This episode is a heartfelt end-of-year reflection, and a moment to pause after passing a major milestone.

With 105 episodes now behind her, Susan takes time to reflect on what it has meant to create Everyday Epigenetics: Raw. Real. Relatable, a space built on honesty, curiosity, and the belief that lifestyle truly drives genetic expression.

In this episode, Susan shares gratitude for the listeners who’ve helped this podcast grow into a global community, opens up about the personal challenges of the past year, and explains why authenticity, not perfection, has always been the foundation of this show.

She also walks through important updates heading into the new year, including changes to the podcast format, a return to one intentional episode every Monday, and why choosing quality over quantity matters, especially when the goal is real impact.

You’ll also hear an exciting preview of upcoming conversations on gut-brain health, histamine, epigenetic aging, stem cells, sleep, HRV, and more, including deeply personal episodes where Susan shares her own epigenetic test results after one of the most difficult years of her life.

This episode is honest, reflective, and deeply human. It’s a thank-you, a reset, and an invitation to step into the new year with more awareness, intention, and self-trust.

P.S. There won’t be a brand-new episode next week, but we are revealing the Top 5 episodes of 2025 and the Top 5 of all time, it’s the perfect chance to catch up on listener favorites.

RESOURCES:

Find all of Susan’s Resources and links in the show notes:

Shop the products: http://healthygut.com/healthyawakenings (this link will provide you a special discount!)

https://healthyawakening.co/2025/12/29/episode105/

Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast

This mini episode is exactly what Everyday Epigenetics promises: raw, real, and relatable, literally recorded out in nature, wind, trail noise, construction sounds and all.

After my conversation with Katie Asmus from the Somatic Nature Therapy Institute, I decided to stop talking about somatic nature therapy… and actually experience it. So I headed to Boulder, Colorado, met two incredible therapists-in-training, and stepped onto the trail with no plan, no expectations, and zero control.

What followed was one of the most unexpected, grounding, emotional, and regulating experiences I’ve had in a long time.

This episode captures:

• the beginning of the session in real time
  
  
• conversations on the trail about intention, surrender, and presence
  
  
• moments of disruption (because… nature + life happen)
  
  
• and my honest reflection afterward on what shifted in my body, mind, and spirit
  
  

No edits. No polish. Just lived experience.

In this mini episode:

• What somatic nature therapy actually feels like, not just how it’s described
  
  
• Why letting go of control can create profound nervous system regulation
  
  
• How sensory awareness opened emotional and physical release
  
  
• What surprised me most after the session (including deep exhaustion + incredible sleep)
  
  
• How this experience changed the way I’ll approach time in nature moving forward
  
  

If you’re curious about somatic work, nervous system regulation, or what happens when you stop “doing” and allow yourself to simply be, this episode is for you.

And yes… there are interruptions, wind gusts, trail sounds, and imperfect audio. Because healing doesn’t happen in a studio, it happens in real life.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Katie Asmus and her therapists:

Website: https://www.somaticnaturetherapy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somaticnaturetherapy/

Events: https://www.somaticnaturetherapy.com/calendar

Show notes: https://healthyawakening.co/2025/12/26/episode104

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

Connect with Susan:

• Check out Susan’s NEW E-book! Download it FREE here: https://healthyawakening.co/ebook-signup
• Contact me for your DNA testing or epigenetic coaching! To schedule a FREE Personalized Health Strategy Session, send an email to susan@healthyawakening.co
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanrobbinshealthyawakening
  Instagram: @susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach

Susan’s LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/susanrobbins

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast

What if feeling better isn’t about “trying harder”… but about coming back online in your own body, and letting nature do what it’s always done: regulate, restore, and reconnect?

In this episode of Everyday Epigenetics: Raw. Real. Relatable., Susan Robbins sits down with licensed psychotherapist, wilderness guide, and educator Katie Asus to explore the powerful intersection of somatic therapy (body + mind) and nature-based therapy, and how both can influence your nervous system, your choices, and even how your genes express.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself, stuck in survival mode, or like you’re “getting through life” instead of living it, this conversation is a reminder that health is flow… and you can learn to move with the waves.

In this episode:

• What somatic therapy actually is (and why the body is your first language)
  
  
• How stress becomes “stuck” in the body, and what release can look like (crying, shaking, exhaling)
  
  
• Why many people struggle to tolerate feeling good (and how to build capacity for safety)
  
  
• How nature can lower stress, support the immune system, and gently regulate the nervous system
  
  
• Practical ways to use the outdoors for healing: senses, grounding, metaphor work, even “talking to trees”
  
  
• The difference between healthy activation (eustress) vs chronic overwhelm—and how to find your flow again
  
  

If you’re ready for more presence, more connection, and more aliveness—this one’s for you.

Learn more about our guest Katie Asmus:

Katie Asmus, MA, LPC, BMP is a licensed psychotherapist, life coach, teacher, mentor and wilderness guide with over 25 years of professional experience working with people in and out of the wilderness. Katie incorporates body-mind connection, the natural world, expressive arts and contemplative awareness into her work with others. She works with individuals as well as groups to bring forth their innate wisdom and to support them in opening their minds and hearts to greater possibilities.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Katie Asmus:

Website: https://www.somaticnaturetherapy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somaticnaturetherapy/

Events: https://www.somaticnaturetherapy.com/calendar

Find all of Susan’s Resources and links in the show notes:

Shop the products: http://healthygut.com/healthyawakenings (this link will provide you a special discount!)

https://healthyawakening.co/2025/12/22/episode103/

Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast