Send us Fan Mail

What if the brain isn’t just an organ—but the context for everything we experience?

In this episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Ruth Lorensson and Tom Pals explore the mystery of the brain, moving beyond a purely scientific lens into something more expansive. Together, they challenge the common assumption that the mind and brain are the same—and instead suggest that the mind is just one function of a much larger system.

They unpack what happens when we stop trying to solve problems through the mind alone and begin engaging the brain itself—through interoception, homeostasis, and the practices behind AHA. From real-life examples to deeper philosophical questions, this conversation opens up a different way of understanding consciousness, identity, and human potential.

This episode doesn’t aim to give definitive answers. Instead, it invites curiosity—and a shift in perspective.

Because the real question might not be how your brain works… but what your brain actually is.

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

You can follow us on
Facebook
Instagram
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website

Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org
Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com

Support us

We appreciate you!

Send us Fan Mail

What if the brain isn’t just in your head?

In this episode, we take a 30,000-foot view of the brain and challenge one of the most common assumptions in modern neuroscience. Exploring the enteric nervous system—often called the “second brain”—we uncover why it may actually be the first, and what it means to understand the brain as a whole, integrated system throughout the body.

From interoception and the vagus nerve to the role of internal “conversation” within our bodies, this episode reveals how health is not driven by isolated parts, but by connection. When that connection breaks down, dysfunction follows. When it’s restored, the system can regulate, heal, and thrive.

This conversation offers a powerful reframe of how we understand the brain, the body, and what it really means to experience well-being in a complex, connected system.

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

You can follow us on
Facebook
Instagram
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website

Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org
Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com

Support us

We appreciate you!

Send us Fan Mail

What is actually happening in the brain when we feel calm, overwhelmed, reactive, or grounded?

In this episode of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson step back for a 30,000-foot view of the brain—a simple but powerful overview of the neuroscience behind how we process stress, trauma, and wellness.

Rather than approaching the brain as something mysterious or overly technical, Tom breaks down its core structures using clear, accessible analogies—including the brain as a baseball mitt with a ball inside—to explain how different parts of the brain work together to help us survive, adapt, and thrive.

Together they explore:

• Why the brain is fundamentally your ally, designed for your well-being
• The role of the prefrontal cortex in executive function, anticipation, decision-making, and problem-solving
• How the limbic system, including the hippocampus and amygdala, stores experiences and evaluates signals of reward or threat
• Why your brain remembers everything you’ve ever experienced—even when you can’t consciously recall it
• How the autonomic nervous system carries signals from the brain throughout the body
• What happens when the brain shifts into sympathetic (fight/flight) or parasympathetic (rest and restore) states
• Why past experiences and trauma can shape how the brain interprets present situations

The conversation highlights a key insight:
Understanding the brain doesn’t require becoming a neuroscientist—but having a basic map of how it works can dramatically improve how we respond to stress, relationships, and everyday challenges.

Next episode we look at why the brain is actually three parts and how the original part of the brain lives in your gut.

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

You can follow us on
Facebook
Instagram
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
Check out the Autonomic Healing Website & InnerWorkings Website

Email Tom thomasjpals@innerworkings.org
Email Ruth ruth@bridgeandrhino.com

Support us

We appreciate you!