Is it possible to experience healing after having a traumatic childhood characterized by neglect, sexual assault, and crime? The answer is yes, but it takes a brave soul to stare down the trauma of their past only to come out the other side stronger and able to love oneself. Join me and Lauren Dollie Duke as we uncork the story about how writing, therapy, and yoga helped her empowered her to heal the wounds of her past and find her voice. Listen as she tells the tale of how she shed the overwhelming weight of shame that she’d been carrying around since childhood and why it was so important for her to immortalize these experiences in her memoir, Sh!thouse.

LAUREN DOLLIE DUKE

Lauren Dollie Duke is the author of “Sh!thouse” a memoir, and is also an educator, entrepreneur, and community activist. She’s taught thousands of yoga students over the last 15 years, led dozens of international retreats, and continues to push the edge between yoga, mental health, and trauma. She founded a one-of-a-kind community center and yoga studio in Encinitas, California. In a sea of corporate yoga, where most independent studios don’t survive, she created a thriving community, teaching and hosting a variety of beloved yoga classes, educational seminars, and writing workshops. She devotes her time to help educate people on the anatomy of trauma and how those experiences are woven into the tapestry of our lives. She has studied with the world’s leading traumatologists: Bessel van der Kolk, Peter A. Levine, Gabor Mate, and Stephen Porges.

CONNECT WITH LAUREN

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dollieduke83/?hl=en 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lauren-Duke-104095274562505/ 

Link Tree:  https://linktr.ee/LaurenDollieDuke 

Where to purchase Sh!thouse?

  Amazon, Bookshop.org, Goodreads, Elliot Bay Book Company, Target, Booktopia

Key Topics in this podcast:

• Lauren’s story and where it all started
• The story behind Lauren’s “Love Thyself” tattoo
• The traumatic childhood Lauren experienced
• How she copes with PTSD
• How writing has been a critical part of the healing process
• How the book has helped Lauren repair her relationship with her sister

Hot Seat Questions for Lauren: 

• How do you feel when you stare at a blank piece of paper or computer screen?
• Do you feel pressure for book number two?
• What lesson of writing or publishing did you learn the hard way?
• What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
• How do you celebrate success?
• What are you capable of doing now that you couldn’t do before writing your book?
• What advice you would give your younger self?

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Healing is a process. Lauren’s childhood was filled with trauma, which made it hard for her to heal and become the person she wanted to be.
• Movement helps. Lauren discovered that yoga allowed her to heal herself and brought a sense of normalcy. She found it as an outlet for calming herself down and feeling like she fit in with others.
• Writing as therapy. Lauren’s journey to healing began with the written word. She would write whatever came into her head, no matter how painful it was, and this led to an incredible story of survival that will inspire you too!
• Workshops were important. When she started writing, there were no rules or processes to follow. To make things more streamlined for herself, Lauren attended several workshops on how best to approach the process from start to finish. 
• An inspiring story. Lauren’s story is a memoir of what she went through in her own life. This inspires and  motivates all aspiring authors to let their stories be heard!

Memorable Quotes/Advice From Lauren 

“There’s no better time than now, just start writing. Many people will say, ‘I need to do this first, or I need to do this workshop first.’ There’s a bit of imposter syndrome because it’s something new, you’ve never done it before. Just start now because, literally, the first draft, you’re just telling yourself the story anyway. Right now is the time.”

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