Soften the Edges

We're closing out the season together: you, me, and the wisdom of trees. You share some super important cellular code with trees - ya know, the kind that keeps you alive - and we'll dive into how trees and our bodies hold our stories. Plus we'll do a quick somatic practice to help you shift into a calmer mode. Get the Weekly Magic here!

Positive self-talk isn't just a nice idea, it's a science-backed technique that can help you navigate life with more calm and ease. Join Mary and special guests Steenz, Kaylen Wissinger, Alain McAlister, and Laurie Brockhaus for pep talks that could change the way you show up today, tomorrow, and here on out.

If you've been stuck in binary, all or nothing thinking lately - it's all good or all bad, perfect or a disaster, hear this: it's not your fault. It's your human nervous system doing a very old thing. We're gonna talk about the nervous system, what's going on biologically when we hit these spirals, and how to exhale our way into a tiny bit of calm.Get the Weekly Magic, your new favorite deep breath shaped newsletter.

When you're in the habit of carrying all the things, it can be hard to slow down and rest. Mary breaks down the biology, psychology, and culture behind why it's hard to rest, and leads a quick somatic practice designed to ease you into rest.

Join Mary and Alain McAlister, a luminous artist who went from pushing through everything to actually listening to their body (and kept creating anyway!).We get into what it really means to assess your bandwidth, how to scrap projects without shame, and why befriending your self-doubt might be better than fighting it. Alain shares what changed after an autism diagnosis in college, how they structure their days around energy instead of shoulds, and why sometimes the most creative thing you can do is stop.If you've been ignoring your limits (or maybe pretend you don't even have them!), this conversation will feel like a gentle permission slip to assess your own bandwidth and move forward more gently.Follow Alain on Instagram!Check out their website!

You're allowed to look for hope and experience joy, even now. Especially now. An upbeat chat with Kaylen Wissinger, owner of Whisk Bakeshop, that touches on baking (of course!), glimmers of hope, and making hard decisions. Plus, a super quick meditation practice to bring you back to here, now.Last call - join us at the Rad Self-Care Summit! Save your spot here!

A gentle, science-backed look at why we scroll, especially when we’re tired, bored, or overwhelmed, and how to be a little kinder to ourselves about it. Plus, a somatic practice to land in your body and give your nervous system what it needs. Hey, join us at the Rad Self-Care Summit!

If being hard on yourself worked, it would have worked by now. Explore the science of why self-criticism is the opposite of what we need when the going gets tough, plus dive into a quick exhale for practicing compassion. Join us at the Rad Self-Care Summit right here! Feb. 2-6, totally free, totally awesome, five days of bite-sized practices for reconnecting with yourself.

Self-criticism doesn't just live in our heads - it lives in our nervous systems. We'll explore how compassion and nervous system regulation can help us bridge the gap between who we are and who we want to be, along with a simple technique for bringing self-kindness into real life. Join the Rad Self-Care Summit right here! Five days of real self care, totally free, totally awesome.

Why do New Year’s resolutions fail — even when we really want them to stick? In this episode, we explore how your nervous system prioritizes safety over change, and why lasting transformation only happens when we move slowly, gently, and within our capacity. You’ll learn how to work with your nervous system (not against it), take tiny steps that actually stick, and start the year in a way that feels sustainable instead of exhausting.✨ Plus, a grounding weekly exhale and an invitation to the Rad Self-Care Summit.

This episode starts 400,000 years ago, on a cold winter night, with a tiny piece of pyrite and the discovery of fire. I’ve been thinking about how humans forgot how to make fire, and how that feels a lot like the ways we forget ourselves now. How to rest when we’re tired. Eat when we’re hungry. Cry when we’re sad. As the days get shorter, this is a gentle invitation to slow down and remember. I’ll share a simple somatic practice for warmth and orientation to safety: something small you can carry with you through the long, dark evenings. Pull up close. The fire is crackling. Reminder! We're going on a winter break but will be back January 7! If you want a special bonus episode in the meantime, sign up for the Weekly Magic here!

Join comics artist and professor Steenz and Mary as the chat all things creativity, kindness, and hope when the world is...the world. Mary leads a quick body-based practice specially chosen to bring some ease to your day. Find Steenz here and on IG @ohheysteenz. Snag a bonus episode of Soften the Edges and The Weekly Magic newsletter right here!

Join Mary and Laurie Brockhaus as they explore the breath as a tool for presence, mindfulness, and social justice. It's a glorious convo full of invitations to be here, now.You'll leave this ep with a brand new somatic practice for being with the breath, as well as warm fuzzies (or at least a bit of ease) from reconnecting with yourself.You can find Laurie's therapy practice right here.Please visit Dreamin' and Schemin' to tell Mary what's on your mind - just 2 minutes of your time and she'll send you an exclusive soothing audio catered to your nervous system! Thanks!

Your nervous system has a secret: it remembers things you don't, and it's running survival patterns under the radar. Join Mary for the science behind these old programs and a quick somatic practice that brings you into the present so you can feel calmer, more resilient, and ready for the challenges life throws your way.

This week, Mary reveals a truth hiding in plain sight: you’re not just managing your own energy. You’re co-regulating with everyone around you, and your nervous system has been doing overtime.Inside this episode, you’ll learn:• Why your emotions, energy, and capacity aren’t separate issues • How the nervous system quietly shapes every interaction. • A simple boundary-setting somatic practice you can use anytime to remind your body where you end and the world begins. You’ll walk away with more clarity, more compassion for yourself, and a practical tool to reclaim some much-needed space in your body.

Want to feel steadier, more present, and more creative? Your body holds the key. Mary shares how our bodies store stress and simple, science backed ways to clear the stress and feel better, right in the middle of real life. There are three quick paths to nervous system regulation, and you'll do them right along with Mary so you can feel calmer and more resilient, nothing fancy or extra required. Download your FREE 2-min nervous system soothing audios at marywissinger.com/softentheedges

You are too precious to be walking around sleep deprived. Make the 3am wakeup a thing of the past. Mary shares the science behind nighttime waking along with simple steps to sneak back into sleep. As always, we'll do a quick co-regulation practice so you'll walk away feeling calmer and more resilient, and you'll catch good Zs tonight!

Worthiness is a feeling, not an achievement. Delve into the surprising root of perfectionism and feeling unworthy. Plus, Mary guides you through a quick somatic practice to generate feelings of true worthiness from within so you can rise to the challenges in your life, exactly as you are.

You're not too sensitive - your nervous system is trying to protect you. Discover the simple science behind the "too much" sensory response, and easy practices to help you feel calmer, steadier, and less stressed.

What if stress isn’t a problem, but a message?Your body isn’t out to sabotage you. It’s trying to keep you alive, but sometimes it's a little too good at its job.In this episode of Soften the Edges, author, educator, and certified nervous system nerd Mary Wissinger unpacks what your body’s been saying all along: stress isn’t a flaw, it’s communication.You’ll learn how to speak your body’s language, why logic can’t turn off stress, and how nervous system regulation is the key to real calm.Press play, take a breath, and meet your brilliant body right where it is. Subscribe for your next exhale.