In this episode of Be Well with Dr. Michelle Greenwell, I welcome author and caregiver advocate Sandy Andress for a heartfelt conversation about what it means not only to care for someone you love, but to continue finding moments of connection, meaning, resilience, and hope along the way.

A Book Born from Lived Experience and Faith

Over the past five years, Sandy has walked the caregiving journey with two of her siblings. Following the death of her sister in 2024, she felt led by God to write Caregiver’s Guide as a source of practical support and encouragement for others who unexpectedly find themselves in the role of caregiver.

At the heart of Sandy’s work is one essential message: you are not alone.

While many caregiving resources focus primarily on protecting the caregiver from exhaustion, Sandy’s approach also explores how to build and maintain a healthy relationship with the loved one receiving care. Her book and workshop offer guidance for open communication, self-reflection, navigating healthcare relationships, and recognizing both personal strengths and areas where additional support may be needed.

From Surviving Caregiving to Thriving Together

For this conversation, I wanted to move beyond the familiar discussion of caregiver burnout and ask a different question:

How can caregivers thrive with the people they love?

Thriving does not mean that every day is easy. It does not erase illness, loss, uncertainty, or fatigue. Instead, it creates space for both people to continue experiencing relationship, dignity, choice, tenderness, humour, rest, and moments of joy.

Sometimes thriving is found in a meaningful conversation. Sometimes it is sharing a cup of tea, sitting quietly together, asking for help, or recognizing that the caregiver’s wellbeing matters too.

Caregiving becomes more sustainable when generosity does not require us to give ourselves away.

GenerosiTEA: Compassion in Action

For this episode, I chose 1897 GenerosiTEA from the Cape Breton Tea Company, with the affirmation:

“Open your heart to hope and optimism, for your resilience and pure generosity inspire others.”

The spiritual essence of currant and blueberry working together offers a beautiful reflection for caregivers. Blueberry invites wisdom, nourishment, and resilience. Currant carries renewal, vitality, and quiet strength.

Together, they remind us that true generosity is not about becoming depleted. It is about supporting our own vitality so that what we share with others comes from a place of steadiness and renewal.

This also opens an important distinction between sympathy, empathy, and compassion. Sympathy and empathy can sometimes draw us so deeply into another person’s experience that we begin carrying their pain within our own body. Compassion allows us to remain loving, present, and connected without losing our own centre.

Compassion is generosity in action when our care for another person also honours our own wellbeing.

Two Simple BioEnergetic Wellness Tools for Caregivers

Each episode of the podcast is intentionally shaped through the BioEnergetic Wellness Formula so that listeners do more than hear a conversation. They are invited into an experience of awareness, activation, reflection, and rejuvenation.

1. Emotional Stress Release Points

Place your fingertips gently across your forehead, just above your eyebrows, and breathe slowly.

These Emotional Stress Release points can help calm a busy mind, reduce the feeling of overwhelm, support clearer problem-solving, and create space for new possibilities to emerge.

For caregivers who are continually making decisions, organizing appointments, communicating with family members, and responding to unexpected challenges, this brief pause can help restore a sense of centre before taking the next step.

2. Cook’s Hook-Ups

Part 1: Cross one ankle over the other. Stretch your arms forward, cross one wrist over the other, interlace your fingers, and gently bring your hands toward your chest. Take several slow, comfortable breaths. Part 2: Put your feet side by side, and then place your fingertips together and place infront of the belly. Relax and breathe deeply.

Cook’s Hook-Ups can support calm, sleep, clearer thinking, reduced tension, connection, and communication. It can be practised by the caregiver, by the person receiving care when appropriate, or together as a shared moment of settling and reconnection.

Sometimes becoming calmer ourselves completely changes the interaction we are having with someone else.

Bringing the Book to Life Through the Workshop

Sandy’s workshop transforms the principles of Caregiver’s Guide into practical, everyday application.

Participants explore what open communication can look like in real situations and receive a companion workbook with reflection questions, exercises, and practical worksheets. Sharing is always optional, allowing each person to learn and reflect within a safe and compassionate environment.

Participants will receive a copy of Caregiver’s Guide, a companion workbook, practical caregiving resources, and space within the book to record appointments, medications, treatment details, notes, and personal reflections.

The workshop is designed to help caregivers leave feeling seen, supported, renewed, and better equipped to care for both their loved one and themselves.

You can find the workshop details here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EadfD3D5F/

You can order the book here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0H5L2SP69?ref_=cb_interstitial_us_ca_desktop_unrec_location_unk_dp_dp

A Reflection for the Caregiving Journey

As you reflect on your own experience, consider this question:

What might make caregiving feel a little lighter—not because the circumstances change, but because your relationship with them does?

Perhaps a new boundary is needed. Perhaps it is time to ask for help. Perhaps you need rest, a clearer conversation, or permission to experience joy without guilt.

The smallest shift in awareness can become the beginning of a very different journey.

Listen and Learn More

Join Sandy Andress and me for this meaningful episode of Be Well with Dr. Michelle Greenwell as we explore faith, communication, caregiver resilience, practical support, and the possibility of thriving together.

Explore more podcast conversations, wellness resources, classes, programs, and retreats through the Greenwell Center for Holistic Health, and discover the intentional tea blends of the Cape Breton Tea Company. Everything is in the shop.

Caregiving does not have to mean giving yourself away. When your own wellbeing remains supported, compassion can continue to flow with courage, grace, and hope.

The post Caring While Thriving: Hope, Grace, and Practical Support for Caregivers first appeared on Greenwell Center for Holistic Health.

As we close out Season 5 of Be Well with Dr. Michelle Greenwell, we arrive at a powerful and deeply personal theme—the voice. Not just as a tool for communication, but as a pathway to healing, expression, and transformation.

In this final episode, we are honoured to welcome Karen Novy, a vocal empowerment coach, NLP practitioner, author, and workshop facilitator whose work centers on helping individuals reclaim their voice and step fully into their authentic selves.

Karen’s journey as a breast cancer survivor has shaped her understanding of healing in profound ways. Through her work, she reminds us that our voice is not something external to refine—it is something internal to rediscover. It carries our truth, our story, and our capacity to transform.

The Voice as Medicine

So many of us move through life with a quieted voice—held back by past experiences, self-doubt, or the fear of being seen and heard. Yet, when we begin to explore our voice—whether through sound, tone, or expression—something shifts.

The body softens.
The breath deepens.
The mind quiets.

And in that space, we begin to reconnect with who we truly are.

Karen speaks to the first moment someone discovers their authentic tone—a moment often filled with lightness, surprise, and even joy. It is as though something long hidden has finally been given permission to emerge.

Your voice is not just sound.
Your voice is your medicine.

A Tea to Awaken Memory and Expression

In this episode, we paired our conversation with Sweet Memories, a blend inspired by family, legacy, and love from Creignish, Nova Scotia and Peggy Burke at the Studio Store.

This special Cape Breton Tea Company blend, with the gentle sweetness of strawberry and the grounding richness of black tea, invites reflection and connection.

• Strawberry, with its heart-centered energy, encourages compassion, emotional openness, and the sweetness of cherished memories.
• Black tea offers grounding and strength, supporting clarity, courage, and the confidence to express one’s truth.

Together, they create a sensory experience that mirrors the journey of finding your voice—soft yet strong, reflective yet empowering.

An Invitation to Experience It for Yourself

This conversation doesn’t end with the episode—it continues in community.

We invite you to join us for the 2nd Annual Healing Through Music and Movement Event hosted by Marathon Jam:

April 18, 2026
FREE Event
Register here: https://www.marathonjam.org/htm

This immersive day is designed to support veterans, first responders, caregivers, professionals, and community members in exploring tools to release trauma and build resiliency.

Participants will have the opportunity to work with an incredible team of facilitators:

• Karen Novy – Vocal exploration and authentic expression
• Lynn Koonce – Music, Vocal and Creative healing practices
• Matthew Seymour – Music and experiential engagement
• Colin MacLeod – Music and connection
• Michelle Greenwell – Movement, energy, and integrative wellness

Through music, movement, voice, and creative expression, you will be guided into a space of belonging—where healing can begin, and transformation can unfold. It is a true pleasure for Michelle to be working with such incredible NeuroArts specialists in their field.

The Power of Belonging

One of the most profound aspects of this work is the sense of community that emerges.

When we give ourselves permission to be heard, we also begin to hear others more deeply.
When we express, we connect.
When we connect, we heal.

Events like this remind us that we are not alone in our experiences—and that healing is not something we have to navigate in isolation.

Continue the Journey

To learn more about Karen and her work, visit:
https://www.yourodyssey.life/

Follow her on social media:
@karennovycoaching
@yourodyssey.life

Closing Season 5… Opening Season 6

As we close Season 5, we reflect on the many pathways to wellness we have explored—through movement, energy, nature, and now, the voice.

And as we step into Season 6, we carry forward a powerful reminder:

Your voice is a magical part of who you are.
To claim it, to explore it, and to enjoy its resonance… is a beautiful life journey.

Let this be your invitation—
To listen inward…
To express outward…
And to trust that your voice matters.

Be well, and we’ll see you in Season 6.

The post Finding Your Voice: The Medicine Within first appeared on Greenwell Center for Holistic Health.

How often do you pause and ask, “What do I need today?”
In a world where caregiving—whether for family, friends, clients, or community—is both a noble calling and a daily responsibility, the answer is often, “I don’t have time.”

In the latest episode of “Be Well with Dr. Michelle Greenwell,” the focus turns inward in a powerful way. Dr. Michelle explores what it truly means to prioritize your own wellbeing and how doing so is not only vital for your health but also essential for how effectively you can support others.

At the heart of this conversation is the understanding that self-care is not a luxury—it is a lifeline.

Tea as a Tool for Transformation

This episode is steeped—quite literally—with the healing properties of Lucky Dragon Green Tea. Known for its high levels of antioxidants and rich micronutrients, this tea isn’t just a beverage; it’s a ritual, a moment of pause, a conscious invitation to reconnect with your body and breath.

When paired with intentional sips and mindful breathing, tea becomes a gateway to awareness and replenishment. It gently awakens the senses and provides clarity and calm—qualities every caregiver deeply needs and deserves.

Green tea also supports cellular rejuvenation, mental focus, and emotional balance. And in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s long been revered as a harmonizer of the body’s energy systems, making it the perfect partner for this episode’s theme.

As a shout-out, the Lucky Dragon Green Tea is part of the Wine Country Tai Chi Society tea breaks. Okanagan, BC, loves to shine a light on the unique recipe of green tea and grape leaves and hint of cherry flavour, paying homage to the vineyards and orchards in the area.

Wisdom from My Little Black Book of Qi: Qi YINtegration

Dr. Michelle draws on insights from her double award-winning book and program, My Little Black Book of Qi: Qi YINtegration, sharing tools and energy-based practices that support you in creating sustainable wellness habits. This includes body awareness techniques, energetic resets, and Qi-based exercises that are simple yet profoundly effective in reducing stress and building resilience.

By embodying these principles, caregivers can reclaim a sense of vitality, grounding, and purpose. When your cup is full, your capacity to give—to nurture, to listen, to lead—expands exponentially.

Dr Michelle shares a bit more about her involvement in Tai Chi, teaching from the heart, and the power of regular practice to support yourself and your community. She is a part of the Tai Chi Cape Breton club which practices in Inverness, Mabou, and Creignish weekly, as well as on her online class with intuitive musician, Colin MacLeod on Tuesdays, (you can sign up in the shop!!). Wine Country Tai Chi Society is also a part of her offerings as she hosts an annual wellness retreat for their club in the spring. Your self-care opportunities are within reach.

Self-Care as a Gift to Your Community

What’s most inspiring about this episode is the connection between individual wellness and collective wellbeing. When we each take responsibility for our own energy, we ripple out a more grounded, present, and compassionate vibration into the spaces we inhabit.

Self-care becomes a gift to community, not just a private act. A nourished caregiver models healthy boundaries, inspires others to slow down, and often becomes a catalyst for deeper connection and healing.

So today, brew yourself a cup of Lucky Dragon Green Tea. Set an intention. Sit quietly. Sip with reverence.

And remember: You are worth the pause.

Listen now to the full episode of “Be Well with Dr. Michelle Greenwell” on your favourite podcast platform.
Explore more in My Little Black Book of Qi: Qi YINtegration, found in the shop.
Visit Cape Breton Tea Company to experience Lucky Dragon and other intentional blends.

#BeWellWithDrMichelle #QiYINtegration #LuckyDragonTea #SelfCareIsEssential #TeaWithIntention #CaregiversNeedCareToo #CommunityWellness #CapeBretonTeaCompany #HolisticHealing #PutYourselfFirst

The post Sip, Breathe, Be Well: The Power of Putting Yourself First first appeared on Greenwell Center for Holistic Health.

Learn more about the whole Marathon Jam experience below:

On April 12^th, in North Carolina, the most amazing program was offered by MarathonJam.org.  Healing through Music and Movement was a FREE special event for veterans, first responders, caregivers, clinicians, and laypeople.  It was an opportunity to consider how the arts can affect neuroplasticity and build resiliency. It was a magical time for everyone involved. It was a full day at the Springfield Cellars Winery in Stokesdale, North Carolina, with sessions offered indoors and outdoors amongst the kegs of wine, and in the beautiful gardens on the property. The winery owners, Robert and Natalie Wurz, provide a beautiful place for musicians to be inspired during sessions, helping to build community and sharing their award-winning wines in the process.  You can learn more about the winery here:  Stonefield Cellars Winery.

“I attended the Music and Movement workshop the other week. I loved your unwinding trauma session. It was meticulously and beautifully put together. An art!”

“Watching the joy and release on the faces of veterans who have worked so hard to recover from their health challenges was beyond inspiring, it was truly magical.”

Tom O’Shea, the president of Marathon Jam, and the board created a vision in their strategic planning session earlier in the year to advance the ability to provide more healing opportunities through music.  Their weekly gatherings at veteran hospitals and nursing homes have been astounding, with multiple stories of successful healing and connection for people.  Their new approach, with Music and Movement combined, would set the stage for more opportunities for people to move forward from their traumas and challenges into a place of resiliency, connection, and joy.  “This vision from the Marathon Jam objectives is to expand its members’ musical capabilities and outreach”.  Their willingness to bring these ideas to new audiences provides a bigger audience for healing through Music and Movement – for  Traumatic Growth.  Tom’s background and expertise in advancing mindset and action for agility inspire the forward momentum of Marathon Jam members and healing.

The approach for this special event was inspired by the Unwinding Trauma program Dr Michelle Greenwell, Colin MacLeod, and Tanya Levy created for the Knowlative conference in 2024 in Tenerife, Spain.  Their special project includes NeuroArts and the BioEnergetic Wellness Formula identified by Dr Greenwell in her dissertation.  In addition to the intuitive musical talents of Colin MacLeod from Scotland, this program utilizes the musical connection to the spine, organs, muscles, and emotions, also identified by Dr Greenwell during her Master’s thesis. 

Michelle Greenwell, a movement specialist, tea artist, and program developer, introduced simple movement ideas along with Tai Chi patterns that empower.  Michelle’s addition of the five senses, the BioEnergetic Wellness Formula for traumatic growth, and the NeuroArts application of colour, nature, intention, sound, body connection, NeuroReflex activation, movement, and forward thinking for traumatic growth provides an overarching program for building resiliency and growth.  The addition of herbs through the tea inspires a connection for the herbal essence of growth and inspiration and brings new value to the sense of taste and smell by passing through the nervous system to reach the limbic system and connect the motor system.  Check out the shop for tea and programs here.

***Special note: For the Marathon Jam Event, Michelle shared the uplifting opportunities of the Natalie MacMaster Tea Set: Fit as a Fiddle, Kitchen Party and The Autograph. For the Unwinding Trauma program there are also the 6 Harmony Blends and the Harmony Coasters for support. Michelle also used the It’s in the Cards deck for activities during the event. You can find these items in the shop! Natalie Wurz and Michelle created special tea and wine blends for the evening Soup and Sing.

Colin MacLeod, a proficient fiddler and classical violinist, is open to learning and growing with the healing capacity of music and sound.  He immediately opened to the idea of using the BioEnergetic Wellness Formula,  letting go of a musical score, and opening to expand into the intuitive aspects of playing.  His humour, puns, and musical knowledge create a whole new language to tickle the body and inspire it to move forward.  His perception of traumatic growth is clearly felt through his ornamentation, note pulling, and tempo changes with the musical notes and keys.  His passion for sharing music and liftng others up is exceptional. You can reach Colin at www.CelticFiddleGuru.com.

Sarah Arnett, a retired dancer, massage therapist, and psychotherapist, shared her movement-based approach to storytelling, which rewrites the endings.  Sarah’s understanding of body, mind, and spirit through dance, psychology, music, and storytelling provides a powerhouse of play for the subconscious and conscious to meet.  Old stories move into new outcomes, trapped emotions transform, and traumatic growth is inspired as people are empowered by their stories.  Sarah can be found at: Ampersandbox Coaching and Consulting.

Lyn Koonce, a musician, singer, and songwriter with an outstanding career in coaching and building music programs for empowerment, opened up the floor for some crazy vocal exercises.  Lynn’s ability to provide fun and friendship in her sessions invites people to explore the sound possibilities within themselves and to consider where sound may be held back and what that means for forward momentum.  With body percussion and fluidity felt in the body, she inspires a connection internally for sound and movement.  For those who have felt powerless on their healing journey, their ability to vocalize and express through scatting and play is a means to capture a superpower that has been hidden within. Lynn can be found at: Lyn Koonce Music.

The powerhouse program within Marathon Jam provides veterans and first responders with a new approach to music for healing.  Exploring the musician with postural skills while playing also releases inhibiting muscle patterns that keep music form optimizing the healing process.

A mastermind of collaboration for self-empowerment this program supercharges people and their best life.  Marathon Jam’s Healing through Movement and Music.

Why would you want to be a sponsor?  A revolutionary new approach – you are leading the way in positive outcomes with joy, fun, and purpose at the forefront.  Self-empower veterans, first responders, caregivers and clinicians you will be a leader in a new paradigm for wellness. To learn more about being a sponsor for the next events please reach out to info@marathonjam.org. Tom and the crew will be happy to hear your ideas and support opportunity.

The post Movement and Music for Healing first appeared on Greenwell Center for Holistic Health.