🌟 Tapping into the Magic Within: Aligning Body and Business – with Elle Bower Johnston

Giada Centofanti [00:00:04]:
Hey there. Welcome to Inner Impact, a podcast about taking aligned action. I’m your host, Giada Centofanti, coach and founder of Care to Impact. On this show, you will get tools, inspiration, and space to take online action and create a business that brings joy and positive change to your lives and the world. Hey there. Welcome to Inner Impact. In today’s episode, we are going to explore how tapping into the wisdom of our bodies can help us take aligned action and also build joyful, impactful businesses. And we are going to do it with the wonderful Elle Bauer Johnston. Let me introduce her to you. So Elle is a body witch. Her work is the alchemization of breathwork, somatics, and rest practices with witchcraft and folk magic. She works with creatives, witches, queers, change makers, widows, folks who might not necessarily feel like they belong in wellness or spiritual spaces to help them get into deeper their relationship with their body and connect with their magic. Her work is queer and trans centered, trauma conscious, and rooted in unraveling colonialism and capitalism from the ways we relate to our bodies. She believes that our practices can be microcosps of liberation that spiral out and create a better world. Ally, what an inspiring bio. I am so Great. So grateful. Yes. I am so grateful. You are so great. I am so grateful to have

Elle Bower Johnston [00:01:52]:
you on the podcast. I’m so pleased to be here. Yeah, it’s really it’s lovely to get to, like, chat properly.

Giada Centofanti [00:01:59]:
Yeah. Okay. So I would say, let’s dive deep right into the topic, shall we?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:02:06]:
Let’s do it.

Giada Centofanti [00:02:07]:
So I want to start from thinking about reconnecting with our bodies. So I believe that, I mean, it’s essential for us as persons, and it can be helpful also for us as small business owners.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:02:23]:
Oh.

Giada Centofanti [00:02:24]:
So I would love to explore with you what somatic awareness and work is and what exactly reconnected with our bodies means to you. And also how you think these two thing things may be a crucial tool for business owners.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:02:43]:
Yeah. I mean, I let’s start with definitions. I love, like, definitions. I was like, let’s get the groundwork in place. So, yes, somatics and reconnecting with our bodies, I mean, our bodies are the vessels through which we experience life, to which, like, everything happens to us. And cinematics is the practice of becoming aware of how life moves in us, and also, like, where it gets stuck and, like, you know, where we kind of get frozen or kind of run old patterns that once kept us safe, but kind of no longer really help us to, like, thrive or help us to, you know it it maybe kept us alive, but it doesn’t really allow us to live. Yeah. And as a bit of a sort of, like, etymological word nerd, I love, like, the sort of knowing the the roots of the word somatics. So it comes from the ancient Greek word soma, which kind of refers to the body as experienced from within. And kind of woven into that is a move away from the split between mind and body, which, you know, we see so much in the Western world of, like, great. We think and the thinking is priority and, like, you know, logic and rationalism are king and the quiet, weird, sort of like unknown mysteries, of the body and feeling. Oh my god, feeling. Like, there’s there’s no there’s no worth there. There’s no value there. And so, yeah, it’s it’s a it’s a model for kind of finding an integration of the whole of you. And I think it’s a an important kind of piece to name that when I say, you know, reconnecting to our bodies, yes, I’m talking about physical body, but also that kind of acknowledging that there are many, many layers of embodied experience. So that we have, you know, our physical bodies where you can, you know, feel your flesh and bones and blood and, you know, everything that makes the physicality of you work, but there’s also so much more. We also have, like, our emotional bodies, our mental bodies, our spiritual bodies, our energetic bodies, our relational bodies, and these are all layers that play into how we experience the world. So, yeah, when I say, like, reconnecting to your body, it’s like reconnecting to all those different layers in, like, whatever level feels true to you. Yeah. And how is this helpful in a business, in running a business is is, hey, you’re a body always. Mhmm. Like, even when you’re in your business, like, you know, and expanding your capacity for, like, nervous system regulation, knowing how to recognize and meet sort of internal threat responses, because there is nothing that will spark your threat responses more efficiently than having a business. Yeah, being able to relate to people in, like, a way that is, like, true and, like, clear and rooted in, like, who you are down at the core, knowing ways to listen to, like, the subtle guidance of your spirit or your energy body, like, all of that supports you in running a business that, like, that feels like you, that, like, doesn’t suck the life out of you. So, yeah, I’m I’m a big fan. Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:07:01]:
Yeah. I think this last set sentence. Right? A business that doesn’t suck your life out of you is kind of the essence. If we were truly attuned to our bodies, we wouldn’t probably overwork ourselves because we wouldn’t, you know, listen to our bodily needs, and now I’m talking about the physical body. You know, I’m hungry, and I need to eat. I’m thirsty, and I need to drink. I am tired, and I need to rest. Mhmm. But we tend to be completely disconnected to the physical needs from the physical needs. And these usually bring us to burnout.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:08:01]:
Yeah. And and, you know, to name the other facets as well. Right? Like, you know, you wanna talk about burning out. There is, you know, a really quick route to burn out is, for me, at least in my experience, is, like, the performance of being someone that you’re not. Or, like, you know, when you’re relating from a place of kind of fawning, where it’s like, I’ll be whoever you need me to be. Just please don’t, like, you know, don’t not like me. Like you know, and so you’re kind of contorting yourself in in these ways, kind of internal contorting, and whether that’s, you know, whether you count that as relational or whether you count that as energetic, like, you know, that is also exhausting. Yeah. And and just the same for for perhaps, like, an energetic perspective on that of, like, yeah, burning out from from not knowing your own edges and whether that like, they all weave together. Right? So, you know, if we’re if we’re not eating, if we’re not sleeping, if we’re not resting as we, you know, to kind of replenish ourselves, that contribute to an energetic kind of level of burnout. Mhmm. But also, yeah, if we’re kind of trying to cram ourselves in a direction that energetically doesn’t feel aligned to us

Giada Centofanti [00:09:33]:
Mhmm.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:09:34]:
Like, that’s also, again, exhausting and, like, such an inefficient use of of your life.

Giada Centofanti [00:09:41]:
That’s something. Yeah. Absolutely. And I can see it happen, and I also experienced it experienced it in life and also in business. And I guess for I mean, tell me if if it resonates with you as a small business owner. I don’t wanna say I have looked for the quick fix, but I’ve certainly looked for steps. Please tell me how to do this. Yeah. And there’s plenty of people telling you how to do this. But that this won’t work for you because it’s, again, a matter of contorting your sir yourself internally to fit into a mold that’s not the right fit for you.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:10:29]:
Yeah. Yeah. That’s definitely that’s definitely been my experience. Like, you know, I’ve been in business in many different forms for a really long time now, and still, like, you know, the the lure of, like, someone being like, I have the answers, is such a such a magnetic pull. Right? Because, like, you know, if we’re talking about, like, bodies and nervous systems, like, we just wanna be safe. Like, we just like, that’s that’s all our nervous system wants for us is to be safe. And for a lot of time, that means, like, you know, doing the things that we know haven’t killed us, even if they haven’t helped us thrive. You know, like, this that kinda sucked, but at least I didn’t die, so, you know, I know I know that’s safe. But also, yeah, like, it really makes us susceptible to to the lure of someone being like, it’s safe. I know what to do. Rather than, like, what can be such a unknown and, yeah, can feel really scary to be like, oh, I’m gonna listen to myself and I’m gonna follow my own path, And I don’t know, you know, that if there’s a set, you know, guaranteed success. Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:11:42]:
Yeah. Totally. And also, following your own path may mean that you are deciding to stop conforming, and conforming is safe.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:11:56]:
Mhmm. Yeah. Right? Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:11:58]:
So I’m thinking about this, and I’m thinking about the layers you mentioned. So so many somatic layers, and our body’s made up so many different layers. And I’m also thinking about the layers of conditioning. So social, cultural, familial, and how it is needed to unlearn them to be able to operate in alignment with our core selves. So how, in your experience, somatic work can help us unlearn?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:12:43]:
Yeah. So I might just use myself as an example here. Right? Like so I’ve been working in various ways to kind of wander my way into relationship with my body because this is, like, a continually unfolding, practice. And, yeah, I think how has it helped me to kind of unlearn conditioning? I think it’s it’s a strange balance of, like, bottom up, which is, you know, sort of like felt sense telling you something, and then your brain being like, oh, I’m learning something here, and also, like, top down, which is, like, cognitively understanding, like, oh, that’s conditioning, and then that sort of, like, changes the way that you feel in your body. So, yeah, like, it really when you are rooted in yourself, and your, you know, your own kind of central channel, I kind of I keep doing this this motion of, like, head to head to pelvis, but, like, you know, this real feeling of, like, oh, yeah. I am I’m in myself, and I know my own edges, and I’m kind of, there’s this idea that we we talk about as sort of like being right sized. And being right sized doesn’t mean being bigger than everyone else, and it doesn’t mean being smaller than everyone else. It just means, like, being the size that you are meant to be in that moment. And that cuts through the stories with a more like, with such a sort of a I wanna say powerful feels like sort of overpowering, but, yeah, it’s just like it’s such a clean knife to cut through, you know, where you’re like, okay, cool, like, my my social conditioning tells me that as someone who was raised female, as someone who is, you know, who is white, as someone who is queer, like, that I need to be x y z. But when you’ve got like, an anchor that is you, there’s space to be like, okay, well, the conditioning says this, but is that the truth? Like, it may be that, like, okay, cool, like, my conditioning says that, I don’t know, as a queer person, I don’t fit into, you know, heteronormative society, and that is true, and also that’s a fucking blessing. And and that’s, you know, something that I revel in, of, like, you know, being able to skirt around the edges is something that feels very, very true to me. But, yeah, I think it it just takes the capacity to stay in yourself, to make that space between, like, the story and your immediate response to it. Mhmm. Oh, is this true, though?

Giada Centofanti [00:16:01]:
The space. Yes. Put some space be between yourself and the narrative, the story, which is also something that I find true when, you know, about decision making. So when you need to make a decision or maybe reply to someone else’s request or invitation. If you give yourself the grace and if you can, of course, to put some space between the request and the response, it makes wonders.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:16:46]:
Yeah. Yeah. There’s a real power in in the pause. Yeah. Yeah. Just just, like, in in every moment, like in every conversation, in every, like, you know, opportunity, even, like, you know, writing a newsletter, just like having that space to pause and not even check-in. It doesn’t need to be a conscious thing. It can just be like, oh, can I make a little room here? Because I think capitalist society and living and working in in a capitalist world, there is a layer of urgency that, like, overlays everything and kind of can get, like, stuck in our bodies. Right? We’re, like, I haven’t got time. I have to I like, I I have to move fast all the time. Like, I’m running out of time. Like, you know, just like this constant kind of anxious attachment to to time. And, yeah, not necessarily training yourself, but, like, giving yourself the gift and the grace, as you said, of of space to actually feel what you feel is something that, yeah, that urgent pace kind of robs us of. Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:18:14]:
Yeah. Yeah. When you were talking about, you know, the urgency, I thought about the white rabbit. Oh, like in Alice in Wonderland. Amazing. Yes. It is so obsessed. Yes. By time. Right?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:18:33]:
Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:18:33]:
And, of course, this is a way for the system to keep us in line.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:18:39]:
Yeah. Because if you haven’t got time to think about or, like, feel anything, then, like, yeah. You will comply. Yeah. It’s so much easier to, like, okay. Cool. I guess I just just oh, I need to do what everyone else is doing. Or, ah, I need to make a decision. And, like, you know, just like this real panicky kind of energy.

Giada Centofanti [00:18:59]:
Yeah. Exactly. And what I loved when we connected, for this call is that you took some time to breathe and take time for yourself to see if you had any questions for me or just, you know, to get into the right headspace to start this conversation. And this is, I think, as simple as avoided or not done.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:19:24]:
Yeah. Yeah. And, like, I I you know, to be perfectly honest, like, I did that because, like, before I clicked the button to, like, join the conversation, I could feel this kind of rising. Like, okay. We’re gonna be in conversation, and I need to, like, I need to be, like, up there. And I’m like, oh, no. I can I can still relate and be in my body and take a pause and, like, Jada’s not gonna hate me? Like, I’m not gonna disappoint her. Like, you know, all of these things that kinda come forward of, like, why we have to move so fast. But, yes, it’s a it’s a a practice that I do a lot with clients is and it can be super challenging is, like, getting comfortable with asking for a pause when you need one, like, and allowing yourself that.

Giada Centofanti [00:20:19]:
Yeah. Yeah. Also, sometimes it feels so hard to be comfortable with silence.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:20:30]:
Mhmm. Yeah. The Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:20:33]:
There is this kind of need to fill it with something.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:20:42]:
Yeah. Yeah. And, like, I could go into the sort of nervous system, reasons behind that. Like, you know, there is a kind of a hyper social response that we have, which is part of keeping us safe. Right? And there’s so much wisdom in that. Like, you know, we are we are animals who are born to relate. That’s such a huge part of you know, you think about a baby that comes into the world and it it hasn’t, you know, it hasn’t got claws, it hasn’t got fangs, it it can’t it can’t stand up and walk around like a baby giraffe can. Like, you know, like, I don’t know if you’ve watched enough David Attenborough documentaries, but, like, you know, a baby giraffe is, like, born, and then, like, two minutes later, it’s like, yes. Guess I’m figuring out how to stand. But like, yeah, you know, as humans, we come into the world so vulnerable and so squishy, and the only kind of tools we have at our disposal is relationship, is relating to our caregivers so that we can express what we need and hopefully they can give it to us. So, yeah, like, we are really wired for a relationship, and it’s such a big part of what keeps us safe. And in circumstances where we maybe don’t know if we’re safe, like, that that kinda kicks into high gear where we’re like, okay. Cool. Like, let’s just let’s just keep talking. Let’s just, like, you know, relate keep relating because that’s that’s how we stay safe. Yeah. Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:22:27]:
Yeah. And again, so this is if you want, this is a tool that we have to stay safe. Yeah. And you already mentioned, the tool and the practice of taking some time for yourself to breathe and settle and round. And you also mentioned, you know, awareness. So, I am, you know, seeing these elements coming together, awareness tools and practices, and also having the ability to select the right tools for the right moment and context. And I would love to explore, and I’m gonna call it a tool even if I’m I don’t know if it, you know, if it works for it.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:23:18]:
Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:23:18]:
But I would love to explore magic because it’s something that you mention often in your work. So it about, you know, reconnecting with our own magic. And I guess we can think of it as a tool for internal alignment also, and also a powerful tool as small business owners too. So we love some definitions here. So first of all, what do you mean by magic?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:23:51]:
Yeah. So I’ve I have this kind of ongoing conversation with myself because, really, the overlap of magic and somatics is so big for me. They’re very deeply interconnected. So, you know, if somatics is kind of like noticing how aliveness moves in us, and how, you know, and where it gets stuck, like, magic is, like, is part of that. It’s it’s being able to not only, like, notice what feels alive for us and, like, you know, what, brings us to life, but remembering that we have power and that we have agency, and that we can impact the world around us with our choices, with our actions, with our, like, our energy moves, if you will. And though it’s certainly the way that I practice magic, which is very kind of, you know, European folk y, very inspired and and kind of influenced by indigenous wisdom of lots of different kind of places, but particularly like the work of, Robin Wall Kimmerer and Tyson Janke Porter, who are amazing kind of scholars and teachers. But, yes, like, it’s remembering that how we’re not separate from the world, that we aren’t deeply interconnected on, like, all levels, like cellular levels. And that, yeah, and that, like, we have the capacity to enact change, because of that and, you know, in service to that interconnection.

Giada Centofanti [00:25:54]:
Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. That’s yeah. It completely resonates with me, and I love how beautiful you have put it. And so if this is magic, how embracing it, maybe in your own experience, has helped you in your experience as as a business owner?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:26:23]:
I think, first and foremost, yeah, it’s it’s made me it’s made me remember my bigness, which might be a different way of saying, like, my right sizedness. Right? Like, you know, so not that, like, I am big and I have power over, but just like, I’m not small and kind of powerless and and, you know, I have to do what the system tells me to do. They’re like, oh, I am I am not just me as a self. I am so much I’m a part of something much bigger, whether we call that the universe, whether we call that, you know, simply like, it’s simply like the ecosystem that we live in, whether you call it god, like, or spirit or the whatever, like, whatever language you choose for it, like, that I’m not just me alone against the world, that I am the world, that we are all the world, which feels, you know, fairly lofty to come into business with. But it’s it’s an amazing perspective, like, to, you know I’m sat here being like, oh my god. Like, do I need to post three things on Instagram? Or, like, oh, I haven’t written an email this week. Or, like, you know, oh, I don’t know, like, what, I don’t know, any any random business problem. Right? Like, oh my god. I feel like, I’m scared of doing it wrong. And it just kind of gives a bit more space, gives a bit more, like, possibility. Like, it really like, working with magic within my business really opens me to just the vastness of possibility when, like, you know, all of my condition stories tell me that I can’t or that I’m too small or that there’s that’s never gonna work. And then I remember that the cosmos exists and that, you know, and that, like, there is an infinite world of possibility.

Giada Centofanti [00:28:40]:
Mhmm. I love how you used space again, Like, you know, the bodies tuning into our bodies can give us the space to ground ourselves and making aligned decisions and being ourselves. And the you know, raising our magic can give us space and can, you know, relate us with the universe as interconnected beings. I don’t know. I’ve rambled. Not an avenue of each

Elle Bower Johnston [00:29:27]:
makes sense. That’s great. Yeah. That make perfect sense. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, like, well, there was something that kind of flashed, and I think it’s gone. But if it circles back, I’ll let you know.

Giada Centofanti [00:29:40]:
Okay. Okay. So is there anything that you would love to share that may be helpful to the listeners that helped you start your journey in reconnecting with your magic?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:30:00]:
I think I think first and foremost was, like, reckoning with my resistance. So, yeah, like, I grew up in a very, like, unmagical world, a very pragmatic world. Like, we didn’t we didn’t go to church. We were, like, agnostic. Like, everything was very practical and tangible. There was not a lot of, yeah, not a lot of space for woo, as it were. And, you know, we met in a reading group for, Caliban and the Witch, which kind of talks about, like, the introduction of capitalism and the destruction of more, indigenous ways of being with the land, in Europe and, you know, the witch hunts, speaking of magic, and the demonization of of the unknown in that way. And part of that whole process was, like, the rise of rationalism. And, like, Descartes being, like, I think, therefore I am, and, like, you know, the kind of the intentional, dislocation of mind and body and, like, you know, introduction of, like, dualism of, like, human and earth, and they are separate, and these are very separate things. Yeah. And, you know, fast forward five hundred years and we get us now where so many of us don’t know how to trust the like, the unknown or the inexplicable. So, yeah, first and foremost, like, I would be really curious about the places that you are resistant to magic, to what you might call like wound, or like, you know, things that are more or less rational, I suppose. And then I think the other part of your question was, like, are there any particular places that people might kind of find their way in?

Giada Centofanti [00:32:27]:
Yeah. I mean, I didn’t ask it, but it sounds great. Cool.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:32:32]:
We’ll go there. It’s amazing.

Giada Centofanti [00:32:33]:
Yeah. I’m also thinking may there may I mean, there may be people who feel resistant as you said. There may be people who also feels pulled toward it and may not know how to

Elle Bower Johnston [00:32:48]:
follow the fool. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that was that was certainly me. Like, I was like, I sort of this sort of like stop start of like, I I know there’s something there, but I don’t know how to find my way in and, you know, and I think, you know, there are so many pathways. There is no one, like, university of magic, and you go there and you learn how to do it properly. Unfortunately. Well, I think it would feel like gotta squash the magic out of it. Here’s the textbook on how to do magic right. Yes. So, yeah, I would say, like, trust your gut, and, like, you can you can feel your way. Like, you don’t have to think your way into this. You can feel your way into it. Like, listen or, like, pay attention to the sparks of curiosity. So, like, certainly for me, taro was one of the the first kind of ways that I really connected with magical practice, because, yeah, I was like, what is, like, what is this? This feels so unknown and so, like, a little bit, exciting, And that that tiny spark of excitement was the thing that kinda led me in. But, yeah, it might be, like, astrology that’s your thing. It might be, like, building little tiny altars to, like, things that matter to you. It might be a ritual, it might be a prayer, you know, it could be spell casting, herbalism, working with plants, like, calling down the angels if that’s your thing. Like, you know, there are so many ways to practice magic, and you get to find the thing that is yours. And, yeah, I think, you know, because so many of us have that that desire to get it right, you know, if and they I’m I’m going on the presumption, like, you know, especially if you’ve been raised, like, raised female, you probably have some, like, stuff around maybe being a bit of a perfectionist, maybe trying to get everything right. And, yeah, like, it can take a little bit of time to trust that your way is your way is where the magic is. Like, no you know, same as with business. Right? Nobody can tell you your way. You have to find it.

Giada Centofanti [00:35:24]:
Yeah. Yeah. And I guess somehow it goes back to reconnecting with your body because two things that you mentioned, were trust your gut and feel your way into it, and your body is where you start.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:35:41]:
Yep. It’s all connected. Yeah. Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:35:48]:
I okay. So we explore magic. Now I want to mention something and I, of course, if you’re open to sharing it. So you reclaimed witch and witchcraft for yourself and your work, and we know how still today those terms are stigmatized. So I was wondering if you would be open to sharing what made you decide to use those terms.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:36:18]:
Oh, I think there was a real desire to reclaim the power of them. And, you know, maybe, like, some of this is coming from being queer as well. Like, you know, the reclamation of language is so important. Yeah. And I I think, you know, that when I decided to to really, like, get okay with calling myself a witch and, like, you know, kind of choose to call myself a body witch within my work, it felt quite edgy. Like, it felt like not edgy as in like, oh, I’m so cool and edgy. Just like like, oh, this is, oh, this is kind of uncomfortable and I’m kind of like, I want it, but also I’m kind of like, a little bit repelled by it. And that’s always an interesting place for me where I’m like, alright, there’s something here. And then, yeah, as I sat with it, claiming witch for myself felt like it felt like power. It felt like sort of, I can’t like, I’m I’m gonna describe it as a physical sensation because that’s what I do. But felt like sort of like really rooted in my pelvis and like, oh, yeah. I get to be in this power and I get to take it for myself. I don’t need someone to give it to me. Yeah. Does that answer your question? Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:38:01]:
Absolutely. Yes. And thank you for sharing. And also, one thing that came to mind is when you said I felt like really rooted in my pelvis, And I felt your energy, your your power. I I can feel it from here. And it made me think at, when when I feel anxious and restless, I describe the sensation as the probably the exact opposite of that. I feel like I’m into my mind floating. Like, I cannot touch the ground with my feet. Yeah. And so I felt it was interesting how you describe this reclamation of power.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:38:48]:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:38:49]:
Which is also, you know, connecting ourself to our Earth. Mhmm.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:38:54]:
Exactly. And, yeah, like, I am also very familiar with that that sense of being a floating head, right, where it’s just like it’s almost like, you can’t quite get a breath. Like, everything is just up and up and up. And, yeah, I think it’s been a very long, winding journey to kind of connect to that that rootedness, but it’s something that is really integral to the work that I do now, both, like, as a practitioner, like, you know, I I sort of need to be able to show up from that rootedness. Like, that’s how I’m able to hold space for clients. You know, as as you said, like, you know, we are in different countries using the medium of the Internet to talk, and we can still feel each other’s energy. Like, that’s how our like, it it sounds really out there. Right? But, like, that’s kind of how our body is it’s part of our body’s relating is that we’re we’re able to read each other, in that way. And so a part of the work I do is, like, holding a really steady space, holding my nervous system really steady so that my clients have that to kind of contain them, or kind of, yeah, to, like, be in conversation with their nervous system. Yeah. I’m trying to think where else might I go with that, but I think that might be everything that’s coming through right now. Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:40:44]:
I want to share another observation. So in both cases, you know, speaking of magic and speaking speaking of reclaiming, the term witch, you talked about resistance. And I’m wondering if when you started to look into somatics, you felt somehow some kind of resistance or it was different?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:41:13]:
I think if we go back to, like, the very, very beginning of my long wandering journey along this path, like, definitely. So I I would say, like, I kinda think of my first experiences of having a body, as an adult because it’s easy when you’re a kid and then you kind of, like, learn to forget that you have a body. Not even have, so you are a body. Yeah. One of my first kind of returning moments was signing up for a yoga course, and I had never done yoga, I had never been particularly interested in doing yoga. I don’t know what called me to sign up for this course, but I signed up, and then I kind of hated every class. I turned up, I was like, I like that same kind of resistance of, like, I hate this and I’m also fascinated by it. Like, I’m like, this real both and pull and push. Yeah. And that’s that’s always an interesting I’ve learned to look for that now because I’m like, there’s there’s I always know that there’s probably something juicy there if I can if I can stay with the pull and push and not get, like, too, like, buffed away from it. Yeah. One of one of my teachers says, like, resistance is like a call for safety in your body. And I remember, you know, when she first said that, my mind just been like, oh my god. Like, how much sense does that make? Like, you know, knowing that we are our nervous systems, our bodies are trying to keep us safe. That is the number one priority. And so, yeah, when we bump up against something that feels like it could pull us into change, that it could make us, you know, that that could move us in a direction that we don’t know how it will turn out, that, yeah, resistance is that kind of self protection that rises up. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re not meant to do the thing. And, of course, you know, there’s a lot of nuance here. Like, we’re talking about, like, I’m not saying push through your no. I’m not saying ignore yourself. I’m saying, like, there’s there’s a subtle difference between, like, a no and a, oh, I want this and I don’t want this.

Giada Centofanti [00:43:59]:
Yeah. Yeah. And, of course, you know, as you said, our brain wants to keep us safe and also wants to do it in the most energy efficient way, which would mean that it will try to do the thing that he’s or it’s already able to do. So it will take the old road, and it will despise the new road. So, I mean, it’s perfectly normal that we don’t wanna change. And I think in our shared professional spaces, we can also speak to normalize this thing where we constantly have messages telling us to exit our comfort zone. Well, it depends.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:44:55]:
Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:44:56]:
Does it feel good right now too? Yeah.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:45:00]:
Exactly. Like, sort of the whole, you know, your growth is right outside your comfort zone. And it’s like, okay. And also if you constantly push yourself outside of your comfort zone, at some point, that’s gonna be too activating, and your your internal threat systems, you know, your internal safety systems are going to have something to say about it. And that, like, long term change is rarely made in, like, big pushes and is much more likely, you know, sustainably to be made with, like, tiny, tiny, tiny doable steps, like like embarrassingly small doable steps. You know, as embarrassing as, you know, me being hyperbolic. But, yeah, I think, you know, an example that I have of that is is very simply just being like, okay. I need to write an email. Right? And and writing an email can feel like a massive thing Mhmm. At times. And so it’s like, oh, yeah. What is, like, what is the tiniest tiniest doable step for this? Like, alright. Is it I’m gonna sit down at my computer. Is it I’m going to type one word and then close the email for the day? Like, you know, like, how small a move can you make that it’s metabol like, that you can metabolize it without, like, blasting off the end of, like, I’m overstimulated, or, like, I’m collapsed and frozen. And it’s such an interesting, I suppose, game to play with yourself of just, like, okay. Like, what is the right size for this? Mhmm. Because I you know, our brains can very easily be like, oh, okay. Well, the thing we need to do to have a successful business is write five emails a week and, you know, sort of do this and do this and, you know, post my Instagram and, you know, shout for the the rooftops and and if we’re and, you know, if you can do that and feel great in it, more power to you.

Giada Centofanti [00:47:29]:
Mhmm.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:47:30]:
And if giving yourself this massive list of things to do, only, like, you know, 20% of which actually feel good to you, it’s kind of a recipe for really really hating everything that you have to do in your business.

Giada Centofanti [00:47:45]:
Yeah. Totally. And also, every day is different. Like, the size of the thing that you’re able to do today may be completely different from the one that you’re able to do tomorrow, and I know it sucks for people. Like, you don’t Can

Elle Bower Johnston [00:48:00]:
I just be consistent? Yes. Because you’re an animal. You’re like you’re a cyclic a cyclical being. Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:48:10]:
Yeah.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:48:10]:
Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:48:13]:
Okay. So, thinking about things that we can do for ourselves to recenter and realign while when we notice that we are somehow misaligned. Is there any kind of practice besides the one that you mentioned earlier that you love to do?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:48:39]:
Yes. I mean, there’s so much, So much. I would love to start with a caveat of, like, the somatic work is really benefits from, like, regularity and repetition. Like, as we were just talking about, like, tiny and doable is kind of how our bodies change. And so yeah, like, you know, while I personally have a bunch of stuff that I do, like, that helps me kind of find alignment, I think one of the most straightforward and accessible things that you could start with would be a practice of stabilization. And that’s very simply just, like, in a in the moment, like, you know, asking yourself, is there the possibility of something anywhere, anytime, like something stable? And that, you know, can mean, you know, kind of uncomplicated or steady, or, like, is there the possibility of something neutral or predictable? So, you know, something that you don’t have to do anything to to make it stable, like it’s already here. And that look, you know, that can look lots and lots of different ways. I would suggest it probably starts with a pause because most things do, but it can look like kind of bring setting your mind towards, like, a tree that you know that has, like, you know, really deep roots. Like, personally, I have, like, a favorite tree in my local park that, like, when I when I wanna stabilize, I kind of, like, I vaguely know the direction it’s in, and I kind of, like, imagine it. Like, it’s out there. I don’t have to do anything for it to be there. It’s just there and it has these deep roots and it’s like really steadying to me. Or maybe it’s not a tree, maybe it’s like a body of water or like a really good rock. Or, you know, it can be as simple as like the bricks in your wall. Right? Like, they are there. You don’t have to do anything for them to be steady and dense and stable. It could be the wood of your floor. It could be, you know, something more, elemental, I suppose. Like, you know, the the pull of gravity, like, you know, taking a pause and being like, oh, yeah. I can feel gravity in my body. Or, like, I can feel the movement of my breath. You wanna talk about something that is constant and, you know, always with us is our breath or our heartbeat. And also sometimes it can freak people out to pay attention to, like, the inside of their bodies. So, you know, if that doesn’t work for you, then find something outside of you. But, yeah, like, building stability as a content like, you know, as a sort of a touchstone or, like, something that you can reach out to when you need it is such a foundation, and gives you kind of the capacity to tune back into yourself in real time. And and then from there, you can be like, okay, you know, what is the next step? Where do I go from here? What is the aligned action?

Giada Centofanti [00:52:20]:
Mhmm. Yeah. So from what I’m hearing, it’s about finding stability thanks to a physical entity outside yourself, which is also stable. And I find it interesting we because we I’m thinking about when we are not feeling stable and that feeling of, you know, floating

Elle Bower Johnston [00:52:46]:
Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:52:47]:
That I mentioned earlier. And so trying to ground ourselves in that state and trying to do that by ourselves may be harder than thinking about something real, physical around us in the universe that can reconnect us with the universe.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:53:08]:
Yeah. And that can that can remind you that you’re not alone. That can kind of, like, help help you hold whatever it is that you’re holding. Yeah. And it doesn’t, like, it doesn’t have to be outside of yourself. It can be it can be, you know, an internal experience. It can be, you know, that you feel like, I don’t know, there’s a particular bone in you. Like, there’s a density somewhere in you that, like, oh, that feels really stable and that’s, you know, that’s not going anywhere. Yeah. I think the the most, the the thing that I would reach for is just, like, something that feels predictable that you don’t have to make predictable.

Giada Centofanti [00:53:51]:
Mhmm. Love that. Thank you for sharing. I’ve I’m I think I mean, I’ll become even more, bothering toward the trees that I already water so much.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:54:04]:
I love this. Since you’re not. Hey, guys. It’s me again. Yes.

Giada Centofanti [00:54:12]:
For now, I know that I can bother them from the comfort of my own home.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:54:19]:
Yeah. You’re like, I kinda know the direction that you’re in. Yes. Yeah. I feel you.

Giada Centofanti [00:54:25]:
Okay. Okay. So we are coming to a close, but before we wrap up, I’d love to ask you, what is, if anything, the next act aligned action that you are planning to take?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:54:40]:
Oh, yeah. For me, like, this year is really about ensuring that my business is shaped by my values and is kind of in line with, what what enables, you know, the the shape of life in me, like, you know, what enables my nervous system to thrive, and to feel sort of like I am offering my gifts to the world as it were. Yeah. So for that’s kind of started with, like, introducing sliding scale pricing into, like, all of my offers, which has felt really, really exciting and really surprisingly supportive for me as well as for my clients. And then, yeah, the next aligned action within that is kind of re like, building pathways to connect with the people that I work with and, like, my quote, unquote audience, which I don’t love, because I wanna connect in ways that feel more human and, like, having an audience feels like I’m up on a stage and, actually, I just wanna be having, like, conversations with people. So, yeah, like, reimagine that means, like, reimagining my relationship with Instagram. That means kind of building, communication pathways that feel really exciting and, like, delightful to me. So, yeah, less less kinda like shouting from a bandstand and more like, you know, being in intimate conversation with people. That’s that’s kinda where I’m going right now.

Giada Centofanti [00:56:17]:
Okay. I like that. Okay. So, speaking of connection pathways, where do people can find you?

Elle Bower Johnston [00:56:28]:
Yeah. So email is one. So I have a Substack called Body Magic, which you can join at ellie bower johnston dot substack dot com. And the other thing that I’ve started doing, which is such a delight to me, is sending, like, real mail, like a snail mail mailing list. So, yeah, you can sign up for that on my website, which is ellebowerjohnston.com. Those are my two favorite ways to talk to people.

Giada Centofanti [00:57:01]:
Okay. That’s great. We’re gonna put all the links in the show notes. Thank you so much. It was a wonderful conversation.

Elle Bower Johnston [00:57:10]:
Such a pleasure. Thank you for having me.

Giada Centofanti [00:57:13]:
Okay. Before we part ways, I want to invite you listeners to reflect on the questions. What are your main takeaways and insights from this conversation, and how can you apply them to take aligned action this week. Okay. That’s it for today. You can find the show notes, the links, and the transcript at caretoimpact.com/podcast. And while you are there, don’t forget to sign up for the next free inner impact session. So thanks for listening. Bye for now, and keep sparking your inner impact.