Shair Addiction Recovery Podcast | Higher Power | 12 Step | Drug Addiction | Alcoholism | Sobriety | Hp Baby

Six years ago, The SHAIR Podcast began as a small recovery podcast with intentions of interviewing others about their experiences in recovery. With no expectations about where it would lead, today, the Podcast has over two million downloads. The SHAIR Podcast is a testament to the transformative power of connecting with others. With nearly 300 episodes, the Podcast has helped thousands of people around the world pave their own path to kickstart the journey of recovery. On the last episode of the SHAIR Podcast, Omar Pinto brings back Cole Chance, recovering addict and yoga teacher to discuss the end of an era and a new transition from the SHAIR Podcast to the Omar Pinto Coaching Podcast. From the grips of a devastating addiction to a recovering addict to a globally recognized coach, Omar discusses what it has taken to get where he is now. If the opposite of addiction is connection, recognizing the importance of getting out of oneself to help others brings an opportunity for growth and contribution, and that’s

For many, the joys that come along with being a parent can be equaled out by the stressors and chaos that follow behind. Driven by an innate need to nurture and love, parents can live their lives for others, sacrificing their own hopes and dreams. What if we can’t absorb that unconditional love for ourselves that we give to our children? When we don’t feel like we’re good enough parents, the anxious thoughts of inadequacy can creep in and affect our thoughts, our parenting, and every aspect of our lives. When we cover these feelings up with a drink to mitigate the fear and the anxiety, we prevent ourselves from processing our true feelings and developing healthier ways to cope with them. In this week’s SHAIR Recovery podcast, we help Leo crush his powerful and deep limiting beliefs from the emotional wounds of his childhood that reflected his behavior in active addiction as a parent. Leo is still punishing himself, not trusting himself, and unable to see past his limiting beliefs and his behavior. The group h

After fleeing from an abusive marriage, Rebecca Davison found herself using alcohol as a way to cope with her PTSD. She explains, “if I had a bad day, I would have an extra drink, I was very much a gray area drinker, but I didn’t like being drunk, it made me scared and anxious.”  Because of her support system and healthy childhood, Rebecca rationalized her drinking. She hadn’t hit that  “rock bottom.” She hadn’t reached the depths of what she perceived an alcoholic “should.” It wasn’t until she had a psychotic episode with a boyfriend where she finally came to the understanding that drinking and PTSD was dictating her life.  Through studying and research, Rebecca came to find Yoga Nidra and Essential Oils as her saving grace. In the practice of Yoga Nidra, it helps soothe the vagus nerve, which is essentially our flight or freeze response that may have been altered or skewed due to the trauma we’ve experienced. Additionally reducing emotional reactivity and increasing self-regulation, the benefits of Yoga Nid

We all have goals, dreams, and aspirations. But, what happens when the undertones of your past limiting beliefs gets in the way of achieving them. “I’m going to fail, so why even try?” “I’m not good enough.” “I’ll never be as good as them.” “I’ll never be as good as I was years ago.”  When we compare ourselves to others, or even begin to compare our actions to a younger version of ourselves, we become stuck within these past limiting beliefs. However, your past experiences of success tend to leave clues. If you’ve been successful before, there’s no reason why you can’t be just as successful now.  Often, what you believe will influence the way you react to events, how you feel, and how you act. And much of the time, those beliefs can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. For instance, if you can’t handle being uncomfortable, you’ll be less likely to step outside of your comfort zone. The moment you get uncomfortable, the inner critic shows up, and you can begin to cut yourself down. Though, by being gentle, lo

If you grew up in a strict religious home, you were most likely taught about heaven, hell, and a very long list of what makes us a good person or a bad person. At times, it feels as if our most intimate feelings can be judged and create feelings of guilt, confusion, and inadequacy. Whether it be Jehovah's Witness or Judaism, people tend to hand over religion and ideas about G-d in a way that layers guilt on top of obligation. As humans we are bound to make mistakes, sometimes we do, say or feel things that we are not proud of. When you are brought up in a authoritarian religion or faith community and/or your parents or religious leaders are the type to manipulate and control through religion, your spirit will be crushed, you will not be able to forgive your mistakes, every “bad” thought you have or every single thing that you do or say that could be considered “immoral” will hunt you and be a cause for shame, low self-esteem, feelings of being underserving, and the list goes on. What if you could break free

Nothing good comes from self-shaming. When relapse happens, it can be easy to fall into a shame cycle of self-loathing. When we promised ourselves we’d “quit for good,” or “never fall back into old patterns,” and find ourselves back there, it can be overwhelming. We may find ourselves scouring our memory to understand how we could have gotten back here. Or, maybe we’re stuck in a cycle of dealing with unresolved trauma - feeling waves of shame and guilt that are all consuming. In today’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, the group helped Pete. Currently in a state of relapse, Pete struggles to confront his relapse behavior until the intervention of the group steps in. The group also helped Adam. Struggling with unresolved trauma, the group walks Adam through the process of self-forgiveness to find healing and safety.  In today’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, you’ll learn: How self-loathing can contribute to relapse How trauma can lead to self-loathing, shame, and guilt The process of self-forgiveness How to find

After the loss of her Father, Brother, and Aunt, and a failed business, Lori Windfeldlt found her first sip of alcohol, “glorious.” As a stay at home mother, her habit continued to escalate until she had the realization that she lost her identity in a bottle of wine. Upon reaching her rock bottom moment, she found herself in a state of surrender asking for help.  Lori entered into a treatment facility and quickly learned that she also suffered from other co-occurring disorders including anxiety, depression, and unresolved trauma. Upon getting sober and learning more about herself, Lori discovered that sobriety and recovery were extremely different and there was more to recovery than just, “not drinking.” Today, Lori is a Certified Professional Coach, Podcast Host, and Recovery Advocate and explores the entire spectrum of  what the word recovery entails. With a “tell it like it is” approach to life, Lori supports all things recovery in her own unique and trenchant style. Ending her tumultuous career as a drunk

For anyone looking to heal from past hurts, inner child work and reparenting is crucial. No matter what we do in our lives, we're trying to feel something. When we don't feel secure and confident within ourselves, we can find ourselves acting out with maladaptive behaviors caused by underlying hurts. Whether we know it or not, we spend years abusing ourselves and people around us, repeating patterns, and when we struggle with addiction can get caught in a cycle of chronic relapse. Oftentimes, it's these underlying hurts that have us wanting to be acknowledged, seen, and valued. Some of these issues can only be addressed with inner child work and reparenting ourselves.  In today’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, the group helped Angie. Struggling with asking a woman to become her sponsor, she’s committed to her recovery but feels unsure of herself to ask for help. The group also helped Lynne. Struggling to find long-term sobriety, she finds herself relapsing time and time again. The group helps her find empowerm

In 2011, Don Cummins was homeless, desperate to get high, and had already served 20 years in prison for bank robberies. Not only suffering from mental health issues, addiction, and incarceration, the court had also declared him insane. Willing to do anything to escape from reality, he went to any lengths to not feel discomfort from the trauma he experienced and abuse he suffered. From the age of 10 Don started to get high, and by the age of 13 was committed to a program, never to live at home again. The rest of his teenage years were spent in youth homes, juvenile detention centers, and at the age of 16, Don was sentenced to prison as an adult.  As the years went on, the drugs only got harder, and the prison sentenced only got longer. Reaching a bottom, Don faced the choice to attempt suicide or reach out for help. Facing an awakening while sitting in his prison cell at the age of 23, he realized the pattern of his denial state and the inability to see the truth. Years later at the age of 39, Don decided to b

With addiction comes lies, deceit, and betrayal. However, with recovery can come the looming after effects of guilt, shame, and regret. When we get sober, we must learn to love, forgive ourselves, and make peace with our past.  Acknowledging the mistakes we’ve made and moving forward is often easier said than done. Forgiving ourselves requires empathy, compassion, loving, and understanding. It also requires us to accept that forgiveness is a choice. How to Forgive Yourself In addition, many of us can hold onto our past mistakes that we feel are not forgivable. We live in fear of forgetting the hurt. Reliving and replaying these feelings over again, we re-traumatize ourselves. However, forgiving does not mean forgetting and staying in this pattern can get us stuck and create a risk for relapse. Learning to love and forgive ourselves is essential to our personal growth, sobriety, and success.  In this week’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, the group helped Dustyn who is facing the wreckage of his past. Feeling sh

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? We’re all drawn to different things for different reasons and learning to tap into our intuition can help us find the answers to questions we’ve long asked.  One of the most common ways individuals can find the messages they need to hear is through an oracle deck. This communication vehicle between spirit and human consciousness has long provided guidance for living in alignment with the human heart, soul, and Universe to live up to your deepest desires and experiences. The oracle deck has also long been used to make decisions and point the way to personal development, joy, and prosperity.  When we learn to be gentle with ourselves, the universe, and allow ourselves to have authentic experiences, we can set pure intentions. We can then learn from the oracle deck, discern what the card is telling us, and take action.  On episode 287 of the SHAIR Recovery Podcast, Debbie A. Anderson shares her insight, wisdom, and experience with oracle cards. As one of the l

There are so many elements that go into co-parenting, including charged emotions, high anxiety, and dysfunctional dynamics - which is maybe why you got divorced in the first place. Though, what about co-parenting when one person is in recovery and the other person is still in active addiction?  When your children are away and you fear that your ex-husband or ex-wife are going to put your children’s lives in danger, how do you navigate what you can’t control? In today’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, we helped Brandi. Filled with fear, anxiety, and frustration that her ex-husband is putting her children’s life in danger with his drinking, the group holds space for Brandi to process these feelings while setting an actionable plan.  The group also helped Rema. After 34 years on antidepressants, Rema is weaning herself off of her medication. With physical, and emotional symptoms, the group walks her through the process of getting off medications and steps she can take to successfully get off of her medications for

Relationships are a two way street, but you can’t make your partner or spouse recover with you. Sometimes when we’re in the midst of a healing journey, we outgrow the people we love. While you may still be head-over-heels in love with the person, you’ve started to notice that you want different things in life, or that you’re going in two separate directions.  Maybe you want more, and your spouse or partner is content where they are. There’s nothing wrong with wanting different things, however, this could be a telltale sign that you’re outgrowing your spouse or partner in recovery.  So what, exactly, do we do in this situation?  In this week’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, the group helped Cyndy. Feeling angry, frustrated, and sad within her marriage, she feels her personal development and recovery work have created new opportunities and goals in her life. She wonders if her or her husband have any commonalities anymore. Feeling stuck, the group helps her make an informed decision about the next step to take i

Whether it be drug or alcohol addiction, money, or a relationship, we all have attachments that may or may not be serving us. However, when we’re able to identify them, overcome them, and use them as part of our story, that’s when we can truly find freedom.  Russ Perry’s experience was no different. After a tumultuous affair and battle with alcohol addiction, he found himself in and out of 12-step programs, Celebrate Recovery groups, and therapy. Through various physical and emotional bottoms, it wasn’t until he had a profound experience after reading a book on his family lineage. He realized most were alcoholics and drug addicts. It was that profound moment he decided to change the trajectory of his path and ultimately his family tree. It was then that Russ decided to change everything, including shutting down his seven figure business. From there he started to participate in coaching, personal development, and find a healthy destination to focus his time and energy. In 2015 he launched DesignPickle.  Pullin

We all go through tough times. But why is it so hard for many of us to ask for help during these times? Asking for help is the cornerstone of sobriety, though, it’s one of the biggest barriers that prevent us from getting sober and living out our true potential.  Asking for help requires us to be vulnerable and in doing so we ultimately put ourselves at risk for disappointment, rejection, and it can cause us to feel weak or vulnerable. Others may lack the social skills to ask for help, and some don’t know where to turn.  Though, when we begin to ask ourselves where this fear of becoming vulnerable stems from, most of us can return back to a place in childhood.  In this week’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, the group helped Pauly. Making significant career changes in his life, he finds himself struggling to ask for help. Through the years, he’s attracted those that take advantage of him and craves significance by those that continue to drain him. Stemming from an incident in childhood, Pauly recounts the very f

‘What we really need more than anything else during this pandemic is some hope.” As the COVID-19 pandemic struck us all with fear, frustration, and anxiety, Lori Livacich saw it as an opportunity to make a big difference with a small gesture. Stemming from her initial idea of creating something of recognition for front-line workers, Lori Livacich co-founded and created the Hero Lapel Pin -- a pin that is meant to be given to everyday heroes and essential workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. “There’s pins to thank nurses, there’s pins to thank doctors, but what about everyone else who is putting their lives on the line?” From there, Lori created one thousand pins and started giving them away. The concept took off.  “I went to the grocery store and saw a single mom, she probably had kids, and was fearful and exhausted, but you can just see it in her eyes. I could give someone a $100 bill but giving someone that pin just makes a world of difference.” However, it didn’t take Lori overnight to get to get here. Th

How many of us feel like we’ve had to prove our worth as soon as we get sober? What if our friends, colleagues, or family discover we do not actually deserve everything we’ve accomplished? Just like recovery, self-worth doesn’t happen overnight. Falling into a state of “Imposter Syndrome” takes up our time and energy. When this happens, guilt, shame, and fear can inhibit us from experiencing the true gifts of sobriety.  In this week’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call we helped Shanna. On the precipice of sobriety, Shanna is stuck at a crossroads. Sobriety is inherent on building a solid foundation, and she must choose which recovery program fits her needs the best. As the group walks her through the process of finding recovery capital, her perspective shifts. With guidance, support, and open-ended questions from the Recovery Coaching group, she begins to find the answers to her own questions. The group also helped Rebecca. Stuck in a state of imposter syndrome, she feels that was an imbalance of what she wants to

From weeknight dinners and homework sessions to Christmas card photos and vacations, Nikki and Ben created a tight-knit, enviable family. From the smallest daily tasks to the biggest life events, they both work well together. However, it only took a divorce to get them there. At 12 years sober, Ben was what some might call a “dry drunk.” Searching for something other than a spiritual solution, he would place blame on his wife, not take any responsibility for his faults, and felt flat in his marriage. “I had a strong foundation of recovery, but I stopped doing the things I needed to do on a daily basis for myself.” At the time of their marriage, Niki and Ben had hoped their wedding would start their happily ever after—but seven years, one child, and countless financial and familial entanglements later, their I do-s had turned into We can’t-s. Armed with their fierce love for their son and a desire to give him the best as their primary purpose, they realized they needed to find an alternative to the seemingly i

“I’m not good enough, I’m not pretty enough, I’m not old enough, period.”   We’ve all told ourselves this at one point or another. When these limited belief systems interfere with our daily lives, they prevent us from living in the present and fulfilling our true potential. These beliefs can get triggered by family, friends, and outer chaos that’s going on in our world when things become uncertain. In this week’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, we helped Liz. In fear about her job, her kids, and the social injustice happening in the world today, we uncovered the root cause of her fear and helped her find ways to begin to live in the solution. We also helped Bennett. After getting sober, Bennett is having trouble navigating stimulus and response systems. As a great Father, Businessman, and person in recovery, Bennett is looking to break old habits and create new systems that will help him think his way into a better life.  In this week’s SHAIR Recovery Coaching call, you’ll learn: How to identify the fears and

When we get sober, we prioritize healing our mental, emotional, and spiritual health, but what about our physical health? Stress, anxiety, and unprocessed trauma can leave an imprint on the body and affect our health for years to come.  On this week’s SHAIR Recovery Podcast, Practitioner Chris Ruane shares about a lifesaving practice that not only has helped her manage anxiety, stress, and trauma, but helped hundreds of others create lasting change. Using Hanna Somatics as a pathway to empowerment, this form of body healing is a type of mind-body training that encourages physical and mental control over muscles to reduce pain and teach the brain to re-learn movements. Different from massage, Hanna Somatics creates a healing experience that taps into empowerment, removes barriers that keep us stuck, and can shed a lifetime of negative belief systems in just four sessions. On today’s SHAIR Podcast, you’ll learn: How Chris went from becoming a massage therapist to a Hanna Somatics Practitioner What a Hanna Soma