The Wholistic Joy Podcast: self-reflection on the go

Are you currently dealing with stress and anxiety? Do you want to develop and practice tools to manage your stress? This meditation will bring you from the cognitive experience of your stress, to the more centered somatic (physical body) experience, to an energetic release. By the end of the meditation, the goal is for you to feel calmer, more in control, and far more grounded. You can use this to deal with a current stressor, to manage ongoing stress, or to prepare for future life stressors.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

For the first time, the Wholistic Joy Podcast goes "round table" style in this important, upsetting, and necessary subject of body image. As we share our own stories and struggles around body image and the misery it has caused and continues to cause in our lives, we come away with ways that we can move forward and break the binds that keep us from living at our fullest and most beautiful selves.“It is strange to think about how much of it seeps into our everyday, even if you're actively trying to remove yourself from it.” – Jenna Monroe“Who were you before the world told you you were too big or too fat?” – Rebeccah Brooking“We're just constantly having to agree to an arbitrary standard that we can't necessarily change our body to meet.” – Tara Van Dam“We are pushed into this sense that we have to wear a costume at any given time depending on what it is that we are supposed to be accomplishing” – Brianna AnthonyThese provide just a glimpse into our conversation; one that is vulnerable, authentic, and honest. Find hope and comfort through the words of others who walk the same difficult path as you. Please share with anyone you feel would benefit from hearing this and, as always, giving it a good rating, a positive review, and a subscribe will greatly influence how this message is able to reach the hearts of others.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

“Personal growth is so important, but then we forget to apply it to our marriages or we don't know how,” Beatriz VargasIn this episode, I am joined by certified coach and podcaster, Beatriz Vargas. We begin our conversation discussing the importance of having a "why" behind what you do. We discuss the power of having a life purpose behind your job and roles.We then go on to talk about the work that Beatriz does, focusing on marriages and wives in particular. What do you do when you want to work on your marriage, but your spouse is figuratively absent. We then extend this topic to include the other relationships in our lives.The message that we are left with is that if we continue to work on ourselves and move toward personal growth, our relationships will grow alongside. Of course, there is one significant caveat and that is that what we learn and how we grow needs to be applied to the relationships closest to us.Beatriz Vargas is a Certified Change the World Christian Coach and Wife Coach. She is also the host/creator of the Grace Fueled Wife Podcast where through her show, courses, and coaching, she helps women partner with God to transform their marriages even if their husband's aren't showing up. Her mission is to improve the quality of marriages by helping wives to be fueled with grace.When she isn't podcasting or working with clients, Beatriz spends time with her husband and her 2 children in NYC.To reach Beatriz: IG: https://www.instagram.com/thegracefueledwife/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gracefueledwifecommunityWebsite: www.beatrizvargas.comFind me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

“When you are beaming with light, that's the best way to help someone with their darkness.”On this episode, I talk to fellow South African and friend, Lee Buckton. With spirituality, wellness, and music at the front of his life, Lee is always seeking. In fact, this curious nature brought him across the Atlantic and to Atlanta where he runs his own, thriving dog training business.We talk about how curiosity and continually seeking helps you to grow and discover your true self. He shares the importance and meaning around staying in alignment with your vibrational set point and how to manage difficult emotions. Through his insights and efforts, Lee has found a way to always return to happiness and hope even when things are dark. He shares these tools, also giving specific reference to the burden that comes with being an empath.To find Lee, you can follow him on IG: @leeashtonbuckton or @dogtraineratlFind me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoy Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

“It's being able to wake up and know that you're doing what you're suppose to be doing…and that you found something that lights you up when you do it,” Ben Swafford.Another week, another beautiful conversation. Today, I share reflections with Ben Swafford. Area manager, trainer, and ERYT for CorePower Yoga, Ben's life moved from saying cheers as he poured drinks, to saying Namaste as he teaches yoga. His life is all about movement, on his mat, his snowboard, his paddleboard, and anywhere else he can.  While an energetic life has always been core to who he is, this energy has found an outlet that is of deep service to others. He describes himself as an Atlanta native, rooted in kindness, strength, acceptance, and love, where one of the greatest gifts he hopes to give others is the gift of yoga and all that it can offer.In this episode we talk about how yoga came as a surprise, highlighting how life can turn toward light and possibility even when you least expect it. We discuss the importance of always staying in the seat of the student, open to learning and growing forever, and how transformative it is to discover what you are meant to be doing.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoy Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

On the show this week, I am joined by professional stuntwoman and deep thinking yogini, Sadiqua Bynum.Sadiqua is a former UCLA gymnast whose aspirations are to inspire and encourage others to see the light that is inside of them and express the ways in which individuality should be celebrated as this allows us to figure out who we really are.We explore the journey she took in uncovering who she really is, the questions she had to answer, and perceptions she had to extinguish. It wasn't always a simple matter of self-reflection, but she realized that by doing the work, making some mistakes, and allowing herself opportunities to learn, there is so much to gain.We also talk about the role that yoga has played in this journey as well as how she is working toward creating a space for others in her field to find the confidence to shine in their true identity as well.Lastly, she gifts us the concept of active patience; something she is working on that is transforming her experience of life.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoy Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

Do you struggle with listening to your own voice and trusting what that voice is saying? Is your mind overrun by the opinions of others and the influence those opinions have on you? Do you struggle with vulnerability?Today on the show, I talk to Caroline Smith, certified yoga instructor and wellness coach. Through her coaching business, Heal Love Connect, she helps clients using mindfulness, reflection, and action to break through bad habits, form new habits based on their unique needs and goals, and create a life they love.Together we talk about the work she has done on learning to trust and listen to her own voice. This has been a lifelong process for her, showing up in all areas of her life. She also shares her reflections on the work she is currently doing on vulnerability to living more openly.Connect with me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

In this episode I reflect on the experience of taking my 4 year old daughter, Maya, to her first ballet class. This was a magical, proud, and beautiful moment - definitely one for the mom books. However, it also took me down memory lane in terms of my own ballet journey as a child. I started ballet as a way to correct my feet. I was born with a pretty severe case of "pigeon toes". As a result, my options were either to break my legs and reset them or to start ballet super young and do the work to turn out my legs slowly.Of course, if you know anything about ballet, turn out is key. Sadly, my body just wasn't built this way. I did not have the bone structure to allow for good turn out. As a child ballet student, I was constantly being criticized, judged, and disciplined for my bad technique. Sadly, I did not know at the time, that none of this was my fault - it was something I could not change. My ballet teachers did not understand this either and so didn't hold back on pointing out my flaws.To make matters worse, I was also constantly being called out for being the "fat" kid in the class. I was in no ways an overweight child. Not by any stretch. But I never had the typical petite ballet body either. This was another thing that my ballet teacher never failed to point out to me. Let me just note here that I was between the ages of about 8 and 12. Pretty impressionable.As I sit here in my 30s, with decades of body issues that I am still dealing with, I can't help but wonder what role these early criticisms had on me as a child; a hurt that I still seem to be carrying today.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellness 

In case you didn't catch last week's episode, this is the new and slightly different Wholistic Joy Podcast. It is self-reflection on the go: real moments, real stories, real life. I keep things raw, unedited, and, as I said, real.In this episode I talk about how hard it is to do the things we know are good for us, like exercising, eating healthy food, and other acts of self care. I then go on to discuss my favorite night out - the SSB night in - and bring up the yogi principle of brahmacharya, or moderation.  Moderation sounds pretty boring, I know, but living life moderately may actually be a significant key to living a life of peace and contentment. I share my experience of disconnecting from moderation through over indulgence and what I have to go through to recover afterwards. Is it truly worth it? Probably not, but we are masters at forgetting this truth in the moment.Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoy Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellness 

Welcome to the NEW Wholistic Joy Podcast: self-reflection on the go. Real moments, real stories, real life.In this episode, I introduce my new approach to podcasting. Brace yourself, it's a little different to what you're used to. But, it is unedited, raw, and real.I then go on to candidly talk about how harsh we are on ourselves. Have you ever uttered the phrase "I am such a failure"? I have...many times. But as we search our days for evidence to prove this false reality true, what are we missing? As much as there might be evidence proving our failures, there is likely way more evidence proving our awesomeness. Sadly, we filter these out and we don't deserve to.Take the daily challenge and commit to seeking out the evidence proving your awesomeness and begin to challenge the mindset that is hurting you. This is self love people.Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoy Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellness 

I go through periodic blue days. They come about every other month or so; I wake up and I am just feeling sad. Everything gets harder to do and I find my healthy habits slip far out of my control. I have just come out of another blue period and in this one I realized something, I believe to be, profound. What if these blue days are my heart's way of forcing me to purge all of the unwanted emotions that I have "kept under control"? Kind of like your body getting rid of bad food. What if, instead of trying to make myself feel better, what I 'm supposed to do is feel, temporarily, worse? In this episode I share the experience of my "blue days" and how my body forced me to purge.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

Meditation: What I ask of you is to be selfish; to give to yourself exactly what you need; to fill yourself up with self-love, abundance, and care. I ask you to be selfish, because you, as any other, deserve to feel the fullness of your own heart, soul, and life. Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

As the footage continues to come in from Jan 6 and the storm on the capital, I've found myself having to face head on my emotional responses. Watching the violence, the actions that are clearly motivated by hate and anger, it is hard not to respond with my own feelings of anger and, let's be honest, intense judgement. Is this anger and judgement justified? It certainly feels like it. The more important question is rather: is this how I want to interact with the world? From a place of anger? Is my anger and judgement ultimately going to serve myself, my family, and my community in the way that I want to? I reflect on this as well as Inauguration Day and what it means to me.Join the FREE Morning Me-Time Challenge:https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/ Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay

Connect with Mother Earth and all breathing beings through this beautiful visualization and breath meditation. Allow this time of connection to remind you that you are not alone and that your very breath gives life to the beings that provide life in return.Join the Meditation Bootcamp: https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/ Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoy Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay

Can you be courageous without being vulnerable? For the longest time, I too believed that courage meant that you felt no fear. I also believed that expressing your emotions and what makes you feel anxious or scared, was a sign of weakness. Tough girls don't show emotion, or perhaps don't even have emotion to show.  Because I have big emotions, big reactions to things that others barely bat an eyelid to, there is something weak and flawed about me. But here's the truth - can you even be courageous without first feeling scared, exposed, anxious? Put the other way, if you feel no fear, uncertainty, or social exposure, does it take courage? In this episode I explore the idea that courage cannot exist without first feeling vulnerable. I also look at what vulnerability actually means, and what a life without fear would look like.Join the Meditation Bootcamp: https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/ Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay

Spend some time experiencing your joy; basking in the light, glow, and warmth of how your body experiences the joy you feel. It is easy to feel the fullness of joy when the moment is big and clear, but what about the small moments of joy in between? What joy are we missing in our day to day lives because we are naturally absorbed and distracted by our lives? By practicing and giving space to how joy shows up in our bodies, we give ourselves the opportunity to learn how to notice the small moments when they happen; the ones we may have missed before. And here's the real beauty of it...it is these small moments that are the real clues to what truly and authentically matters to us in our lives. Pause, experience, allow in.Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyPinterest: www.pinterest.com/wholisticjoywellnessMusic by from Pixabay 

In this episode, I outline the process of setting an intention for your new year. Resolutions set us up to fail, but by setting an intention you can only learn, grow, and succeed. After defining what an intention is, we work through a series of meditations, journaling prompts, and small rituals that will help you to say goodbye to 2020, release what you need to release, and find your guiding principle, your intention, for 2021.There are only a few spots left in the Uncover Your Life Purpose workshop, to learn more, click here: https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

I get very emotional today. I can't help it. This week has been filled with an internal struggle between the joy of the holidays and the grief over the reality around me. I share why I am feeling so much sadness at the moment, how important this sadness is to feel, and why I am grateful for it. Just a warning, I do tear up a bit, but please don't see that as a reason to avoid listening. Trust me, the world needs you to feel your sadness.Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

In this episode I share a few ways that you can keep the joy and not lose your s**t over the next couple weeks. This time of the year is so crazy. There is so much to get done, so many expectations to meet, including and especially the expectation of having to be happy all the time. I mean, its the most wonderful time of the year, right? The tips I give are simple, easy to implement, and can be applied to absolutely any stressful situation, not just a pandemic Christmas.To get info on the Uncover Your Life Purpse workshop, click here:https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/ Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

What you bring to this world, no one else can bring. The value that you add to others' lives, no one else can add. You have a light that deserves to shine brightly. The world deserves to see your light. So shine, amazing human, shine.Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay 

Every breath is a cycle, just as every life and year is a cycle. As you explore the cycles of your breath, especially the bottom of your exhale - your winter - ask yourself, "what season of life am I in?" With the silence of winter, the emptiness after your exhale, lies the magic of possibility. Trust that the air is coming.Uncover Your Life Purpose Workshop: https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

In this episode, I talk about the habitual patterns of thought that are hurting us. We all have a mindset - a way of seeing the world. But is this mindset causing you undeserved pain? Think about it... what is the story you tell yourself far too often, which deep down you know is not true? It lies somewhere in the region of "I'm not good enough", "I am not loved," and "I am useless". Learn how to interrupt these destructive patterns of thought so that they are no longer your go-to. Release the mindsets that are hurting you and replace them with ones that empower and nurture you.Uncover Your Life Purpose workshop: https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

How are you feeling today? How is your heart today? Give yourself the gift of just 6.5 minutes to pause, be still, and feel in this short meditation. Experience your world today from the inside out.To learn more about the Uncover Your Life Purpose workshop, click here:https://wholisticjoywellness.com/about/workshops/Find me: Website: wholisticjoywellness.com Email: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellness IG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

In this episode I talk about how, in any unpleasant experience, we have the potential of hurting ourselves twice. Most of us grew up hearing messages telling us not to feel what we were feeling - "toughen up", "look on the bright side". With these messages, we have become so good at beating ourselves up for having a "negative" emotion, such as sadness or anger. As a result, we end up getting angry because we're angry, disappointed because we're impatient and so on. Today I share the life changing lesson on primary and secondary experiences, how you have permission to feel what you are feeling, and how to soften the hurt.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

We all go through periods where it is hard to do it all; where simply doing 10% of what we're used to doing feels like an enormous, perhaps even impossible task. In this episode, I talk about how it is ok to NOT do it all. In fact, by simply allowing yourself to only do a little, you are actually doing yourself a huge kindness. I also introduce the amazing lesson that motivation does not lead to action... Quite the opposite.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay 

What makes you valuable? Is it how thin you are? How important your job is? Where you live? Today I look at this question... I put so much focus and emotional energy agonizing over things like weight that I have to remind myself of what truly matters. In the end, the things that make others love you is not your pant size nor your income. It's how you make them feel.Find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/wholisticjoywellnessIG: www.instagram.com/wholisticjoywellness/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WholisticJoyMusic by HaTom_music from Pixabay

In this week's episode, I talk about fear. No, not fear of heights, or spiders, but rather fear of looking stupid. I look at the question of what that fear is that holds us back from fully expressing ourselves. How to find me:Website: wholisticjoywellness.comEmail: wholisticjoywellness@gmail.comFacebook: Wholistic Joy Wellness IG: @wholisticjoywellnessTwitter: @WholisticJoy