Episode 13: Pain Is Our Greatest Teacher: Near-Death, Trauma, and Reclaiming Wholeness — with Dr. Colleen Quinn

Community & SupportIf this conversation stirred something in you, you're warmly invited to join our monthly Healing Circle on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM PT—a space to slow down, connect, and remember you don't have to navigate life alone.Whether you come to share, listen, or simply be present, you're welcome here.Learn more and join us: https://www.soulbodywellness.health/communityGuestDr. Colleen Quinn — Transpersonal Psychologist, Mystic, Breathwork Practitioner, Author, and Two-Time Near-Death SurvivorEpisode SummaryWhat if the hardest moments of our lives are some of our most compassionate teachers?In this episode, Laurel sits down with Dr. Colleen Quinn for an intentional, depth-oriented conversation about near-death experiences, breathwork, embodied healing, and the slow process of coming back to yourself after survival.Colleen has been to the edge of this life twice — a car accident that took her to the threshold, and a pneumonia that left her gasping for a single breath. Lying on the floor, arms open wide, she finally surrendered with the words: "Let me be love in every moment."What followed wasn't a quick recovery. It was a slow, embodied return to Self — through breathwork, nervous system regulation, somatic healing, and the patient work of listening to the wisdom of her body.Colleen shares what it was like to live as "a walking head" before breathwork found her. What it means to surrender. How pain — befriended, not avoided — becomes one of our most compassionate teachers. And what it means to live fully open-hearted.This is a conversation for anyone who has wondered if the hardest moments of their life had meaning — and for anyone moving out of survival mode and quietly finding their way back to themselves.What We Explore in This EpisodeNear-death experiences as spiritual awakeningsBreathwork as a path back to the bodyTrauma recovery and nervous system regulationSurrender as the doorway to healingPain as a compassionate teacherEmbodied healing and the wisdom of the bodyMoving out of survival mode and back into wholenessRelational healing and meeting yourself where you areKey Quotes"Let me be love in every moment.""At the very end of our own strength, that's when our hearts can crack open for love to finally come in.""When we drop down to love somebody exactly as they are, they finally feel safe enough and free enough to become more than they are."Why This Episode MattersSo many of us are living from the neck up. Carrying our stories in our minds while our bodies quietly hold the weight of everything we've survived.But the body has its own wisdom. Its own pace. Its own way of bringing us back.This conversation is a reminder that healing isn't about pushing through — it's about surrendering into what is. Slowly. Embodied. With breath. With love. With the trust that even pain can be a teacher, if we let it be.A Note on ContentThis episode discusses near-death experiences, medical trauma, and survival. Please listen when you have space and support to receive it.About the GuestDr. Colleen Quinn is a transpersonal psychologist, mystic, and breathwork practitioner whose work invites others into embodied healing through breathwork, somatic practices, and the slow return to wholeness.She is the author of Essence Merging — a spiritual memoir of devotion, conscious breathwork, and the transcendent power of love.Website: https://www.essencemerging.comAbout the HostLaurel LeMohn is an integrative trauma therapist, founder of SoulBody Wellness, and host of Spiritual Friction: A Space for Deep Feelers—a podcast exploring healing, trauma, nervous system regulation, spirituality, and what it means to be human through heartfelt, reflective conversations.Her work brings together trauma-informed care, narrative therapy, somatic awareness, nervous system regulation, and spirituality to create grounded, compassionate spaces where greater self-understanding, connection, and transformation become possible.Explore more episodes, community offerings, and resources at:https://www.soulbodywellness.health/If you're seeking individualized support, I offer virtual trauma-informed psychotherapy for adults throughout California and Washington through Redwood Coast Psychotherapy.Learn more:https://www.redwoodcoastpsychotherapy.com/Stories held with care.DisclaimerSpiritual Friction: A Space for Deep Feelers is an educational and storytelling podcast and is not a substitute for psychotherapy, medical care, or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing emotional distress or are in crisis, please contact a qualified mental health professional or your local emergency services.