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

In this soul-soaked episode of Paddle Forward, Anacani Walters explores the deeper layers of heat exhaustion—not just physical, but mental, emotional, and energetic. Sharing a real-life moment from the Okinawa zoo (hello, toddler meltdown in the sun 🌞), she walks you through how to listen to your body like you would your child—before it’s in crisis mode.

Whether you’re a paddleboard beginner or just trying to parent through a sticky summer, this episode will help you create real-time tools for hydration, breath, self-regulation, and radical preparation.

This episode is for:

• Mamas running hot, fast, and overwhelmed

• Women pushing through burnout (and needing permission to pause)

• SUP-curious souls wondering how to start with confidence

[00:00:00] Intro: It doesn’t take a crisis to be exhausted
[00:01:13] Splash pad story: Toddler meltdowns + Bento wins
[00:02:27] Signs of heat exhaustion you might be missing
[00:03:31] SUP as a safety model for everyday life
[00:04:08] The body is a body of water—stop treating it like a robot
[00:05:19] Hydration, meals, rest: A 3-point body check-in
[00:06:10] Call to care: Free guides, support, and final Okinawa summer sessions
[00:07:22] Wrap-up: Ocean wisdom, mermaid mantras, and your seasonal shift

🧜🏽‍♀️ Free SUP Confidence Booster Guide
Feel safer and more empowered on the water—even if you’re nervous, new, or not sure you “fit the mold.”
👉 https://phatmermaids.com/sup-confidence

🧘🏽‍♀️ Staying Sane as a Busy Parent Guide
Daily mindset & energy reset tips for moms juggling summer heat, toddler meltdowns, and identity shifts.
→ Get it inside the EmpowerHER Mama Collective FB group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/empowerhermamacollective

📍 Okinawa Friends: Let’s Paddle Together!
This is my final summer offering in-person stand-up paddleboard lessons on island. Book now!
👉 https://phatmermaids.com

📲 Let’s Stay Connected
IG (SUP Life & Mermaid Magic): @phatmermaids
IG (Personal + Matrescence): @anacaniwalters
Podcast: https://anacaniwalters.podbean.com

Welcome back to Paddle Forward! In this heartfelt first episode, Anacani Walters unpacks what she calls the “Diaper Bag Mindset”—a way of preparing for life’s messy moments with compassion, confidence, and clarity. Whether you’re heading to a splash pad with your toddler or your first stand-up paddleboard lesson, this episode invites you to reframe preparation as self-love, not fear.

We cover:

• 🔥 The real-life splash pad moment that inspired this episode

• 🧠 Why prepping isn’t about expecting disaster—it’s about protecting joy

• 🌊 How paddleboarding and parenting both require soft strength

• 💥 How the Diaper Bag Mindset creates more ease, confidence, and grace

• 💌 Two free guides to help you feel more prepared in whatever season you’re in

Let this be your reminder that confidence doesn’t come from having it all together. It comes from packing your bag, showing up, and knowing you’ve got this—even when it gets messy.

[00:00:00] The unseen strength of “quiet confidence”
[00:01:45] Splash pad mom win: Why preparation matters
[00:03:30] The Diaper Bag Mindset: Compassion over control
[00:05:00] Baby & Me Yoga + SUP: Easing the fear through thoughtful preparation
[00:07:30] The real reason we fear new experiences (and how to calm it)
[00:08:45] Free support: SUP Confidence Booster Guide + Parenting Resource
[00:09:30] A real-life moment of emergency prep at the park
[00:10:30] Embodiment check-in: “What do I need to feel safe today?”
[00:11:30] Permission slips, community, and how to paddle forward together
[00:12:00] Final mantra: “Fall. Float. Rise.”

🎁 Free SUP Confidence Booster Guide
Feel safer, stronger, and more ready to paddle—even if you’re a total beginner.
👉 www.anacaniwalters.com/supconfidence

🎁 Staying Sane as a Busy Parent Guide
Daily tools to help moms over 30 manage stress, identity shifts, and the messy middle.
👉 Join the Thriving Moms Over 30 FB Group to access: www.facebook.com/groups/thrivingmomsover30

📲 Follow & Connect
IG: @anacaniwalters
FB: PHAT Mermaids Community
Web: www.anacaniwalters.com

🧜🏽‍♀️ Want to paddle with me before I leave Okinawa?
Check out final summer SUP lessons and community events → Schedule Here

🎧 Subscribe to Paddle Forward
Because you deserve stories that support your healing, strength, and joy:
👉 https://anacaniwalters.podbean.com

In this powerful episode of Paddle Forward: Navigating Life’s Currents, Anacani Walters gets real about what’s actually stopping so many women from trying something new — and it’s not the water.

From body image struggles to fear of failure and judgment, Anacani unpacks the hidden fears that hold us back in life and how stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) helped her confront them all. Whether you’re a mom, a midlife queen, or just a woman ready to reconnect with your strength, this episode is your invitation to paddle forward — fear and all.

You'll learn:

• Why the fear isn’t about the activity, it’s about self-worth

• How SUP and SUP Yoga helped Anacani rewrite her inner narrative

• What falling in the water can teach us about standing tall in life

• How moms can use confidence on the water to ripple into parenting, self-care, and beyond

🔗 FREE GIFT → Grab your Self-Confidence Booster Guide and start building belief in yourself — one brave breath at a time.

🌊 Want to paddle with me?
Join a local SUP class in Okinawa, Japan or explore my Fearless SUP Online Course to conquer fear from anywhere.

00:00 – Welcome to Paddle Forward
00:07 – The deeper fears women carry
02:02 – My personal fear journey (yes, including fear of water!)
04:56 – The moment SUP yoga shifted everything
09:55 – How bravery isn’t the absence of fear — it’s showing up anyway
14:56 – Free resources + local/online ways to paddle forward
16:59 – Final pep talk & next steps

✨ Instagram: @phatmermaids

or @anacaniwalters
✨ Facebook Group: Thriving Women Over 30
✨ Website & Freebies: phatmermaids.com/freebies

Feeling touched out, overwhelmed, or just not okay lately? You’re not alone. In this heart-led solo episode, Anacani gets real about what it’s like to navigate motherhood, mental health, and rainy season chaos in Okinawa—all while trying to hold it together.

If your nervous system is fried and your self-talk is spiraling, this episode is the hand on your back reminding you: you’re not broken, you’re just human.

We’re diving into:
✨ Postpartum anxiety & intrusive thoughts
✨ The myth of maternal instinct (a.k.a. parental bias)
✨ Emotional survival during Okinawa’s rainy season
✨ The truth about scary thoughts—and why they don’t make you a bad mom
✨ Nervous system resets that don’t require silence or alone time

💌 Want to feel more supported this season?
Grab my free Rainy Season Survival Guide made for overwhelmed mamas in Okinawa—it's packed with simple sensory play ideas, nervous system resets, and affirmations that actually help.

👉 Download the free guide here
(You’ll also get my cozy weekly notes—think permission slips, messy truths, and real-life wellness tips.)

🎧 Like this episode?
Here’s how you can support + stay connected:

1. Subscribe so you never miss an episode

2. Leave a quick review—it helps the podcast grow

3. Screenshot this episode & tag me @anacaniwalters on IG so I can send you a thank-you gift 💛

4. DM me “podcast” for support, collabs, or to just say hi!

✨ More from Anacani:
• Join my Baby & Me or Toddler Yoga Classes → anacaniwalters.com
• Follow on IG, FB, YT → @anacaniwalters

Paddle Forward: Navigating Life’s Currents with Anacani Walters

Welcome back to Paddle Forward! In this heartfelt episode, I dive deep into the realities of balancing business, motherhood, and self-care—without burning out.

I open up about my journey from being a workaholic nurse to a multi-passionate entrepreneur, my struggles with severe heart conditions in my 20s and 30s, and the wake-up call that forced me to rethink how I approach work, family, and well-being.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ How I recognized the warning signs of burnout and shifted to a more sustainable lifestyle
✅ The power of micro-moments of self-care and why even five minutes can make a difference
✅ Why involving your kids in daily tasks (instead of waiting for them to sleep) creates connection, not chaos
✅ My personal journey with yoga, breathwork, and hypnotic meditation to rewire stress patterns
✅ Practical ways to reclaim time, energy, and peace in your daily life

🚀 Ready to integrate self-care into your busy schedule? Try these resources:
🔹 3 Quick & Powerful Breathing Exercises – Watch on YouTube
🔹 Yoga Magic: 12 Days of Toddler & Me Yoga – Get the first 5 days free!
🔹 Join the Community – Let’s talk about your biggest struggle balancing motherhood & business! DM me @anacaniwalters or tag me in your stories.

📌 Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction & Host Background
01:17 The Struggles of Overworking
02:19 Health Crisis & Burnout Wake-Up Call
05:24 Motherhood & Finding Balance
06:49 Practical Tips for Self-Care
08:52 Involving Kids in Daily Life
11:18 Final Thoughts & Encouragement
13:35 How to Connect & Join the Community

✨ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review! Your support helps more women find this podcast and join the conversation.

Stay beautiful, stay you, and keep paddling forward. 🌊💙