In this episode of Paddle Forward: Navigating Life’s Currents, host Anacani Walters shares a deeply personal moment from motherhood that became a powerful reminder about self-trust, fear, and nervous system regulation.

After feeling pressure to override her instincts when her three-year-old son fell during a hike, Anacani noticed something important: she was apologizing for her nervous system instead of trusting it. By pausing, acknowledging her son’s emotions, and helping him regulate, the moment resolved quickly, and revealed a deeper truth about alignment, intuition, and emotional safety.

This episode isn’t about parenting “right.”

It’s about trusting yourself when judgment is loud, in motherhood, business, relationships, and life.

In this episode, Anacani explores:

1. Why discomfort and fear are data, not dysfunction
2. How regulation works faster than suppression
3. Why aligning with yourself creates safety, for you and for others
4. How acknowledging emotions can shorten stressful moments
5. What happens when you stop overriding your instincts to avoid judgment

She also reflects on insights from Inner Compass work shared by Panda Hershey, which helped her better understand how different people process stress, embarrassment, and connection, especially children who are wired for relational safety.

“Sana sana” is a comforting phrase commonly used in Latin households when a child is hurt. It’s often paired with gentle touch or reassurance and serves as a moment of emotional acknowledgment and care, helping a child feel seen and safe, rather than dismissed.

00:00 – Introduction: Trusting Your Nervous System

00:29 – Welcome to Paddle Forward

01:07 – Parenting, Pressure, and Fear of Judgment

05:05 – Why Acknowledgment Leads to Regulation

07:15 – Three Key Takeaways on Self-Trust

11:23 – Final Reflections on Fear and Alignment

12:29 – Closing Encouragement

1. Your nervous system isn’t wrong — discomfort is communication.
2. Regulation is faster than suppression — what we fear will “make it worse” often shortens the moment.
3. You don’t need to override yourself to be respected — alignment builds safety and trust.

The next time you feel the urge to override your instincts because someone is watching:

Pause.

Ask yourself: “What is my nervous system telling me right now?”

Then respond from that place, not perfectly, just honestly.

If this episode resonated with you, you can help Paddle Forward grow by:

1. ⭐ Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2. 🔁 Sharing this episode with someone who needs it

A real-life hiking story in Oahu that reveals how maternal anxiety shapes our nervous system, and how awareness helps us respond instead of react.

What causes anxiety in motherhood?

Motherhood anxiety is often caused by neurological and hormonal changes that rewire the brain for heightened protection and threat detection, a process known as matrescence. Increased awareness of stress responses helps parents regulate their nervous system and model emotional safety for their children.

This directly answers:

1. “Why am I more anxious as a mom?”
2. “Is anxiety normal after becoming a parent?”
3. “What is the mom brain?”

Motherhood doesn’t make you anxious, it rewires your brain for protection.

In the first episode of Paddle Forward Season 2, host Anacani Walters shares a powerful real-life moment from a hike in Oahu with her 3-year-old and her mom that stopped her in her tracks. As her stress levels rose on the trail, Ana noticed her son begin to repeat her own anxious language, revealing how deeply children mirror a parent’s nervous system.

Drawing from her background in emergency medicine, yoga, and matrescence education, Ana explores why maternal anxiety is not a personal failure but a biological response rooted in survival. She unpacks how awareness becomes the first step toward regulating stress, reshaping communication, and modeling resilience for our children.

This episode sets the tone for Season 2 of Paddle Forward...where motherhood, identity, fear mindset, stress management, and holistic wellness meet real life.

If you’ve ever questioned your reactions as a parent or felt overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility, this episode is for you.

00:00 – Rewiring the Mom Brain

00:43 – Welcome to Paddle Forward

01:30 – Life Update: Okinawa to Oahu

02:13 – Sensory Overload & Re-entry Stress

03:00 – Choosing the Hike

04:27 – Anxiety on the Trail

08:22 – When Kids Mirror Our Stress

09:19 – Understanding Maternal Anxiety & Matrescence

10:41 – Awareness as the First Tool for Change

14:21 – Season 2 Themes & Closing Reflection

If this episode resonated, share it with another parent who needs permission to breathe.

Leave a review to help this message ripple outward and remember: awareness is the first paddle stroke forward.

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What do you do when life sideswipes your plans with a financial curveball and a freak playground accident? You breathe, you cry, and you paddle forward—one thumb at a time.

In this raw, car-recorded episode of Paddle Forward, host Anacani Walters shares how losing a major contract and nearly breaking both hands on a rainy day slide with her toddler became a crash course in presence over perfection. From adrenal fatigue awareness to the metaphor of the “diaper bag mindset,” Anacani unpacks how emotional preparedness, softness, and backup plans can shift how we mother, move, and lead.

This is for every woman navigating uncertainty with grace, grit, and love. Especially if you’ve ever felt like you had to hold it all together—with one working hand and a full heart.

💫 Listen in for:

• A permission slip to rest

• Oceanic metaphors for resilience

• A gentle nudge to “pack your diaper bag anyway”

TIMESTAMPS:

Because even when your hands are bruised, your spirit can still rise.

Thanks for joining me today on Paddle Forward: Navigating Life’s Currents. If this episode stirred something in your heart or reminded you of your own strength, don’t paddle alone.

✨ Visit anacaniwalters.com to explore holistic wellness support, yoga flows for motherhood, and free guides like "Top 12 Poses for Motherhood."

🌊 Dive into the ocean-inspired sisterhood at PHAT Mermaids for SUP classes, retreats, and confidence coaching: phatmermaids.com

🧡 Stay in the flow with us:

• Instagram: @anacaniwalters | @phatmermaids

• Facebook Groups: Thriving Moms Over 30 + PHAT Mermaids Lagoon

• Mindful Roots Hub: Stress support, oils, and mindful parenting tools

💌 Want more self-love, stories, and strength? Sign up for my private member area and weekly love notes at anacaniwalters.com.

📣 Ready to bring oceanic empowerment to your next event or retreat? Invite me to speak.

We rise, we fall, we float, we paddle again. I’m so glad you’re here. Don’t forget to subscribe, review, and share the episode with another mermaid who needs this wave of support.

#PaddleForward #PHATMermaids #MatrescenceMagic #OceanHealing #MotherhoodUnfiltered