5 Modalities I'm Currently Obsessed With (And Why They Might Surprise You)

Author: Chandler Stroud

If you've been listening to the show for a while, you know I'm always trying something new. That's kind of the whole point. Not because I'm chasing the next trend, but because I genuinely believe that healing isn't one thing but a constellation of practices, teachers, and unexpected moments of discovery that, over time, bring you back to yourself.

These five are what I've been exploring lately. Some ancient, some surprisingly scientific, all of them worth knowing about. I hope at least one sparks something in you.

I'll be honest, before I met Stephanie Potter of Alcyone Akasha, I didn't know much about Akashic Records. What I found was something I wasn't expecting: clarity.

In modern spiritual practice, an Akashic Records reading is a session where a practitioner enters a meditative or intuitive state and channels guidance about your soul's journey. Think of it less like a psychic reading and more like a high-altitude view of your life — the patterns, the purpose, the next right step.

Stephanie's intention is to provide clarity, hope, healing, and what she describes as "true excitement about your life." That was exactly my experience. She helped me see what I needed to focus on, and her guidance pointed me toward building a real meditation practice - something I'd been resisting for years.

And yes, my spirit guides also recommended yuzu tea. They were not wrong.

Worth exploring if:

You keep hitting the same patterns and can't figure out why. Or if you're at a crossroads and looking for perspective or purpose that goes beyond the logical.

Hero Moylan, our Rolfing expert on the show, has been gently nudging me toward aikido for a while now. I finally said yes, and it has been one of the most humbling, surprising, and oddly transformative things I've ever tried.

Aikido is often called the martial art of peace. Rather than meeting force with force, it teaches you to stay centered, redirect energy, and move through conflict with awareness. The philosophy is rooted in harmony rather than domination — protecting yourself while minimizing harm to others.

I've been going for about eight weeks now. I am, by every measurable standard, terrible at it. I'm in a warehouse dojo being very gently schooled by a group of extraordinarily patient older gentlemen, and I absolutely love it.

Here's what surprised me most: there's something happening in my body that I can't fully explain yet. Moylan specifically recommends aikido for anyone who has experienced trauma, because unlike yoga or breathwork (both wonderful practices) aikido is partner-based. Someone is physically coming into your space, and you have to learn to stay present, grounded, and responsive rather than reactive. That's not just a martial arts skill. That's a life skill.

Three benefits worth knowing:

Being forced to stay calm when someone comes at you aggressively builds real emotional regulation. The physical practice develops body awareness and fluid movement that carries into daily life. And philosophically, it teaches you how to find your center no matter what chaos is happening around you.

Worth exploring if:

You've done the talk therapy, you've journaled, you've breathed. And you're ready to get out of your head and into your body in a completely different way.

I first heard about depth hypnosis through Heroine Olive, who came on the show alongside Hero Lea Morgan. I was curious enough to book a session. Now I've had three, and I'm already looking forward to my next one.

Depth hypnosis is different from stage hypnosis - there's nothing theatrical about it. It's a focused, deeply relaxed state of awareness that allows you to access the subconscious roots of what's driving your patterns, not just manage the surface symptoms. Anxiety, self-sabotage, limiting beliefs, life transitions…depth hypnosis works at the level where those things actually live.

In my most recent session, Olive pivoted our approach mid-session when she sensed something that needed to be addressed first. She cleared an energy I'd been carrying for a very long time, something I'd actually visualized before with another hero but never thought to release. What followed was a kind of lightness I genuinely wasn't expecting. I couldn't stop yawning afterward, like my body was exhaling something it had been holding onto for a very long time.

I went in trusting her completely, and that trust made all the difference. If you try this, I'd encourage you to take your time finding the right practitioner and go in with an open mind.

Worth exploring if:

You keep showing up the same way in situations you wish you'd handle differently. Or if you've done a lot of surface-level work and feel ready to go deeper.

Yes, I mean jumping on a mini trampoline. And yes, it is exactly as fun as it sounds.

Rebounding stimulates the lymphatic system, which unlike the cardiovascular system, has no pump of its own. It relies on movement to circulate lymph fluid through the body, supporting natural detoxification, immunity, and energy. NASA studied trampoline exercise in the 1980s and found it to be remarkably efficient for cardiovascular conditioning. Some research suggests 10 minutes of rebounding is comparable to a 60-minute walk.

I have mine above my detached garage. I blast my favorite songs. I jump for 5 to 10 minutes. I feel genuinely great every single time I step off.

It's also the most joyful thing on this list, and I think that matters. Not everything meaningful has to be heavy. Sometimes healing looks like bouncing to a great song and laughing at yourself for how much fun you're having.

Three benefits worth knowing:

The up and down motion moves lymph fluid through the body, supporting detoxification and immune health - especially useful during seasonal transitions! It's incredibly low impact on joints while raising your heart rate fast, making it accessible for almost everyone. And the rhythmic movement boosts circulation, oxygen flow, energy, and mood in a way that's hard to replicate.

Worth exploring if:

You want something easy, joyful, and genuinely effective that you'll actually want to do every day.

This one is coming up in two weeks, so consider this a preview. I'll share the full experience soon.

Brain mapping and neurofeedback work together to help people understand and retrain their brain. A brain map reveals how different areas of the brain are functioning, identifying patterns connected to anxiety, focus issues, sleep problems, or nervous system dysregulation. The neurofeedback piece then uses gentle, real-time feedback signals to help the brain learn healthier patterns on its own.

I'm coming to this one at a meaningful moment. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD; a diagnosis that honestly brought me to tears, because it finally gave language to decades of experiences I'd internalized as personal failings. Struggling to retain information. Getting distracted. Feeling like I had to work twice as hard as everyone else just to keep up. The diagnosis wasn't bad news. It was an unlock.

I tried medication briefly, but my body is sensitive and the sleep disruption wasn't worth it. So I'm flying to Denver to work with LuxNeuro and I'm genuinely excited to see what brain mapping reveals and whether neurofeedback can help me build the patterns I'm looking for without medication.

Three benefits worth knowing:

Brain mapping identifies the specific brainwave patterns connected to your particular challenges — anxiety, attention, sleep, stress — with real precision. Neurofeedback then helps the brain learn to regulate those patterns through gentle stimulation, essentially retraining it over time. Many people report improvements in focus, anxiety, mood regulation, and sleep as a result.

Worth exploring if:

You've tried the holistic approaches and want something that brings a more scientific lens. Or if you're navigating ADHD, anxiety, or sleep issues and looking for non-medication options.

Healing isn't one modality, one teacher, or one magical moment where everything clicks. It's curiosity, practiced consistently. It's staying open to the possibility that there are many different doors that can lead you back to yourself and that the right one for you might be the last one you'd expect.

If any of these sparked something, I hope you'll keep your mind open and explore further. And if you're looking for a place to do that alongside other women walking the same path, I'd love to welcome you inside Healing Heroines.

Remember: Be curious. Be courageous. And be kind to yourself. You’ve got this.

What is an Akashic Records reading?

An Akashic Records reading is a session where a trained practitioner enters a meditative or intuitive state and channels guidance about your soul's journey, life patterns, and purpose. It is less like a psychic reading and more like a high-altitude view of your life. Sessions are used to gain clarity, identify recurring patterns, and find direction at a crossroads.

What is depth hypnosis and how is it different from regular hypnosis?

Depth hypnosis is a therapeutic approach that uses a deeply relaxed state of awareness to access the subconscious roots of patterns, limiting beliefs, anxiety, and self-sabotage. Unlike stage hypnosis, there is nothing theatrical about it. You remain aware throughout and work with a trained practitioner to address what is driving your behavior at the level where it actually lives, not just manage the symptoms on the surface.

Is Aikido good for trauma healing?

Yes. Aikido is recommended by some somatic therapists for people who have experienced trauma because it is partner-based and teaches you to stay present, grounded, and responsive when someone enters your physical space. This builds real emotional regulation and body awareness in a way that solo practices like yoga or breathwork do not. It trains the nervous system to respond rather than react, which is a core skill in trauma recovery.

What are the benefits of rebounding for women's health?

Rebounding, or jumping on a mini trampoline, stimulates the lymphatic system which has no pump of its own and relies on movement to circulate lymph fluid. This supports natural detoxification, immunity, and energy. It is low impact on joints, raises heart rate quickly, and boosts circulation and mood. NASA research from the 1980s found trampoline exercise to be highly efficient for cardiovascular conditioning, with some studies suggesting 10 minutes can be comparable to a 60-minute walk.

What is neurofeedback and does it work for ADHD?

Neurofeedback is a non-medication approach that uses real-time feedback signals to help the brain learn healthier patterns on its own. It is typically preceded by a brain map, which identifies the specific brainwave patterns connected to challenges like ADHD, anxiety, focus issues, or sleep disruption. Many people report improvements in focus, anxiety, mood regulation, and sleep after a neurofeedback program. It is considered a complementary approach and results vary by individual.

How do I find the right healing modality for me?

The best approach is curiosity over certainty. Start with what sparks something in you, even if you cannot explain why. Read about it, listen to people who have tried it, and if it still resonates, book one session before committing to more. Healing is not one modality or one teacher. It is a constellation of practices that, over time, bring you back to yourself. The Healing Heroes Glossary of Modalities is a good place to start exploring.