Squats & Séances
What happens when physical strength meets spiritual awakening?
Squats & Séances dives headfirst into this fascinating intersection, offering a fresh perspective on the mind-body-spirit connection that goes beyond conventional wisdom.
Meet Venessa – CrossFit trainer, nutritionist, former competitive bodybuilder, and self-described "burgeoning intuitive" who received some divine guidance during meditation to share her self-healing discovery journey with others. After years of building expertise in fitness and nutrition while simultaneously battling anxiety and processing trauma, she discovered that true wellness requires balance across all three foundational pillars: mind, body, and spirit.
This podcast serves as both personal roadmap and community resource, drawing from Venessa's extensive background in fitness training, medical knowledge, and spiritual exploration. Expect deep dives into functional fitness, nutrition, neuroplasticity, trauma healing, energy work, intuition, and spiritual connection – all approached with an authentically gritty perspective that values truth over comfort.
What separates Squats & Seances from other wellness podcasts is its commitment to integration rather than separation. You won't find pure spirituality divorced from physical reality, nor physical training devoid of mental and spiritual dimensions. Instead, you'll discover how these aspects complement one another to create a fully present, engaged, and optimized life.
Whether you're a fitness enthusiast curious about spiritual growth, a spiritual seeker looking to strengthen your physical foundation, or simply someone wondering if there's more to life than what meets the eye, this podcast offers valuable insights without forcing any particular belief system. Take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and join us on this journey of discovery. Share your stories, ask your questions, and become part of a community dedicated to living well in all dimensions.
Squats & Séances
Five Minute Mindfulness - A between Season's Gift to our Gritty Community!
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Drop in for a quick 5 minute guided mindfulness moment to slow that monkey mind and reconnect to your body. You'll feel amazing after this, we promise!
HELP contribute to this growing community. Email topic ideas, suggestions for interviews, and feedback to venessa@squatsandseances.com.
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Until the next time - stay gritty you badass!
Welcome And Intention
SPEAKER_00Hi creaties. I hope you're doing well, enjoying the off-season. As most of you know, I just completed a 200-hour certified meditation teacher training that was absolutely life-changing. And I would love to share one of my meditations with you today.
Five-Minute Practice Overview
SPEAKER_00This is a five-minute meditation for reconnecting your mind and body. I hope you'll play along, and I promise if you do, you will feel so much better at the end. Often we walk through life with our mind in one place and our body somewhere completely different. We can use the power of our breath to bring these two together in the present moment. You ready? Let's begin.
Settle Into Your Seat
SPEAKER_00We'll start by finding a comfortable seated position. Adjust your body as needed so that you have space to sit in silence and relax. Once your body is settled, I'll invite you to gently close your eyes if it feels safe to do so.
Deep Breaths And Shoulder Release
SPEAKER_00Let's take a long, slow, deep breath in through the nose, all the way to the top of the inhibition. And as you exhale, breathe out through your mouth and drop your shoulders. Another long, slow, deep breath in through the mouth, all the way to the top. And as you exhale, drop your shoulders. And now we're going to breathe gently in and out through our nose.
Belly Breathing With Hands
SPEAKER_00Taking our hands, place them on your belly. As you inhale, feel the rise of your belly. And as you exhale gently and slowly, feel your belly soften and fall. Let's do that again. Inhale through the nose, feel the belly rise. Exhale, allow it to soften and release.
Heart-Focused Breathing
SPEAKER_00Lifting the hands from the belly, move them over your heart. As you breathe in, feel your heart swell and fill with oxygen-rich blood. And as you breathe out, visualize this nourishment pulsing throughout your body. Another big, deep, slow breath in as the heart expands and fills. And a gentle, slow exhale as this breath of life fuels your body.
Rest Awareness On Breath
SPEAKER_00With the next few breaths, we're going to give witness to this space where we feel the breath enter and leave our body. Move your hands to this place of sensation and rest them gently there. If thoughts arise, allow them to gently pass by and bring your awareness back to the space where the breath enters and leaves your body. Let's sit in silence while we witness the space, and I'll bring you back when the time comes. If you notice your mind beginning to wander away from the breath, ever so gently, drift back to noticing the space where your breath and hands meet.
Gentle Return And Closing
SPEAKER_00Roll your shoulders up, back, and down. Move your head side to side. Stretch your fingers and toes and take one more big deep breath in. And as you exhale, gently open your eyes. Welcome back. May you enjoy the rest of your day in a reconnected mind body sort of way. Thank you for meditating with me.