From Survival to Self: Shawnte’s Journey to Authentic Joy

What happens when the girl who was taught to perform finally chooses to just be?

An episode that is a deep, cozy exhale. Siobhan sits down with Shante and they dive into what it means to reinvent yourself after burnout, release perfection and performance, and choose presence, community, and unapologetic joy instead. It’s an honest, layered conversation about trauma, resilience, nervous system resets, and learning to be seen, on your own terms.

Summary

Moving across the country. Leaving a “stable” career. Letting go of perfection and performance. In this rich conversation, Siobhan sits down with Shawnte to learn how she rebuilt her life from the inside out.

We follow Shante’s journey from Virginia to Florida and eventually Alameda, navigating blended family life, isolation, and the quiet misery of a remote job that left her feeling like a shell of herself. She opens up about her years in foster care and wilderness programs, holding space for kids who had already seen too much, and how that work shaped her understanding of trauma, responsibility, and what real connection looks like when you strip away all the crutches.

Burned out and on the floor (literally), Shante stumbled her way into a yoga practice that became a lifeline. She shares the almost mystical moment that nudged her into teacher training, the resistance she felt calling herself “a teacher,” and how community support and yoga helped her reclaim joy, softness, and her own voice.

Along the way, she and Siobhan get real about grief, abusive relationships, judgment, privilege, and the hard work of unlearning who you were told to be. This episode is a love letter to choice, presence, and community, the reminder that you’re allowed to pivot, and you never have to stay where you’re no longer alive.

Shawnte Forrer

Shawnte Forrer is a yoga teacher, space-holder, and former social worker whose work centers on presence, healing, and authentic connection. With a background in foster care, wilderness programs, and telephonic care management, she’s spent years supporting youth and adults through trauma, transition, and chronic stress.

Today, Shante teaches yoga at Yoga Amansala in Alameda and creates customized experiences, from retreats and birthday gatherings to senior center and daycare sessions, that blend nervous system care, mindfulness, and community. Online, she shares her reflections and offerings at @intentional_wellness_healing.

Resources & Mentions

Karen Beckles
Founder of The Funky Truth Healing and creator of Let's Gather & Sip. Offers Reiki, coaching, workshops, and community-building experiences centered on authentic connection.
Website: https://thefunkytruthhealing.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_funky_truth/

Leia Mitchell
Coach, facilitator, strategist, and Karen's collaborator, helping individuals and organizations navigate change through coaching and communication.
Website: https://leiamitchell.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leiamitchell/

Stacy Swan
Yoga teacher who inspired Shante to pursue yoga teacher training at Leela (now Breathing Room).

Touch of the Tism
Siobhan's companion podcast and community focused on honest conversations around neurodiversity, mental health, and lived experiences. Mentioned during the episode introduction.
Website: https://www.duckingbrilliant.com/touch-of-the-tism

Let's Gather & Sip
A recurring community gathering series created by Karen Beckles that encourages meaningful conversation and authentic connection.
Learn more: https://thefunkytruthhealing.com/events

Sips Global Tea (South Shore, Alameda)
Community tea house where Let's Gather & Sip is currently hosted.
Website: https://sipsglobaltea.com

Yoga Amansala
Alameda yoga studio where Shante currently teaches public classes and wellness offerings.
Website: https://www.yogaamansala.com

Breathing Room Yoga (formerly Leela Yoga)
Alameda yoga studio where Shante completed her yoga teacher training and began her teaching journey.
Website: https://www.breathingroomalameda.com

YMCA
The community fitness center where Shante reconnected with yoga after moving to California.
Website: https://www.ymca.org

If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org

SAMHSA National Treatment Locator: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help

💡 Key Takeaways

  • Reinvention after burnout: You’re allowed to pivot, even when it means leaving a “good” job, a known identity, or a life you worked hard for.

  • Trauma, youth, and responsibility: Wilderness and foster care work showed Shawnte how powerful responsibility, presence, and honesty are for young people healing from hard things.

  • Presence vs. performance: Moving from “being bred to perform” to simply being present is a radical act, and a practice, not a one-time decision.

  • The power of community: Real community (especially among Black and Brown women) can rewrite old stories about belonging, worth, and what’s possible.

  • Choice as a spiritual practice: We always have choices, even when they’re not pretty or easy. and how we respond can become a powerful part of our healing.

“In order to have something I’ve never had, I must do something I’ve never done.”

~ Shawnte

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