and how some of the most meaningful practices for connection have been available to us all along. From the simple act of noticing a tree to the experience of a long hug, this conversation invites us to consider what changes when we slow down, listen, and begin relating to the world around us differently. In this episode, Sarah and Julie explore: Julie's threshold moment and what inspired her work in nature-connected psychotherapy What re-earthing means and why Julie believes our connection to nature belongs at the foundation of mental health The relationship between nervous system regulation and our sense of belonging in the natural world Moving from separation and extraction toward reciprocity and relationship How awe, appreciation, and curiosity can change the way we experience our surroundings The intersection of science, ancestral wisdom, and embodied knowing Why connection and co-regulation extend beyond our relationships with other humans Simple ways to begin reconnecting with your body and the Earth through sensory awareness Julie also shares the significance of receiving a Nautilus Gold Award for The Nature-Embedded Mind and her hope for a future where our relationship with the Earth is recognized as essential to our collective well-being. This conversation is an invitation to get curious about the world around you, notice what draws your attention, and explore what it might feel like to remember that you belong to something much larger than yourself. About the Guest Julie Brams, MA, LMFT, is an Earth-centered psychotherapist, meditation practitioner/teacher, and author of The Nature Embedded Mind: How the Way We Think Can Heal Our Planet and Ourselves (Changemakers Books / Collective Ink, distributed by Simon & Schuster). The Nature Embedded Mind received a NYC Big Book Award for its contribution to psychology and ecological healing in the category of wellbeing. Certified as an ANFT Forest Therapy Guide, Julie Brams integrates Earth-centered psychotherapy, neuropsychology, meditation, and nature immersion to help individuals and communities heal their relationship with our Earth. She is the co-founder of Elemental, a Nature-informed retreat and education organization. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with [guest] Connect with Julie on Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Substack, and Goodreads. To learn more, visit ExperienceElemental.com. Order The Nature Embedded Mind

What happens when a trip you've been dreaming about for two years begins with unexpected challenges, physical illness, and an invitation to surrender? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah begins sharing the lessons and experiences from her recent journey to Peru. After saying a wholehearted yes to the trip two years earlier, Sarah found herself navigating a major program launch, changing travel plans, and making decisions that honored her body and nervous system. What once would have felt overwhelming became an opportunity to recognize just how much her nervous system work has changed her life. But shortly after arriving in Peru, things took an unexpected turn. Between a long journey, severe stomach illness, and the challenges of adjusting to high altitude, Sarah found herself in a vulnerable position. What unfolded next was an experience of receiving care, allowing herself to rest, and discovering unexpected blessings in the midst of discomfort. Surrounded by the mountains of Peru's Sacred Valley, Sarah began to experience something she describes as mountain medicine—a deep sense of awe, connection, and nourishment that went beyond what her physical health metrics could measure. In this episode, Sarah explores: The importance of recognizing and honoring a wholehearted yes How nervous system healing can change the way we navigate stress and unexpected challenges Making decisions that support our bodies rather than pushing through The difference between choosing optimism and bypassing difficult emotions What it feels like to fully receive care and support without needing to care for everyone else Finding unexpected blessings when things don't go according to plan The powerful connection between nature, awe, and feeling deeply nourished Why our internal experience doesn't always match what our health metrics tell us This episode is an invitation to consider what might become possible when we create space to receive, trust ourselves, and remain open to the unexpected. Sarah also shares a glimpse of what's coming next in her Peru series, including the experience of feeling deeply fulfilled with what we already have and the surprising gifts that can follow. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Join the Resourced waitlist

What does it actually look like to opt out of urgency while running a business, launching a program, raising a family, and navigating life's unexpected challenges? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah takes you behind the scenes of her recent Resourced launch, sharing the highs, the challenges, and the lessons that unfolded along the way. From navigating family time and physical setbacks to receiving difficult feedback, setting boundaries, and traveling to Peru while her cart was still open, Sarah reflects on what it means to build a sustainable business without abandoning yourself in the process. She also explores the power of storytelling, the importance of listening to your community, and the practice of sacred reciprocity—honoring both what we give and what we receive. This episode is an invitation to consider how we can pursue meaningful goals, honor our capacity, and create space for both ambition and rest. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Join the Resourced waitlist

What happens when you stop trying to make love happen—and start becoming more fully yourself? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah sits down with relationship expert Christine Hassler for a deeply personal conversation about love, surrender, control, and the protective strategies that can quietly keep us from the connection we desire. Christine shares her own journey from heartbreak, divorce, and years of frustrating dating experiences to meeting her husband, Stefanos, and building the kind of side-by-side partnership she had been longing for. Together, Sarah and Christine explore what it actually means to "let go"—not as a passive act, but as a willingness to release hypervigilance, loosen our attachment to outcomes, and stop trying to create safety through doing. They also explore the Queen archetype: the version of ourselves who can widen the lens, stay connected to her values and vision, and trust herself even when relationships, life, or circumstances feel uncertain. This conversation goes far beyond dating. It's about reclamation—coming home to who you are, staying with yourself when your truth creates change, and allowing relationships to become a vehicle for growth rather than another place to lose yourself. In This Episode Sarah and Christine explore: Christine's journey through heartbreak, divorce, dating, and eventually meeting her husband, Stefanos The difference between surrendering and secretly "letting go" in hopes of getting a specific outcome Why Christine realized she had unconsciously paired surrender with settling What it means to have high intention and involvement with low attachment Learning to experience desire and longing without suffering How control and hypervigilance can become protective strategies Why appearing highly capable or "in your masculine" may actually be a nervous-system response The Queen archetype and what it means to be led by your vision and values Moving from coaching, fixing, or rescuing a partner into true intimacy Why Sarah stepping more fully into herself created space for change within her own marriage The difference between changing your partner and changing the relationship by reclaiming yourself Why conscious relationships aren't about avoiding triggers—they're an opportunity to interrupt old patterns Reclamation, liberation, and learning to stay with yourself when your truth creates uncertainty How these principles can ripple beyond romantic relationships into motherhood, leadership, business, and everyday life About the Guest Christine Hassler is a Master coach, spiritual psychologist, facilitator and speaker with 20 years of experience. She is the best-selling author of three books, most recently Expectation Hangover: Free Yourself From Your Past, Change your Present and Get What you Really Want and is the host of top-rated podcast "Life Coaching with Christine Hassler" where she coaches people live on the show.  Christine is known globally for her ability to identify what is holding someone back and compassionately guiding them to clarity.  She also works with companies and organizations to increase productivity and decrease the stress of their employees. Christine has a Masters degree in Psychology and implements elements of NLP, psychology, spirituality, science and her own diverse life experience into her work.  She's appeared on: The Today Show, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, E!, Style, The New York Times, the Joe Rogan Show and many more.  Christine believes once we get out of our own way, we can show up to make the meaningful impact we are here to make. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with Christine Christine and her husband, Stefanos, are hosting Love Magnet, a three-day workshop on October 13–15 exploring love, relationships, embodiment, and calling in connection from a different place. Learn more about Love Magnet here >> Follow Christine on Instagram Visit her online

What happens when life looks good on the outside, but you can't actually feel it? In this episode, Sarah reads one of her personal essays, "I Could Have Been on That Boat and Felt None of It," and reflects on a season when she had so much of what she thought would make her feel better—but still felt flat, exhausted, and disconnected from herself. She shares her experience of recognizing functional freeze and realizing that her nervous system had been running on survival and goal pursuit at the same time: pressing the brakes while the gas was still on the floor. From there, Sarah describes the slow, unglamorous process of coming back online—first through resuscitation and pacing, then learning what actually brought her joy, followed by movement, expression, boundaries, and resourcing her nervous system enough to feel the full range of emotions again. And eventually, the smallest things began to bring her alive: a black squirrel in New York City, sheer blouses, coaching lacrosse, a composting machine, sunlight through autumn leaves. This is a story about burnout, functional freeze, joy, and the deeply embodied process of finding your way back to yourself. In this episode: What it feels like when life looks good but you can't feel it Sarah's experience with functional freeze The difference between knowing you're lucky and actually feeling joy Why resuscitation had to come before growth Learning to identify what genuinely brings you alive Boundaries and reclaiming your desires Movement, shaking, wrestling, and expressive practices Why anger, grief, and joy can all return together The relationship between nervous system regulation and aliveness Why healing happens in cycles and thresholds Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list  

What Changes When You Become Resourced? Real Stories From Inside the Program What actually changes when you stop simply learning about your nervous system and begin practicing a different way of being? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah does something a little different: she shares the words and stories of women who have gone through Resourced. These aren't polished success stories. They're reflections from women navigating real lives—businesses, relationships, parenting, health challenges, limited bandwidth, and moments when old patterns would normally take over. You'll hear stories of women who have: stopped rushing from obligation to obligation and created more space to choose how they respond become less reactive—and experienced less shame when reactivity does happen changed the way they navigate conflict with partners and children developed a new relationship with time found the capacity to set and repair boundaries they already knew needed to change used small, doable nervous system practices in the middle of everyday life benefited from Resourced even when they couldn't attend live or didn't have the bandwidth to do everything perfectly Sarah also takes you inside the structure and intention behind Resourced—why repetition, feedback, support, and slowing down matter when you're trying to create patterns that actually become embodied. Because the goal isn't to make life stop being hard. It's to build a steadier nervous system foundation so that when life gets hard, you have more capacity, more choice, and more freedom inside of it. In this episode, you'll hear: Real stories and reflections from Resourced participants Why nervous system regulation can change the way we experience urgency What "resourcing first" can look like in work, parenting, relationships, and boundaries Why you don't need perfect attendance—or perfect circumstances—to benefit from the work How the Daily Drips help reinforce the work through small, repeatable practices Why Sarah designed Resourced around repetition, feedback, support, and integration What becomes possible when nervous system work moves from something you know to something your body can actually access Ready to go deeper? If Opting Out of Urgency has helped you recognize the ways urgency may be shaping how you work, relate, make decisions, or move through your life, Resourced is where we take this work deeper. Resourced is a nervous system repatterning journey designed to move you from learning and supported practice into integration in your everyday life. Enrollment for Resourced is open until October 22. And if you haven't finished Opting Out of Urgency yet, you still have time. Replays are available through September 22. Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system reset to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Resourced - A nervous system repatterning experience designed to help you build capacity, create more choice, and move through your life with greater agency instead of urgency. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list  

What happens when the life you built — the career, the identity, the pace, the version of you who could hold it all — no longer works? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah sits down with Emily Evans, a former Resourced student and founder of The Wander Years, to talk about functional burnout, identity shifts, nervous system work, and what it looks like to enter the "fertile void" without rushing to figure out what comes next. Emily shares how she walked away from a decade-long career she loved after her body began sending signals she could no longer ignore. What followed wasn't an immediate reinvention. It was years of slowing down, letting identities fall away, learning to follow small "micro yeses," and discovering who she was when she stopped measuring herself by her output. They also talk about Emily's recent trip to Mongolia, where she experienced a powerful real-life moment of trusting her body, honoring a clear no, and realizing just how much had changed. Sarah and Emily explore the difference between urgency and sustainable aliveness, the discomfort of not knowing what comes next, the importance of play and joy, and how slowing down can create space for a version of ourselves that has been there all along. Emily also shares how her own season of wandering eventually inspired The Wander Years — a space for women over 40 to connect, travel, move, read, play, and discover what might emerge when they don't have to have everything figured out. In this episode, Sarah and Emily talk about: What functional burnout can look and feel like When your body starts telling you what your mind hasn't acknowledged yet Leaving a successful career without knowing what comes next Why slowing down doesn't always immediately create clarity The "fertile void" and learning to stay with the unknown Following micro yeses instead of needing the whole plan Separating worth from productivity and output How Resourced supported Emily during a major identity transition Boundary repair, fawning, and feeling seen instead of ashamed The moment in Mongolia when Emily trusted her body's no Letting go of the need to be liked, perform, or manage everyone else's experience Midlife, changing identities, and meeting a new version of yourself Tracking joy, play, novelty, and connection How Emily's own wandering led to the creation of The Wander Years Ready to go deeper? If Opting Out of Urgency has helped you recognize the ways urgency may be shaping how you work, relate, make decisions, or move through your life, Resourced is where we take this work deeper. Resourced is a nervous system repatterning journey designed to move you from learning and supported practice into integration in your everyday life. Enrollment for Resourced is now open. And if you haven't finished Opting Out of Urgency yet, you still have time. Replays are available through September 22. Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system reset to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Resourced - A nervous system repatterning experience designed to help you build capacity, create more choice, and move through your life with greater agency instead of urgency. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with Emily Emily Evans is the founder of The Wander Years, and Wander Women Social Club - a travel-inspired community for women 40+ to reconnect with friendship, fun, adventure, and themselves as they navigate a new era of life. Through small-group travel and meaningful connection, The Wander Years invites women to embrace the freedom of not having everything figured out - and to discover what comes alive when they give themselves permission to wander. Follow The Wander Years on Instagram. You can also find Emily's writing on her Substack, This Late Bloomer, where she shares real stories about starting over at 50, blooming late, and remembering who you actually are.

What if the goal of nervous system work isn't to become calmer—but to become more alive? In this special episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah is joined by Kate Northrup for a conversation originally recorded during an Instagram Live about Opting Out of Urgency in 2025. Kate shares how Sarah's work helped her begin unraveling a deeply ingrained pattern of running her business on adrenaline, and together they explore what becomes possible when we stop treating urgency as the only way to get things done. Sarah shares why urgency can be so difficult to step away from—especially when it has been rewarded with success—and why opting out isn't about abandoning ambition, productivity, or the things that matter to us. It's about bringing agency and choice back into the equation. They also explore why nervous system regulation doesn't always mean "calming down," what can happen when unexpressed fight-or-flight energy gets stuck in the body, and how creating the right outlets for that energy can lead to more clarity, creativity, joy, and aliveness. And when you find yourself caught between "I must" and "I can't," Sarah introduces another possibility: the Sacred Third—the option we often can't see until our systems have enough support to recognize that another way exists. In this conversation, Sarah and Kate explore: Why urgency can feel necessary—even when it's exhausting us The difference between urgency and agency Why nervous system regulation isn't synonymous with being calm How urgency can be an expression of fight-or-flight energy Why your body may respond before your conscious mind creates the story The role of expression, movement, and nervous system "outlets" What Sarah calls the tension field between familiar patterns and a new way of being The Sacred Third and finding possibilities beyond "I must" or "I can't" Why supporting yourself before the to-do list is finished can actually change your relationship with time What it can look like to build a life and business from life-force energy instead of adrenaline As Kate says in this conversation, this work isn't simply a nice addition to our lives—it can become foundational to how we work, relate, choose, and move through the world. Ready to experience this work for yourself? ⭐️ If you enjoy this episode, sign up for my free 3-day nervous system reset — Opting Out of Urgency — happening live on Zoom September 10-17. RSVP here: https://www.sarahtacy.com/opting-out-of-urgency Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system rest to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with Kate Follow Kate on Instagram Visit Kate's website