September 9, 2025 • 39 mins
What is your connection to spirituality? In this episode, I talk with Tiffany Green, LCPC, SEP, MBA, MDiv about the benefits of feeling connected to something beyond yourself and:
• How spiritual practices help you embrace your sensitivity, care for your nervous system, enhance your natural intuitive ability, and create a sense of belonging
• Three keys to developing a spiritual practice
• The many ways to incorporate spirituality into your everyday life
Tiffany Green is a trauma-informed, somatic coach and psychotherapist based in Chicago. She specializes in supporting women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals with depression, anxiety and burnout symptoms. Using a culturally affirming, spiritual and body-based approach, Tiffany helps her clients redefine success on their own terms. She’s passionate about creating space for rest, authenticity and sustainable healing.
Keep in touch with Tiffany:
• Website: https://www.charismcounseling.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charismcounseling
Resources Mentioned:
• A Minus Coaching Program for Women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals: https://www.charismcounseling.com
• The Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine Aron: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780553062182
• HSP Self-Test: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test
Thanks for listening! You can read the full show notes and sign up for my email list to get new episode announcements and other resources at:
https://www.sensitivestories.com
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This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment with a mental health or medical professional.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tiffany Green (00:00):
My spirituality helps me protect my sensitivity.
For a long time, I looked at mysensitivity as something that
had to be managed, but I feel,as a result of my spiritual
practices, I'm able to care formyself in a lot deeper, a lot
more meaningful way.
(00:21):
Meaningful way.
April Snow (00:29):
Welcome to Sensitive Stories, the podcast for the
people who live with hearts andeyes wide open.
I'm your host, psychotherapistand author, april Snow.
I invite you to join me as Ideep dive into rich
conversations with fellow highlysensitive people that will
inspire you to live a morefulfilling life as an HSP
(00:51):
without all the overwhelm.
In this episode, I talk withTiffany Green about how
spiritual practices help youembrace your sensitivity, care
for your nervous system, enhanceyour natural intuitive
abilities and create a sense ofbelonging.
Tiffany is a trauma-informedsomatic coach and
psychotherapist based out ofChicago.
She specializes in supportingwomen, bipoc and LGBTQ plus
(01:15):
professionals with depression,anxiety and burnout symptoms.
Using a culturally affirming,spiritual and body-based
approach, tiffany helps herclients redefine success on
their own terms.
She's passionate about creatingspace for rest, authenticity
and sustainable healing.
For more HSP resources and tosee behind-the-scenes video from
(01:36):
the podcast, join me onInstagram, tiktok or YouTube at
Sensitive Strengths or sign upfor my email list at Sensitive
Strengths or sign up for myemail list.
Links are in the show notes andat sensitivestoriescom.
And just a reminder that thisepisode is for educational
purposes only and is notintended as a substitute for
treatment with a mental healthor medical professional.
(01:57):
Let's dive in Well, tiffany,welcome to the podcast.
(02:20):
I'm so happy to have you heretoday.
Tiffany Green (02:22):
Thank you so much , April.
I am really excited to be heretoday.
April Snow (02:25):
Yeah, thank you, and I'm wondering if you could
start off by sharing your HSPdiscovery story.
Tiffany Green (02:32):
Yeah, I think, like most HSP, we knew we were
sensitive at an early age, likeI definitely knew it in
childhood, but I didn't have thewords or language to really
describe what it was that I wasfeeling and then flash forward
30 plus years and I'm working areally stressful job and I'm not
(02:56):
taking care of myself and I'mnot taking care of my
sensitivity and I ended upburning out.
I ended up catching pneumonia.
I had to be hospitalized, and ittook me almost eight months to
fully recover from that illness,and so during that time, I was
looking for all the informationthat I could find about why that
(03:18):
had happened to me.
It was a very traumaticexperience, and I wanted to
figure out how to not let thathappen again.
I did a lot of research, read alot of books, and in the course
of that eight months, I saw aninterview with Elaine Aron and
she was talking about highlysensitive people and I was like,
(03:39):
is that me?
And so I immediately went toher website and I took her quiz
and I scored over I think 80% atthe time, went out and got her
book and it was just, it was soenlightening, like I really felt
seen as a result of reading herbook and connecting with her
(04:00):
story.
And when you are labeled assensitive, sometimes you
internalize some things, and soI had done that, and I also had
a lot of sensory issues that Ihad never heard talked about
before, like lights and sound,yeah, and really needing to be
(04:20):
comfortable in my physicalenvironment.
So that was the first time Ihad my emotional sensitivity
married with my sensorysensitivity, and that just
changed everything for me.
April Snow (04:33):
Wow, yeah, everything starts to make sense.
Tiffany Green (04:36):
Absolutely, absolutely, yeah.
And so, like I, as a result ofthat, I started looking at, I
started looking at my life, Istarted looking at my nervous
system, I started looking at theways I offered self-care for
myself a lot differently.
April Snow (04:52):
Yeah, yeah.
I think a lot of folks havethat moment, including myself,
where there's this wake-up call,where you hit your limits, your
body starts to shut down.
You can't live that non-HSPlife any longer.
Yeah.
Tiffany Green (05:08):
But you don't realize what's happening.
Yeah, yeah, I love that phrasenon-HSP life.
I was definitely living thatbefore my illness.
April Snow (05:16):
And I wonder.
We're going to talk aboutspirituality today.
I wonder if that was part of itfor you.
Did you discover that then?
Was it get more into it?
I know, but I'm just curious atthis point Was that part of
your eight months or was thatalready in place before?
That was already in placebefore.
Beautiful.
Tiffany Green (05:33):
Yeah, I think my first introduction to
spirituality was church.
My mom would take my sister andI to church and Bible school and
I sang in the choir all thesesongs, this awesome, amazing God
, this divine energy.
And in the church where I wasraised, a Protestant church I
was taught that I could have arelationship, a personal
(05:56):
relationship, with this God, andso I think that's where the
seed was planted, and from thereI just did all sorts of
exploration, reading about Greekmythology and Egyptian gods.
I wanted to know more and more,and that I think following that
path led me to actually go backto graduate school to get my
(06:20):
degree in divinity, because Iwanted to understand this God,
this divine energy.
I wanted to have a relationshipAfter my illness I would say
that that is when I reallystarted to focus on my spiritual
practices as a form ofself-care, but I think the seed
was planted for me in childhood.
April Snow (06:40):
Yeah, yes, I think so many HSPs are seekers,
whether it be religion orspirituality, and it seems like
you've.
I love it.
You've been such an explorer ofall the different pieces and,
for folks who aren't quite sure,could you define what
spirituality is?
Is it just religion?
Tiffany Green (06:59):
Is.
I want to say this before Iprovide my definition is that
spirituality is a topic thatmeans so many different things
to so many different people, andthere are some people who are
confused by it, who are notaligned with spirituality as a
belief and a concept.
(07:20):
But I will say that themajority of us are, and I have
proof.
But I will say that themajority of us are, and I have
proof.
There was a study that wasconducted by the Pew Research
Center in 2003.
It was the first time they hadever studied spirituality in the
United States, and what theyfound was that 70% of US adults
(07:45):
believe that they are spiritualon some level.
70%, yes, yeah.
And also, like 83% of US adults, believe that we have a soul or
spirit in addition to ourphysical bodies.
April Snow (07:55):
Wow, that's a high number.
Tiffany Green (07:57):
That is a very high number.
I was so shocked when I saw it.
So the definition ofspirituality that I use is
something that provides meaningand purpose in your life, that
connects you with some energy,some entity that feels greater
than you, and that can be God,that can be divine energy, that
(08:20):
can be nature, that could be theworld.
It really the only criteria isthat it makes you feel connected
to something bigger, evenhumanity.
So that's the definition I use.
April Snow (08:34):
It makes sense, given that definition, that so
many of us I think it's almostan essential part of being human
is to find some deeperconnection with something
Absolutely Right the meaning,the purpose.
That's so essential for me andI know even a lot of non-HSPs
that I know yeah, we need thatright.
Tiffany Green (08:51):
Yeah, yeah, it is grounding, it's a form of
connection and it gives oureveryday lives a certain amount
of purpose.
April Snow (09:01):
Yes.
Yeah, it's like the substanceof life, absolutely yes, yeah,
it's like the substance of life,absolutely yes, and I really
appreciate your saying.
You can find that in so manydifferent ways, depending on
what works for you.
Yep, it doesn't have to be.
It might be God, it might benature.
There's so many versions ofthat.
Tiffany Green (09:20):
Yeah.
April Snow (09:20):
Yeah, it's beautiful .
Tiffany Green (09:22):
Yeah, I have worked with people who consider
themselves to be atheists oragnostic.
And spirituality immediatelyI'm not going to say immediately
but causes them sometimes tohave pause.
But when framed in this way,you can connect with humanity,
you can connect with the world,you can connect with nature.
That just opens a whole worldfor them to have this meaning
(09:44):
and purpose in their lives.
April Snow (09:45):
I love that If we expand the definition, we get to
bring more people in.
Absolutely, absolutely.
I love that.
Yeah, absolutely.
That's really great.
And as a sensitive personbecause I think of sensitive
people as very spirituallyoriented for you personally, how
does your spirituality alignwith your sensitivity?
Tiffany Green (10:18):
Do you see any connection points there?
But I feel, as a result of myspiritual practices, I'm able to
care for myself in a lot deeper, a lot more meaningful way.
So that is how I frame it andthat is the relationship that I
use on a daily basis when I amengaging in my spiritual
(10:39):
practice.
April Snow (10:40):
And that just hit me at a really deep level.
It did.
Spirituality protectssensitivity.
It just feels so true Like this.
I don't know what it is, butlike this buffer, this blanket,
this shield, right, because youwere talking earlier about
sensory sensitivity, emotionalsensitivity, and yeah,
(11:01):
spirituality for me just quietseverything Right back to the
essence.
Tiffany Green (11:06):
Absolutely.
It really helps me staygrounded, it really helps me
manage my time and energy better, and I have an added incentive
is that I don't want toexperience burnout again.
April Snow (11:17):
So yeah, spirituality and my spiritual
practice are really important,so we could even maybe say it
buffers against burnout.
Absolutely Part of that puzzle,absolutely, or that toolkit,
yeah.
Yeah, oh yeah, oh, it's so true, yeah, so that's one of the
(11:37):
benefits If we're connected toour spiritual practice, we can
guard our sensitivity, protectit hopefully not lead down the
path to burnout and overwhelmand all the things that are hard
about being sensitive Maybe getto access the beautiful parts
of sensitivity the joy, thebliss, the awe.
Tiffany Green (11:57):
Absolutely.
Spirituality has really helpedme reframe it.
Spirituality has helped me seemy sensitivity as a gift and
helped nurture and helped openmyself to seeing different
dimensions of that gift.
April Snow (12:11):
Yeah, yeah, it brings more nuance to it.
Tiffany Green (12:16):
Yes, yes, that is a good word.
April Snow (12:18):
Yeah, yeah, I think about this a lot.
How a lot of times the gifts ofour sensitivity, they get
pushed aside, maybe notrecognized.
The gifts of our sensitivitythey get pushed aside, maybe not
recognized.
They're all around us, how weshow up for others, how we
experience the world, how we cannotice little details and the
joy of that, but those thingsget pushed aside.
But this could help bring itmore to the surface, potentially
(12:38):
tap into those deeper feelingsand the purpose, the meaning.
Yeah, yeah, I'm wondering whatare some of the other benefits
we might see when we develop aspiritual practice.
Tiffany Green (12:51):
Other things that we haven't talked about.
I have a whole list for you.
April Snow (12:55):
Oh, I love this.
Tiffany Green (12:56):
A whole list for you, april, please.
Yeah, one of the biggest onesthat I've seen from myself and
my work with clients is nervoussystem regulation is nervous
system regulation.
Like a lot of times, we as HSPslike we're prone to emotional
and sensory overstimulation.
And what a spiritual practicedoes, especially like something
like meditation, prayer, breathwork.
(13:18):
It helps calm and regulate thenervous system.
So that is a big one.
April Snow (13:23):
Yes, yeah, that's a huge one isn't it?
Tiffany Green (13:26):
Yeah, yeah, and I'm a somatic therapist.
I'm trained in somaticexperiencing and I really, to my
clients who are open to it, Ireally support them in
developing a spiritual practicein order to help manage the
daily stressors that we allexperience.
I feel like more and more thesedays.
April Snow (13:48):
This is exciting for me because we often see
regulation practice.
Now they're everywhere at thispoint all over.
Instagram and everywhere.
They almost seem so functional,empty in a way.
Do this to feel like this andget on with your life.
We can fold in a deeperexperience around these
practices, so I think about formyself, like my yoga practice,
(14:13):
for instance.
It's not just a physicalpractice, it is a spiritual
practice.
It's very sacred to me.
I've done it for 20 plus years,same with my regulation
practices.
There's a mindfulness element.
It's not just me calmingoverwhelm or anxiety.
I'm reconnecting with myselfand something.
There's an energy, there's justsomething beyond me that
happens and I don't know thatI've ever heard anyone talk
(14:34):
about that overlap before.
Tiffany Green (14:36):
Yeah.
April Snow (14:37):
Yeah.
Tiffany Green (14:38):
It is definitely there for people who are seeking
it and I feel I describe it asbecause a lot, lot of people,
when they're starting aspiritual practice, are just
like how is it?
Is it working Right?
How can I tell if I'm receivingthe benefit?
And nervous system regulationis one that you can almost
experience immediately.
(14:59):
And whatever practice you'vechosen, if you feel a little bit
calmer, if you feel like youjust had a nice drink of water
or a nice, you can do a nicesigh.
You know it's working.
April Snow (15:17):
Yes, yeah, something starts to soften.
Yes, I'm often talking with mywife about this because she's
like how do you know it'sworking?
She'll often ask me that I'mlike oh, I just felt my nervous
system relax.
Tiffany Green (15:29):
She's like how do you know it's?
April Snow (15:29):
working.
She'll often ask me that I'mlike oh, I just felt my nervous
system relax.
She's like how do you know itis?
It's just like a oh, an exhale.
Tiffany Green (15:36):
Yeah, and sometimes that's really hard to
describe, but once you feel it,you understand.
April Snow (15:42):
Yes, yes, Exactly yeah, yeah, but that's a great
question, though how do I knowit's working?
Tiffany Green (15:46):
Yeah, yeah it is.
It depends on what yourspiritual practice is.
But what I have found is thatthe biggest way to tell if it's
working is when you show updifferently, like immediately,
you can have that sense of deepbreath that is very cleansing.
Deep breath that is verycleansing, but on a more
significant basis, like if youcan say normally I would have
(16:15):
been at a level nine, a level ofnine activation in this
circumstance, but I showed upand I was a six.
To me, that is a big indicatorthat something is, something
positive is happening.
Ooh, I love this.
April Snow (16:25):
Yeah, it's like there's these ripples that go
out.
Tiffany Green (16:29):
Yeah, and sometimes when you change,
you're not, you don't have aconscious understanding that you
have changed until you're in asimilar situation and you show
up differently, you react andrespond differently.
April Snow (16:40):
It's so true.
I always wished I could sitnext to myself five years ago,
could sit next to myself fiveyears ago and see the difference
.
We can't do that, but we can.
So it might not be immediate,but when you're in that similar
situation again, maybe at workor in a relationship with a
certain person, oh, I'mdifferent.
Tiffany Green (17:00):
Yeah, absolutely something's changed absolutely,
and that is definitely growth,and a spiritual practice can
definitely help in helping tofacilitate that growth.
April Snow (17:09):
Yeah, I'm wondering if we could get so for folks who
maybe aren't.
They haven't embodied thisexperience yet, they haven't
seen themselves show updifferently, or maybe haven't
tracked it.
Maybe they have, they justhaven't taken that in what could
be an example.
Is it I'm maybe less irritablewith someone, or I have more
(17:30):
tolerance for someone who'spushing my boundaries?
I'm curious if there'ssomething, an example of what
one might notice if somethingchanged Like all of that, yes,
all of that.
Tiffany Green (17:42):
And for HSPs, we are very conscious of our levels
of activation.
And a lot of times when workingwith HSPs.
That's the gauge that I use.
Sometimes the clients my HSPclients will say I was so
dysregulated I couldn't speak,like I couldn't even figure out
(18:03):
what to say in that moment.
And so if a client can findthemselves in a similar
situation with a supervisor, afriend or a partner and they
could say I was able to staygrounded, I was able to hear
what was being communicated tome.
I was able to respond.
So a lot of times.
My baseline is level ofactivation.
April Snow (18:25):
It's so true If you can find your words in the
moments if you are in the room.
That's a big change.
Tiffany Green (18:33):
Yes, that is a huge change, because sometimes
the overwhelm gets to be toomuch, whether it's emotional or
sensory, and we don't know whatreally is happening.
April Snow (18:45):
Exactly.
We can yeah, I think out ofself-protection just start to
maybe check out of the situation, and our nervous systems are
trying to manage everythingthat's coming out, especially if
we're coming in alreadyactivated and then that's just
overflowing.
So that could be a huge signthere's a little bit more
capacity, a little bit morepresence, a little bit more
(19:06):
ability to stay in the momentand actually say what you want
to say definitely, and anotherbenefit april that I wanted to
talk to you about is boundarystrengthening.
Tiffany Green (19:19):
A lot of times we use hsps like we are
overwhelmed by other people'semotions and sometimes we can't
tell where someone else'semotions end and ours begin.
So spiritual exercises likegrounding and energy work.
They can help us build up thatboundary, to have an increased
(19:43):
level of discernment.
April Snow (19:46):
That's true.
You can start to see where youstart and the other person
begins yeah, I mean yeah that'strue, because the more I'll
speak for myself, the moredysregulated I am.
My boundaries become a lot moreporous, and it's dangerous.
Yeah, it's dangerous.
Tiffany Green (20:06):
Yeah, it can be, definitely.
April Snow (20:07):
Yeah, yes, yeah, it can be definitely, yeah, yes, so
you have more ability todiscern, to set those boundaries
, those limits with people.
Yeah, and I wonder too, I'm Ifeel like there's something
deeper even there, maybeunderstanding why it's so
important, or moreself-preservation, I'm not sure
I would maybe see what I'mprotecting my own energy, my
(20:31):
peace, whatever it is.
There's something there.
I can't put my finger on it.
Tiffany Green (20:36):
Yeah, yeah, I hear you, and maybe that leads a
little bit into another benefitthat I wanted to talk about
which?
Is having self-compassion, andthis one was a big one for me
and, like you were touching onbefore, sometimes, when you are
overwhelmed by someone else'semotions, setting that boundary
(20:59):
can be an act of self-compassion.
I am going to do this because Ihave value, I have worth.
I am like protecting this gift,so it's more like an incentive
to engage in setting theseboundaries.
April Snow (21:12):
When you start to recognize the value you bring or
that you inherently have.
Tiffany Green (21:17):
Yeah, yeah, because most of I'm not going to
say most, because a lot of uswere told we're too sensitive,
we're too much, and so it is abig deal to get to the point
where you can say I am enoughand it is fine, and I have this
difference and I am going tolook at it as a gift and maybe a
(21:38):
spiritual practice can supportme in shifting some of these
views that I have that no longerserve me to the same degree as
before.
I'm going to say that theyprobably didn't serve you at all
, but some of us believe thatthose beliefs served us at some
level.
April Snow (21:54):
Yeah, yeah.
So this seems like anotherlayer of spirituality,
protecting sensitivity in thesense of that our sensitivity
has inherent value.
Yeah, we can feel worthy as asensitive person.
Yeah, that makes sense, Iwonder.
So I wonder if this is a beliefthat you have, that you know we
are divine beings, that thereis maybe a god, but there's also
(22:18):
a god in us, that we, and if wecan see ourselves with that
view, we can understand that oursensitivity maybe has a deeper
purpose that is sacred just asinherently, and we don't have to
try to squash that in ourselves.
Yeah, yeah.
Tiffany Green (22:35):
Like.
We have a piece of God withinus and, as beings with spirits
and souls and our own level ofdivinity, we are created in
God's image with a purpose hereon this planet at this time, and
all of that can be enhancedwith a spiritual practice and we
can start to treat that withgrace, with care.
April Snow (23:02):
Yeah, with respect yeah, just as we would.
Something else we're looking to, whether it be God or energy or
the universe, whatever wordsyou want to put to it.
Yeah, yeah, we can send thatback.
Yes, yeah To ourselves.
Tiffany Green (23:18):
Yeah, yeah, we spend so much energy, a lot of
time caring for others and beingpresent for others and being a
support.
This is an opportunity for usto support ourselves.
April Snow (23:29):
Absolutely yeah.
Yeah, through settingboundaries, through compassion,
through nurturing our nervoussystems.
Tiffany Green (23:37):
Yeah, yeah.
April Snow (23:39):
I love reframing all of these practices as sacred
practices.
That feels really special to me.
Tiffany Green (23:45):
Yeah, I think they definitely are.
Yeah it to me.
Yeah, I think they definitelyare.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
April Snow (23:51):
Yeah, before we start talking about, maybe, how
to pull in spiritual practicesinto our lives outside of these,
I'm wondering was there anyother benefits that you wanted
to touch on that you felt wereimportant?
Tiffany Green (24:03):
Yeah, yeah, I think connection and belonging,
like a lot of times we feel, asHSPs, isolated in terms of our
sensitivity to the experiencesin our lives, experiences of
people in our lives, spiritualpractice with others, like in
(24:25):
going to church or meditation oryoga it's a way to have a
greater sense of connection withothers and a lot of times that
can be helpful.
For us as HSPs, who sometimesmaybe feel a little bit more
isolated than other people,connection and belonging is a
big one.
And the last one I want toshare is greater creativity and
(24:50):
intuition.
Like we, by nature, have atendency to be very creative,
and a spiritual practice cansometimes enhance our openness,
our ability to be reflective,which benefits our level of
creativity.
April Snow (25:05):
It opens up those channels within us.
Yeah, yeah, I want to go backto the belonging and make sure
not to skip over that, because Ithink about a lot of HSVs who I
work with, who I've talked to,who feel pretty isolated and
even if there are opportunitiesfor connection, it may not be
the types of connection thatnourish them.
Tiffany Green (25:26):
Yeah.
April Snow (25:27):
And I think about spiritual spaces, whether it's
church, whether it's ameditation hall, a buddhist
meditation circle, whatever itis, where there's those
communities that are joiningaround something deeper it's not
just superficial socializing,which that can be fun sometimes.
But yeah, I think for hsps weyearn for that socializing,
(25:49):
which that can be fun sometimes.
But I think for HSPs we yearnfor that depth of connection
which spiritual, religiousspaces can provide.
Tiffany Green (25:54):
Yeah, I agree.
By its nature it superchargesthe level of belongingness that
could be possible in thosespaces.
April Snow (26:03):
There's something very strong bringing you all
together.
Yeah, yeah, I don't go tochurch, but I've always had a
yearning to have a space likethat.
Yeah, and not growing upreligious, but have great
reverence for it, because it isa beautiful way to bring people
together and to tap intosomething beyond yourself.
(26:24):
Yeah, yeah, I think we needmore of that, more than ever.
Tiffany Green (26:27):
I agree.
I agree, april.
Yeah, especially with some ofthe turbulence that is going on
in the world.
April Snow (26:35):
The more spaces we have like that, the better yes,
the more safe, deeply connectedspaces where people can just
join in real time.
In real life, yeah, reallyimportant, yeah, yeah.
So let's say someone islistening and they're either
curious to develop a spiritualpractice or maybe they want to
(26:56):
return to one that they'vedisconnected from.
How might they start to do that?
Tiffany Green (27:04):
Yeah, I think the beauty is that a spiritual
practice can be almost anything,and the challenge is that a
spiritual practice can be almostanything.
Yeah, it's both.
So it really depends on theindividual.
But there are three keys that Iuse when I'm supporting a
(27:24):
client in developing a spiritualpractice that is going to be
effective for them.
And the first one we mentionedbefore is it helps you connect
with something that feelsgreater than yourself.
That is probably the biggestone.
The second one is this is apractice, and so there has to be
some level of frequency that isinvolved.
(27:46):
There has to be accessibilitythere.
There has to be something thatcan be easily repeated.
You might love climbingmountains, but if that is
something you can only do once ayear, I don't know if that
would be.
I don't think it would meet myidea as a spiritual practice.
And then the third thing issomething that allows
(28:08):
contemplation and personalreflection.
It is fine if you want toengage in a spiritual practice
with other people, but the goalis for you to have your own
unique experience within thegroup.
So those are the three keysthat I use.
April Snow (28:24):
Right.
It sounds like finding apractice that can be sustainable
, that you can connect withdaily or weekly at least.
Tiffany Green (28:32):
Yeah, yeah, Daily , weekly.
Some clients I've had were justlike all right, I'm going to
start off slow.
I'm going to do bi-weekly, onceevery two weeks.
I'm like I'll take it.
April Snow (28:41):
That's it.
Yeah, start where you can.
Tiffany Green (28:45):
Absolutely, and I do want to reference that Pew
Research because they listedsome of the practices, spiritual
practices that are the mostcommon, and they include
meditation, yoga, exercise andbeing in nature.
So, if all else fails, you canbegin with one of those in order
to like jumpstart, finding aspiritual practice that works
(29:07):
for you.
April Snow (29:07):
So you could potentially take something
you're already doing, yeah andbring a spiritual intention to
it, absolutely.
Tiffany Green (29:17):
Yeah, like I like a spiritual practice and maybe,
like when we use the definitionthat I presented, people can
say to themselves huh, maybethat was a spiritual practice,
that I didn't even realize it.
I know some people theirspiritual practice is walking,
some it's painting, some it'swriting, some it's tarot, some
(29:41):
it's like other types ofmovement, like a tea.
It can be almost anything aslong as it meets those keys that
I outlined.
April Snow (29:51):
Yes, wow, so many opportunities.
Absolutely, absolutely, yes.
What can you show up to whatworks for your life?
Tiffany Green (30:01):
Yes, and as an example, I have my own.
I have three spiritualpractices.
My first one is gardening.
Like I love being in the garden, I love planting a seed and
watching it grow and potentiallybe harvested at some point in
the near future.
It just connects me to therhythm of life, the seasons, and
(30:26):
that is very life-giving for me.
I also engage in meditation.
I meditate daily and thatallows me to connect with divine
energy, which is very groundingfor me.
And then the third one is Ihave an ancestor shine in my
home and it just being presentme, seeing it on a daily basis,
(30:48):
me, refreshing it with water andflowers.
It just reminds me of everyperson who has ever lived that
is responsible for me being here, like some names I know, like
my grandparents andgreat-grandparents, some I will
never know, and that justprovides me with a greater sense
of purpose.
April Snow (31:08):
Yeah, just connecting into that lineage
those roots that you have.
I also have an altar, and thereis something about being able
to see it every day, to interact, to engage with it, and having
photos is really, it's reallypowerful.
Oh, here's where I came fromyeah yeah, yeah, it's a great
way to you extend beyondyourself.
(31:30):
And also, I appreciate theseexamples of oh.
This is how you can do it in avery tangible way and it is a
experience, but it's also a veryspiritual, energetic experience
, emotional experience, yeah,yeah, I just love all the
options and being able to see,oh, I bet there's spirituality
(31:52):
already happening for mostpeople.
Tiffany Green (31:55):
Yeah, knowing now that 70% of US adults are
homosexual, I would say that isvery likely like exercise or
walking.
April Snow (32:04):
How can we bring a spiritual intention to something
like that, which may be purelyphysical in a certain level?
(32:26):
Do you have any ideas aboutthose?
Tiffany Green (32:28):
Yeah, I will say that I feel like you're probably
more likely to have a deeperspiritual experience being
outside when you're engaging inthis activity.
But I know some people whowalking is their spiritual
practice and it's a process ofmoving their bodies and feeling
(32:48):
connected to their bodies.
It's a process of being presentto the neighbor who is getting
the mail and the dog who issniffing the grass, and all of
that involves connection withnature, connection with humanity
.
So those are the things thatcan really infuse an experience
(33:11):
like exercise to make it feelmore spiritual and meaningful.
April Snow (33:16):
It doesn't have to be a perfect container.
Yeah, that's refreshing to hearbecause I think a lot of times
we feel like, oh, I have to havethis perfectly quiet, no
interruptions.
Experience.
Yeah, but you could have aspiritual experience in the
world in your life.
Tiffany Green (33:34):
Absolutely, and I know a lot of people where that
type of experience is moremeaningful for them.
April Snow (33:41):
Yeah, why do you think that is?
Is there a connection point?
Tiffany Green (33:47):
Yeah, I think it's connection.
I think, for HSPs especially,sometimes it's being in the
world on your own terms and notbeing bombarded by it, I feel.
But I think it's a mix of thosethings.
April Snow (34:01):
Yeah, that makes sense to me.
There's something about havingthose little shared moments and
the neighbor might just begrabbing the mail, but I'm
bringing them into my spiritualexperience because I'm in the
garden out front plantingflowers yeah yeah, it's pretty
special.
Tiffany Green (34:18):
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
Yeah, oh, I planting flowers.
Yeah, it's pretty special.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
April Snow (34:21):
Yeah, oh, I love this.
Yeah, tiffany, I'm wondering ifthere's any final thoughts you
want to share for HSPs who arereconnecting with their
spirituality, who are feelinginspired by this conversation.
Tiffany Green (34:34):
Yeah, I want to encourage HSPs to try it or
maybe recognize the spiritualpractices that they already have
in their lives and being alittle bit more intentional
about those.
Like I said before, it can bealmost anything that works for
(34:58):
an individual and their life andI think by engaging in a
practice they will see some real, tangible benefits in their
lives.
April Snow (35:08):
You've done such a great job of outlining all the
ways that spirituality caninfuse our lives.
It can bring not just moredepth and meaning, but also like
more connection to self andpotentially, more connection to
community.
Yeah, this feels like a centerpoint of life.
Yes, everything else stems from, yeah, such an important piece
(35:30):
to nurture in ourselves and asHSPs I always like to remind
people we will soak that up likea sponge.
We will feel that so much moredeeply and why miss?
Tiffany Green (35:41):
it absolutely, absolutely.
If there's something that youknow could possibly enhance our
life, our experiences in theworld, give it a go, give it a
try yeah, give it a go.
April Snow (35:54):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And then feeling into thosesensitive gifts of intuition,
creativity, empathy, I reallysee spirituality fueling those
as you shared.
Tiffany Green (36:06):
Yeah, thank you for that perspective.
April Snow (36:09):
Tiffany, this has been a wonderful conversation.
Like I shared, I'm so excitedabout this topic and I think
it's one that's so important forour community, and I want to
make sure folks can connect withyou, so I will share all of
your resources in the show notes, your website, your social
media.
I know you offer therapy andcoaching both.
Could you share a little bitmore about those services for
folks?
Tiffany Green (36:29):
Yeah, my practice is based out of Chicago and I
provide online therapy for women, bipoc and queer professionals
in Illinois and Missouri andaddressing anxiety, burnout and
depression symptoms.
Yeah, beautiful, yeah, in mycoaching program, my coaching is
called A Wellness, and I callit that because I was very much
(36:53):
a type A personality before myburnout experience and now I am
proudly type A minus.
I love those, yeah.
So what I do is I supportclients across the country who
have achieved a certain level ofperceived outward success, but
it's come potentially at theexpense of their overall health
(37:15):
and well-being at the expense oftheir overall health and
well-being.
So what I do is I work withthem many of them who are highly
sensitive in order to assesswhat's going on, to provide some
guidance and then reframe whatsuccess really looks like for
them.
So that is my coaching program.
April Snow (37:33):
I love that.
So folks who maybe are hittingthat limit, who maybe are
approaching or have gone througha burnout, want to maybe
reconfigure some parts of theirlife, find some more balance,
you are the person that cansupport them.
Tiffany Green (37:46):
Yes.
April Snow (37:46):
I am that person.
I love it, Tiffany.
Thank you again so much.
This has been a joy.
Tiffany Green (37:52):
Yes, thank you so much for having me April.
I really appreciate itAbsolutely for me April.
I really appreciate it.
April Snow (38:00):
Absolutely.
Thanks so much for joining meand Tiffany for today's
conversation.
What I hope you remember isthat spirituality can show up
anywhere, at any time, fromwalking your dog to going to
church, to sitting in meditation, to intentionally moving your
body.
If you're a high achiever whoneeds support with navigating
(38:21):
burnout or starting a spiritualpractice, you can visit
Tiffany's A-minus coachingprogram at her website.
The link is in the show notes.
If you enjoyed this episode,subscribe to the Sensitive
Stories podcast so you don'tmiss our upcoming conversations.
Reviews and ratings are alsohelpful and appreciated For
(38:41):
behind-the-scenes content andmore HSB resources.
You can sign up for my emaillist or follow Sensitive
Strengths on Instagram, tiktokand YouTube.
Check out the show notes orsensitivestoriescom for all the
resources from today's episode.
Thanks for listening.
My spirituality helps me protect my sensitivity.
For a long time, I looked at mysensitivity as something that
had to be managed, but I feel,as a result of my spiritual
practices, I'm able to care formyself in a lot deeper, a lot
more meaningful way.
(00:21):
Meaningful way.
April Snow (00:29):
Welcome to Sensitive Stories, the podcast for the
people who live with hearts andeyes wide open.
I'm your host, psychotherapistand author, april Snow.
I invite you to join me as Ideep dive into rich
conversations with fellow highlysensitive people that will
inspire you to live a morefulfilling life as an HSP
(00:51):
without all the overwhelm.
In this episode, I talk withTiffany Green about how
spiritual practices help youembrace your sensitivity, care
for your nervous system, enhanceyour natural intuitive
abilities and create a sense ofbelonging.
Tiffany is a trauma-informedsomatic coach and
psychotherapist based out ofChicago.
She specializes in supportingwomen, bipoc and LGBTQ plus
(01:15):
professionals with depression,anxiety and burnout symptoms.
Using a culturally affirming,spiritual and body-based
approach, tiffany helps herclients redefine success on
their own terms.
She's passionate about creatingspace for rest, authenticity
and sustainable healing.
For more HSP resources and tosee behind-the-scenes video from
(01:36):
the podcast, join me onInstagram, tiktok or YouTube at
Sensitive Strengths or sign upfor my email list at Sensitive
Strengths or sign up for myemail list.
Links are in the show notes andat sensitivestoriescom.
And just a reminder that thisepisode is for educational
purposes only and is notintended as a substitute for
treatment with a mental healthor medical professional.
(01:57):
Let's dive in Well, tiffany,welcome to the podcast.
(02:20):
I'm so happy to have you heretoday.
Tiffany Green (02:22):
Thank you so much , April.
I am really excited to be heretoday.
April Snow (02:25):
Yeah, thank you, and I'm wondering if you could
start off by sharing your HSPdiscovery story.
Tiffany Green (02:32):
Yeah, I think, like most HSP, we knew we were
sensitive at an early age, likeI definitely knew it in
childhood, but I didn't have thewords or language to really
describe what it was that I wasfeeling and then flash forward
30 plus years and I'm working areally stressful job and I'm not
(02:56):
taking care of myself and I'mnot taking care of my
sensitivity and I ended upburning out.
I ended up catching pneumonia.
I had to be hospitalized, and ittook me almost eight months to
fully recover from that illness,and so during that time, I was
looking for all the informationthat I could find about why that
(03:18):
had happened to me.
It was a very traumaticexperience, and I wanted to
figure out how to not let thathappen again.
I did a lot of research, read alot of books, and in the course
of that eight months, I saw aninterview with Elaine Aron and
she was talking about highlysensitive people and I was like,
(03:39):
is that me?
And so I immediately went toher website and I took her quiz
and I scored over I think 80% atthe time, went out and got her
book and it was just, it was soenlightening, like I really felt
seen as a result of reading herbook and connecting with her
(04:00):
story.
And when you are labeled assensitive, sometimes you
internalize some things, and soI had done that, and I also had
a lot of sensory issues that Ihad never heard talked about
before, like lights and sound,yeah, and really needing to be
(04:20):
comfortable in my physicalenvironment.
So that was the first time Ihad my emotional sensitivity
married with my sensorysensitivity, and that just
changed everything for me.
April Snow (04:33):
Wow, yeah, everything starts to make sense.
Tiffany Green (04:36):
Absolutely, absolutely, yeah.
And so, like I, as a result ofthat, I started looking at, I
started looking at my life, Istarted looking at my nervous
system, I started looking at theways I offered self-care for
myself a lot differently.
April Snow (04:52):
Yeah, yeah.
I think a lot of folks havethat moment, including myself,
where there's this wake-up call,where you hit your limits, your
body starts to shut down.
You can't live that non-HSPlife any longer.
Yeah.
Tiffany Green (05:08):
But you don't realize what's happening.
Yeah, yeah, I love that phrasenon-HSP life.
I was definitely living thatbefore my illness.
April Snow (05:16):
And I wonder.
We're going to talk aboutspirituality today.
I wonder if that was part of itfor you.
Did you discover that then?
Was it get more into it?
I know, but I'm just curious atthis point Was that part of
your eight months or was thatalready in place before?
That was already in placebefore.
Beautiful.
Tiffany Green (05:33):
Yeah, I think my first introduction to
spirituality was church.
My mom would take my sister andI to church and Bible school and
I sang in the choir all thesesongs, this awesome, amazing God
, this divine energy.
And in the church where I wasraised, a Protestant church I
was taught that I could have arelationship, a personal
(05:56):
relationship, with this God, andso I think that's where the
seed was planted, and from thereI just did all sorts of
exploration, reading about Greekmythology and Egyptian gods.
I wanted to know more and more,and that I think following that
path led me to actually go backto graduate school to get my
(06:20):
degree in divinity, because Iwanted to understand this God,
this divine energy.
I wanted to have a relationshipAfter my illness I would say
that that is when I reallystarted to focus on my spiritual
practices as a form ofself-care, but I think the seed
was planted for me in childhood.
April Snow (06:40):
Yeah, yes, I think so many HSPs are seekers,
whether it be religion orspirituality, and it seems like
you've.
I love it.
You've been such an explorer ofall the different pieces and,
for folks who aren't quite sure,could you define what
spirituality is?
Is it just religion?
Tiffany Green (06:59):
Is.
I want to say this before Iprovide my definition is that
spirituality is a topic thatmeans so many different things
to so many different people, andthere are some people who are
confused by it, who are notaligned with spirituality as a
belief and a concept.
(07:20):
But I will say that themajority of us are, and I have
proof.
But I will say that themajority of us are, and I have
proof.
There was a study that wasconducted by the Pew Research
Center in 2003.
It was the first time they hadever studied spirituality in the
United States, and what theyfound was that 70% of US adults
(07:45):
believe that they are spiritualon some level.
70%, yes, yeah.
And also, like 83% of US adults, believe that we have a soul or
spirit in addition to ourphysical bodies.
April Snow (07:55):
Wow, that's a high number.
Tiffany Green (07:57):
That is a very high number.
I was so shocked when I saw it.
So the definition ofspirituality that I use is
something that provides meaningand purpose in your life, that
connects you with some energy,some entity that feels greater
than you, and that can be God,that can be divine energy, that
(08:20):
can be nature, that could be theworld.
It really the only criteria isthat it makes you feel connected
to something bigger, evenhumanity.
So that's the definition I use.
April Snow (08:34):
It makes sense, given that definition, that so
many of us I think it's almostan essential part of being human
is to find some deeperconnection with something
Absolutely Right the meaning,the purpose.
That's so essential for me andI know even a lot of non-HSPs
that I know yeah, we need thatright.
Tiffany Green (08:51):
Yeah, yeah, it is grounding, it's a form of
connection and it gives oureveryday lives a certain amount
of purpose.
April Snow (09:01):
Yes.
Yeah, it's like the substanceof life, absolutely yes, yeah,
it's like the substance of life,absolutely yes, and I really
appreciate your saying.
You can find that in so manydifferent ways, depending on
what works for you.
Yep, it doesn't have to be.
It might be God, it might benature.
There's so many versions ofthat.
Tiffany Green (09:20):
Yeah.
April Snow (09:20):
Yeah, it's beautiful .
Tiffany Green (09:22):
Yeah, I have worked with people who consider
themselves to be atheists oragnostic.
And spirituality immediatelyI'm not going to say immediately
but causes them sometimes tohave pause.
But when framed in this way,you can connect with humanity,
you can connect with the world,you can connect with nature.
That just opens a whole worldfor them to have this meaning
(09:44):
and purpose in their lives.
April Snow (09:45):
I love that If we expand the definition, we get to
bring more people in.
Absolutely, absolutely.
I love that.
Yeah, absolutely.
That's really great.
And as a sensitive personbecause I think of sensitive
people as very spirituallyoriented for you personally, how
does your spirituality alignwith your sensitivity?
Tiffany Green (10:18):
Do you see any connection points there?
But I feel, as a result of myspiritual practices, I'm able to
care for myself in a lot deeper, a lot more meaningful way.
So that is how I frame it andthat is the relationship that I
use on a daily basis when I amengaging in my spiritual
(10:39):
practice.
April Snow (10:40):
And that just hit me at a really deep level.
It did.
Spirituality protectssensitivity.
It just feels so true Like this.
I don't know what it is, butlike this buffer, this blanket,
this shield, right, because youwere talking earlier about
sensory sensitivity, emotionalsensitivity, and yeah,
(11:01):
spirituality for me just quietseverything Right back to the
essence.
Tiffany Green (11:06):
Absolutely.
It really helps me staygrounded, it really helps me
manage my time and energy better, and I have an added incentive
is that I don't want toexperience burnout again.
April Snow (11:17):
So yeah, spirituality and my spiritual
practice are really important,so we could even maybe say it
buffers against burnout.
Absolutely Part of that puzzle,absolutely, or that toolkit,
yeah.
Yeah, oh yeah, oh, it's so true, yeah, so that's one of the
(11:37):
benefits If we're connected toour spiritual practice, we can
guard our sensitivity, protectit hopefully not lead down the
path to burnout and overwhelmand all the things that are hard
about being sensitive Maybe getto access the beautiful parts
of sensitivity the joy, thebliss, the awe.
Tiffany Green (11:57):
Absolutely.
Spirituality has really helpedme reframe it.
Spirituality has helped me seemy sensitivity as a gift and
helped nurture and helped openmyself to seeing different
dimensions of that gift.
April Snow (12:11):
Yeah, yeah, it brings more nuance to it.
Tiffany Green (12:16):
Yes, yes, that is a good word.
April Snow (12:18):
Yeah, yeah, I think about this a lot.
How a lot of times the gifts ofour sensitivity, they get
pushed aside, maybe notrecognized.
The gifts of our sensitivitythey get pushed aside, maybe not
recognized.
They're all around us, how weshow up for others, how we
experience the world, how we cannotice little details and the
joy of that, but those thingsget pushed aside.
But this could help bring itmore to the surface, potentially
(12:38):
tap into those deeper feelingsand the purpose, the meaning.
Yeah, yeah, I'm wondering whatare some of the other benefits
we might see when we develop aspiritual practice.
Tiffany Green (12:51):
Other things that we haven't talked about.
I have a whole list for you.
April Snow (12:55):
Oh, I love this.
Tiffany Green (12:56):
A whole list for you, april, please.
Yeah, one of the biggest onesthat I've seen from myself and
my work with clients is nervoussystem regulation is nervous
system regulation.
Like a lot of times, we as HSPslike we're prone to emotional
and sensory overstimulation.
And what a spiritual practicedoes, especially like something
like meditation, prayer, breathwork.
(13:18):
It helps calm and regulate thenervous system.
So that is a big one.
April Snow (13:23):
Yes, yeah, that's a huge one isn't it?
Tiffany Green (13:26):
Yeah, yeah, and I'm a somatic therapist.
I'm trained in somaticexperiencing and I really, to my
clients who are open to it, Ireally support them in
developing a spiritual practicein order to help manage the
daily stressors that we allexperience.
I feel like more and more thesedays.
April Snow (13:48):
This is exciting for me because we often see
regulation practice.
Now they're everywhere at thispoint all over.
Instagram and everywhere.
They almost seem so functional,empty in a way.
Do this to feel like this andget on with your life.
We can fold in a deeperexperience around these
practices, so I think about formyself, like my yoga practice,
(14:13):
for instance.
It's not just a physicalpractice, it is a spiritual
practice.
It's very sacred to me.
I've done it for 20 plus years,same with my regulation
practices.
There's a mindfulness element.
It's not just me calmingoverwhelm or anxiety.
I'm reconnecting with myselfand something.
There's an energy, there's justsomething beyond me that
happens and I don't know thatI've ever heard anyone talk
(14:34):
about that overlap before.
Tiffany Green (14:36):
Yeah.
April Snow (14:37):
Yeah.
Tiffany Green (14:38):
It is definitely there for people who are seeking
it and I feel I describe it asbecause a lot, lot of people,
when they're starting aspiritual practice, are just
like how is it?
Is it working Right?
How can I tell if I'm receivingthe benefit?
And nervous system regulationis one that you can almost
experience immediately.
(14:59):
And whatever practice you'vechosen, if you feel a little bit
calmer, if you feel like youjust had a nice drink of water
or a nice, you can do a nicesigh.
You know it's working.
April Snow (15:17):
Yes, yeah, something starts to soften.
Yes, I'm often talking with mywife about this because she's
like how do you know it'sworking?
She'll often ask me that I'mlike oh, I just felt my nervous
system relax.
Tiffany Green (15:29):
She's like how do you know it's?
April Snow (15:29):
working.
She'll often ask me that I'mlike oh, I just felt my nervous
system relax.
She's like how do you know itis?
It's just like a oh, an exhale.
Tiffany Green (15:36):
Yeah, and sometimes that's really hard to
describe, but once you feel it,you understand.
April Snow (15:42):
Yes, yes, Exactly yeah, yeah, but that's a great
question, though how do I knowit's working?
Tiffany Green (15:46):
Yeah, yeah it is.
It depends on what yourspiritual practice is.
But what I have found is thatthe biggest way to tell if it's
working is when you show updifferently, like immediately,
you can have that sense of deepbreath that is very cleansing.
Deep breath that is verycleansing, but on a more
significant basis, like if youcan say normally I would have
(16:15):
been at a level nine, a level ofnine activation in this
circumstance, but I showed upand I was a six.
To me, that is a big indicatorthat something is, something
positive is happening.
Ooh, I love this.
April Snow (16:25):
Yeah, it's like there's these ripples that go
out.
Tiffany Green (16:29):
Yeah, and sometimes when you change,
you're not, you don't have aconscious understanding that you
have changed until you're in asimilar situation and you show
up differently, you react andrespond differently.
April Snow (16:40):
It's so true.
I always wished I could sitnext to myself five years ago,
could sit next to myself fiveyears ago and see the difference
.
We can't do that, but we can.
So it might not be immediate,but when you're in that similar
situation again, maybe at workor in a relationship with a
certain person, oh, I'mdifferent.
Tiffany Green (17:00):
Yeah, absolutely something's changed absolutely,
and that is definitely growth,and a spiritual practice can
definitely help in helping tofacilitate that growth.
April Snow (17:09):
Yeah, I'm wondering if we could get so for folks who
maybe aren't.
They haven't embodied thisexperience yet, they haven't
seen themselves show updifferently, or maybe haven't
tracked it.
Maybe they have, they justhaven't taken that in what could
be an example.
Is it I'm maybe less irritablewith someone, or I have more
(17:30):
tolerance for someone who'spushing my boundaries?
I'm curious if there'ssomething, an example of what
one might notice if somethingchanged Like all of that, yes,
all of that.
Tiffany Green (17:42):
And for HSPs, we are very conscious of our levels
of activation.
And a lot of times when workingwith HSPs.
That's the gauge that I use.
Sometimes the clients my HSPclients will say I was so
dysregulated I couldn't speak,like I couldn't even figure out
(18:03):
what to say in that moment.
And so if a client can findthemselves in a similar
situation with a supervisor, afriend or a partner and they
could say I was able to staygrounded, I was able to hear
what was being communicated tome.
I was able to respond.
So a lot of times.
My baseline is level ofactivation.
April Snow (18:25):
It's so true If you can find your words in the
moments if you are in the room.
That's a big change.
Tiffany Green (18:33):
Yes, that is a huge change, because sometimes
the overwhelm gets to be toomuch, whether it's emotional or
sensory, and we don't know whatreally is happening.
April Snow (18:45):
Exactly.
We can yeah, I think out ofself-protection just start to
maybe check out of the situation, and our nervous systems are
trying to manage everythingthat's coming out, especially if
we're coming in alreadyactivated and then that's just
overflowing.
So that could be a huge signthere's a little bit more
capacity, a little bit morepresence, a little bit more
(19:06):
ability to stay in the momentand actually say what you want
to say definitely, and anotherbenefit april that I wanted to
talk to you about is boundarystrengthening.
Tiffany Green (19:19):
A lot of times we use hsps like we are
overwhelmed by other people'semotions and sometimes we can't
tell where someone else'semotions end and ours begin.
So spiritual exercises likegrounding and energy work.
They can help us build up thatboundary, to have an increased
(19:43):
level of discernment.
April Snow (19:46):
That's true.
You can start to see where youstart and the other person
begins yeah, I mean yeah that'strue, because the more I'll
speak for myself, the moredysregulated I am.
My boundaries become a lot moreporous, and it's dangerous.
Yeah, it's dangerous.
Tiffany Green (20:06):
Yeah, it can be, definitely.
April Snow (20:07):
Yeah, yes, yeah, it can be definitely, yeah, yes, so
you have more ability todiscern, to set those boundaries
, those limits with people.
Yeah, and I wonder too, I'm Ifeel like there's something
deeper even there, maybeunderstanding why it's so
important, or moreself-preservation, I'm not sure
I would maybe see what I'mprotecting my own energy, my
(20:31):
peace, whatever it is.
There's something there.
I can't put my finger on it.
Tiffany Green (20:36):
Yeah, yeah, I hear you, and maybe that leads a
little bit into another benefitthat I wanted to talk about
which?
Is having self-compassion, andthis one was a big one for me
and, like you were touching onbefore, sometimes, when you are
overwhelmed by someone else'semotions, setting that boundary
(20:59):
can be an act of self-compassion.
I am going to do this because Ihave value, I have worth.
I am like protecting this gift,so it's more like an incentive
to engage in setting theseboundaries.
April Snow (21:12):
When you start to recognize the value you bring or
that you inherently have.
Tiffany Green (21:17):
Yeah, yeah, because most of I'm not going to
say most, because a lot of uswere told we're too sensitive,
we're too much, and so it is abig deal to get to the point
where you can say I am enoughand it is fine, and I have this
difference and I am going tolook at it as a gift and maybe a
(21:38):
spiritual practice can supportme in shifting some of these
views that I have that no longerserve me to the same degree as
before.
I'm going to say that theyprobably didn't serve you at all
, but some of us believe thatthose beliefs served us at some
level.
April Snow (21:54):
Yeah, yeah.
So this seems like anotherlayer of spirituality,
protecting sensitivity in thesense of that our sensitivity
has inherent value.
Yeah, we can feel worthy as asensitive person.
Yeah, that makes sense, Iwonder.
So I wonder if this is a beliefthat you have, that you know we
are divine beings, that thereis maybe a god, but there's also
(22:18):
a god in us, that we, and if wecan see ourselves with that
view, we can understand that oursensitivity maybe has a deeper
purpose that is sacred just asinherently, and we don't have to
try to squash that in ourselves.
Yeah, yeah.
Tiffany Green (22:35):
Like.
We have a piece of God withinus and, as beings with spirits
and souls and our own level ofdivinity, we are created in
God's image with a purpose hereon this planet at this time, and
all of that can be enhancedwith a spiritual practice and we
can start to treat that withgrace, with care.
April Snow (23:02):
Yeah, with respect yeah, just as we would.
Something else we're looking to, whether it be God or energy or
the universe, whatever wordsyou want to put to it.
Yeah, yeah, we can send thatback.
Yes, yeah To ourselves.
Tiffany Green (23:18):
Yeah, yeah, we spend so much energy, a lot of
time caring for others and beingpresent for others and being a
support.
This is an opportunity for usto support ourselves.
April Snow (23:29):
Absolutely yeah.
Yeah, through settingboundaries, through compassion,
through nurturing our nervoussystems.
Tiffany Green (23:37):
Yeah, yeah.
April Snow (23:39):
I love reframing all of these practices as sacred
practices.
That feels really special to me.
Tiffany Green (23:45):
Yeah, I think they definitely are.
Yeah it to me.
Yeah, I think they definitelyare.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
April Snow (23:51):
Yeah, before we start talking about, maybe, how
to pull in spiritual practicesinto our lives outside of these,
I'm wondering was there anyother benefits that you wanted
to touch on that you felt wereimportant?
Tiffany Green (24:03):
Yeah, yeah, I think connection and belonging,
like a lot of times we feel, asHSPs, isolated in terms of our
sensitivity to the experiencesin our lives, experiences of
people in our lives, spiritualpractice with others, like in
(24:25):
going to church or meditation oryoga it's a way to have a
greater sense of connection withothers and a lot of times that
can be helpful.
For us as HSPs, who sometimesmaybe feel a little bit more
isolated than other people,connection and belonging is a
big one.
And the last one I want toshare is greater creativity and
(24:50):
intuition.
Like we, by nature, have atendency to be very creative,
and a spiritual practice cansometimes enhance our openness,
our ability to be reflective,which benefits our level of
creativity.
April Snow (25:05):
It opens up those channels within us.
Yeah, yeah, I want to go backto the belonging and make sure
not to skip over that, because Ithink about a lot of HSVs who I
work with, who I've talked to,who feel pretty isolated and
even if there are opportunitiesfor connection, it may not be
the types of connection thatnourish them.
Tiffany Green (25:26):
Yeah.
April Snow (25:27):
And I think about spiritual spaces, whether it's
church, whether it's ameditation hall, a buddhist
meditation circle, whatever itis, where there's those
communities that are joiningaround something deeper it's not
just superficial socializing,which that can be fun sometimes.
But yeah, I think for hsps weyearn for that socializing,
(25:49):
which that can be fun sometimes.
But I think for HSPs we yearnfor that depth of connection
which spiritual, religiousspaces can provide.
Tiffany Green (25:54):
Yeah, I agree.
By its nature it superchargesthe level of belongingness that
could be possible in thosespaces.
April Snow (26:03):
There's something very strong bringing you all
together.
Yeah, yeah, I don't go tochurch, but I've always had a
yearning to have a space likethat.
Yeah, and not growing upreligious, but have great
reverence for it, because it isa beautiful way to bring people
together and to tap intosomething beyond yourself.
(26:24):
Yeah, yeah, I think we needmore of that, more than ever.
Tiffany Green (26:27):
I agree.
I agree, april.
Yeah, especially with some ofthe turbulence that is going on
in the world.
April Snow (26:35):
The more spaces we have like that, the better yes,
the more safe, deeply connectedspaces where people can just
join in real time.
In real life, yeah, reallyimportant, yeah, yeah.
So let's say someone islistening and they're either
curious to develop a spiritualpractice or maybe they want to
(26:56):
return to one that they'vedisconnected from.
How might they start to do that?
Tiffany Green (27:04):
Yeah, I think the beauty is that a spiritual
practice can be almost anything,and the challenge is that a
spiritual practice can be almostanything.
Yeah, it's both.
So it really depends on theindividual.
But there are three keys that Iuse when I'm supporting a
(27:24):
client in developing a spiritualpractice that is going to be
effective for them.
And the first one we mentionedbefore is it helps you connect
with something that feelsgreater than yourself.
That is probably the biggestone.
The second one is this is apractice, and so there has to be
some level of frequency that isinvolved.
(27:46):
There has to be accessibilitythere.
There has to be something thatcan be easily repeated.
You might love climbingmountains, but if that is
something you can only do once ayear, I don't know if that
would be.
I don't think it would meet myidea as a spiritual practice.
And then the third thing issomething that allows
(28:08):
contemplation and personalreflection.
It is fine if you want toengage in a spiritual practice
with other people, but the goalis for you to have your own
unique experience within thegroup.
So those are the three keysthat I use.
April Snow (28:24):
Right.
It sounds like finding apractice that can be sustainable
, that you can connect withdaily or weekly at least.
Tiffany Green (28:32):
Yeah, yeah, Daily , weekly.
Some clients I've had were justlike all right, I'm going to
start off slow.
I'm going to do bi-weekly, onceevery two weeks.
I'm like I'll take it.
April Snow (28:41):
That's it.
Yeah, start where you can.
Tiffany Green (28:45):
Absolutely, and I do want to reference that Pew
Research because they listedsome of the practices, spiritual
practices that are the mostcommon, and they include
meditation, yoga, exercise andbeing in nature.
So, if all else fails, you canbegin with one of those in order
to like jumpstart, finding aspiritual practice that works
(29:07):
for you.
April Snow (29:07):
So you could potentially take something
you're already doing, yeah andbring a spiritual intention to
it, absolutely.
Tiffany Green (29:17):
Yeah, like I like a spiritual practice and maybe,
like when we use the definitionthat I presented, people can
say to themselves huh, maybethat was a spiritual practice,
that I didn't even realize it.
I know some people theirspiritual practice is walking,
some it's painting, some it'swriting, some it's tarot, some
(29:41):
it's like other types ofmovement, like a tea.
It can be almost anything aslong as it meets those keys that
I outlined.
April Snow (29:51):
Yes, wow, so many opportunities.
Absolutely, absolutely, yes.
What can you show up to whatworks for your life?
Tiffany Green (30:01):
Yes, and as an example, I have my own.
I have three spiritualpractices.
My first one is gardening.
Like I love being in the garden, I love planting a seed and
watching it grow and potentiallybe harvested at some point in
the near future.
It just connects me to therhythm of life, the seasons, and
(30:26):
that is very life-giving for me.
I also engage in meditation.
I meditate daily and thatallows me to connect with divine
energy, which is very groundingfor me.
And then the third one is Ihave an ancestor shine in my
home and it just being presentme, seeing it on a daily basis,
(30:48):
me, refreshing it with water andflowers.
It just reminds me of everyperson who has ever lived that
is responsible for me being here, like some names I know, like
my grandparents andgreat-grandparents, some I will
never know, and that justprovides me with a greater sense
of purpose.
April Snow (31:08):
Yeah, just connecting into that lineage
those roots that you have.
I also have an altar, and thereis something about being able
to see it every day, to interact, to engage with it, and having
photos is really, it's reallypowerful.
Oh, here's where I came fromyeah yeah, yeah, it's a great
way to you extend beyondyourself.
(31:30):
And also, I appreciate theseexamples of oh.
This is how you can do it in avery tangible way and it is a
experience, but it's also a veryspiritual, energetic experience
, emotional experience, yeah,yeah, I just love all the
options and being able to see,oh, I bet there's spirituality
(31:52):
already happening for mostpeople.
Tiffany Green (31:55):
Yeah, knowing now that 70% of US adults are
homosexual, I would say that isvery likely like exercise or
walking.
April Snow (32:04):
How can we bring a spiritual intention to something
like that, which may be purelyphysical in a certain level?
(32:26):
Do you have any ideas aboutthose?
Tiffany Green (32:28):
Yeah, I will say that I feel like you're probably
more likely to have a deeperspiritual experience being
outside when you're engaging inthis activity.
But I know some people whowalking is their spiritual
practice and it's a process ofmoving their bodies and feeling
(32:48):
connected to their bodies.
It's a process of being presentto the neighbor who is getting
the mail and the dog who issniffing the grass, and all of
that involves connection withnature, connection with humanity
.
So those are the things thatcan really infuse an experience
(33:11):
like exercise to make it feelmore spiritual and meaningful.
April Snow (33:16):
It doesn't have to be a perfect container.
Yeah, that's refreshing to hearbecause I think a lot of times
we feel like, oh, I have to havethis perfectly quiet, no
interruptions.
Experience.
Yeah, but you could have aspiritual experience in the
world in your life.
Tiffany Green (33:34):
Absolutely, and I know a lot of people where that
type of experience is moremeaningful for them.
April Snow (33:41):
Yeah, why do you think that is?
Is there a connection point?
Tiffany Green (33:47):
Yeah, I think it's connection.
I think, for HSPs especially,sometimes it's being in the
world on your own terms and notbeing bombarded by it, I feel.
But I think it's a mix of thosethings.
April Snow (34:01):
Yeah, that makes sense to me.
There's something about havingthose little shared moments and
the neighbor might just begrabbing the mail, but I'm
bringing them into my spiritualexperience because I'm in the
garden out front plantingflowers yeah yeah, it's pretty
special.
Tiffany Green (34:18):
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
Yeah, oh, I planting flowers.
Yeah, it's pretty special.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
April Snow (34:21):
Yeah, oh, I love this.
Yeah, tiffany, I'm wondering ifthere's any final thoughts you
want to share for HSPs who arereconnecting with their
spirituality, who are feelinginspired by this conversation.
Tiffany Green (34:34):
Yeah, I want to encourage HSPs to try it or
maybe recognize the spiritualpractices that they already have
in their lives and being alittle bit more intentional
about those.
Like I said before, it can bealmost anything that works for
(34:58):
an individual and their life andI think by engaging in a
practice they will see some real, tangible benefits in their
lives.
April Snow (35:08):
You've done such a great job of outlining all the
ways that spirituality caninfuse our lives.
It can bring not just moredepth and meaning, but also like
more connection to self andpotentially, more connection to
community.
Yeah, this feels like a centerpoint of life.
Yes, everything else stems from, yeah, such an important piece
(35:30):
to nurture in ourselves and asHSPs I always like to remind
people we will soak that up likea sponge.
We will feel that so much moredeeply and why miss?
Tiffany Green (35:41):
it absolutely, absolutely.
If there's something that youknow could possibly enhance our
life, our experiences in theworld, give it a go, give it a
try yeah, give it a go.
April Snow (35:54):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And then feeling into thosesensitive gifts of intuition,
creativity, empathy, I reallysee spirituality fueling those
as you shared.
Tiffany Green (36:06):
Yeah, thank you for that perspective.
April Snow (36:09):
Tiffany, this has been a wonderful conversation.
Like I shared, I'm so excitedabout this topic and I think
it's one that's so important forour community, and I want to
make sure folks can connect withyou, so I will share all of
your resources in the show notes, your website, your social
media.
I know you offer therapy andcoaching both.
Could you share a little bitmore about those services for
folks?
Tiffany Green (36:29):
Yeah, my practice is based out of Chicago and I
provide online therapy for women, bipoc and queer professionals
in Illinois and Missouri andaddressing anxiety, burnout and
depression symptoms.
Yeah, beautiful, yeah, in mycoaching program, my coaching is
called A Wellness, and I callit that because I was very much
(36:53):
a type A personality before myburnout experience and now I am
proudly type A minus.
I love those, yeah.
So what I do is I supportclients across the country who
have achieved a certain level ofperceived outward success, but
it's come potentially at theexpense of their overall health
(37:15):
and well-being at the expense oftheir overall health and
well-being.
So what I do is I work withthem many of them who are highly
sensitive in order to assesswhat's going on, to provide some
guidance and then reframe whatsuccess really looks like for
them.
So that is my coaching program.
April Snow (37:33):
I love that.
So folks who maybe are hittingthat limit, who maybe are
approaching or have gone througha burnout, want to maybe
reconfigure some parts of theirlife, find some more balance,
you are the person that cansupport them.
Tiffany Green (37:46):
Yes.
April Snow (37:46):
I am that person.
I love it, Tiffany.
Thank you again so much.
This has been a joy.
Tiffany Green (37:52):
Yes, thank you so much for having me April.
I really appreciate itAbsolutely for me April.
I really appreciate it.
April Snow (38:00):
Absolutely.
Thanks so much for joining meand Tiffany for today's
conversation.
What I hope you remember isthat spirituality can show up
anywhere, at any time, fromwalking your dog to going to
church, to sitting in meditation, to intentionally moving your
body.
If you're a high achiever whoneeds support with navigating
(38:21):
burnout or starting a spiritualpractice, you can visit
Tiffany's A-minus coachingprogram at her website.
The link is in the show notes.
If you enjoyed this episode,subscribe to the Sensitive
Stories podcast so you don'tmiss our upcoming conversations.
Reviews and ratings are alsohelpful and appreciated For
(38:41):
behind-the-scenes content andmore HSB resources.
You can sign up for my emaillist or follow Sensitive
Strengths on Instagram, tiktokand YouTube.
Check out the show notes orsensitivestoriescom for all the
resources from today's episode.
Thanks for listening.
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