Identifying Your Unique Conditions to Thrive
===
Casey: [00:00:00] Hey there, it's Casey here, host of the Purpose Map podcast, and the founder of Worthy and Well, and this is part two of an. Series, I suppose, that we kicked off last week, all about how the environment that we surround ourself with impacts our wellbeing and our highest potential. So I am joined by Selena Coates and Savannah Meyer, two members of the Worthy and Well team, where we riff on what we know that we need in certain contexts in order to feel supported by our environment.
It's such an important piece, like recognizing that the environment we're. Impacts us. Sometimes I think we forget about this, and yet there are little tweaks or big tweaks that can be made in the environment to help support just like optimal ways of being and working and living. So I'm excited for you to tap into this conversation and my, [00:01:00] my hope, my prayer is that by the end, you have an awareness of.
Little step you might take to optimize your environment so that it serves you and your unique needs better than before. Let's jump right in.
Okay, we're back and we're digging into what specifically helps us thrive in our environments or qualities of the people around us. And you know what I'm kind of feeling called to just like do a little like popcorn into the space. Like can we each just drop and riff with one another around like what creates thrival for.
Selena Coates: Yeah, I was actually just talking with a friend who lives in Vancouver and I was sharing about my experience with the weather here in London being very gloomy recently, very rainy. And he was saying, yeah, I love that about Vancouver because it makes me really appreciate the sun more. And I thought to [00:02:00] myself, yes, he's so right.
And. I don't feel like I need the rain to appreciate the sun. And so it was just really cool to have this kind of difference in perspective in something that makes him feel alive. And something that makes me feel alive and a big one for me is the warmth of the sun and getting to experience that on the daily.
And yeah, just sitting in the sun and letting it kind of soak into me. And um, yeah, that's definitely a big one. So I jumped right in there with
Casey: sunshine. Just, just as I'd asked you to, I'm, I'm so similar to you with like warmth and sun. There's something that that does for me and what actually just came up for me as you talked about this friend who has a different experience with rain is actually how context really matters for me.
Um, At the end of my time in Costa Rica, it was like rainy season came early, and at that moment in time, the rain felt so good cuz I felt like I was letting go. I felt like I was releasing. I felt like a part of me was dying, to be honest, [00:03:00] in prep for coming home and having a bit of a rebirth and the rain felt like so perfectly timed, but in a different moment it might have made me feel like dreary and lost.
So I guess I wanna add that piece that for me, like context matters and I need different things in my environment at different times, depending on my intention. It's
Selena Coates: beautiful, Casey. Absolutely. I wanna piggyback on that one. When I'm, a big lesson that I'm learning this year and I'm integrating is that we can be in different spaces and our context is allowed to change and that we can want and desire and need different things at different times.
I have, uh, a coworker, a past coworker in my life who. Shared that. He took a job because he just needed something easy and that he could focus on other things. And that was a big lesson for me of like, oh, at different times we may just need [00:04:00] easy, and sometimes I wanna be th pushing and. And not to be toxic about hustling, but sometimes I wanna hustle and I wanna create things and I wanna put stuff out into the world.
So thinking about the environments that support that. So if I'm thinking of ease, I may want cozier things and I may fill my house with blankets and soft twinkly lights and things that create. Energy have more candles lit right now. I'm so into having my little candles lit around the house, especially in the early hours in the morning and the later hours in the evening.
We're in this transition space in our environment, in our. Um, like physical seasons and to have those like dusty hours of the day just feels so right when I'm trying to create that ease. Whereas maybe in the summer I'll feel like, oh yeah, I wanna just create things, or maybe I'll just feel like I just wanna bask in the [00:05:00] sun.
So I guess it's the context of what we need and what we're trying to achieve and what we're trying to do and who we're trying to be really affects by.
Casey: Mm, when you were talking about your candles in these like certain hours of the day, I was like, Ooh, how romantic. You know? Like it just felt like what a juicy self-love practice to have that experience.
And it totally brought me into a part of me where I'm like, oh yeah, that used to be a favorite thing of mine is getting up. Before the sun when it's dark. And Calgary having candles lit and enjoying that dark time with my coffee and my candles before the sun rises. Like, ooh, ding, ding, ding. Forgot about that one thing.
I'm actually just gonna popcorn in that for some reason, Selena, what you said made me think of this is like when I walk into a restaurant or a co-working space or a coffee, I want to be able to see my environment around me, so I will, if I have the choice, [00:06:00] I will often go to a corner spot with my back towards the wall.
I wanna see the people in front of me. Some people want the opposite, like they feel like they can focus when they have their say back towards others. I think that's something to do with like nervous system safety for me, being able to see more of my environment and who's in my space. Perhaps, especially as like a sensitive person or someone who, like I work with energy, um, that's a go-to that, that just works for me and makes me feel like, okay, now my body can relax and I can be more present.
So
Selena Coates: I love how we're talking about kind of different senses. So we've, you know, touched on like the feeling of warmth or cold or, um, Celina's beautiful candles and the, the soft glow of those. And I'm curious for the two of you, does scent do anything to kind of affect you in that way? Because for me it definitely does and I'm sure it does [00:07:00] for most people.
It's, um, very closely linked to our memory and, um, A lot of different things, but being in London and spring right now, uh, the, the breezes have been going through the trees of all of the cherry blossoms and so the scent just envelopes as you're walking along the path. And it's beautiful. It just feels green and fresh and so vibrant.
And so I'm curious, are there any that particularly make you kind of feel particularly.
Casey: Mm. Savannah, thank you for asking and I want to answer that question, but I also want you to speak about it more before I do because like, you know, you used to have a perfume company and you have a, this is what I know about you.
You have this special connection to send, so it makes perfect sense that you brought this up, but like, Outside of the, the smell of the cherry blossoms, like, I'm just curious for you to go deeper. Like, what else does scent do for you? What, what turns you on [00:08:00] and turns you off? And like, how do you seek out scent or create scent in your environment to serve a certain purpose?
And like, I just feel like there's so much more to it than what you're sharing that I'm sensing. I'm like, Savannah's got some connection with scent, so share more.
Selena Coates: Yeah, I definitely do. Um, so the reason why I kind of went down that path is because scent is very closely connected to our memories and it's um, also a big part of how we taste things.
So scent plays a very important role, um, for us and. Um, one thing that I do is when I'm preparing, especially to kind of meet someone new or kind of going into an environment where I feel a bit uneasy or nervous or just that I need to kind of calm myself down a little bit, I usually put on a perfume and I actually have one that my mum gave me [00:09:00] and it.
It reminds me of her. It's very tropical smelling and that's just my moment. And so, um, I use that because it does immediately sort of make me feel as though she's kind of, her presence is there and she's almost giving me like a bit of a hug. And um, it's kind of funny cuz I feel like I'm getting a little bit emotional now.
I'm going to be seeing her soon and, um, it's been a little while. So, um, yeah, it's just incredible the impact that scent can have. On our, um, on our presence, I guess just how we're feeling, our mood. That's what I need to say.
Casey: Hmm. Thank you for allowing those emotions to come and be witness and naming them.
And I think that in and of itself is a perfect example of how our environment and how we stimulate our senses impacts our inner world. You know, and like, ugh, I love that story. Like you. Putting on a [00:10:00] scent that reminds you of your mom, and then it also just brings up emotion. And it sounds like there's like a longing for her and so there's a comfort in smelling like her, and that just feels so beautiful.
Yeah. There was a part of me, you know, In what you said where I was like, oh yeah, what is that smell for me? And, and I'm like, what does it say about me that I want candles that smell like, man, like tobacco and smoke and like cedar. And maybe that's, I don't know. I associate that with man, but that's just like earthy sense, you know?
I'm like, it's like, feels like. A masculine energy that feels comforting to me when it comes to candles. But then, yeah, I think for me, I often will use, I love peppermint oil. I love the sage, peppermint halo. I use that almost all the time. Before and after a workout. And it feels like it just gives me this, like this vibrance for my workout and feels good on my muscles as well.
But then I also [00:11:00] have a goddess soil that I'll use when I like go out on a date or, um, I think lavender I'll use at night. So like that just helps my nervous system relax. I mean, there's solid signs around this stuff too, how like essential oils can, can impact your, your nervous system regulation, et cetera.
So those are some things that I use. But yeah. Selena, I'm curious about you sense, how do you engage with scent?
Selena Coates: Ah, I was remembering how I have been collecting perfumes now and different scents for different occasions, and I use perfumes in a combination of essential oils as well, um, in my practice of this.
But if I'm feeling like I really need to like be confident and pull out my boss energy, I have a scent for that. And if I. I'm feeling really flirty. I [00:12:00] have a scent for that. And if I'm feeling, um, like I wanna be sexy, I have a scent for that. And if I feel like I just wanna relax, I have a scent for that.
So I didn't even think about that as something that we do or I do to help me feel prepared in the environments that I'm going to and the most confident into the those environments. And then there's also the, the flip side of when ascent is wrong. Sometimes, I don't know if you've ever walked into your house and it's like, oh my God, what is that smell?
I need to search for it because that is not okay. I'm thinking of my fridge right now has a weird smell that I'm like, I don't wanna cook because there's something, something's wrong in there. Um, and I've searched and I think it just needs deep clean, but just noticing how. Like those off-put smells also put me away from things, um, as well.
[00:13:00] And I think that can be helpful. And we have that naturally built in. And I'm, I know there's science behind like our hormones and our pheromones and finding the community through scent, which I think is just like wild because how often do we ignore or cover or make scent go away? So interesting to me.
Yeah.
Casey: Wow. Yeah. Yeah. What are the other senses, right? Like we, we were talking about smell, we're talk, we've talked about basically sight, like what we see in our environments makes a difference. Uh, sounds so, I mean, I definitely use sound intentionally. Playing. There's a sound, a F, the frequency of the earth, the shoeman resonance.
You can find this like on Spotify, I'll like play the Schumann resonance while I sleep and I [00:14:00] have a deeper sleep. Or I'll play a specific type of binaural beats to get myself into a certain state. Like I'll play ural beats for focus when I'm trying to get some creative work done. So sound makes a huge difference and, um, I don't know.
I, I'm just thinking about honestly, some reels I saw recently that were about like brown noise versus white noise. Anyway, Selena, tell me how sound makes a difference for you.
Selena Coates: I have been backing into this game of putting over that your headphones on, and I'm very excited. My air pod. Pro Maxes or whatever they're called, the over the ear ones come today.
I'm very excited. Um, that was a little gift to myself, but having the, the sound when I wanna get into like a focus and flow state, actually putting something over my [00:15:00] ears. Um, To just bring me into that music and I can listen to a lot of different kinds of music in that place. Whether it be like very upbeat to something more gentle and relaxing or like makes me feel something.
But to get into that flow and using that physical over the ear just flooding my, my brain with sound can be really helpful for flow and. Having, sometimes I go for drives. This might be weird without any music, and I'll just like be within my own thoughts and listen to the wind and open up. Or when I go on nature walks like listening to.
My feet on the ground and the birds and the rustling and the wind, and just noticing the sounds that I need in different areas and what I use sound for. So using the the in the ear sound for focus and then having more open sound when I'm trying to relax. [00:16:00] Never even thought about before. Savannah, what about you?
Yeah, this conversation is making me realize how much I use sound in my life, um, to change my environment. Um, deep work. I definitely like to put on a, um, kind of like a classical playlist and it just sort of like softly lives in the background and helps me focus and then, One of my favorite sounds is the songbird.
So going on our walks and hearing the birds is just heaven. I love it. At night, I sleep with a fan every night, and so having that soft noise in the background, um, really helps kind of put me at ease and calm me down. And then I like to listen to music. When I'm kind of getting ready, I would say, and that one I find really connects me to the people in my life.
So I'll listen to the songs that I grew up listening to with my family, or I'll listen to songs [00:17:00] that, um, my brother-in-law shared with me. Or it's, I very kind of intentionally pick the songs that I'm listening to. I find, and it's probably when I'm maybe missing somebody. I think I'm, I'm almost thinking this as I'm talking it right now.
Um, But yeah, I definitely use sound a lot and can now recognize how grateful I am for the impact that it has on me.
Casey: Yeah, it's a kind of amazing how, um, Inspired and how many ideas are popping for me being in this conversation with the two of you, and I hope for the listener too, it's making you think of like, oh, right.
How else can I create an environment that actually really supports me? And you know, maybe this is for our team meeting later, I'm thinking about our next round of our next level success, 30 day intensive. Like really about helping people be who they are, be in alignment, and then. You know, share their gifts with the world.
I'm sort of like, [00:18:00] wow, we need to integrate more of this type of conversation into that work. Because, because it's like when you can have the, an environment to support the results are exponential. You know? I don't know. I've, I've been paying more attention to, uh, clothing. It's so weird. I've never been a shopper and I have really stylish.
Shopper lover friends. And so I've never felt like that's my jam, you know? But I think a couple of them have introduced me to like quality materials. And I actually notice how much happier I feel when I'm wearing clothes that are high quality and that I want textures. Like I want my, like I have a velvet, it's got velvet in it, like a kimono robe type thing that's beautiful on top.
You know, just like a top in jeans and how when I have something with texture, whether it's like fuzzy or like a high quality linen, that too brings out a totally different energy. And I [00:19:00] think that's like a maybe a combo of the site and touch part. Like I used to think that, I don't know, style in shopping was like kind of superficial.
Now I'm like, no. That's like a way to adorn the body and create a certain outcome and to become a certain archetype if you want to, or to, you know, like soothe the nervous system with touch. So, yeah, I don't know. Do you have that same connection with clothing? This is like a new thing for me.
Selena Coates: Definitely, and I feel like it's also a, a form of play that adults kind of get to engage in, isn't it?
Right? Like we get to sort of adorn our bodies and, um, enjoy. I too, Casey, love the materials and the, uh, style. Like I'm, since moving here, I've also kind of really gotten into what is my style and it's so much fun to use that as a way to interact with your [00:20:00] environment or just interact even with your body in a different way.
It's, it's a lot of fun. I definitely see it as play. Mm-hmm. I love this and. Ooh. I'm just thinking of all the different outfits now that like we're kind of more in that post pandemic world and getting to go out and like, what type of outfit do I wear wear, and who am I feeling again, it's like the same as the scent and how can I play with what ex, even what exists in my wardrobe and how it falls on my body, or the color or the vibrancy or.
It's about for me, like what archetype am I stepping into that day? Am I stepping in, like I said with the sun? Am I stepping into that very boss vibe? Am I stepping into the flirty vibe? Am I stepping into the more sexy vibe? Um, and using clothing like I have, I just bought a [00:21:00] pleth skirt that I love and I don't usually wear like, um, Like that kind of thing.
And then I had like fishnet, uh, like underneath and I'm like, I don't actually do this, but I kind of like, like the texture of the fishnet on my leg and then the pleather feeling and how that makes me feel like and co the confidence that I can and can I step into when I feel that. So there's definitely this use of clothing and I love that you said that as play like.
The way we dress should be fun and the way we, um, style their hair should be fun and the way we accessorize should feel like fun when we're, when we're doing it. And yeah, we can kind of curate based on where we're going and what we're trying to be and, and how we want to look and feel.
Casey: Yeah, and the way that we live should be fun.
You know, like, [00:22:00] I'm just thinking back to, again, I'm having a little integration moment here from my retreat that was like, we're in these physical bodies, in this physical world for the fun of it. Too, you know, and it's just so cool that we're coming back to these different senses. We haven't talked about taste yet, but like, hmm.
There's certain flavors or tastes that will drop me into a certain way of being. Um, but yeah. I love Savannah that you brought up play because I feel like life can get so serious and even this conversation about like environments over the last couple of episode. And sort of imperfect and perfect environments and how that impacts our sense of wellbeing and also like highest potential or maybe our service in the world or our capacity to pull out our gifts or be in community or whatever the intention is.
I think sometimes that, uh, discovery around growth and evolution can become really serious. You know, like in our productive hustle culture type of [00:23:00] world, especially. You know, Savannah bringing that play part in, it just reminds me, it made me like sort of zoom out way big picture that like, you know, let's have fun while we do it.
Let's have fun with our environment. Let's paint a sun on the wall. Let's wear clothes that we love. Let's cuddle our hair off and then grow it back and then like wear makeup or not, or put earrings on or not. Or like eat the rich dark chocolate cake in communion with someone we love. All of that matters as part of this experience of, I think, living to our highest potential because like, I don't know, I think we're not here to just suffer our way through life or push hard.
Yeah,
Selena Coates: yeah. Absolutely agree. Casey and I think life has, life is inevitably, inevitably going to be hard at certain moments, so us taking those opportunities to lighten it up and [00:24:00] play. Whenever we can. It's so important.
Casey: Mm-hmm. Yeah. As we wrap up today, what final words do you have, Selena? What? What's coming in for you?
She's getting a download. She's got her, she's like pulling her hand down from the sky as if something is coming into her, like a lightning bolt.
Selena Coates: I'm just integrating this like wisdom of when we are in scarcity or if we're. Feeling that hardness or if we're in that autopilot, connecting with our five senses in these ways and is the way back to abundance and the way back to embodiment.
Ooh. It just feels like sexy wisdom right now.
Casey: Yeah. Like let, let's just say that again. Embodiment and presence and abundance are all part of the same, you know? I think that's true. It's like when you're in the future of the past, you're not in your body, [00:25:00] you're not present, and you're more likely to be in scarcity.
Seeing lack, that felt really important, that integration you just made s. Thank you. Bam.
Selena Coates: And that connection to like, we always have access to our senses. Like even if it's running your fingers across the, the wood desk that you're sitting at or feeling the texture of the blanket or like that can bring our nervous systems back to where we need to be.
To feel that abundance and that gratitude, Ooh, that feels potent. Right. I love it.
Casey: That feels like the perfect note to end on, and I had so much fun with you too. Thank you for joining the podcast and being part of this, this time together. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of The Purpose Map. As I mentioned in the intro, it was my hope and my prayer that you would receive inspiration to do one little thing differently, to [00:26:00] upgrade your environment in one way, so that you can live more optimally or feel supported in your work.
Which of your senses would you like to. Tap into and what can you use in your environment to come back to your senses so that you can experience that presence, that embodiment and that abundance that Selena spoke about at the end. We always love to hear from you, so don't ever hesitate to email info worthy and well.com.
Or you can send a direct message to Worthy well on Instagram and if you feel called to, if you like what you're tuning into. It helps us a ton to receive your rating and review. On Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, wherever you tune in from that helps us get in front of more people just like you so that we can do our service work in the world.
All right. Thanks very, very much. Can't wait to chat with you soon. Bye for now.
