Restoring Wholeness: Marquelle Brown's Healing Odyssey with Functional Medicine and Holistic Health for Veterans

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to your Thoughts, your Reality with Michael Cole, the podcast that shines a compassionate light on the journey of veterans battling through life's challenges.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael is a dual elite certified neuro encoding specialist in coaching and keynote training presentations dedicated to guiding military veterans as they navigate the intricate pathways of post-deployment life.

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<v Speaker 1>Join him as we delve into the profound realm of neuro encoding science.

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<v Speaker 2>Empowering these Hello, hello, hello everybody.

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<v Speaker 2>Society forging a new path forward Hello, hello, hello everybody.

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<v Speaker 2>So today, super excited, we have Markel Brown, who's a functional medicine nutritionist, life coach, dual elite neuro encoding specialist and much, much more.

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<v Speaker 2>So I want to welcome you, markel.

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<v Speaker 2>Tell us a little bit about yourself.

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<v Speaker 3>Hi, michael, thank you for having me on your show.

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<v Speaker 3>It's great to be here, and I have been a nutritionist since 2014.

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<v Speaker 3>And I've been interested in health and nutrition for a lot of years and I was interested in high school.

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<v Speaker 3>You know we had a lot of years and I was interested in high school.

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<v Speaker 3>We had a lot of sickness growing up and I was always wondering why are we always so sick?

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<v Speaker 3>And then I started having my own family and again still having some different illnesses, and my husband actually did have thyroid cancer.

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<v Speaker 3>My kids were always sick, and so I looked into it further, and the one thing that really pushed me fully into getting my master's in human nutrition and functional medicine was our oldest daughter.

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<v Speaker 3>We went, we sent her to school and it had been hit by a tornado, had a lot of repairs done, done, and she had a chemical toxic overload from being in the school, from all the chemicals while they were repairing it before and during, while the kids were in school, and it made her very, very sick.

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<v Speaker 3>And so I had a certification as a nutritional therapy practitioner and then the laws started changing and I thought, okay, if I really want to help people with the knowledge and the experience that I've had, I need to have a degree so that I can be solid and being able to continue to help people.

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<v Speaker 3>And, as I have found that nutrition and nourishing ourself with foods is one piece of the puzzle, it has led me to a lot of other things, you know learning to manage our thoughts and emotions, as well as helping the nervous system.

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<v Speaker 3>Learn how to regulate shifting from the sympathetic fight or flight into the parasympathetic rest, relax, calm, and so my further training you know, being a life coach and then learning about the Neuron Coding Institute and becoming a Neuron Coding Specialist has really helped to put all these pieces together so that I can help others.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know so many of us help others yeah, fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know so many of us sit and I don't know what's going on.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know what's going on.

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<v Speaker 2>You know what do they say this sucks.

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<v Speaker 2>You know they go into misery instead of doing what you did taking action and figuring it out.

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<v Speaker 2>So congratulations to you.

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<v Speaker 2>That's fantastic, and I'm sure your family is much better off.

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<v Speaker 2>They are.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know our daughter.

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<v Speaker 3>She was so sick it took about three years to rebuild her immune system and it was a lot of perseverance.

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<v Speaker 3>And the reason why I kept searching and kept searching and kept searching was because my daughter was so reactive she developed a latex allergy and she would just go right into anaphylaxis and I didn't want to live, you know, the rest of my life fearing that she could die any second.

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<v Speaker 3>And so you know I kept searching and praying okay, how can I find answers to help her system and her body repair?

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<v Speaker 3>She was six at the time and so it was three hard years of really intense work with nutrition and supplements and, you know, delving into some energy work.

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<v Speaker 3>And then we moved and she had healed so much when we moved to our new home Nobody knew that she was even sick.

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<v Speaker 3>And so she's 26 now and doing so well, and you know she still has to be careful, but she can still pretty much do whatever she wants and is living a healthy life.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for sharing that Truly.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, when you said six, I literally got chills and thinking, as a parent, what you, you know your family, went through.

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<v Speaker 2>That is not an easy thing.

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<v Speaker 2>So again, got that leverage on yourself didn't you.

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<v Speaker 3>And I will say I learned a lot about mental health as well, because six year olds don't want to just lay on the couch and do nothing and feel like they should say I feel like I'm going to die.

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<v Speaker 3>And her moods, you know, after she would come home from the school and all those toxins and she'd start detoxing, they just were erratic.

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<v Speaker 3>And I just remember going oh, this is what a chemical imbalance is in the system.

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<v Speaker 3>Six year olds don't do that.

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<v Speaker 3>And she was before that, and then a lot of these things.

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<v Speaker 3>I couldn't quite figure out what it was.

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<v Speaker 3>Was it something with the school or was something else?

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<v Speaker 3>And then she came home and was okay for two weeks and we sent her back and it that's what pushed her over.

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<v Speaker 3>And I actually had to take her out of school because she had a massive anaphylactic reaction, not at school, but it was after school at the end of the week.

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<v Speaker 3>Um, she had some dental work done and her body just couldn't handle, um, the toxic overload and, uh, I had to take her out of school because she couldn't do it.

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<v Speaker 3>And so one of the other things that has kept me searching for answers, not only to help myself and my family also to help those that my clients that I work with is.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, there are different modalities, different pieces to the puzzle, and I kept taking my daughter to the doctor and they would run blood work and they'd say I'm sorry, there isn't anything I could do for you other than send me with an EpiPen.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm like, oh my heck, I have this very fragile child that is so reactive that she really could die at any point, you know, and those EpiPens are not always a guarantee and I was like there has to be more to be able to help her.

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<v Speaker 3>And so, um, I really feel God's hand was in this and he really guided me a lot to everything that I have found.

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<v Speaker 3>And, um, that nutrition piece was huge.

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<v Speaker 3>And then I got to go on to, you know, the brain health and learning.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, worked with, uh, a therapist in mental health as a coach, and so I got to learn more tools.

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<v Speaker 3>And then I've been able to even go further with more of the neuron coding.

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<v Speaker 2>Fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>And now you're the rock star.

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<v Speaker 2>You are, and it looks like we lost Markel just for a minute, so I am going to go off screen and we'll be back as soon as I see her back on and it looks like our tech issue is over and bringing Markel back to the stage.

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<v Speaker 3>Sorry about that.

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<v Speaker 2>Like I always tell everybody, this is live, it's not Memorex.

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<v Speaker 2>If you're old enough to know that this is not edited, this is us Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>So, if we can, can we talk a little bit more about explaining the connection between gut health, autoimmune conditions which is what we were talking about as well and trauma?

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's essential to address these areas together really in your practice.

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<v Speaker 2>So can you talk a little bit about that?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, absolutely so.

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<v Speaker 3>When we experience trauma, our nervous system is disrupted.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, there's usually a shock to the system and oftentimes that's because people haven't been able to move through that trauma appropriately and so sometimes it just gets stored in our nervous system and so we can be stuck in the sympathetic fight flight which is the overwhelm, anxious, worried, anxiety, or we can dip to the freeze, which is a collapse, where we just want to shut down, and so when we have these trauma responses, it actually slows down all the systems, it slows down our digestion.

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<v Speaker 3>So it actually a lot of people who have had trauma they'll say I'm sick to my stomach.

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<v Speaker 3>Now, that can be intuition, and a lot of times, because of when we have this trauma, this unresolved trauma, it can become chronic, and so they definitely have gut issues.

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<v Speaker 3>And when you look at the autonomic nervous system, there's another portion of that which is in the gut.

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<v Speaker 3>It's called the enteric nervous system and it's just tons of nerves in that enteric nervous system and it's just just tons of nerves in that enteric nervous system.

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<v Speaker 3>And so the gut is compromised and therefore this gut brain access.

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<v Speaker 3>So therefore the brain health is compromised.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, we've got moods, we have all of the anxiety or the depression and things that can accompany that traumatic response.

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<v Speaker 3>And so when the nervous system is dysregulated over time in the gut because it is compromised because of the trauma response, we aren't able to digest and utilize our foods as well, which makes us susceptible for more infections, pain and inflammation, which, over time, leads to autoimmune.

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<v Speaker 3>The percentage is very high for those who have autoimmune diseases.

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<v Speaker 3>There is some sort of a trauma, and so oftentimes, as a nutritionist, I get people that come to me that want to work on their health whether it's a diagnosis that they have or gut issues and most of the time when people come to me it's because they've been to so many doctors that they aren't getting the answers to help reduce their symptoms.

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<v Speaker 3>And so, as I started noticing this pattern with the correlation okay, we're having people come in here for improving their nutrition, modifying their lifestyle factors and improving these diseases that they've occurred throughout their life experiences I started noticing the trauma pattern and I have had my own trauma as well, and so I was, you know, working a lot on myself and learning to also help myself.

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<v Speaker 3>And so I started seeing the pattern with clients, and so now I actually asked clients, you know, have you had any trauma in your life?

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<v Speaker 3>Is there any significant event?

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<v Speaker 3>And usually they'll say yes.

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<v Speaker 3>And then sometimes, you know, as we generally before, and they get to know me better sometimes that will come out because it's from so long ago or they don't really think that it matters, and so they don't bring it up because again they're still pushing it away.

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<v Speaker 3>That's a long time ago.

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<v Speaker 3>I just need to get over it.

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<v Speaker 3>That doesn't have anything to do with this, and so it is all connected.

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<v Speaker 3>And with functional medicine we are looking at mind, body, spirit.

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<v Speaker 3>We're looking at the whole system.

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<v Speaker 3>We can't just look at one piece of the puzzle, which is why a lot of times people can't find an answer, because if they're going to a gut doctor, they're only looking at the gut.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, if they're having mental health issues, they're only going to the therapist or the psychiatrist to get medication and they're not looking at everything as it's integrated together to get medication and they're not looking at everything as it's integrated together.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, absolutely so.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, markel.

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<v Speaker 2>I have to just add you know I'm a huge believer in what you're saying.

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<v Speaker 2>I've seen it myself.

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<v Speaker 2>You know you're trying to figure it out and you have a doctor and this specialist and that specialist, this specialist, and then all of a sudden you have a life change or you just get in a better place and some of those things just seem to go away, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>So, yeah, I'm a believer, so thank you for sharing that very much.

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<v Speaker 2>So you know you talked about, you know, you having trauma and that kind of stuff, and I'd like to talk about that, especially with the veterans and their families.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know how has your experience, you know, with PTSD and trauma influenced your approach?

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<v Speaker 2>You know helping others especially, you know, veterans and their families can use these skills who are struggling with trauma and related challenges yeah, it's, it is a challenge, especially when it's chronic and um.

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<v Speaker 3>So, with the family members, I think it's just really important for them to hold the space for the one that is going through the trauma, to love where they're at and if they can really work on loving without judgment because and just being curious, oh that's interesting.

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<v Speaker 3>Or or validating, oh that's really hard.

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<v Speaker 3>That is so hard.

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<v Speaker 3>And for those veterans, you know, who have served in horrific things and experienced horrific things, bringing in that self-compassion for themselves, that was really hard and it's so hard that you know my system is just still responding to that.

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<v Speaker 3>I think one of the hardest things for the person going through the PTSD is feeling like you have no control, right, really can't control that.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know what, until you gain tools and you, you know, find the right combination for you as the individual, it is, you know we really can't control it because it's the system just responding to a trigger or something that flashes the memory and it's like so automatic and it is overwhelming and all consuming.

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<v Speaker 3>And so I think it's very important to have tools and know that you can write it out.

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<v Speaker 3>And what I've found over time, as I've worked on my own PTSD is.

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<v Speaker 3>It doesn't happen very often now and if it does, it is short lived, like I can get myself regrounded, my system calmed down within a couple of hours, whereas before it was just like one trauma trigger after another and it was like constant 24 seven and like I called it noise in my head because it was so much noise and it's like, okay, how can I rise above noise?

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<v Speaker 3>And so you know there are a lot of things.

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<v Speaker 3>You have to learn to notice your thoughts.

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<v Speaker 3>You know and and what is true, learn what is true and what isn't.

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<v Speaker 3>You know the automatic thoughts, the lies, intrusive thoughts that imposter syndrome and shine the light on it, call it out and you know, restore the truth, flip it to what's true.

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<v Speaker 3>And then you have to find something to do.

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<v Speaker 3>We call that a scotoma and their own coding, where we have this negative and it's just like this vacuum and it sucks in all the negative and keep sucking it in Right and it keeps you stuck and you're just miserable.

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<v Speaker 3>So when you notice what it is and then you name it and you flip it, then the next thing is you want to find, okay, what can I go do or what can I even say with some positive affirmations or remembering my identity, to fill that hole in that vacuum with the positive so I can move forward.

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<v Speaker 3>And it helps to shift my mind from thinking about that to thinking about this over here.

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<v Speaker 3>So even projects that you work on, or hobbies or helping others, all of these things are going to redirect the mind to okay, I'm going to focus on this and really just riding that wave out of all of those chemicals flooding your system with that PTSD and feeling like you have no control.

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<v Speaker 3>And it takes practice.

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<v Speaker 3>And what I've found is you have to be really consistent, you know, and you interrupt your, your pattern when you notice it.

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<v Speaker 3>And if I well, sometimes, if I could catch it quicker, oftentimes when I was really struggling with PTSD, I could slow it down.

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<v Speaker 3>Now I just I do a lot more being without judgment and being curious Ah, that's interesting, and I know that's so hard and then I just use all of my tools.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, absolutely, absolutely so, and and really a lot of it is the definition we're giving it.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, if we're, if we're looking at it's, it's the worst thing I've ever been through and really focusing on that compared to hey, you know what I learned something from this and it's actually changed my life and it's amazing.

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<v Speaker 2>It changes the game.

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<v Speaker 2>You know that's what I found, a lot with my coaching practice and working with veterans and their families.

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<v Speaker 2>So great, great tips and tricks, tools I should say not really tricks, but tools there.

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<v Speaker 2>So, thank you, markel, fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>I really appreciate that and still absorbing some of the things you said, but all really good, really good tips, thank you.

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<v Speaker 3>And I wanted to emphasize how you said it's the meaning we give to it.

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<v Speaker 3>And I find that acceptance piece and going, okay, yeah, that was hard and yes, that happened.

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<v Speaker 3>And also stepping into what did I learn from that.

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<v Speaker 3>And then going beyond what have I learned to be able to help others?

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<v Speaker 3>And once I stepped into that, my healing just went to a whole new level Instead of being in denial and wishing it didn't happen, just went to a whole new level instead of being in denial and wishing it didn't happen.

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<v Speaker 3>How did this happen?

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<v Speaker 3>Stepping right into that acceptance of okay, but it took me four or five years of dreadful misery before I finally was like, okay, I have learned a lot, I'm in a different place and I'm helping others, and it really helped me to shift and that was life changing right there.

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<v Speaker 3>And it that was life-changing right there.

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<v Speaker 2>So I have to say something.

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<v Speaker 2>If you had Markel Brown in your life or a coach, someone that understands and can give you these tips and tools and all these things, how much faster would it happen?

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<v Speaker 2>You don't have to sit in it for six or seven years, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's super important for vets and their families to know, would you agree?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, no, and looking back, I everything that I learned helped me to get to where I am now.

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, absolutely.

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<v Speaker 3>Take the tools and go oh, okay, we can, I have the tool, I can make it be faster.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think that I think the key with that because I learned a lot of similar tools in my therapy is the pattern interrupts.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, listening to our mentor, joseph McClendon III, this week, one thing that really stood out to me and I was like oh, because I sometimes I'm like okay, how can I be prepared to notice when this is going to happen quicker and faster?

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<v Speaker 3>And he said well, you don't need to notice it quicker and faster.

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<v Speaker 3>He says you prepare for it before it even happens.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's a stop technique we use.

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<v Speaker 3>So we know that this is going to be a trigger.

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<v Speaker 3>So we practice it on purpose.

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<v Speaker 3>We feel bad on purpose for only a couple of seconds, stop, stand up, look up, smile and how do I want to feel?

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<v Speaker 3>And then we do celebrate yes, programming that, um, that nervous system and and that those neural pathways in our brain of wait, no, I want to default to this.

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<v Speaker 3>And so then we do it again, and we do that like 10 times and we repeat it throughout the day.

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<v Speaker 3>So the cool thing is is that when the situation happens, or the trigger or flash.

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<v Speaker 3>We can just default because we've already practiced it and so that for some reason this week just really hit me that, oh yeah, that's how we can shift quicker and faster in the moment.

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<v Speaker 3>And so, um, practicing that and reminding yourself that you do have power and the, the big key with that stop technique is the movement, if we can move our body.

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<v Speaker 3>This more because we're changing from where we are to a different position.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's interrupting the pattern, kind of like when, um, I'm sitting at the kitchen table and I'm like, oh, I need to go get a glass, and I go into the kitchen.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm like, oh, my heck, what did I come in here for?

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<v Speaker 3>Because I totally forgot.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm like, okay, I'm going to go back to the kitchen table and sit down.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, what was I going to get?

00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:41.410
<v Speaker 3>Oh, yeah, I need the glass.

00:21:41.410 --> 00:21:44.496
<v Speaker 3>And then I'll be like I need the glass, I need the glass, and I go and get the glass, right.

00:21:44.496 --> 00:21:55.354
<v Speaker 3>So that's what we're doing with the standing is, we're actually interrupting that pattern and creating that gap, and then when we replace it immediately with the positive and then we celebrate where that in.

00:21:55.354 --> 00:21:58.596
<v Speaker 3>So that is how we can shift and take back our power.

00:21:58.596 --> 00:22:02.979
<v Speaker 3>All little steps that are so impactful.

00:22:03.459 --> 00:22:09.442
<v Speaker 2>Fantastic, and you know, thank you I really anytime anybody starts talking neurocoding, I just love it.

00:22:09.442 --> 00:22:10.324
<v Speaker 2>So thank you.

00:22:10.324 --> 00:22:17.791
<v Speaker 2>And having these little skills really changed the game, guys, for my own life.

00:22:17.791 --> 00:22:27.521
<v Speaker 2>I know and I'm sure, markel, you can say the same thing when I joined and learned Neuron Coding and then, of course, went into other certifications with Neuron Coding, it changed the game, it changed my life.

00:22:27.521 --> 00:22:40.897
<v Speaker 2>It's so much, such a beautiful benefit to be able to realize you're anxious or whatever the case may be, and just snap yourself right out of it or just automatically go.

00:22:40.897 --> 00:22:42.762
<v Speaker 2>Why was I even upset about that?

00:22:42.762 --> 00:22:44.954
<v Speaker 2>Why was I even thinking about that?

00:22:44.954 --> 00:22:46.961
<v Speaker 2>Doesn't matter, you know, and just move forward.

00:22:46.961 --> 00:22:49.315
<v Speaker 2>So thank you again for sharing that Fantastic.

00:22:49.315 --> 00:22:59.132
<v Speaker 2>We're blowing through time here, so I want to make sure that we talk about the somatic and self-regulation exercise.

00:22:59.132 --> 00:23:01.799
<v Speaker 2>What is it and and and what does it do?

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:03.315
<v Speaker 2>Can you talk about that for me?

00:23:03.315 --> 00:23:04.018
<v Speaker 2>Yeah?

00:23:05.411 --> 00:23:23.443
<v Speaker 3>So somatic exercises come from the polyvagal theory from Peter Levine and basically what it is is getting in touch with what you're feeling, and when we can be attuned to what we're feeling and notice it, then we can ask okay, well, what do I need?

00:23:23.443 --> 00:23:26.076
<v Speaker 3>And then we can meet that need.

00:23:26.076 --> 00:23:39.554
<v Speaker 3>And so this actually is a direct correlation with the nervous system, the autonomic nervous system and it's vagal tone stimulation, the autonomic nervous system and we it's vagal tone stimulation.

00:23:39.554 --> 00:23:52.696
<v Speaker 3>And actually I have used this a lot with my gut health clients who are really struggling, because most people that have gut health issues are their nervous system is dysregulated and then they're in that fight or flight, um and so.

00:23:52.696 --> 00:24:05.671
<v Speaker 3>So I'm going to connect some pieces here that I've discovered from my nutrition education and then how important these somatic tools are, or self-regulation tools are, if you've experienced trauma.

00:24:05.671 --> 00:24:28.428
<v Speaker 3>Um, because what we're doing is we're trying to implement this vagal tone stimulation so that we can shift, and we are intentionally and purposefully practicing these tools to help our nervous system relearn, shifting from the sympathetic fight or flight into the parasympathetic.

00:24:28.428 --> 00:24:42.343
<v Speaker 3>Or if you feel like you're stuck in that collapse freeze you just want to isolate, these will help you to come back into that parasympathetic state, which is where you're motivated, you feel good, you can feel peaceful and calm and happy.

00:24:43.569 --> 00:24:55.246
<v Speaker 3>And one thing that I learned that this was like the last piece, I feel like, of my healing journey, of I kept thinking my nervous system, what is wrong with it?

00:24:55.246 --> 00:25:01.779
<v Speaker 3>Like I just would brace or feel anxious or anticipate well, what if, when nothing was happening.

00:25:01.779 --> 00:25:04.825
<v Speaker 3>And so I laugh.

00:25:04.825 --> 00:25:17.671
<v Speaker 3>It is actually a real thing and it's very frustrating because I was like, okay, I've got my thoughts in check, I've got my emotions in check and my system what is this Just uneasiness in check?

00:25:17.671 --> 00:25:18.653
<v Speaker 3>And my system what is this Just uneasiness?

00:25:18.653 --> 00:25:24.853
<v Speaker 3>And so I'm going to give a few really simple tools and I would encourage you if you can practice them consistently every day, two or three times a day.

00:25:24.853 --> 00:25:26.757
<v Speaker 3>It only takes one to two minutes.

00:25:26.757 --> 00:25:45.634
<v Speaker 3>You can take longer if you need so that when you are triggered or flash or feel like you're in a spin, you can use these tools to help calm your nervous system and over time, with the consistency, you'll be able to regulate your nervous system quicker and faster.

00:25:46.155 --> 00:25:48.160
<v Speaker 2>And Markel really quick.

00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:54.680
<v Speaker 2>I just want to remind you that you know we're on video as well, but we also launched all the major podcasts.

00:25:54.680 --> 00:26:00.076
<v Speaker 2>So when you're explaining it, if you can just think about some, people aren't seeing this.

00:26:00.577 --> 00:26:02.943
<v Speaker 3>Okay, yes, thank you Absolutely.

00:26:02.943 --> 00:26:12.596
<v Speaker 3>So one of the tools that you can use, it's called orienting and actually if you have little kids, you can use this with them as well, and we already do it.

00:26:12.596 --> 00:26:18.412
<v Speaker 3>It's called the eye spy with my little eye them as well, and we already do it.

00:26:18.412 --> 00:26:22.803
<v Speaker 3>It's called the I spy with my little eye and basically we are creating safety or a felt sense of safety for ourself while we look around and we name things.

00:26:22.803 --> 00:26:34.460
<v Speaker 3>So I see a wall, a window, I have stairs here, you know there's pictures, a door, I've got chairs, I've got my computer chair right here, and I'm just naming whatever I can see.

00:26:34.460 --> 00:26:42.162
<v Speaker 3>And when we do that with the intention, I'm safe, I'm okay right here, everything's okay and we can bring in.

00:26:42.162 --> 00:26:52.634
<v Speaker 3>You know some of the war veterans, you know the loud sounds or bombs yes, that was scary, I know that was hard and I am safe right here.

00:26:52.634 --> 00:26:56.631
<v Speaker 3>So we can really create that felt sense of safety for ourselves.

00:26:58.173 --> 00:27:08.637
<v Speaker 3>Another one is a funny name because I have animals, but it's called marking your territory and basically bringing in our senses, our kinesthetic.

00:27:08.637 --> 00:27:13.734
<v Speaker 3>So like I have a pen right here at my desk and it's got ridges on it.

00:27:13.734 --> 00:27:16.061
<v Speaker 3>So if I rub my thumb over the ridges of the pen.

00:27:16.061 --> 00:27:21.540
<v Speaker 3>You know, I can feel that, um, the arms of my, my, my, chair.

00:27:21.540 --> 00:27:23.651
<v Speaker 3>They're smooth, really.

00:27:23.651 --> 00:27:33.836
<v Speaker 3>You can do this anywhere, um, like if, if you're driving, you can rub your hands on the steering wheel and and feel the texture of the steering wheel, your hand on the dashboard you could rub it on your seat.

00:27:33.836 --> 00:27:35.898
<v Speaker 3>I'm sitting in a chair here.

00:27:35.898 --> 00:27:41.806
<v Speaker 3>I can rub my hands over the seam on the side of my pants and feel that roughness and that bump.

00:27:41.806 --> 00:27:45.375
<v Speaker 3>The top of my table here is smooth.

00:27:45.375 --> 00:27:55.319
<v Speaker 3>You can walk around and, if you want, rub your hand on the wall or across a table and you are creating that felt sense of safety in your surroundings.

00:27:55.319 --> 00:28:00.432
<v Speaker 3>So that you can generate that for yourself and these tools.

00:28:00.491 --> 00:28:19.311
<v Speaker 3>The thing is, when trauma or traumatic situations happen you've not done that yourself yet we have to do our own healing and recovery, and so that is resensitizing our system, you know, and our thoughts, and being aware of those emotions.

00:28:19.432 --> 00:28:26.116
<v Speaker 3>So the other tool that I love and you can all try this If you're driving you can do it one handed, not two handed.

00:28:26.116 --> 00:28:47.050
<v Speaker 3>You got to keep your eye on the road, so basically it's putting your hands on your shoulders, so you're crossing your arms in front of your chest, almost like you're giving yourself a hug this one's called havening and you start from your shoulders and you gently slide your hands down to your elbows and get to your elbows, you lift your hands and you go up to the shoulders.

00:28:47.050 --> 00:28:50.395
<v Speaker 3>You do want to lift your hands when you get to your elbows.

00:28:50.395 --> 00:29:06.871
<v Speaker 3>Um, and then you do this, you know, for a minute or two, and one thing when you do these different tools and you're helping your system shift from that fight or flight into that parasympathetic rest, relax, calm.

00:29:06.871 --> 00:29:20.003
<v Speaker 3>Sometimes my hands and my feet will tingle because I'm feeling my body relax, sometimes yawn, and that yawn is another indication that, okay, my system is relaxing.

00:29:21.144 --> 00:29:21.605
<v Speaker 2>Fantastic.

00:29:22.366 --> 00:29:25.436
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and I'm going to give two more if that's okay.

00:29:26.118 --> 00:29:27.142
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, absolutely.

00:29:27.670 --> 00:29:28.372
<v Speaker 3>So another one.

00:29:28.372 --> 00:29:37.173
<v Speaker 3>It's another havening technique, but it's a hand warming technique, so you can rub your hands bilaterally, um, you know, back and forth, right in front of you.

00:29:37.173 --> 00:29:46.542
<v Speaker 3>You know how, when we're cold and we rub our hands together really fast, um, that helps to calm your system and that's one that you can do really anywhere.

00:29:46.542 --> 00:29:49.624
<v Speaker 3>We do because people aren't even going to notice that much.

00:29:49.624 --> 00:29:52.855
<v Speaker 3>They're just like, oh, she's rubbing her hands together, maybe her hands are cold.

00:29:52.855 --> 00:30:02.718
<v Speaker 3>And same thing with the havening when you're bringing your hands from your shoulders to your elbow, it looks like you're cold, so you're warming yourself up.

00:30:04.111 --> 00:30:12.701
<v Speaker 3>Another one is containment, giving yourself a hug, and you know, it's always great if you can give somebody else a hug too.

00:30:12.701 --> 00:30:14.154
<v Speaker 3>That will work as well.

00:30:14.154 --> 00:30:16.371
<v Speaker 3>Well, creating that felt sense of safety.

00:30:16.371 --> 00:30:28.073
<v Speaker 3>And, um, also, you know, putting your hand over your heart actually is providing some support and safety for yourself.

00:30:28.073 --> 00:30:47.657
<v Speaker 3>And um, you can also put, you know, your arm around your abdomen and kind of provide some support there, which actually that also, you know, if you've got your arm on your abdomen and you're supporting a little bit, that's also providing some support for your heart as well, from below.

00:30:48.400 --> 00:31:14.516
<v Speaker 3>So these are easy and simple and you can really implement them anywhere and you know a few times throughout the day to start intentionally working on helping your nervous system learn how to calm and relax and then, when you need it, you're already, you've already practiced those tools and you can just oh, I'm going to use this tool because you can ask okay, what support does my body need?

00:31:14.516 --> 00:31:19.202
<v Speaker 3>Right now I'm feeling triggered, I'm feeling like I'm unsafe.

00:31:19.202 --> 00:31:23.178
<v Speaker 3>Okay, what do I need to do to help create that safety for myself right now?

00:31:24.182 --> 00:31:24.923
<v Speaker 2>Fantastic.

00:31:24.923 --> 00:31:26.871
<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much for sharing those.

00:31:26.871 --> 00:31:36.140
<v Speaker 2>I enjoy those and, yes, I was doing them too and you do feel it and we did this for a very short period of time and you can literally feel it.

00:31:36.140 --> 00:31:40.719
<v Speaker 2>I mean that fast and I wasn't anxious, but you still felt it, you know.

00:31:40.719 --> 00:31:43.892
<v Speaker 2>So, thank you very much, grateful.

00:31:43.892 --> 00:31:47.080
<v Speaker 2>You shared all of that a thorough of information there.

00:31:47.230 --> 00:31:50.710
<v Speaker 2>So we are at the end of the show, so everybody.

00:31:50.710 --> 00:31:58.756
<v Speaker 2>First of all, I just want to tell everybody that can see QR code at the top right-hand corner, the blue QR code.

00:31:58.756 --> 00:31:59.497
<v Speaker 2>Please scan that.

00:31:59.497 --> 00:32:00.676
<v Speaker 2>It's for veterans.

00:32:00.676 --> 00:32:01.817
<v Speaker 2>There's resources, books.

00:32:01.817 --> 00:32:05.441
<v Speaker 2>I've written all kinds of Facebook groups we have.

00:32:05.441 --> 00:32:07.362
<v Speaker 2>Reach out, get involved.

00:32:07.362 --> 00:32:11.684
<v Speaker 2>If you're someone that just wants to help with veterans and their families, reach out as well, please.

00:32:11.684 --> 00:32:15.067
<v Speaker 2>It's really important we get the word out and we share this information.

00:32:15.067 --> 00:32:24.999
<v Speaker 2>Otherwise, go to empowerperformancestrategiescom if you're just listening to this on the podcast Again, empowerperformancestrategiescom, and you'll get all the same information.

00:32:24.999 --> 00:32:29.535
<v Speaker 2>So please do that, markel, thank you, thank you.

00:32:29.535 --> 00:32:37.317
<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much for sharing these amazing gifts that you have, your vulnerability of what you went through and those kinds of things.

00:32:37.317 --> 00:32:40.131
<v Speaker 2>So really, really appreciate the time that you spent with us Truly.

00:32:40.571 --> 00:32:41.173
<v Speaker 3>Thank you, Michael.

00:32:41.173 --> 00:32:43.520
<v Speaker 3>I appreciate the work you're doing and helping so many.

00:32:44.871 --> 00:32:46.172
<v Speaker 2>And thank you you as well.

00:32:46.172 --> 00:32:49.213
<v Speaker 2>Truly, how do people get ahold of you?

00:32:50.776 --> 00:33:08.871
<v Speaker 3>So they can go to my website, markelbrowncom and that's my name M-A-R-Q-U-E-L-L-E-B-R-O-W-Ncom and reach out there, and I would love to visit with you.

00:33:08.871 --> 00:33:17.372
<v Speaker 3>I give a 30-minute complimentary session, a discovery call to see what your concerns are and what you would like to work on, and then we go from there.

00:33:18.193 --> 00:33:18.836
<v Speaker 2>Fantastic.

00:33:18.836 --> 00:33:27.509
<v Speaker 2>So thank you again, and we always close out the show with three tips to get veterans and their families further, faster and thriving in life.

00:33:27.509 --> 00:33:27.950
<v Speaker 2>What do you?

00:33:28.371 --> 00:33:28.730
<v Speaker 3>got Okay.

00:33:28.730 --> 00:33:32.897
<v Speaker 3>Practice your somatic self-regulation tools every day.

00:33:32.897 --> 00:34:03.547
<v Speaker 3>Do your self-care Self-care is self-repair and that could be a lot of things and start to notice what you're feeling, where you're feeling it in your body, and what the thoughts are that go along with that, and noticing if they're true or if they're intrusive thoughts, and switch them to what is true and find something to do to help you to be able to shift from that negative into something more positive.

00:34:03.547 --> 00:34:17.731
<v Speaker 3>And all those little steps will help you go from what you think is impossible to overcome to making that possible, where you can find joy and happiness and have that motivation in your life that you're wanting to have.

00:34:18.835 --> 00:34:19.637
<v Speaker 2>Love it, love it.

00:34:19.637 --> 00:34:20.498
<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much.

00:34:20.498 --> 00:34:21.420
<v Speaker 2>I'm Markel.

00:34:21.420 --> 00:34:22.643
<v Speaker 2>Again, thank you for being here.

00:34:22.643 --> 00:34:24.275
<v Speaker 2>We'll have you back on if you'd like to.

00:34:24.958 --> 00:34:26.947
<v Speaker 3>Okay, I'd love it Sounds fantastic.

00:34:26.967 --> 00:34:27.610
<v Speaker 2>All right everybody.

00:34:27.610 --> 00:34:28.753
<v Speaker 2>What was that Sorry?

00:34:29.173 --> 00:34:30.076
<v Speaker 3>Take care, oh yes.

00:34:30.096 --> 00:34:30.677
<v Speaker 2>All right, we're out.

00:34:30.677 --> 00:34:31.559
<v Speaker 2>Thank you everybody.

00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:32.702
<v Speaker 2>All right, we're out.

00:34:37.983 --> 00:34:38.764
<v Speaker 1>Thank you everybody.

00:34:38.764 --> 00:34:44.387
<v Speaker 1>Thank you for joining us on another insightful journey of your Thoughts your Reality podcast with your host, michael Cole.

00:34:44.387 --> 00:34:48.061
<v Speaker 1>We hope the conversation sparked some thoughts that resonate with you.

00:34:48.061 --> 00:34:54.637
<v Speaker 1>To dive deeper into empowering your thoughts and enhancing your reality, visit empowerperformancestrategiescom.

00:34:54.637 --> 00:34:59.615
<v Speaker 1>Remember your thoughts shape your reality, so make them count.

00:34:59.615 --> 00:35:04.699
<v Speaker 1>Until next time, stay inspired and keep creating the reality you desire.

00:35:04.699 --> 00:35:06.436
<v Speaker 1>Catch you on the next episode.