Women Gone Vibrant| Ayurveda for midlife & menopause

Have you ever said Yes to an event you really wanted to say No to and then ended up dragging your feet there? I have. Do you tend to take on work although it is not really your job and you don’t get paid extra for it either?…. yep, know that one. Do you keep babysitting for your friend although you really wanted a day off? … I learnt not to. Many of us struggle setting boundaries. Yet setting boundaries skillfully is an integral part to a healthy and happy life. Creating mutually beneficial relationships is based on having explicit ground rules between one another. Being able to say No when we mean No, and being able to say Yes when we mean Yes will let another know where they stand and how much they can ask of you. Boundaries will protect you from burn out, resentment, anger and frustration. So then…I ask..…If setting boundaries is so important why do so many of us struggle to set them? And how can we learn to set them skillfully? Lael Peterson, long time therapist and coach, and I shine some light on the issue.   What you get from tuning in: What purpose do boundaries serve? The negative impact of NOT setting boundaries Why women have such a hard time with saying No Understanding fear and how we misinterpret it How we get caught on the heroine’s journey 3 exercises and tools to help you set boundaries in your life     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Whatever you think and feel has a vibration. Whatever vibration you carry is what you attract. You are probably familiar with the ‘law of attraction’: a law states that “like attracts like” which means whatever you think you attract. This is not wowoo or esoteric. Thoughts are simply energetic patterns that can manifest into reality. In other words our reality is manifested thoughts, our reality is thoughts densified. Taking that as our premise Kelly Mishell and I shoot shine light on how to work with thoughts and emotions to create the life you want and desire. What you get from tuning in: How to create what you want using your mind Tools to change thoughts and emotions to create a better life The Shri exercise to create beauty and positivity in your life Why simply making a choice is powerful in itself. The trigger and perk up list …and why you want to have one “The Wouldn’t it be  nice if…..”exercise     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Bone loss and bone weakening is a major concern for many women especially when getting older. The diagnoses of osteopenia and osteoporosis are dreaded ones not alone because it makes many of us feeling helpless. A year ago, Jackie Prete had been diagnosed with osteoporosis (bone loss) after a bike accident. This was on the heels of dealing with osteopenia (reduced bone mass) for a number of years prior to that. The numbers were very high and the doctors pressured her intently to take drugs. She refused. Jackie shares with us her approach on how she reversed her diagnosis using diet, lifestyle, exercise, Ayurveda and yoga; and how she dealt with the pressures from the medical community.   What you get from tuning in: The difference between building quantity vs quality bone Why digestion is crucially important to healthy bones Holistic strategies to navigate and potentially reverse your diagnosis Jackie’s 20 min routine to keep her bones healthy and reverse bone loss The role of the mind in bone loss One crucial mind practice to strengthen the bones The mathematical equation of osteoporosis explained How to be your own best doctor       Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

As if pregnancy, childbirth and menopause wasn’t enough fun for women, there are a whole set of challenges associated with our female parts. 1 in 3 women experience some form of pelvic floor disorder. That’s a significant 33%. Think uterine and bladder prolapse, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, yoni flatulence or rectal incontinence. In a study from 2007 with close to 9,000 women it was shown that ….. 25% of women experience rectal incontinence 15% stress incontinence of the bladder 29% had multiple surgeries because of pelvic floor disorders 38% farting/flatus out of the yoni 6% pelvic organ prolapse Pelvic floor disorders aren’t discussed much in our society and many women have to suffer in silence. Imagine not being able to have sex due to pain. Or having to wear diapers because of leaking. Or the deep embarrassment that comes with leaking stool. Leslie Stager shares her insight and experience as a holistic pelvic floor specialist. Pelvic floor work is not sexual, sensual, clinical or painful. It is a therapeutic approach to bring attention and healing into the private parts of our body.   What you get from tuning in: Sexy & feminine names for your vagina What is pelvic floor work Conditions pelvic floor work can help you heal Specific dance & movement exercises to free the pelvic floor Kegel exercises: helpful for not? Daily self-care practices to heal your pelvic floor     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Menopause is a birthing process that, when embraced consciously, will help us transform into the powerful, authentic wise elders that our society needs so badly. In other words, menopause is an opportunity for women to transform into wise crones. Many women dread menopause. They dread the hot flashes, night sweats, gaining weight, mood swings, hormonal changes, getting old and whatever else comes with the menopausal transition. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right tools, menopause can be the doorway into wisdom, insight and intuition. Menopause is a metamorphosis and can be a wonderful unfolding process into a beautiful butterfly. Cathy Skipper works with the spiritual transformation of midlife using the process outlined by Carl Jung. As an aromatherapist she also works with essential oils to make the journey more graceful and easeful.   What you get from tuning in: The 7 alchemical stages of menopause Strategies to work with the stages gracefully Making friends with our inner masculine Healing the feminine ancestral line     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

  In the US, 1 in 5 women of childbearing age do not have children. That is a significant 20%. Given the historic role as women as mothers and the fact that a woman’s body is designed to create life, it is still tough for many women to swallow being childless. Emotions may go wild. Grief takes over. Going to blessing ways becomes an agony. Kathleen Woods and I talk our way from what it means to be a childless woman, to how to deal with our emotions, and arrive at plan B.   What you get from tuning in: Understanding and compassion for being a childless woman how to let go of plan A and live plan B How to navigate emotions that commonly arise when being childless What to do with invitations to friend’s blessing ways How to view the thought “If I don’t have children, I am not a real woman” Ancestral DNA, karma  and the shame of being a childless woman 52 nudges to arrive and live plan B       Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Our sexuality, creativity, vital life force energy and the way we digest trauma are intrinsically interlinked. Krista Woroschuk and I shoot the breathe on how we can arrive in our bodies, unravel our sexuality and unleash our creative potential. What you get from tuning in: The link between trauma, vital life force energy and sexuality    5 Strategies to drop into the body to release trauma and access your sexuality and vital life force energy    Debunking the myth about women becoming less sexually desirable after 40    What is trauma and when are we most impressionable to it    How holding on to stories prevents us from healing our emotions    The relationships between emotions, sexuality and water element    The women’s movement of marrying yourself     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Emotional eating, eating disorders and body image issues are an inter-generational phenomena. It starts with children, spans across teenagers and young adults and can go way into old age. What is it about food that has such an attraction that so many of us use it like a drug or refrain from using it at all? Carolyn Ross MD shares her personal story around healing from a severe diagnosed disease and what lessons she has learnt. She now applies those lessons and her knowledge from integrative medicine with her patients who suffer from food addiction and eating disorders. What you get from tuning in: What attracts or repels us so much about food The pleasure loop How Dr. Carolyn overcame chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia holistically The cause and commonality in all types of food disorders The link between black and white thinking and food disorders Early warning signs of food disorders       Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

The Healing is the personal story of Saeeda Hafiz and a true page-turner. Saeeda is an African American woman who grew up in impoverished conditions and an abusive family. Her idea out of misery was to uplevel herself into the middle class. While having been successful career wise in most people’s perception, she yearned for more. A cooking class opened her eyes to more than just the normal sense of success. She started exploring natural healing methods, in particular food as medicine and yoga as a pathway to more happiness. Saeeda discovered that being truly happy is not only about having more money and a better career but that releasing undigested thoughts, feelings and traumas from the past are a crucial component to being joyful at the core. Yoga and her food choices led the way.   What you get from tuning in: The real life story of how Saeeda transformed her life from trauma to happiness Inspiration on how food is a powerful medicine to shift you out of trauma Sugar – the ally that keeps you stuck Yoga as the pathway to shifting out of unhealthy relationship patterns 3 top qualities for transforming bad experiences into acceptance The gem of the present moment   Purchase the book The Healing on Amazon here. It’s a great read.     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year.  It is one of the yearly invitations to tune into the rhythms of nature. Some peoples say that at the winter solstice the moon gives birth to the sun. It is the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one. The dark gives way to the light. The word solstice is a combination of the latin word sol, which means sun. It also refers to the sun god. The second part of the word, sistere, means to stand still.  Thus, during the solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky as seen from the earth. Another way to look at it is, that the solstice celebrates the end of a gigantic six month exhale and the beginning of a massive six month inhale. And with every breath there is a bit of a pause at the end, a waiting period. The end of the gigantic exhale is an invitation from nature to go inward, regenerate and renew. It is a beautiful opportunity to self reflect and enjoy the beauty of darkness. Yet, in an effort to turn inward, society and culture gives us an outward pull. Think parties, get togethers, gift buying, celebrations. Annie and I discuss what the winter solstice means to us in general and how to deal with the outward pull of society.   What you get from tuning in: A deeper connection to the cycles of nature Why you should care about the year’s massive inhale and exhale cycle The Yin-Yang cycle of the year…and how it affects your choices The four corners of the year What questions to ask yourself on the solstice to set yourself up for a healthy and happy new year Strategies on how to tackle society’s outward vs nature’s inward pull.     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

  If you are like most people eating healthy and well is high on your new year’s resolution list. Is it? That’s not surprising. After all, good food is a foundational piece to lasting health and happiness. With bad food we feel blah, bloaty, uninspired. Who wants that? With good food we feel uplifted and inspired. I attest to it. Well, I hate to break the news to you, but if you want to feed yourself well, home cooked food is essential for a peaceful and harmonious mind … and a vibrant body of course. Are you cringing? Does cooking at home sound like a whole lot of work? Hold your horses and read on … If you are a person who eats out a lot you have very little control about what goes into your body (and mind). Restaurants typically get their ingredients from big suppliers who give a d&*% about where they source their food from. The main goal is to keep costs down so you can eat affordably. It’s likely that you eat artificial ingredients,  hormone fed beef and unorganic lettuce. Those ingredients ain’t creating ease and peace. When eating out, you also have no control over the emotions that go into your food. Yep that’s right? The emotions of the cook go right into your food. And having worked in restaurants, I know what a stressful environment kitchens are. How is that creating a peaceful mind for the eater? Check out my conversation with Alec Hurley on that. When cooking at home you have way more control over what goes into your body. Now, if you are anything like me you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I am way into simple, easy and delicious. That’s why I talked to Kate O’Donnell who has written two Ayurvedic cookbooks. They are filled with simple recipes that take less than 30 min to prep, are  nourishing and tasty. Yahoo Kate. Well done. I chat with Kate about the ins and out of everyday cooking and how it impacts our minds. What you get from tuning in: The 3 states of the mind The types of food that create harmony in the mind Why seasonal eating makes sense The impact of cookies and holiday treats on the mind Inspiration that cooking can be simple and time saving How to overcome food cravings … using the fire boys     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

This is a practical episode about food to help you stay on the bandwagon of healthy eating during the winter holidays. For most of us, winter holidays mean lots of cookies, home-baked goods, many parties and lots of alcohol. And with it comes what? You guessed it, tight fitting pants and a sluggish, heavy digestion. In the last episode we talked about the 3 phase holiday feasting strategy. If you have not listened to that episode, do it now. Then tune in here to get four satisfying recipes to PREP FOR and RECOVER from the feast. What you get from tuning in: 4 recipes to recover from winter holiday parties The digest-ability scale and why you need to care The eat light, eat simple, eat veg principle How to find healthy feasting recipes      Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Holidays and celebrations feed our soul. They are a way for us to honor the abundance of earth and connect with friends and family. On the downside, the holidays present us with  tons of temptations. Think cookies, home baked sweets, elaborate feasts. Can you already feel your pants getting tighter just thinking about it? And on top of it, you may be wondering if you should make another hole in your belt to accommodate all those goodies. As soul feeding and nourishing as the holidays may be, feeling heavy, sluggish and bogged down by all the goodies is no fun. Proper feasting takes some skill and awareness. In this podcast, I share with you how I approach the holidays and feasting in general. You can apply the principles I am sharing to any feast really…..may it be your birthday celebration, your 20th wedding anniversary or your nieces wedding…you get the idea. What you get from tuning in: The 3 phases of feasting The 80/20 rule and how to apply it to the holidays The pre- and post holiday meal schedule 5 simple strategies to feast right This is to loose fitting pants and lightness of being.     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

This is the story of how Jackie Prete healed herself from a traumatic accident and how you can too. She found herself in excruciating pain and motionless in a hospital bed after being run over on her bike. The prospect was dire. Her shattered leg may leave her unable to walk, teach yoga, being potentially deformed for life and/ or permanently on crutches. Not a sunny outlook for anyone but especially dire for someone whose livelihood depends on teaching yoga and movement. A four hour surgery put her body back together. Her resilience and strong belief that she will heal carried her through mentally and emotionally. Simple and down to earth practices from Yoga and Ayurveda, diet & lifestyle practices were integral to her healing as well. Today Jackie travels worldwide again to share the power of yoga asana, diet and lifestyle practices.   What you get from tuning in: 5 simple strategies to work with the body and mind after an accident How to use yogic practices to heal more quickly from a severe accident The role of chanting & mantra in the healing process (if you don’t know what that is you definitely want to find out about it in this podcast) The big lesson of receiving The role of rest, love and space in recovery What Jackie most needed from helpers during recovery (you might need that too) Yoga postures during the recovery process The countless blessings of a traumatic accident The power of community       Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

We are talking about clothes of all things. What me? Yes. That’s right. Clothes and everything that comes with it, shoes, accessories, jewelry is important to many women. Period.  And clothes are something that in the world of yogis, with whom I have been hanging out, has often been suppressed and shunned. After all the development of the soul is more important, right?…..and what do clothes have to do with that? Well, truth be told, a lot. The way you dress reflects a level of self confidence, self worth and self love. Clothes reflect your identity and who you are as a person. Clothes also express what you want to experience at any moment in time. Remember a day when you were in pyjamas all day? You were probably going for comfort and snuggle time. Now imagine a day where you dressed up, in a beautiful and carefully chosen dress, adorned with jewelry and maybe high heels (likely not me, but you get the point). Were you going on a date?  You probably felt immediately more powerful, worthy and self confident. And what is more, dressing right can make you be seen and heard as who you are. Authentically. If you want to be heard and seen (even though part of you is resistant) you need to listen to this conversation.   What you get from  tuning in: How your clothes impacts your self-confidence, self-worth and self-love The interrelationship between appearance/dress, habits and identity The wrong pieces of clothes take away from you The impact of color on your energy And some joyful laughter….     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Most of us have no concept around what it means to invest in ourselves. You may have invested in your career or maybe in a house but have you truly invested in yourself? I venture to say that most people SPEND on themselves but not INVEST. Hahh? What’s the difference? You will find out in this podcast and way more on what is holding you back from creating more happiness and joy in your life. You can read more on this on my blog “The 3 biggest reasons why we don’t invest in ourselves & how we can” What you get from tuning in: The difference between investing and spending on yourself What you get from investing in yourself The 3 biggest reasons that is holding you back from investing in yourself The Hell Yes concept The top tool I use to decide what to invest in     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Divorce suck but life doesn’t have to. Getting divorced is not a failure. Getting divorced can be a massive opportunity for growth. There are no mistakes in life. There is only lessons learnt. But truth be told a relationship death can also be tremendously heartbreaking. Using the language of “getting un-married” versus “getting divorced” is one way of signaling that you are ready to empower yourself as a woman. Blooming after marriage is a skill than can be learnt. Daniella, psychotherapist and transformational coach, shares her journey through her own divorce, what feminine empowerment means to her and how to cultivate it.   What you get from tuning in: The lessons one can learn from divorce How to move from ‘once married’ to ‘empowered’ The power of receiving without guilt What it means to be a woman in her feminine energy Danielle’s top strategies to deal with grief caused by divorce How to step into your inner queen How to attract a high quality partner How to untangle co-dependent relationships     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Elise makes bold claims on the front flap of her book Superager. She says: You can look younger, have more energy, a better memory, and live a long and healthy life. First of all, what in the world is a superager? And how come she feels so confident about claiming that we can all be one? Elise is answering all those questions plus she shares inspiring stories of wise elders. We also talk about how aging has changed over time and what it means to age today. You can be a wild, wise, vibrant one too at age 70, 80, 90 and beyond. There is many things you can do for that. “ According to those born on Okinawa, the island with the most centenarians in the world, our Ikigai is the reason we get up in the morning. Our Ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us, and finding it requires a patient search.” Elise Marie Collins   What you get from tuning in: What the heck is a Superager? The inspiring story of May Musk and other women How has aging changed over time and what does it mean for us today The role of Ikigai as you age (and what is Ikigai anyway? And why should you care?) Creative solutions to aging in your own space   “If there is a will, there’s a way”. In 2015, at age 99, Doreetha Daniels graduated from college with an associate degree in Social Sciences. She suffered several health setbacks along the way, but she never gave up. Doreetha is a living testament to the saying “if there is a will, there is a way”. From book Superager, pg 206. Getting older is inevitable. Aging is optional!       Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Finding your feminine essence in a masculine world is not an easy feat. It’s a discovery, it’s a curiosity. As women, regardless of sexual orientation, we carry a watery nature, an essence, a juiciness and creativity that has been given to us by nature. We can create and birth a human being. Menstruation is one way the body expresses that power. Amenorrhea, or the absence of menses, during a time in our lives when we are expected to have it aka when we are not postmenopausal, is a sign of imbalance. A sign, that points toward something undiscovered. Kristen so thoughtfully shares how she is peeling away the layers to find her feminine essence; how she willingly sets her PhD-achiever-self aside and embraces the softness and flow of the feminine.   Your feminine essence is already there. You just need to find it.   What you get from tuning in: What living in your feminine feels like How to tap into your watery, unctuous, feminine nature Why menstruating is divine and important even if you don’t want to have children Practices to step into your feminine essence The “Art of Pause Meditation” by Maya Tiwari   Stop deciding how to move your body. Instead ask your body “how do you want to be moved”?       Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

18% of the US population suffers from generalized anxiety. That’s almost 1/5 of the population. That’s huge. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet less than 40% of those suffering receive treatment. Hand in hand with anxiety often comes depression. Yikes.   I had severe anxiety in my early to mid 20s, too. So did Jamie. We have walked the path and came out the other end way more grounded and self confident. Jamie used to be on anti- depressants and was frequently so anxious she would cancel a yoga class she was scheduled to teach last minute. Looking at Jamie today, you see a firm and empowered woman across the table.   Yoga and Ayurveda offer simple, low cost and no-side-effect tools. We share with you what worked and still works for us.   “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”  Amit Ray, Om Chanting and Meditation   What you get from tuning in: The difference between constructive vs. crippling anxiety The mental attitude you need to adopt to emerge from your anxiety How Jamie weaned off her anti-anxiety medication and how you might be able to do it too The vortex of healing vs the vortex of disease The role of Yoga and Ayurveda in generalized anxiety The traits of anxiety Vulnerability as a pathway out     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

This is part 2 or my heartwarming and inspiring conversation with Sam Norman about her lifelong healing crisis with autoimmune disease and thyroid cancer. She has shifted from rock bottom to a place of peace, acceptance and deep inner healing. At the expense of repeating myself, here is what Sam’s journey is about: When you look at Sam Norman today you would never guess that she has endured over 30 years of chronic health crisis. Since the first year of her life, she has been in constant companionship of doctors. At age 1, she was diagnosed with severe digestive challenges. Hashimoto’s disease was diagnosed at age 13, a vascular autoimmune diagnosis came at age 27, thyroid cancer at 31. She has had seven surgeries throughout her life including a brain surgery at age 9. She was convinced several  times that she was going to die. Her case was so interesting, the doctors asked her to be a “case study”. She agreed but started feeling like a number. Growing up in a loving family of medical practitioners, with  her parents being an MD and a nurse, her treatment plan included all but Western medical protocols until the age of 21. Western medicine saved her life yet she was far from being healed. When she got the cancer diagnosis at age 31 she hit rock bottom. And the only place to go when you sink that low is to rise up. Cancer led her to seek out other avenues for support, other healing methods, a different viewpoint. What she yearned for was to been seen, to be asked “How is Sam?” Tune in to hear Sam’s heartwarming, and incredible story of healing. If Sam can heal, so can you!   What you get from tuning in: How a Western Doctor healed his severely mentally diseased patients with a traditional Hawaiian practice Aligning with life vs disease The difference between treating a disease vs. healing it How to know you have been healed The power of following your deep inner guidance vs the order of your doctor The mental record of “you could do better’ and the role of self love The vibratory levels of emotions The necessity of embracing your emotions       Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

When you look at Sam Norman today you would never guess that she has endured over 30 years of chronic health crisis. Since the first year of her life she has been in constant companionship of doctors. At age 1, she was diagnosed with severe digestive challenges. Hashimoto’s disease was diagnosed at age 13, a vascular autoimmune diagnosis came at age 27, thyroid cancer at 31. She has had seven surgeries throughout her life including a brain surgery at age 9. She was convinced several  times that she was going to die. Her case was so interesting, the doctors asked her to be a “case study”. She agreed but started feeling like a number. Growing up in a loving family of medical practitioners, with  her parents being an MD and a nurse, her treatment plan included all but Western medical protocols until the age of 21. Western medicine saved her life yet she was far from being healed. When she got the cancer diagnosis at age 31 she hit rock bottom. And the only place to go when you sink that low is to rise up. Cancer led her to seek out other avenues for support, other healing methods, a different viewpoint. What she yearned for was to been seen, to be asked “How is Sam?” Tune in to hear Sam’s heartwarming, and incredible story of healing.   What you get from listening in: How Yoga and Ayurveda shifted her outlook on health and healing The happy marriage of Western Medicine and Eastern medicine The importance of knowing different healing modalities so you can make wise choices for your body The power of attitude and shifting your focus from “this is as good as it will get” to “What is right for me today?” The origin of disease The danger of positivity. Yes, that’s right!! the danger of positivity The use of breath, mantra  and affirmations not only as a lifeline and anchor of hope, but as a deep healing tool The practice of Ho’oponopono and how it changed Sam’s life     Visit my Website  Join my private Facebook Group  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Before you dive into this episode listen to What is health: part 1 and What is health: part 2. Yahoo, we continue our conversation around What Is Health. Today, we talk all about the 5 layers of our being. Yep, that’s right we consist of five distinct layers not just one.   You have, of course heard about the body-mind-spirit approach. Dah, right? But what does that mean exactly?  It’s a bit of an aloof concept if you ask me. It sounds good, but without breaking it down to what it exactly is, it holds little juice. I will get practical with you about how to feed each of those layers.   You feed your physical body, don’t you? Think food, exercise, sleep. Maybe you get a massage once in a while. Well, the other 4 layers need to be fed too. But how do you do that? Listen in and find out. Because you need to feed each of  those layers abundantly to create the YOU that is alive, vibrant and irresistibly beautiful.   What you get from tuning in: The 5 layers of our body The food & medicine to keep your five layers healthy     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Loving oneself is not an easy task. Many of us have to cultivate it. Trauma, experiences and belief systems are in the way to truly tap into the heart felt warmth for ourselves that we may already feel for others.   How much do YOU love yourself? Andrea made the choice of leaving a promising career behind in favor of taking care of herself and her Self. Today she bathes in an abundance of self love. She shares with us her trials and tribulations and the top three strategies that allowed her to embrace herself the way she is.   What you get from tuning in: The reassurance that self love can be cultivated How to use your older Self to mentor yourself today Using inter-generational friends as inspiration to grow and thrive External approval and affirmation can be helpful but are ultimately crutches to achieving self love guru = teacher, heaviness, heavy with wisdom Judgement kills self love the link between romantic love and loving yourself Self love is a choice What self love, self worth and money intersect How to cultivate self love      Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy      

Health is hard to define. It is many layered. Just as we humans are complex so is the definition of health. Every medical profession has their own definition. In part 1 of  “what is health” we discussed the allopathic definition of health and the 6 stages of disease manifestation. In this episode, we look at the Ayurvedic definition of health. Ayurveda looks to the Sanskrit word svastha to define health. Svastha means ;to be established in the Self”.  It leaves us with a philosophical debate on what health entails. Another way to describe health comes from one of the ancient Ayurvedic texts called Sushruta Samhita. The definition goes like this. sama doṣāh samāgniś ca sama dhātu mala kriyaḥ prasannātmendriya manāḥ svastha ityabidhīyate Sushruta Samhita, 15.38   One who is established in Self, who has balanced doshas (of Vata, Pitta and Kapha), balanced agni (digestive fire), properly formed dhātus (tissues), proper elimination of malas (waste products), well functioning bodily processes, and whose mind, soul, and senses are full of bliss, is called a healthy person. To find out what this exactly means, listen to this episode. Health is wealth   Two Ayurvedic definitions of health The complexity of what it means to be healthy Svastha = to be established in the Self The capital S self = our higher Self, our undying self; the place where we have access to our power The small S self = our lower self, it’s our ego self      Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy    

  What is health. No really, what is it? We throw around the term all the time. You probably wish for abundant health at major junctions in your live. At birthdays, new year, whenever someone asks you. But do you ever stop to think what it really means to be well and what it all entails? Pause right now and think: What does health mean to YOU? What words would YOU choose to describe it. The definition of health from the  Western medicine perspective is “the absence of symptoms” or “the absence of disease”.  Kind of a dry perspective if you ask me. And the question arises what kind of symptoms we are talking about? Those symptoms that jump right at your face? Those that cause me so much pain, they are hard to ignore? And do we include those that are so subtle we hardly notice them? And what about symptoms in the mind? Are they included? Many questions, I know. I attempt to answer them by outlining to you the 6 stages of disease as they are taught in Ayurveda. Knowing these six stages helped me a lot to place where I am at on my healing journey and what measures I needed to take to get me back to balance. There are degrees or levels of feeling well. Have you noticed? What you get from tuning in: The definition of health from the Western medical perspective The 6 stages of disease What symptoms are related to each of the six stages When to plug into those stagest to create health How long it takes to reverse the disease process   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy    

Five percent of the world’s population suffers from depression. It is common after giving birth aka postpartum depression and when transitioning through menopause. Then there is seasonal affective disorder where depression rises with the lack of sunlight. Followed by severe depression in the form of bipolar disorders and manic depressive illness. Depression is a common human experience. Getting out of depression depends a lot on what choice we make. Are we choosing the light or the darkness. This sounds overly simplistic, but ultimately what it comes down to according to Or Sahar’s experience. What thoughts, words and actions are you choosing to align yourself with? Having gone through periods of depression myself, I know that while in the darkness it is incredibly hard to make a choice but I also know it is possible. And I also know that there are tools and practices we can do to clear ourselves of those negative emotions. One of which is to detox your body regularly. Or Sahar shares her trials and tribulations through depression. At one point she admitted herself to mental hospital as she felt dangerous to herself. But through the tools and practices of yoga she built herself a stable foundation to navigate dark times by herself and with the tools in her toolbag. Interestingly, her name Or Sahar means “the light of the dawn”. What you get from listening: The role of yoga in navigating depression Changing your outlook = liberation = reduces depression The diagnosis of bipolar disorder does not have to be a life sentence The power of watching, embracing and changing your thoughts Curing vs. healing What does practicing mean? Non-violence as a pathway to navigate depression How toxic speech harms our mental well-being Practice as an invitation not an obligation   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy Create a clean, clear and clutterfree body Apply for Rejuv Camp  

Food is about more than just taste. Food is nourishment for the five layers of our being. It impacts not only your physical body, but our minds, emotions and spirit as well. Many factors play a role: the prana or lifeforce in the food, the quality of the soil, the attitude of the cook and the mindset with which we eat our food. Shifting  your attention away from solely tasting food to asking yourself  “how does my body want to be nourished today” and “how does earth intent to nourish me today” provides for a completely different approach and culinary experience. Food can either facilitate connection or it can hinder it. Food can make us feel deeply connected, nourished and loved. It can either make us feel alive or dead. As Dr. Seuss said: “If we eat dead food, we feel deadened”. I add: “If we eat alive food, we feel alivened”. Alec and I rap around the idea of food facilitating an experience of life. And who better to talk to than Alec, who is not only a culinary artist but also a yogi who is tapped into the subtler realms of existence.   What you get from tuning in: How to choose food for it’s resonance rather than solely for its taste How to satisfy cravings The 5 sheaths of our existence and how we can feed them How the attitude and attention of the cook impacts your food and body How mindset about eating food impacts your level of nourishment 3 simple practices to make food more wholesome   When IM-balanced, we crave what keeps us OUT of balance. When  IN balance, we crave what keeps us IN balance.   What do you need to feel nourished?     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

The average age of menopause is 51 in the US. Entering menopause before 40 is considered premature and brings with it a higher risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Brodie Welch, herself an accomplished Chinese Medical practitioner, Yoga Health Coach and carrier of wisdom entered menopause prematurely at the age of 35. She shares her story. And she shares the advice she gives to herself and the wisdom she passes on to her patients.   “The body gives us interesting puzzles to figure out” Brodie Welch What you get from tuning in: The cycle of 7 Reasons why the hormonal well and juice gets drained The jet plane vs. the helicopter version of menopause Menopause as a lower gear metabolism The monthly yin and yang cycle of a woman The answer to “What does being empowered about your health mean?”   “Menopause is not enough coolant in your system to hold the rising heat” Brodie Welch     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

  The four stages of life describe our focus, aim and role in life over a 100 year time span. They were outlined in ancient Indian texts. Being able to verbalize the four stages and what they are about helps us become more conscious and choose our orientation, engagement, actions and attitude in a certain phase. In a way, knowing them gives us permission to be who we are and focus on what is present in the particular stage we find ourselves in.   The four stages are: Brahmacharya or student/bachelor Grihasta or householder Vanaprastha or forest dweller Sannyasa or renunciation Each stage comes with a certain focus or aim.   What You get from tuning in: An understanding the 4 stages of life and how it shapes your role How the stages influence your actions, attitudes and orientation Permission to be who you are in each phase The transition from material focus to spiritual focus     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Trauma is an integral part of human life. We have all had trauma to varying degrees, some more severe than others. On the severe end, think domestic violence, war, physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault or  loss of a loved one. But trauma can also be more subtle maybe caused by a divorce or a minor accident. In fact, life starts with a trauma called birth. Could you call it anything else, when you are trying to squeeze your head through a tight canal? Looking at the definition of the word, trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Our brains and nervous system can get severely impacted causing the body to go into fight, flight or freeze mode. This in turn can cause hormonal imbalances, digestive issues and so much more. Clearing trauma out of our tissues is an integral part of healing ourselves. Bringing attention and intention to it brings freedom to our soul and aliveness to our body. Schuyler shares with us her own journey from trauma through alcohol and cigarette addiction to a healthier life. She also shares what it takes, from a yogic and Ayurvedic perspective, to heal trauma. What You get from tuning in: The 3 different types of trauma Signs and symptoms of trauma How the brain is impacted by trauma or PTSD The 3 parts of the brain and nervous system involved The link between the nervous system, hormones and chakras (energy centers) 3 components of healing trauma naturally and holistically The magnetic vortex of healing   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Every woman goes through menopause, whether she wants to or not. Of course, that only applies if she gets old enough.     Although discussing this phase of life openly becomes less and less taboo with every year, we still don’t get all that much information from our elders, books aside. I don’t know about you but while my Mom is willing to share when I ask, I also have to pull every detail out of her nose.   In this podcast, I want to clear up the fundamental question of “What is menopause” exactly. It can get kind of confusing as some women (and health care practitioners) refer to it as a point in time, while others refer to it as a phase in their lives.   So let’s get it straight.     What you get from tuning in: The 4 phases of menopause Is Menopause a phase or a point in time? What symptoms may show up?     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Marcia Wilson grew up to be a biochemist (=gross body awareness) and evolved into a yogi (=subtle body awareness). She tells her story of how those two intricate studies inform her life, health and happiness as she moves through her 40s. Midlife and menopause are often referred to as The Big Change; Subtle awareness is crucial for staying healthy and making life sustainable in this stage. In Ayurveda, we distinguish six stages of disease. Western medicine is only able to detect an imbalance in stage five which means when the imbalance is way manifested already. Being tuned into your body will help you detect symptoms much earlier, prevent disease and create the body and life you want. Ayurveda and Yoga help you do that. We explore the notion of what is sustainable in the mid-stage of life and beyond. Our daily practices and lifestyle choices need to honor the big change so that our nervous system can relax and our body can find back to equilibrium. If we were to ignore the subtle signs we would likely find ourselves in a place of dis-ease down the road. Chemicals are being released by emotions; and emotions are influenced by the environment we create for ourselves. We have a choice. We can create how we feel. What You get from tuning in:    How subtle awareness informs our journey through midlife    The impact of studying biochemistry (gross body awareness) vs studying a body centered science like yoga (subtle body awareness)    The power of language to become your own healer…. no language, no power    The importance of saying “Hell No” to things that no longer serve us    The difference between spending and investing    3 essential tools we need to navigate our health and life in a skillful way.     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Almost 60% of Americans make new year’s resolutions but only 9% feel they are successful in achieving them (from Statistic Brain). This number is way too low for my taste. And I also know that it doesn’t have to be like that. Are you amongst those setting resolutions but never really making them a reality? Do you fail miserably in implementing what you set yourself out to do at the beginning of the year? Or, maybe you don’t fail, but you would like to have a more straightforward, grounded and efficient process of implementation? There is a method to the madness. Turning resolutions into heartfelt intentions, heartfelt intentions into actionable goals, and actionable goals into tiny habits is a clear strategy to turn lofty resolutions into earthy reality. Manifesting your dreams after all, it turns out, isn’t all that difficult. In my teens and early 20s, I termed resolutions bollocks. Then, I became a yogi and learnt to set intentions. I worked with them for years and frankly, they got me quite far. Intentions connected me to my heart’s desires and narrowed my path in a way that propelled me forward. Now that I have learnt about goal setting and habit evolution, however, I realize that using a triad of intention, goal setting and habits will get me to my desired destination a lot faster. And I mean a.lot.faster. Having a clear action plan sets the wheels of the universe in motion. And because you are taking part in the intention download, goal setting and habit picking you get to be in the driver’s seat of your life.  And that applies to all areas of your life: health, relationships, finances, career, family, fun…. you name it. What You get from tuning in: The distinction between resolution, intention and goals The importance of connecting to your heartfelt desire How to turn intentions into smart goals The triad of intention, goals and habits to create your dreams Note this: SMART stands for S = specific M = measurable A = achievable R = relevant T = time bound Register for the FREE webinar “Resolution to Reality”. Wed, January 24, 2018, 11 am - 12.15 pm PST     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Travelling can be uprooting and nerve wrecking for the most robust of us. With the holidays right around the corner you may find yourself in a car, airplane or, if you are amongst the nogaltics, in a train towards destination “loved ones”. Having traveled extensively myself over the past 20 years I know how uncomfortable plane seats and gas station toilets can be. You may arrive feeling molded to the cushion you sat on for the past however many hours. Arriving exhausted, with an aching body and overstretched mind is the last thing you want when visiting auntie Sue and uncle Tom for Christmas (or Thanksgiving or any other important occasion). From an Ayurvedic perspective travel is Vata aggravating which means the air and ether elements go all out of sorts. For your body that means constipation, headaches, hard stools, dry skin, dry eyes and whatever other ailments come with dehydration. And if that’s not enough, your nerves may be a wreck, you feel overwhelmed and anxious. You are way overstimulated. Well, let’s say this: it doesn’t have to be like that if you put a few practices and strategies in place. And guess what, I am not even talking about extensive practices like meditation and such.(although that would be great). I am just talking about switching up a few things to make travels more easeful. In this episode, I share with you my seven, most precious tips from Ayurveda that I have personally applied over the years.     What You get from tuning in: The impact of travelling on your body and mind and what to do about it The simple equation: Like increases like, opposites reduce each other and how we can use this formula to travel skillfully. Seven precious travel tips from Ayurveda to keep your body grounded and mind calm   Download the Wisdom Sheet     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

  Work can take over. Life can take over, leaving little room for fun and relaxation. That is if we are not intentional about how we use time and implement strategies to direct our day.   Annie is the mother of 2, well-preneur, yoga health coach and someone who intentionally creates ease in her life. She walks her talk. We chat about key tools to become master of your time, get a S#%! load done and create more room for quiet and fun.   We usually think of time as a fixed entity. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day, 52 weeks in a year and 365 days. It’s fixed, right? Not really. When looked at time from a different angle we notice that time is expandable and contractible. Have you ever tried to sit still for 5 minutes, say trying to meditate, and those 5 minutes seemed like an eternity? Yet, if you used those same 5 minutes to get something “important” done those minutes would fly by?   We can  harness time by being intentional about how we use it. I like to think about the different areas of life like burners on a stove. There is a family burner, work burner, fun burner, chore burner, partner burner  and so on. On a daily, weekly and monthly basis I plan which burner I want to turn up.  I make a conscious choice. And by choosing I create ease. (And YES, you can do that too. You are not a slave to your work, husband, family, circumstances and whatever else you believe is in the way of feeling easeful).     Calm, ease and peace are not the end result of success or having achieved an empty to do list. Calm, ease and peace are the way.   What you get from tuning in: What is work life balance? No, honestly. What is it really? The concept of burners and allocating your time consciously How to bookend your day to get a S#%!  load done AND have spare time How to “play the accordion” of self care skillfully How to manage your family to achieve work life balance Download the Wisdom Sheet   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Tracey was obsessed about menopause. It is all she could talk about once she hit that phase in her life. Tracey grew up in a family where topics like menopause was not exactly a topic to be discussed. Think British and think proper. Once she entered this phase herself she had no clue how to relate her symptoms with a possible diagnosis until hot flashes hit her. Aha, might this be the great transition? Her Western medical doctor confirmed that she indeed had entered the peri-menopausal phase.  That’s when her obsession started. To be fair, it was a cute and positive obsession, but it was an obsession. She gobbled up books and researched like crazy. It was all so fascinating. It was not until she visited her Ayurvedic doctor, however,  that she stopped identifying with the label and actually realized she could do something about it. Instead of giving up her power to an outside person she took matters in her own hand and empowered herself along the journey. In this podcast, she shares with us her trials, insights and tribulations and how she came out the other end wiser and more attuned to her body than she ever has been. What You get from tuning in: What symptoms you might encounter during menopause The concept of hormone disruptors, what they are and how to avoid them How culture can impact your menopause experience How menopause is lived in Bahrain, an island near Saudi Arabia   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

The Bathroom is central station for grooming, vanity and healing. It is also a place to relief ourselves physically - think poop and urine - and calm down emotionally - think taking a long, calming bath, oiling yourself or freshening up after a long, exhausting day. The bathroom is also a place to keep your body well oiled and joints moving smoothly.   Growing old is a choice. An achy body is too. While linear age is unalterable, biological age is not. If we stock our bathroom with the right items, we support our body to stay young, vibrant and more alive for longer. Reaching for a high cabinet in the kitchen, walking upstairs or going for a long hike will no longer be an issue. You can find tons of inexpensive items to keep our joints well lubricated, your lymph moving and your circulation flowing, right over your sink.   Sarah and I talk about various practices that are easily done at home to relieve aches and pains.  Most of all we talk about Ayurvedic self massage, a simple yet immensely profound tool. From an Ayurvedic perspective, the first rule of thumb is….whatever you put on your skin should also be eatable. What you get from tuning in Why products you put on our skin is of such importance to your health How to simplify your bathroom and keep only those items that feed your body and soul How to treat yourself like a goddess in the bathroom How to do Ayurvedic Self massage and what oils are best for joints and muscles A visualization of your current bathroom set up and feel. Is it supporting you? The components of a nourishing morning routine to relieve achy joints   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Many people struggle to find meaning and purpose working in the corporate environment.  Karina has worked as an electronic engineer in a big corporate company all her adult life. Initially wanting to become a dancer but having been talked out of it by her parents, she struggled with finding joy and meaning in her career. She asked to be laid off a couple of times in search of a more worthwhile path like being a yoga instructor, Thai massage therapist or aid worker in Africa. With our conversation we want to inspire that finding meaning and joy in any task, in any workplace and in any setting is possible with the right mindset.. We want to inspire that happiness is not a byproduct of the work you do, but a feeling that arises from within, from deeply knowing yourself. Karina shares the steps she took and the practices she did that helped her remove the physical, emotional and spiritual blockages, toxins and barriers  to clearly seeing her contribution to society. What You get from tuning in: Tools to know yourself deeply so you can design the life you want to live How to create the job and environment you want to work in Crucial steps to take to uncover your purpose How an identity shift allows you to grow into the person you want to be How Karina manages to dress like a corporate lady with a green smoothie in her hand     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

  Tara has chosen a path to heal breast cancer that is completely outside of mainstream norm. She said ‘No’ to chemotherapy, ‘No’ to radiation and instead chose the natural healing route with diet, herbs and many other natural healing protocols. A path that in my opinion requires tremendous courage, trust and clarity given the approach of mainstream society. In this podcast, she shares with us the ups and downs of her healing journey, what she does on a daily basis, how she copes and how she is healing. What You get from tuning in: What made Tara choose an alternative treatment approach to her breast cancer How she mastered facing opposition with her choices What a natural breast cancer protocol may look like The importance of the immune system when healing from cancer What needs to be in place to allow a person to have the strength, courage and clarity to walk the natural healing route The importance of faith and surrender in the healing process The emotional roller coaster when faced with a terminal illness and how to navigate them skillfully   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

  At the Vancouver peace summit, the Dalai Lama proclaimed: “The world will be saved by the Western woman”. And right he may is considering that as Western women we have the resources needed to make a profound impact. We also have the freedom to develop and tap into our sacred feminine power. As Western women, one by one, awaken into self-realized, authentic, spirit-embodied human beings, there will be no limits as to what we will contribute in a feminine, intuitive way to all sectors of society. Tapping into our sacred yonis is vital to unlock the power you need  to make the impact the Dalai Lama is talking about. Yoni is a sanskrit word referring to the womb, uterus, vagina and vulva. The word also means abode and source. It is the feminine power center and sacred portal into our soul. What you get from tuning in: What is the yoni and why is it important to tap into that part of our bodies How to know whether you are in touch with your yoni How to know if your yoni is blocked 5 practices to tap into your yoni power   Download the Wisdom Sheet     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Menopause marks the death of your old Self and rebirth of your new Self. It is a pivotal portal for transformation in every woman’s life. While the first part of life is all about accumulation - think finances, house, husband, children, stuff, career - the second half of life is all about simplification. Letting go of stuff, relationships, outdated belief systems, emotional and bodily toxins becomes crucial in this phase of life. Detoxing on all those levels clears the path to your future self and allows for an easeful transition not only mentally-emotionally speaking but also on a body related level. A new self wants to be reborn at menopause. It can happen with ease in a clean environment (again think body, emotions, mind, relationships, your home). Sirena shares her own story how she simplified her life by shedding 95% of her possessions including her valued book collection, how that has impacted her body’s health and how she achieved lightness of being through menopause. Sirena is one of those wise elders you want to listen to especially as she has extensive experience leading other women through this transition.   What You get from tuning in: What is a Midlife Midwife and what she can do for you The impact of detoxing and cleansing on your level of Body Joy The 4 steps you need to recover your juiciness 2 strategies  to get you started on your journey through menopause   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Plowing through a job, family obligations, motherhood and life with a sense of pushing, doing and achieving is outdated, unhelpful and unhealthy. The ability to surrender plays a central role in creating the kind of feminine leadership we need in order to affect positive change in our families, communities and the planet as a whole.   What you get from tuning in: The understanding how important surrender is as we move into our 50s and beyond The permission to rest and rejuvenate Practices and mindsets that lead to surrender Surrender has power and we have the opportunity to tap into it at any moment What happens if you don’t let go Surrender does not mean inaction. What is does mean is directed action The understanding that meditation and pausing leads to more creativity, productivity and efficiency. The red flags that tell us “Baby, it’s time to surrender”     Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Loss is an integral part of being human. It is part of the natural pulsation of life. I chat with Marcia Craighead  about the grieving process and how to skillfully navigate the emotional turmoil arising from it.   What you get from tuning in: The 5 stages of grief and how to use them How grief can be food for growth and learning What major grief (e.g. death of a family member) has in common with subtle grief (e.g. loss of youthful looks) The difference between pain and suffering An example of how to die consciously How to avoid “what if…” scenarios that drive you into sadness, despair and depression What stage in your life is ideal to prepare for the grieving process How to find the ideal practice to help you move through grief   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Intuition is your energy compass guiding you toward happiness, joy, ease and abundance. I chat with Jen Gilchrist about how to awaken and trust intuition so you can live your life from the inside out and fulfill your soul’s mission. What you get from tuning in: Why listening to your intuition is important How to discover, trust and live your life from a place of deep inner knowing The TLC body meditation How to discern intuition from the chatter of the mind How  to use archetypes and angels How to use your intuition to live your soul’s purpose   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Age 50 is a big mile marker, for men and women alike. Half of life has passed and a deep questioning phase naturally arises. “Have I done everything I want to accomplish in this lifetime? Am I doing what I really want to do?” It is not uncommon for people to quit corporate jobs in favor of more meaningful work in a non profit organization despite less pay. Some quit their householder life altogether and pursue a spiritual life in an ashram or other spiritual setting. Finding one’s life purpose, or dharma, ain’t easy especially if you don’t have a roadmap. Many people get stuck, frustrated or disoriented along the way, longingly wanting to arrive at their one god given mission. Annie enlightens us that dharma is not static but instead dynamically changes and evolves as we shift, grow and change.   WHAT YOU GET OUT OF LISTENING What is the essence of dharma or purpose? Are you doing what makes you come alive? The impact of ignoring your soul’s calling on your body’s health The importance of being creative with how you organize your life   The 4 pillars of dharma and how to use them to find and work with your purpose A reflection practice to help you find your dharma   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Digestion is at the heart of health according to Ayurveda. Digest what you eat well and assimilate it properly, and your body cells will be healthy and ready to do good work; your immune system will be strong and your hormones balanced. If you are not digesting your food well, the body will be fed poorly and also has to work harder to eliminate toxins. Low quality cells will be produced and the hormone system is not getting the quality nutrition it needs to function well. Winslow and I  also chat about the effect of gas (=flatulence) on bone health. The basic equation here goes like this: (hope you liked mathematics. I did) gas = more acidity in body More acidity = leached minerals like calcium from bones Leached minerals = weaker bones Weaker bones = osteoporosis WHAT YOU GET OUT OF LISTENING Understand the link between digestion, fight and flight response and the adrenals What is happening in the gut from a Western medical perspective and how it affects hormone production The role of probiotics and HCL in the gut Vitamin C supplements How digestion affects osteoporosis The effects of carbonated drinks on digestion   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Lisa had the perfect setup for a dreadful menopause. For 20 years, she had been working as a high-powered healthcare consultant with a national management organization i.e. she worked in corporate America. This meant that she was traveling a bunch and entertaining clients late. That kind of work by itself can lead to burnout, depletion and massive menopausal symptoms. To make matters worse, Lisa has a more delicate body type (Vata Pitta if you know anything about Ayurveda), which by nature is prone to more severe menopausal symptoms. And if that wasn’t enough, in her 40s, she decided to go to massage therapy school, yoga teacher training and move to a new town where she knew no one. Yet, despite all these stressors, Lisa experienced hardly any symptoms through the transition. In fact, when her menses disappeared and her naturopath proclaimed menopause had arrived she was surprised. “That was it? No sweat dripping nights, weight gain or moodiness? ” Lisa attributes her successful transition to her yoga and self-care practices. She truly practiced bad ass body wisdom that saved her from a downhill spiral. In this episode, she shares with us how she made that happen. WHAT YOU GET FROM TUNING IN  The knowing that menopause can be easeful What kind of yoga to do to stay balanced as you get older The importance of the ‘right’ mindset throughout menopause How to find support through yoga and a yoga teacher And how to practice Yoga during Menopause!!   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

The culture in which Beth Claxton MD found herself in during medical training was one like this: ‘If it hurts take it out. Are the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus done making babies? Yes? Then the body no longer needs them, so it will be fine without them”. The focus was on fixing through surgical removal. While she never fully adopted that view point she found herself embedded in that culture. Through her own exposure to the Eastern medical model as well as a series of health challenges of her own, Dr. Beth has found alternate ways to deal with pain in the pelvic area and more often than not finds non-surgical ways to remove pain and with it the cause of discomfort. What you get from tuning in?  Alternate ways to deal with pelvic pain and looming hysterectomies The importance of being a curious detective when investigating symptoms That going the radical surgery route is not always necessary   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

Liz Young shares her personal story of how she turned a most dreadful menopause around and found peace in her body again. A few years ago, Liz shifted drastically from peri-menopause to menopause. She was struggling with extreme bleeding to the point of calling the hospital, terrible brain-fog, out of control hot flashes, fatigue and dreadful episodes of depression. The doctor prescribed an IUD and a combination of hormones – testosterone, progesterone and estrogen – which left her 30 pounds heavier six weeks later. She was livid. Out came the IUD and she stopped the pills. The weight and her issues remained, however. A serious upgrade in various small, specific habits is what gave her the long term result. Liz shares how she learnt to listen to her own internal review board, how holding internal counsel has helped her shift the relationship to her body and allowed her to turn menopause around.   Liz and I also chat about how her vaning youthful look impacted her psyche and how she managed to look younger despite getting older.   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy  

The kitchen has the potential of creating a sense of abundance, nourishment, connection and healing. The kitchen is the healing hub for you and your family.   Visit my Website  Join me on Facebook  Watch the free video series 5 secrets to a Better Menopause Upgrade your body experience. Apply for Body Joy