Episode 8: The Role of Fitness and Wellness in Healing from Trauma with Karena Dawn

Listen to this episode from Next Up: Narcissism on Spotify. “Be a kid. What did you love doing as a kid? Don’t forget those little moments because that’s when you’re carefree and just doing all the things—play, have fun," advises Karena Dawn, a renowned figure in the fitness and wellness industry. In this episode, Karena and Dr. Z explore the journey of healing after narcissistic abuse, drawing from Karena’s personal and professional experiences.   Karena shares how during her personal therapy journey, she came to the realization that her own mother had Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It was this awareness that helped her gain a better understanding of their complicated relationship, fueling her commitment to healing. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care, and discusses how reconnecting with her childhood joys and love of fitness became integral parts of her recovery.   Through her initiatives, Tone It Up and The Big Silence, Karena promotes the therapeutic power of exercise, meditation, and mindfulness. Dr. Z and Karena offer practical advice for healing, and stress how this is a comprehensive process, encouraging listeners to find what works best for them.   Quotes “It is not easy. And then I started Tone It Up to share the message of fitness, movement, and mindfulness. And now with The Big Silence, talking about mental health. It’s all taken what I went through in my youth, and then figuring out how I healed myself naturally. And then opening up that stigma with The Big Silence so that other people don’t have to suffer in silence.” (21:01 | Karena Dawn) “Do you think people should cut family members out if they are narcissists? I think it depends on the situation. You’re talking about situations where it was so bad; where your cortisol levels were through the roof to the point where you’re getting skin rashes, which means your entire body’s inflamed, right? And so this is why, obviously, why I wanted to have you on, but also for people to understand just how connected our mind and our bodies are.” (31:09 | Karena Dawn & Dr. Z)  “Be a kid. What did you love doing as a kid? Don’t forget those little moments because that’s when you’re carefree and just doing all the things—play, have fun.” (40:02 | Karena Dawn)  Links Sign Up for my LIVE Summer Support Group here: https://www.drjaimezuckerman.com/workshops   Connect with Karena Dawn: https://karenadawn.com/ https://my.toneitup.com/ https://www.instagram.com/karenadawn/ https://www.instagram.com/the.big.silence/ Connect with Dr. Jaime Zuckerman: https://www.drjaimezuckerman.com/ https://www.zgrouptherapy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dr.z_psychologist/ https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.z_psychologist Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm