The Daring to Rest Podcast: Talks on Women Rising Up Rested

In the closing episode of The Rested Mother Series, Karen offers a gift of deep rest: a guided Yoga Nidra meditation centered on inner mothering—a powerful rest practice for anyone longing to feel more held, rooted, and resilient. Before the meditation, Karen reflects on why connecting with our inner mother is essential on the path to becoming a rested woman. Whether you were well mothered or not, inner mothering allows you to offer yourself the unconditional love, care, and compassion you may have missed—and to rest from a place of wholeness. This practice is for all women—mothers and non-mothers alike—who want to rest more deeply, parent less reactively, and live more fully from the inside out.

In this powerful episode of The Rested Mother Series, Jennifer Allen shares her deeply personal journey from decades of toxic productivity and motherhood exhaustion to a life anchored in rest and self-trust. For years, Jen overrode the wisdom of her body and the whispers of her soul—until her nervous system and spirit could no longer sustain the push. Contracting Long Covid was the final push to make rest nonnegotiable. Through yoga nidra and reconnecting with the rhythms of nature, she began to lay down her armor, pick up her pillow and blanket, and reimagine what it means to live, parent, and work from a rested place. Her story is a courageous testament to the healing that becomes possible when we stop doing—and start resting.   The Rested Mother Series shares 5 powerful short rest stories from Daring to Rest Facilitators who chose rest in the midst of motherhood, grief, burnout, and healing. These mothers dared to pause, listen, and reclaim themselves through yoga nidra and deep rest. You are invited to hear what happens when a mother rests—and rises rooted. To listen to the entire Rested Mother series and learn more about Jen go here:  https://daringtorest.com/podcast/restedmother

In this moving episode of The Rested Mother Series, Chrissy McGuire shares her journey as a single mother raising two children with special needs—and how rest became her anchor through childbirth trauma, caregiving, and profound heartbreak. From a high-achieving childhood shaped by hustle culture to the moment her first child was born unresponsive, Chrissy takes us through the raw, real moments that led her to reclaim rest as a sacred practice. Through yoga nidra, she found the courage to slow down, to feel, and to fill the cracks in her heart with gold. Her story is a radiant reminder for mothers that rest is not a pause from life—it's a way to live it more fully.   The Rested Mother Series shares 5 powerful short rest stories from Daring to Rest Facilitators who chose rest in the midst of motherhood, grief, burnout, and healing. These mothers dared to pause, listen, and reclaim themselves through yoga nidra and deep rest. You are invited to hear what happens when a mother rests—and rises rooted. To listen to the entire Rested Mother series and learn more about Chrissy go here:  https://daringtorest.com/podcast/restedmother

In this deeply reflective episode of The Rested Mother Series, Isabelle Griffith shares how rest became her lifeline after her sense of self collapsed under the weight of perfectionism, burnout, and self-doubt. What began as moments of peace on the yoga mat eventually led her to the transformational practice of yoga nidra—and a profound reconnection with her inner world. Through rest, Isabelle not only began to heal the parts of her she once rejected, but also reclaimed her voice, her radiance, and her capacity to live rooted and whole. Her story is a powerful invitation for working mothers to pause, soften, and remember the sacred self within.   The Rested Mother Series shares 5 powerful short rest stories from Daring to Rest Facilitators who chose rest in the midst of motherhood, grief, burnout, and healing. These mothers dared to pause, listen, and reclaim themselves through yoga nidra and deep rest. You are invited to hear what happens when a mother rests—and rises rooted. To listen to the entire Rested Mother series and learn more about Isabelle go here:  https://daringtorest.com/podcast/restedmother  

In this honest and soul-stirring episode of The Rested Mother Series, Jenny Weston shares her journey from chronic overachievement and deep exhaustion to a life anchored in rest. Raised to equate love with doing, and later navigating motherhood, separation, and financial challenge, Jenny reached a breaking point that led her to the healing power of yoga nidra. What began as a tool for survival became a practice of self-mothering, helping her rebuild her nervous system, reconnect with her inner child, and model a rested life for her daughter. Her story is a beautiful testament to the quiet power of rest to restore, rewire, and reimagine what's possible.   The Rested Mother Series shares 5 powerful short rest stories from Daring to Rest Facilitators who chose rest in the midst of motherhood, grief, burnout, and healing. These mothers dared to pause, listen, and reclaim themselves through yoga nidra and deep rest. You are invited to hear what happens when a mother rests—and rises rooted. To listen to the entire Rested Mother series and learn more about Jenny go here:  https://daringtorest.com/podcast/restedmother

In this tender episode of The Rested Mother Series, Ali Schmitt shares how the exhaustion she witnessed in her own mother—and later experienced herself as a mother of three—led her to seek a new way of being. Through yoga nidra, Ali began to break the generational cycle of depletion, reconnecting with her intuition and discovering how rest could nourish her from the inside out. Her story is a powerful testament to what becomes possible when a mother chooses rest, not only for herself, but for the legacy she leaves her children.   The Rested Mother Series shares 5 powerful short rest stories from Daring to Rest Facilitators who chose rest in the midst of motherhood, grief, burnout, and healing. These mothers dared to pause, listen, and reclaim themselves through yoga nidra and deep rest. You are invited to hear what happens when a mother rests—and rises rooted. To listen to the entire Rested Mother series and learn more about Ali go here:  https://daringtorest.com/podcast/restedmother  

When life pushes you to the edge, you don't have to carry it all — you get to rest. In this short Rest Pep Talk, Karen Brody shares a personal story of choosing rest during a cliff's edge moment, and inspiration from the film Thelma & Louise.   Resources for this episode: daringtorest.com/podcast/102    

In this tender rest pep talk, Karen shares a deeply personal reflection on grief, caregiving, and the radical power of rest. If you've been carrying too much, doing too much, or doubting your worth because you're not “doing enough”… this episode is for you.   Resources for this episode: daringtorest.com/podcast/101    

Today on the Daring to Rest Podcast we are celebrating our 100th episode.

Octavia Raheem is back on the Daring to Rest Podcast talking about the power of rest, writing, and her new book, Rest is Sacred. Octavia is a wife, mother, three time author, rest coach, and restorative + yoga nidra teacher - a true luminary in the areas of rest, restorative arts, wellness, and yoga. Her devotion to rest is practical, poetic, and inspirational. Speaking with Octavia is always so deep, real - and fun. Plus, she has the best laugh ever :)   A few highlights in this episode: We discuss how to navigate feeling like you can't rest or if you're in the "I can't" spin about anything Why rest is about devotion, not discipline Octavia shares a song from her book An essential question to ask yourself over and over that will change your relationship with work   Resources from this episode can be found here:  http://daringtorest.com/podcast/99

Karen's on her own this episode talking about why 40 days of rest matters and answering your questions on why we resist rest, the best time to practice yoga nidra for good sleep, how to let grief and guilt go, and navigating an unrested mother while you're trying to be rested.   Resources for this episode are here: daringtorest.com/podcast/98

Karen speaks with six newly certified Daring to Rest Facilitators from Sisterhood 9 of the Daring to Rest Facilitator Training who recently led rest sessions at our annual online Rest Camp for Women. Hear their stories and why they are passionate about being rest leaders in our world today. This is a conversation for anyone who believes in the power of rest, wants to dare to rest, and women curious about taking our next Daring to Rest Facilitator Training.    Resources for this episode can be found here: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/97 Information on our Daring to Rest Facilitator Training: http://daringtorest.com/facilitator  

On today's episode Dr. Kamilah Majied joins me to discuss joy and justice in the context of black wisdom and Buddhist teachings. We talk about "entering the palace of oneself," the roots of black music and how it embodies what the Buddha talks about, the purpose of freedom, and Kamilah shares how she defines joy. Kamilah is a psychotherapist, social work educator, researcher, activist and consultant on advancing equity and inclusion through contemplative practices. Her new book, Joyfully Just, feels like potent medicine for today's world. I hope you enjoy this podcast and here's to more joy, justice, and rest. They are all freedom activators, and therefore in the same family.   Resources mentioned in this podcast can be found here: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/96  

What if changing our relationship with grind culture starts with telling a new story? In the spring of 2014, I had the pleasure of speaking about daring to rest and then introducing the main speaker Brigid Schulte, who had just written her first book, Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time. The organizers of this gathering clearly got the equation right: the antidote to overwhelm is rest. Since writing her first book, Brigid, as a journalist and the director of the Better Life Lab, has continued her mission to help us navigate how we live our lives. In today's episode she speaks with me about her new book, Overwork, and how other people and countries are stepping forward with vision and imagination to tell a new story about the way we work.   Resources for this episode: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/95

Today I am getting personal with you, talking about how I run my rest business and a few Daring to Rest origin stories to understand how I even had the idea over fifteen years ago to start a business focused on rest. As some of you know, I had a long history of panic attacks. At times I literally felt like a hostage in my home, unable to even open the door without the panic attacks starting again. Today I'm sharing how this shifted, the wild prescription I was given for the panic attacks, why I started a rest business, and what principles have worked well for me to grow my rest business. You'll learn about the yoga nidra and other influences that have gone into creating the Daring to Rest community, and hear a few really funny stories about my road to becoming rested and running a rest business. (At least I think they're funny :) Happy listening! This is the final episode of our Transform Your Life and Your Wellness Business series.  Resources for this episode can be found here:  daringtorest.com/podcast/94  

Certified Daring to Rest Facilitator Karen Perro is becoming a "Rest Rockstar" in Nova Scotia, offering transformational rest experiences that combine the power of rest with her love of nature and her Celtic roots. Her Healing Hammock experience literally sells out within hours. On today's second episode I am thrilled to be speaking with Karen about her growing rest business. Karen talks about everything from her love of practicing yoga nidra in winter storms, combining yoga nidra with flotation tanks, and why, in her words, "yoga nidra is your ticket to Rest Town." Get ready for Karen's gorgeous laughter and hearing how rest has completely transformed her life and business.   Resources for this episode can be found here: daringtorest.com/podcast/93  

This episode is the first of a special series called Transform Your Life and Your Wellness Business - The Rooted In Rest Series. Today's guest is Florence Güneri, a Daring to Rest Facilitator in Australia who took our facilitator training just as the pandemic began. As a young woman growing up within a Tongan family Florence often felt lost because she didn't know anyone else who looked like her, doing the work she wanted to do in the wellness world. So...she decided to be the first! And she decided to focus on rest as essential self care because she knows rest is the foundation for wellness. Florence is now offering: Resting in Joy Retreats, in person Sunday Siestas for women, and 1:1 Sacred Rest Ceremonies that she describes so beautifully in this episode you will want to fly to Australia and get one! You really do not want to miss this episode. Florence is such a gorgeous example of how we can rise up rested and create a rest business of our dreams.   Resources for this episode can be found here: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/92  

This episode is a conversation with Natalie Goldberg on her writer's block during Covid and how she lost and found her voice when she stopped everything. Natalie's new book is Writing on Empty. As a writing teacher and author of the bestselling book Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, Natalie is known for starting a revolution in the way we practice writing and combining this wisdom with her background in Zen meditation.   Show Notes Learn more about Natalie Goldberg and her new book here. What's Coming Up at Daring to Rest Join us for the next Daring to Rest Facilitator Training & Certification Program for Women. Click here.

Host Karen Brody reads her rest note "Women: Let's Not Keep Our Mouths Shut Anymore" and talks about the topics of rest, women's voices, and writing.   Resources for this episode can be found here: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/90  

Have you ever had a health challenge and felt like you tried everything to heal yet you still did not find answers? Today on the Daring to Rest Podcast I am excited to introduce you to Lissa Rankin, a mind-body medicine physician, and the author of Sacred Medicine: A Doctor's Quest to Unravel the Mysteries of Healing. Lissa is on a mission to help people navigate the landscape of healing and curing themselves. As I am sure you know, it can be exhausting to find support out there. Lissa breaks down the light and the dark sides in this episode with the hope of helping you find answers.   Resources for this episode can be found here: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/89  

Nina Simons is a women's leadership pioneer and co-founder of Bioneers. She is the author of the book, Nature, Culture, and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership. In this episode, Karen talks with Nina about the landscape of yin leadership, a kind of leadership that values spaciousness, nature, relationships, and ritual.    Resources for this episode can be found here: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/88  

Ever have a conversation you did not want to end? That's today's episode on the Daring to Rest Podcast with seven of the women who just led rest sessions at Rest Camp for Women. It's a conversation on rest and yoga nidra that's personal, professional, fun, and serious. You'll hear us talking about great rest books and films and a resty kind of TED Talk. We share our essential rest props.  And there are many tender and sweet rest stories. If you're thinking about the Daring to Rest Facilitator Training for Women, this is a must-listen. You'll hear all seven women reflect on the ways the training impacted them. In a culture that values busyness over rest, this episode is for any woman who wants to put rest at the center of her life and wants to create a world of rested people. Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/87 If you are planning to join the Daring to Rest Facilitator Training for Women this year, now is the time to enroll. Early bird pricing ends very soon. You can learn more here and enroll.

Karen's back with a short "rest check in" on the topic of deep rest, yoga nidra and inner mothering. These unrested times are calling us not only to rest, and help others, but also to not abandon our inner selves. Abandoning ourselves is perhaps the number one way we get off the rested path. Inner mothering is key. Come hang out with Karen today as she shares on the podcast about how a practice like yoga nidra can help you mother yourself while lying down. This is the kind of rest revolution we want you to be a part of - lying down to feel rested AND "do the inner work!" Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/86  

Karen speaks with Tracee Stanley, author of a new book – The Luminous Self - on how to find your luminous self that resides behind all sorrow, the power of our practices to create new patterns and beliefs, the importance of cultivating a relationship with nature and our true nature, and contemplating death and impermanence in a world that plays into these fears. Be sure to listen to the end. Tracee leads us through a profound short practice! Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/85  

The struggle to feel rested is real. Is the Barbie movie the answer? After watching the film, I wanted to talk about it here at Daring to Rest because in some ways it felt like an instructive piece on creating a rested life. I also wanted to find a perspective beyond mine. So I invited Shalini Sinha, a gender professor and anti-racist specialist in Canada, onto the podcast today to speak about the film with me. Shalini brings a perspective on the Barbie movie that you probably have not heard yet. Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/84    

Today Dr. Ruby Gibson, founder of Freedom Lodge, and Kara Big Crow, executive director, join me on the Daring to Rest Podcast for a passionate discussion about healing intergenerational trauma.  You'll learn about: Pulling up trauma from the roots Historical trauma and why the cause for what you are experiencing may be generations removed The impact of boarding school & colonization on Native Americans Kara's journey to heal her intergenerational trauma through Dr. Ruby's somatic archaeology work An exercise to orient you to your body ​May this episode support you to feel more ease. Resources for this episode can be found at: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/83 Daring to Rest THE FUTURE IS RESTED t-shirt fundraiser to support Dr. Ruby's Freedom Lodge and their Historical Trauma Recovery Center is happening now until August 26, 2023. Click here to buy a rest t-shirt for a great cause.  

In this rest note, Karen Brody talks about a surprising conversation on meditation that she recently had with a customs officer. With examples from her own life, she explores where we go when we meditate and how to live in the noise and the peace of life.   Resources at: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/82  

Doula trainer, childbirth educator, and filmmaker, Debra Pascali Bonaro, joins Karen to discuss claiming your power and pleasure in childbirth and life; advice on turning pain into purpose; the importance of sex education; why it's crazy to put women on their backs to give birth; and what is oxytocin and why it gives us an incredible high. Karen adds her rest lens to this powerful conversation on an orgasmic & restful birth and life. Resources for this episode can be found at: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/81  

 In this rest note on leadership, Karen Brody takes on the topics of women, leadership, rest and staying awake in a world that wants us asleep to what's keeping us tired. She explores the political resignations in 2023 of Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon as examples of women leaders showing us how be our own kind of leader. Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/80  

 Today on the Daring to Rest Podcast a mother and daughter who have been in the Daring to Rest community join Karen to share their rest stories. You'll learn about their mother-daughter rest bond, and how rest has impacted their lives.   Resources for this episode: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/79  

It's obvious, even without the statistics, that there are a lot of exhausted people. That's why a 2017 tweet by Netflix raised Karen's rest feathers. Listen to her rest rant on capitalism's investment in our fatigue and how we can't stop over-eating on the most seductive "chocolate cake" of these tired times.   Resources for this episode: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/77  

I am thrilled to have Jadah Sellner on today's podcast, author of a new women's leadership book called She Builds. So many books on business are not written by women and there are few diverse voices. Jadah's mission is to change this and to offer us an anti-hustle way to grow our business and nurture our life. This episode is for women who have... felt overwhelmed and unable to focus believed that slowing down would destroy your business a deep desire to break free of the toxic culture that leads to burnout. Enjoy! Happy & restful 2023, xo Karen Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/76

It's my delight to introduce you to three women in this year's Daring to Rest Facilitator Certification Training, and the teacher trainer who mentored them. All four women join me on today's episode of the Daring to Rest Podcast. This is part two of a series called, “Rest is My Radical Next Step.” This episode is for you…if you're interested in our next Daring to Rest Facilitator Certification Training. And this episode if for you…if you're a woman on a journey to feel rested. (Every facilitator is too!). Visit the resource section to read bios for the women in this episode: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/76 Learn more about our Daring to Rest Facilitator Certification Training here: https://daringtorest.com/facilitator

All we want is to love and be loved. In this 15-minute episode, Karen reads her email to the Daring to Rest community on why rest is love and shares additional thoughts on oxytocin - the hormone of love - and ways we can receive and give more love.   Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/75    

Today's episode is the first of a three episode "Rest is My Radical Next Step" series. In each episode, Karen speaks with a few women who recently completed the Daring to Rest Facilitator Certification Training, and the teacher trainers who led their small mentorship circles. Whether you're thinking about taking our next training, or you just want to listen to a nourishing rest chat and dream into a world where women step forward as agents of change to create a rested world, we hope you enjoy this episode. Visit the resource section to read bios for the women in this episode: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/74 Learn more about our Daring to Rest Facilitator Certification Training here: https://daringtorest.com/facilitator

Navigating these times is exhausting. Managing a health issue on top is like exhaustion on steroids. In this episode, Karen reads her medical rest rant email to the Daring to Rest community and then explains why "it's not information that's going to help us move with ease through life, it's our practices."

Step into the world of menopause, myth, and fairy tales in this conversation with award winning writer Sharon Blackie. Host Karen Brody speaks with Sharon on everything from what facing death taught her to the liminal space of menopause and how the archetypal energy of older women in fairy tales can help us claim our power and reimagine the second half of life.  Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/72  

What happens when you are "tired as f*ck"? For bestselling author Caroline Dooner, she chose to address her exhaustion by spending two years intentionally prioritizing rest. In this episode, listen to her conversation with Karen on burnout at the hands of diet, self-help and hustle culture.  Resources for this episode can be found here: http://daringtorest.com/podcast/71

What is the connection between deep rest and the Gene Keys? How can both help you live, work and lead softly? Daring to Rest facilitator Korynn Elliott, a Gene Keys guide, joins Karen to talk about the power of Gene Keys alongside a practice like yoga nidra, and how the Gene Keys voyage is very similar to Daring to Rest's 3-Phase approach to leadership.   Resources for this episode: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/70

What if our doing came from a place of being? Especially in times of turmoil. Listen to a rest note with Karen on rest, women's bodies, leadership, and why staying in your body is more important than ever today.   Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/69

Listen to a short rest note with Karen on giving yourself permission to be tired. Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/68

Karen speaks with the founders of Red School, Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, about menstruation as a brilliant design for leadership and deepening our relationship with ourselves.   Resources: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/67

Listen to Karen's 15-minute rest rant on burnout. Her thoughts may surprise you! 

What happens when you combine a former Roman Catholic Sister, yoga nidra, rest and seventy-eight years of living? On today's Daring to Rest Podcast episode, you're going to meet Janet Frischmon to find out. Janet's been a member of our Rested community at Daring to Rest for a while, and has taken the Daring to Rest Facilitator Training. In this episode, we explore: The connection between yoga nidra and Roman Catholicism The dream that led to her leaving her position as a Roman Catholic Sister How yoga nidra made her a believer in the resurrection of the body and life ever-lasting What qualities are so important to Janet that she'd give up happy What rest is revealing to Janet at seventy-eight years old Why she feels yoga nidra has been after her all her life Be sure to listen until the absolute end of this episode - there's a short & sweet bonus audio from our conversation. As always, please leave a review of the podcast...and I love hearing your thoughts on each episode! Restfullly onward, Karen   Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/65

Karen reads and discusses a recent rest note that she wrote to the Daring to Rest community on why the world will be saved by the Rested Woman.   Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/64

In this episode, Karen talks with Octavia Raheem, author of the new book, "Pause, Rest, Be." They talk about the courage to rest personally and collectively today, and how rest fortifies our courage. Also, how rest will change your relationship to yourself and others. This episode is a deep exploration of the pause and power of stillness, and why rest is an advanced practice. Join Karen and Octavia in their discussion on why making time for rest matters and learn about Octavia's new book. Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/63

Sleep specialist Dr. Rubin Naiman joins Karen on the podcast to talk about his unique perspective on sleep, dreaming and awakening. In this episode we take a look at the world today and how we can sleep better and recognize the crucial role dreams play in good sleep and waking life.   Resources for this episode can be found here: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/62

Karen is talking to the Daring to Rest teacher trainers in our Daring to Rest Facilitator Training for Women about the impact of rest on women's lives, the practice of yoga nidra, why Daring to Rest's facilitator training is much more than a yoga nidra teacher training program, and how Daring to Rest is a unique approach to women's leadership. Whether you're considering our facilitator training or not, this episode will get you excited to start and stay rested.

In this episode, Karen is talking with Jeffrey Davis, the CEO of Tracking Wonder Consultancy. They talk about what is wonder? How and why it's important to cultivate wonder. How do wonder and rest intersect? Why does gifting wonder ripple? How can we find the wonder between us in a divisive world? And they explore the Tracking Wonder framework outlined in Jeffrey's new book, Tracking Wonder. Join us as we connect on how wonder adds more meaning and possibility in a world obsessed with productivity. Episode 60 Resources: https://daringtorest.com/podcast/60

Today's episode is on Motherline Exhaustion and how connecting with your body helps you break ancestral contracts, set rest boundaries and become a rested woman. Jenny Tryansky, a transformational coach, long-time Daring to Rest community member, and student in this summer's Daring to Rest in-body immersion, interviews Daring to Rest founder Karen Brody about her motherline story and why she feels this is the next level of rest work women need to be practicing. Resources for this episode:  https://daringtorest.com/podcast/59

In this episode, Karen talks about how rest and relaxation are different, the seven types of rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, the concern we mostly focus on active forms of rest, and how rest tells us everything we need to know. Resources for this episode can be found here:  https://daringtorest.com/podcast/58