Re-Wiring Our Relationship with the Nervous System to Drive Growth - Megan Moseley

At the same time, my absolute favorite thing is working with people one-on-one. because I can do the real transformation there, I can really have people in a relational way heal wounds that are their entire lifetime, right?'Cause the body does keep the score. That's where it needs to start.

The body keeps the score. I bet you that's going. At the top of the episode for a stinger. Hello and welcome to the Glow Up. Fabulous Conversations with Innovative Minds. Today I'm talking with Megan Moseley. She's a somatic therapist and embodiment coach at BodyWise. Megan, it's so great to talk with you today. Thanks for joining me.

It's great to talk with you, Nathan.

can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do as a somatic therapist and embodiment coach at BodyWise.

Yes. So my background is 36 years as a physical therapist. So started off kinda specializing really in alignment In a physical way. So bottom of the foot to the top of the head, and the idea of really being with people and helping people in a holistic way. But the past years, I've studied somatic psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, nervous system resiliency, release exercise, and embodiment coaching. And so I've judged all of those things together. To create what I call the art and science of being me, it's all about working with people one-to-one, working with companies, working in groups to help people really come home into themselves to understand their experience through the frame of their nervous system, and how can they use the power and wisdom of their body to downshift their nervous system, to come into alignment with the core truth of their, of who they are, and to live in a way that feels like it's. Thriving versus surviving.

These interconnected systems. Can you describe, what you would say is like the core problem, that you're helping, these individuals and companies, with, and, I'd love to know what, embodiment, means, for you and the work that you're doing.

Okay, so I will, start with the problem and that really to me is we're in this global epidemic crisis of wellbeing, anxiety, depression, disconnection, disease, and that is really rooted in our individual and collective. Nervous system dysregulation. Most of us are trying to live up to family and societal expectations that put us in a place that we are constantly going, striving, achieving, surviving. And we really we're human beings. And so the idea of shifting our nervous system to a place of beingness versus this constant sense of being ahead of ourselves a doing way is the foundation of supporting our own wellbeing, getting our nervous systems regulated to a place where we feel safe within ourselves, that allows us compassion for others, allows us focus and clarity and really not only helps our own health and wellbeing, but in my opinion, really is the path toward collectively, toward moving toward peace in the world, toward moving with compassion.

I love that. This framework that you have is not just one that, you seem to, and I'm already getting this pattern of working across multiple levels This idea of individual and group, nervous system regulation and this idea of innovation and connection within oneself, and then also around, very big problems. Can you dive into, a little bit of the history about how you got here and, the different tools that you've needed to collect and build on your journey to get to this vision of, embodiment and, as a tool for growth? Absolutely. So it started off, I graduated physical therapy school when I was 21 and started my own practice when I was 25 and was very, Obviously involved in that and really was wanting to be with people in a very whole way. And honestly, this feels like an evolution. It feels like I started BodyWise in 1995 and I feel like it's finally what it was meant to be, right? And when you think about what that word means, and so it was really through my own personal evolution that I've then paralleled my path of this work with, which is why I just feel so. Heart driven and authentic about it. so yeah, just I was 40 and divorced for the second time and really. I didn't have the words for it at the time, but recognized in hindsight that I really was pretty successfully doing my life, but I was surviving it and I wasn't really feeling like the presence, the kind of yummy juiciness, all of the joy that was there, all of the kind of sense of presence and gratefulness and I really wanted to find more of that. So I sought out my own therapy and I just feel like it's been a universal gift to have these things, the next right thing and the next right thing put in front of me from the therapist that introduced me to somatic psychology, to a training where I trained with all of these psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and I was coming in from the physical side. And so then that evolved into meeting somebody who said, have you ever met David Burelli? Who's this guy who, started trauma release exercise, which is this tremor process. Just like all animals naturally shake things off, I help people induce that reflex. So it's just been one thing. Then the next thing, then the next thing looking at how organically these pieces go together, feels important. It feels right, feels timely, That leads so nicely into the next question, right? Which is how do you, measure the impact of this work That could be both, very personal, and, potentially transformational. at the same time.

I, a lot of it's just the, through the stories of the people that I work with, and it's just, it feels like such a gift for me to be able to witness people on this journey. So just as they're having these experiences of not just thinking through things, but feeling the shift in themselves of really feeling aligned, gut, heart, and head on the same team, it becomes very powerful and fast. I said to somebody today who said, she's oh my gosh, things are just changing so fast. And I said, when you come into authentic alignment with yourself, you literally are surfing the edge of the moment. There's nothing in your way. And it's this place of kind of trusting and unfolding of yeah, that's the next right thing. And then this is where I go from there. And you know the stories one-to-one, and watching those evolutions, but also as I do corporate work to. See these transformations happen in these big rooms, and to have come back to me year after year and say, oh my gosh, will you do our keynote again? We're still using the things that you taught us that feels important. Like a lot of workshops in a corporate way people are like, oh, that, that was good. Okay. But they don't really stick with doing them. I've gotten feedback two years later that it's still creating impact in their work.

Oh, I'm so curious. can you talk a little bit about what kind of corporate, entity you were working with and where you were helping and inspiring them.

so I've worked with Salt Straw twice and I like working with because they are, Absolutely, committed to like, how do you make the world a better place by making people better people? And so that's the kind of corporate work I like to do. I've also worked with Central City Concern. they're another great group in town here, who does 360 support for people. That's the kind of work I like to do.

Could you give an example of Like what a workshop or what you'd be focused on and working with, in those workshops.

so the one that I did for salt and straw was called, become an Authentic Leader. And I love the word'become' because it's starts with be and it ends with me. And the idea is authentic leadership is all about. Being safe and authentic within yourself. First to recognize that we're people, and that's where we create psychological safety for others. That workshop was about really understanding our nervous systems as our own individual beings, and how, because our nervous systems are developed in the first seven years of our lives primarily. When we get triggered, that's a common word, right? When we get triggered at work. we have to really look at who is acting in that moment. I give people a framework of understanding, that's my 6-year-old self who's reacting versus responding to this. I'm working on giving people the tools they need to literally be in themselves, to feel connected to themselves, and then have this sense of creating a space where there can be collective creativity. a sense of people really wanting to show up and contribute and they feel valuable and feel seen, and that's the kind of leadership that we need in the world.

Yeah. that idea of psychological safety, isn't. Just a theory in a Harvard Business Review article anymore, right? Like it's something that people measure future employers and companies by, and, younger and younger generations, the Z and Alphas, are absolutely prioritizing the sorts of values, above many others, right?

That's what's sustainable for us. You're just gonna top down, manage and drive people into the ground, it is not sustainable. And especially now after Covid, people are a lot less tolerable of what they'll put up with at work.

I and those dynamics are becoming, quite dicey. Can you talk about a time where, your work with your clients or, the work that you were doing, helped to, change? Or, think about the problems, that you're working on in a new way.

Oh gosh. Yeah, I'm gonna answer this two ways. One is, nobody's the same. so the idea of really, so much of this work is just being myself and trusting in that and not doing things, but showing up. Holding solid space co-creating with people, that's true on an individual basis in the group classes that I teach, in the retreats that I have and in the corporate work all the way across the board. beyond that, it feels like it's come to me, like I was saying, just like the next right thing and the next right thing is I've done this work. The newest thing that I'm bringing in is psychedelics. Right now I'm in the psychedelic facilitator training at Inter Trek and how the science around the work that I am currently doing. nervous system regulation, especially around what I mentioned, the trauma release exercise. It's that tremor process that's like psychedelics light where it is below consciousness, it shows up, it brings up memory, emotion, processing, insight, and so to add psychedelics into that and to use the work I'm already doing as a kind of introduction. a way of people resourcing and grounding themselves, and then integration, which is the most important piece. So that feels like a really beautiful next evolution.

Interesting. What, that's one of those opportunities, right? That, only a few states, in the nation currently,

Yeah.

Oregon has a licensed the therapy track that allows, licensed professionals, to do, trauma and, this kind of integration therapy using psychedelics. and you're working to add that certification to your stack.

So just the clarification

Love it.

training, Oregon. It's in Colorado. it's, I think it's almost complete in New Mexico and I think that Vermont might be coming on. so that are in this training are not necessarily licensed therapists, so Anybody who wants to go through the training. there's really not a baseline requirement other than to go through this process You're essentially being trained to hold space for people. And so it's during this, that psychedelic process and it's psilocybin specifically exclusively. and during that process, you're really just there for people. There's guidelines around minimal touch presence. It's basically called non-directive. So you're just following the client's process and supporting that, and you're not telling them what to do in any way.

Cool. bringing in so many modalities, to help folks. Calm and engage and regulate, the nervous system. I love it. The name of the show is called The Glow Up. That means a notable transformation, rebirth, leveling up of. What are you working on to glow up in the next six months or so?

I am applying for TEDx talks. working on a book. I have a few more podcasts coming up, couple of retreats that I am working on collaborating with and some small events both in Portland and beyond. Just continuing to show up every day and I'm really, loving the work and just trusting in the evolution of what, happens with that.

I love it that you have a very packed summer. I wanna push a little bit on this question though, because, the purpose of asking about a glow up is that, having goals and having, audacious milestones that we're striving to reach is a thing that often can catapult somebody with a big idea to that next level. So I wanna know what's that next level? Even though you have found so much. center and power in the work that you're doing. where are you taking this vision? How are you gonna take it to the next level?

That. That's where I'm at right now is in reaching for that and in, an online course that I am promoting and my hope for that is that would really take off, and that may be just, right now I'm in a place of building awareness and building following, and so my goals around that would be to. Bump my followers to, a hundred thousand to sell courses to be on a TEDx stage within the year to, finish my book, to have that published. So those are, is that more specific what you're, yeah. Yes.

Amazing. so every founder, every stage, of growth and development of an idea kind of has different needs. In this moment, with the work that you're doing, body-wise, is there anything that you're looking for, whether it's learning, networking, partnerships, research.

I am looking for networking. I am absolutely would love to get involved in research, looking at the relationship between trauma release, exercise and what happens with psychedelic and that, I'm looking for potentially an agent For, again, just further people to help me get the word out. So I love the word of mouth. My entire practice, my whole life has been word of mouth. This feels like a much bigger, more critically timed, important piece that there has to be a bigger way of getting the word out. So collaborations, people that have ideas around networking, people that know people. People that have oh my gosh, I know this company and they could really use this work. So in that way, putting it forward.

Amazing. Do you have, what's your vision for the perfect corporate, Partner or, team to work with, what do those look like in your.

That's a great question. I don't have a specific company that I'm thinking about, but I love that kind of mid-size company that is. Growth oriented that is focused on not just their bottom line, but how are they showing up in the world that are making good choices around the environment, around how they treat people. Like really looking at a value based company, that's who I wanna work with, however big they are. And then from there, to be able to offer speaking and workshops that weave in through not only the company, but these are personal. Shifts that happen for people. And so it's like there's such a ripple effect in that, right? So that, as we shift ourselves, then we shift our people that we're working with. We shift our families, we shift our communities. It just because we resonate off of each other. In our nervous systems. There is science behind that. And so really looking at how do we create impactful change from a place that is rooted in what is true and good and right in a way of holding what I call universal imperatives. Safety, love, connection, truth, integrity, wholeness, rightness, being belonging, et cetera. Those kind of things that, you're nodding your head. You cannot say no to those things. The idea of having this land in people in a way that is much bigger and bringing this into a corporate world feels really important. At the same time, my absolute favorite thing is working with people one-on-one. because I can do the real transformation there, I can really have people in a relational way heal wounds that are their entire lifetime, right?'Cause the body does keep the score. That's where it needs to start.

The body keeps the score. I bet you that's going. At the top of the episode for a stinger. amazing, Megan, we're just blowing through these questions today. and every episode of the Glow Up makes an opportunity to feature a community organization, an innovative project, a nonprofit, somebody you think is doing good work that could use a little extra attention. is there anybody you'd like to give a community spotlight to?

The would be inner trek. I think that they are, they were started by, the people that wrote Measure 1 0 9 that brought the legalization of psilocybin who started that whole process. They are wholeheartedly committed to ethical approach to this work and how they're holding it, how they're training people. So them as well as there's a Portland psychedelic society that's really coming forward and they're very committed to bringing this work to people who cannot afford it. And so they're actually, I just got an email today that they are starting to open up for memberships, so check them out.

Cool.

Cool.

I have some organizations I need to learn about. this is amazing. Megan, I so appreciate it. your passion for helping, people with, healing trauma, building self-realization, and growing, into authentic power is just. inspirational work. How can people follow up with you and learn more?

My website has a lot of information on there, and there is a link for, people to be able to have a practice that's offered for free. There's a section on what it means to'be me.' And I would check that out because it's all about really looking at, realms, body, emotion, mental and essence, and how does your nervous system work in there? It just offers a beautiful framework and a roadmap and from there you can just take it in any direction. Coaching, there is a free, consultation, so people want to connect with me on a Zoom and learn about what it would be like to actually work together. And there's also a list of my in-person classes here in Portland. My online work, there's a corporate link for people to book keynotes and workshops. So website has it all. I'm on Instagram and LinkedIn. Those are the only two. And on YouTube, those are my socials.

Amazing. Megan, Moseley somatic therapist, embodiment coach. Author, professional speaker, so many things. founder of BodyWise. thank you for sharing the work that you do. helping people really integrate their understanding of presence, how their nervous system, impacts how they show up in the world, and even, our ability to strive for and achieve dreams. such a cool, practice to hear about how, these, very personal, inward looking things, can impact, folks in so many different ways. thanks for joining us on the glow up today.

Appreciate it,

I'm

be here.

amazing.