We spend so much of our lives surrounded by technology—scrolling, searching, streaming, texting, working, and increasingly, asking AI to think alongside us.

But what if our relationship with technology isn't just about willpower or screen time?

What if it's a window into our deeper emotional needs?

In this episode of Centered in the City, I'm joined by Jay Vidyarthi, award-winning author of Reclaim Your Mind, designer, entrepreneur, and thought leader at the intersection of mindfulness and technology.

Jay has spent more than 15 years practicing meditation and has helped design more than 50 technologies aimed at improving human wellbeing. His work includes Muse, the Healthy Minds Program, and other innovative approaches to using technology in service of human flourishing.

We explore what it really means to reclaim our minds in a world designed to capture our attention.

Jay offers a nuanced perspective: there is absolutely a responsibility on technology companies and attention-harvesting platforms to create healthier digital environments, but there is also a personal responsibility to become more aware of how and why we engage with technology.

And that awareness can tell us a lot.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why our relationship with technology can be a mirror for our deeper emotional needs

• How scrolling, notifications, and algorithms can give us a watered-down version of what we're actually seeking

• How self-awareness can help us recognize when we're being hooked by an algorithm

• Why simply blaming technology doesn't give us back our agency

• How mindfulness or journaling can help us pause long enough to notice what we're actually looking for

• How to create a more empowered and intentional relationship with technology

• How we can use AI to enhance our capabilities without cannibalizing the very human capacities we want to preserve

• Why protecting our attention may be one of the most important ways we protect our humanity

Take a listen to this episode and share your takeaways with us on Instagram @OneWade and @jay.vidyarthi

Resources:

Centered Walks: Guided walking meditations to support you getting out of your head and into your body

100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize by Wade Brill

Reclaim Your Mind By Jay Vidyarthi

*****

Jay Vidyarthi is the award-winning author of RECLAIM YOUR MIND and an accomplished designer, entrepreneur, and thought leader at the unique intersection of mindfulness and technology. As the founder of Still Ape, he's been involved in over fifty technologies that have helped millions of people improve their well-being, including Muse, the Healthy Minds Program, Sonic Cradle, and many more. His work and ideas have been featured by Harvard, MIT, TED, Forbes, CNN, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and Mashable. A meditation practitioner for over fifteen years, Jay is as comfy on a silent retreat as he is challenging his son to epic video game battles. On days off, he can usually be found making music, enjoying screen time, or out for a walk somewhere near Lake Ontario. Learn more at jayvidyarthi.com

I had the best weekend.

Here I am, Sunday night, reflecting on why this weekend felt so damn good and why I feel so full?

Not the type of full where my pants feel too tight.

The type where my heart feels like it could burst with love and gratitude. A type of full where inner stillness and deep contentment wash over me.

This level of peace is not my natural emotional set point.

I typically run anxious and restless. I have had to work really hard over the last decade to have more space in my nervous system to receive joy, play and ease.

My dopamine addicted mind was curious to understand what is happening so that I can hold onto this feeling forever.

[Spoiler alert: this feeling can’t be bottled. Only savored and then released as the next moment flows in. Yet, it feels damn good to my controlling mind to learn and repeat what works.]

As I reflected, I noticed I felt this amount of satisfaction because I intentionally focused on joy this weekend. Everything we said yes to was from our personal joy lists. Not because we set-out to check-off items from a list. But instead, I made an effort to enter the weekend by asking myself a guiding question:

“What would feel joyful right now?”

And then communicate my desires to my husband.

Sometimes slowing down to actual know and trust what would feel joyful feels challenging.

I feel this inner “joy detector” turn on to scan the various ideas and options, searching for the most aligned. Sometimes that feels easy and right away I feel “beep beep beep,” selecting a clear winner.

And sometimes I have to sit there and feel into the options before making a choice. Not only do I have to work on listening to the language of yes within my own body, but I then have to communicate my wishes to my husband.

Sometimes the external communication can be the most challenging part. Do my wishes come out of my mouth like demands? Am I clear with my joyful wants or do I water it down to come off flexible? Do I hide my truth?

Joy this weekend was childlike. There was a light bounce of giddiness in each step. Curiosity lead. A spirit of freedom and saying yes dominated instead of analyzing in my mind.

As humans, a lot of the time, we can get trapped in the autopilot process of life—following a certain formula or rhythm.

We wake up at the same time, have the same breakfast, text the same people, go to the same park etc without pausing to ask ourselves: “what would feel joyful right now?” The efficiency protocol dogma of how important it is to reduce decision fatigue makes us follow the same habits like what to wear or eat in the morning. The idea being, this “frees up” the mind and reserves energy to make the more complicated decisions. However, I strongly believe these micro choices we make have a compounding affect on our energy, mood and mindset throughout the rest of the day.

When a client comes to me feeling bleehh, tired of running on anxious fumes and ready to feel more like themself, one of the first activities I offer them is to create a joy list. This may sound simple, but it takes effort to pause and reflect on what brings joy.

My clients tend to notice how much of their day and time is actually filled with joy (or not). They start to see patterns. Maybe moments where they are on autopilot or even more uncomfortable, where they feel like a victim to time and their circumstances. Many of them recognize there isn’t much joy because the rational, fear or anxious part of them is leading.

This exercise helps awaken a higher vibration of experiencing the world. Noticing joy helps prime their mind to look for it, to create it instead of focusing their energy on where they feel stuck or stagnant.

Joy becomes a natural mood booster. An emotion that helps us tap into a free feeling that we can usually connect to in simple ways. No extravagant vacations needed (even though very joyful IMO).

According to Dr. Michael Rucker, an organizational psychologist and author of The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life shares: “Joy and wonder bring us closer to our true selves, and can bring us closer to those we love.”

So why aren’t we all trying to lead and live from more joy?

Some limiting beliefs I notice within myself and clients that hold us back from prioritizing joy are:

• Joy directly conflicts with being productive and being productive is more important.

• I am not sure I deserve joy?

• I don’t have time for joy

• Joy can only be experienced when I am with others

• I can only experience joy if others are watching

• The yoke of responsibility doesn’t leave room for joy

• Joy is expensive

• I don’t have enough energy for joy

• The world isn’t joyful so I shouldn’t be participating in joy

What limiting beliefs hold you back from intentionally living with more joy?

Notcings Practice this Week:

Share your insights with me in a DM or comment below:

1. How do you know joy is present for you? What does it feel like? taste like? Smell like? Sound like?

2. What is the most joyful choice you can make right now?

3. What would it be like to intentionally design your days with more joy?

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Curious to explore 1:1 coaching together?

Sign up here for a Connection Call to explore if working together is a fit.

In this episode, we explore the practice of forest bathing and how simple moments of intentional connection with the natural world can become part of everyday life—even in the middle of a busy city.

Modern life can easily pull us away from the natural world. Screens, schedules, noise, and the pace of daily life can make nature feel like something we have to travel to experience. But the benefits of nature connection aren't reserved for remote forests or weekend getaways.

In this episode, discover simple ways to bring more awareness, curiosity, and connection with nature into your everyday routine—whether you live in the countryside, a suburb, or the heart of a city.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• What forest bathing really means

• What a "sit spot" is and how to create your own

• How mindfulness isn't about achieving a specific state

• Why you don't have to leave the city to experience nature connection

• Simple ways to notice and engage with nature every day

• How slowing down can change the way we experience familiar places

• Why connection with nature is about relationship, not escape

Take a listen to this episode and share your takeaways with us: @OneWade and @enchanted.place.inc

Resources:

• Download Centered walks and get one of my favorite walking meditations to guide you on connecting to "Awe" on your walk.

• Learn more about some of the research on Forest Bathing: Standford Medicine

• Get a copy of my interactive journal guide, 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize

*****

Cyndi is a certified forest bathing guide and the founder of Enchanted Place , a Vancouver-based platform dedicated to helping people reconnect with the living world. Grounded in the belief that taking care of our mental health and taking care of the planet are deeply connected, her work offers guided forest immersions and somatic practices that help us slow down, regulate our nervous systems, and find calm. Cyndi studied Psychology and Sustainability at Minerva University and holds her certification through the Forest Therapy School. Cyndi is also looking for a UX designer/technologist/artist who can help her build enchanted place's digital experience. If you are interested to chat, please reach out to her via email: Cyndi@enchanted.place

When we are building romantic relationships with people and become emotionally invested in someone, it can be surprisingly easy to lose touch with ourselves.

In this episode of Centered in the City, I explore how to stay connected to yourself while building a romantic relationship and why healthy dating isn't about becoming less invested, more detached, or "playing it cool."

It's about learning how to love someone without abandoning yourself.

I share practical ways to recognize self-abandonment, maintain your own identity and routines and strengthen self-trust while navigating a (new) relationship.You'll learn how to distinguish between healthy compromise and self-abandonment,and use mindfulness to come back to yourself when dating anxiety takes over.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why dating someone you really like can make you lose touch with yourself

• What self-abandonment can look like in romantic relationships

• How to stay connected to your friends, routines, interests, and goals while dating

• The difference between healthy compromise and abandoning your own needs

• Why you don't have to choose between loving someone and loving yourself

Curious to go deeper into this topic with 1:1 coaching? Schedule a Connection Call here to get on the fall waitlist.

Share your takeaways or Qs with me from this episode with me on Instagram @OneWade or send me a note here.

“Yup.” I smiled back. “Let’s do it.”

Click.

Like magic within an hour, this little needle and bluetooth device gave me moment to moment data on my iPhone.

The CGM rests on the back of my arm like a big wort. It doesn’t hurt, but definitely feels clunky while sleeping on my side or getting dressed.

For the next two weeks, I get to track how my body responds to glucose and learn how insulin resistant I am.

I did this experiment in February for the first time and it opened my eyes—bridging my mindful eating practice and my interoception with science.

Having this physical reminder of a CGM offered my hands and mouth an additional cue to pause before I put food in my body. Instead of listening and noting my body’s typical hunger cues—watering in the mouth, hallow sensation in my stomach, slight shakiness in my muscles and a zoomed in focus in my eyes. I now had this extra layer of curiosity and pressure to understand what’s happening to the body on a molecular level.

Each time I ate something I would check the app on my phone—curious to learn how my body immediately responded to that burger, piece of fruit or chocolate chips. I would then check back in with myself and ask, “What do I feel right now?” To be honest, I didn’t notice the sensation of my blood sugar increasing unless I ate a straight up sugar bomb like a glazed donut or cookie. I did notice the sensations when my blood sugar dropped—feeling depleted, dizzy or lethargic.

After a few days of tracking what I normally ate, the pressure to make wiser food choices increased. I dreaded seeing the shaded purple area on my glucose graph, which indicated a blood sugar spike. I felt extra motivated to turn them all blue or keep my highs and lows more level.

My initial intention of wearing a CGM wasn’t to jump on the trend. Instead it was to understand how my insulin might be affecting my hormones and my overall health.

Collecting present moment data gave me insights that my mindful eating practice couldn’t tell me.

For instance, eating a banana and peanut butter was not a protein dense enough breakfast to kickstart my day. My CGM taught me I was experiencing the “dawn effect” in the morning, which was a spike in my blood sugar before I even ate. Fueling with a high sugar and low protein option wasn’t actually giving my body the energy it needed.

Watching the data of my glucose monitor, I was able to work on mitigating this by eating a heavy protein based breakfast (think 20-30 grams) before having my coffee. And an added bonus if I walked or moved my body vigorously enough so that my body would “eat up the glucose” before sitting there in my blood stream.

This blew my mind because intuitively, my body was not hungry for four eggs or a big bowl of yogurt and fruit. This is where science gave me data to adjust to my body’s needs on a deeper level beyond my own intuition.

It took me a few months to start noticing different cues from my body. I noticed what actually eating enough protein felt like in my body. Full and satiated without feeling heavy. I was baffled that eating a blue cheese mushroom and onion burger on a brioche bun hardly shifted my glucose. Never in my life did I think I would be choosing a Chomp Turkey meat stick as a mid-day snack.

My diet went from eating mostly vegetarian plant based to eating animal protein daily. For how active my body is, I was learning that beans and rice as a complete protein was not cutting it. My former morning breakfast where I made 1 fried egg was a joke at attempting to fuel my body sufficiently.

In a recent conversation with , nutritionist and hormone health coach, on the Centered in the City podcast, she called out the limiting beliefs many women can have when it comes to nourishing our systems properly:

It is so true! We all have many limiting beliefs when it comes to fueling our bodies. Having a CGM helped me fuel my body with a new intention. My intention was to listen to my body while prioritizing balancing my blood sugar.

Here I am, about 5 months later checking in on my glucose again.

I am celebrating that the shifts I made in my nutrition since February are having lasting impacts on my blood sugar. I am no longer having the “dawn effect” in the morning. My blood sugar is staying more balanced throughout the day because I am eating more protein with every meal and snacking less.

As I write these words, there is a part of me that scoffs because the word “protein” has become so trendy in the health world I didn’t want to believe it. But I am here to say how much more satiated I feel. There is less wandering energy in my hands or mouths to graze throughout the day. A sturdiness in my bones and emotions I didn’t expect.

I also note how much energy it takes to eat this much protein. When I first started to invite myself to four scrambled eggs for breakfast, my body cringed because it felt too much! But five months later I have trained my body to be hungry for breakfast. If I eat a meal with not enough protein, I notice this deep primal hunger lingers. Almost like my cells are thirsty for their amino acids.

What I love most about the CGM is that your results are yours.

Learning your own personal data helps you make more informed choices about what your body needs. Not what influencers are telling you to do. But instead, you get to notice and learn the rhythms and language of your body. You get real time data to help you build a deeper noticing practice.

Wearing a CGM is not a forever practice for me. But I do think it is helpful to do once or twice a year as a way to build a deeper relationship to my body on a molecular level, however not outsource my mind/body connection.

Noticings Practice:

I invite you to notice your mind/body connection when it comes to fueling yourself. Feel free to share with me your thoughts and insights.

1. What are your body’s signs and signals of hunger?

2. How do you know if you need more protein or food?

3. What ways do your wearables empower your mind/body connection?

Here are some of my favorite protein options:

Practice mindful eating with me here.

My favorite protein powders & products:

• Tejari is a great complete vegan protein option. Each serving is 20 grams of protein. I have been loving the vanilla flavor. So easy to stir into almond milk or add to my favorite recipes. My body can easily digest it and it tastes delicious.
  

• Collagen Protein from Needed. This isn’t a complete protein but I love adding it to my morning coffee, smoothies, oatmeal and other recipes. (20% off with code: Center)
  

• Painterland Sisters Yogurt is insanely creamy and delicious! Lactose free so my stomach can enjoy it. Each serving is 21g of protein. I love adding blueberries, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds and ground flax seeds for a full bountiful breakfast.
  

• Chomps Turkey Meat Sticks are pretty good. I can’t get into the beef ones, but the turkey taste really good and are great to travel with as an on the go snack and protein booster.

Interested in learning about more of my favorite food products of 2026, check out this episode of the Centered in the City Podcast:

Other Recipe Inspo:

Chocolate Green Smoothie Recipe

Chocolate Chip Protein Truffles

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Maybe you've moved away from traditional religion but still feel drawn to questions about meaning, connection, intuition, meditation, or whether there's something bigger than yourself.

Or maybe you've never considered yourself "spiritual," but lately you've found yourself wondering about the deeper questions of life.

In this episode of Centered in the City, we explore what it can look like to approach your spiritual life with curiosity.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it means to be spiritually curious

• Why you don't need to know exactly what you believe to explore your spiritual life

• How meditation, nature, silence, grief, and everyday experiences can open the door to spiritual curiosity

• Simple ways to begin exploring your own spirituality without needing to subscribe to a particular religion or philosophy

Most importantly, this episode is an invitation to ask better questions rather than rush toward answers.

Interested in taking yourself on walking meditations? Download Centered Walks here.

Curious to join future mindfulness retreats? Join the waitlist here.

Share with me how your spirtual curiosity is coming alive by sending me a note here or DM me on Instagram @OneWade.

"Am I in the right place?"

"Am I making the right decisions?"

"Why do I still feel anxious about the future?"

If you're an ambitious woman navigating your career, relationships, purpose, or the pressure of time, this episode is for you.

So many high-achieving women believe that once they reach the next milestone—landing the promotion, finding the partner, buying the home, or achieving financial success—they'll finally feel settled. But instead of certainty, many find themselves carrying a quiet anxiety: What if I'm getting it wrong?

In this episode, we're exploring why success doesn't always quiet self-doubt, how societal expectations shape the way we evaluate our lives, and what it looks like to stop chasing the "right" path and start creating a life that feels deeply aligned.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why high achievers often experience more uncertainty—not less—as they accomplish their goals.

• The difference between living from external expectations versus inner alignment.

• How to recognize the three voices influencing your decisions: society's expectations, your personal ambitions, and your inner wisdom.

• Why asking, "Am I choosing right?" keeps you stuck—and the question that creates more clarity instead.

• Practical mindfulness practices to cultivate self-trust and make decisions from a grounded place instead of fear.

Share your takeaways with me on Instagram @OneWade

Take the Overwhelm Archetype Quiz Here

If you are wanting to support creating more inner alignment so that you can make decisions with confidence, explore 1:1 coaching together (limited spots available).

Check out mindfulness resources here.

Maybe a friend got promoted, someone announced exciting news or you watched another person's life unfold online and suddenly started questioning your own.

In this episode of Centered in the City, we're exploring one of the most common (and least talked about) human emotions: envy. Instead of judging or suppressing it, you'll learn how to understand what it's trying to tell you, shift out of comparison and reconnect with your own path.

We must remember, someone else's success doesn't diminish your possibility. Joy becomes available again when you stop measuring your life against someone else's timeline.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why comparison is a normal human tendency

• The surprising way envy can reveal your deepest values and desires

• How comparison quietly disconnects you from gratitude, presence, and joy

• Mindfulness practices to shift from scarcity to self-trust

• Why feeling "behind" is often a story—not the truth

Resources:

Bring Joy walks into your life, download the Centered Walks collection and notice what starts to shift in your mind and mood when you take a Joy walk a few days a week.

Want more 1:1 support cultivating the life you want instead of getting trapped in comparision? Schedule a Connection Call here so we can explore if working together is a fit.

You're not alone.

In today's always-on world, our brains are bombarded with endless opportunities for quick dopamine hits. While dopamine itself isn't the enemy, constantly chasing stimulation can leave us feeling distracted, anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from ourselves.

In this episode of Centered in the City, I explore how dopamine influences our attention and how mindfulness can help you reclaim your focus, inner calm, and sense of presence.

You'll discover practical tools to interrupt autopilot behaviors, regulate your system, and create a healthier relationship with technology and life without giving up the things you enjoy.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What dopamine really is

• How dopamine overload contributes to anxiety, overwhelm, and mental fatigue

• The hidden cost of constant stimulation on your focus, creativity, and relationships

• Mindful practices to help you stop compulsive scrolling and become more intentional with your attention

• How to regulate your nervous system instead of relying on external distractions

• Why true fulfillment comes from presence not the next notification

Share with me your takeaways from today's episode. Join me on Instagram @OneWade.

Curious to explore if coachign 1:1 is a fit? Schedule a complimentary call here.

Check out my interactive journal 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize here

Even though I wanted to welcome love and companionship into my life, I was damn strict about who I would let in.

My whole system just experienced a lot of trauma. Every part of me felt sensitive. Even though I had a strong physical facade of a body, I felt vulnerable on the inside. Grief still flowed through my veins. I felt my protective parts hold a shield around my heart. My internal body had the energy of a cat— very particular about who I cuddled next to.

My need for connection inspired me to dust off the internal cobwebs of the neon sign that flashed “closed” for so long. I now wanted it to flash “open.” I wanted the world to know my energy was able to be shared. I was unthawing from self-preservation.

As a young woman, I was conditioned to believe the female appearance is what makes you desirable. I no longer could rely on my flowing voluminous brown hair or my sexy backside to catch the eyes of male suitors. The idea of flirting while my hair was growing back in fuzzy patches felt like a joke. My skin was cancer pale. My eyebrows thin. Instead of leaning on my external strengths, I knew I had to dig deep from the inside out to let my light shine bright.

My focus turned towards energy. The thing about energy is it is so subtle, yet extremely palpable if you are paying attention. My body was already sensitive, but my meditation practice helped me pay attention to the energy around me and inside of me. I got to notice what felt pleasant, healing and life giving all the way to what felt draining and destructive.

I focused my attention on what was life giving as a way to recharge my batteries and move out of survival mode into thriving mode. Everything from what I fed myself to the people I surrounded myself with to how I spent my time and moved my body. Essentially everything I discuss in my book, 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize. Within three months I was glowing form the inside out. I felt confidence in my spine. I felt my female warrior ignite—this survivor who can figure it out and go after what she wants. Nothing was going to rock me because I felt fully embodied and solid.

One night out at a bar with my friends, I locked eyes with this cute guy from across the bar. I could see he was trying to order a drink. My friend happened to be bartending that night so I got his attention to serve the cutie I was making eyes with. We later started chatting and hit it off. I felt safe around him. Curious. Playful. Joyful. So many emotions I hadn’t felt in years. Not just because the dopamine was pumping through my brain, but it felt good to share my light and for my light to be witnessed. I felt I was actually attracting men I wanted in my life instead of assholes or guys who didn’t have their sh*t together.

This evening rewired my beliefs about what it meant to radiate. Fast forward a few years, I heard this quote:

“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality.”

I know now a days we hear the words manifest, but for me I always come back to energy as a guiding source. Are you intentionally cultivating the energy you want to be and see in the world?

Once you can tap into the vibrations it is like living from a whole new perspective. There is more ease, trust and flow. My heart feels open without fear. Do I live from this high frequency all the time? Hell no because I am still human. However, I know where this energy lives and I can tap back into when I have lost it.

I share this story because dating anxiety has been a theme in my coaching session with clients recently. The anxiety is real. The uncertainty. The fear of rejection. The ambiguity. The shape shifting. The ghosting. The game playing. The whole experience can be a roller coaster. Take a listen to the recent Centered in the City Podcast episode if you want to dive deeper: Dating Anxiety: How to Stop Overthinking and Trust Yourself.

That’s why I invite my clients to come back to noticing their energy. Not getting wrapped up in the energy of others, but dating from a place of self-trust instead of looking to the world for clues if they are good enough. Harnessing and connecting to your own energy is the sexiest action you can take.

Noticings Practice:

This week, focus on noticing your energy. Use my framework of the Mindful hand of Self-Care to guide you.

1. Pick a finger (aka a theme) to focus on for the week. This could be your mindset, fuel, movement, space or renewal.

2. Ask yourself, what would give me energy? I am not talking about the quick fix dopamine energy. I am talking about making choices that support your highest self. Choices that help you glow from the inside out. They might be harder or uncomfortable choices in the moment, but you know they will lasting positive benefits for your future.

ie. Space = Buying beautiful flowers for the week. Maybe your present self thinks that you shouldn’t spend the money. However, your highest self knows the $20 is worth it for the lasting impact for the week.

ie. Fuel = Maybe your mind thinks that slice of cake would give you energy in the now. But your highest self knows it is only a dopamine hit in the now. So you opt for a delicious cookie that you can savor and make last for a few days.

ie. Movement = You sign up for that salsa class you have always wanted to do even if you feel nervous about doing something new.

ie. Renewal = You give yourself permission to put the phone down for the day and have no plans. It might feel uncomfortable, but you let your body rest and stay intuitive about how you want to spend your time.

3. Notice how it feels to give yourself what you need and want.

4. Keep this up for a few weeks and notice what starts to shift in your life when you focus on filling your cup. Watch how the energy ripples outwards and you becoming an even brighter light in this world.

Share your noticings with me.

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If dating feels full of uncertanity and anxiety, I wanrt you to know you are not alone.

In this episode of Centered in the City podcast, I explore the root causes of dating anxiety and shares practical tools to help you stop overthinking, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with self-trust.

Modern dating can trigger uncertainty, fear of rejection and the pressure to "get it right." Whether you're navigating online dating or simply feeling exhausted by the process, this episode will help you approach relationships with more presence, confidence, and peace.

You'll learn how to notice the anxiety and cultivate a healthier relationship with yourself while dating. The goal isn't to control the outcome. It is to stay connected to yourself throughout the journey.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why modern dating creates anxiety and emotional overwhelm

• The signs you're dating from fear instead of self-trust

• Why high-achieving women often overthink relationships

• Three common dating traps

• Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Coaching practices to calm dating anxiety and regulate your nervous system

• How to trust yourself along the journey

• Ways to elevate your energy and confidence

Share your takeaways of this episode with me on Instagram @OneWade.

Want more 1:1 support to manage dating anxiety? Explore if working together is a fit with a connection call.

Take the Overwhelm Archetype quiz and learn how to uniquely managine overwhelm in your life.

Manage anxiety by adding walking meditations into your daily routine. Download Centered Walks to support you getting out of your head and into your body.

If you've ever wondered why you feel exhausted despite getting enough sleep, struggle with unexplained cravings, experience mood swings, acne or irregular periods, or feel disconnected from your body, your hormones may be trying to tell you something.

Lauren shares practical, science-backed insights from her Hormone Healthy Eats Cookbook, helping listeners better understand the connection between nutrition, stress, movement, sleep, and hormonal health. Lauren discusses simple shifts you can make to nourish your body, regulate your hormones and cultivate greater energy and vitality.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• What hormones are and why they play a crucial role in your overall health

• Common signs your hormones may be out of balance

• How food impacts hormone production and regulation

• The best nutrients and foods to support hormone health

• The relationship between stress, cortisol, and hormonal imbalances

• Lifestyle habits that can help balance hormones naturally

• How to create sustainable eating habits without restrictive dieting

• The new name for PCOS

Take a listen to this episode and share your takeaways with Lauren and I on Instagram @OneWade & @SoFreshNSoGreeeeen

Want suppport managing your stress levels? Take the FREE Overwhelm Archetype Quiz and get tailored insights and resources of how to manage the overwhelm so that it doesn't manage you.

Add more walking meditations into your life. Download Centered Walks right to your phone to support you walking more and scrolling less.

***** Lauren Chambers is a certified nutrition + hormone health coach, cookbook author of HORMONE HEALTHY EATS and founder of So Fresh N So Green, a business dedicated to providing clients and women everywhere with delicious recipes + simple tips to help them feel and look their best.

• Am I doing this right?

• Why can't I stop thinking?

• How long am I supposed to meditate?

• What if I'm too restless to sit still?

If so, you're not alone.

In this week's episode of Centered in the City, I'm answering some of the most common questions people have about mindfulness and meditation. Whether you're completely new to meditation or you've started and stopped more times than you can count, this episode will help you approach meditation with less pressure and more confidence.

You'll learn why meditation isn't about clearing your mind, what to do when thoughts inevitably arise, how long you really need to meditate to experience benefits, and simple ways to build a sustainable practice that works for your life.

The truth is, meditation is not about becoming a different person. It's about developing a deeper awareness of yourself and learning how to meet life's challenges with greater presence, clarity, and compassion.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• What meditation actually is (and what it isn't)

• Why having thoughts during meditation is completely normal

• The biggest misconception that keeps people from starting

• How long beginners should meditate

• Different types of meditation and how to find the right fit

• Practical tips for creating a consistent meditation habit

• The science-backed benefits of mindfulness and meditation

Next Steps:

• Share your takeaways with me on Instagram @OneWade

• Check out free meditation resources to start or begin again with your meditation practice.

• Join us for the SOULstice Retreat on June 14th.

• Download Centered Walks right to your phone here.

• Order my book, 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize here.

• Get on the waitlist for future Mindfulness Retreats

In this episode, I'm reflecting on my recent chapter living abroad in Spain and sharing the lessons, surprises, challenges, and moments of growth that emerged along the way.

Whether you've dreamed of living abroad, are navigating a life transition, or simply feel the pull to slow down and live more intentionally, I hope this conversation offers encouragement and reflection for your own journey.

In This Episode, I Explore:

• Why I chose to spend three months living in Spain

• The unexpected challenges of uncertainty and constant decision-making

• How travel can reveal the patterns and habits we don't always notice at home

• The lessons of Spanish culture I am integrating into my life

Connect with Wade:

If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram @OneWade or join and reply to my newsletter and share: What's one thing you're longing to bring more of into your life right now?

And if you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who could use a reminder that sometimes the biggest transformations happen when we step outside our familiar routines.

Take the FREE Overwhelm Archetype Quiz here

Join me in Seattle on June 14th for the day-long SOULstice Mindfulness and Meditation Reretreat

A few days remain of my three month living abroad in Spain experience. No part of me is ready to return except for the logical good girl who needs to follow the Visa restriction rules. (wah-wah)

This experience has been a blessing on so many levels and the aspect I want to explore today is one of self-trust.

In years past, the Controller Archetype in me (see my free quiz if you want to discover your Overwhelm Archetype) would grip so tight when planning anything!

Planning meals for the day…

Planning my workouts…

Planning my schedule…

Planning a trip…

Planning what I would say before the moment in a conversation arrived….

Planning my husband’s schedule….

The Story I was Telling myself

This need to plan so tightly comes from a deep protective part. A part that wants safety and security. A part that believes if I plan perfectly, “nothing ‘bad’ can happen to me.” After years of introspection through meditation, journaling, therapy, coaching, walks, learning, listening, talking, sharing etc…I have been able to name where this story lies.

The seeds stem from that stretch of time in my life where I lost everything when diagnosed with cancer and lost my mom. The part of me that felt the ground beneath crumble. The part of me that was angry because she was sold a story that life would always be secure.

The survivor in me built a belief that to prevent anything else bad from happening, I just get to “control life harder.” That logic made sense, until it didn’t…

The controlling part of me being in the driver’s seat of life affected my ability to receive. It affected my ability to enjoy. It affected my ability to stay present. She was always off in the future trying to control.

Years of working with this controlling part, I can feel the fruits of my labor bloom and they are so sweet (and a little spicy at times). It is SO important to take these pauses in your life when you can see your nervous system operating from a new pattern. These are the moments we build even more self-trust. Where we can recognize and celebrate change can happen. That we can heal. There is choice.

A New Operating System

This trip to Spain unfolded on an intention and a whim. Our flight was booked, our house re-organized and rented three weeks before our departure. Nothing else planned. An airbnb booked a week before arrival. For the past three months that is how we have been operating. Nothing substantial has been planned.

We set out on an intention to live and work from three different cities in Spain to explore if these cities felt like home. We had a rough idea of which cities we wanted to try but allowed ourselves to stay open.

The controller in me would have had a “shit fit” years ago doing this type of adventure. But here I was, trust falling into life. Trust falling into myself and into my relationship.

I had a Centered in the City podcast guest a few months ago ask me: “How are you doing that?” And it gave me a pause to notice the process I have gone through to build this reorientation to life.

A big part is learning to notice when the Overwhelm Archetype is leading. In my case, when this controlling pattern is leading. And once I can acknowledge she is here, I meet her with some self-compassion instead of judgment, shame or self-abandonment. A form of re-parenting arises where I get curious about her needs to feel safe. I let her know she matters.

From this place, she loosens her control grip and steps out of the driver’s seat and into the backseat. My higher wiser self gets to step into the driver’s seat and make choices from a grounded place of trust and clarity instead of from anxiety and fear.

This type of reorienting isn’t just about creating a new belief pattern. It goes deeper into my nervous system to be able to feel safe enough to believe these new thoughts. To trust this new story. To find the evidence that this new story is true.

Letting My Higher Self Lead

Letting my higher self lead, allowed me to stay closely linked to my truth. To make decisions from a deeper place of alignment. Each decision that feels like a true yes, keeps building that self-trust.

For me, living with more self-trust reduces my anxiety. It helps me be more present. It supports me navigating life as it unfolds—knowing I have the capacity to meet whatever is here. I feel more life “myself.” More living in my own skin. This is where confidence truly shines because I can trust I am enough, just as I am.

This Week’s Practice:

Share Your noticings with me in a DM or in the comments below:

1. What does living into self-trust look like and feel like to you?

2. How do you know when you are in self-trust? How do you know when you have self-abandoned?

3. What are the deeper believes that your Overwhelm Archetype has?

Leave a comment

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Many of us were taught that resilience means holding it all together, staying productive, and bouncing back as quickly as possible. But what if true strength isn't found in force? What if resilience is built through self-trust, presence, rest, and the courage to stay connected to yourself during life's hardest moments?

Drawing from personal experiences with grief, healing, uncertainty, and recovery, I share how softening helped me cultivate a deeper sense of resilience and inner safety. This episode is an invitation to release the pressure to be unshakable and instead discover the quiet power of self-compassion, nervous system regulation, and beginning again.

Inside this episode:

• Why "pushing through" can disconnect us from ourselves

• The connection between softness and self-trust

• How nervous system regulation supports resilience

• Why rest is a resilience practice

• A new definition of strength during seasons of uncertainty

• The four Rs of Resilience

• Reflective questions to help you reconnect with yourself

Whether you are navigating burnout, grief, overwhelm, change, or simply feeling stretched thin by life, this conversation offers a grounded reminder that resilience does not require hardness. You do not need to force your way forward.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who may need this reminder today and share your takeaways with me on Instagram @OneWade.

Resources mentioned:

Overwhelm Achretype FREE Quiz - understand your primary patterns.

Join me for a day-long mindfulness retreat in Seattle to support you softening into your strength. Learn more and sign-up here.

Regulate your nercous system with Centered Walks or additional resources on Centered in the City

If so, you're not alone.

In this episode I explore why slowing down can feel surprisingly uncomfortable and why so many of us feel a constant pressure to stay productive. Drawing on nervous system regulation, IFS and mindfulness, I unpack the deeper reasons behind our "addiction to doing" and offers practical tools to help you create a healthier relationship with rest.

If you've ever wondered:

• Why do I feel guilty when I'm not working?

• Why can't I relax, even when I'm exhausted?

• Why does being busy make me feel more in control?

• How do I stop tying my worth to what I accomplish?

This episode is for you.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How dopamine reinforces the habit of constant productivity

• Why the Default Mode Network becomes more active when you slow down

• How perfectionism and contingent self-worth fuel overwork

• The difference between being busy and being fulfilled

• How mindfulness helps regulate the nervous system and build comfort with stillness

• A simple reflection practice to uncover what you truly need

Join me in Seattle on June 14th for a SOULstice Day-long retreat. This is an opportunity to rest, receive and regulate your nervous system out of all the doing and activation of modern day life. There are limited spots so if you are interested, learn more and sign up here.

Resources:

• 100 Mindful Moments to Balance and Energize by Wade Brill

• Centered Walks: Guided walking meditations

• Overwhelm Archetype Quiz

• 1:1 Mindfulness Coaching with Wade. Sign up for a Connection Call to explore if working together is a fit.

Loved This Episode?

If this conversation resonated, please:

• Follow Centered in the City

• Leave a review on your favorite podcast app

• Share this episode with someone who needs permission to rest

Connect with Wade

• Instagram: @OneWade

• Website: centeredinthecity.com / / WadeBrill.com

What You'll Learn:

• How grief can show up around Mother's Day

• Mindful ways to honor your mother and yourself

• Simple rituals for healing and reflection

• How to navigate holidays when they feel heavy

Share with me how you plan to celebrate your mama this Mother's Day on Instagram @OneWade.

Need time to tend to yourself? Take yourself on a Grief Walk. This is one of the guided walking meditations I have in the Centered Walks collection. Learn more and download here.

Curious to work together 1:1 schedule a complimentary connection call here.

In this episode, we explore how to find quiet in a loud, overstimulating world—without needing to escape your life or add another overwhelming self-care routine.

You'll learn simple, practical mindfulness tools to help you step out of autopilot, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with a calmer, clearer version of yourself. These practices are designed for real life—whether you're walking through a busy city, working on your computer, or moving through a full schedule.

If you've been craving more presence, more space in your mind, and a deeper sense of inner calm, this episode will show you how to access it—one small moment at a time.

This episode is for you if you:

• Feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, or mentally drained

• Struggle to slow down or "turn off" your thoughts

• Live in a busy environment and crave more calm

• Want to feel more present but keep slipping into autopilot

• Are looking for simple, realistic mindfulness practices

Want to go deeper? Join me for Mindfulness in May: Bloom into Presence. This is a month-long mindfulness program to help you bring more presence to your life. Sign up here.

Share your takeaways from this episode with me on Instagram @OneWade.

After building a successful corporate career and rising to the role of Vice President, Kathryn came face-to-face with a difficult truth: the path she was on no longer aligned with who she truly was. In this honest and inspiring conversation, we explore what it means to listen to your inner voice, navigate major life transitions, and choose truth over external success.

If you're feeling stuck, disconnected, or questioning your current path, this episode will remind you that it's possible to reconnect with yourself and create a life that feels true, aligned, and deeply fulfilling. Share your takeaways with us on Instagram @OneWade and @KathrynFlaschner

Curious to start or deepen your meditation practice? Join me for Mindfulness in May is a guided, month-long experience to help you reclaim your attention, calm your nervous system, and move through your days with more presence, clarity, and self-compassion.

Take my FREE Overwhelm Archetype Quiz and learn how you can more skillfully navigate overwhelm and your patterns.

*****

Kathryn Flaschner spent a decade in brand strategy, building global offerings for companies like Walmart and Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine — reaching Vice President by 30 — before leaving to ask the question at the heart of her own work: what happens when you stop performing success and start listening for what's true? That question became The Truth Is, a podcast exploring the examined life through long-form conversation, and Truth Circles, a coaching and facilitation practice built around the same premise. She's also an actor, writer, and yoga and meditation teacher, and believes the most important intelligence isn't in our heads. The Truth Is Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thetruthis_podcast The Truth Is Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthis_podcast/ Substack: https://substack.com/@kathrynflaschner