From monkey to man, same old chemicals: Why Your Brain Isn’t a Spa

Based on the podcast Spiritual Conversation, produced by HolisticCircle. Hosted by Philipp Kobald, featuring guest Loretta Breuning.

Your Brain Is Not Your Guru. It’s a Hungry Monkey with Wi-Fi

If you’ve been blaming your sadness on Mercury retrograde, your ex, or the price of gluten-free oats, Loretta Breuning has some news that might short-circuit your chakras. The former college professor turned neurochemical myth-buster didn’t come to the Spiritual Conversation podcast (by HolisticCircle, hosted with signature Austrian charm by Philipp Kobald) to sell scented candles. She came to drag dopamine into the light and make you question whether serotonin is really your friend or just another biochemical gaslighter.

Breuning’s big idea? Your brain isn’t broken. It’s working exactly as nature intended — to keep you alive, not euphoric. So if you’re feeling “off,” maybe don’t blame your phone, your boss, or Saturn’s alignment. Blame evolution. Then get to work.

Spoiler: Endorphins Weren’t Invented to Help You Enjoy Yoga

Endorphins. That seductive word wellness influencers throw around like glitter in a moon circle. But as Breuning points out, your body doesn’t release these bad boys because you’ve mastered Warrior II. No, endorphins evolved to mask serious physical pain. Like, “you’ve just been mauled by a lion, keep running” levels of pain. So if you’re chasing that post-spin-class high, you’re quite literally using your body’s emergency system as a party trick.

It’s all very “California chic until spinal injury,” really.

Oxytocin: The Original Fickle Friend

You might think of oxytocin as the fluffy hug hormone, the warm fuzzy glue that makes dinner parties and long eye contact possible. Think again. In the animal kingdom, oxytocin spikes not because everyone’s getting along, but because the herd just spotted a predator and you’re safer in the middle. That’s right — oxytocin exists so you don’t get eaten first. Social bonding? Sure. But with the subtle undertone of “please don’t throw me to the wolves.”

In the human world, this translates to the awkward social hangout where everyone’s smiling through gritted teeth and passive-aggressively passing the quinoa. Your brain calls it “safety.” Your therapist might call it “codependency.” Loretta calls it “biology.”

Serotonin and the Social Climbing Circus

If dopamine is the party animal of the brain, serotonin is the smug aristocrat. It rewards you for status and one-upmanship — yes, even when you’re humbly bragging about your new volunteer gig or quoting Rumi on Instagram. Your brain’s wiring doesn’t care how spiritual your intentions are. It just wants to know whether you’re currently the alpha.

This may explain why the wellness world is full of people lovingly “holding space” while mentally scoring themselves against everyone else in the room. According to Breuning, serotonin isn’t about peace. It’s about position — just without the dirty politics of your average office potluck.

Dopamine Is Not Your Life Coach

Every time you feel a surge of anticipation — whether for cake, a text message, or finally confronting your accountant — that’s dopamine. But don’t romanticize it. Dopamine isn’t here to help you live your best life. It’s here to get you off the metaphorical couch long enough to find water, food, or (if you’re a squirrel) a nut.

Our modern lives have hijacked that ancient system. Video games, junk food, doom-scrolling — each a neon sign to your inner mammal that you’re chasing a survival need, even if the only thing at stake is your K-pop leaderboard ranking. Breuning’s advice? Understand the game. Rewire the habit. Or spend your days in a biochemical Groundhog Day, forever chasing an outdated reward.

Therapists May Hate This One Weird Trick: Taking Responsibility

Now, before you assume Breuning is some cold-hearted neuro-skeptic ready to burn your crystal collection, take a beat. She’s not saying trauma doesn’t exist. She’s saying we’ve become too comfortable throwing the word around like glitter at a cacao ceremony. Every childhood disappointment is not necessarily a trauma. Sometimes it’s just Tuesday.

The kicker? Your brain learned what made you feel good when you were young. And it still clings to those outdated patterns like a toddler to its blankie. That’s not pathology. That’s wiring. And the good news? You can build new paths. It just takes time, repetition, and the kind of emotional honesty most people avoid like gluten.

You, Too, Can Train Your Brain Like a Dolphin

According to Breuning, humans aren’t that different from dolphins. No, not because we’re sleek and majestic (unless you’re reading this in a wetsuit). But because our brains learn through reward. Small step, small reward, repeat. This is how trainers teach dolphins to jump through hoops. It’s also how you can teach yourself not to rage-text your ex or eat an entire sleeve of cookies.

Sure, you can try to replace your nightly emotional meltdown with a 20-minute walk, a silly podcast, or a rerun of Frasier. The activity doesn’t have to be noble. It just has to spark some joy — and then be repeated enough to become the new go-to. Which sounds suspiciously like healing without hashtags.

Where’s the Bestseller for Brutal Truth?

Toward the end of the episode, host Philipp Kobald — who has clearly heard a lot on this podcast, from fairies to fungi — can’t help but wonder aloud why this isn’t taught in schools, therapy rooms, or at the very least printed on cereal boxes. Why, he asks, isn’t the simple, logical truth about our brains being shouted from every holistic rooftop?

Breuning, without missing a beat, shrugs in verbal form: “This is not what people want to hear.” And really, that’s the tragedy of it. Because while society queues up for spiritual dopamine, Breuning’s just over here offering the neurological equivalent of spinach — life-saving, unsexy, and guaranteed to be ignored by anyone selling enlightenment in six steps or less.

Self-Healing Isn’t Magic. It’s Maintenance

For healers out there — whether you’re holding space, slinging herbs, or rebirthing souls — this episode of Spiritual Conversation is a gentle, brainy slap to the ego. It’s a reminder that our clients (and we) aren’t mysteries wrapped in trauma-flavored enigmas. We’re mammals with wiring. We’re products of patterns. And we can rewire, slowly and with compassion, if we stop pretending that healing is about vibes and start accepting that it’s about practice.

Breuning offers more than just theories. Her books are guidebooks for the inner work we often outsource to moon phases or overpriced supplements. They’re refreshingly free of spiritual fluff and full of science — wrapped in language that makes you feel like she might just be your funny, no-nonsense aunt who reads neuroscience for fun.

You Deserve Better Than a Dopamine Spiral

If your healing journey has ever made you feel like you’re chasing feelings rather than understanding them, do yourself a favor and take the dive into this conversation. It’s not gentle, but it’s generous. And it might just change how you see your own patterns.

You can catch the full conversation between Philipp Kobald and Loretta Breuning on the Spiritual Conversation podcast, produced by HolisticCircle, over on the @HolisticCircle YouTube channel. But be warned: this truth doesn’t come with a money-back guarantee — just actual clarity.

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By Philipp Kobald in cooperation with AI
www.HolisticCircle.org
@2025 HolisticCircle by Philipp Kobald