Healing Charlotte Podcast

Sharjuan Burgos, Outreach Director at the Stephen A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone in Fayetteville, NC is on this episode of the podcast. She spent 27 years of active duty service in the Army and is now responsible for linking the community to the services offered at the clinic. Once she retired from the military, Sharjuan was hired at the clinic and believes her understanding of military life(enlisted member, officer, spouse, & mother) enhances her ability to bring the community together. "We want to break down the stigma behind mental health. We also want to make sure people will get comfortable and used to saying the words that need to be said when we are talking about helping someone." Services are provided to all post-9/11 Veterans, active duty(with a Tricare referral), National Guard, Reserves and anyone they consider family. They accept ages 2+ and no exclusions for race, sexuality, or discharge status. For individual therapy, the clinicians use evidenced-based, client-centered care to help with challenges such as depression, anxiety, adjustment, anger, grief & loss, transition, and behavioral concerns with children. Some of the modalities used are CBT(cognitive-behavioral therapy), CBT-I(cognitive-behavioral therapy, insomnia), Gottman Method Therapy(for couples), EFT(emotionally focused therapy for couples), DBT(dialectical behavioral therapy), MI(motivational interviewing), ACT(acceptance and commitment therapy), and IFS(Internal Family Systems). For children, the clinicians use therapy models such as MATCH(modular approach to therapy with children), PCIT(parent-child interaction therapy), TF-CBT(trauma-focused, cognitive-behavioral therapy), and play therapy. The clinic also offers family and couples therapy. They also offer case management services for help with legal issues, education, housing, and more. They work with other agencies such as Veteran's Bridge Home, NCCARE360, and NC Works. The clinic recognizes that there may be barriers to receiving services and they are determined to break them down. They have partnered with the local YMCA to provide child care on site while a member is receiving services, they can provide ride-sharing for anyone in a 50-mile radius to get to the clinic, and financially they accept all insurances and can help with those who don't feel comfortable using their insurance or don't have health insurance. The Stephen A. Cohen Military Clinic at Centerstone in Fayetteville is part of the larger network of clinics(24 around the United States) and works closely with 2 other Centerstone clinics in Tennessee and Florida. By partnering closely with the other 2 clinics, they are able to accommodate the fluctuating needs to reduce wait times. Virtual clients can typically get started in a week and they also offer spanish-speaking services. This partnership also allows them to provide tele-therapy to their clients in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and other states in the future. Some of their clients enjoy the additional confidentiality and accessibility that tele-therapy offers. They were also 1 of 4 clinics to receive a grant to be able to serve members and their families in the LGBTQI+ community. This gives them services free of charge and allows for their clinicians to take supplemental trainings to work specifically with this population. They offer group therapy for grief, substance use, parenting, and attachment. Many community events are hosted as well for movie nights, charcuterie boards, vision boards, flower arranging, and many more. Check out their events page for the latest. "They {clinicians} understand military cultural competency and I think that's the most important part when you are trying to serve military veterans and their families." All clinicians on staff are intimately connected to the military experience and understand the unique challenges that these people and their families experience especially during transition to civilian life as well as managing trauma. "A lot of the times when people think about receiving mental health treatment, they think it's a scary thing and they don't really know who they are going to see. And when they see that the people look just like you and me, they are regular people, it's not so scary and it helps." Sharjuan stays grounded by engaging in mindfulness, meditation, journaling and healthy eating. If interested in services with their clinic you can visit their website, call 910-500-1800, or visit them at 3505 Village Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304. They are active on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If interested in the larger umbrella of clinics, visit the Cohen Veteran Network. "I like to say when I got out of the military the one thing I learned to do was cry and it felt really good."

ounseling Associates and a therapist specialized in porn & sex addiction, betrayal trauma for partners, and childhood trauma. David's work focuses on helping men in these areas as well as assertiveness training. David always had an interest in people as he watched his mom as a hairstylist listen to her clients. He earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology but found himself in sales after college. After some psychological testing, he learned that he would be a good therapist, so he returned to school to get his Master's in Counseling. His career started off in home therapy by using a system approach of not only working with the child but with the parents as well. He got into addictions work focuses on substances but shifted gears when he had a client with a porn addiction. This client fueled David to learn more. David trained at the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals as well as complementary methods of EMDR and Brainspotting. "You can think of counseling like that; someone is going to listen to you, not judge you, hear you out, and try to work together with you like a coach even though they may do it a little deeper to be able to help you with those deper wounds and live a life you really want to live." Through his work he has found that men put themselves through a lot of pressure to have it all and know it all which could lead to engaging in unhealthy behaviors. His work helps men shed these behaviors and discover the root of what has happened to them. He believes that porn addiction is easy to slip into based on the 3 As; Anonymity, Accessibility, and Affordability. The latest research has found that the highest users of porn are ages 12-17. Seeking treatment is hard for men because they don't get vulnerable with their friends and portrayal of men in society as "tough guys." For many men, it feels embarrassing and scary to get help and for some they worry it will affect their job status. As a society, boys and men are raised and told to let it go, move on, and it will be ok making it even more hard to ask for help. David has found that the men he work with fear not being enough and have never learned to ask for their needs to be met. "A lot of men are taught to stuff their feelings, suck it in, be happy, that's the only approved emotion, they can be angry if they are on the soccer field or football field but nowhere else, and that their feelings don't matter, that's for girls, and that could be so far from the truth. It's a human thing." Gabor Mate's definition of addiction is "a behavior or substance a person does that in the short term provides relief, pleasure, and escape. In the long term, it provides more problems and consequences coupled with the inability to stop it or stop it for long." David has seen sex and porn addiction come in many forms such as massage parlors, strip clubs, etc. When men first start treatment with him, they determine if the behavior is a problem and then assess how deep of a problem it is and what level of care is appropriate for him. From there, he helps them stop the behavior and assess the needs of their spouse and partner as well as getting them support if needed. Finally he helps them develop coping skills and learn how to set boundaries. A unique offering that Charlotte Counseling Associates offers is therapy groups for men to connect and help support one another. David also offers intensive options such as half-day, full-day, or up to 3 days of work. He strongly believes in meeting people where they are and finding the right match of a therapist with his full staff. Room to Heal is another resource in Charlotte that many of his clients have taken advantage of as a residential center for those with sex and porn addiction. "These guys just don't know how to express their needs and that's why they get caught up in these unhealthy behaviors. They are trying to meet their needs that provide an escape from the pain or maybe a dopamine boost in the short term because of the pressure." David believes it is important for the betrayed partner to seek treatment whether they stay in the relationship or not. A common trend that he has witnessed is the person who is addicted gets all of the attention and support. The partner needs support as well as to know it's not their fault. They may have PTSD and need trauma processing as well as work on setting boundaries and utilizing coping skills. His practice has a betrayed partners group as well. He can facilitate a formal disclosure session where the partner who is addicted will share their sexual timeline and the betrayed partner can ask questions. He has found that this type of session can be helpful in the betrayed partner deciding the future of the relationship. David describes talk therapy as utilizing the prefrontal cortex to explore thoughts and feelings and provides immediate relief. Some of the deeper methods he uses of EMDR and Brainspotting work on resourcing which is the ability to self-soothe. He describes EMDR(Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as a brain-body therapy that gets into the deeper parts of the brain attached to our nervous system. In this work, the client reprocesses traumatic material to clen up the wound and make it not as painful while introducing a positive belief. He describes Brainspotting as more of an eye-fixation modality where they have found that where you look is how you feel. The practitioner finds a point in space that is most activating and talking it out as the wound dissipates. David finds that assertiveness training includes learning how to be calm, direct, and respectful in communication. David has followed Robert Glover's work and book called "No More Mr. Nice Guy." The idea is that men do a lot of nice things but don't meet their own needs. Inevitably the get run down and don't do nice things such as yelling, shutting down, pornography, etc. These men don't feel they have the right to ask for what they need. This work can be done in individual therapy or his assertiveness groups. David has many things that keep him grounded outside of his work as a therapist. Mostly therapy and being a part of therapist support groups, his faith, family, music, meditation, journaling, being in nature, working out, and yoga. He would like to Heal Charlotte by spreading the positive message about therapy and provide the community with education on sex and porn addiction. You can connect with David and his practice, Charlotte Counseling Associates, through their website, by calling them at 980-224-3233, emailing admin@charlottecounselors.com, or on Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin.

Nurse Practitioner who focuses on women's health with virtual patients in North Carolina. She has been with Hormone Wellness MD since 2023, a practice that focuses on hormones and sexual wellness in women. "For those who are willing to meet in a virtual format, it often works better for their schedules and we can accomplish really everything we need to accomplish over the telehealth platform." Kate has always gravitated towards comforting others starting when she was a young child. She began her career in the medical field as an Oncology Nurse and found her way professionally to Functional Medicine by way of her personal journey after the birth of her second child. She didn't feel well but her labs were within normal limits. This took Kate on a journey of healing and professional awakening as she became certified in 2021 through the Institute for Functional Medicine. Typically Functional Medicine practitioners will come from a medical background as MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs, Chiropractors, or Naturopaths. In understanding where Functional Medicine fits into the medical model, Kate says that Functional Medicine does not take the place of or compete with Allopathic Medicine and that the basic standard of care is not overlooked. She describes Allopathic Medicine as disease focused or to find a diagnosis then recommending a course of treatment. Functional Medicine looks at all fo the systems and views them as interconnected. As a Functional Medicine Practitioner, she is looking for balance and oftentimes starts in the gut. At Hormone Wellness MD, she has a focus on hormonal health but does not just focus on estrogen and progesterone but rather looks at the thyroid, adrenal system, and insulin. She focuses on finding the root cause and working on all of the systems in harmony. "What makes the difference is the mindset; so not the disease-focused orientation but looking at the body systems as interconnected, seeing them as working together, and so understanding that the gut impacts the brain, impacts the hormones." Kate mentions that typically her patients will come to Functional Medicine when they aren't getting answers with conventional medicine, want a different way to manage, or their symptoms from their diagnosis aren't fully managed. It may even be intense PMS symptoms or chronic constipation. Kate loves working with women and especially those in perimenopause or menopause because of the big shifts women go through during this time. The first session with Kate is an hour long and is focused on gathering not only information on past medical issues but looking at any history of trauma or stress. She starts with lifestyle as a foundation such as nutrition, movement and exercise, stress management, relationships, and sleep. Her next session is going over labs, developing a treatment plan, and recommending medication or supplements if needed. She is always fine-tuning the foundational areas. "Women in this stage of life are doing big things. They are running their families, they are running teams at work, they are volunteering, they are making an impact in their community. When these women are feeling better, the world runs better." Kate's own self-care is about creating margins for herself. She likes to engage in naps, reading, time outside, and many activities that are not goal-oriented. Kate would like to Heal Charlotte as it is a joy to be a part of seeing someone heal and reengaging in life. You can find more information on her website or Instagram.

On this episode of the podcast, we meet Megan Gelabert-McGee from Harmony Pilates. Megan comes from a professional dance background and heard about Pilates through her community while dancing for 2 professional companies in New York. She took a front desk job at a 2nd generation from Joseph Pilates studio. Many of the apprentices in the training program needed practice hours and this is where Megan started her introduction to Pilates. She began to notice not just the exercise component but an improved mental state and with her dance(i.e. balance). She completed her training from there about 20 years ago. "I like to see it as the body is an orchestra; you have all these different parts that hopefully will work in sync with each other, but if that violin player is a little out of tune, it throws the whole thing off." Pilates, originally named "Contrology" was created by a man named Joseph Pilates and is a sophisticated system of movement that can be done privately or in a group setting. It's made up of a series of movements on the machine(Reformer) or on the mat. Private sessions focus on the individual body and the instructor will create movement based on what they need taking into account injuries, medical issues, and lifestyle. It's made up of exercise, breath, and alignment catered to the person. Pilates use equipment like the Reformer to work on all of the areas of the body including the ranges of motion in the spine as well as the Cadillac and many different props. The spring resistance on the Reformer makes it safe for joints and bones by not forcing extra weigh on them that they aren't ready for. "The spring weight, for instance you are on your back, and you push into a bar, the spring causes tension when it opens but then it loses tension when it closes. So not only are you creating strength to press against the tension of the spring, you have to use so much control to contain the closing of the spring." Some of the benefits of Pilates in injury prevention, injury recovery, and to train safely with your body. It uses breath-work, intentional movement, strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance. Megan enjoys working with those who are curious about movement and their body. Sessions with her would start with a health and history form filled out ahead of time and possibly a no-charge consultation to acquaint yourself with the space and to meet in person. The first session will be a review of your health and history, Megan will take an assessment of your standing posture, and begin the movement practice. The first 3 sessions typically take trial and error to determine what feels right in your body. There are approximately 500 Pilates exercises so if one doesn't feel right, there are plenty others to try. Megan emphasizes that the body is always changing so there is always something to address and support. For her own self-care, Megan uses "Transcendental Meditation" where she works with a meditation instuctor and receives a mantra to practice 2x a day. She started this practice 14 years ago. She also utilizes EMDR(Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy. She wants to Heal Charlotte as she had a car accident in 2021 where she had multiple surgeries to reattach her hand and make it as functioning as possible. Her journey in regaining movement in her hand has helped deepen her passion for Pilates as well as acutely understanding medical trauma and having even more compassion for those who have gone through it. "My OTs and my Surgeon; they were over the moon, they couldn't believe the healing, they couldn't believe how far I'd come in terms of gaining all that movement back and I have nothing but Pilates, Yoga, and dance to credit that to." Her studio is located in Hart Witzen Gallery among local artists on the outskirts of the Noda area of town. You can get more information on her website, as well as her Facebook and Instagram pages.

On this episode of the podcast, we meet Kristen Bunich, a Registered Dietician and owner of “The Intuitive Dietician.” Intuitive eating was created by two dieticians in the 90s and by now has over 200 research studies on it. The adoption rate increased in the last 10 years. It's based on 10 principles and fosters a positive relationship with food as we move away from restrictive diets. The principles work on hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and movement and is a more holistic approach looking at what other factors are influencing our bodies. The original researchers were frustrated that diets weren't sustainable for people. For example, some research followed contestants from “The Biggest Loser” competition show. They found that the contestants lost weight and subsequently muscle mass, then their metabolism slowed down and then they gained more weight. “We ignore hunger, we ignore fullness, we stay on that schedule, we eat at 12, we eat at 5. If you feel any pangs of hunger, we ignore it. A lot of people have broken hunger meters.” Kristen's work before starting her private practice was spending 16 years in a hospital setting working with those in critical care.  The work she did there was more problem-oriented. less flexible, and the relationships were short term.  She moved into private practice where she enjoys having a much more personal relationship and can introduce those she works with to approaches like intuitive eating.  She can still work with specific medical conditions with the intuitive eating approach.  She fell in love with this approach and quickly became credentialed.   Sessions with Kristen start off with a discovery call to see if the relationship is a good fit. Appointments can be in her office or virtual, and start off weekly.  “We usually start off with the framework of timing and then more of the nutrients and then we talk more about movement and stresses, and our sleep.” Kristen will also help with meal planning and prepping and all of her patients have access to meal software that includes recipes and meal prepping ideas. “Planning ahead with your food is a form of self-care. You are really taking care of yourself and taking a minute for yourself.”   Kristen enjoys working with women in a similar stage of life including those who are raising children, having gastrointestinal issues, have dipped into disordered eating, and are perimenopausal/menopausal. “If there is anything I can do in nutrition counseling that changes how people feel about their bodies and about themselves. If there is anything I can do when I post things on my social that ripples out and improves how people feel or if there is anything I can do that helps my clients live happier lives and that ripples out to the people they live with, that's the kind of work I want to do.”   You can reach out and schedule a discovery call with her on website or check her out on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.     ReplyForward

doctors to help us get out of our heads and into our bodies. This modality can benefit anyone who is breathing. Contraindications are for those with heart conditions, epilepsy, and newly pregnant. It can be approached from physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual places. This is a deeper experience than coping skill type of breath-work. "Using our breath as a flashlight to shine within the parts of our bodies where we might be holding, suppressing, repressing, and using the breath, we are able to shine the light and dispel those shadows. In doing that we are able to live more fully, more connected, more authentically." A typical session with Kaley starts with getting to know you and learning about your intentions. Next you will move to either the massage table or the floor and start with a grounding meditation. From there, the active breath starts that moves like a wheel, no breath holds. This active breath continues for 25-40 minutes. It can take 7-10 minutes to get past the mind's resistance. During this time, you can drop into the subconscious. The active breath will end and integration happens for about 10-15 minutes. The session ends with tea and discussion if you want. Kaley recommends 6-10 sessions that can be conducted individually or with a small group either in-person or virtually. Some of her clients have said that it helps them release physical tension, create stronger connections with others, and releases bitterness or resentment. Kaley says the key is to accept whatever happens. "I am very sentient. I do love to talk about feelings and go deep with people. I care so much about the nitty gritty parts of people. I didn't know what to do with that and it was at this breath-work retreat where I had this knowing of 'this is for you, this is why I created you, this is your thing.'" Kaley was drawn to this work and she has a background in dancing, yoga, and as a fitness instructor. She has always been body oriented and in her feelings. At one point, being so connected to her feelings felt heavy for her but now she looks at it as a gift. She found this type of breath-work while on a retreat in Costa Rico. "I hold it very sacred and I recognize it's extremely vulnerable for people. So I feel very fortunate that I'm in this place to hold people and show up for people in this way." Kaley wants to heal Charlotte because she sees so much potential for goodness, love, and seeing people for who they really are. She wants to offer more compassion and connection to this community. Connect with Kaley through her website, Facebook, and Instagram.

his episode features Charlie Petrizzo the Founder and CEO of Project 2 Heal. His organization is the only non-profit in the United States that focuses on expert animal husbandry and rearing of outstanding pedigree Labrador Retrievers to serve the service dog industry. Charlie's path leading up to starting Project 2 Heal was marked by tragedy and triumph during his childhood. He suffered from two accidents in his childhood; one was when he was 4 years old and was struck by a car and suffered a traumatic brain injury and paralyzed on the left side of his body ~1 year, and electrocuted at age 16 that burned 70% of his body. Charlie understood the support dogs can provide as his childhood dog was by his side during his recovery as a teenager. As an adult, he moved to Charlotte for a job and shortly thereafter lost his father in law and mother. This gave him an opportunity to rethink his own life as he went through a depression, and came out on the other side with a call to serve others. Charlie and his wife Sandy started to narrow their focus on using dogs as healers. He read an article about service dog organizations that don't have a breeding program will use dogs from the shelter and only about 1/12 dogs will make it to service work. From there Charlie found his calling. In 2006, Charlie and his wife Sandy decided that they would run a breeding program for Labrador Retrievers to donate to service dog organizations where they would train the dogs to give to military vets in need of support. The most recent shift in the service dog industry is the decline in "puppy raisers." These are volunteers who keep puppies in their home that are in line for service work from 12 weeks to 1 year old. They are a vital piece of raising a service animal. Before the pandemic, a majority of puppy raisers were in the prison population and on college campuses. These sources dried up during the pandemic. Charlie has decided to start his own puppy raising at Project 2 Heal by keeping the puppies and providing all of the necessary tasks in the first year before turning them over for the professional service dog training. He knows this will reduce costs and shorten the length of time to getting the dog to the vet. K9s for Warriors has a 4-year wait for dogs to get to their vets. Purdue University which is the leading researcher of the canine-human bond, found that Vets with a service dog vs Vets without a service dog had decreased episodes of hyper-vigilance, night tremors, outbursts of anger, and irrational outbursts, and lower waking levels of cortisol. All of these symptoms are contributing factors that lead to death by suicide. "They{military vets} said yes to their country and they're coming back now and it's really hard for them to pay $30k for a service dog. So we have to find it in our non-profit work to get these dogs to these guys quicker so we don't lose as many." Labs are used in this work because they were originally breed to be working dogs. They started in Canada helping retrieve nets and fishing gear out of the water, then to England as hunting dogs, and in America were used historically for bird and duck hunting. "They{labrador retrievers} are as comfortable laying down at the feet of their owner as they are out working or retrieving in the field." Charlie and his team's work at Project 2 Heal is to breed dogs that have the right demeanor and desire to work. They do hip, elbow, heart, and eye tests as well as 8 genetic test to make sure they are donating top notch dogs free from as many health issues as possible. Before the puppies are 12-weeks old, Project 2 Heal engages them in as many activities to prepare them for this work. Early Neurological Stimulation starts at 48 hours which helps jump start further brain development and creates a stronger cardiovascular and adrenal gland system as well as makes them less reactive to novel stimulus. Puppy Prodigy works starts at 3 weeks where they learn to move their bodies which gets them ready for obedience training. At 8-weeks old, puppies start positive reinforcement for obedience. During this time, the puppies also have a puppy experience room to visit which exposes them to different objects and sounds. Service dogs for Psychiatric work take about 1.5 years of training before they are ready and Service dogs trained for mobility task work take a few months longer. Costs for training vary between $25k and $40k. Charlie's work is to lower the costs and time of getting these dogs to vets who need them. Outside of breeding dogs for service work, Project 2 Heal has several other programs. The school based program brings his dogs into Union County schools to help special needs, lower socioeconomic, and talent development students. The mental health program is for businesses to schedule time for the puppies to be on-site for employees to engage with them. The chaperone home program is for people who are willing to house a dog who may be used in the breeding program for up to 3x and then keep the dog after that. Their volunteer program is for anyone who would like to help out with puppy parties and taking the dogs to places and events. "We think that we are called to serve others and this is our community and we are trying to build a community of dog lovers who want to use that love and understanding of their own relationship with a dog and who understand how it can help someone who is really hurting to join us in whatever way they can." Ways to support Project 2 Heal are through volunteering your time, talent, and/or treasure. Charlie wants to heal Charlotte as he loves it and wishes he was born here. You can watch "Charlie's Scars", a movie about his life and work. Contact Project 2 Heal through their website or call the office, 704-256-4056.

Heather Siblik the founder of Dish Course is on this episode of the podcast. Her journey in creating Dish Course really began 5 years ago when she moved to Charlotte from Wisconsin for a relationship that ended shortly after. She remembers how much effort, courage, and time it took to meet people and make friends. This is what sparked the idea for Dish Course, a dinner party with strangers organized by categories. The categories have ranged from "Must Love Sushi" to "Starting Over" to "New in Town." Heather has found that even within the categories, there is still a lot of diversity in ages, stages of life, and situations. "Instead of getting too ahead of myself and diving in head first. I really took the time to think about it and grow it, and think about how I wanted it to look, what I wanted the process to look like to build these table of strangers for dinner parties." Heather believes it is harder to make friends as an adult due to lower confidence compared to childhood, fear from past experiences, and reduced amount of times around people to connect with. Heather wants to assume the burden of labor for getting people together, and help spark conversation between guests. Dinner parties are limited to 6 guests total including Heather. The connection doesn't stop after the dinner is over. Guests will join a group text and build their connections further. Previous guests are already planning a Dish Course Reunion for all dinner guests. "You would be surprised how quickly you open up to a group of strangers because you have nothing to lose and these people are just dumping their souls and it's just so beautiful because 30-minutes ago they didn't know each other and now they are talking about their divorce all of these super heavy emotionally driven moments in their lives and it's very beautiful." Heather wants to heal Charlotte as this has become her home, where she built her social world, and the place that healed her. "How can we make Charlotte happier healthier, more social, and more connected?" You can find more about Dish Course on their website, emailing Heather(hello@dish-course.com), Facebook, and Instagram.

Austin Buergermeister a Chiropractor from Live Well Chiropractic in Lake Norman is the latest guest on the podcast. His journey started out while in school at UNCC where he majored in Exercise Science and minored in Public Health. He knew he wanted to help people but had not found in what way yet. A Chiropractor came to speak at one of his classes and his interest was piqued. About the same time, he hurt his back lifting in the gym and decided to give Chiropractic a try. He felt 85% better after his first session and continued to heal quicker than he had in the past. From there, he was hooked. He attended Palmer College of Chiropractic and returned to the Charlotte area. Live Well Chiropractic has been opened since November 2022. Austin knew he wanted to go out on his own so he could try to reach as many people as possible. Austin describes Chiropractic as a licensed healthcare profession based on diagnosis and treatment of the cause of the condition by using holistic methods to treat. These treatments may be adjustments of the spine and extremities, dry-needling, cupping, as well as exercise and stretches. Proper alignment helps the body in that the Central Nervous System which is made up of the brain and spine connects to all other functions in the body such as organs, sensory input, and motor output. A misalignment of a vertebrae can create a kink in the flow of the CNS. The 3 causes of subluzations(misalignments) are thoughts(stressors in life), traumas(sitting, accidents, etc), and toxins(what we put in our body). "If you wait for symptoms to appear, it takes even longer to get out of that acute phase and back to your wellness picture that you really want and to function optimally." Austin encourages Chiropractic to be the first outlet of care due to the conservative nature. Intake sessions look like a range of motion testing, neurologic and orthopedic examinations, development of a working diagnosis, and creation of a treatment plan. This work focus on mobility as well as stability in the body. "A Chiropractor is similar to a mechanic but for the body. You wouldn't just let your car start breaking down before you bring it in for routine oil changes so why would you let your body start breaking down before you went to a Chiropractor?" Austin patients are usually dealing with back pain, shoulder problems, vertigo, knees, ankles, foot, and muscle issues. He enjoys working with everyone from newborns to the elderly and gravitates towards a more active population. He wants to heal Charlotte by helping everyone gain the knowledge of Chiropractic and different ways to keep the body healthy. You can find Live Well Chiropractic on the internet, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Youtube or by calling 704-912-5050.

Today's guest is Daisha Williams who is the Environmental Justice Manager for CleanAIRE NC. CleanAIRE NC utilizes action, education, and innovation in their partnerships to restore the environment. They started in 2003 as CleanAIRE Carolina where volunteers banded together to improve air quality and noticed the link between that and climate change and public health. Their focus today is on climate change and air quality; addressing it through advocacy, education, and community-driven research and programs. CleanAIRE NC has 4 programs; health, policy, citizen science, and environmental justice. The Health program provides information to help health professionals talk to their patients about climate change, air pollution, and how it is affecting their health. The Policy program advocates for strengthening environmental policies to limit the factors that contribute to air pollution and climate change. The Citizen Science program uses air monitors in impacted communities to translate data for actions and improvements. The Environmental Justice program incorporates all of the other programs to make sure those who have been affected the most by climate change concerns are being included in efforts and decisions as well as empowered with knowledge. While CleanAIRE NC is based in Charlotte, NC, they assist communities all over North Carolina and have offices in Greensboro and Durham as well. Before landing at CleanAIRE NC, Daisha received her Bachelor's of Science in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University and was interested in animals so she joined the Woodland Park Zoo in Washington. From there she learned she was more interested in working with people, so she got a job as a Legislative Assistant at the Washington Environmental Council where she worked with students in Title I schools in the Seattle area on the legislative process, who their representatives are, and how to use their voice for change. She was also part of a team that helped create a policy strategy that was passed to safeguard the environment. Next, she decided to get a graduate degree in Policy at John's Hopkins University, and moved back to Charlotte where she got a job working with the Americorps' Regional Stormwater Partnership of the Carolinas and began her work in the Historic West End. Because of her strong work in the community, it made sense to be involved with CleanAIRE NC as the new Environmental Justice Manager. She also has a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Science and Technology. The Historic West End in Charlotte was subjected to red lining back in the 1930s which caused this area to have a lot of pollution due to the nearby highways and industries. Three highway systems cross through this neighborhood. The Airkeepers program through CleanAIRE NC was launched in 2017 which was the first one in the state. This system measured particulate matter. This is important as our lungs cannot remove certain sizes of particulate matter as it reaches deep into the lungs and bloodstream. The intention for this program was to arm the community of how much particulate matter is present and when it's at the highest concentration. In 2018, community members and CleanAIRE NC created a report on pollution and health concerns to present to the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioner's in order to advocate for a federal EPA monitor which they received. The importance of the federal EPA monitor is that now the government is responsible for implementing programs to address the present issues. This also helped them formalize a Historic West End Green District which is designed to improve air quality, reduce emissions, and improve overall health. The community-led program started with 3 volunteers and now has 13. The health impacts of poor air quality are great and include issues such as inflammation, imbalanced nervous systems, can exacerbate diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Recent studies have even found that poor air quality has a strong link to death by COVID. "It really disheartens me that pollution touches this community and many communities like it in a cumulative way; it's not just water quality concerns, it's not just air quality concerns, it's also a concern of a lack of resources, whether that's lack of access to fresh and healthy food, lack of access to medical services, you also have concerns of displacement as Charlotte expands and grows rapidly and these communities are getting pushed out of their neighborhoods." The Historic West End Green District's projects are chosen by the residents and have 3 main goals; strategic tree planting and maintaining of current trees as well as installing green walls and roofs, advocating for electric car charging stations and increasing access to more clean transit, and education on sustainability and solutions for clean air. The Historic West End Green District is working on Community Benefits Agreements which would work with industries in the area to help cut down particulate matter and pollutants. "So building up those relationships because that's where you start is just listening and building up trust and expanding this work and even connecting other environmental justice communities to each other because there is power in numbers and there's also a lot of solidarity in listening and creating solutions with those that are experiencing the same things." If you would like to support CleanAIRE NC, Daisha recommends educating yourself first on the historical inequities, environmental justice, and the legacy it has left behind. From there you can speak out against it and vote for people who will support efforts. You can join their Advocacy program or donate to support them. For self-care, Daisha enjoys spending time in nature, walks with her dog, and baking. To connect with CleanAIRE NC you can visit their website here or email Daisha at daisha@cleanaire.org.

Amanda Jones from QC Hydrate joins us on the podcast to discuss her mobile hydration infusion company. The idea came to her 3 years ago and was pushed forward with the pandemic. Amanda recognized people's discomfort in going into clinical settings unless absolutely necessary so she decided to take her idea into people's homes. Amanda has been a nurse for 10 years and the last 6 were spent as an oncology nurse where she fell in love with the work. The day after chemotherapy is given, typically patients come back in for "replacements" which is an infusion of micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium, among others, and basic hydration and possibly zofran for nausea. Many times, patients aren't able to come back into the hospital the next day for many reasons. Amanda had the idea of being able to travel to patients homes and give them what they need to recover. She has now stepped back from the oncology world to focus on the growth of her business. Infusions have to be given by a licensed medical professional and Amanda's nurses all have a strong infusion background of at least 5 years. QC Hydrate contracts with a physician to oversee policies, procedures, safety, and efficacy and works with a specialty pharmacy to create the infusions. QC Hydrate is the only Board Certified Hydration Company in Charlotte. By offering this service in the home, people feel pampered, and can receive the treatment in their own space for a short amount of time. Amanda can help develop an individualized treatment plan with her client's goals in mind. They can provide infusions to individuals, couples, or a group of people. Some have set up for bridal parties, golf events, or ladies night. "One of the most common feedbacks that I get is 'oh I feel so pampered, this is so luxurious, or I feel like a star' and that's what we want." At QC Hydrate, they have tried to create something that everyone can benefit from. They have immunity, athletic, beauty, and hangover blends to name a few. Infusions are not recommended for those under 18 or anyone with congestive heart failure, or liver or kidney disease. Intravenous supplements are more effective than oral because when taking one orally, the gastric acid in the stomach breaks down the nutrients and therefore lose 50-60% of the efficacy. Infusions bypass the digestive system so that 100% of the micronutrients enter the bloodstream. Many people especially in the winter months are deficient in vitamins such as B and D. QC Hydrate has a 6-session package to get your levels balanced with a blood test before and after to. According to the NIH, dehydration affects 75% of the population. Most people aren't drinking enough water through the day to get hydrated and are also getting dehydrated in the sun or by drinking caffeine or alcohol. When people are properly hydrated, they feel better in their bodies, have less inflammation, and sleep better. QC Hydrate recommends infusions at least 2x a month to be within the therapeutic range of hydration. "We are going to do everything we can to make sure that we are providing a safe, comfortable environment for you." By her 3 year mark, QC Hydrate wants to have a bus to provide mobile infusions to people in the community, and provide infusions to those in the community who can not access it through charitable donations. Amanda loves reading as self-care and loves "Vitamized Health" by Dr. Stephen Petteruti. She wants to heal Charlotte by giving everyone an opportunity to feel the benefits of hydration. Find QC Hydrate on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Today's podcast guest is Shannon Routh, the founder and Executive Director of Teal Diva. This non-profit organization supports women with ovarian and other types of gynecological cancer in Charlotte. Shannon got the idea to start the group during her 3rd chemotherapy appointment at age 32 when she realized there were no other support groups and she wanted to meet someone else going through ovarian cancer like herself. Previously, she knew one other woman who was much older and in a different stage of life. She knew if it happened to her, there had to be other woman in similar life stages to her. Teal Diva supports the mental and emotional health of women diagnosed with gynecological cancers as well as those who have completed their treatment. Before Teal Diva was created, there wasn't any local support for women with ovarian cancer. As time went by, Shannon learned of other types of gynecological cancers such as vulva and uterine that also did not have support locally, so they began to accept them as well. Some challenges in the ovarian cancer space is that there is no early screening tool. Most women don't know this and believe that during their annual visit, they are being checked for it. The symptoms are also vague which leaves many women undiagnosed until it is much further down the line. Some of the symptoms are bloating, feeling full quickly, back pain, changes in bowel habits, etc. Shannon recommends being your own advocate and if these symptoms come on or change and it doesn't feel right to you, get checked by a specialist. Shannon and Teal Diva originally used their fundraising efforts to fund research but shifted to supporting women locally as they felt it had the greatest impact and would go further to improve women's lives here in Charlotte. Money raised and donated goes towards their custom infusion shirts, supporting the "honey-do lists," and the sisterhood retreats. The Dignity Shirt program was inspired by one local woman who lost her life to ovarian cancer and her husband wanted to create a legacy. These custom shirts are teal for recognition and have zipper openings for the ports instead of stretching out the shirt. The "Yes Girl" program is help women with household projects that they are unable to complete. Teal Diva recruits volunteers to come together on one day and complete the list of projects. The idea of the "Sisterhood Retreats" came from Shannon's love of retreats that she had been on. They will have group members apply for the retreats and will select 20 women to go. The women usually don't know each other beforehand and spend a weekend immersed together for support, creativity, and relaxation. Another program that Teal Diva has came during covid isolation. They recruit volunteers to send encouragement cards to women who need support. "For us to be able to provide this "life-changing" experience {sisterhood retreats} to someone, there are many women who have attended our retreat who pass away 3-6 months or a year later and we were able to touch them. We were able to provide for them in their final time a better experience at the life they had left." The elephant mascot came from a story originally told by Jen Hatmaker that was read at Shannon's remission party. The story goes that when a female elephant is going through labor or a difficult time, the other female elephants circle around her, stomp, and kick up dust to protect her. The story stuck with Shannon and with the help of some professionals became the official mascot with a hidden set of ovaries in it as well. "When our sisters are vulnerable, when they are under attack and they need their people to surround them so they can heal, and create, and recover, we all get in formation and close our ranks and we have each other's backs." For self-care, Shannon enjoys taking weekends away, being in nature, with her dog. She has learned through the years that she needs to separate from being the leader at times to being the survivor. Shannon also knows the importance of therapy especially with the losses and hardships the group members go through. If you would like to support Teal Diva, they are accepting of volunteers for events, the "Yes Girl" program, and card writing, and financial donations and company sponsorships will help support all programming and the Dignity Shirts. Shannon wanted to Heal Charlotte as she was born and raised here and wanted to make a difference in her community. "I wanted to make a difference and I wanted to get involved and I wanted to be a voice and I feel like if there is a need, then why not." You can connect with Teal Diva on the website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest.

In this episode, we meet Kerry Kalish. She is a Design Project Manager at ODA, an architecture firm here in Charlotte, North Carolina. She also manages the TASC(Tactful Approach to Sustainable Cleanliness) force which focuses on research and development for "Well Building" strategies. Kerry went to Architecture school at UNCC in 2004 and was fascinated back then about how architecture relates to humans. Now she is even more health conscious and aware of how spaces affect people due to having a child with asthma and ADHD. Prior to joining ODA, she worked for a forensic architecture firm where she was involved with more reactive work and fixing problems that already happened. She was interested in doing more proactive work from there. She joined ODA two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Her boss came to her with an idea to focus more on the healthy building movement. After some initial reading and research, Kerry realized how connected this movement was to her interest in college. "I even thought it{Healthy Building Movement} was mostly germs and good clean air. In hindsight, I realized this is that neuroscience stuff, this is that same scientific stuff but also the psychology and how we've gotten so much more aware of mindfulness." There are a couple of certifications including Fit Wel and Well Standard. This movement started about 7 years ago but gained momentum due to the pandemic. These certifications include sections on; fitness and mind, light(that could cause glare and headaches or lowered productivity), water cleanliness, and air to name a few. The standards also address vending machines, catering, and cafeteria requirements. ODA created the TASC force to educate themselves as architects as well as contractors, developers, and decision makers who they were already connected with. They developed a newsletter to educate and help people see the importance of these standars as well as the return on investment. JLL created the "3-30-300 rule" that helps illustrate where to invest money. Every business, per year, per square foot spends $3 for utilities, $30 for rent, and $300 for payroll(insurance, PTO, sick time, etc). So in essence, Healthy Buildings protect and enhance the lives of people on the inside. The focus most recently has been on ventilation(better air, UV filters, higher quality filters), high touch areas(using surfaces that can be cleaned and bleached), and connection with nature(rooftop terraces, courtyards, and biophilic design). Some industries that are currently adopting these standards are hospitality, self-storage, and education to name a few. Where the Healthy Building Movement protects the people on the inside, where as the Sustainable Movement which strives to not damage, create minimal damage, or regenerate the environment outside of the building. In the future, the TASC force may move beyond Healthy Buildings and look at technology of materials or regenerative design. "You can really mitigate those if you reduce your employees sick time or if you can improve their productivity. You are going to be able to balance that out more than you can by putting in some slightly more energy efficient light bulbs in your building." Kerry wants to heal Charlotte because her friends and family are here and wants her daughter to have a healthy experience. Kerry is inspired by Envision Charlotte; a group that is focused on creating a circular economy including regenerative design, composting, recycling and using underemployed folx to help. Self-care for Kerry includes an anti-inflammatory diet and being intentional with the food she ingests. "I want to take care of the people around me. I've always wanted to do that to some extent. I've always wanted to give a positive to the community around me in some way, shape, or form." Visit the TASC force website and subscribe to the quarterly newsletter. Reach out to Kerry directly at kkalish@oda.us.com or tascforce@oda.us.com.

Molly Ruggere is on the podcast today speaking about her work as a Certified Life and Alcohol Freedom Coach as well as the alcohol-free social community she has created, Counterculture Club. It's a global alcohol free community based in Charlotte that includes a monthly membership for virtual events 2x a week, in person events, and group coaching. Local members meet several times a month for events such as yoga, Whitewater center, dinners, etc. All of the events are alcohol free and are not limited to women who are sober or alcohol-free. Many of the members are looking for alcohol free spaces and can give those who are curious a way to dip their toe in and see if it is for them or can prove to themselves that they can socialize without alcohol. Member have found excitement by getting through events outside of the club without alcohol and realizing it was a crutch. Molly started the group in 2019 after she was in her sobriety, put tools together for herself, and done the inner work. After all of this she was lacking the like-minded community of women. During the pandemic, she opened up membership to include virtual events and saw membership increase quickly as well as members from all over the world. Alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic and especially for women making this group so important as a resource. "It's very hard to exist in a society as a non-drinker when everyone around you in drinking and we are getting these messages constantly that alcohol is what makes you fun and sophisticated and sexy. So we have to do a lot of mental de-programming to see our relationship with alcohol honestly and do some inner work." As an Alcohol Freedom Coach, Molly helps people work with their mindset to address their relationship with alcohol. She has found that people have found the impact alcohol has on their health and their relationships. She believes that this coaching and therapy can complement each other well. Coaching is more future-focused with actionable steps. "Coaching is a partnership. I'm not coming at it from an expert perspective. I'm more of a person that's here for accountability and to help you step-by-step pull out what you need to do so that it doesn't feel quite so overwhelming and it doesn't feel like a lonely journey of accomplishing your alcohol-free goals." Molly loves working with people who are ambitious, creative, curious, out-of-the-box thinkers, and open to change. For self-care, she utilizes really listening to herself and being honest about her needs. She has ever-evolving tools to take care of herself including journaling everyday. She has found that she can tune in better to herself without the influence of alcohol. Molly wants to heal Charlotte because she grew up here and has enjoyed seeing how collaborative and supportive the city has become. She is inspired by 2 local healers; Rebby Kern who is a Yoga Instructor and Social Justice Warrior and Sam Diminich with "Your Farms, Your Table" for his work in employing people in recovery as well as creating a community for service industry workers in recovery called "Ben's Friends." "It {alcohol} doesn't even come up because it's not relevant. It's not what we are focused on. We are really just focused on having fun and connecting with other people. That's the message and mission behind it." For more resources on living alcohol-free, Molly suggest the book "Sober Curious" by Ruby Warrington or to visit Counterculture Club website. Molly is also a writer for many publications on living alcohol-free. If someone attends an event in your home that is choosing not to drink, Molly suggests the following: have non-alcoholic drinks available, not just tap water don't make a big deal about it don't pry or ask for more information You can stay up to date with Counterculture Club by visiting their website, Instagram, Facebook, or email countercultureclubclt@gmail.com.

This episode is with Abby Glen, the owner and founder of Shelves Bookstore. Shelves just celebrated their 2-year anniversary as an online and pop-up new book store. Shelves started as a pop-up store partnering with local coffee shops when COVID-19 hit. Abby quickly shifted to an online model and has now moved to offering both options to purchase books. Abby has wanted to open a bookstore for a long time but waited until she got out of debt first. In preparation, she did a lot of research online on how to run a bookstore, and started to reach out to local businesses to partner with her. Abby's history with books starts back when she was young remembering the encyclopedias in her home and visiting the library often with her family. As a teenager in Philly, she started going to a bookstore and was pleased to find books that she could relate to. Around this same time, she joined a book club through Essence magazine and was delivered "Flyy Girl" by Omar Tyree. "It was the first time I read a book that I could see myself and my neighborhood, and my friends, and my family, and my school, and everything on the pages." From there, Abby began swapping the books around to her friend group, much like she does with her "Reading is a Lifestyle" bookclub. This subscription service launched in February but is not a traditional bookclub. You pick 3 categories of books you are open to and each month you will be surprised with a book from 1 of your 3 categories. They also conduct a monthly zoom hangout where readers discuss their own books and hear about the others that were sent out. "The only reason I've managed to get as far as I've gotten to or where I have gotten to is because I stayed curious and I've managed to convince a couple of other people to be curious with me." Abby enjoys working with people who are serious in changing narratives. She likes people who are curious like her and have an open mind to consider new perspectives or new ways of doing things. She is currently partnered with Enderly Coffee and Mint Hill Roasting Company for her pop ups. As far as her own self-care, Abby enjoys journaling and spending time with friends. She wants to heal Charlotte's literary scene. Currently, we only have 1 other independent new bookseller and few authors come to town. Abby wants to change that and is looking forward to her brick and mortar store in the future as a gathering space for fellowship, friendship, and camaraderie. She believes by doing this and supporting other small businesses here it creates our city's culture. She is inspired by author and therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab who recently wrote, "Set Boundaries, Find Peace." "It's your people who determine what the culture's gonna be and your small businesses set the tone of a city." Visit their website to purchase books or join the bookclub. If you live in Mecklenburg County, local pickup is available at Enderly Coffee, some areas are eligible for local delivery, or you can have your books shipped anywhere. Follow along on social media or subscribe to the newsletter for all information including the next pop-up location.

Alicia Martin, the owner of Plant Therapy, is on a mission to improve lives by fostering the love of plants here in Charlotte. Her journey started back in childhood with outdoor plants and her parents teaching her the names of them. Later on in college, she didn't have any outdoor space, so she began bringing plants into her home. Starting the business wasn't a dream of hers but more of encouragement from her friends and husband because she is so passionate about and good with plants. Plant Therapy began in September 2019 with a pop-up market and hasn't stopped since. Alicia provides consulting to gain an understanding of her clients including their physical space, light, travel schedule, and how much time they want to dedicate to care. She can then bring the potted plants to your home. She also can do virtual house calls to troubleshoot improving the plant's health. You can find Alicia at pop-up markets, private, and semi-private events. "During quarantine, people started looking at plants. We are all stuck in our homes and they are looking for ways to beautify our spaces. Aside from that, plants also bring a sense of relaxation, it gives you something to care for and nurture, and learn." She loves working with new plant parents to give them the confidence and knowledge to be successful. Alicia loves the connections she has made with other small businesses whether it's another plant company, a planter company, or a macramé maker. "Think of it not only as an investment of money but also some of your time and you are going to reap the benefits, you are going to get a lot of pleasure out of it." Alicia's self-care revolves around plants and nature. She absolutely loves taking care of plants and talking about them, strolling through a nursery, or being outdoors. Nature is very calming for her. She wants to heal Charlotte because this is where her footprint is and she is aware of all of the suffering people go through. She has a desire to create a better community for others and especially her 3 young boys. A couple of healers in Charlotte who she is inspired by are Nikki at Bohemian Stylehouse because of the conversations they have and feeling seen as well as Ladara McKennon of Ladara Fine Art who creates beautiful, colorful paintings. "That's why I want to heal Charlotte; obviously I want to heal the world, but Charlotte is my footprint right now and so I'm going to do what I can to help the people closest to me." You can check out Alicia's schedule of events on her website as well as follow her on Instagram, or email her mosslady@planttherapyclt.com.

On today's episode, we meet Challise Cantleberry, the Director of Detention Center Services at Changed Choices. Changed Choices is a local non-profit that supports women impacted by incarceration. They do this through the Mecklenburg County Detention Center, North Carolina area prisons, and in the community. When women are residents at the detention center, Changed Choices can support them through life skills and parenting classes, mentorship program, and counseling services. If women are accepted into their program as clients and are residing at North Carolina state prisons, Changed Choices supports them through their wraparound services including bible studies, pen pals, mentorship, substance abuse curriculum, and support for their families. Once the women in the program have completed their sentences, the community services include mentorship, bible study, assistance with housing and job searching. Changed Choices also has the "Ruth Snyder Home" named after the founder where they can support 5-6 women in the home. Challise mentions that some of the challenges that their clients face once they are in the community include finding a job and housing which can be difficult depending on what is on their record. Family reunification can also be a challenge for them. "It's a message of somebody on the outside knows this woman and she has someone who is paying attention to what's going on and she's valued and loved and all of a sudden, things change, they are just not forgotten in that prison." During COVID, Changed Choices has been unable to provide in person services at the detention center and local prisons. Their mentors switched over to writing letters and their classes were held virtually in the pods. Counseling services ceased at the detention center but were able to continue virtually at the prisons. They started an initiative where they collected items to go into "Encouragement Bags" for the staff at the prisons and detention center. "That's why we need second chances; sometimes people really aren't given a good start and situations perpetuate bad decisions." Changed Choices started in 1999 by a woman named Ruth Snyder who was asked to come mentor a couple of women at the detention center. This turned into classes and Ruth recruited other women to join her. "They look just like us. They just need somebody to give them a second chance that they've changed their ways and they want to live a life that's pleasing to the Lord. So they are attending churches and part of a congregation, they are working for employers all around town, and their kids go to school just like our kids." Before working at Changed Choices, Challise had a background in Social Work and Women's studies. She had a desire to move south and through a friend was connected to the organization. She has now been there 5 years. Self-care for her includes her faith(family and church family) and getting outside(walking, bike riding, and swimming). Challise loves working with the COOOL(Changing Our Outlook on Life) mentors. Changed Choices could use support as they are a non-profit that is funded by individuals, churches, and grants. Financial support is accepted on their website and by mail, volunteers are needed as mentors, card writers, and pen pals. Visit their website to sign up for the newsletter to learn about what is going on in the justice system and current needs. Challise is inspired by Brave Step and Crystal Emerick(a former podcast guest) for the partnerships they have formed and what she is doing with her organization. She also enjoys working with Beds for Kids, Dress for Success, and Fashion and Compassion, all Charlotte organizations.

Today’s conversation is with Hannah Kay Herdlinger, the founder of Thread Talk.  The company came from her personal story as a domestic violence survivor who wanted to give back to other survivors and shelters.  Thread Talk sells blankets with names such as “Confidence, Love, Serenity, Strength, and Resilience” with 10% of the proceeds going back to local domestic violence shelters through domesticshelters.org.  This website includes many resources as well as “live wish lists” for individual shelters.  It was important for Hannah Kay to share her story because of the power of telling your story and connecting to others who have been through something similar.  When she opened up about her personal story she started hearing more and more stories of domestic violence.  Currently the statistics are 1 in 4 women and and 1 and 9 men are survivors.  Her mission was to help start that difficult conversation.  She has also created a “Thread Talk Trailblazer” program to help spread the word, give survivors a way to give back, and to help develop a community around this. "The way I discovered I could do that best was by selling cozy products such as blankets that everyone has in their home and uses all the time and then donating 10% of my proceeds back to domestic violence shelters." The pandemic has created some shifts in the domestic violence space.  Before last year, they had a hotline for survivors to reach out and since the pandemic started, created a texting/written platform.  This was implemented since many survivors may be at home with their abusers and cannot call a hotline for assistance.  Shelters remain overcrowded and underfunded but this last year they have worked with hotels and other programs for collaborations to support survivors. "It feels so good to know that you are not alone and that someone else can relate to something that you are going through." Domesticshelters.org has been influential in Hannah Kay’s work as she appreciates the resources they offer, the survivors stories, and inspiring songs.  In Charlotte, there are resources such as Safe Alliance, The Umbrella Center, and Mecklenburg County Community Support Services all geared towards supporting domestic violence shelters.  Hannah Kay moved to Charlotte after she literally picked it out of a hat.  Since moving here she has found it to be an amazing place where people rally around each other.  Her advice for those seeking healing is to let it be known to others that you are in that you will have someone who could listen to you and support you, not to mention may offer referrals.  A healer in Charlotte that Hannah Kay is inspired by is Greg Jackson of Heal Charlotte.  She has been amazed at the work he has done and most recently how he supported our neighbors at tent city. You can purchase a blanket from Thread Talk on their website here.

Today's podcast guest is Meghan Lowery, the owner and founder of Honest Elderberry Co. The company officially started in March 2019 and was especially vital in supporting her family during 2020 when her husband lost his job. Honest Elderberry Co sells syrup in 3 sizes as well as a "make your own kit" where one can get creative with adding their own sweetener or no sweetener at all. She has some more offerings coming out in the future including an elderberry body butter that is currently in the works. Meghan has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to help people especially after a lifestyle change many years ago. Elderberries have been used for centuries for their anti-viral properties and some of Meghan's customers have used her syrup for their inflammation. Elderberries are also known for their bioflavonoid properties meaning that they attack sick cells and viral strains. By this, research studies have shown that they can shorten the duration and intensity of an illness. Meghan's syrup also uses aroniaberries which have the highest anti-oxidant properties of any fruit. Other ingredients include organic cinnamon sticks, organic ginger root, organic whole clove, and North Carolina/South Carolina honey. All of these ingredients together can create a powerful immune support. Meghan suggests taking 1 tablespoon daily for general wellness and can up the dosage during an illness. The difference in her syrup versus a more commercialized brand is that it has to be refrigerated, meaning that it has no preservatives, alcohol, added sweeteners or thickeners. Honest Elderberry Co also has recipes on their social media for different ways to use the syrup including mocktails, glazes, and in smoothies. "We use fresh, organic elderberries. We have a couple of partnerships with a couple of berry farmers throughout the United States. So we source our berries directly from them." Meghan loves building relationships in the community especially when she gets to meet customers at Farmer's Markets or other events. She also enjoys working with her retail partners and her husband. He just created his own apparel line during this time called Amen Apparel Co. Counseling, eating well, and Christianity is what keeps her grounded. She wants to heal Charlotte because of her desire for people to have an experience with the healing powers of plants, herbs, and berries. "First and foremost, I'm a big people person and I love getting out and building relationships with people and meeting people in the community. My favorite people I love working with is when I go to Farmer's Markets and meet people I get to hear their story and I get to know who they are. That's one of my most favorite things." It's important to Meghan and her husband to also give back to the community. They have donated financially and products to several organizations including; Catawba Terrace Care Center, Children's Attention Home, Palmetto Women's Center, and the Uptown Farmer's Market who has partnered with Roof Above. She is inspired be the following healers; Green Brother's Juice who provide high quality smoothies and juices, Uptown Farmer's Market, and Carolina Functional Nutrition. If interested in buying some Honest Elderberry Syrup, they are located in 35 stores currently in the Charlotte region(click on the Locations tab) or you can order directly from their website. This Spring and Summer season, you can find Meghan and her family at the Uptown Farmer's Market and various other events in the area.

In this episode, Katie reflects on groups and individuals she was grateful for in 2020.  Who are you grateful for?

On this episode, we meet Anna Egleston, the Chief Zen Officer, of Above Yoga. She leads Yoga Retreats for adults. She has combined her love for yoga, travel, adventure, and professional background in corporate travel to cultivate a community of adults. Anna has lead international retreats to places like Ireland, Cambodia, and the South of France to name a few. She has trips booked for Croatia and Morocco this year and is looking to add domestic destinations in the near future. Anna compares her retreats to "adult summer camp" because of the mix of yoga, culture, food, adventure as a way for people to meet and cultivate relationships in adulthood which can be challenging. "We don't get those kind of interpersonal experiences as adults." Anna has completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training and is currently involved in her 300-hour training as well as finishing up her Master's Business Administration. She loves having guests on her retreats who are new to yoga as well as experienced. It excites her to have people who are maybe new to international travel, group travel, or yoga and assimilate quickly and grow during the retreat. A differing factor of Above Yoga retreats are that Anna scouts the area at least a year in advance, develops relationships with the vendors, and familiarizes herself with the area to help her guests feel comfortable with it and her as the leader. While her retreats offer yoga, culture, and physical activity such as hiking or biking, Anna leaves it up to each guest to determine how they want their vacation to go. Anna has been inspired by The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz after a friend gave it to her during a challenging time in her own life. She reminds herself of each agreement daily and as a way to feel confident in the service she is providing to others. She discusses how a yoga retreat can help someone grow by the relationships and community formed on the trip. She speculates that it could take years of day-to-day life interaction to form the connections that someone can make during a week-long retreat. Anna has been inspired by Jillian Longsworth of Noda Yoga. Jillian's influence has been woven throughout Anna's yoga journey. She attended her first yoga retreat with Jillian to Italy, completed her 200-hour teacher training, and has invited her to co-teach at one of her own retreats. She loves the inclusivity of her studio and the broad range of styles of yoga that she offers.

I created this prompt for a client several years ago and it has stood the test of time. It's a way to simultaneously reflect on the year that is ending and look forward to the next year. If you feel drawn to utilize this prompt, I would encourage you to consider at least 3 examples for each one and go wild on the gratitudes prompt. We could all use more gratitude and it's also fun to come back to that list over and over again adding more. I promise, with time, you will find more gratitude. Something I would like to happen in 2021 Intentions/Goals for myself in 2021 Something that was hard this year Something I am proud of myself for doing in 2020 My favorite part of 2020 Gratitude for 2020 I hope you find this prompt helpful and tune into the podcast for a more lengthy description of each one.

Today's podcast features Theresa Leskowat discussing with Katie all the aspects of starting Mental Health Therapy. Together we discuss reasons to go, benefits, finding a Therapist, when to start, payment, and different types of therapy modalities. Theresa is a private practice owner at Clear Vista Counseling, where she works with adults in managing their anxiety. Why go to therapy Typically people start therapy during a life event or change, want to start a relationship with a therapist proactively, for self-improvement and growth, may have exhausted their own resources, or noticed familial patterns that they would like to break. Benefits of therapy Usually people will increase their self-insight, find that it's an outlet to process their experiences, want a relationship that is not friends or family and to hear a perspective that challenges them, are looking for a confidential space to share things that may be difficult to talk about, will practice relationship and communication skills, and lastly appreciate a place to share vulnerabilities first. Barriers to starting Some people view going to therapy in that it signifies weakness but in actually there is a lot of strength in asking for help and receiving support. For some, they worry about vulnerability and talking about the hard things as it may open up the "flood gates" and dealing with difficult emotions. Lastly, some believe it means they have a problem. When to start The best time to start going to therapy is when you decide it will be beneficial. You can start during a crisis and it will be better to establish a relationship when things aren't as challenging. Frequency of sessions and duration People usually start a weekly appointments to establish a relationship and can go down from there once things stabilize. Everyone is individual so it depends on what people come in with and when they feel like they have gotten out of it what they set out to do. Therapists do provide homework for those who want to work on things outside of sessions. Finding a Therapist All clinicians who do this work will have at least a Master's degree in one of the following; Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy and have requirements for continuing education. You can start by getting a referral from someone you know personally or professionally. Psychology Today is another place to start by entering the information you are looking for a various profiles of therapists will be available. Visiting the clinicians website could be a good way to start to get to know them and their areas of speciality. Lastly, a Google search may be another way to start getting some names. Psychologists and Psychiatrists get mixed up quite frequently so to help in keeping that straight; a Psychologist usually does therapy, or Psychological testing, or both, a Psychiatrist has gone through Medical school, prescribes medication, and sometimes offers therapy but not often. "We {therapists} are people too. If you go and you just don't feel connected to them or you don't feel they get what you are saying then maybe that's not the connection you are looking for. That's ok and they won't be offended. It's more important that you find what you are looking for." Payment You can possibly use your insurance where you may have a copay or a deductible to meet. You will need to make sure the therapist you want to see accepts your insurance. Most therapists have private payment options and some offer sliding scale rates or rates based on your income. If finances are a concern, lower rates can be found by students working towards their degree or clinicians that are not fully licensed yet. Some companies offer EAP benefits as well. Most therapists will provide a no-charge consult session or phone call in order to meet before committing. Usually those sessions will be for discussing what you are looking for support around and to learn about the therapists approach to that particular area. Telehealth Due to the COVID-19 crisis, most therapists are providing telehealth sessions. With that, there are some pros and cons. Some of the pros are that it is convenient as it may be relaxing in your own home. Cons may be that there is the lack of energy exchange, technology issues, and it's harder to pick up on non-verbal communication through a screen or phone. Types of Therapy When it comes to Mental Health Therapy, there are options for individuals, groups, families, and couples. Also, some clinicians are more seasoned in mental health vs. substance abuse so you will want to find someone who has experience in the type of therapy you are looking for. There are various types of treatment modalities that Therapist's offer: Rogerian - not a style particuarly but he emphasized that all Therapists should exhibit "unconditional positive regard" for their clients. CBT - short for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is fairly common for Therapists to provide this. This type of therapy looks at unhelpful thoughts and unhelpful behaviors and works to reframe those thoughts which in turn helps with more helpful behaviors. Psychoanalytic - not widely practiced anymore but will be a deep dive into the psyche. EMDR - short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing which helps process and file unprocessed memories and traumas without talking about it. Yoga & Mindfulness - many Therapists are now getting certified in Yoga. Helps bring the body into the therapy space as it really is a mind-body connection. DBT - short for Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which helps with emotional regulation, mindfulness, and relationships. Experiential - this type of therapy is about "doing it" vs "talking about it." This may include role play or movement. Neurofeedback - this modality will train the brain to regulate itself. No talk therapy is necessary for this. Motivational Interviewing - usually effective with addictions and teenagers and can meet people where they are even if they aren't fully bought into therapy yet. Some Therapists use a "bottom up" vs "top down approach to therapy. You will typically see this when the body and self-regulation comes into the therapy space instead of using the mind to thing about, process the situation, or modulate the body. "With CBT we are talking about thoughts but a lot of times if we are really anxious it's really hard to think clearly about those thoughts because it's a different part of the brain and that Yoga can tap into that relaxation system so that we can make talk therapy more effective so that it can go somewhere and that we can use those coping skills." Resources Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb is a book written about a Therapist's experience with her own life crisis, her own therapy process, and the process of her clients. Brene Brown is a Doctorate of Social Work, Researcher, Author, Public Speaker, Podcaster, etc whose work focuses on vulnerability, authenticity, and shame. Many of the things that happen or are discussed in therapy!

Today's conversation is with Melanie McIntyre, the owner of Tru-Nectar, an e-commerce business selling CBD products. She started the business officially in February 2020 but had been working on researching the product and setting it up for a year prior. Tru-Nectar sells tinctures, gummies, topical, soft-gels, and dog treats all made with CBD. Melanie has always been interested and passionate about natural health for her own issues and found CBD. She did her own research on companies, tried various brands, and began to discover the benefits for herself. Charlotte's Web Company helped put CBD on the map without the stigma when in 2018 a Farm Bill was passed that made the cultivation of hemp legal in all states. Stipulations for how much THC, how it's grown, and how it is cultivated. CBD comes from the hemp plant which is the same as marijuana. The difference is in how it's cultivated. CBD can have up to .3% of THC(which is the psychedelic) and marijuana has 15-20% of THC. This product is not regulated currently by the FDA, so some CBD companies will do 3rd party testing to discover any possible pesticides or chemicals, the amount of CBD that is on the label is reflected in the product, and if there are any added ingredients. Not all CBD companies are the same so it's important to research them and look into their 3rd party testing. Tru-Nectar products have a QR code to see the testing results for that particular batch and all have 0% THC. Studies have shown that CBD can help with sleep issues, anxiety, stress, muscle and joint pain to name a few. For dogs, the products may help with anxiety; everyday or situation specific, and arthritis. Each of our bodies have an endocannabinoid systems that helps create overall balance. Our body produces it and sometimes could use more of it for balance which is where CBD supplements come in. Realm of Caring is a non-profit dedicated to research and findings regarding CBD products. "It's considered to be a supplement because our body already produces these chemicals but we may need a little more because we are in a high stress environment or we are struggling with sleep or we just have anxiety because we have a chemical imbalance or it's just lifestyle so it just provides that extra support to create more balance." Melanie has been influenced by the Charlotte's Web company which was started to support their daughter who had multiple seizures a day and found some relief with CBD. For natural health in general, Melanie has enjoyed information from Emily Schromm, a nutritionist with her website and podcast, Meathead Hippie. Melanie wants to heal Charlotte as she has been here for 16 years and see how high stress the environment is here. "CBD is a product that can help that because it just helps to bring balance and that's part of what Charlotte needs. You know people in Charlotte, we just need to find that balance between doing but also resting. Taking time for ourselves and not being all about this one thing but really paying attention to self." A healer in Charlotte who inspires her is Dr. Eric Goodman at Greenapple who is a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist. Use code "healclt" at Tru-Nectar to take advantage of the 25% discount.

In this episode, we meet Crystal Emerick, the founder and Executive Director of Brave Step, a non-profit that focuses on supporting those affected by sexual violence; survivors or loved ones. This 5-year old non-profit strives to empower adults impacted by sexual violence in 3 ways; personalized care(individual counseling, group therapy, peer support groups, empowerment groups), Brave public conversations, and to cultivate Changemakers. Once a survivor or loved one reaches out, their case manager completes a thorough intake and then lays out the options. The options they currently offer are individual counseling with a highly vetted therapist and will provide financial assistance if needed for up to 26 sessions, 12-week group therapy led by a licensed therapist, peer-led support groups, empowerment groups focused on coping skills, or "Finding Your Voice" programs including storytelling, art classes, etc. They meet the survivor or loved one where they are in their healing journey. Crystal has put together a diverse group on her Advisory Board who are all trained in various trauma treatment modalities so that Brave Step can offer a combination as well as have the understanding of all offered. "Sexual violence doesn't discriminate, it doesn't care what faith you are, what financial status you are, what color you are, or what culture you are. It welcomes everybody with open arms. Until we can truly embrace that and the fact that each of us is impacted in one way or another, I don't know how we convince people of how detrimental this is to our community." Crystal shares her own story of surviving childhood sexual abuse. She recognized the guilt, shame, and blame that was growing inside her and told her mom about it at the age of 13. As she grew older, she turned towards what she could control which manifested into unhealthy behavioral patterns. When she moved to Charlotte in 2001, she asked her doctor for help and was referred to a therapist, Sue Anne Wrenn. During her work with her therapist, she realized that she could not turn away from how prevalent sexual assault was in the world and in 2011 was challenged to "do something about it." She spent a good 2 years trying to figure out her role in doing something about it. In November of 2014, Brave Step officially became a non-profit and she started assembling her Advisory Board and Board of Directors. She recognized that there was not a lot of representation of adult care of sexual violence survivors. When she started the non-profit, she was running her own business in communications and public relations. She kept feeling the tug to give her all to the non-profit, so 2 years ago she closed down her business and moved over full-time. Last year, 60% of their funding came from individual donors and they continuously apply for grants. She would like to create in the future more specific programming for the loved ones of survivors but in the meantime, they can access services through Brave Step. She has been influenced by Nancy Brinker's book, "Promise Me." As the founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, this book provided Crystal inspiration for changing people's tolerance for talking about the difficult topics such as breast cancer and sexual violence. She wants to heal Charlotte to help those survivors either crack open or bust down the door to their healing because she understands the negative impacts on survivors, family members, communities. She wants to do this work to help future generations. Her advice for sexual violence survivors is as follows; take 1 brave baby step at a time, fight for yourself, and find community with people like you. She is inspired in Charlotte by Sue Anne Wrenn, a therapist and all of the members of her Advisory Board. "It's my obligation now. It's to turn my pain into a purpose and as long as I can keep doing that and do it effectively, then I'm here to stay." In the short term future, Brave Step will be releasing the "Change Makers" program this year that will focus on education around sexual assault and will be diving deeper on supporting loved ones. Visit Brave Step's website for more information or to get help, donate, or volunteer. You can reach Crystal directly at info@bravestep.org or 704-361-5230.

Kent Crawford is our guest on the podcast today. Neurofeedback, Brainwave Biofeedback, or EEG Biofeedback is a modality he has been practicing for 18 years. He describes neurofeedback as a technique that frees us up from our neurology. It's a non-invasive treatment that works with the non-conscious part of the brain and frequencies we ask the brain to exercise. On a simple level, while training, the person is watching a movie with sensors on their head and the screen gets larger and smaller based on what the brain is doing in that moment. Kent has practiced many different versions of neurofeedback but enjoys the Othmer Method the best based on the quickness and depth of results. Kent says neurofeedback can help with an unlimited number of things including; depression, anxiety, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are a minimum of 20 sessions to achieve completion and remission of symptoms but one will see results before then. Kent mentions that some conditions will need more than 20. "It's like our thoughts and even our emotions are a plant growing out of the soil. That is the neurology of our brain and if that soil is in a negative place, then that's the kind of thoughts you're are going to have." Kent discusses Alpha-Theta training which is another portion of the work in that it can get people to the theta state of brainwave activity that can take weeks instead of a long-term dedicated meditation practice. He says that people tend to get along with others better, care about others more, and are generally happier. Alpha-theta gets more into the emotional and spiritual space. Kent's journey to Neurofeedback training began after reading a book about different brain techniques and was really drawn to it. He then found a training with the Othmers and began practicing. He continues to be so impressed with the affects and how quickly success came to those he trained. Over the last 18 years, Kent estimates he has trained thousands of people's brains and typically receives word-of-mouth referrals. Kent emphasizes that the process is non-invasive and that side-effects will happen somewhere along the course of treatment. He discusses that the side-effects are within your past range of experience and if somethings gets thrown off, he can correct it. "It {Neurofeedback} has a foot in both camps; it has a foot in the standard healthcare camp and that camp is a 'we've got a problem, let's fix it' kind of thing. Neurofeedback also has it's foot in the preventative healthcare practice of making ourselves healthier so that we don't get whatever the problem is, psychological or physiological." Kent is from Charlotte and enjoys the location in between the mountains and the coast. He likes the green spaces we have and that Charlotte is a financial and energy capital for the country. Visit his website or call 704-527-0071 to book an appointment or for more information.

Today's discussion is with Susan Hughes, a 500-hour teacher focused on Therapeutic Yoga. The two provide information on different types of Yoga, hands-on assisting, finding a teacher, and other topics to help you find your Yoga home. Susan's advice when starting your journey is to try different studios and notice how the space makes you feel. "You get a feeling right away I feel like when you go someplace that feels like home to you. You meet teachers who feel like they have the same interests as you, you feel comfortable in that location physically and with the people that are there." Levels of Exertion for Styles Power - This is a strengths based class, that includes even more flow than a vinyasa and students will usually end up very sweaty at the end of class as this is one of the more athletic styles. Vinyasa(Flow) - Will move faster and links one breath per movement. It's more athletic but not necessarily more advanced. The teacher will offer modifications and variations(helps make the pose more accessible for your body), and the flow is sequenced around "sun salutations." Classes typically start with breath and centering, on to a warmup, moving into the flow where the heart rate increases, next to the cool down, and them some stretching at the end. Basics or Beginner - Typically for beginners or anyone wanted to break down each shape for their body. The purpose is for people to learn and be able to get into poses safely. The class pace is usually really slow and may include workshopping poses or a theme. The student will learn about engagement and modifications/variations. This class is not necessarily gentle. Gentle - This class will not have a flow state and is more athletic. Will usually explore the 6 movements of the spine(forward and back bends, twisting, lateral stretches), many poses will be from the floor with less overall exertion, and will move slowly in between shapes. Yin(Deep Stretch is similar and different) - All poses will be on the ground and will use many props(blankets, blocks, bolsters) to hold poses for 3-5 minutes where the student will get into a meditative state. The props are to hold the body up so that it can get into a state of not totally relaxed but not totally pushing/activating. Works to help put the fascia back into place. Restorative - Will use even more props(blankets, blocks, bolsters, eye covers, chairs) to hold the body up in a position of comfort and relaxation. In this class, there are no demands or exertion and will include a few poses. Poses are typically held anywhere from 5-7 minutes up to 20 minutes or more. The student will be able to get into a deeper state of relaxation and meditative. The classes may be warm, dark, still, and quiet. Therapeutic - Typically done one-on-one with a highly trained teacher who will complete a whole-human reading including the injury or ailment the student entered with and will explore sleep, social support, past traumas, a spiritual practice, etc. The teacher will put all the pieces together to help the student heal. Trauma-Sensitive - The purpose of this class is to create an environment that is as safe as possible for someone who has experienced trauma to heal. Not necessarily the only place to heal from them but an important one. The classes may not include any hands-on assisting, will offer options for poses and ways to make the poses as accessible as possible. Helps to create more interoception(noticing sensations in the body) so that the student can take good care of themself. Teachers trained in this can also help the student reframe relationships they will practice boundary setting, autonomy, and being seen in a space. Susan and Katie discuss some other aspects of Yoga including: Sanksrit - This is the language of Yoga. Each poses has a Sanskrit name. Some teachers will use this in class and most likely will use the English translation as well. Safety - You can hurt yourself in Yoga and especially with repetitive motion if not done mindfully. Everyone's bone structures are different and it's important for a teacher to be highly trained to understand this. Hands-On Assisting - May happen in Yoga class. The purpose of these generally speaking are for safety reasons as well as help the student deepen their experience. It's good to know that they are not usually to correct you in a pose. Touch can be healing but sometimes it doesn't feel safe to students. This is why it's important to know if the teacher provides hands-on assisting and if they ask permission each time. It gives the student autonomy and choice. Most Yoga teachers are 200-hour certified which means they have graduated from a Registered Yoga School through Yoga Alliance and have the basic knowledge of teaching Yoga. Some teachers go through an additional 300-hour program to become 500-hour certified which means they have completed more specialized training and have taken a deeper dive with understanding Yoga. During her 300-hour program, Susan recognized her passion was to help give students their power back in a yoga class. "Giving the power back to the student is teaching them that trauma-sensitive way in an effort to let the student know that it doesn't matter what I say, it doesn't matter if I want your foot here and you put it here. If you are getting the experience out of the posture, you're doing Yoga. If you're with your breath and you are moving, you are doing Yoga." Katie and Susan agree that when choosing a Yoga Instructor, students look for a teacher who is at least 200-hour certified. A 500-hour certification or specialization in that style is even better. Make sure your teacher has been practicing awhile and notice how you feel in the space with that person. Susan and Katie met at Noda Yoga when they were going through Bella Vita Yoga Teacher Training. Susan loves that she has always been recognized and acknowledged by name at Noda Yoga. The physical space is comforting to her and she appreciates Jillian's dedication to accessible yoga. Accessible means that the space offers Yoga that everyone can participate in, the use of props, and attend to the socio-economic status of all students. Both agree that the variety of styles offered is amazing. Katie thinks the experience the teachers have is unmatched in the city. Lastly, do you have to be flexible to do Yoga? Absolutely not! It can increase flexibility and that may not even be the intention of starting a Yoga practice. "I think that the accessibility like representing the broad spectrum of types of people that there are in the world via our teachers and making the studio a welcoming place to every type of person is part of what makes it home for me." You can join Susan for a class through the Noda Yoga website or book a private session through her Instagram page.

On today's episode, we meet with Kristine Kaoverii Weber, who created the program "Yoga Ethics for Transforming Racism" with Kiesha Battles. Kristine is an internationally recognized Yoga Therapist and Yoga Teacher trainer who has presented internationally and founder of the Subtle Yoga, the first training for behavioral health professionals in the country. Kristine has trained thousands of people around the world since 2003. Her journey with Yoga began in middle school when she joined the "Yoga Club" that one of her teacher's provided. She remembers the transformational experience she had. Yoga continued to be a constant in her life when she moved to Washington, D.C to San Francisco, and on to Japan to teach English. From there, she was drawn to explore Yoga even more and decided to tour India for 2 years. After her experiences in Ashrams and with her teachers, she knew she had to share what she learned to those struggling with mental health upon returning to the States. Subtle Yoga was born in 2006 and in 2009, she began presenting at the Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville. Kristine is married to a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist so many of their conversations have centered around the intersection of Yoga and Mental Health. Back then, Yoga wasn't as trauma-informed as it is today and she found a niche in training Mental Health professional Yoga to bring to their clients. In 2012, she started her first 200-hour training that was also supported by a major continuing education provider. She continued to find how powerful it was to put Yoga training in the hands of professionals who were already trauma-informed and had strong ethics. It has been her mission to bring more professionalism to Yoga. She began offering courses online 2 years ago and her reach continues to broaden. Kristine's Subtle Yoga is accessible, person-centered, low-risk, and low-cost as an intervention. It can be applied in a therapy space, Yoga studio, gym, etc. One of her teacher's, Gary Kraftsow(Viniyoga), has influenced her development of Subtle Yoga. There are lots of repeated poses and moving with the breath. Kristine thinks about sequencing poses in regards to the nervous system. "I think about my sequencing in terms of where do we want to take the nervous system; do we want to go in the direction of energy and nourishment, do we need to stimulate the system a little bit, do we need to go in the direction of letting go and lightening or helping folx to feel more relaxed." Fast forward to 2016, Kristine was asked to speak at an Integrative Health Conference in Charlotte, NC right after Keith Lamont Scott was murdered. She found that no one was talking about the protests and what was happening right outside the conference. She decided to speak to social, economic, and environmental determinants of health that account for the majority of health outcomes. "I've felt very passionate about social justice for a long time and I see it as intimately connected to the Yoga process." Earlier in 2020 when the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum, Kristine reached out to Kiesha Battles, a former student of hers, and asked if she would be willing to collaborate on a course regarding racism as viewed from the lens of the Yamas and Niyamas, the yoga ethical principles. "Where they really shine is when you operationalize them and you think about them in terms of a particular problem, in this case racism, and then really how do I use these ethics to take right action in the world?" In her career, Kristine has been influenced by Gary Kraftsow, the founder of Viniyoga, Susan Andrews, a Yoga teacher in Brazil, Gabor Mate's book "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts," Bessel Van Der Kolk's book, "The Body Keeps the Score," Barbara Frederickson's book, "Love 2.0," and her husband Brett Sculthorp. In Charlotte, Kristine is inspired by Kiesha Battles, a Yoga Instructor, Samantha Leonard of Davidson Yoga Therapy, Sherry Lyerly Tarner, of Pure Wellness and Healing, all of the owners of Yoga Studios navigating COVID-19, and Dr. Lisette Holland, a Physical Therapist. Kristine wants to help others heal because she has received so much from Yoga and for her, there is no other choice but to give it back. Her advice to those seeking healing is to find a good therapist and trust yourself. Find more about her program, "Yoga Ethics for Transforming Racism."

In this episode, we have the pleasure of talking with Kiesha Battles of I Am Yoga and co-creator of the "Yoga Ethics for Transforming Racism" program with Kristine Kaoverii Weber of Subtle Yoga. "It's the conversation that we hope that people are open to having because with this Yoga, you know it's more than doing, it's taking action and what we are trying to do is take that action of just sharing more of the tools and the practices that can benefit us in this world. We both have this understanding that there are many paths to Yoga, and not all of them focus on the ethical principles. So what we want to do is share with people that they are there." Her Yoga journey began when she found a flyer in the hallway of her graduate program in Asian Studies. She started out studying the Iyengar method and after moving to Charlotte, began practicing more Vinyasa and Power Yoga. She's completed two 200-hour Yoga Teacher programs, the first being with Kristine and the second with her mentor Maya Breuer. She's also completed a 300-hour program with Maya and is currently in another with Embodied Philosophy. Presently, she is the Yoga Director at Charlotte Family Yoga and founder of I Am Yoga where she leads Yoga Teacher Training programs and provides Accessible Yoga. Kiesha is a full time Yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience. Before COVID, she was teaching 20 classes a week to over 300 students. During COVID, she found herself with more time on her hands by not driving from class to class. This intersection paired with the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement provided the opportunity to co-create with Kristine. Kiesha's study of Yoga Philosophy began when developing her research paper for Kristine's 200-hour Training Program on "Why Don't African Americans Do Yoga." This research led her to Maya Breuer, her "Grandmother of Yoga." She attended her Yoga Retreat for Women of Color and began private studies with her afterwards on Living Yoga. She studied intimately with Maya for years going deeper and deeper with the Yamas and Niyamas(Ethical Principles of Yoga). She then began practicing with Kelley Palmer in Charlotte who was integrating the Yoga principles more directly. This partnership with Kristine reminds Kiesha of Yin and Yang. Not only by the styles they teach, Kristine teaching more of an active style and Kiesha teaching Yin, but by who they are as women. Each present the Yamas or Niyamas as it relates to racism, humanities, and ethics, paired with a physical practice. All proceeds go towards scholarship foundations for BIPOC organizations; Black Yoga Teacher Alliance and I Am Yoga. After 1 month of offering the program, they have been able to contribute $3k to each organization. She believes this program gives the participant a path to change and understand racism through the lens of the ethical principles of Yoga. "What are your values? What are the values that you hold true that you would stand your ground for, that you would fight for, that you would be willing to die for. For some people in our path, it could be God, it could be Spirit. For some people it's love and for some people it's country. But what are you holding true as a value outside of who you vote for?" Maya Breuer has been influential in Kiesha's work and from her she found T.K.V Desikachar's book "The Heart of Yoga" which has done the same for her. Candace Jennings, her partner in I Am Yoga was influential in developing her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. Kiesha enjoys working with everybody as she believes working with everybody provides her an opportunity to learn. She wants to Heal Charlotte because she is a loyalist. She moved to the Carolinas during her adolescent years and is now so embedded in the community here, she wants Charlotte to be well. In Charlotte, she's inspired by Candace Jennings, her business partner and bodyworker, her Mom as she has found healing in the extra time spent with her after surgery, interactions with her friends during COVID, and Key Baldwin, her Reiki Master. Dr. Tony Peters is another bodyworker in Charlotte who Kiesha appreciates. "If you are looking for healing, ask for it, there are so many resources out there and there's no one right way of healing." Learn more about "Yoga Ethics for Transforming Racism."

This episode, we meet Lisa Moore of Harmony Health Yoga and Ayurveda. She's been a therapeutic yoga teacher for 15 years, facilitates many workshops, seminars, retreats, does energy work as a Shamanic practitioner, as well as an Ayurveda Consultant. She describes Ayurveda as the sister science to yoga and the oldest medical system in the world, and was banished in India when the British invaded. It combines energy medicine, diet and lifestyle changes, and the interplay of the mind for wellness. In Ayurveda, everyone has a constitution which is a system of doshas that are categories people fall into based on their elemental makeup assigned at conception. It focuses on digestion and high functioning tissues and organs. In Ayurveda, the goal is for people to live in sattva which is a pleasing and neutral state. Each dosha is made up of 2 elements; ether, air, fire, water, and earth. Vata is made up of ether and air and these people move a lot in space, are creative, and intelligent. Pitta is made up of fire and water and this is the energy of transformation and these people are natural born leaders. Kapha is made up of water and earth and is the energy of structure as these people tend to be compassionate, loyal, and stable. Lisa's work begins with an assessment where she will look at digestion, stress, unprocessed trauma, sleep and meal times, exercise, and quality of relationships. A physical analysis will be done on the tongue, fingernail, hair, skin, among other things. She's going to look into someone's energy patterns as well such as prana and apana. After the constitution is determined and imbalance is discovered, understanding the root problem including possibly eating the wrong foods or eating at the wrong time as well as developing a plan for supporting their constitution is developed. Digestion is a major focus of the beginning work of Ayurveda. Lisa mentions that getting digestion under control for each person is paramount. From here, she will create a maintenance plan taking into account the season and help each person understand when to eat, the types of food to eat, hydration, exercise, sleep time, the right type of yoga, meditation, and breathwork to support their constitution. After everything is in balance, Lisa will prescribe herbs based on what organs and doshas were out of balance. "It's a process that unfolds because you want it to be a lifestyle. I don't want it to be novel that someone is going to try and then say 'oh it didn't work, so I'm going to move on to something else." Lisa became inspired to get into this work after the health issues that she encountered about 10 years ago. She believed she had a stellar diet and had all types of intense symptoms. Her doctors ran invasive tests and determined that nothing was wrong. She knew something was not right and was introduced to Ayurveda. She realized she was eating the wrong foods for her dosha and within months felt grounded for the first time in her life. From there she spent many years training and obtaining her certification. Lisa enjoys working with people who are curious, motivated, and want to truly understand the root causes. She is motivated by people who want to break out of patterns, understand the role of nature in their health, and are ready to inspect relationships they have in their life. Lisa moved to Charlotte in 2001 from Arizona and was interested in finding a local Naturopath. At the time, there was only 2, so she called up one. He became a mentor to her with energy work. She's also be influenced by Steve Nelson who was an Astrologer and Shaman as well as Dr. Vasant Lad, who is the head of the Ayurveda Institute in New Mexico. "The Doctor from India" is a documentary about him and his work. "I would like to heal Charlotte in terms of people getting expansive, people being more compassionate, people being more open to other cultures and systems of beliefs, and let those things interplay with one another, and a deeper connection to yourself at the core level." As the former editor of Natural Awakenings magazine for 10 years, Lisa is inspired in the Charlotte community by so many healers it's hard to name just one. She finds herself most inspired by nature. Connect with Lisa through her website or by calling her at 704-277-3887.

On this episode, we meet Alissa Getz Waller, owner of Charlotte Movement Arts Studio and the only Master Trainer of GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® movement methods in Charlotte. She is a student of founder Juliu Horvath, who was a dancer and involved with yoga when he developed the method. These movements were born out of classic ballet, yoga, principles of physical therapy, swimming, and martial arts. Alissa says it's best to watch a video to truly understand before starting the method. GYROKINESIS® are movements made up of floor work, seated, and are the building blocks of the equipment work. These movements can be practiced at home or done in group settings. GYROTONIC® is performed on equipment and helps direct and support the movement much like being in water. The movements can be expanded and one can go deeper in GYROTONIC®. Hands-on assisting is used to help with alignment and form. Alissa describes GYROTONIC® as a movement system on equipment where weight can be added and allows the joints to move circularly and is not jarring. The weight support is smooth through the motion. It's similar to pilates as it emphasizes the core, it's therapeutic, and there are equipment and non-equipment approaches. It's different than pilates as GYROTONIC® uses Eastern principles, approaches the body deeper than muscles(bones and joints), uses imagery to awaken the energy systems in the body, uses circular vs. linear movements, and works from the deepest part of the body and out. Teenagers to seniors can utilize the method. "GYROTONIC® has remained true to it's core principles of circular versus linear movement, movement that starts on the deepest part of the body and then from there comes out. There's a focus on join articulation which is why it's so healing for any type of joint dysfunction or joint injury." Alissa started training in classical ballet at the age of 4. When she was a teenager, she started having aches and pain from her intense dance schedule. Alissa's mom got her involved with a Pilates trainer and in college, she took Pilates training. During her time in New York, a friend of Alissa's introduced her to GYROTONIC®. She became so excited about the method and fascinated with the way the body could move, she signed up for teacher training with Juliu Horvath. From there, she opened up a studio outside of Chicago in 2002. Eventually she sold the studio and moved to Charlotte where she opened her boutique studio in Myers Park. Outside of training at her studio, Alissa is also a faculty member of the Charlotte Ballet Academy where she enjoys working with mid-adolescent dancers as well as pre-professional dancers. "It {physical empathy} feels to me like putting myself in their nervous system and then my nervous system can help guide them in a new way." Alissa loves working with clients who are open-minded about how they approach their body and relationship to exercise and movement. Her parents, who were both teachers, has influenced her work as well as a ballet instructor, Rosemary Floyd, growing up who told her that the "goal should be quality." All of Alissa's movement instructors gave her gifts of understanding how to relate to people and how to empathize with bodies(emotional and physical). Juliu Horvath and his brother Paul Horvath, who focused more on the therapeutic and rehabilitation side of GYROTONIC® have been influential in her work. Alissa loves Charlotte as she sees this as a place still in development where she can be a guide for people in their own healing and to show them the way to heal themselves. She attended a training in Charlotte with Phillip Beach who is from New Zealand and works with the muscles and meridians to research why we experience what we do when we move the body. Her advice for starting a practice of GYROTONIC® or GYROKINESIS® is to watch a few videos and commit to 2-3 sessions to give it a fair chance. Visit GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® website here.

On today's episode, we meet Jalah Clayton, the President of The Black Light Foundation. The Foundation is a digitally-based, non-profit to raise awareness about mental health by educating, empowering, and enlightening Black and Caribbean communities. She founded this organization with her sister Mahogany and cousin Tristan to honor their mother and aunt, Claudia Clayton who was lost to suicide in May 2019. Claudia dealt with mental health challenges in her life but used her role to help others. She was vocal about her own struggles and what helped her manage them. The family wanted to find a way to uphold her legacy and continue the work that she was doing. Their ideas started off as a scholarship fund for someone seeking treatment but grew to what it is now with the help of the communities Claudia created. In July 2019, The Black Light Foundation was formed. With this platform, Jalah and her family members hope to raise awareness by having conversation and education around how to take care of mental health, how to support those with mental health challenges, eliminate the stigmas, and be a resource for diverse communities. Their programming has a physical activity component to navigate mental health as Claudia was a runner and cross fitter. "To challenge ourselves to think differently about what mental health means to different communities especially minority communities and just considering the access that different communities have to mental health resources." Jalah Clayton is based in Charlotte, NC and currently works as a Fitness Coach at Crossfit Vitality. She also works with companies to implement Employee and Worksite Wellness programs. Moving her body has been a constant in her life since being a dancer for 14 years, getting a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise and Sports Science, and now getting a Master's Degree in Public Health. Her focus with others is on nutrition, recovery, movement, and mindset. Mahogany Clayton lives in Miami, FL and works full-time in Marketing as well as managing those efforts for the foundation. Tristan Marrow is based in Portland, OR, works for Nike, and also supports contributes to the physical activity component for the organization. The Foundation recently sponsored a "Miles for Mental Health" challenge through the Nike app where they raised $1,450 to donate between the groups, Therapy for Black Girls and Therapy for Black Men. The Black Light Foundation will be putting future efforts towards creating a scholarship for those seeking treatment. "Knowing that you can use your physical health to navigate your mental health. Whether you are the type of person that needs that intense workout to just burn off some steam and help you decompress at the end of the day or if it's the person that likes yoga or walking, meditation, stretching. We really want to provide resources like that and explore those tools within the foundation." The Black Light Foundation was founded by Jalah, Mahogany, and Tristan, but not without help they are grateful for from Alana V. Allen from Alana Knows Non-Profits, Kim Honeycutt from ICU Talks, and Vitality Fitness. They want to Heal Charlotte because they are all personally connected to Charlotte and grew up here. The advice they have for those seeking healing: Learn Yourself Practice Self-Awareness and Vulnerability as it helps with our connection to others Be Patient and Open on your journey Understand that life will take you through valleys and mountaintops "Seeing all of what mom did and having that understanding of her story being her family on this side of it. It challenged us to ensure that while we are still here on Earth that we can work in the way that she did." In Charlotte, the group is inspired by healers, Kim Honeycutt and Shamyra Parker who is also involved with ICU Talks, and is a self-care advocate as well as helps leaders with self-care. If you would like to support The Black Light Foundation as a volunteer or financially, click here.

In this episode, we are talking all things nutrition with Hannah Anderson. She is the Registered Dietician for the dining program at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Hannah wears many hats with this role and really enjoys working with students around wellness. In high school, she developed an interest in healthy eating, exercise, and experimenting in the kitchen. She discovered that she could study Public Health in undergrad and became fascinated with the nutrition aspect during a project researching chronic illnesses. The class found that all chronic diseases had a direct correlation to obesity and diet. During the same time, she developed a chronic illness that took over her life. She began noticing gastrointestinal symptoms that she later found were related to the long term use of antibiotics prescribed by her doctor. She later struggled with environmental allergies and sinus issues and then diagnosed with uveitis, an auto-immune disorder that presents like pink eye and can eventually lead to blindness. After exhausting her options with traditional medicine and finding little relief, Hannah started working with a Functional and Integrative medicine practitioner. She describes Functional and Integrative medicine as a modality to help find the underlying causes of disease for optimal health. These modalities believe in the body's innate ability to heal itself. Hannah reports that 50% of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with 1 chronic illness. Most find little relief in traditional medicine and are just told to deal with the symptoms or given a prescription for the pain associated. Hannah goes into depth for understanding of the microbiome as it is a part of the entire picture of health. She says our body is home to trillions of micro-organisms(bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc) that all have a placement and purpose. The gut microbiome are the ones residing in the digestive system and can weigh anywhere from 2-5lbs! These organisms help regulate hormones, create neurotransmitters, among other purposes. A healthy gut microbiome has a delicate balance between the two and can be thrown off by medication, lack of sleep, and environmental factors. A dysbiotic state is when there are more bad bacteria than good and commonly called "leaky gut." "We can't just look at our diet alone without looking at our sleep, and our social relationships, and our stress management, and our connection with nature. All of these things really do such a profound job at impacting how our gut functions and in turn they way we are able to prevent disease or not." Hannah discusses how food and nutrition is just one part of the overall picture and that other areas are worth exploring as well. She talks about balance with sleep, stress management, movement, and diet. She talks about the "Standard American Diet," or S.A.D. that is made up of mostly processed food or food that lacks the nutrients we need by the time it reaches the table. Many people are deficient in Vitamin D, which could look similar to depression, B12 which causes fatigue, memory loss, and depressive symptoms. Adults need 8-9 hours of sleep and are not getting that which could cause insulin resistance, cardiovascular and immune issues, hormonal imbalance, and mood swings. Effective and regular stress management can lower inflammation. Moving the body consistently can increase insulin sensitivity, brain health, and enhance detoxification. Some suggestions Hannah offered: be your own "Health CEO" buy from local farms eat more whole foods in their natural state and a large variety pay attention to packages; reading labels for ingredient(fewer is better, ones you can pronounce) and check for added sugar which is pro-inflammatory add more fiber utilize adaptogens(class of plants that can reduce stress response in the body). Mushrooms(lions mane, rishi), Ashwagandha, Ginseng, and Maca, to name a few. Other resources Hannah recommended: Dr. Mark Hyman(Website, Instagram, Podcast, "Food Fix") Dr. Jeffrey Bland(Website, Instagram, Podcast, "The Disease Delusion" ) McKel Kooienga(Website, Instagram) Erin Holt(Website, Instagram, Podcast) Chris Kresser(Website, Instagram, Podcast) "The Healthy Deviant" by Pilar Gerasimo Documentary mentioned: "The Biggest Little Farm"

Today's conversation is with India Soloman, the Executive Director of The Bulb Mobile Market. It's a non-profit mobile farmer's market that provides and facilitates access to fresh local produce to food insecure neighbors. The Bulb is grant and donation based by receiving produce leftover from Farmer's markets and Trader Joe's. India calls them the "unsellables but edibles" as they may have a blemish and a grocery store can't sell them but The Bulb will put them through their own inspection process before deciding if they will use or compost it. India started out as a patron at The Bulb when they were set up at the Rosa Parks Farmer's Market when she saw a sign that said "Take what you need, pay what you can." She was immediately drawn to Alisha Pruett, the founder, signed up as a volunteer immediately, and in March of 2020, came on as the full-time Executive Director. "It's for the whole family, it's for the children, it's for the working folx, it's for our seniors. Everybody needs food to survive, I mean it's not something we have the option to do, food is right, food is required for us to live." The Bulb has different pricing models; their grant funded food is pay what you can, they offer suggested pricing for purchased food, ask for donations on the donated food, and also accept EBT and are part of the "double up bucks" program. The Bulb also offers nutrition education in their newsletter including videos, recipes, and teaching how to grow food. They are currently accepting applications for an internship program for 3 recipients in the communities they serve in conjunction with Lomax Farms. When COVID hit, the Bulb had to quickly move the office space as they were sharing space in a senior center. Catawba Brewery has been their temporary location where they moved to a pre-bagged delivery service and then a pre-bagged pickup service. They have hired 4 people during this time due to the need and are in the process of signing a lease for their own space. Food has been a constant in India's life starting from growing up on land that had been farmed by her family. After she received her degree in Public History, she began researching land and found the deed for the land that her great, great-grandfather purchased after emancipation. Her family grew tobacco, soybeans, and corn. They lost a good bit of their land in the 1980s when black farmers were denied bank loans. More recently, India has shown more interest in farming the land once again and especially after she found out what Soul Fire Farm in New York has been doing. "That's why these conversations of racial injustice and food injustice and all of that is important because it's not just one thing. It's a whole system that has removed people from that concept of land and ownership and creating and cultivating on their own." An influential book and movie for India is "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. She always reminds herself the message of loving yourself in order to persevere. In the Charlotte community, India is inspired by Kelley Palmer. She first met her as a loctician many years ago and loved how she brought people together in the community. Since then Kelley has continued to bring together people in the community through her organization Sanctuary in the City. "I just love being amongst people. I say people are my passion. If you don't love yourself and you don't take care of yourself, you can't fill others will an empty cup." There are ways you can support The Bulb. You can volunteer, they accept donations(supplies and food from farms), they have an Amazon Wish List, are accessible on Share Charlotte, are connected to Street Fare Farms which you can support as well, or you can join them at a market!

In this episode, we meet Jillian Longsworth. She's the co-owner of Noda Yoga, co-teacher of Bella Vita Yoga Teacher Training, and has a passion for creating a space where yoga is accessible for everyBODY especially Military Veterans. Jillian found yoga as a way to help with her symptoms of anxiety and trauma after living in New York during the terrorist attacks of September 11th. She discusses her transformation as a teacher starting with creating challenging sequences, cool playlists, and fancy poses to understanding how impactful yoga can be for Military Veterans and diving deep to understand how to support them in a yoga space. Jillian decided to open her studio when she saw a gap in the yoga community. She wanted a space that had a community feel and offered a variety of classes. It was important that her space offered safe and evidenced-based class structures to support veterans. Her journey of ownership took her through various partners and locations to the place where she believed in herself enough to open a 2nd location. Her original location is in the Noda neighborhood of Charlotte and her next location will be in the Oakhurst neighborhood hopefully in the future. She chose this area because of the up and coming feel of the neighborhood as well as the options for accessibility. She is the co-teacher of Bella Vita Yoga Teacher Training with Carrie Wren. She describes their desire to offer a training in Charlotte that offers all styles of yoga including vinyasa, gentle, accessible, kids, restorative, yin, and trauma-sensitive. She enjoys seeing the "mini-wakes" her students have throughout the program while being exposed to various styles of yoga. "What I care about is that I can see, I can hear, I can understand even a little bit of what these people might be going through, and that I can offer a space. I can just offer space." Jillian has been the most influenced by the veteran's she has worked with throughout her teaching career from armories to her studio space to the VA Clinic. She is passionate about providing the container for them to do the work. She has taken multiple trainings geared towards working with vets and recently completed her 300-hour teacher training focused on therapeutics. "I have so much gratitude that they {veterans} allow me to be in that space." Her recommendations for anyone interested in beginning a yoga practice is to talk to their doctor to make sure it's indicated and safe for them and to find an instructor with a specialized background. She offered for anyone to reach out to her via email or visit with her at the studio. She has a great lobby area to share a cup of coffee. In the Charlotte community, Jillian is inspired by Alison Pulito of LightPath Energy Healing. She has enjoyed the Reiki and Intuitive Healing work she has done with her. She believes she is a gift to our community.

In this episode, we meet Jeffrey Shoaf; an Internationally Certified Yoga Therapist and a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist. His interest in the human form began at the young age of 8 years old when he would open up encyclopedias and learn about and practice drawing anatomy. As a young adult, he followed in his family's footsteps and became a Carpenter, Builder, and eventually a General Contractor. Around 2003, he shifted his career focus to become a Massage Therapist and was a student of yoga. He recognized that Yoga teacher training did not provide enough depth of anatomy. In 2005 when he spent time in a cadaver lab his fascination continued to grow. "Everyday I get up and I'm really happy that I do what I do and I find that there are so many areas that I'm still interested in and they all seem connected." In his practice today, he intuitively combines Yoga Therapy and Bodywork for each client he works with. Specifically with Bodywork he uses myofascial release techniques. He describes fascia as a biologic fabric that all over the body. It has a memory of its own and holds where the body puts it. He uses static pressure to release "trigger points" of fascia that are stuck or dry due to inactivity. Yoga therapy he describes as the science of using yoga principles to help in therapeutic applications with a combination of movement, meditation, and/or breath work. Jeffrey also teaches therapeutically based studio classes at Noda Yoga and the Cornwell Center. He also is part of a 300-hour Therapeutic Yoga teacher training(Integrative Yoga Studies) where he leads many of the modules. "We are looking at yoga as a model of total wellness. It's not just asana(movement), it's not just the postures. It's looking at the body as a holistic organism. And really offering that question to ourselves as teacher is "how can I get this person to function better in their body." He has recently partnered with Novant Cancer Center to lead a pranayama(breath work) program for patients with cancer. Jeffrey is excited about the partnership and providing support to those battling cancer. He also loves working with yoga teachers as they have a deep understanding of the body. He cannot wait to get back into the dissection lab as he has joined the local club "Experience Anatomy." Jeffrey is inspired by Dr. Gil Hedley who is an anatomist and researcher and one of the most well-known dissectors of fascia. He is also inspired by all of the yoga teachers at Noda Yoga and especially the co-owner, Jillian Longsworth, for her kindness and generosity. In Charlotte he is also inspired by Acupuncturist, Dr. Kevin Kim who did his first treatment on his grandfather at the age of 5.

We have the pleasure of meeting Tesia Love to today's podcast. She is an Ayurvedic Practitioner and a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist who specializes in Ayurvedic body therapies. She describes Ayurveda as Indian traditional medicine that is a cousin to traditional Chinese medicine. The main principle of Ayurveda is living in harmony with nature; your own constitution and outside. She recommends an Ayurveda consultation as a first step but some of her clients come to massage first. Ayurveda massage uses lots of warm oil which is very grounding. The focus of the work is with energy and the lymphatic system which is purifying and detoxifying. These massages can be customized to your own constitution. These massages differ from other massages in that they are deeply relaxing and grounding. So much so that Tesia recommends taking it easy for the rest of the day after. An Abhyanga massage will work on the subtle body and use lots of oil rubbed over the entire body. A Shirodhara massage will have a constant stream of oil poured over the forehead. "That treatment {Shirodhara}, you are laying on the table, the oil is streaming down consistently. It's almost like a mother gently rubbing her hand over a child's head." Tesia's journey to her current work started as a life-long passion and curiosity of all things health and wellness. She found out about Ayurveda in 2000 and was interested in it for it's ability to getting to the root cause of ailments. In 2010, she completed her 200-hour Yoga teacher training and started studying with the California College of Ayurveda in 2011. A Charlotte native, Tesia moved back in 2014 and completed Massage Therapy School at TMTI. Currently, she is finishing up her 300-hour Yoga teacher training with Lisa Moore, focused on Ayurveda Therapeutic Yoga. Tesia describes Ayurveda as comprehensive. It takes in account what you eat, your lifestyle, how you eat, what time you go to bed and wake up, herbs, bodywork, and yogic practices. Ayurveda comes from nature and considers the 5 elements(ether, air, fire, water, and earth) the building blocks of life. Each Dosha(vata, pitta, kapha) are made up of 2 elements. Vata is the quality of movement; dryness, coldness, circulation, elimination, thoughts. Pitta is the quality of transformation; metabolism, digestion. Kapha is the quality of heaviness; cohesion, growth, building. She describes the process of Doshas getting into excess and that is where imbalances are formed and using opposites to heal. For example, warm oil and slow strokes with a massage can counteract a Vata imbalance. "That's a huge motivation behind my work is helping to empower people to be well so they can do what it is they are here to do." Tesia is one of the few people in Charlotte who do this work. She is passionate about working with women and their health; fertility, postpartum, perimenopause). She has specialized training in Pregnancy and Postpartum massage. Many practitioners have been influential in her work over the years including: Dr. Andrew Weil, an Integrative Medical Doctor, Dr. Lad, an Ayurveda Doctor in New Mexico, Deepak Chopra, Maya Tiwari, focused on women's health, and KP Khalsa, an herbalist. In the Charlotte community, Tesia is inspired by Gracienne Jean Pierre who is a Nurse Practioner and Integrative Health Consultant, Lisa Moore who is a therapeutic Yoga teacher and Ayurveda Practioner, and The Sanctuary in the City organization who make wellness resources available to the Black and Indigenous populations. Connect with Tesia on her website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Insight Timer.

Today, we have the pleasure of meeting Reia Chapman, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is the founder and an outpatient therapist at The Center for Family and Maternal Wellness, founder of the Social Justice Emotional Response Collective, and an inspiring writer and content creator for Decolonize Psychotherapy. She has a strong background in reproductive health rights and justice and regularly engages in public speaking and keynote engagements as well as facilitates trainings and workshops. She received her Master's degree from Savannah State University and moved back to Charlotte to work in crisis intervention community services. She found the work to be challenging due to the bureaucracy. She discovered that her clients and families were not responding well to the service because it did not center their needs. She recognized the disconnect between the policies, laws, and rules to culture, poverty, and intersections. At this point, she realized that graduate school did not prepare her to work in marginalized communities. Since then, she has found that many in the mental health profession are unaware of the background of racism that makes us complicit in the suffering of people. This awareness informs her work with Decolonize Psychotherapy. With this series, she helps address the academic and education sector as well as corporate sector with workshops based on what the need is now to retain staff of color, how to create spaces that are safe, and protocols that could help clients feel seen. "It is the work that I love to do. I love direct practice work and I think as I've evolved as a clinician, I've seen a greater need for me to contribute to the discourse and to the profession in ways that inspire and mold the next generation of Social Workers." Reia's private practice, The Center for Family and Maternal Wellness, opened in 2016 and has great racial and gender diversity, helping those with mood and anxiety disorders, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, couples therapy, and support for Queer and Transgender populations. Her work with the Social Justice Emotional Response Collective officially solidified in 2016 after the murder of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, but had it's beginnings when she was organizing emotional support efforts in Ferguson, MO after the death of Mike Brown. Reia was in Alaska during the uprising in Charlotte and kept wondering who was responding to the emotional needs of the community. "I remember looking at the news and imagining the trauma that these folx must be experiencing when they were facing huge militarized police force. I thought about what it was like to be gassed or dogs to be used on people. I thought about seeing tanks and being hosed and I thought 'what would that do to a person's psyche?" The works she does with SJERC is an act of resistance for her and an act of love and deep respect for the community. SJERC is a mental health mutual aid program which reconvened after the death of George Floyd. During this response, the Collective has added a 24/7 hotline staffed by mental health clinicians, created a website to submit appointment requests and donations, and increased visibility with lime green t-shirts. They have connected with other organizers such as Jail Support. The Collective has continued to offer professionals in the wellness space a place to donate their time to help those who are protesting as well as pro-bono services to those who need emergency emotional support. Alisa Roth's book, "Insane: America's Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness" has been influential in her work with SJERC. Reia wants to heal Charlotte because she recognizes she does not have a choice in the matter. Since childhood, she was the one who people came to for support, guidance, comfort, and love as well as her fight for others her entire life. She cannot separate herself from healing. In the Charlotte community, she is inspired by many including Kass Ottley and Kristie Puckett Williams at Jail Support as well as the content creators and writers who are documenting the story. She continues to be inspired by those who have found ways to forgive and have difficult conversations to push past their pain to educate. Find the Social Justice Emotional Response Collective on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or call the hotline at 704-659-4997.

On this episode with Carrie Wren, we learn about her passion for helping others as a Life Coach. She says that life coaching is better experienced than explained and can aid in creating deeper and better relationships, gaining clarity around purpose, determining what you want, and moving beyond the "inner mean girl" judgments. She dives into the similarities and differences with life coaching and mental health therapy. Her passion is helping her clients move past the "stuck-ness" that they are experiencing so that they can thrive in their life. Carrie is also a yoga teacher and trainer as well as curator of "bucket-list" retreats. Carrie found coaching for herself during a challenging time and through the process recognized that she wanted to be able to give that support to others. She mentions that coaching has cracked something open in her around vulnerability and she loves to help her clients recognize and remove those masks that we have. "With coaching, there's a rich experience of getting connected to ourselves." Carrie has been inspired by Brene Brown and her work, mentioning that she uses bits and pieces of her information daily. She loves her messages of vulnerability and connection. It's evident that Carrie loves the people she works with. She's excited to work with those who are ready to see themselves and be seen, open to dismantling the stories that are holding them back, and those that carry that judgment of not being enough. "We all have untapped resources, we all have potential and possibility, we all are creative and resourceful and capable and we can create a really amazing and fulfilling life." In the Charlotte community, she's inspired by her Explore and Expand partner, Kelly Howard as well as her Bella Vita partner, Jillian Longsworth. She discusses how special both of these women are as healers in their respective spaces as a Massage Therapist and Grief Coach and Yoga Studio Owner.

In this episode, we meet Gianna Spriggs who is a Curandera which translates to healer. She describes a Curandera as a traditional folk healer who combines herbs and sounds as well as discussion to help people. Her journey into this work began when she was a chef. She noticed the energy that was put into food and knew that negative energy was been transferred to the people eating it. She started paying more attention to energies as she left the restaurant world and because of her mom's work in the metaphysical world, this was a natural place for her to land. She spent her time training with her mom and Coursera as well as reading many books which seemed to be an intuitive download for her. It all came together for her as she facilitates healing sessions called "Limpiezas." The sessions start with the client thinking about what has been coming up for them and saying it aloud to release it. During her work, she will discover the chakra center that has been compromised by using chumpi stones as well as various sounds to loosen up the energy. She will then burn sage or palo santo and use other herbs to replace the energy in the body. The sessions can be done in a group of people, with families, or individually. Someone may come for these healing sessions when dealing with stress, a trauma, a history of trauma, or generational trauma. Limpiezas are good for someone who may not be comfortable with traditional therapy. Gianna also owns Curio, Craft & Conjure with her mother and wife. It's a metaphysical store that honors magickal traditions from around the world in the heart of NoDa. They hold classes and events there as well as Gianna's limpiezas. She enjoys working with people who really want to help themself and are ready to do the work. A Curandera is a healer under the umbrella of Shamanism which Gianna describes as using earth based traditions and connection with the spiritual world for healing. There are Shaman based practices all over the world that all use sound and plants for healing. Gianna goes into depth on the Chakra system as well including what a compromised chakra may look like. "Really just allowing yourself to be patient and gentle with yourself and not be too hard on yourself when things might take multiple sessions because whatever happened, it happened over a period of time before you were ready to acknowledge it and it's going to take a period of time for you to heal it." During her journey, she has been influenced by Alberto Villoldo the author of "Shaman, Healer, Sage" as well as Erika Buenaflor who is also a Curandera. In the Charlotte healing community, Gianna is inspired by Autumn Austin, a therapist and sound healer, and Angela Soto, an acupuncturist.

We have the privilege of meeting Casey Jean Miller, a therapeutic yoga teacher and creator of Jean's Apothecare. Her journey to yoga began when she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age 21. A friend suggested that she engage in an activity that was more restorative. Casey Jean knew she was getting something out of yoga that she had not gotten anywhere else after her first class. She completed her yoga teacher training 4 years ago and began teaching in a variety of spaces. Around the same time, she was experimenting with combining Ayurvedic principles, Chinese medicine, and remedies from the Kelts and Native Americans to find relief from her psoriatic arthritis. Her first natural product was a body butter that soothed her pain. She found herself falling in love with the process of creating. Casey Jean went on to complete her 300-hour yoga teacher training and has transitioned to more slow-mindful based movement. She asks her students to do a self-inquiry by asking how do I feel, what do I need, and what do I need to do to take action? "Our bodies are miraculous beings that are capable of so much more than we give them credit for and they can always use support." Casey Jean's focus today is more of one-on-one and small group relationships to promote overall wellness by combining coaching, therapeutic yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. She also hosts a monthly "Cup of Calm" small group to continue the conversation of yoga off the mat, weaving in herbalism and mindfulness practices. Casey Jean identifies Cleo Wade who has been influential in her work with others. Cleo is nicknamed the "Milennial Oprah" as she is a public speaker and writer of 2 books. Casey Jean continues to return to "Heart Talk," a book of poems where she feels directly spoken to. Casey Jean has been inspired by her dad at a young age when they would travel to new places and dream together. They had many big ideas of businesses they would create. She says that he always supported and fostered the dreamer's spirit in her. "We all need and want support and that's why we are here on Earth. To live in a way where we take good care of ourselves. Where we nuture and nourish our minds and our body. Where we are taking good care of ourselves, each other, where we have fun, and do the hard work." In the Charlotte community, Casey Jean is inspired by Life Coach, Carrie Wren who has taught her to trust in herself and create the life she wants to live. She is also inspired by Therapist, Amy Williams, who focuses on self-care, creativity, authenticity, and fun. Jean's Apothecare natural products can be purchased online or at her physical store above Moxy Mercantile(2008 Commonwealth Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205). She invites all listeners to join her private facebook community called, "Nuturing Your Mind and Body."

Our guest today is Lynne Beck, a Licensed Mental Heal Counselor who works with adults and specializes in couples therapy. Her journey to couples therapy began when she was working with adults and saw how much distress was related to relationships; romantic, parent-child, and friendships. She began her training in "Emotionally Focused Therapy" developed by Sue Johnson. Lynne also works with adults in an individual capacity with difficulties around anxiety, depression, ongoing relationships, and trauma. "People think the conflict is what's pulling them apart but it's really the emotional disconnection has happened first and the conflict is them trying to get that back." Lynne describes EFT as a modality that helps couples identify patterns of communication, strengthen their relationship, help them hear each other and can work together to come up with their own solutions, and slow down the process of what we are saying when we communicate. She said that most couples do not get a chance to really hear what their partner is trying to communicate or get that far in the discussion. Lynne says that both parties in a relationship want to feel hear, feel like their partner is in it with them, and to feel like a priority. Lynne will help couples utilize "active listening" as part of their homework where they can only respond by paraphrasing and avoiding thoughts, opinions and directives. Lynne states that EFT uses the acronym ARE; How Accessible are you? How Responsive are you? and How Engaged are you? Lynne recommends all couples read "Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment" by Levine and Heller as well as Sue Johnson's book, "Hold Me Tight." Lynne discusses adult attachment, how it is formed and reinforced through life, and how it plays out between couples. She referenced the research experiment "Still Face" where a mother has no expression on her face and her baby demonstrates the 3 major attachment styles; secure, anxious, and avoidant. In Charlotte, Lynne is inspired by Anne Hancock of the Wellness Counseling Center who she has trained in EFT with for many years. "Being proactive and using it to strengthen your relationship and really enhance communication so that when some of those bigger things happen, you can protect your relationship moving forward." Lynne's recommendations for couples seeking couples therapy to consult with 1 or more therapists before starting(most offer no-charge), find someone trained in EFT which is evidenced based, give it a chance, and reach out when you start thinking about it.

In this episode, we are fortunate to meet Alison Pulito; a Reiki Master, Intuitive Healer, Meditation and Yoga teacher. Her journey into these healing spaces happened when she endured a hip injury 14 years ago which led to 2 hip replacements, a tear in her iliopsoas, immense pain, and depression that left her isolated in her home for 10 years. During this trying time, Alison started a meditation practice to see if it would relieve her pain. Around this same time, she also decided to try Reiki where she was able to be pain-free for 15 minutes. She immersed herself into over 150 books during this time as well as completed multiple online Reiki trainings and since has completed an in person training. She became certified as a Reiki Master in the Usui system. She describes Reiki as "life force energy" and as a practitioner she allows energy to come through her for the highest and best good for the person on the table. During a Reiki session, she also works with the Chakra system which is described as "wheels of light." These energy centers each housed along the spine associated with an organ can become blocked therefore causing complications in certain areas of life that they coincide with. "With Reiki, you can see it mid-stream and understand a little about it then we can become in more flow with that experience as opposed to resisting it or trying to push it away from us." Alison's entry into Intuitive healing occurred during her own journey of healing as she would utilize automatic writing after a meditation. It started as a wind sound in her ear which turned into a message of "we need you." During sessions with her she channels messages from the Angelic Realm. Alison also leads group meditations which she recommends as a great place for people to start with her work. The messages in her meditations are channeled from what we are experiencing collectively. She says it provides her students support as they realize that they are not alone in what they are experiencing. "What I've been told, I'm here to be a teacher and healer for people who are beginning to experience something that transcends their physical day to day experience that brings them into a higher understanding of why they are here." Alison has provides 3 books that she has found to be influential in her work; "The Calling" by Rasha, "Many Lives, Many Masters" by Brian Weiss, and "Conversations with God, Book 1" by Neale Donald Walsch. She also recommends "The Seat of the Soul" by Gary Zukav for anyone starting their spiritual journey. Alison loves Charlotte for the inclusive nature, the artistic and spiritual communities, as well as the opportunities for growth that are available. She is inspired by Robbie Warren, a Shamanic Healer, Autumn Austin, a Psychotherapist who utilizes Sound Healing, and the entire staff of Noda Yoga for the environment they provide and wealth of knowledge each teacher possesses. Alison offers many of her guided mediations online complimentary. Visit her website for the links or join her for her weekly meditation classes.

In today's episode, we meet Lindsay Bierwert, a licensed Acupuncturist at Lotus Acupuncture. She has been practicing for 3 years in Charlotte after receiving a dual Master's degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She found Acupuncture and Chinese herbs at the end of her college career when a professor recommended it to her while finding support for herself with the treatments. Lindsay enjoys the holistic view of her clients. She spends time with each person listening to the challenges they are coming in with as well as the stories they tell regarding their history. She believes a person's history as well as diet, exercise, digestion, sleep all affect each other and the chief complaint. Lindsay was inspired during her trip to China to see how integrated Acupuncture is in the medical model there. "There are things that we can do to help your body relearn and adjust and regulate its hormones properly." We learn that herbal medicine is made up of twigs, roots, leaves, and flowers in a specialized concoction as a complement to the work done with Acupuncture. The herbs can help expedite the process and provide relief in between treatments. She discusses the actual needles that are used and reports that ~30 Acupuncture needles can fit into the opening of a hypodermic needle. About 20 needles are placed in the body in specific locations depending on the chief complaint and the session can last anywhere from 30-40 minutes. Lindsay describes the treatment process starting a 1x week for approximately 12 weeks before tapering, but notes that each person has a different response. She describes that with Acupuncture, "We are accessing your body's natural ability to heal itself. Your body was designed to heal itself and to be healthy. It doesn't like being autoimmune or having an immune issue." She is passionate about working with young women who would like support around menstrual cycle issues, anxiety, and depression. We learn that Acupuncture can support many areas including pain, allergies, digestion, emotional struggles to name a few. Lindsay offers a free consultation to anyone who is interested in learning how Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help them. Lindsay suggests the book "The Web that has no Weaver" by Ted Kaptchuk and the podcast "Qiological" hosted by Michael Max both for more information on Acupuncture and Chinese medicine. In the Charlotte community, she has been inspired by Cori Stuart, a Reiki practitioner, and Laura Puckett, an Acupuncturist and owner of Lotus Acupuncture. In her opinion, both of this women help their clients access parts of themselves in unique and special ways. Lindsay loves the Charlotte community because of the diversity and acceptance of people.

In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Howard. She calls herself a "multi-faceted healer," combining Massage Bodywork, Grief Coaching, Women's Circles, and Yoga Retreats. She's been a Massage Therapist for 6 years and came into the profession as she saw her then husband suffer from pain as well as her younger brother when he was in a medically-induced coma. She believes her work around grief is her dharma as she also began this work after the loss of her brother and her husband. Kelly believes strongly in this work as it's a universal truth that levels us. She notes how we've all experienced grief; dreams/desires, relationships, jobs, stages of life. "Loss is the only guarantee in the human experience." Kelly's talks about her Healing Circles for Women that include intuitive movement, a topic to explore such as resiliency and fear, guided meditation, and a group share that is intended to hold space and listen. Her Yoga Retreats are for small groups and are full of adventure, life coaching, yoga, meditation, and culture. With her business partner, Carrie Wren, of Explore and Expand Retreats, they want to challenge our way of thinking and believing while exploring the world. "By leaning in and recognizing and giving it {grief} a name, we can more easily walk with it. And when we can more easily walk with it, I've found in my own experience and with the experience of my clients, that you can more easily lean into those joyful experiences and joyful moments and recognize the little pieces of beauty and bliss." As mentioned before, Kelly believes her life's work is Grief Coaching. Her own experience of losing loved ones has given her the knowledge to help put support structures in place for her clients. It is her hope that her clients feel stronger, more capable, more resilient, and acutely aware of joyful moments while moving through the process. Kelly calls out an important aspect of grief work; there is no endgame. She is passionate in giving others support who have lost a loved one as a way to honor her late husband's legacy. She recommends beginning grief work at 6 weeks past the event and on. "You are going to move through it and it's going to shift and change and be different from day to day and different year to year." Kelly has been inspired in this work by her own travels as well as "The Grief Recovery Handbook" by John James & Russell Friedman, "The Smell of Rain on Dust" by Martin Prechtel, and "The Courage to Grieve" by Judy Tatelbaum. In the Charlotte community, she is inspired by Jillian Longsworth, co-owner of Noda Yoga. She loves what she is doing for the veteran community as well as the Charlotte community as a whole. She appreciates the variety of her Yoga offerings as well as her mission to serve "everyBODY."