The Guns & Yoga Podcast

Welcome to Episode 36 of the Guns and Yoga Podcast.  Today I share a conversation I had with Scott Medlin, a US Marine veteran and law enforcement veteran.  Scott discusses his difficult decision to leave full time law enforcement in 2020 to save his family.  His overidentification with the job led him to work part time jobs when he didn’t even need the cash. It was at that time, Scott began his j...

Welcome to Episode #35 of the Guns and Yoga Podcast my name is Wendy Hummell.  In today’s episode you will hear my conversation with Amanda Dozanti, a former Deputy Sheriff turned first responder wellness coach and specialist.  Amanda actively works towards giving first responders a way to manage chronic stress and mitigate the effects of working in a trauma-rich environment. Amanda shares her per...

Today’s show will be of special interest for those agency decision makers and leaders, politicians, or anyone interested in research to support wellness programming.  Dr. Colby Mills is a Clinical and Police Psychologist who works at Forge VFR in Virginia.  He has extensive experience working with veterans and first responders.  Colby reached out and told me how he and his colleagues created a nat...

  This week: How We Manage Our Energy  

Michael Sugrue is an Air Force Veteran and medically retired Sergeant from the Walnut Creek PD in California.  He recently released a book, Relentless Courage – Winning the Battle Against Frontline Trauma, with whom he co-authored with Dr. Shauna Springer.  At the time of our conversation, His book has been on the #1 bestseller list since its release five weeks in a row.  Michael discusses how he...

Christopher Davis is a retired Assistant Chief from the Fayetteville NC PD and served as an Officer in the Army.  He served in Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield.  He is an adjunct professor and a trained yoga instructor who through his business, YOGA911, teaches the tools of yoga and mindfulness to first responders I had the opportunity to meet Chris earlier this year at the National FOP We...

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast, my name is Wendy Hummell.  It has been a little while since I released an episode, so to make up for lost time, today I am releasing two.  Full disclosure, my schedule these past few months has been eventful, and as much as I love the podcast, it had to take a back burner temporarily.  This podcast is a passion of mine.  It is important to me to provide value...

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast My name is Wendy Hummell.  Today you will hear a conversation I had with Jack Harris, retired LEO, licensed counselor, trained mediator, and professional trainer.  Jack retired from the Tuscon Police Dept. in 1994 at the rank of Captain.  I first met Jack at the COPS conference in Oklahoma City last fall.  I attended one of his sessions on retirement,  but was...

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead.   This week: Box Breathing, Airplanes & Tornados     wendyhummell.com

Welcome to Episode #29 of the Guns and Yoga Podcast.  Today I am speaking with Sherri Martin, National FOP Wellness Coordinator.   I was fortunate enough to meet Sherri in 2020 after our agency was matched with her, and two other Subject Matter Experts, from the Nashville Police Dept. as we launched our peer support and wellness program after applying to the CRITAC program through the COPS office....

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead.   This week: My Mentor      wendyhummell.com

Welcome to Episode #28 of the Guns and Yoga Podcast.  Today I am speaking with retired States Attorney Trish Froehlich.    I met Trish and her husband this summer at a yoga training in Wichita.  We instantly connected and I knew I wanted to have her on the show.  First Responder wellness must include our colleagues in the Prosecutors Office; and not just the prosecutors but court clerks, evidence...

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead.   This week: Self Sabotage      wendyhummell.com

In today’s episode I speak with Matt Domyancic. Matt volunteers as a chaplain and peer support for police agencies in Los Angeles. He also is a volunteer for nonprofits that support police officers in crisis, as well as those that are injured and disabled. Matt believes all first responders can have careers that provide deeper meaning and add richness to their spiritual lives if approached in the...

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead.   This week: Be Curious, Not Judgmental   On this week's podcast, Wendy talks about a Walt Whitman quote from an episode of the TV show Ted Lasso - "Be curious, not judgmental". We could all probably use a little more of this mindset in our daily lives, and not just in how we view...

Happy New Year and welcome to Episode 26 of the Guns and Yoga podcast, my name is Wendy Hummell.  Today you will hear a conversation I had with Jason Klepac and his wife, Shannon; part 2 of our on-location series at Morgan Farms.  Jason started the non-profit after retiring from law enforcement and serving in the military. I really enjoyed my time with Jason and Shannon. Talking to them was like h...

Today we are doing something new- at the end of 2021, we got the opportunity to visit Morgan Farms, a newly formed non-profit located in Wellsville, KS.  My husband and I drove there on an unseasonably warm day in early December.  Jason Klepac, the founder, and owner, was hosting an open house and invited the Guns and Yoga Podcast for a tour and opportunity to speak with some of the first responde...

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead.   This week: Own Your Experience On this week's podcast, Wendy talks about why she retired, the forces at play behind that decision, and the path to clarity, personal growth, and new opportunities.       wendyhummell.com

Today we will hear a conversation I had with Claudale Arterburn, a retired Wichita police officer. Claudale is married to Brian Arterburn, also a veteran police officer who is now medically retired due to injuries he sustained in February 2017 while attempting to capture a felony suspect, an incident that nearly took his life and left him with a TBI and other serious medical issues. Claudale share...

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead. This week: We Are All Connected   Also, I want to thank all of the Guns & Yoga Podcast listeners, as well as each of my awesome guests, for helping us reach 5000 downloads. We could not have done it without every single one of you! Thank You!! And finally, as I mention at the end...

Welcome to Episode 23 of the Guns and Yoga Podcast, my name is Wendy Hummell.  In today’s episode I speak with Dr. Stephanie Conn.  She is a former dispatcher and police officer turned police psychologist.  In talking with Dr. Conn, it is obvious this work is in her blood.  She grew up as the daughter of a police officer and ended up married to one.  Dr. Conn explains that her career path was the...

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead.   THE TACTICAL HABITS SERIES This week: Tactical Habit 4 - Addressing Burnout & Chronic Inflammation   As I mention in this podcast,  I am launching a program in January 2022 called Radical Resilience.  If you want to build resilience and adaptability into your physiology by optim...

In today’s episode I spoke with retired police veteran, Rodger Ruge.  Rodger is the author of Navigating Adversity Tactical Self Care for First Responders, podcast host, professional trainer, and resilience coach.  We discuss Rodger’s career, how police officers tend to over identify with their careers his passion to guide other first responders to be healthier, he discusses an incident that led t...

Tactical Tip Tuesday is a weekly microcast where we will share a tip, tool, or dose of inspiration for the week ahead.   THE TACTICAL HABITS SERIES This week: Tactical Habit 3 - Start Your Day Right  

Welcome to episode 21 of the Guns and Yoga podcast, my name is Wendy Hummell.  In today’s episode I speak with Amy Morgan, founder and CEO of  Academy Hour, an online platform offering mental health training for first responders.  I had a lot of fun talking to Amy – fun may seem like an odd word choice, but when I get to meet and talk to people who are as passionate and enthusiastic about first re...