The Cost of Carrying

In this episode: Cathy Lee Taylor tells the full story of her near-death experience at thirty-four — collapsing on her bathroom floor with her young son watching, her heart stopping five times, and what she found on the other side of the veil. But this episode isn't about dying. It's about the way she was living before it happened — decades of saying yes when her body said no, performing strength, confusing love with self-erasure. Grounded in Polyvagal Theory and HeartMath Institute research, this episode names the biological cost of carrying everything and offers a different starting point: regulate first, lead second. Includes a guided body scan practice. Research referenced: Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory — nervous system states and neuroception HeartMath Institute — chronic stress, heart rate variability, and emotional regulation Research on women and nervous system dysregulation from gender specific socialization This week's practice: Notice when you say "I'm fine" before you've actually checked. That gap between the automatic answer and the real one — that's where the return begins. Connect: Substack: cathyleetaylor.substack.com Website: cathyleetaylor.com Facebook: Conscious Rebel About Cathy Lee Taylor: Cathy Lee Taylor is the creator of the Conscious Rebel movement and podcast, and author of Always Choose Love: 6 Steps to Open Your Heart and Transform Your Life. An entrepreneur, wellness and spiritual coach with decades of lived experience, Cathy's work is a homecoming for women who are done performing and ready to live from their hearts. She is a 5/1 Manifestor in Human Design. Revolution starts in the heart. ConsciousRebel YourHeartKnowstheWay HeartledLiving AuthenticChoices AlignedInnerSelf InnerAuthority Get full access to Conscious Rebel with Cathy Lee Taylor at cathyleetaylor.substack.com/subscribe