What does play look like when you’re an adult—with responsibilities, guilt, and a nervous system that doesn’t always settle easily? In this episode, I explore what it means to find your way back to play: discovering your own play style, working through differences in how others play, and relearning play as a vital part of connection and well-being. Drawing on polyvagal theory, play research, and personal reflections as a parent and therapist, this episode invites you to rethink play—not as an extra, but as an essential part of being human.

Listening note: This episode builds on the concepts introduced in Episode 4 on polyvagal theory and is best enjoyed after listening to that episode first.

In this episode of Authentically Connected, I sit down with my friend Jen Schneeman for a grounded, deeply human conversation about nervous system regulation, energy, and what authentic resilience really looks like. We explore how resilience isn’t about perfection or staying calm, but about flexibility, repair, and learning to reset in the moment.

Jen shares her journey from high-pressure scientific and military work into trauma-informed, integrative practices that weave together neuroscience, somatics, mindfulness, and energetic awareness. We talk about burnout, motherhood, creativity, and practical, embodied tools—like the ABCs of regulation, energetic boundaries, breathwork discernment, and self-talk—not as ways to fix ourselves, but as ways to stay connected and present.

Together, this conversation invites you to collaborate with your nervous system, honor your sensitivity, tend to your energy, and remember that healing and resilience are built through presence, compassion, and authentic connection.

Jen's websites:

https://www.realhumanperformance.com/

https://www.selfcareandresilience.com/

In this episode of Authentically Connected, join me in a gentle exploration of Polyvagal Theory — the science of how our nervous system moves between safety, stress, and shutdown. I'll explain how to map your own “ladder,” understand your body’s signals, and find your way back to connection. From the wandering vagus nerve to the power of co-regulation and tiny steps out of overwhelm, this episode is a hopeful guide to reshaping your inner world one nervous-system moment at a time. Let this be an invitation to listen inward and rediscover your own rhythm of regulation.