Yule Love These Self Care Rituals
Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD with Eve Menezes CunninghamShow Notes
A Polyvagal-informed approach to the seasonal energies for trauma, AuDHD and ADHD Feeling the weight of the darkest days? In this episode of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast, I’m sharing gentle, nervous system-friendly rituals to help you honour the seasonal energies of Yule (Winter Solstice) while healing your trauma and befriending your AuDHD or ADHD brain. Discover how to: ✨ Use a Yule log tradition for releasing and renewal ✨ Navigate seasonal overwhelm with polyvagal-informed practices ✨ Honour both the darkness and the returning light ✨ Set intentions that actually feel good for your nervous system ✨ Create community connection on your own terms Whether you’re struggling with the season or finding joy in it, this episode welcomes all your feelings and offers practical ways to thrive through winter’s longest night. 🔗 Free resources and show notes 📖 Get the book: 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing 💌 Join the Sole to Soul Circle for deeper dives, exclusive content and instant access to the whole archive 🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday – listen on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts #WinterSolstice #Yule #TraumaHealing #AuDHD #ADHD #PolyvagalTheory #NervousSystemHealing #SelfCare #NeurodivergentSupport Wishing you the coolest of Yules! 🕯️ LINKS Listen to Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Episode 48 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Watch and read full transcript here Find out more about how embodied journalling can help you here CHAPTERS (0:00) Honouring the darkness and welcoming renewal (0:57) Trusting your nervous system and honouring your needs (2:05) Introducing Episode 89 (3:38) Yule log ritual (5:38) Embodied journalling and self-acceptance (7:03) Collective care and community intentions (8:39) Free newsletter and polyvagal-informed gratitude practice (10:31) Book, coaching and other resources (11:04) Closing message and thanks FULL TRANSCRIPT How do you feel about the dark nights and long [I meant SHORTER 😊] days? You may be loving it, you may be feeling a bit hopeless, and this week we’re looking at ways in which you can celebrate your winter solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere by honouring the darkness, the cold, potentially the hopelessness, and also remembering the renewal, the hope, the deep roots growing underground even when it feels like there’s nothing happening on the surface. Trusting your nervous system, giving yourself permission to go to events that feel good for you and avoid potential sensory overload or make up for it by having quiet days after, just really honouring how you feel, whether it’s through trauma, through ADHD, through autism, honouring what you need. With it being the longest night in terms of darkness in this part of the world, it can feel a bit hopeless. If it feels good for you, I encourage you to connect with that, dipping the toe into that dorsal vagal, that Freeze! Only dipping a toe in. We’re focusing on Ventral Vagal (Purr!) the feeling good, the renewal, the hope, the letting go of what no longer serves, and setting intentions around what you want to bring into your life. It can be a wonderful time of year to connect with the worry, the anxiety, the fear, the fear of the darkness, fear of the cold. I’m going to introduce this episode, episode 89 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. Thank you for listening. I’m sharing a couple of my favourite rituals for this time of year in this episode, and I’m your host and producer, Eve Menezes Cunningham. I’m an author, columnist, trauma therapist, self-care coach, senior accredited supervisor specialising in AuDHD, ADHD-friendly therapies, trauma-informed, neuro-affirming and transpersonal approaches, and I help people heal through somatic self-care practices that honour how your brain and nervous system work, as well as your Self, that uppercase S for that highest, wisest, truest, wildest, most joyful, brilliant and miraculous part of yourself. With new episodes each Tues
More from Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD with Eve Menezes Cunningham
As we get closer to Samhain, the start of the Celtic New Year, original Hallowe’en and time where the veil between the worlds of the living and dead are said to be thinnest, it’s an especial delight to welcome the fantabulous Lisa Taylor. She shares her ideal and actual self-care, Self care and community care including some of the ways in which she (and you can too) protects her energy, connects with Spirit and stays grounded. What are your favourite ways to connect with your highest, truest, wildest, most joyful, brilliant and miraculous Self? Let us know and thank you for being here. le grá (with love) Ev3 #lisataylor #embodiedwellbeing #grounding #energymanagement #solestosoulcarefortraumaandaudhd CHAPTERS 0:00 Energy management and the nervous system 3:25 Lisa’s work in travel, design and wellness 4:52 Looking after your energy 10:51 Self-care, trauma and working for yourself 14:35 Creating a morning self-care routine 16:23 How sea swimming can help reset 21:06 Creativity, play and switching off from work 27:12 Community, retreats and collective care 34:30 The cardamom pod question 37:15 Advice to a younger self LINKS https://www.lisataylortravel.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/lisataylortravel/ https://www.instagram.com/luckylisat/ Transcendental Meditation https://www.tm.org/en-gb Vickie El-Rayyes https://www.dilligrey.com/ If you enjoyed this, check out: Episode 93: More Joy, Less Angst: Trauma-Informed Yoga for AuDHD https://solestosoul.ie/2026/01/13/more-joy-less-angst-trauma-informed-yoga-for-audhd-episode-93-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 99: Defy Dystopia! Energy Clearing Meditation for Trauma and AuDHD https://solestosoul.ie/2026/02/24/defy-dystopia-energy-clearing-meditation-for-trauma-and-audhd-episode-99-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 130: Wayward Women Co-author, Tracey Davies https://solestosoul.ie/2026/09/29/wayward-women-co-author-tracey-davies-episode-130-of-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham/ Choose your own adventures: https://solestosoul.ie/adventures/ Book your free telephone consultation and access 100s of body-mind practices at https://solestosoul.ie/free-downloads
I so loved talking to Sue Reed about her books, trauma recovery, late diagnosis of ADHD, graveyards, blackberries, nana naps, sea swims, trees and so much more. What part/s of your story have you been told others don’t care about? What might you be able to alchemise if you give yourself permission to care about it and trust that others will too? You can watch or listen wherever you podcast and access full transcript, show notes, links and more here le grá (with love), Ev3 #suereed #therewildingofmollymcflynn #authorlife #latediagnosedadhd #traumahealing CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to the podcast and meeting Sue Reed 04:10 From therapy to creative writing and The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn 10:14 Self-care, cold water and finding space to regulate 15:27 The importance of movement and learning to feel lovable 20:57 Addiction, trauma and understanding what happened 23:32 Finding your voice through writing and an ADHD diagnosis 27:13 From shame to self-compassion 30:57 Realising it wasn’t your fault 34:09 Learning to set boundaries 35:52 Finding community, connection and support 40:26 Throwing cardamom pods for Gill Castle 42:41 What Sue would tell her younger self 45:20 It absolutely was not your fault 46:22 Grounding and checking in with yourself LINKS RIPE Post-trauma badassery, unapologetic ageing, gardening as witchcraft, menopausal resurrection, van life joyrides, and neurospicy chaos. By Sue Reed
I’ve been sober (alcohol and drugs, mostly alcohol) since 2001. Quit smoking in 2001, too. Became vegan in 2017. And (drumroll) it’s nearly 7 weeks since I quit the crisps! In this episode, I share what may sound like a silly example of dorsal vagal (aka Freeze! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach – journal and planner coming soon!) numbing and yet it was challenging. I remember contemplating quitting crisps in 2008 doing my NLP master practitioner training but not wanting to be “crisp sober” so not going ahead. I hope this episode will help you untangle some of your own numbing go to behaviours and remember that you deserve better. le grá (with love), Ev3 HASHTAGS #iamjanedoe #polyvagalpurrs #sobriety #embodiedwellbeing #solestosoulcarefortraumaandaudhd CHAPTERS 00:00 Struggling to do what you mean to do 03:19 When behaviours help us feel safer 06:48 Learning to feel good in your body 10:12 Understanding your nervous system responses 12:18 Getting curious about what a behaviour is trying to do 14:03 Learning to love and care for yourself 15:55 Healing through community and support 18:19 How the body can teach us what we need 20:56 Sending love back to our younger selves 25:24 The cardamom pod question 28:43 The Body is Not an Apology (Sonya Renee Taylor) 30:26 Grounding and listening to what you need LINKS Sonya Renee Taylor: https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/ Meggan Watterson: https://www.megganwatterson.com/ onlinevents: https://app.onlinevents.co.uk/ If you enjoyed this, check out: Episode 25: ‘My needs are high’ says Louise Lucas (formerly Brown), the delightful queer, neurodivergent therapist, supervisor and trainer https://solestosoul.ie/podcast-feed/my-needs-are-high-says-louise-brown-the-delightful-queer-neurodivergent-therapist-supervisor-and-trainer/ Episode 127: Compassion and Pandas with Louise Lucas: Episode 127 https://solestosoul.ie/2026/09/08/compassion-and-pandas-with-louise-lucas-episode-127-of-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham/ Episode 94: Neuro-affirming Self Acceptance with Dr Emma Bede https://solestosoul.ie/2026/01/20/neuro-affirming-self-acceptance-with-dr-emma-bede-episode-94-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 97: Movement and Meaning with John Wilson https://solestosoul.ie/2026/02/10/movement-and-meaning-with-john-wilson-episode-97-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 28: COOKING as self care? Psychotherapist and nutritional therapist Jayne Leonard has revolutionised my LIFE https://solestosoul.ie/podcast-feed/cooking-as-self-care-psychotherapist-and-nutritional-therapist-jayne-leonard-has-revolutionised-my-life/ Episode 42: On Inner Royalty with Jayne Leonard https://solestosoul.ie/2025/01/21/on-inner-royalty-with-jayne-leonard-episode-42-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 50: Neurodiversity Celebration Week with Jayne Leonard https://solestosoul.ie/2025/03/17/neurodiversity-celebration-week-with-jayne-leonard-episode-50-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 60: Jayne Leonard on food and mood https://solestosoul.ie/2025/05/27/jayne-leonard-on-food-and-mood-episode-60-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 48: Cattitude: Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Polyvagal informed self care for trauma and/or ADHD. With cats https://solestosoul.ie/podcast-feed/cattitude-purr-hiss-freeze-polyvagal-informed-self-care-for-trauma-and-or-adhd-with-cats/ Choose your own adventures: https://solestosoul.ie/adventures/ Book your free telephone consultation and access 100s of body-mind practices at https://solestosoul.ie/free-downloads
From dogs to isolated cabins, graveyards to comedy, late diagnosed ADHDer and Wayward Women co-author, Tracey Davies, was an absolute delight to chat to for episode 130 of Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD. If you're a late diagnosed AuDHDer (autism and ADHD), autistic or ADHDer, did your school report cards help in the process? I only had one school report to hand over and it was very helpful. I hope you enjoy this episode and thanks again for being here. le grá (with love), Ev3
Am beyond delighted to share this conversation with the magnificent Mattia Maurée of AuDHD Flourishing. I can’t believe I’ve gone from literally sobbing on my kitchen floor a few years ago (when I came across their podcast when I was going through my own late diagnosis. Listening to all the episodes, I felt like they were inside my head) to sharing their ideal and actual self-care. Mattia shares their love of camping, awe-inspiring nature and more. le grá (with love), Ev3 #audhdflourishing #audhd #neuroqueer #lgbtq+ #mattiamauree CHAPTERS 00:00 Mattia on the restorative power of camping 04:03 Mattia created AuDHD Flourishing 07:45 Mattia’s ideal and actual self-care 11:07 Learning to listen to the body 14:05 Finding connection through nature and awe 18:08 Combining nature, movement and connection 19:21 The communities that help Mattia feel held 23:48 The power of group somatic work 25:10 Who Mattia would throw cardamom for 27:40 Sending love to a younger self 30:04 What Mattia needed to hear when they were younger 33:09 Grounding and listening to what you need LINKS https://www.audhdflourishing.com/ https://linktr.ee/mattiam https://www.patreon.com/mattia/about https://www.tiktok.com/@audhdflourishing https://www.youtube.com/@MattiaMauree https://www.rewilding.cc/ If you enjoyed this, check out: Episode 83: Community as self-care with Elizabeth Potts https://solestosoul.ie/2025/11/04/community-as-self-care-with-elizabeth-potts-episode-83-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 111: Survival for Sensitive Souls with Zeenat Ahmed-Peto https://solestosoul.ie/2026/05/19/survival-for-sensitive-souls-with-zeenat-ahmed-peto-episode-111-of-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham/ Episode 126: Trauma, AuDHD (autism and ADHD) and Your 9 Senses https://solestosoul.ie/2026/09/01/trauma-audhd-autism-and-adhd-and-your-9-senses-episode-126-of-the-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham-podcast/ Choose your own adventures: https://solestosoul.ie/adventures/ Book your free telephone consultation and access 100s of body-mind practices at https://solestosoul.ie/free-downloads