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
Presence Is A Practice, Not A Place
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The mind loves to sprint while the body asks to slow down. We bridge that gap with a concise, soothing practice built around a two-word mantra and steady breathwork, designed to help you return to the only place you can actually live in—this present moment.
If this meditation helped you reset, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a pause, and leave a quick review to help others find these guided practices.
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 Purpose
SPEAKER_00Hi critties! Today I am going to guide you through a mantra meditation on being here now. A mantra is a focused word or phrase connected to the timing of the breath.
What A Mantra Does
SPEAKER_00This creates a neural processing pattern through the physiology of breathwork and the psychology of the mind to calm overworked and overstimulated nervous systems. So, how can we be here in the now by developing a practice of presence? We can acknowledge thoughts and sensations that arise without trying to change anything. We do this by repeatedly reminding ourselves that we are neither in the past nor the future, as our physical bodies are always rooted in the present moment. Ready to try?
Settle The Body And Breath
SPEAKER_00Let's begin by sitting comfortably. Adjust your body as needed. And when it feels safe to do so, please close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through the nose. And exhale audibly through the mouth as you drop your shoulders and let go. Let's do that again. Deep breath in through the nose. Audible exhale through the mouth, drop your shoulders and let go. One more time. Deep breath in through the nose. Exhale through the mouth, drop your shoulders and let go.
The I Am Here Mantra
SPEAKER_00To anchor us in the present moment, we are going to repeat a very simple mantra. As you inhale, you will repeat silently in your head, I am. And as you exhale, you will repeat the word here. Let's practice it now. Inhale, I am, exhale here, and again, inhale, I am exhale here. I am here. I am here. Sit in
Sitting With Thoughts
SPEAKER_00silence and allow your breathing to flow naturally. Keep repeating the mantra. I am here. Allow them to ebb and flow past you, reconnect with the mantra and your breath. I am here. If thoughts pass through your mind, don't fight them. Witness this experience of awareness. The experience of being alive and thinking. And let them go. Come back to the breath. I am here. Continue with the breath as you float between thoughts and sensations that arise. When you catch yourself drifting too far off course, circle back to the mantra. I am here. I'll watch the time and gently bring you up and out after a few moments.
Release And Reawaken
SPEAKER_00With your next breath, release the mantra, allow yourself to float in stillness and silence in this present moment space. Begin to introduce some gentle, gradual movement back into the body. Stretch your fingers and toes. Rub your hands together and place them over your eyes. Ever so slowly. Let your lids separate. Gently open your eyes behind your hands, allowing the light to filter through. And when you're ready, lower your hands with your eyes open.
Closing And Gratitude
SPEAKER_00Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet present moment practice. Thank you for meditating with me.