Untangled | stories about untangling from society's giant rule book

Claire Dunn says her work as an environmental campaigner left her burnt out and disillusioned about humans relationship with the natural world. So she quit her job, left her partner of 5 years and her house by the ocean, extracting herself from modern life to live in the Australian bush. While Claire learnt many skills to live off the land, built a shelter with her bare hands, navigated encounters with the wild creatures of the forest, I think what touched me most was Claire’s internal journey. Claire says she was addicted to achieving, doing, striving and proving her worth and it was the forest that brought her back into the flow of her feminine. Claire eventually realised she was not there to just learn skills or to slow down – although that was part of it – but she was there to learn how to be a woman again. Claire’s book “My Year Without Matches: Escaping the City in search of the Wild”, is her memoir of this year-long forest retreat.   RESOURCES MENTIONED + My Year Without Matches: escaping the city in search of the wild, Claire Dunn   CONNECT WITH CLAIRE + Website: naturesapprentice.com.au + Facebook: /natures-apprentice   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio + Subscribe by email to get untangling stories delivered straight to your inbox   CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

Terra Roam describes herself as a roamer, a traveller, a vagabond. For the last 30 years, Terra has trekked, sailed, snowshoed, skied, kayaked, cycled, hitch hiked, volunteered and worked through the most beautiful, dangerous and isolated parts of the world. Most recently she completed a 17,000km walk around Australia – being the first woman to do this alone and unaccompanied – raising awareness for mental health and suicide prevention, a cause that has personally impacted Terra in her own life. Throughout her pursuit of freedom, minimalism and discovery, Terra has embarked on a long journey of self-exploration, immersed herself in the healing qualities of nature and unlocked the power of the heart and mind to achieve her wildest dreams. A heads up: this story touches on suicide and sexual abuse, so please listen with care if you feel this may impact you.   RESOURCES MENTIONED + Sorrel Wilby + Tracks, Robyn Davidson + Wild, Cheryl Strayed   CONNECT WITH TERRA + Website: terraroams.earth + Blog: terraroamsearth.wordpress.com + Instagram: @terraroams + Facebook: /terraroam   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio + Subscribe by email to get untangling stories delivered straight to your inbox   CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

Kate Nelson has been disposable plastic free for 10 years. You might also know Kate as the sparkly, magical Plastic Free Mermaid. Kate says she first learnt the damage plastic was doing to our marine eco-systems when she volunteered at the Ocean Futures Society. She learnt that plastics do not break down but rather break up into tiny microscopic toxic pieces which are then consumed by marine life and make their way up the food chain. Shocked and horrified by what she was learning, Kate has been advocating for and creating a plastic free revolution ever since. This is Kate’s story.    RESOURCES MENTIONED + Mermaid Retreats + Ocean Futures Society   CONNECT WITH KATE + Website: iquitplastics.com + Instagram: @plasticfreemermaid + Facebook: /plasticfreemermaid   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio + Subscribe by email to get untangling stories delivered straight to your inbox   CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

What would you do if your child told you they didn’t like school? What if they preferred to stay at home with you rather than go to the school ground? Most of us, I reckon, would explain that this is just the way life is and that everyone has to go to school. But not Susanne Kolff. When her daughter began to struggle at school, it prompted a change in the way Susanne looked at life. Taking the kids to school, going to work, rinse and repeat, day in and day out. Susanne began to ask herself: What is this life? Who tells me we have to live this way? Why do we live like this? Fast forward to today, Susanne, her husband and three young children now live a simple life in amongst a Bulgarian apple orchard, in a Mongolian yurt . And what about school? Susanne and her husband are unschooling their children or as Susanne calls it ‘life education’ – informal education where her children are encouraged to learn from their life experiences. This is Susanne Kolff’s untangling story.   CONNECT WITH SUSANNE  + Instagram: @kidsoffthegrid   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio + Subscribe by email to get untangling stories delivered straight to your inbox   CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

Jordan Osmond became obsessed with documentaries in his late teens, struck by how they were having an impact on the world and how he lived his life. Wanting to create that same positive impact in the lives of others, yet not wanting to take on the exorbitant student loans of university, Jardan opted to teach himself how to use a camera and shoot stories by watching tutorials on YouTube. In 2015, with a small group of nine other people, Jordan moved onto a 20-acre property in Gippsland where he lived for a year documenting simple living, permaculture and natural building as a way to reduce our ecological footprint. The result was the feature-length documentary A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity. This project set Jordan’s documentary career in motion. Over the last two years, Jordan has travelled New Zealand with his partner and fellow filmmaker Antoinette Wilson, creating their latest documentary Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future. Spattered in amongst Jordan’s passion for sharing stories of simpler living, we also explore the crises facing our world today, why it’s important we share positive stories of change and how our reconnection to nature is essential to the healing of our planet.   RESOURCES MENTIONED + A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity + Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future + Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine + Robert Kenner’s Food Inc + Charles Eisenstein + The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible, Charles Eisenstein + The Ascent of Humanity, Charles Eisenstein   CONNECT WITH JORDAN + Website: happenfilms.com | livingthechangefilm.com + YouTube: Happen Films + Instagram: @jordosmond + Twitter: @happenfilms + Facebook: /happenfilms   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio + Subscribe by email to get untangling stories delivered straight to your inbox   CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

Vienda Maria has lived a very nomadic, transient life since her late teens. She’s actively designed a business and lifestyle that allows her to do what she loves – travel and follow her free-spirited heart. After falling in love with her Canadian partner Julien, they agreed to try a different kind of lifestyle, returning to Julien’s home town in Canada. They purchased a house and life, from the outside, appeared almost perfect. And yet, Vienda says, within a month of moving to Canada, her health started to decline. Insomnia, panic attacks in the middle of the night, hormonal imbalances and adrenal fatigue. Confused as to why this was happening, having always been so healthy, Vienda did what most of us would do. She saw a naturopath, took supplements and changed her lifestyle so she could have more rest. But she saw no improvement in her health. It wasn’t until Vienda left for a trip to Mexico and her symptoms cleared up that she realised something else entirely was going on. This is Vienda’s very graceful and vulnerable story of how she’s courageously navigated an untangling while in partnership.   RESOURCES MENTIONED + Intuimethod – A 15-day interactive video course with a simple method for accessing, trusting and acting on your intuition while addressing the key obstacle that stops you from following your souls’ path. Use the code intui20 to receive a 20% discount.   CONNECT WITH VIENDA + Website: viendamaria.com + Facebook: /viendamaria8 + Instagram: @viendamaria   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio + Subscribe by email to get untangling stories delivered straight to your inbox   CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

Bionca Smith was living a very comfortable life. A successful entrepreneur, living in a Condo, with a fancy BMW. Yet, Bionca says she was living pay check to pay check, her son Carter was struggling in school and she was struggling to keep the household afloat. And then, an innocent Facebook post changed the trajectory of Bionca’s life. “One day I want to travel the world with my son.” Bionca wrote. “What’s stopping you?” was the response. This question set in motion a series of events. In 30 days, Bionca gave notice on her apartment, pulled Carter out of school and sold or gaveaway everything she owed. She slipped the key to her unsold car under the doormat and flew out of the country. Since then, Bionca and Carter have travelled the world and more recently they purchased a campervan. Bionca home schools Carter and runs her coaching business and not for profit organisation – The Bully Barricade Foundation – all from the back of her van.   RESOURCES MENTIONED + The Podcast School - 50% off sale. Use the code MAGICSALE on checkout. Sale ends April 12. + Girls Love Travel Facebook Group + Connections Academy + Bully Barricade Foundation: Facebook | Instagram   CONNECT WITH BIONCA + YouTube: Off The Grid With A Kid + Facebook: /smithbionca | /offthegridwithakid + Instagram: @bioncasmith | @offthegridwithakid   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio + Subscribe by email to get untangling stories delivered straight to your inbox   CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

The term wild woman has become a bit of a fad in the feminine spiritual uprising. But today I’m speaking with a true wild woman. Miriam Lancewood spent six years in the New Zealand wilderness with her husband Peter, hiking, exploring, hunting, gathering and living out of a tent. Miriam is also the author of the book Woman in the Wilderness where she shares the tales of her epic six year untangling. As you’ll hear, Miriam has no phone or laptop, so I consider myself pretty fortunate to speak with her and bring this interview to you.    RESOURCES MENTIONED + Woman in the Wilderness, Miriam Lancewood   CONNECT WITH MIRIAM LANCEWOOD + Website: miriamlancewood.wordpress.com   OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY THIS PODCAST + Listen on Apple Podcasts+ Listen on Spotify + Listen on Stitcher Radio  CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF UNTANGLED If my show has helped, inspired or spoken to you, it is with humble gratitude that I ask for your support through a small financial contribution. Each Untangled episode takes me about three days in total to produce. There is also a monthly outlay for hosting and software expenses. I am a one-woman show and I do and pay for everything myself. From as little as $1 a month, your support will help to cover the costs associated with producing and hosting the show. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.

Have you ever asked: “Is this all there is to life?” Untangled explores the lives of people who have questioned our social systems, constructs and norms and chosen to live life in a different, often unconventional way. Through honest storytelling, the show explores one focal question: what does it really take to untangle from society’s giant rule book, move away from the mundane and embark on a search for something more? Join host Alana Helbig as she interviews ordinary people about their choice to live not-so-ordinary lives, touching on topics such as slow and simple living, alternatives to the 9-5, sustainability, solo travel, activism, lesbianism, feminism and patriarchy, indigenous cultures, spirituality, financial security and more. Untangled returns for season 4 in March 2018.

The influence of the capitalist system on our spirits: this was the theme of discussion I proposed to Lyla June when we began our interview. You see, Lyla June’s story is quite different from those we’ve heard previously. Believing that capitalism is the root of destruction of the earth and the people, she’s lived a series of life experiments, consciously weaving in and out of the capitalist system with an ultimate goal to change that very system. Life experiment number 1: She chooses not to be part of the capitalist system and for three years she practices what she calls “fearless generosity”, giving away her work and gifts, in a selfless act, for the betterment of her people. Life experiment number 2: she enters the corporate world, this time with the goal to change the system from the inside. Life experiment number 3: she decides to build her own system, returning to her traditional institutions and working with Diné peoples to create and sustain their own education systems free of white colonial fetters. In addition to Lyla’s very unique personal story, you’ll also hear her talk about: + The role indigenous cultures and traditions play in helping western societies rebuild social systems and models for a more sustainable world. + Putting women at the root to create stable societies + And stories highlighting the historical events and treatement of the Diné people.   ABOUT LYLA JUNE Lyla June is a anthropologist, educator, musician, public speaker and internationally recognized performance poet. She was raised in Taos, New Mexico and is a descendant of Diné (Navajo) and Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) lineages. She is a fellow with the Original Caretakers Initiative at the Center for Earth Ethics. She is a co-founder of The Taos Peace and Reconciliation Council, which works to heal intergenerational trauma and ethnic division in the northern New Mexico. She is a walker within the Nihigaal Bee Iiná Movement, and is the lead organizer of the Black Hill Unity Concert. She is the also the founder of Regeneration Festival, an annual celebration of children that has occurred in 13 countries around the world. Her most recent book is a poetic rendition of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, entitled Lifting Hearts Off the Ground: Declaring Indigenous Rights in Poetry. Lyla graduated with honors from Stanford University in 2012 with a degree in Environmental Anthropology. She is currently pursuing graduate studies in American Indian Education at the University of New Mexico. Her current work involves working with Diné peoples to create and sustain their own traditional education systems free of colonial fetters. Connect with Lyla June at: + Website: sodizin.net + Facebook: /lylajune + Instagram: @lylajune   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on Apple Podcasts + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Back in 2012, Fenja Sepers traded her job and home in Amsterdam for a surfboard and a suitcase and the plan to have no plan. She figured that our understanding of life and the world is not generated through reasoning, but through experiencing, and so taking distance and breaking with the Western system was necessary to create a rupture in the way of thinking and open up to new ideas and worldviews. Fenja baptised her journey Navigate on Trust, taking on a life-experiment that embraces the age-old wisdom of uncertainty. In 5 years she travelled through many countries, experienced joy, beauty, loss, and insecurity, which led to some profound life lessons.   RESOURCES + Transition Coaching with Alana – if you’re ready to untangle from society’s giant rule book, move away from the mundane, smash out of the box and create your version of a meaningful life, this coaching might just be for you.   ABOUT FENJA Back in 2012, Fenja Sepers traded her job and home in Amsterdam for a surfboard and a suitcase and the plan to have no plan. She figured that our understanding of life and the world is not generated through reasoning, but through experiencing, and so taking distance and breaking with the Western system was necessary to create a rupture in the way of thinking and open up to new ideas and worldviews. Fenja baptised her journey Navigate on Trust, taking on a life-experiment that embraces the age-old wisdom of uncertainty. In 5 years she travelled through many countries, experienced joy, beauty, loss, and insecurity, which led to some profound life lessons. Connect with Fenja at: + Website: navigateontrust.com + Instagram: /navigateontrust   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Max Dashú is a teacher of global women’s history and cultural heritages. She’s the founder of the Suppressed Histories Archives which researches female spheres of power, mother-right cultures, patriarchy, the history of domination, and spiritual philosophies. Max has built an archive of over 30,000 slides and 130 legendary visual presentations, which bring to light female realities hidden from view. She has been sharing this research  for the last 48 years. This interview explores Max’s story from a young child with a fascination in Egyptian history to becoming an intelligent young woman who makes a bold choice to leave Harvard at the age of 19 and pursue her own independent research on the suppressed histories of women. I was fascinated by Max’s description of the landscape for women scholars in the late sixties / early seventies and her obvious courage to give up a pre-determined, safe path to follow a deeper, stronger, guiding inner pull. Perhaps Max is one of these rare beings who comes into our world already untangled, with the purpose to show us what we’ve all been overlooking. This is a rich discussion about women’s histories, untangling from the patriarchy and one woman’s journey to seek out the truth.   RESOURCES + Deasophy Colouring Book - Find out more about Max’s Goddess Colouring book here. + Transition Coaching with Alana + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to follow the inner pull, move away from the mundane and embark on a search for something more.   ABOUT MAX Max Dashú teaches global women’s history and cultural heritages. In 1970 she founded the Suppressed Histories Archives to research female spheres of power, mother-right cultures, patriarchy the history of domination, and spiritual philosophies. She has built an archive of over 30,000 slides and 130 legendary visual presentations, which bring to light female realities hidden from view—from ancient iconography to leaders, medicine women and rebels. Her work bridges the gap between academia and grassroots education, and foregrounds Indigenous women passed over by standard histories. Dashu has published two acclaimed dvds: Women’s Power in Global Perspective (2008) and Woman Shaman: the Ancients (2013), and a poster series of female spiritual heritages. Her book Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1100, was published in 2016. Her new Deasophy Coloring Book, featuring 49 goddesses from around the world, comes out in October 2017. Connect with Max at: + Website: suppressedhistories.net + Facebook: /suppressed-histories-archives   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

The core question driving Untangled season 3 has been: what does it really take to follow the inner pull to create a meaningful life? After interviewing almost 40 men and women from all around the world on this topic, what I’ve come to realise is this: When we commit to living a meaningful, soul-infused life, we are always untangling, always in motion, always growing and changing. Therefore, we are always transitioning out of the old and moving into the new. And at times this can be incredibly frustrating because we’re not far enough along the path as we want to be. It can be incredibly painful because we have to look at parts of ourselves that we are ashamed or afraid of. It can be ostracising because we are often guided to go against the grain. It can be confusing because in transition there is always a period of unknown where we have to reclaim the truth of who we are. But, when we commit to ourselves, it can be an incredibly magical journey, too. This is a topic I’m passionate about because it has been my journey for the last seven years. A couple of weeks back, I was invited by Kylie Lowe from Joining Hands Australia to share my story of untangling and creating a meaningful life. I recorded the speech so I could share it with you, too.   RESOURCES + Joining Hands Australia + Transition Coaching with Alana + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to follow the inner pull, move away from the mundane and embark on a search for something more.   ABOUT ALANA HELBIG Alana Helbig is a podcaster and story-teller. At her core, she is fascinated by the inner pull we all feel to move away from the mundane and create meaning and purpose in our lives. Through her story-telling podcast, Untangled, she deep dives into the lives of her guests to find out how they untangled from society’s giant rule book to create a meaningful life. Connect with Alana at: + Website: alanahelbig.com + Instagram: @alana.helbig + Facebook: /alanahelbigbiz   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

A couple of weeks back, my partner Clayton and I took an adventure in Walter the Campervan to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia. Frances Murray, her partner Tyler and her two young children Olive and Jude, welcomed us onto their newly established permaculture farm in the Noosa Hinterland region for a look around and a chat about the choice to live a simple life. This interview was recorded in Franny’s tiny off-grid house, nestled in the living area on comfy arm chairs, surrounded by the sound of birds, in one direction overlooking the tree tops running along their natural creek and in the other direction their vegetable garden. There is so much we cover in this interview but as I delved into Franny’s untangling journey, these were the highlights for me: + Contemplating the inevitability of death as an inspiration for chasing your dreams. + Redefining success based on how much joy and love you experience in your day (not by how much money you earn, things you acquire or your job title). + Following the inner pull, above all else (even when it means leaving your safe job, moving to a vacant block with two young children, and living without running water, electricity or a home for months at one the hottest times of the year). Franny shares the real truth of their story, the why behind what they do and powerful insights to get you thinking differently about the way we humans ‘do life’. After we finished recording this interview, Franny explained to me the costs associated with this style of living and I was shocked to realise how affordable it can be, if done in the right way. If you’re interested, Franny has generously provided facts and figures of the cost to create and live this kind of lifestyle. You can find this information in the show notes at alanahelbig.com/untangled34   RESOURCES + Ignite: Podcasting for Changemakers – doors are now open. + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to follow the inner pull, move away from the mundane and embark on a search for something more.   CONNECT WITH FRANNY Connect with Franny and follow along with her simple-living experiment over on Instagram at @thesimpleexperiment   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Laura Storm knew from a very young age that her passion was in the realm of environmental sustainability. Her entire career has been focused on creating transformation to more sustainable societies. She’s rubbed shoulders with people like Richard Branson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and worked on projects and organisations such as the Copenhagen Climate Council, the World Business Summit on Climate Change, Project Green Light and Sustainia. Laura says her life was incredibly busy, yet this was her passion work, she loved it and she wanted to see change happen in this world. So she worked, a lot. In 2015 something happened that would change the trajectory of Laura’s life. Innocently playing with her daughter on her bed one afternoon, Laura fell and hit her head. This blow to the head caused a minor traumatic brain injury. Unable to do anything – no TV, radio, reading, computer, even the sound of her daughter running around was unbearable – Laura was forced into a dark, deep silence. And this dark, deep silence wouldn’t go on for just a few weeks or months, it went on for over a year. Forced to do nothing but sit in silence, walk in nature and meditate, Laura began one of the biggest untangling journeys of her life. This journey came with resistance, confusion, pain and loneliness but it also gifted Laura a deep connection with herself and a new vision of what a sustainable world should really look like. Strap yourself in, this is one incredible story.   RESOURCES + Free Podcast Quick Starter Pack – wanting to start your own podcast? Download your free pack to get started today. + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to follow the inner pull, move away from the mundane and embark on a search for something more.   ABOUT LAURA STORM Laura Storm is an experienced thought-leader and international keynote speaker within the field of sustainability. She has dedicated her entire professional career to making global companies and organizations aware of the benefits of improved sustainability practice, helping global sustainable solutions succeed, and making the sustainability agenda more attractive. She is driven by a strong passion for improving the state of our societies and consciousness and helping in the push for a sustainable transition. Laura is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and in 2013 Laura was awarded the Global Greenbiz’ “Worldchanger” Award. She has also been selected to join the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network as an expert in sustainable development and climate change and serves as an Advisory Board member on the WEF ‘Shaping the Future of Urban Development and Services Initiative’. Among projects and organizations that Laura has headed and helped initiate are the Copenhagen Climate Council, the World Business Summit on Climate Change, Project Green Light, and Sustainia. All with a strong commitment to combat climate change and transform our societies towards sustainability. Laura’s results are a testament to how her work is making a real difference for millions all over the world. Under Laura’s leadership, Sustainia became a global mega-brand within sustainability with an outreach to more than 170 million people, a database of 4000 sustainable solutions, multiple state-of-the art publications and thought leadership, and a unique partner network. Global organizations are still, to this day, pointing towards Sustainia as a guiding star for communicating sustainability. Business schools and universities have implemented Sustainia’s publications in their curriculums and the Sustainia100 solutions are used all over the world to exemplify sustainable business models. Laura has a Master in Political Communication and Leadership from Copenhagen Business School and has previously studied at Westminster Business School in London. Laura lives in Copenhagen with her partner Ulrik and daughter Roxie. Connect with Laura at: + Website: laura-storm.com + Instagram: @storm_laura + Facebook: /laurastorm111   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Vegan Activist James Aspey says his untangling began when he landed a dream job on a cruise ship, swapping out his drug-taking party life for meditation and veganism. During a 10 day meditation course, James had the inspiration to take a 365 day vow of silence to raise awareness for animals and promote peace over violence. And, as you’ll hear in this interview, when this man puts his mind to something there’s no stopping him. James went on to travel around Australia and cycle 5000kms from Darwin to Sydney as part of his campaign, breaking his vow of silence on Australian TV in an iconic interview seen by millions. I was one of the millions of people watching. I had been vegan for just over a year and I remember watching James and crying with gratitude that someone had finally found a platform on a national scale to speak up for the rights of animals. This interview catapulted James into vegan activism and he now travels the world giving free speeches on veganism. He is captivating, entertaining and disarming. Exactly what the vegan community needs. In this Untangled episode, James and I explore what happens when we follow that one big crazy idea, choosing to step outside our comfort zones despite the fear and how each of us has the capacity to be a powerful instrument for change.   RESOURCES + Earthlings Documentary + This speech is your WAKE UP CALL + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to follow the inner pull, move away from the mundane and embark on a search for something more.   ABOUT JAMES ASPEY Australian animal rights activist James Aspey has risen to celebrity status in the vegan community over the past few years. In 2014, he embarked on an unprecedented and life changing challenge by taking a 365 day vow of silence to raise awareness for animals and promote peace over violence. He traveled around Australia and cycled 5000km’s as part of his campaign. He broke his vow of silence on Australian TV in an iconic and inspiring interview seen by millions. In 2016, James was tattooed for 24 hours straight in a campaign which raised $20,000 for charity. He has given over 150 free speeches on veganism all around the world. One of James’ speeches has over 11 million views online. The list of people inspired by James is long and growing every day. Connect with James at: + Website: jamesaspey.com.au + Instagram: @jamesaspey + Facebook: /jamesaspeyactivism + YouTube: Voiceless365   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Dani Gallagher is the folk herbalist behind Roaming Soul Apothecary, a collective of wildcrafted plant medicine. Dani says her untangling began in her late teens when she became sick with a mysterious illness. Passed around from doctor to doctor to doctor for over a year, nobody could tell Dani what was wrong. It was an encounter with an herbalist in Dani’s local town who introduced her to the world of plant medicine and helped Dani to slowly begin to heal. Listen in as Dani and I explore: + The story of leaving her job, joining a local community farm and remembering her connection to nature. + Her newest project – The Wild Grown Bus – where Dani is converting an old school bus into a full time tiny house and apothecary. + How Dani began to break down inner walls to hear and feel her true self. + How fear of the unknown can stop us from connecting to who we truly are and what we truly desire. + Monetary sacrifice in the Untangling journey.   RESOURCES + Ignite: Podcasting for Changemakers – the doors to Ignite are now open. + The Art of Money, Bari Tessler + Roaming Soul Apothecary – Dani’s online shop + The Wild Grown Bus Go Fund Me page + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to untangle themselves and remember their gifts.   ABOUT DANI GALLAGHER Dani Gallagher is the folk herbalist behind Roaming Soul Apothecary, a collective of wildcrafted plant medicine respectively harvested with the Earth’s rhythms. She travels along the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in the Midwest Heartland collecting plants, wildcrafting medicine, and working as a shepherdess and consultant with local folk’s animal herds using natural rearing methods. She is often found in the middle of a goat herd, out in a field or garden somewhere, tucked inside a beehive, or set up with her apothecary in her tent at local community events talking deep conversations. It was through these conversations that she felt pulled to start The Full Moon Tribe, a monthly women’s circle nested on a bluff over a mighty river that connects women to their wild nature through plants, storytelling, rhythm and cycles of the moon. She has a deep love and respect for intuitive guidance, protecting wild places, and this ever evolving plant medicine journey which proves more exciting, beautiful, and full of light with every step. Her work with women and the healing power of plants is deepening further still while she is renovating a school bus into a project she calls The Wild Grown Bus. The bus itself will be converted into a full time tiny house and apothecary designed to spend the next two years traveling and continuing working and collecting stories with herbalists, healers, crones, midwives, land stewards, and beekeepers. You can stay up to date on her projects by signing up for her newsletter on her website and by following along with her stories on Instagram page. Connect with Dani at: + Website: roamingsoulapothecary.com + Instagram: @roamingsoulapothecary   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

If you’re a podcast fan, you’re probably familiar with Eric Zimmer, host of the hugely popular and successful The One You Feed podcast. Eric says he was forced into the realm of self-help because he was dying. At the age of 25 he was a homeless heroine addict, facing jail time. Listen in as Eric shares his story from drug addict with no skills, to working in the computer industry, to starting a solar energy company and to finally creating the One You Feed Podcast. We cover such a huge range of topics in this interview but it all boils down to one focussing question – how can we more skilfully work with our emotions and thoughts to create a good life? Eric and I also explore: + What it’s like to live with depression. + How Eric uses meditation and curiosity to create space and distance between his thoughts. + Keeping a mainstream job while still following your passions. + Finding meaning and purpose wherever you are in life. About half way though this episode, Eric and I get into an interesting conversation around balancing passion and purpose with the responsibilities and realities of life. If you’re currently juggling a mainstream job or something to keep the money rolling in while you work on a passion project on the side, this is definitely one you’ll want to take a listen to.   RESOURCES + Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl + Podcast Quick Starter Pack – get notified when the doors to Ignite: Podcasting for Changemakers reopens plus download your free podcast quick starter pack containing a podcast guide, interactive checklists and done-for-you email scripts. + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to untangle themselves and remember their gifts.   ABOUT ERIC ZIMMER Eric Zimmer is the host of The One You Feed podcast. The show features conversations about creating a life worth living and was named a Best of 2014 Podcast by iTunes and one of the best health podcasts of all time by The Huffington Post. Eric has successfully coached hundreds of people from around the world for over 20 years surrounding topics related to sustainable behavior change in their lives. Connect with Eric at: + Website: oneyoufeed.net + Facebook: /1ufeed + Instagram: @one_you_feed   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Here is an interview I’ve been wanting to bring to you for quite some time. I starting ‘stalking’ – in all the good ways – Hoop dance teacher Deanne Love in 2016 when I took up hooping. Instantly, I fell in love with her cheekiness, playfulness and amazing dance moves. It was clear to me, this woman was doing her passion work and I wanted to be around that! So I obsessively watched all her YouTube videos, bought her courses, commented on all her Instagram photos and eventually got up the courage to ask her to come on the show. Deanne says that a hula hoop rolled into her life 10 years ago. She’d quit her job as a primary school teacher, packed up her whole entire life in Australia and moved to Tokyo. Finding herself unhappy in a job singing to babies (yup, you read that right) and incredibly lonely in a foreign city, she took up hooping. Little did Deanne know, her teaching background and her love of hooping would eventually collide to form the foundations of her passion-based business Hooplovers. Deanne and I explore: + Going against the grain, leaving behind a life that looked right on the outside but felt wrong on the inside, to follow her ‘fuck yes’ feeling. + Her wild adventure in Tokyo, her story of discovering hoop dance AND meeting her husband. + How Deanne found her ‘girl gang’ – the women that support and love her. + The fear of rejection when we share our gifts with the world and Deanne’s perspective on moving through the fear anyway. + How she creates a profitable, creative, passion-fuelled business through the power of listening.   RESOURCES + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to untangle themselves and remember their gifts.   ABOUT DEANNE LOVE Deanne Love has launched a global revolution with a hula hoop, calling on all who will listen to “move their body and LOVE it”. Hoopers around the globe tune in to learn from Deanne’s fresh and passionately positive style of hoop dance instruction. The one time primary school teacher and creative founder of Hooplovers.tv shares high energy live and online lessons and hoop teacher education. Strong in the art of streamlined instruction and intuitive facilitation, Deanne turns up the volume on the “feel-good-factor” as a focus of success for all level of hooper. Connect with Deanne at: + Website: hooplovers.tv + YouTube: /hoopfusion + Instagram: @deannelovexo   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Three years ago Frank Jay had poured all his money and more into his business. He’d lost his apartment, was sleeping in his jeep and was showering in gyms. Frank Jay says his family was questioning his life choices and he started to think he should probably go back and get a J-O-B. Listen in as Frank Jay shares his incredible story of choosing faith over fear, putting himself in the way of miracles to turn his life and business around. We explore: + How he continues to chose his truth, even in times of uncertainty and fear. + What to do if you want to live life your way but you have too many responsibilities. + Dealing with negativity from others when we decide to walk a different path. + Choosing faith over fear to put yourself in the way of miracles. + Learning to say no and creating space to find your true self.   RESOURCES + The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle + Into the Woods, Lauren Aletta + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to untangle themselves and remember their gifts.   ABOUT FRANK JAY PORCARO While working in a retirement home at age 18, Frank Jay witnessed people on their death bed regretting their life. This experience opened his eyes to the consequences of the consistent unconscious decisions that most people make throughout their life. Frank Jay saw first hand that the decisions people made that seemed fine in the moment often led to paying a big price later on. He understood clearly that there had to be something more to life than just striving for money, paying the bills, taking care of general responsibilities and accumulating things. In his feeling he knew there was a deeper meaning to it all. This is where his quest began. He followed that inclination and eight years later after overcoming many internal and external obstacles and quickly developing mastery in highly specialized training in the field of self-development, he’s become the co-founder of an advanced communication retreat company called International Tribe Design. He is also an International Speaker and Coach. People from all over the world that are ready to make a personal transformation seek him out and he powerfully facilitates that transformation with them. Frank Jay has positively impacted tens of thousands of lives through his live events in currently 5 countries and 3 continents. Frank Jay deliberately works exclusively with clients that are looking to develop a life that is an exact replica of their character. Frank Jay’s clients are those want go all the way, and be connected to themselves and to their purpose, and to their tribe. They are someone that is ready to grow and recognize that living in service, they give what they’ve become. He is actively traveling the world and living his adventure while speaking to audiences of all ages, facilitating retreats in exotic locations and meeting his 12-month mastery clients in person, globally. Connect with Frank Jay at: + Website: frankjayporcaro.com | internationaltribedesign.com + Facebook: /internationaltribedesign + Instagram: @frankjayporcaro   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Back in 2013, I began one of the biggest untanglings of my life. My relationship had broken down, I was half way through a degree I hated, I felt like I no longer fit into my corporate job and I wasn’t being honest with myself about who I was. What I didn’t know at the time was that this was just the very beginning and I was about to enter into an extremely dark phase, a phase that would last the better part of three years. For three years, I stumbled around in the dark. For three years, I yelled at the Universe for answers while she seemed to just blink back blankly at me. I continually wished I was anywhere else but here, clawing and fighting to get out. But nothing worked. I just had to wait it out. I wish back then, I’d known about Lauren Aletta’s cycle of growth. Because then I would have known that I wouldn’t be in this space forever and that where I was, was a necessary part of my soul evolution and human experience. I know that now, of course. When I look back, I can see why it happened in the way it did. But when I was in it, holy fuck. It felt awful. When Lauren gave me a copy of her new book Into The Woods and I began to read about the cycles of growth, I discovered, just like the seasons, we all experience a winter, spring, summer and autumn. Suddenly everything clicked into place. And that’s why, I’ve invited Lauren onto the show today to talk about the cycles of growth and how understanding our cycles can help us to navigate our soul path. If you feel like you’re in the dark right now or like you can’t quite understand what your soul self is asking of you, this interview is for you. Lauren and I explore: + Cycles of growth and the seasons of your life and how, by identifying where you are at in each season, you can better understand your self and your path. + Why sometimes we have to go to deep dark places of discomfort before we can rebuild from a more aligned, truthful and trusting place. + The sneaky little shadowy creepers that can show up when we’re in transition. + How attuning to your own rhythm and beat can heighten your intuition. + Building a relationship between your soul self and human self. + Committing and devoting to turning up for you, your life and your greatness.   RESOURCES + Into The Woods – grab a copy of Lauren’s new book. + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to untangle themselves and remember their gifts.   ABOUT LAUREN ALETTA Lauren is a seeker and forever curious intuitive, teacher and guide that supports you in connecting with your internal compass, teaching you how to understand and harness your own natural intuitive and energetic system so you can powerfully navigate your life. She’s a spirited writer and speaker, author of the much loved Soul School Monthly resource and workbook series and now the potent and practical guidebook Into the Woods. Lauren is the creator of both the Connected & Free oracle and Lumina tarot card decks that will greet your heart with illumination and insight. She offers a variety of services from workshops and courses, intuitive readings and Soul Food Sessions. Her purpose is revolutionising the way you connect with yourSelf and life by expanding your knowledge and understanding of your own intuitive and energetic abilities. You can find Lauren at Inner Hue, the online spiritual safe haven and home base that provides an abundance of resources to support your adventure of awakening and aligning to your truth in this modern world. Connect with Lauren at: + Website: innerhue.com + Facebook: /inner-hue + Instagram: @innerhue   SPONSOR UNTANGLED If my podcasts have helped you, inspired you or spoken to you, I would be so grateful for your generous contribution. As a one-woman show, in which I do everything myself, your sponsorship – from as little as $1 a month – will help to cover the costs of producing and hosting Untangled plus, eventually with enough support, I hope to release additional episodes and create in-person live untangling events and workshops. This is my dream. To make a contribution, head to the Patreon page here.   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Inspired by some insight I had on my morning walk this morning, today’s episode features just me, jamming on what I’ve learnt during the search for my ‘soul gifts’ over the past 18 months. I share: + How I turned down the volume on the story of “I have no gifts” to see what was really hiding underneath + Why searching outside of myself and looking for answers from other people only lead me further away from my gifts + The subtleties of my gifts and why they are something that I feel, not something that I do. + If you don’t believe you have any gifts, my guidance around how you can start to move past this story (because it is a story. It’s not the truth.)   OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES + How to learn the language of your soul – download your free audio gift. + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to untangle themselves and remember their gifts.   ABOUT ALANA HELBIG Alana Helbig is a women’s podcast mentor and host. She guides women into the heart and essence of their message, igniting powerful conversation through the podcast platform.She is also the author of Ignite: Podcasting for Changemakers. An online program teaching female soul-centred entrepreneurs and bloggers how to create and launch a podcast that is all heart. As the creator and host of Untangled – a hugely popular podcast channel harnessing the ancient and powerful story-telling nature of women in exploring the sacred yet dark aspects of soul awakening – Alana helps thousands of women all over the world cultivate a deeper soul connection and realign back into the magical free-flow of their soul path. Connect with Alana at: + Website: alanahelbig.com + Facebook: /alanahelbigbiz + Instagram: @alana.helbig |   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

Ten years ago, Candy Royalle says she was ‘dying inside’. Using recreational drugs, working in a job she hated, ridden with anxiety and completely disassociated from herself. Candy says she was hiding herself from her family and, well, from herself. She had deeply buried the truth of who she was. In this interview, Candy and I explore: + The mental breakdown she had to have to rebuild herself from a space of truth. + How she found the courage to step out of the corporate world and take steps towards becoming an artist. + How she financially supported herself for two years without an income while she developed herself creatively. + Becoming resiliently vulnerable by breaking down our own self-imposed walls and armour. + The brokenness of our current system. Why so many of us feel like we don’t ‘fit in.’   RESOURCES + Candy’s Patreon page if you’d like to donate and support her work.   OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES + How to learn the language of your soul – download your free audio gift. + Join the Untangled Community Facebook group – a movement of women supporting each other to untangle themselves and remember their gifts.   ABOUT CANDY ROYALLE Candy Royalle is one of Australia’s most prominent performing writers. She is a multi-award winning storyteller, activist, educator, singer and vulnerability advocate who shares confronting, political, human and heart wrenching narratives to audiences all over Australia and the world having performed at innumerable folk, music, writers and arts festivals globally. As a multi-disciplinary artist, she collaborates with film makers, musicians, visual artists, dancers, photographers and others, to bring her work to life. Her opinion pieces have been published in Fairfax, Overland Literary Journal Online and SBS Online and she has been interviewed and profiled in all major news outlets. Connect with Candy at: + Website: candyroyalle.com + Facebook: /candyroyallefanpage + Twitter: @candyroyalle   LOVE AND FEEDBACK If you love this podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a couple of moments, head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review + subscribe to the podcast while you’re there.   WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE TO UNTANGLED You can subscribe to Untangled so you never miss an episode. + Click here to subscribe on iTunes + Click here to subscribe on Stitcher + Click here to subscribe on SoundCloud

At the age of 28, Erfan Daliri finds himself living in his parent's garage. He's divorced, has sold everything he owns  and he's about to undertake a very conscious journey of untangle-ment. In this interview Erfan and I explore: + The series of events that lead him to this point in his life. + How he navigated dark periods of anxiety and depression. + Erfan's great fear of being alone and how he worked with and released this fear. + Why developing our emotional core strength is essential for navigating periods of difficulty. + Learning to turn inwards, rather than looking outside of ourselves or to others for answers. + Healing our planet by balancing the masculine and feminine within all of us.  Plus so much more. Seriously, one of my most favourite discussions to date.  RESOURCES + Paper Planes - Erfan's recently release album  + How to learn the language of your soul - free audio gift ABOUT ERFAN  Erfan Daliri is an internationally toured spoken word artist with a background in engineering, a Graduate Diploma in Communication for Social Change and over a decade of experience in youth work, community development project management, event management and workshop facilitation. As the co-founder of UpUpTrampoline, an events for social change company, much of his work now focuses on empowering, inspiring and activating agents of social change. Whether it be a presenting a master class for creative artists, directing a festival that caters to tens of thousands of patrons or performing on stage, the through line of his work is social change and societal evolution. Website: erfandaliri.com Facebook: /mr.erfan.daliri Instagram: /erfandaliri SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PODCAST If you loved this podcast, subscribe over on iTunes or Stitcher so you never miss an episode.   Complete show notes: alanahelbig.com/untangled15

Lisa Lister, menstrual maven, Hay House author and creator of SHE Flow, says that her untangling arrived in the form of a "kick in the ovaries". Originally a magazine and TV journalist, Lisa could no longer do the work she loved because of incredible period pain and bleeding. She found herself sitting in a doctor's surgery, being told she needed to have her uterus removed. Listen in as Lisa talks about the adventure that unfolded as she learned to understand her personal lady landscape and, eventually began to teach other women how to do the same. Lisa and I also chat about: + Her fear of speaking out and being known as the woman that talks about vaginas and periods. + Why it's so important that women begin to share their stories in a truthful and vulnerable way. + Why understanding our cyclic nature can help us to be more compassionate and understanding of ourselves in each moment. + Why it's essential that  we anchor into our bodies and connect to our womb-space if we are to walk our path and offer up our soul gifts. + Lisa also guides us through a womb breath exercise to help us reconnect to the power that lies between our thighs. Show notes: alanahelbig.com/untangled14

I first came into contact with Mandie Mitchell over a year ago when she reached out to me after discovering She Makes Magic: The Podcast Series. As synchronicity would have it, Mandie and I were walking very similar paths at the time. I'd just left my old life behind and was travelling the vast landscapes of Australia in my campervan. She and her husband Ben had just left their jobs, sold all their possessions and were preparing for their own adventure. I followed Mandie's incredible and soul-guided journey as she and Ben relocated and lived in Bali, the returned to Australia, renovated and lived in a caravan for three months, travelled to Tasmania and finally returned to Western Australia after discovering they were pregnant. In this interview, I ask Mandie to share this entire story. We explore: + How she found the courage to give up her 'safe' life for one of freedom, especially during the early days when the path was unclear. + The magical and synchronistic unfolding that occurred once Mandie and Ben committed to their desires. + Her personal struggle with surrender and trust. + Adopting roles and personas to fit in or to please, especially when we are unsure of what we want and who we really are. + The trap of looking at and comparing yourself to others when you're feeling lost.  + The difficulties of fitting back into 'normal' life after such a huge and life-changing experience. + How the lessons from Bali are now helping her to navigate new and unknown territory - becoming a Mum. + How she's nourished and maintained a beautiful relationship with her husband through all this change  This interview is so powerful because Mandie gives a very real and honest account of her life over the past couple of years. She doesn't sugar-coat it or claim to have all the answers. I think we can all see a little of ourselves in Mandie's journey

This week’s Untangled interview is with DoItGirl’s Sarah Durham Wilson.    I’m going to urge you to put down whatever you are doing and give this podcast the energy and time it deserves.   Sarah talks us through her transition from maiden to queen, from unhealthy masculine to healthy feminine, from fighter to lover, from ego to soul, from darkness into light.     I ask Sarah:   + How do we survive in a masculine orientated world when we're being called to lean into the dark mystery of the feminine? + How do we actually lean into the feminine? + What do we do when we're so deep in darkness we can't hear our own soul?   If you're in the dark or transition or if the masculine in you is dying a slow death, this one is for you. Show notes: alanahelbig.com/untangled8

Ten years ago Erin Telford was working in the glamourous world of fashion. She should have been happy. Fashion had been her life-long dream. Instead she was burnt out and stressed out. Knowing it was time to make a change – but having no idea what to change to – Erin began to pray. Every day, for six months, she prayed to the skies "What am I supposed to do? Please show me my next step. Please show me a sign. Please help me." Then, one unexpected day, wrapped in Jessica Simpson's face on the cover of Elle Magazine, her answer was delivered…   Listen in as Erin shares:  + Her story from strung-out fashionista to blissed-out healer. + The huge amount of debt she incurred to chase her dreams but why she believes this was a necessary part of her growth and transformation. + How she discovered her soul service offering of 'self-love' and why, initially, she thought the whole idea was "gross". + How she finds the faith to continually listen to and follow the guidance of her soul. + Why your "purpose" may not necessarily be super obvious. + How you can move with the divine flow of the Universe while also co-creating all that you desire.   For resources mentioned in this podcast, head to: alanahelbig.com/episode6

In this episode we’re getting untangled with Chris Sitka, lesbian elder and feminist activist. We adventure into: + Her story of coming out as a lesbian in the seventies when the consequences and risks of doing so were high. + How she found the courage to walk her soul path, even when it meant exposing herself to harassment and violence. + Why she believes that wearing a bra, makeup, heels or dressing “feminine” constricts the spirit. + The importance of learning to love and accept yourself exactly as you are. + Her theory on the spiritual purpose of the incarnation of lesbians through ancient cultures to today and the link between the soul and lesbianism. + Patriarchy as a brief part of human history and the archaeological theories that explore periods when women and women’s bodies were highly respected and worshipped. + Why women today are being called to stand in their full power as service to the healing of our planet. This is a really interesting exploration of not just lesbian rights but also women’s rights in Australia during the 50s until now. The conversation could also feel quite shocking, triggering or radical at times so I encourage you to listen to this interview with an open mind and an open heart. For resources mentioned in this podcast, head to: alanahelbig.com/episode3

In this episode we’re getting untangled with Lauren Aletta, Intuitive coach and creator of Inner Hue. We adventure into: + Lauren’s experience with panic attacks, anxiety and burn out at the end of 2015 and what she did to move through this period. + Why boundaries are so important for our creativity, expression and to be our best selves. + Why having a “5-year plan” might not necessarily be the best thing for your soul. + Using curiosity, wonder and self-soothing techniques to explore periods of discomfort and mystery. + How Lauren has learnt the language of her soul and how you can do the same. + How she remains humble and un-egoic as she offers up her soul services. + Why she believes we have entered into the “era of energy” with the next stage of our human evolution being all about tuning into our energetic undercurrents (J-U-I-C-Y). For resources mentioned in this podcast, head to: http://alanahelbig.com/episode2

In this very first episode of Untangled, I’m getting untangled with myself. Ha! As I’ll be asking other women to share their intimate stories, I thought it only fair that I open the series with my own story and share with you where I’m at right now. In this episode, we adventure into: + My seven-year journey of consciously walking my soul path. + What happened when I decided to stop using my head to navigate and started to trust my feelings. + Why I recently quit my job on a whim, with little money in my bank account and no clear idea of what I was to do next. + Why I decided to create Untangled: The Podcast Series. + Why being stuck in my ego disconnected me from my soul and resulted in what I call a “business identity crisis”. + How I’m learning to find the pleasure in all of life, even the painful, fearful and confusing parts. + How dance and hula hooping has helped me to reconnect with my intuition, through the feelings in my body. + What I’ve learnt about navigating the mystery. For resources mentioned in this podcast, head to: http://alanahelbig.com/episode1