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The Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast
Hosted by Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson, the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast (AHA Podcast) explores how activating the brain engages the body’s interoceptive awareness and natural homeostatic processes, helping restore nervous system balance and support healing from stress.Grounded in neuroscience and the body’s innate intelligence, each episode offers practical strategies, scientific insights, and real conversations to help you build whole-person wellness—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Join Tom and Ruth as they unpack the science behind Autonomic Homeostasis Activation™, share tools for self-regulation, and invite you into a living systems approach to wellness that empowers resilience, freedom, and everyday well-being.
Episodes
85 episodes
AHA Therapy: Changing the Conversation within the Body
In this thought-provoking episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Ruth Lorensson and Thomas Pals welcome back Scott Turner, renowned physiologist and expert on homeostasis, cognition, and superorganisms, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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43:59
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Purposeful Homeostasis: Agency, Adaptation, and the Many Little Lives Within Us
In this thought-provoking conversation, Ruth Lorensson and Thomas Pals welcome back Scott Turner, author of Purpose and Desire, to explore the fascinating intersections of niche construction theory, homeo...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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39:19
Purpose, Desire, and the Design of Life: Introducing Scott Turner
Interoception, homeostasis, and the autonomic nervous system are at the heart of this conversation on trauma healing and body-based wellness—drawing inspiration from Scott Turner’s groundbreaking book, Purpose and Desire.In this...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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39:24
Why You Don’t Feel Safe (Even When You Are)
Interoception, homeostasis, and the autonomic nervous system come together in this powerful episode to help you understand why you may not feel safe—even when there's no actual danger. Hosts Ruth Lorensson and Tom Pals unpack how traum...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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40:26
Brain-fulness: Achieving Optimal Homeostasis in Body, Mind, and Spirit | Nervous System Regulation
Interoception, homeostasis, and the autonomic nervous system unite in this episode to explore the concept of Brain-fulness—a mindful, embodied practice for restoring balance, healing from stress, and cultivating wh...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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34:13
Beneficial or Detrimental? The Five P’s of Wellness
Interoception, homeostasis, and the autonomic nervous system frame this insightful exploration of the Five P’s of Wellness—an intuitive framework to determine what truly supports or hinders your well-being. Hosts <...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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41:52
Wellness on the Clock: From Fight-or-Flight to Rest-and-Digest
Personal wellness does not happen in isolation. In this Fundamentals of Wellness episode, Tom and Ruth examine how health is shaped by both individual habits and our shared environment.Using the recent Fort Collins mall incident as a cas...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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40:03
Pain: Your Body's Secret Healing Language
In this eye‑opening installment of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson peel back the layers of a sense most of us never knew we had—interoception, the brain’s moment‑to‑moment read‑out of ever...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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40:28
Don't Scratch the Itch: Working with Your Body's Natural Healing
In this enlightening episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson dive deep into the fascinating world of bodily healing and homeostasis. Challenging conventional wisdom about wellness, they explore the c...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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28:00
The Truth About Homeostasis: Why Balance is a Myth
Is achieving balance really the key to wellness? Or have we misunderstood homeostasis all along? In this eye-opening episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson dive deep into the science of homeos...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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35:56
The Well Within: Drawing from the Deep Source of Wellness
In this episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson explore the true essence of wellness—what it means, where it comes from, and how to cultivate it in daily life. They dive into the origi...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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26:30
Wellness vs. Illness: Trusting Your Brain’s Innate Power to Heal
Join Tom Pals and co-host Ruth Lorensson as they explore the often-overlooked ways our brains naturally work to restore balance—body, mind, and spirit. Learn why discomforts like itching, pain, and even unexpected emotional responses aren’t alw...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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32:20
Brain-Informed Wellness: The Foundations of AHA
In this episode of the AHA Podcast, Ruth Lorensson and Thomas Pals introduce the groundbreaking concept of brain-informed wellness as part of their new series, The Fundamentals of Wellness. As the new year begins, many of us look to re...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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38:01
Wellness: The Ground Beneath our Feet on the Path to Thriving
Ready to dive into wellness? 🌱 Join hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson as they kick off an exciting new season, The Fundamentals of Wellness, a fresh exploration of what it means to thrive in body, mind, and spirit.In this debut ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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38:04
Christmas Special 2024 - Light, Love & Life
🎄 AHA Podcast Christmas Special: Light, Love, and Life 🎄As the Christmas season unfolds, Ruth and Tom delve into the heart and soul of what makes this time of year truly special. From cherished traditions and the joy of Christma...
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Season 2
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Episode 47
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32:22
Zest
In this momentous finale of the "ABCs of Thriving" series, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson explore the vibrant power of zest—both as a metaphor and a mindset. Unpacking its roots in citrus and its neurobiological impact, they discuss how zest can r...
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Season 2
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Episode 46
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27:45
Yield
In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson explore the profound concept of yielding as an essential element of thriving. They delve into the multiple facets of yielding—from the idea of giving w...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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36:36
Xenophilia
In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson explore the transformative concept of xenophilia—"the love of strangers"—and how embracing this mindset fosters resilience and connection in a world wh...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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30:21
Wisdom
In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson continue their journey through the ABCs of Thriving, focusing on the letter "W" for Wisdom. They delve into how wisdom is essential for thriving in lif...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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41:18
Verity
In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson explore the concept of Verity—a transcendent form of truth that goes beyond mere facts. As part of their ongoing series on the ABCs of Thriving, they u...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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31:28
Understanding
In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, hosts Ruth Lorensson and Tom Pals explore the profound power of "understanding"—both intrapersonal and interpersonal—in fostering a thriving life. As part of their ongoing ABCs of Thriv...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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33:27
Time for Thriving
In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, Tom and Ruth discuss the common habit of letting past traumas and experiences dictate our present and future, often keeping us stuck in survival mode. They offer practical insights on how to shi...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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33:44
Sustain Psyche
In this episode of "The ABCs of Thriving," Tom and Ruth dive deep into the letter S, exploring the ancient Greek concept of "Psyche". Psyche goes beyond just the mind—it's the essence of being, encompassing body, mind, and spirit. Tom and Ruth ...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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36:08
Quiescently Questing
In this episode of the Autonomic Healing Podcast, hosts Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson explore the profound connection between calm and questing as they dive into the letter "Q" in their ABCs of Thriving series. They examine the concept of quiesce...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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31:48