Episode 043
Healing Doesn’t Have to Be Quiet with Hannah Talbot
She tried to be the perfect picture of Zen – silent retreat, serene vibes, inner peace, and all that. But it only made her more anxious.
Turns out, healing didn’t come from silence. It came from dance floors, karaoke nights, and finally listening to her body.
Hannah Talbot was the last person you'd expect to become a meditation teacher. Too loud. Too busy. Too movement-obsessed. But when a traditional 10-day silent retreat left her more anxious than enlightened, she realized something big:
Stillness isn’t safe for everyone.
In this conversation, Hannah shares how she went from running restaurants and drinking martinis to founding Anamkara, a healing center rooted in somatic movement, mindfulness, and trauma-informed energy work. We talk about the difference between joy and fun, why being “bad at meditating” isn’t a thing, and how to stop outsourcing your healing to everyone but yourself.
Also, we talk about toast. You'll see.
“Meditation doesn’t have to be silent. It can sound like music. It can look like movement.”
Connect witH Hannah:
- Website: anamcarahealing.center
- LinkedIn: Hannah Talbot
Timestamps:
00:00 – From Zen Vibes to Karaoke Queen: Meet Hannah
01:28 – Why She “Failed” at Meditation (and Why That’s BS)
03:10 – The Silent Retreat That Sent Her Into a Panic Spiral
04:49 – When Stillness Feels Like a Trauma Trigger
06:00 – Rethinking What Meditation Actually Looks Like
09:42 – A Typical Class at Anamkara (Spoiler: It’s Not an App)
11:05 – What Somatic Healing Really Means
13:02 – Ruptured Achilles, Zero Guidance, and a Lightbulb Moment
17:52 – You Might Have Everything… and Still Not Feel Safe
20:24 – Her Path from Restaurant Exec to Reiki Teacher
22:10 – A 10-Month Somatic Deep Dive (With Drum Circles, Obviously)
24:24 – The Difference Between Fun and Joy
26:12 – Letting Go of the Party Persona
28:02 – Feeling Whole (Not Just Numb)
32:28 – Bliss and Grief Can Coexist
34:40 – The Fruitful Darkness (And the TikTok That Nailed It)
37:36 – Don’t Know What You Feel? Start With This
39:53 – Breathwork for Toddlers (and Grown-Ups Who Forget to Breathe)
42:22 – Havening, Hugging, and Why Your Nervous System Needs You
44:10 – Tai Chi, Gentle Yoga, and the New Definition of Stillness
45:47 – How to Work With Hannah (Virtually or in Spokane)