Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast Today my guest is Dr. Renee Thornton.  Dr. Thornton is an organizational and crisis intervention psychologist, author, entrepreneur, military veteran, mom, and founder of Pathfinder Resilience. She is passionate about building high performing cultures within the first responder professions, whether it be with her Navigating Adversity program, a self-paced, one of a kind, wellness program with a whole person approach geared towards public safety professionals or her newest endeavor that focuses on leaders. Dr. Thornton is the epitome of resilience; she ..read more

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast Today my guest is a former co-worker of mine, Police Officer Nate Schweitale. Nate has worked for the Wichita Police Department for the past 23 years and started the agency’s HOT team, which stands for Homeless Outreach Team.  Nate is also now a consultant to other agencies looking to implement a HOT team and an author of a new book “Rooster: What a Homeless Man Taught a Cop” which he co-wrote with his childhood friend, Mack Severns.  Nate and the HOT team have helped over 1200 homeless get into permanent housing contributing to an 86 percent decr ..read more

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast.  My name is Wendy Hummell.  My guest today is a true inspiration.  Her name is Katherine Boyle, and she created Beyond the Uniform and also hosts a podcast with the same name. Her mission is simple – to support police officers and their families. However, I believe her message and content is relevant to all first responder families. Her emphasis on the importance of creating a healthy, stable, and happy home-life is an extremely relevant, yet often overlooked, aspect of first responder wellness and wellbeing.  LINKS: Beyond The Uniform ..read more

Tactical Tip Tuesday How will you upgrade in 2024?    Today is Tactical Tip Tuesday where  I share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for your week. LINKS: Live Your Best Life Using Your Strengths - Gallup Poll Bring Your Strengths to Life & Live More Fully - VA Law Enforcement Agency and Officer Resilience Training Program I hope you enjoy the show, and check us out on Instagram at: @guns_and_yoga_podcast Wendy ..read more

Surviving Retirement with Police Psychologist Dr. Medina Baumgart   Today, I have a guest who is a subject matter expert on the topic, Dr. Medina Baumgart, an in-house psychologist at a LE Agency and author of “Surviving Retirement: Finding Purpose and Fulfillment Beyond the Badge”. In her role as an in-house psychologist, she conducts counseling, works with peer support, and builds relationships with sworn and civilian members while embedded in their patrol stations.  But it is her personal experience as the spouse of a retired LEO that inspired her book and course. She openly share ..read more

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast. Today I am sharing a conversation I had a while back with Jennifer Boileau.  It’s a bit longer than our usual podcast because in the second half Jen leads us through a practice, so keep in mind that at around the 1 hour and 10 minute mark we transition into the practice.  Jen is a trauma informed yoga and mindfulness instructor who teaches to the first responder population.  She is married to a now retired police officer so she knows first-hand the stresses the police profession can have on the first responder, but also on the family.  ..read more

Tactical Tip Tuesday The Intersection of Wellness, Peer Support, and Leadership   Today is Tactical Tip Tuesday where  I share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for your week.   This week I want to talk about the interconnectedness of wellness, peer support and leadership. Here are a few quotes from the show that will help sum up what this solo-cast is about: "Life can only be learned backwards, but must be lived forwards." (Søren Kierkegaard) "You can't pour from an empty cup." "How great leaders inspire action." (Simon Sinek) "What's your purpose?" "People will forget w ..read more

Today’s episode is a special one for a few reasons. I speak with a dear friend of mine, Kim Colegrove. Kim and I met back in 2017 and I am a better person today for knowing her. Kim is also the first podcast guest to come back on the show a second time, so if you missed the first episode with Kim back in 2021, I encourage you to check it out.  In our conversation, we catch up on what she’s been up to since our first episode a few years ago.  We discuss her online training platform, Pause First Academy, the re-release of her book Mindfulness for Warriors which will now be called "The ..read more

In this micro-cast we discuss the unwritten credo of "strength in suppression", which is often prevalent in first responder professions, and how it is not sustainable long term.  We also address the need for "depth work" throughout our careers, but especially as we transition to retirement which can look like; therapy, peer support, family support, spirituality, and self-care. This retiree masterclass is a call to action for you, your family, and for all first responders collectively. Guns and Yoga Podcast - Instagram ..read more

Today I speak with Courtney from Heroes Financial Coaching.  As a police and veteran wife, she is familiar with the stress of these professions and helps first responder and veteran families reduce stress due to finances.   Courtney and her husband had years of credit card debt, car payments, and student loans, but were able to overcome their debt and purchase their dream home.  Her goal is to help first responder families become the hero in their financial journey. She does this through one on one coaching, goal setting, and developing a plan that can lead to financial freedom ..read more