176: Great Awakening Show with Joanne-Divine Life Yogini - Episode 176

176: Great Awakening Show with Joanne-Divine Life Yogini - Episode 176

How do people find hope in the darkest times? This conversation on the Great Awakening Show sits right in that space, as Joanne Lee chats with counsellor and conflict specialist Phyllis Olins about what she calls "the conflict crunch" – those intense moments when life feels like it's chewing you up.

You’ll hear how Phyllis moved from teaching high-school Spanish to studying conflict with a former UN education director, completing 200 case studies and eventually creating her own method that brings in body, mind, heart and spirit.

She explains that a conflict often starts with a simple split: "I want something, but something appears to be in the way." For her, that split became very real when she was diagnosed with melanoma and found herself writing, "I want to be healthy, but I have melanoma." Rather than avoiding the fear, Phyllis takes it step by step: name the conflict, feel the emotion, breathe through it, pour compassion onto yourself and write it all down.

She and Joanne talk about journalling as a sacred act – "our words are spells" – that can turn raw terror into clarity and self-love. Spiritual practice runs through the whole exchange: daily meditation, conscious breathing, psalm 139, the Gnostic and Mary Magdalene gospels, and the idea that "you save yourself" with the divine at your side.

There’s also a practical edge, with Phyllis’ toolkit of emotional awareness, accepting that change is necessary, and looking for the "enoughness" and worthiness hidden inside a crisis. If you’re facing conflict, anxiety or big life shifts and want something more constructive than stuffing it down or lashing out, this episode offers a calm, structured way to sit with your pain and let it teach you. Could your next conflict be the doorway to a deeper peace?