Michael Sula, M.S. in Exercise Physiology, joins Dr. Shawna on today's episode in a two-part series on long walks.

In PART I Michael discusses the 4 month training program he created for his wife, Helene Sula (who will be interviewed in PART II), to walk the approximately 100 mile Cotswold Way trail in 10 days in Fall '24. They have generously shared the training program which can be found for free here and additionally includes suggestions for gear, cross training, and rest days.

Michael also discusses the history of modern exercise in America started by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, the benefits of exercise testing, and how to find an exercise plan to meet your fitness goals. Interested in performing exercise tests to see what your baseline is, check out this article for some examples of simple tests you can perform on your own.

Want to know more about Michael & Helene's travel adventures, follow along on their blog and Instagram, @heleneinbetween.

Dr. Holly Horikawa PT, DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy), CLT (Certified Lymphedema Therapist) joins Dr. Shawna on this episode to talk about pelvic wellness from a lifespan perspective. Dr. Holly is a pelvic floor physical therapist with 20 years experience treating male and female pelvic disorders.

This conversation touches on topics that most people find too taboo to discuss- bowel & bladder function, female hormonal changes, and pressure management (AKA leaking with sneezing and coughing).

If you want to work with Dr. Holly, click the link to her clinic, Lokahi Physical Therapy , in Huntington Beach, CA or connect with her on Instagram, @lokahipt.

Join Dr. Shawna and her mom as they journey down the Rhine River to the town of Koblenz.

Highlights of the day:

-trying Kinderpunsch (mulled non-alcoholic punch) & kartoffelpuffer (potato pancake) at the Christmas Market

-touring Arenfels Castle & having a wine tasting in the cellar

Want to know more about Christmas Markets, check out our host on Instagram, @heleneinbetween.

Join Dr. Shawna and her mom as they travel to Germany for a Christmas Market River Cruise. They spend the first 3 days prior to the cruise in Cologne, Germany. Highlights of their time in the Cologne area included:

-Lindt Chocolate Museum

- Phantasialand Theme Park

-Cologne Christmas Markets

Want to know more about the river cruise organizers, check out husband and wife team, Helene & Michael, on Instagram @heleneinbetween.

Dr. Aiden Seraphim DACM L.Ac., owner of Heart Centered Transformational Wellness in Costa Mesa, CA joins Dr. Shawna on this week's episode to talk all things meditation. If you have ever wondered what is mediation and how does it apply to me, this episode is for you!

Feeling like you want support on your meditation journey? Dr. Aiden teaches mediation classes (live and virtually) as well as hostly monthly community mediations. You can sign up for his newsletter here.

A friend and mentor of Dr. Shawna, Phil Jelinek, joins her today on the podcast to discuss the basic definitions related to energetic healing techniques. Topics such as: muscle testing, particle vs. zero-point energy fields, and subconscious beliefs are discussed.

Interested in learning more? Phil recommends these 3 books as introductory insights into energetic healing:

1) The Biology of Belief, Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D.

2) Matrix Energetics, Richard Bartlett, D.C., N.D.

3) M-Joy Practically Speaking, Melissa Joy Jonnson

Dr. Rita Goldman, Doctor of Chiropractic, joins the podcast to discuss a condition that impacts many adults, peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Rita shares the how and why behind the multifactorial approach she uses at her clinic, ⁠Maysville Family Chiropractic⁠ in Maysville, Kentucky, to reverse peripheral neuropathy and help people regain their independence.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Dr. Rita!

Join Dr. Shawna as she re-caps her personal health journey following her arrival home from Toronto in mid-July. She discusses what has been shifting in her body and what has not and next steps in her journey.

Join Dr. Shawna as she discusses the idea of preventative medicine. One aspect she talks about is gut health and how this impacts the whole body. This is just the beginning of these two topics- stay tuned!

Join Dr. Shawna discusses the concept of playing the role of "victim" in the rehab space. She speaks from personal experience about how playing this role has impacted her own health journey. She provides tools/ideas for how to have an alternative perspective and what that looks like for her currently.

Join Dr. Shawna Berk as she talks about her experience as a patient with Matrix Repatterning. This is a follow up episode from last week's episode with Oliver Hartan. Shawna discusses the highs and lows of being a patient and how this technique has personally impacted her recovery.

Dr. Shawna is joined by Oliver Hartan (Registered Massage Therapist, Certified Matrix Repatterning Practitioner, Matrix Lead Instructor) to discuss the how and why behind a manual therapy technique called Matrix Repatterning (created by Dr. George Roth). Learn about bone tension, hidden strain patterns, and how your physical structure could be impacting your mental health.

Matt & Gigi Kelley join Dr. Shawna on this week's podcast to talk all things travel. They discuss the order in which they plan a trip, cycling vacations in Europe, and packing tips.

Below are some of Matt & Gigi's favorite things they use when traveling (not sponsored):

-Jeans

-Pants

-Purse

-Foldable backpack

Happy Traveling!

Episode 3: Fun fact, #3 is Dr. Shawna's favorite number. It seemed fitting that she spoke about one of her favorite people, Micky Buddingh, who inspired Shawna to create a podcast as a way to alchemize the lessons and blessings she has gleaned notably during the past 7 years. Micky passed suddenly in April '24 and Shawna wanted to honor her friendship and memory in this episode.

Micky was an amazing businesswoman and would want to know Shawna was actively trying to get to podcast financially sponsored. If you want to financially support the podcast, please DM @drshawnaberk for a hair quiz with MONAT products to see if your hair/scalp routine would benefit from their product line.

Episode 2: Join Dr. Shawna Berk for the second episode of Authentically Shawna. She talks about milestones moments that have shaped the past the past 7 years: car accident, gradate school, and practicing as a physical therapist.

Want to support your scalp health and support the podcast at the same time? DM me "Hair Quiz" to @drshawnaberk on Instagram and I'll send you a quiz to curate product suggestions for your hair/scalp concerns using MONAT products.

EPISODE 1: Join Dr. Shawna Berk for the inaugural episode of Authentically Shawna! She takes the listener on a brief life history up to a life-changing event in September 2017.

Want to support your scalp health and support the podcast at the same time? DM me “Hair Quiz” to @drshawnaberk on Instagram and I’ll send you a quiz to curate product suggestions for your hair/scalp concerns using MONAT products. I’ve been using their products for a couple months and have noticed a big difference in the return of my natural wavy hair. Join me in optimizing a favorite everyday accessory, your hair.  

Charmaine Horn, a Qigong teacher and Stress Relief Expert, joins Dr. Shawna on today's podcast to talk about the practice of Qigong for stress relief. Charmaine shares how practicing Qigong has changed her relationship with stress, strength training, and how she relates to others.

If you are interested in learning more about Qigong, Charmaine recommends reading these two books:

-The Way of Qigong by Kenneth S. Cohen  

-The Healer Within by Roger Jahnke

Interested in practicing Qigong with Charmaine? You can connect with her on Instagram @oasisqigong (which has a link to her website and YouTube) or her website, oasisqigong.com.

Dr. Taylor Sillekens PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS joins the podcast today to discuss current physical therapy approaches and ideas.

Dr. Taylor and Dr. Shawna were in the same cohort at Cal State Long Beach's Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program. Since graduating with his DPT (Doctorate in Physical Therapy) in 2021, Dr. Taylor has added more knowledge and letters to the end of his name - OCS (Orthopedic Clinical Specialist) and CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach). He talks about how these additional credentials have shaped him as a clinician and how they have refined his clinical decision making in a fast-paced outpatient orthopedic setting.

Dr. Taylor provided resources for two of the concepts discussed on the episode:

-Clinical Prediction Rules

-Clinical Practice Guidelines

As well as one of the main courses he took post-grad to improve his orthopedic skills, Learning Movements.

If you are interested in working with Dr. Taylor or have a question for him, you can send him a DM on Instagram @taysilks or email him at Tsillekens@gmail.com.

Join Dr. Shawna and her mom on the final Christmas Market episode as they explore Frankfurt.

If you have enjoyed this mini-series about German Christmas Markets, please check out @heleneinbetween on Instagram where she has guides to Christmas Markets all over Europe.

Join Dr. Shawna and her mom as they travel to their final stops on the cruise, Mainz & Wiesbaden.

Highlights include:

-walking tour of Mainz

-seeing Santa Clause!

-walking tour of Wiesbaden

Want to know more about Christmas Markets, check out our host's Instagram page, @heleneinbetween!

Join Dr. Shawna and her mom as they visit Strasbourg, "The Christmas Capital of the World," and the Black Forest on St. Nicolas Day (December 6).

Highlights include:

-walking tour through Strasbourg, France

-touring the Black Forest Open Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof

-seeing the Christmas Market & advent calendar in Gengenbach, Germany

Want to know more about this cruise, check out our host's Instagram, @heleneinbetween.

Join Dr. Shawna and her mom as they have their own Hallmark movie moment watching the snow fall as they rode the funicular to the top of Heidelberg.

Highlights of the day:

- walking the 1 mile Hauptstraße (main street)

- touring Heidelberg Castle

-riding the Heidelberger Bergbahnen (funicular)

Want to know more about Christmas Markets and the cruise, check out our host's Instagram, @heleneinbetween!

Join Dr. Shawna and her mom as they cruise down the middle Rhine region to Rüdesheim!

Highlights include:

-walking tour of the town

-Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett

-cable car over vineyards

Want to know more about our trip, check out our host's Instagram, @heleneinbetween!

Helene Sula, author, blogger, and long distance walker, joins Dr.Shawna on today's episode. Helene shares her experiences of preparing and completing the Cotswold Way walk in England, a 130 mile-trail that she hiked solo in 10 days during October '24. She talks about how preparing for this walk not only changed her physically, but also challenged the way she viewed her time. As a content creator and owner of her own business, she felt like she could never take time away from her business. During her training, which included taking 4-6 hour walks several times a week, she realised how beneficial it was for her to take a step away from work and to reconnect with herself. 

This episode is PART II of a series on long walks. Be sure to check out last week's episode with Helene's husband, Michael Sula, as he discusses the exercise program he created for Helene to walk the Cotswold Way. 

Want to hear more from Helene, check out her blog, see her adventures in real time on Instagram at @heleneinbetween, or read her book. 

She also created a paid guide of the Cotswold Way, which can be purchased here.