From Survival to Self: Shawnte’s Journey to Authentic Joy

Shawnte didn’t set out to become a yoga teacher or a community healer, she just knew she couldn’t keep living the way she was. In this episode, she sits down with Siobhan to trace her journey from social work and wilderness programs with deeply traumatized youth, to remote-care burnout, to finding an unexpected lifeline in yoga and community.

They talk about moving from Virginia to Florida to Alameda, the loneliness of caregiving and working from home, and what happens to your nervous system when life keeps demanding more than you have. Shawnte shares the story of crying on her mat, asking the universe for an answer, and the stranger who unknowingly nudged her straight into teacher training.

Together, they unpack performance vs. presence, why “comparison is the thief of joy” hits different when you’re reinventing yourself, and how real community, especially among Black and Brown women, can rewrite old narratives about worth and belonging. If you’ve ever felt stuck between who you were told to be and who you actually are, this one’s for you.