199. What the Body Teaches Our Soul with Justin Whitmel Earley

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 958 Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What happens when your body starts telling a story your mind cannot ignore? In this episode, Dr. Alison sits down with author Justin Whitmel Earley to explore the connection between spiritual formation and the everyday rhythms of our bodies. From the outside, Justin’s life looked stable and successful. But anxiety and panic began surfacing in ways he could no longer explain away. What followed was a deeper question many of us quietly carry: what if our bodies are revealing something about how we are living? Together, Alison and Justin explore the forgotten wisdom of embodied faith and how small daily practices shape the soul over time. In this conversation, they explore: Why anxiety sometimes appears even when life “looks fine” on the surface The surprising ways your body may be revealing deeper patterns in your life What modern faith may have forgotten about the role of the body How simple daily rhythms can slowly reshape who we are becoming This conversation is not about fixing yourself. It’s about learning to listen because most likely your body knew something before you had words for it. Because sometimes the path toward healing begins by paying attention to the wisdom already present in your body. More Resources: Connect with @justinwhitmelearley on InstagramOrder Justin’s latest book The Body Teaches the Soul. Connect with @dralisoncook on Instagram Join the 80,000+ soul menders in our email community and receive weekly reflections and gentle practices here. If you liked this episode, then you’ll love: Episode 186: Stuck in Overthinking? A Simple Practice to Interrupt Stress, Overwhelm, and Habit Loops Episode 184: Stop Running From Anxiety - How to Tell Normal Stress from Unhealthy Anxiety and Find Peace Over Panic 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here Don't forget to browse this week's sponsors, who make it possible for me to bring you these resources for free + provide you with additional discounts! Quince - How you dress affects your mood and you can trust that Quince has you covered in every day sustainable wardrobe staples. Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Aqua Tru - Join 98% of customers who have made their drinking water cleaner, safer, & healthier by visiting AquaTru.com and use promo code BESTOFYOU to get 20% off today! Cozy Earth - Cozy up in every day luxury bedding and their bamboo pajamas and physically feel your nervous system take a breath. Head to Cozyearth.com and use my code BESTOFYOU for up to 20% off. Remi - Start sleeping better with a Remi nightguard and use code BESTOFYOU and get 50% off your purchase. Go to ShopRemi.com/BESTOFYOU and use code BESTOFYOU. *Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	What I've dedicated my life to is revenge. A brand new drama based on the best-selling novel. They think they're better than us. Who do you think you are? I'm going to prove to them that they're wrong. She's punishing me. You destroyed my family. I will not rest until I've destroyed yours. A woman of substance on Channel 4 starts tonight at 9. Beautiful office, important job. I'm getting paid more than I've ever gotten paid in my life.
0:23.8	I have a wife and two children and everything is going right in my life if you look from the outside.
0:28.7	But in my mind, I was a house on fire. Everything is closing in. Everything is ending.
0:34.1	I just wish I knew that there were physical practices I could engage in
0:38.4	that would calm that emotional state. If a doctor can get you to exercise, be in friendship
0:44.5	often throughout the week, you know, take walks outside and eat right and not work too much
0:49.5	and sleep eight hours, like that is going to be far better than any pill that could ever give you.
1:02.7	Hey, everyone, and welcome back to this week's episode of The Best of You. I'm Dr. Allison, and I'm so
1:08.1	glad you're here with us this week. If you're new here,
1:11.6	I'm so glad you found us. This is a space for anyone who's interested in a wiser way of being
1:17.4	human, a place where we honor the complexity of real human lives grounded in modern science
1:22.7	and ancient wisdom. And this is our Thursday deep dive episode where we slow down and explore one topic more
1:29.9	fully. If you haven't already, I'd love for you to join us each weekday. For the best of you
1:34.6	every day, this is a short eight-minute reflection rooted in scripture and shaped by psychology
1:40.4	and spiritual wisdom. And for those of you who are following along with the daily
1:45.1	reflections, today's conversation is meant to feel like a natural continuation of that path,
1:50.3	where we pause and take a little more time to go deeper in conversation with other guests
1:54.4	and experts and sometimes just me to look at how that wisdom actually shapes our lived embodied lives. Today's scripture is Genesis
2:06.2	27, and we'll touch on it in the episode today in a powerful way. The scripture is,
2:12.6	then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life
2:19.9	and the man became a living being. It's a verse many of us know well, but we don't always think about
2:27.5	in the context of what we're carrying right now. Because what if this wisdom is physical? What does it mean that God gave us a body, breath and bones,
	...

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