Rooted & Wild
Rooted & Wild is a daily podcast for those seeking alternative answers about wellness, the body, the mind, and the multifaceted components that shape our health.Hosted by Henry Hawk, certified ThetaHealing® practitioner, herbalist, chef, and behavioral consultant, each 30-minute episode blends grounded wisdom with soul-deep reflection. You'll explore themes like nervous system regulation, Chinese medicine, alternative medicine, herbalism, breathwork, emotional healing, and spiritual resilience—all through the lens of holistic wellness and trauma-informed care.Whether it’s solo reflections or rich interviews with wellness experts, every episode helps you reconnect with your intuition, regulate your body, and remember your place in th...
The Leadership Gap: How Accidental Managers Sabotage Workplace Culture | Valerie Alexander
What happens when someone is promoted because they’re excellent at their job—but no one ever teaches them how to lead people?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Valerie Alexander, globally sought-after keynote speaker, bestselling author, and expert on workplace happiness and inclusive leadership, for a conversation about one of the most overlooked problems inside organizations: the accidental manager.
Many managers never set out to become leaders. They were high performers, subject-matter experts, loyal employees, or simply the next person in line for promotion. Sudden...
Imposter Syndrome Is Psychological Chlamydia | Rachel Burr
What if imposter syndrome isn’t a personal defect, but something almost everyone catches at some point?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Rachel Burr, executive coach, leadership consultant, speaker, and author of Butterfly Goo: The Down and Dirty Truth of Transformation, for a funny, irreverent, and surprisingly revealing conversation about imposter syndrome.
Rachel has a particularly memorable way of describing it:
Imposter syndrome is psychological chlamydia.
It’s uncomfortable. People don’t necessarily want to admit they have it. You...
Three Lessons in Athletics That Inform Clinical Pain Care | Christal Geier D.O.M.P, CAT(C), B.Kin
What can decades of athletics teach us about pain, injury, recovery, and the way we care for the human body?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Christal Geier, D.O.M.P., CAT(C), B.Kin, founder of Take Flight Osteopathic Wellness, to explore three lessons from the world of athletics that have profoundly influenced the way she approaches clinical pain care.
Christal’s relationship with the body began long before she discovered osteopathy. Raised on a farm in Saskatchewan and immersed in athletics throughout her life, her...
Trauma, Anxiety & the Body: How Somatics and Nutrition Restore Safety | Luis Mojica
What if anxiety isn’t simply something happening in your mind, but a response your entire body has learned in an attempt to keep you safe?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Luis Mojica, somatic therapist, trauma nutritionist, founder of Holistic Life Navigation, and author of Food Therapy: Conscious Eating to Navigate Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma, for a conversation about the relationship between trauma, anxiety, the nervous system, and nutrition.
When we experience chronic stress or trauma, the effects aren't necessarily confined to our thoughts and...
Growing From Loss: How Grief Awakens Spirituality, Meaning, and Purpose | Stacy Parker
What happens when grief changes not only the life we are living, but the way we understand life itself?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I welcome back Stacy Parker, grief educator and author of Grief As a Second Language, for a deeply human conversation about what can emerge in the years and decades after profound loss.
After the death of her first daughter, Alyssa, in 1997, Stacy entered a world she never would have chosen. Grief became part of the language of her life. But over time, that experience...
Foundations in Biofield Tuning | Jessica Maria Garcia
What if sound could help us better understand the relationship between our emotions, nervous system, and the energetic patterns we carry?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Jessica Maria Garcia, Advanced Biofield Tuning Practitioner, Associate Counselor, sound healer, Kundalini meditation teacher, and Emotional Empowerment Guide, for an introduction to Biofield Tuning and the ideas behind this sound-based wellness practice.
Biofield Tuning works with the concept of the biofield, the field of energy and information believed to surround and permeate the human body. Using tu...
The Angel, the Devil & the Dinner Plate: Navigating Our Humanity in Food Choices | Sherry Strong
Why is it so easy to know what we “should” eat and still choose something completely different?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I welcome back Sherry Strong, food philosopher, chef, nutritionist, certified Live Blood Microscopist, and bestselling author of Return to Food: How Going Back Is the Way Forward, for a conversation about the wonderfully complicated relationship between food and being human.
Most of us have experienced the little debate at the dinner table. One voice reaches for nourishment, health, and the choice we know will make us feel...
Slow Spaces for a Fast World: Somatic Sanctuary in the Age of Acceleration | Amy Rogg
What if our exhaustion isn’t simply a personal problem, but a natural response to a culture that has forgotten how to slow down?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Amy Rogg, creator and facilitator of Underbelly: The Art of Slowing Down®, for a conversation about reclaiming slowness in a world organized around speed, urgency, productivity, stimulation, and more.
Underbelly is a non-verbal somatic journeying practice using rest, embodied movement, music, stillness, and relational exploration to create space for a slower body. Rather than...
Building Family Culture Intentionally | Elisabeth Stitt
Every family has a culture. The question is: are we creating it intentionally, or simply inheriting it?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I welcome back Elisabeth Stitt, author, award-winning parent educator, certified life coach, and founder of Joyful Parenting Coaching, for a conversation about one of the most powerful things parents can shape: the culture of their home.
Family culture isn't created through one big conversation or a perfectly articulated set of values. It's built quietly, every day, through the rituals we repeat, the behaviors we model, the...
Re-Membering the Sacred as a Way of Meeting the Times | Michael Kass
What if the challenges of our time aren’t only asking us to do more, solve more, or move faster, but to remember something we’ve lost?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I welcome back Michael Kass, founder of Story & Spirit, for a conversation about what it means to re-member the Sacred and why restoring a sense of connection, meaning, and reverence may be essential to how we meet this moment in history.
We live in a time of enormous complexity. Our attention is fragmented, our institutions are shif...
The Medicine in the Cards Channeling Energy Through Oracle Reading | Kari Balderston
What if an oracle card isn’t simply something we interpret, but a doorway into what we’re already being invited to see?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I sit down with Kari Balderston, mystic, healer, medicine woman, and energy counselor, to explore the intuitive and energetic world of oracle reading.
We move beyond the idea of cards as simple fortune telling and into something deeper: how oracle cards can become tools for channeling, reflection, energetic awareness, and spiritual connection.
Kari shares how she approaches a read...
Risking It All (On Purpose) How We Build the Life We Actually Want | Rachel Burr
What if the life you actually want is waiting on the other side of a risk you’ve been afraid to take?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by executive coach, leadership consultant, speaker, and author Rachel Burr for a funny, candid, and deeply human conversation about risk, transformation, and what it takes to stop settling for a life that merely feels comfortable enough.
With more than 20 years of experience working with leaders and organizations—and master’s degrees in both clinical psychology and organizational development—Rachel understands the complic...
Food Philosophy: How We Are Meant To Eat As A Human Species | Sherry Strong
What if eating well became simpler when we stopped asking what the latest diet tells us to eat—and started asking how the human species was actually designed to eat?
In this episode, I welcome back Sherry Strong, food philosopher, chef, nutritionist, certified Live Blood Microscopist, and bestselling author of Return to Food: How Going Back Is the Way Forward, for a deeper conversation about our relationship with food.
Modern nutrition can feel overwhelmingly complicated. We're surrounded by competing diets, constantly changing recommendations, highly processed foods, supplements, marketing claims, and conflicting id...
What Does It Actually Mean to Be Well? - Reflections After 100 Episodes | Henry Hawk
After 100 conversations about health, healing, spirituality, the body, relationships, identity, and what it means to live a meaningful life, one question keeps rising to the surface: What does it actually mean to be well?
In this special 100th episode of Rooted & Wild, Henry steps behind the microphone alone—not to celebrate a number or look back at favorite moments, but to reflect on the deeper patterns that have emerged across one hundred conversations.
We live in a time with seemingly endless information about how to optimize ourselves. Heal your nervous system. Improve your sl...
Why The Strongest Women Age The Best | Jody Florman
What if aging well has less to do with trying to stay young—and more to do with becoming stronger?
In this episode, I sit down with Jody Florman, Certified Wellness Coach and living proof that vitality doesn’t have an expiration date, to explore strength, resilience, body confidence, and what it really means to thrive as we age.
At 68, Jody challenges many of the assumptions women are handed about getting older. Rather than accepting midlife as the beginning of inevitable decline, she sees it as an opportunity to consciously rebuild—to bec...
Tapping Into Your Inner Physician | Christal Geier D.O.M.P, CAT(C), B.Kin
What if healing isn't only something that happens to us—but something our bodies already know how to participate in?
In this episode, I welcome back Christal Geier, founder of Take Flight Osteopathic Wellness, for a deeper exploration of one of the foundational ideas within osteopathic philosophy: the Inner Physician.
After more than 25 years working with the human body, Christal has developed a profound respect for its innate intelligence. Rather than viewing symptoms simply as problems to eliminate, her work invites us to become curious about what the body ma...
Discovering Romantic Compatibility Through Astrology | Corrie Cooperman
What can astrology reveal about the way we love, connect, communicate, and experience relationships?
In this episode, I sit down with astrologer, AstroCartoGraphy practitioner, shamanic healer, and registered nurse Corrie Cooperman to explore the fascinating world of romantic compatibility through astrology.
While many people know their Sun sign, relationship astrology goes much deeper. The birth chart offers a complex picture of how we experience attraction, intimacy, emotional connection, communication, conflict, commitment, and partnership. When two charts come together, astrology can provide another lens for understanding not only where two people naturally...
Using the Power of Touchology To Heal Emotional Trauma | Njideka N. Olatunde, ND, PhD, MSW, CRI
What if touch could become a language for understanding pain—not only in the body, but in the emotional experiences we carry with us?
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Njideka N. Olatunde, ND, PhD, MSW, CRI, founder of the Focus On Healing Wellness Institute, to explore her work with Touchology™ and the relationship between touch, reflexology, emotional trauma, chronic pain, and whole-person wellness.
Dr. Olatunde has dedicated her career to exploring the cultural integration of traditional health practices with conventional approaches to mind, body, and...
Choosing Aliveness: A Somatic Path to Resilience and Renewal | Hollie Rottman
What if resilience isn't about pushing through—but learning how to come back into relationship with yourself?
In this episode, I sit down with Hollie Rottman, Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant, to explore what it means to choose aliveness in a culture that often rewards disconnection, overwork, and endurance.
For high-achieving people, burnout can be difficult to recognize. We become skilled at functioning, performing, producing, and meeting expectations—even when something inside us is asking for a different way of living.
But the body keeps communicating.
Hollie's work...
Precision Healing P-DTR (Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex) | Aline Wachsmuth
What if pain, tension, and dysfunction aren't simply problems in the tissues—but responses being organized by the nervous system?
In this episode, I sit down with Aline Wachsmuth, a longtime Rolfer, movement practitioner, and student of the body-mind, to explore P-DTR (Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex)—a highly precise, neurological approach to understanding how the nervous system processes information and responds to the body.
Aline's fascination with the body began through dance. While earning her BFA in Dance from Florida State University, she experienced Rolfing Structural Integration and became fasc...
Parenting as a Second Language | Elisabeth Stitt
What if being a good parent isn't something you're supposed to instinctively know how to do—but a language you can actually learn?
In this episode, I sit down with Elisabeth Stitt, award-winning parent educator, author of Parenting as a Second Language, certified life coach, and founder of Joyful Parenting Coaching, to explore a reassuring idea for anyone raising children: parenting is a skill.
Kids don't arrive with an operating manual, yet parents are often expected to somehow know exactly what to do. How do you set bo...
Healing the Lineage: Releasing Ancestral Wounds, Receiving Ancestral Gifts | Kari Balderston
What if some of what you're carrying didn't begin with you? And what if your ancestry holds not only wounds to be healed, but gifts waiting to be reclaimed?
In this episode, I sit down with Kari Balderston, mystic, healer, medicine woman, and energy counselor, for a conversation about ancestral healing, inherited patterns, spiritual connection, and the wisdom that can move through generations.
When we think about ancestry, it's easy to focus on what has been passed down that we would rather leave behind: family patterns, limiting beliefs, emotional...
Transmuting Trauma into Transformation | David Brower
What if the experiences that wounded us could also become the raw material for who we are meant to become?
In this episode, I sit down with David Brower for a deeply personal conversation about identity, emotional healing, self-expression, relationships, reinvention, and the lifelong process of turning our most difficult experiences into opportunities for transformation.
Growing up highly sensitive and intensely self-conscious, David learned early what it felt like to suppress parts of himself out of fear of how others might perceive him. Feelings of isolation, separation, and uncertainty followed him...
Reclaiming Wholeness: The New Language of Masculinity | Mark Grayson
What if masculinity isn't something men need to abandon—but something they're being called to expand?
In this episode, I sit down with Mark Grayson to explore what it means to be a man in a culture where many of the old definitions of masculinity no longer seem sufficient.
Through his writing, conversations, and work with the Naked Man Collective, Mark has spent years examining the expectations placed on men: strength, success, independence, emotional restraint, certainty—and what can happen when those expectations leave little room for vulnerability, intimacy, tend...
Ayurvedic Postpartum Care Rest, Food, and Recovery | Elizabeth Swamy
What if postpartum recovery wasn't something to rush through—but a sacred period of rest, nourishment, and rebuilding?
In this episode, I sit down with Elizabeth Swamy, Ayurvedic Doctor, Ayurvedic Doula, yoga teacher, and founder of Vedic Wild Ayurveda, to explore the ancient wisdom of Ayurvedic postpartum care and what it can teach us about supporting mothers after birth.
In a culture that often celebrates "bouncing back," Ayurveda offers a very different perspective: slow down, rest deeply, eat nourishing foods, stay warm, and allow the body an...
How to Think about Holistic Wellness at Work - Part 3: Administration | Whitney Shinkle
Administration might not sound like wellness—but what if the systems behind our work have everything to do with how well we actually feel at work?
In Part 3 of my three-part conversation with Whitney Shinkle, we explore the often-overlooked connection between administration and holistic workplace wellness.
Policies. Processes. Roles. Communication. Decision-making. Expectations. Resources. These structures may operate quietly in the background, but they profoundly influence how people experience their work every day.
When administrative systems are unclear, inefficient, or disconnected from the people they're meant to...
How to Think about Holistic Wellness at Work - Part 2: Culture | Whitney Shinkle
What creates a truly healthy workplace?
It's not ping-pong tables, wellness perks, or mission statements hanging on the wall.
It's culture.
In Part 2 of this three-part series on Holistic Wellness at Work, I sit down again with Whitney Shinkle to explore the invisible force that shapes every organization: its culture.
Culture influences how people communicate, collaborate, solve problems, navigate conflict, and ultimately whether they thrive or burn out. Whitney shares why organizational culture isn't something that simply exists—it's something leaders in...
How to Think about Holistic Wellness at Work - Part 1: The Work | Whitney Shinkle
What does holistic wellness at work actually look like?
In Part 1 of this special three-part series, I sit down with Whitney Shinkle to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of well-being: our work.
Many of us spend a third of our lives working, yet we rarely stop to ask whether our work is aligned with our values, supports our well-being, or allows us to make the impact we're truly capable of making.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations thrive, Whitney shares why...
The Philosophy of Osteopathy | Christal Geier D.O.M.P, CAT(C), B.Kin
What if pain isn't your body's enemy—but one of its greatest teachers?
In this fascinating episode of Rooted & Wild, I sit down with Christal Geier, D.O.M.P., CAT(C), B.Kin, to explore the philosophy of osteopathy and a radically different way of understanding the human body.
Rather than viewing symptoms as problems to eliminate, Christal explains how pain and dysfunction can be seen as messages—valuable information that, when properly understood, can guide us back toward health, balance, and wholeness.
Drawing on more than...
Attunement & Cultivating the Self-Transforming Mind | Michael Kass
What if the greatest transformation doesn't come from changing who you are—but from learning how to truly listen?
In this thought-provoking episode of Rooted & Wild, I sit down with Michael Kass—founder of Story & Spirit, executive coach, breathwork facilitator, author, and leadership guide—to explore the profound practices of attunementand cultivating what he calls the self-transforming mind.
Together, we examine how our stories shape our reality, why true leadership begins with self-awareness, and how slowing down can help us reconnect with ourselves, each other...
Lughnasadh: Honoring the First Harvest | Henry Hawk
Long before grocery stores and modern conveniences, the first harvest meant survival. It was a sacred moment of gratitude, community, and honoring the land that sustained life.
In this solo episode of Rooted & Wild, Henry Hawk explores the rich history and enduring wisdom of Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-na-sa), one of the four great Celtic fire festivals that marks the beginning of the harvest season. Discover the mythology of the Celtic god Lugh, the touching story of Tailtiu, and why this ancient celebration continues to hold profound meaning today.
More than a history lesson, this e...
Blood Microscopy: The Clean Blood Protocol | Sherry Strong
What if the health of your blood could reveal the health of your entire body?
In this fascinating episode of Rooted & Wild, I sit down with Sherry Strong—food philosopher, nutritionist, chef, bestselling author, certified Live Blood Microscopist, and internationally recognized wellness educator—to explore the world of live blood microscopy and her groundbreaking approach known as The Clean Blood Protocol.
Drawing on decades of experience in nutrition, public health, and holistic wellness, Sherry explains what our blood may reveal about inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, digestion, oxid...
Chiron: The Wounded Healer Archetype | Corrie Cooperman
What if your greatest wound wasn't something to overcome—but the very doorway to your deepest wisdom?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, Henry Hawk sits down with astrologer and shamanic practitioner Corrie Coopermanto explore the profound archetype of Chiron, often known as the Wounded Healer. Together, they unpack the mythology, astrology, and spiritual significance of Chiron, revealing how our deepest wounds can become our greatest gifts when met with awareness, compassion, and intention.
Whether Chiron is making significant transits in your chart or you're simply navigating a se...
Becoming Henry Hawk: The Power of Authentic Identity
For the first time on Rooted & Wild, the microphone is turned toward podcast host Henry Hawk (formerly David Allen Tracy).
Joined by guest interviewer Jen Legaspi, Henry shares the deeply personal story behind changing his name, coming out as gay, embracing his spiritual path, and learning that the greatest transformation begins when you stop trying to become someone else and finally give yourself permission to be who you've always been.
This conversation explores identity, authenticity, healing, purpose, spirituality, and the courage it takes to release old expectations in order...
Rooted Everywhere: Perspectives from Third Culture Journeys | vicki abadesco! & David Allen Tracy
What does it mean to belong when you’ve grown up everywhere—and nowhere—all at once?
In this expansive and deeply resonant conversation, we’re joined by Vicki Abadesco, a visionary entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, speaker, coach, and mentor whose life and work are rooted in personal growth, transformation, and global perspective. Raised across Asia, Europe, and North America, Vicki embodies the lived experience of a Third Culture Kid—someone shaped by many cultures, languages, and worldviews, yet often left navigating questions of identity, home, and belonging.
Vicki is renowned for her unwavering commitment...
Chiropractic Spinal Care as a Preservation for the Nervous System | Dr. Brad Wolf
What if the spine isn’t just structural—but central to how the body heals, adapts, and thrives?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we sit down with Dr. Brad Wolf to explore how chiropractic spinal care can serve as a powerful form of nervous system preservation—and why it plays a critical role in long-term health, resilience, and aging well.
Dr. Wolf shares his deeply personal journey, beginning with a childhood marked by asthma, allergies, and chronic immune weakness. From frequent ER visits and inhalers to gasping for air on the soccer field, simply breath...
The Brain Science Behind Lasting & Permanent Happiness | Valerie Alexander
What if happiness wasn’t a personality trait—or a fleeting emotional high—but a skill your brain can actually learn?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore the neuroscience, psychology, and cultural conditioning behind lasting and permanent happiness with globally recognized speaker, author, and thought leader Valerie Alexander. Drawing from decades of experience across law, tech, storytelling, and leadership development, Valerie breaks down how the brain forms habits of thought—and how those patterns can be consciously rewired.
Together, we unpack why so many people feel “stuck” chasing happiness, how unconsci...
Sound Healing as a Channel for Tender, Loving Care | Jessica Maria Garcia
What if healing didn’t require force—only presence?
In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore sound healing as a channel for tenderness, attunement, and genuine care. Rather than approaching healing as something to fix or override, this conversation invites a softer way of listening—to the body, the nervous system, and the emotional field.
Jessica Maria Garcia joins us to share how sound-based practices can support emotional regulation, nervous system balance, and a sense of internal safety. We discuss how vibration reaches places words often can’t, why gentleness is essential in trauma-informed work, an...
Where Self-Care Meets Planetary Care | Sachi Singh
What if the same choice that supports your hormones could also help heal the planet?
In this episode, I sit down with Sachi Singh, founder of Rootless, to explore the powerful intersection of personal health and environmental regeneration. With over 13 years of experience in international climate change solutions and a Master’s in Environmental Management from Yale University, Sachi knows exactly what we’re up against globally—and where real hope can still be found.
That hope, surprisingly, is seaweed.
Seaweed is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the pl...
Showing Up Sober: Why Authenticity Is the Manifestation Portal | Anneka Reece
What if manifestation isn’t about visualization, vibration, or forcing outcomes—but about radical honesty with yourself?
In this episode, Showing Up Sober: Why Authenticity Is the Manifestation Portal, we’re joined by Anneka Reece, an Executive Health and Mindset Coach specializing in alcohol-free living and conscious manifestation. Anneka supports clients in releasing alcohol as a coping mechanism and reconnecting with their clarity, power, and purpose—so change isn’t just imagined, but embodied.
Together, we explore what it means to walk through discomfort without numbing, to meet despair without bypassing, and to cho...
