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Is this anxiety? Or is this intuition? When this happens to you, how do you tell the difference?

Our local audience may know that a significant wildfire* burned through most of last week on the Shawangunk Ridge. This fire was uncomfortably close to home for Courtney and today's episode focuses on the ways she uses her body's natural intelligence to discern between feelings of anxiety and her own intuition.

Drawing on the experience of the wildfire, as well as the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Courtney points out some key clues that she has come to understand as the ways she feels anxious and the ways she feels a deep knowing.

We also discuss the positive aspects of stress, the differences between worry and nervous system activation, appropriate means of responding to both, and ways of caring for our stress response so that we better understand it.

Courtney offers up some ways to tap into the five senses for groundedness, comfort, and calming. She also shares some ways she helps calm her own stress-response so that she can make decisions from a place of strength, not panic.

If you have more to add to this conversation, please reach us at courtney@shineandsoar.com or fill out the contact form on shineandsoar.com/podcast. Also send us your questions, topic ideas, or other feedback!

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*As of Sunday, September 4, 2022 the primary fire on the ridge is 100% and 60% extinguished with significant rain in the forecast. The two smaller fires are out. Many thanks to all of the volunteers and professionals who have spent more than a week protecting our community, homes, and natural resources!