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5 episodes with following your heart
2 episodes with following your heart
2 episodes with following your heart
5 episodes with following your heart
4 episodes with following your heart
2 episodes with following your heart
2 episodes with following your heart
2 episodes with following your heart
3 episodes with following your heart
Join The Struggle's Patreon community to get 100+ hours of Bonus Episodes, Pro Clinics, Uncut Videos, and Submit Questions for Future Guests. FREE TRIAL available! https://www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow - Meet me at ICF this year, July 10-13! https://www.climbersfestival.org/ - In this episode, legendary climber and developer Alan Watts explores: How he inadvertently hazed me on my first Smith climb The joy and fallout of being the father of sport climbing in the U.S. The stunning Watts route that caused a chain reaction in climbing The route J.B. Tribout actually stole from him (it wasn't Just Do It) The wild story of how Just Do It actually came to be bolted What are the "rules" of climbing anyway? Putting Smith Rock on the map, and what makes it so rad Being labeled a cheater by his heroes and peers Balancing performance, health, and joy as an older climber How to have more fun as a climber right now - BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO: PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. Rúngne: Soft threads and high performing chalk! Use Code STRUGGLE for 10% Off Bags, Buckets, Chalk & Apparel from Rúngne! Rungne.com Rhino Skin Solutions: Perform, Cleanse, Repair… repeat! Amazing skin care products crafted specifically for climbers, whether you're pulling hard indoors or out. Use code STRUGGLE to score a whopping 20% off your purchase! Arc'teryx: Inspired by and tested in the Coast Mountains of BC, Arc'teryx makes gear to go the distance! If you're out adventuring in the elements, Arc'teryx has got you covered. Shop their full collection at Arcteryx.com And check out ALL the show's awesome sponsors and exclusive deals at thestruggleclimbingshow.com/deals - Shoutout to Matt Waltereese for being a Victory Whip supporter on Patreon! So mega. - Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right) 00:25 Legendary Guest: Alan Watts 00:51 Memorable Climbing Experiences 01:30 Alan Watts' Impact on Climbing 02:02 The Evolution of Sport Climbing 02:57 Smith Rock: The Birthplace of Sport Climbing 04:10 Personal Stories and Reflections 05:12 Upcoming Events and Announcements 06:05 Conversation with Alan Watts Begins 07:03 Recollections of Climbing at Smith Rock 14:10 Challenges and Struggles in Climbing 19:53 The Evolution of Climbing Ethics and Techniques 33:19 The Iconic Route: Just Do It 38:49 The Turning Point in US Climbing 39:27 The Controversial Route Theft 42:19 Debating the Rules of Climbing 43:49 The Evolution of Climbing Ethics 47:06 Fueling Climbing Gains 51:43 The Joy of Climbing and Community 59:50 Modern Climbing and Gym Culture 01:02:45 Reflections on Climbing Legacy 01:08:48 Concluding Thoughts and Future of Climbing - Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and YouTube /@thestruggleclimbingshow - The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. - This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. - The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great. - And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that's done. But hey, if you're a human that's actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I'll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!
Topics: Jeremiah 17:9 Explained, Deceitful Heart, Wicked Heart, Questions About Christian Heart, The Word Heart in the Bible, Meaning of Heart in Scripture, Belief and the Heart, All That You Are, Christian Heart Not Deceitful, Proof-Texting Errors, Context of Jeremiah 17:9, Old Testament Prophets, Jeremiah's Letter to Jews, New Covenant Prophecy, Jeremiah 24:7 New Heart, Ezekiel 36:26 New Spirit, Heart of Stone to Heart of Flesh, Instant New Creation, Romans 6 Obedience, Guarding Your Heart, Proverbs 4:23 Context, Philippians 4:7 Guarded Heart, Clean Heart Forever, Psalm 51:10 Explained, Feelings and the Heart, Holy Spirit Guidance, Following Your Heart as a Believer, Giving From the HeartSupport the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter
A One Year Reflection on A Rainy Day in NYC Stay connected with me on my mailing list and socials by clicking this link: https://www.chonacas.com/links/ Featured musical artists: I Can Wait by Mellow Oak feat. Millie Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/4bGwnj8mZKQyuH5LCNKeTw Apple music: geo.music.apple.com/album/i-can-wait-feat-millie-single/1816310837 Survive Now by Nami https://x.com/NumyNumyNumy open.spotify.com/artist/5mpGsWS4wbOdg0bjZIwKWI?si=J4hMG4RQTISVLO4yMNEyjw
In this powerful sermon, Pastor Clay NeSmith continues the "Things That Jesus Never Said" series by addressing one of culture's most popular pieces of advice: "Just follow your heart." Drawing from Jeremiah 17 and Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Pastor Clay reveals why our hearts can deceive us and lead us astray, and instead calls us to follow Jesus who can transform our hearts.Whether you're facing difficult decisions, feeling emotionally overwhelmed, or struggling to know God's will for your life, this message offers biblical wisdom for finding true direction and lasting joy that doesn't depend on your circumstances.
In episode 184 of The Johnny Rogers Show, I sit down with Raquel de Souza from Raquel & The Wildflowers! Her word for the episode is “heart,” and that's exactly what she brings to everything she does—from songwriting to stage performances. We talk about her journey from acting in LA to leading one of country's most exciting rising bands, how she handles her nerves before big performances, and how live theater helped her music career. If you're chasing a dream, this one's for you.-Get access to video for each episode by checking out The Johnny Rogers Show on YouTube-
Following your heart is one of the most destructive philosophies of our time. I lived this way for years and it shattered my life beyond recognition.My journey from emotional chaos to stability wasn't easy. This approach left me constantly depleted, chasing fleeting pleasures while my life crumbled around me.In this video I share the system that finally helped me escape the emptiness. You'll discover how to build lasting satisfaction by focusing on values instead of feelings.Get my 5-day guide to reclaiming your time and energy despite mental health struggles.Get Practical tools for navigating life with depression and anxiety, delivered weekly.3 Unique ways to work with meDramatically improve your sleep in 2 steps with my new Sleep Workbook.The Sleep Mask I use to sleep deeper, longer (as a chronically light sleeper).My book: For When Everything is BurningThe caffeine-lite option for long-term boost in mood, cognition, motivation and stress management.Use Code SCOTT20 for 20% of your order.Connect with me on TikTokConnect on InstagramDisclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client.But I do care.
Sitting down with the beautiful coach, speaker, and yoga teacher Yohanna Mannelqvist for a conversation that reminds us of the importance of slowing down, grounding practices for balance, and how to build a life rooted in self-love and authenticity. If you're navigating change, seeking clarity, or yearning to reconnect with your inner truth, this conversation will inspire and nourish you.Yohanna specializes in women's transformation and wellbeing. Her journey has led her to work with international brands, including Spotify, Net-A-Porter, Deloitte, and Lululemon. Her insights have earned recognition, featured in international mediaoutlets such as Vogue, ELLE, and Women's Health.She offers transformative coaching programs, restorative retreats, inspiring talks and uplifting yoga classes empowering women to embrace their most balanced, fulfilled and vibrant selves.In this episode we cover topics like:
Many of us have been raised to believe that hard work, focus, practicality and responsibility are the keys to success. As a society we most celebrate the rags to riches stories that involve grit, resilience and hustle. But what often goes undiscussed is that these great inventors and business mavericks were often following their hearts – or the calls of their soul. The grit etc was in response to the scale of desire that thrummed within them for something different, more, exciting, wondrous, impossible, but oh so true to their soul's purpose and heart's desire.As leaders we so often struggle to harness the incredible power of our hearts' desires in favour of ruling ourselves with our heads and following the proven method. The wild unknown path terrifies us, and thus its gift of newness, fulfilment, expansion and purpose alignment is lost to us. How do we learn to listen to, trust and follow our hearts in our career pathways and leadership approach and trust that we will be successful?Topics discussed:What is lost to us when we rule with our heads over our heartsOur reptilian brain's need for security and guaranteed returns and why it leads us down the beaten path and away from our hopes and desires How to heal your relationship with desire, the unknown, your sense of duty and fear of loss to let your desires bring you successMy story of bringing strategy vs desire, mind vs heart, duty vs passion into harmony so that they work together for my highest good Themes: Mindset mastery; owning your desires, heart-centred leadership, mind vs heart-based decision-making, trusting the unknown, self-trust, career expansion --Sign up for the mailing list to hear when leadership support circles launch and get early access discounts to upcoming eventsBook a free 1x1 coaching discovery call or reach out for retreats, workshop facilitation, or 1x1 and group leadership coaching for your companyFind me on LinkedIn and Instagram
In this episode of the Creative Genius podcast, I interview Rebe Huntman about her debut memoir, "My Mother in Havana, a memoir of magic and miracle." Rebe shares her personal story of losing her mother at a young age and the subsequent decades of feeling disconnected from her memory. Driven by a deep longing and intuition, Rebe embarked on a 30-day DIY pilgrimage to Cuba to seek a different perspective on grief and connection. The conversation delves into how Rebe's background as a Latin dancer led her to discover the spiritual roots of Cuban dances and the traditions of honoring the deceased. Rebe recounts her experiences immersing herself in rituals dedicated to the goddess Oshun, visiting the sanctuary of Cuba's patron saint, and meeting with a spiritist who she hoped would connect her with her mother.Rebe and I discuss the importance of intuition and following one's unique path, even when it doesn't seem logical. We also explore the disconnect in Western culture from ancestral connections, magic, and meaningful rituals, contrasting it with the Cuban traditions of keeping the dead close.The conversation touches on the challenges of staying creative and connected to one's inner voice in the face of overwhelming global issues and personal fears. Rebe shares her belief in creativity as a portal and emphasizes the importance of honouring inner longings and choosing to champion humanity. She also shares her personal rituals for grounding and connecting with her intuition and ancestors, offering practical advice for listeners seeking to do the same. Ultimately, Rebe's story is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the wisdom of intuition, and the potential for magic and miracle in our lives, even in the darkest of times.
Join Wendy in Charante Maritime August 23rd-30th, 2025. Get all the details here!Jessica Hickman-Woolcott didn't have a grand plan when she moved from the UK to France—just a feeling that it was the right move. She fell in love with a centuries-old château, took a leap without knowing exactly how it would all work out, and along the way, opened the Cognac Jewellery School on her property. In this episode, she and Wendy talk about what happens when you trust your instincts, throw logic out the window, and say yes to something that excites you—even if it doesn't make perfect sense on paper. They also dive into the slower, more intentional way of life in Charante Maritime and what it feels like to truly settle into the present moment. Plus, Jessica shares a sneak peek into the hands-on jewelry-making experience she'll be leading as part of Wendy's hosted trip to France this August—an opportunity for anyone ready to say yes to adventure. If you've ever felt the pull to shake things up and follow your heart, this conversation is the reminder that you don't need a perfect roadmap—just the courage to take the first step.About Jessica:Jessica has over ten years experience designing, making, and teaching Jewellry and Silversmithing, using traditional and modern techniques. She learned her craft at the Kingham Jewellery School in Oxfordshire, England, and then at the historic Guild of Handicraft in Chipping Campden. With four years of dedicated training, Jessica honed a wide variety of metal-working skills creating both intricate jewellery and large-scale silverware, including designing and creating commissions for prominent figures. Her journey led her back to the Kinghham Jewellery School as a tutor, where she taught and shared her silversmithing skills while simultaneously launching her own award-winning jewellery brand. Now living in the heart of the Cognac Region of France at the Château de Puyguiller, Jessica continues to share her knowledge and creativity as the founder of the Cognac Jewellery School, established in 2022. Connect with Jessica:On Instagram @cognac_jewellery_schoolOn FacebookOn YouTubeCognacJewellerySchool.com________________________________________________________________________________________ Say YES to joining Wendy for her: Say YES Sisterhood PWH Farm StaysPWH Curated France TripsInstagram: @phineaswrighthouseFacebook: Phineas Wright HouseWebsite: Phineas Wright HousePodcast Production By Resonant Collective Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!Thank you for listening to the Say YES to yourself! podcast. It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5-star review, and share with a friend.
On today's episode of the Okayest Trapper I sit down with the affable Ivy O'Guinn. She and her husband live, trap, and guide full time in Alaska. You can watch their adventures on the History channel's hit TV show, Mountain Men. We chat about her origins into trapping, following your heart, and always being open to learning new things—no matter how difficult they are. Want to join them on a trapline adventure or big game hunt? Check out their website: https://bbbalaska.com/ Tune in wherever you listen to your podcasts and be sure to leave us a 5-star review and check out our show sponsors: https://blokes.co/zachhanson Code: ZACHHANSON https://mtntough.com/ Code: OKAYEST30 https://www.traplinebeardoil.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Womanology, "Ria's Notebook" her special guest is inspirational speaker Lauren Spearman and Ria discuss following your heart and living in your purpose. During the conversation we discuss trials and hardships and the way it impacts our walk with God. Lauren expresses her concerns as a mother and commitments that have fallen short while trying to walk in your purpose. This conversation brings perspective to relationships and building community. Romains 8:28 And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose Check Lauren's podcast "Check On Your String Friends" Unfiltered & Unstoppable: The - Check On Your Strong Friends - Apple Podcasts Follow Womanology on Instagram (@womanology_Podcast) Email the show at straightolc@gmail.com Hit the Voicemail at 641-715-3900 Ext. 769558 Follow SOLC Network online Instagram: https://bit.ly/39VL542 Twitter: https://bit.ly/39aL395 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3sQn7je To Listen to the Podcast Podbean https://bit.ly/3t7SDJH YouTube http://bit.ly/3ouZqJU Spotify http://spoti.fi/3pwZZnJ Apple http://apple.co/39rwjD1 IHeartRadio http://ihr.fm/2L0A2y1
"Follow your heart." We hear this saying often, don't we? But is this wise advice? Sure, these three words can inspire us to pursue our dreams and to carry out what we feel called to do. Yet, they can also take us to places that aren't God's best for us. Today we are uncovering why this popular mantra can lead us astray and what we can do instead to live a purposeful, God-centered life. We will learn exactly why following your heart isn't biblical, nor is it the best way to live. Join encourager, Julie Lefebure, each Tuesday morning as she offers real encouragement for your real life right now through a fresh, hope-filled perspective, a lighthearted inspiration, and Biblical insight, all in about 15 minutes (guest shows are longer). Each episode will lift your spirits and equip you to be a light in this world. Find extra encouragement at julielefebure.com/resources/. Support us on PayPal!
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of speaking at a Masterclass hosted by my dear friend Simon Paine, co-founder of the Rebel Business School. Simon is a Clarity Coach and a successful entrepreneur in his own right, and it's always a pleasure to speak with his community. One of the highlights of the session was a live coaching demo I did with Evie, who shared her struggles with imposter syndrome and her dream of stepping into her full potential. What unfolded was one of those transformative conversations that cuts through noise and gets to the heart of what really holds us back - and what's possible when we trust the wisdom within. In this week's podcast episode, you'll discover: Why imposter syndrome is nothing more than a case of mistaken identity - and how to see past it. The truth about fear and courage How to uncover the path life is calling you to take (the one your heart already knows), even when your head doubts it. After our session, Evie sent me a heartfelt email about her experience. With her permission, here's what she shared: Hi Jamie I just wanted to drop a personal thank you for yesterday's Master Transformational Impact session via Rebel Business School. Whilst I found the whole session to be inspirational, the one on one section did exactly as it said on the tin. I've awoken today with a released sense of clarity and purpose. So much of what you spoke about resonated deeply with me, and our conversation cracked open something inside that I've been working on for a number of years. It felt as though in that held space I finally felt my heart take over from the negativity in my brain. It was powerful. So, thank you again. I am truly grateful for our conversation yesterday. Warmest wishes Evie Jones This episode is a chance to reconnect with your own inner wisdom and say yes to what life is calling you to create. Tons of love, Jamie ✨ Get your free Inner Stressbuster + a shot of Clarity every Friday. Subscribe now: JamieSmart.com
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of speaking at a Masterclass hosted by my dear friend Simon Paine, co-founder of the Rebel Business School. Simon is a Clarity Coach and a successful entrepreneur in his own right, and it's always a pleasure to speak with his community. One of the highlights of the session was a live coaching demo I did with Evie, who shared her struggles with imposter syndrome and her dream of stepping into her full potential. What unfolded was one of those transformative conversations that cuts through noise and gets to the heart of what really holds us back - and what's possible when we trust the wisdom within. In this week's podcast episode, you'll discover: Why imposter syndrome is nothing more than a case of mistaken identity - and how to see past it. The truth about fear and courage How to uncover the path life is calling you to take (the one your heart already knows), even when your head doubts it. After our session, Evie sent me a heartfelt email about her experience. With her permission, here's what she shared: Hi Jamie I just wanted to drop a personal thank you for yesterday's Master Transformational Impact session via Rebel Business School. Whilst I found the whole session to be inspirational, the one on one section did exactly as it said on the tin. I've awoken today with a released sense of clarity and purpose. So much of what you spoke about resonated deeply with me, and our conversation cracked open something inside that I've been working on for a number of years. It felt as though in that held space I finally felt my heart take over from the negativity in my brain. It was powerful. So, thank you again. I am truly grateful for our conversation yesterday. Warmest wishes Evie Jones This episode is a chance to reconnect with your own inner wisdom and say yes to what life is calling you to create. Tons of love, Jamie ✨ Get your free Inner Stressbuster + a shot of Clarity every Friday. Subscribe now: JamieSmart.com
Join us for an inspiring and intimate conversation with NYC painter Kristy Gordon on her pathway as an artist, including making a living from your art, creating your highest work, writing down goals and following your heart! Listen in for nuggets of inspiration as Kristy shares with us her inspiration. Kristy Gordon's art: https://kristygordon.com/ Kristy's Course for Artists, VAMP 2025 opens soon! Here's a link to be notified: https://www.down2art.com/VAMP2025 Kristy's book link, and also where you can get a free online course on color and composition:https://www.down2art.com/book-launch Jessica's REINVENTION Masterclass: https://www.thecreativeheroines.com/reinvention-masterclass The NEW website for The Creative Heroine is at www.thecreativeheroines.com . Explore the site for courses, coaching, community and more! Creative Heroine Instagram: @thecreativeheroines Follow me on Instagram at @jessicaliborstudio for my art and @thecreativeheroines for creative community and coaching. See my artwork and collect at www.jessicalibor.com. Reach out to me for inquiries to collect my art or work with me in a creative coaching capacity at jlibor@jessicalibor.com
Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Family Promise Founder and CEO Emeritus Karen Olson, exploring her life and work and the themes of her book, Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose._____LINKSMeant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purposehttps://bit.ly/3ZOwOjjhttps://www.lovechildrenplanet.com/events/in-conversation-with-frank-schaeffer-episode-432-karen-olson_____I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-makers of our time on this podcast, and I want to personally thank you for subscribing, listening, and sharing 100-plus episodes over 100,000 times.Please subscribe to this Podcast, In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer, on your favorite platform, and to my Substack, It Has to Be Said.Thanks! Every subscription helps create, build, sustain and put voice to this movement for truth.Subscribe to It Has to Be Said. Support the show_____In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer is a production of the George Bailey Morality in Public Life Fellowship. It is hosted by Frank Schaeffer, author of Fall In Love, Have Children, Stay Put, Save the Planet, Be Happy. Learn more at https://www.lovechildrenplanet.comFollow Frank on Substack, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube. https://frankschaeffer.substack.comhttps://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16https://twitter.com/Frank_Schaefferhttps://www.instagram.com/frank_schaeffer_arthttps://www.threads.net/@frank_schaeffer_arthttps://www.tiktok.com/@frank_schaefferhttps://www.youtube.com/c/FrankSchaefferYouTube In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer Podcast
This week, from the archives of Radically Loved, Rosie Acosta and Tessa Tovar discuss the challenges and rewards of creating content and performing in front of a camera. They explore the vulnerability of sharing personal experiences and the importance of human connection. They also delve into the impact of feedback and rejection, emphasizing the need to stay true to oneself and focus on what brings joy. The conversation highlights the value of slow productivity and following one's heart, ultimately encouraging listeners to embrace their boundless potential and create with purpose. Three reasons to listen to the whole podcast: 1. Performing in front of a camera can be intimidating, but it's important to stay true to oneself and focus on connecting with the audience. 2. Feedback and rejection are inevitable, but it's crucial to remember that they often say more about the person giving the feedback than about oneself. 3. Slow productivity, following one's heart, and focusing on what brings joy are key to creating meaningful and sustainable content. Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction and Setting the Scene (00:00:31) The Intimidation of Recording Content (00:03:26) The Importance of Human Connection (00:06:12) Being Vulnerable in Person vs. on Camera (00:08:48) Dealing with Feedback and Rejection (00:13:05) Vulnerability and Connection in Community (00:25:51) Slow Productivity and Following Your Heart (00:39:58) Embracing Boundless Potential and Creating with Purpose (00:41:46) Finding Inspiration and Taking Action (00:42:15) Closing Remarks and Call to Action Enjoy the Podcast? Love to give us 5 stars? Help us reach more people and make them feel loved. A simple way is to share what you've learned today on social media. Don't forget to follow and message us on these platforms! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosieacosta/ Twitter: https::twitter.com/rosieacosta Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrosieacosta Website: https://www.radicallyloved.com/ Get You Are Radically Loved the book: https://www.radicallyloved.com/book Try Headspace for 30 days free! use code: ROSIE30 www.headspace.com Sign up for 'The Mindful Love Hub' on Substack: https://radicallyloved.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=2t314w Create a daily meditation ritual in just seven days! Download BUILD YOUR DAILY MEDITATION RITUAL and other freebies at https://www.radicallyloved.com/free-stuff! Connect with Tessa Tovar: Website: https://tessatovar.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMYm-7kNZfulgaiCi2w8Cw Book of Poetry for Savasana: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Book-Poetry-Savasana/dp/1731243588
Don't Force It: How to Get into College without Losing Yourself in the Process
In today's episode, I sit down with Alia, a daughter of immigrants who navigated her way from Canada to Harvard to PhD in anthropology, and who now coaches high achievers to balance their careers with their true desires. Tune in to hear how following your heart can lead to extraordinary transformation.BioAliaa is a life coach, published author & startup founder, who is known for her ability to take academic insights and translate them into practical applications - such as coaching. Her long list of accomplishments include: • Being recruited to play NCAA Div 1 field hockey at Harvard. • Social Anthropology PhD. Conducted research in 20+ countries. • Expert in identity work with historically marginalized adults (18+). • As a non-profit Exec, managed 600+ people across 3 countries. • Raised ~$1M as Co-Founder of VC-backed startup, StoryTiling. • Author of a book. Filmmaker. Board Member. Keynote speaker.Aliaa's unique superpower as a coach is her intelligence, ability to read people, and cut straight to the point. She's able to make the smartest people feel seen, supported and productively challenged. Read more about Aliaa at aliaaremtilla.com and connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliaa-remtilla/Sign up to join our live coaching session and receive personalized insights!Application for Students: https://forms.gle/cRyBSFP9tSEJnsVN6Application for Parents and Other Adults: https://forms.gle/v6Nppxix6HPKrRfdAAccess free resources and learn more about Sheila and her team at Signet Education at signeteducation.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaakbar/.
From “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Succession” to one of this year’s buzziest shows “Nobody Wants This,” actor Justine Lupe has captivated audiences for her distinct humor, specificity, and dedication to her craft. She comes on the show to talk about what it’s been like to be a part of a show that centers a healthy relationship, her journey to film and TV after training at Juilliard, and what she’s learned about balancing work with new motherhood.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The incredible Carol Elizabeth is here and we're talking about the power of mindset, transformation, and following your heart! We discuss how tuning into your inner guidance can lead to profound changes in your body, business, and life, and how co-creating the life you desire starts with trusting yourself. Carol shares her insights on how women can embrace their magic and create the life they truly want. Connect with Carol Elizabeth, Transformational Speaker | Success Coach | Author: Her website Her IG Her FB Her new book "Trust Your Magic" Connect with Leah: To learn more about me, check out my website at www.leahvandolder.com. Apply to work with me in The Reclaim Program by clicking here www.tinyurl.com/ReclaimProgram. Or follow and DM me on Instagram @leahvandolder. I look forward to connecting!
When we come back to our heart, we find inner peace and inner calm, also your intuition, and inner trust. Follow your heart to share your light with the world. Trust your path and share your joy. Connect with Caroline: https://carolinepalmy.com/ for healing meditations, join Caroline's Circle of Love https://carolinepalmy.com/carolines-circle-of-love/ **Click here to SUBSCRIBE to the Enlightened World Network YouTube channel with over 1000 videos: http://bit.ly/2KQp6PD Check out the EWN website featuring over 150 lightworkers specializing in meditation, energy work and angel channeling Explore videos, articles and meditations. https://enlightenedworld.online Sign Up For News from Enlightened World Online: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/FBoFQef/web Link to EWN's disclaimer: https://enlightenedworld.online/disclaimer/
Can you even believe that just fifty years ago, a woman needed a man to cosign on a business loan or open a checking account? Women weathered so many wars, famine, and poverty back in the day. With raw resilience, they survived against immense odds. But in our current reality, opportunity sits at our fingertips. You can start a business, write a book, or create a film with NO gatekeeper required. It's a new world out there! The kind of reality our mothers, grandmothers, and even Karolina's ancestors in Poland fought for. So here's an important question for you: Are you going to honor your ancestors' sacrifices and follow your big, bold dreams? If quitting your 9-to-5 sounds overwhelming, it might be that you haven't fully stepped into your power and purpose. And when you do, it will bring such energy and passion that it will spill over into so many other areas of your life. If you need help finding your power and purpose, there's ONE SPOT left in our Empowered AF 5X Coach Certification Program, which includes a certification to become an alcohol-free life coach along with 4 other modalities. Apply today! IN THIS EPISODE: Drawing strength from our ancestors' survival stories to fuel our journeys and how seizing modern opportunities is a tribute to those who paved the way Karolina's ancestors in Poland during World Wars I & II, and what her parents went through to emigrate to the U.S. from Poland after the fall of communism The role of subconscious programming in determining our beliefs about what is possible based on the realities we see as children and young adults The goals that have gatekeepers and the goals that don't, and why it's safer to bet on ourselves than an employer The possibilities that exist when we've stepped into our power and purpose: the energy we feel, and the spillover into all areas of our lives LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED: If you know you're meant to help other people change their relationship with alcohol and achieve deep healing (along with their bigger dreams), apply for the Empowered AF 5X Coach Certification Program – and get 5x certified as a world class alcohol-free coach. Lose your desire to drink and lean into your dream life with Karolina's book Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You. When you order today, you'll also unlock tons of resources and checklists to support you on your journey. Loved the book? We'd be honored if you left a review! If you're still in the process of reevaluating alcohol on your own right now, I invite you to join Become Euphoric first, which will help you lose the desire to drink. Follow @euphoric.af on Instagram and watch me romanticize the AF lifestyle and show you how to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true. And as always, rate, review, and subscribe so we can continue spreading our message far and wide.
In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik speaks with Debby Kruszewski, a corporate professional turned empowerment coach and founder of the Dream Pollination project. Debby shares her inspiring journey of leaving a stable job to pursue her passion for writing and helping women discover their unique purpose. She discusses the importance of intuition, financial stability, and faith in achieving a balanced and fulfilling life. Debby also highlights the challenges women face in navigating career transitions, relationships, and personal growth, offering practical insights into overcoming resistance and embracing one's heart's desires. About the Guest: Debby Kruszewski is an empowerment coach and author who left a successful corporate career to follow her passion for writing and helping women find their true purpose. Through her Dream Pollination project, Debby helps women overcome challenges, improve their financial and career situations, and build stronger relationships. Her approach emphasizes faith, self-reflection, and positive thinking, empowering individuals to lead balanced, fulfilling lives. Key Takeaways: Follow Your Intuition: Debby emphasizes the importance of listening to your heart and intuition, even when faced with societal pressures and resistance. Discovering Your Sole Purpose: Women often face obstacles in finding their true calling. Debby discusses how faith, career, relationships, and financial stability are key elements to navigating these challenges. Financial Stability and Personal Growth: Debby highlights the connection between financial well-being and personal fulfillment, offering strategies for creating a balanced life. Faith as a Foundation: Faith plays a crucial role in Debby's coaching approach, fostering gratitude, forgiveness, and personal resilience. Positive Thinking and Visioning: Debby encourages the use of journaling and vision boards to achieve personal and professional goals. Collaboration for Empowerment: Debby expresses her passion for collaborating with like-minded individuals to further her mission of empowering women through community and shared resources. Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch, * DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik * Subscribe To Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/ * Join Community: https://nas.io/healthymind Stay Tuned And Follow Us! * YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@healthymind-healthylife * Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/podhealth.club/ * Threads - https://www.threads.net/@podhealth.club * Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/podcast.healthymind * LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/newandnew/ #podmatch #healthymind #healthymindbyavik #wellness
SERIES: “The Need for Followership”A loving father gives his son and daughter a list of rules and regulations. Chores, curfews, civilities, dress code—the father makes his will clearly known. The son strives to follow the rules for two reasons. 1) He wants to get his allowance. 2) He is afraid that if he breaks the rules, his father will punish him. The daughter strives to follow the rules, also for two reasons. 1) She believes her father established those rules not to control her but for her safety and blessing. 2) She wants to demonstrate how much she loves and trusts her father. Those two children's actions might look almost identical. Their hearts are very different!Following Christ is not simply a matter of outward observance of laws. Nor is it a matter of following our own heart. The followership Christ seeks flows from new hearts that have been radically transformed by God's law and gospel. Christ wants his followers to be less like the son described above, and more like the daughter. This week we see that followers of Christ obey his law from the heart.
Jen and her longtime friend, Amy Hardin, return together to introduce this previous interview with Jennifer Garner that was one of For the Love's top downloaded episodes of all time. Jen and Amy chat about their favorite Jennifer Garner projects and how impressed they are with her activism and philanthropic work. In the interview itself, Jennifer Garner shares how she navigates life as a mom, an entrepreneur, and an actress. So many of us have followed Jen's career through TV & film, but she takes us back to the early days when she fell in love with theater, doing auditions in New York while she slept on the floor of a friend's home who offered a place to lay her head. We also find out that her first job was working with Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls of Little House on the Prairie fame) and how that eventually led to working with J.J. Abrams in Felicity, who then cast her in her breakout role as the star of Alias. The two Jens discuss everything from what it's like to raise kids as they transition from littles to bigs and what eventually drove Jen's pursuits outside of Hollywood to co-found Once Upon a Farm and become involved with Save the Children. * * * Thought-Provoking Quotes: “Change is hard. I mean, I have a tendency to, or I did when I was younger, where I leapt into living in New York before I thought about living in New York. And then I leapt into moving to LA, and then had to absorb that, wait a minute, I just left this all. That was a big transition for me, because I didn't realize I had built a community for myself in New York.” - Jennifer Garner “I hunted down what organization was really doing work in rural America and Save the Children was all over the world. Our whole global goal is to help kids where no one wants to go and where no one's helping them. So we are in Afghanistan, we're always in the middle of the Ebola crisis, we're always in the middle of helping kids as they're leaving Syria. And we're in those refugee camps and we're in disasters, and we are hand in hand with the Red Cross, and just one of the leading organizations helping kids in the whole world. And in the US, the work is so beautiful. And it's almost unknown, because we're in the little tucked away corners.” - Jennifer Garner “I think food insecurity and poverty in America, it's a little bit invisible, because we want it to be. We choose what we look at. And so, it is, in some ways, easier to look across the globe and see it somewhere else in a country that is so different than ours or with such obvious distinctions. But the food insecurity in America is high, high, high.” - Jen Hatmaker “You know what I love? I love any community. I just like to be in a community.” - Jennifer Garner “What is saving my life right now? I mean, I can't imagine it ever being anything other than girlfriends.” - Jennifer Garner Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Once Upon a Farm - https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/pages/jens-farm Save the Children - https://bit.ly/4dnOuHM 13 Going on 30 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337563/ The Last Thing He Told Me - https://bit.ly/4d9wEbK Love, Simon - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5164432/ Guest's Links: Jennifer's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.garner/?hl=en Jennifer's Twitter - https://twitter.com/thejengarner?lang=en Jennifer's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JenniferGarner/ Connect with Jen! Jen's website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker?sub_confirmation=1 The For the Love Podcast is a production of Four Eyes Media, presented by Audacy. Four Eyes Media: https://www.iiiimedia.com/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kenisha Gill is a branding photographer, studio owner, and hype woman for creative business owners. Kenisha left her career in fashion design in 2018 after 14 years of designing for some of the largest retailers in the world in search of a new passion. After visiting 36 countries, she found the one thing that was consistent in adventure was her camera. She came back home and kicked started her photography career in 2019. Kenisha loves making people feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera in order to capture beautiful images that really reflect who they are. Email Kenisha at info@kgillphoto.com Find Kenisha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kgillphoto/ Visit her website: www.kgillphoto.com Over the Edge Podcast is your essential survival guide for thriving in the unpredictable world of creativity. Each week, we dive into the exhilarating journey of pushing creative boundaries, taking bold leaps over the edge and into the unknown, and fearlessly pursuing our dreams. Join us as we explore the art of making art—or anything creative—for a living, and navigating all the twists and turns. Creative work can be wild and chaotic, but we all thrive when we take the leap together. Free posing guide when you sign up for our weekly email series Creative's Edge: https://paigeray.com/creatives-edge Learn more about Paige on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/paigeraycreative/ Visit the Paige Ray Creative website here: https://paigeray.com/
It's a beautiful thing when we take the time to listen to the deep knowledge within us. I truly believe that we all have profound intuitive gifts, and that it only takes some understanding of ourselves and what we truly want, in order to tap into those gifts. The result is such a lovely blend of freedom and self-assuredness, accepting of course, that we will always face stumbling blocks as we experience natural resistance to the growth we are meeting. Alison is here seeking clarity. She's wondering how to know when it's time to move in a new direction. It's clear she's a very intuitive person by nature, and so today, instead of our typical structure, Alison and I slip into more of an honest conversation with each other, touching on all things spiritual (which I love, of course). During her reading we cover: Your internal compass and your deep knowing Your relationship with spirit, and this changes us How it helps us move through the world, knowing and connecting in with the deep support that is available to us Our humanness, our ego, our resistance, and following our heart That the ego is not something to push away or be at odds with The ego makes up the parts of us that just want our love The more love and attention we place on the ego, the more freedom we find on the other side I hope this reading reminds you to show love to all parts of yourself, even the ones you think you should push away. Make sure to check out the following Helpful Links: The Crucible - Sacred Circle https://sarahnoble.com/crucible/ Visit my Website - www.sarahnoble.com/ FREE guide to Ignite Your Intuition https://sarahnoble.com/ignite-your-intuition-optin/ Discover Your Primal Intuitive Power - Take the quiz! - https://sarahnoble.com/quiz-landing-page/ FREE Mini Master Class Develop Your Primal Intuitive Power - https://youtu.be/RHp2eSg7D74 Enroll in the Mini-Course Intuitive Soul Awakening - https://sarah-noble-e7bf.mykajabi.com/intuitive-soul-awakening-opt-in Meditate with me on the Insight Timer App - https://insig.ht/7pToN8LxVmb?utm_source=copy_link Want to Find Out More about Sarah? MYSTIC, WISDOM KEEPER, SPIRITUAL MENTOR, COACH Throughout my life I have been guided by the warrioress archetype, an independent female spirit whose primary purpose is to achieve freedom and sovereignty of her life. This was not always a conscious endeavor for me, yet she pulled at my heart and led me on adventures far and wide and wild. She has taught me to live by spirals and wheels and cycles. To live each day as a ritual, knowing that I am the source of my life. Everything comes FROM me and that my obstacles are actually the path to living an even greater and wilder existence. She has shown me that true LEADERS rally for and with life, not against it. So, now I live in devotion to a higher standard of LIFE for us all. You can Reach Out to Sarah here: Website: http://www.SarahNoble.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themoderndayintuitive/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Themoderndayintuitive Email: Hello@SarahNoble.com
Have you ever felt a calling to create something more alongside your current career? Maybe you have a passion project that whispers possibilities, or a nagging feeling that your talents could be used in a different way. Today's episode is for you! Join me, as I chat with the inspiring Meredith Wheeler. Meredith, a former teacher and thriving entrepreneur, shares her journey of listening to her intuition and building a business that aligns with her values. Get ready to be uplifted by: The power of following your inner nudges. We'll chat about how to recognize those whispers of possibility and take that first courageous step. Creating a life that lights you up. Meredith shares the concept of the Proverbs 31 life, a beautiful philosophy for encompassing faith, family, purpose, and all your passions. The magic of high vibration. Discover how staying positive and trusting the universe can open doors to solutions you never imagined. Ready to ditch the fear and step into a life filled with purpose? This conversation is packed with inspiration and actionable tips to guide you on your own unique journey. Tune in and discover how you too can turn your passions into a fulfilling reality! Burnout to Breakthrough Masterclass - Get on the waitlist to enroll! bit.ly/breakthrough-waitlist More About Meredith: Meredith Wheeler is a recently retired high school English teacher who stepped out of a 20-year career so that she could pursue her passion and step deeper into her God-given calling to help empower women through various confidence boosting techniques, including personal styling. She stands by the belief that when a woman feels fabulous, she is unstoppable. In addition to personal style coaching, she has started Meredith Wheeler Coaching & Consulting, LLC where she provides professional development for school districts and personal coaching and mentorship for new teachers in the profession. As if that were not enough, she also runs a women in business networking group in Anchorage, Alaska, where she lives part time with her husband, Todd. When the weather gets too cold in Alaska, Meredith and Todd head to the opposite temperature extreme to their home in Palm Springs, California. Combined, Meredith and Todd have 5 adult children (ages 22-31) and one fur baby, Colby. You can connect and schedule an informative call with Meredith by clicking here: https://bit.ly/contactMW Social Media: IG @meredithwheelertouchstonebiz IG @anchoragebusinessandbubbly FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/1140462849664094 CONNECT WITH LACHELLE! LaChelle's Better Club Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebetterclub Watch Full Episodes on Spotify, YouTube or Your Favorite Platform www.bit.ly/spiraluppodcast https://www.youtube.com/@SPIRALUPpodcastwithlachelle Follow LaChelle on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lachellewieme/ Grab Your Copy of Get Out of God's Way https://iam-lifebydesign.com/book Ready to discover your business blindspots? Take the Quiz & Find Out! https://iam-lifebydesign.com/successpredictor i-AM Life by Design Website https://iam-lifebydesign.com Learn About Spiral Up Program Options https://iam-lifebydesign.com/spiralupstart
Hey friends! I'm so excited for you to listen to this week's episode where I'm diving into the powerful concept of discovering your unique ability. Have you ever taken the time to really identify the gifts, talents and passions that make you one-of-a-kind? This is a game-changer! I'll be sharing the four-step process that helped me uncover my own unique abilities and align my life in a way that brings me true fulfillment and joy. You'll learn practical strategies for self-reflection, seeking outside perspective, experimenting with new opportunities, and ultimately committing to a path that allows you to make your biggest impact by leaning into your innate strengths. This shifted everything for me and I can't wait for you to experience the same liberation and excitement for your life's purpose. Get ready to be inspired as we unlock the keys to operating in your unique zone of genius!
Tom Caravela, a career services expert and entrepreneur, is the first guest on the Sparking Success podcast. He shares his journey of starting his own executive search firm, The Carolan Group, and the success of his podcast, MSL Talk. Tom's decision to start the podcast was driven by his desire to help job seekers and professionals in the pharmaceutical industry on a broader scale. He believes in taking action and following his heart to fulfill his purpose. The catalyst for writing his book, Job Search Mastery, was the success of his podcast and the realization that he could have a greater impact by sharing his knowledge in a different format. Tom Caravela discusses the motivation behind his book, 'Job Search Mastery,' and how it goes beyond helping job seekers find success in their job search. He emphasizes that the book teaches a life skill that is not currently being taught in schools or workplaces. Tom also highlights the importance of mindset in the job search process and how consistency in action can lead to success. He shares his insights on the future of the recruiting industry and offers advice for recruiters during challenging times.TakeawaysTaking action and following your heart can lead to success and fulfillment in your career and life.Starting a podcast can be a powerful way to share knowledge and help a broader audience.Niche expertise can be a valuable asset in building a successful business.Writing a book can amplify the impact of your message and reach a wider audience. The book 'Job Search Mastery' teaches a life skill that is not currently being taught in schools or workplaces.Mindset is crucial in the job search process, and having a consistent mindset and taking consistent action can lead to success.The recruiting industry is going through changes, with the impact of AI and technology still uncertain. However, the importance of human interaction and nurturing candidates cannot be replaced by machines.During challenging times, it is important to embrace failure, be consistent, and take extra action to overcome obstacles.Pain is temporary, and it is essential to keep moving forward and making adjustments to achieve success.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage02:57 Starting the Podcast and Making an Impact11:25 The Journey of The Carolyn Group26:27 The Importance of Mindset in the Job Search Process31:29 The Future of the Recruiting Industry36:21 Overcoming Challenges in the Job Search
Laurie Moore is a spiritual teacher with graduate degrees in expressive arts therapy, Marriage Family Counseling, and certificates in animal communication and hypnotherapy. Her work utilizes communicating with all species and moment to moment creation and her message is that you are a gift to the universe. In This EpisodeLaurie's websiteDrLaurieMoore.com AnimiricalesLaurie's books---If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.
Have you ever had a dream of living a certain kind of life but ruled it off as unrealistic or not possible for you? Several years ago, Susan Mathew had this same dream and she ended up packing up her life and all she knew in Australia to move to Mexico. Today's conversation is all about how to start leading from your heart, following your intuition and living a life that's authentic to you. You can find more about Susan at: Instagram @vibewithsusan Podcast: Vibe With Susan Make sure you subscribe to my podcast to stay up to date with episodes I release every week. If you loved this episode, I'd be super grateful if you could leave me a review which helps me spread this podcast out to more amazing people just like you :) HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW ME: Instagram: @luke_page Join our 6 Figure Coaches Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coachingbizsecrets WATCH THE 3 STEPS TO HITTING $10k MONTHS AS A COACH - The specific strategy you can use to start hitting $10k months, month after month. https://www.lukepage.com.au/10k CONFUSED ABOUT YOUR NICHE? A FREE Workshop helping you get SUPER clear with your niche and “I help statement” https://go.lukepage.com.au/own_your_niche_workshop STRUGGLING TO GROW YOUR FOLLOWING? A FREE Workshop showing you the best way to set up your Instagram profile so you can attract a ton more followers + clients https://go.lukepage.com.au/magnetic_profiles_mini_course 10 (VERY NON SALESY) SALES SCRIPTS - 10 FREE, 1 liner scripts you can use to ask your audience to get more leads and clients. Perfect for your stories, posts, DM's and emails. https://go.lukepage.com.au/sales_scripts
Part three of our sermon series "Samson" with Pastor Matt Porter
Ellie & Danny share their story of adopting another dog into their family. The process of fostering two puppies led to teaching Ellie how to trust her heart and Danny to trust his intuition. The Masters of Self University PODCAST is your highest source of Sacred Truth and Universal Wisdom, offered by Rachel Fiori, mystical teacher, psycho-energetic healer, & CEO. Join our journey of soul transformation with hosts Ellie Lee, Danny Morley, and the rest of our amazing Certified Mystical Coaches of Oneness. FREE Consultation https://go.oncehub.com/MSU-FreeConsultation Rachel's Book on Amazon: https://shorturl.at/hkyLR Join Our Free Discord Community: https://www.mastersofselfuniversity.com/resources#discord Ellie's Social Media: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellieyjlee https://www.instagram.com/ellieyjlee Danny's Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/dannyfmorley https://www.tiktok.com/@dannyfmorley NEW EPISODES EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY!
Join Pastor Rick as he teaches the good news that God specializes in heart transplants. Learn about what God can do through a broken heart submitted to him. When you do what God wires you to do, your purpose in life will be fulfilled and you will bring glory to God.
In this broadcast, Pastor Rick explains how you can make a difference in the world by placing your passions, desires, and dreams under God's control so that you serve God through the way he has designed you.
Summary In this episode, Ted Phaeton interviews Ryan Sprague, a conscious cannabis coach, about the benefits and misconceptions surrounding cannabis. Ryan shares his journey with cannabis and how it helped him overcome anxiety and connect with his father during his terminal illness. He emphasizes the importance of conscious cannabis consumption and setting intentions before using the plant. Ryan also discusses the concept of living a highly optimized life and the sovereignty movement, which focuses on reclaiming personal power and freedom. Overall, the conversation highlights the potential of cannabis as a tool for healing and personal growth. In this conversation, Ryan Sprague discusses various topics related to personal finance and self-empowerment. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the private and protecting assets, the evolution of currency, and the potential of cryptocurrency. Ryan provides resources for financial literacy and shares the impact of personal experiences on his worldview. He also highlights the significance of creating a safe and joyful space and processing emotions. The conversation concludes with a reminder to follow one's heart and do what they love. Takeaways Cannabis can be a powerful tool for healing and personal growth when used consciously and with intention. Conscious cannabis consumption involves setting intentions, creating a ceremonial container, and integrating the experience afterward. Shame and taboos surrounding cannabis can be addressed by understanding the root causes of addiction and exploring the potential benefits of the plant. Living a highly optimized life involves aligning one's actions and choices with their unique purpose and magic. The sovereignty movement focuses on reclaiming personal power and freedom, and understanding the legal and financial systems. Learn about living in the private and protecting your assets. Understand the evolution of currency and the potential of cryptocurrency. Seek resources for financial literacy and education. Reflect on personal experiences and their impact on your worldview. Create a safe and joyful space for yourself and others. Process emotions and connect with your heart's desires. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Mission 00:30 Guest Introduction 01:26 Meaningful Connections and Men's Work 02:01 Ryan's Journey with Cannabis 08:33 Cannabis as a Healing Tool 11:36 Addressing Taboos and Shame 16:31 Conscious Cannabis Consumption 23:45 Living a Highly Optimized Life 30:00 Choosing the Best Cannabis 34:32 The Sovereignty Movement 37:15 Understanding the Private and Protecting Assets 38:09 The Evolution of Currency 39:04 The Potential of Cryptocurrency 40:27 Resources for Financial Literacy 41:37 The Impact of Personal Experiences 43:57 Creating a Safe and Joyful Space 45:26 Processing Emotions and Following Your Heart 46:21 Closing Remarks Ryan's Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealryansprague/ His "Highly Optimized" Podcast and "Connect with Cannabis" 10-week program: https://www.highlyoptimized.me/
Cassey Ho is an award-winning fitness instructor, entrepreneur and personality based in Los Angeles, CA. She is the creator of Blogilates, the #1 female fitness channel on YouTube with over 500 million video views and 4 million subscribers. As a certified group fitness instructor and Pilates mat and Reformer teacher (ACE, NESTA, Balanced Body), Cassey has been motivating people to move for nearly a decade.Get the Start Today Journal - https://starttoday.com/products/start-today-journal 00:00 The Journey of Embracing Body Diversity in Fashion01:18 Discovering Cassie's Design and Fitness Journey02:45 The Birth of Blogilates on YouTube05:01 Transitioning from Pilates Instructor to Fashion Designer11:14 Navigating the Challenges of Online Hate and Personal Growth15:42 Maintaining Emotional and Physical Health as an Entrepreneur19:08 Building the Right Team and Overcoming Toxicity35:33 The Evolution of Cassie's Design Career and PopFlex37:45 The Journey of Fashion Design and Team Building38:29 Discovering the Power of Upwork for Team Expansion39:06 From Toxicity to Triumph: Building a Positive Team48:51 The Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Fashion Brands53:00 Navigating the Challenges of Content Creation and Public Perception55:57 The Evolution of a Creator: Pivoting and Personal Growth01:03:52 Confronting and Overcoming the Dark Side of Creativity Have a question you want Rach to answer? An idea for a podcast episode??Call the podcast hotline and leave a voicemail! Call (737) 400-4626Sign up for Rachel's weekly email: https://msrachelhollis.com/insider/Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelHollisMotivation/videosFollow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MsRachelHollis/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices.
Triathlon has been an integral part of my life for 25 years, especially since I started participating in Ironman sanctioned races back in 2011. Doing my race report is one of my favorite episodes, and reflecting on the Ironman 70.3 St. George has been quite the emotional journey. Those last two miles of the run, or rather, the final 68 miles of the entire race, were a poignant time for me to contemplate how much my life has evolved since I first tackled the St. George course back in 2017. As I traversed the course, it struck me that the most profound impacts of triathlon aren't just about the physicality of the race itself, but the myriad lessons learned on race day and the traits honed through training and competing. I've always maintained that one of the greatest aspects of triathlon is its resemblance to life—a microcosm of life's challenges and triumphs.With this being the final year of Ironman racing, there's a mix of apprehension and anticipation. Do I still possess the same passion and drive for the sport, knowing it like the back of my hand? There's a certain comfort in familiarity, yet I recognize the need to heed the call of my heart and diversify my athletic pursuits. I'm at an age where repeating the same routines feels stale, yet I'm still youthful enough to embrace new adventures and sports.So, I urge you to sit back, take it all in, and ask yourself where your heart truly longs to go.Door are open to Team Elevate . Join us today. Sign up with this link https://kamibanks.com/join-the-team/
In this inspiring episode of The Light Watkins Show, Light engages in a deep and revealing conversation with Laura Del Valle and her daughter, Angelica, the visionaries behind Mar de Jade, a unique retreat center in Nayarit, Mexico. Laura's journey began in the bustling streets of Mexico City, where she shifted from acting to medicine, driven by a desire to serve the rural poor. Despite her family's concerns about her unconventional path, Laura's commitment to her purpose led her to establish a medical clinic in a remote beach town, which eventually evolved into the thriving retreat center known as Mar de Jade.Angelica, growing up in this environment of service and simplicity, brings her own perspectives on integrating community, sustainability, and education into the retreat's ethos. Mar de Jade is not just a retreat center but a community hub where education, organic farming, and skilled trades flourish, supported by the proceeds from the retreats and donations from a global community.This episode is not just the story of a retreat center but a testament to the power of following one's path, overcoming obstacles, and making a profound impact on a community. It's about finding freedom outside conventional life paths and discovering that service to others enriches one's own life in unexpected ways. Join us as Laura and Angelica share their remarkable journey of faith, resilience, and the creation of a sanctuary that not only heals but also empowers its community.For anyone feeling stuck or uncertain in their journey, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the most unconventional paths lead to the most fulfilling destinations.
Conversations at Life's End with Tomorrow's Generation Could our silence on the subject of death be shaping our children's fear of the inevitable? This time, we peel back the layers of this taboo topic and reveal why it's essential to introduce our youngest minds to the concept of mortality. As a hospice nurse, I've witnessed firsthand the impact of death on families and the profound intuitive understanding children can have when it's explained with care. In sharing stories from the bedside, we uncover the lasting effects of shielding children from death and argue for their inclusion in the dying process. We're not just discussing the end of life; we're advocating for an early and healthy relationship with its reality. This episode isn't about the gloom of passing; it's a call to live with authenticity and urgency. I share reflections from those in their twilight hours who wish they'd followed their hearts sooner. It's a poignant reminder that our time is finite and that we should seize the moment to pursue our passions. I inspire you by sharing my own leap into learning Spanish and challenge you to align your life with what truly stirs your soul. Let's break free from the cycle of stress and step into a life driven by inspiration and wonder. To close, we touch on the importance of honest, open conversations about the cycle of life with our children. Providing resources and strategies, we explore how to talk about death in an age-appropriate way that fosters curiosity rather than fear. As we wrap up, I extend heartfelt thanks for your engagement in this crucial dialogue. It is my hope that you'll be moved to integrate these insights into your life, as I continue to weave them into my own journey. Join me, and together let's reshape the narrative around death—one conversation at a time. We dive into: (00:22 - 02:22) Talking to Children About Death (15:27 - 16:53) Children's Energy Awareness and Hospice Nursing (22:53 - 24:53) Following Your Heart (30:08 - 31:31) Teaching Children About Death and Purpose We want to hear from you!!! If you found this podcast helpful, Please Rate, Review, & Follow so we can reach more people. Links mentioned in this episode: Doulagivers Institute The NEXT Free Level 1 End of Life Doula Training Registration LINK The NEXT Free Doulagivers Discovery Webinar 80-90% of a positive end of life depends on these two things: Knowing the basic skills on how to care for someone at the end of life and planning ahead - and BOTH Doulagivers Institute is giving you for FREE! Access them Below! Making your wishes known is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your loved ones. Download The Doulagivers 9 Choice Advance Directive now! It's FREE! More about what we do at Doulagivers Institute - Click here!
There's a huge gap between the world of astrology and the New Age spiritual rhetoric — but there doesn't have to be. Astrocartographer, Helena Woods, hosts her highly-anticipated podcast — Cosmic Compass with Helena Woods! A space for conscious conversations that uplift, expand, and inspire you to create a magical life in places you love in a grounded way. This isn't your average astrology podcast. Cosmic Compass grounds the mystical so you can come back home to yourself (literally and metaphorically
In this episode of Saturn Returns, Caggie sits down with her friend, Manon Elise, who has been a loyal follower of the podcast since day one. Manon's journey to discovering the show mirrors her own transformative experience: while working as a lawyer and on the brink of marriage, she made the courageous decision at 29 to call off her engagement, switch careers, and relocate from London to Lisbon. Their conversation delves into the common dilemma of achieving outward success while feeling an inner sense of dissatisfaction. It's a reminder to heed the whispers of intuition and embrace the path aligned with the heart's true calling. As CEO of Harvest Series, an annual summit held in Turkey, Manon brings a wealth of insight into personal growth and authenticity. Join Caggie and Manon as they explore the power of following your heart and trusting your inner knowing amidst life's twists and turns and society's expectations. For more on Harvest Series https://www.harvestseries.com/ — Subscribe to "Saturn Returns" for future episodes, where we explore the transformative impact of Saturn's return with inspiring guests and thought-provoking discussions. Follow Caggie Dunlop on Instagram to stay updated on her personal journey and receive more empowering insights and you can find Saturn Returns on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Order the Saturn Returns Book. Join our community newsletter here. Find all things Saturn Returns, offerings and more here.
We spend a lot of time in our heads, and we can often feel like our heart and our heads don't want the same things. In today's episode I'm showing you how leaning in to listening to your heart will help you make better decisions. Not sure how to do that? Don't worry, I'm going to share my secret to following your heart with complete confidence. You don't have to stay stuck or confused anymore. Get support from Amy! Click HERE Follow me on Instagram! @amy.smoothstonescoaching Visit my website. Photo by Canva Music by ZingDog on Pond5
Laura Ponticello is a best-selling and award-winning author and the visionary founder of Divine Phoenix. With over two decades of experience in leadership and personal development, she specializes in transforming lives through storytelling, mentorship, and empowerment. Laura's work is dedicated to uplifting voices and inspiring positive change globally — Laura Ponticello Links: Website: https://www.lauraponticello.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-ponticello — PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://www.womleadmag.com/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3YJHMoy Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2GkmpVInAQR7Fgco0pUa1B RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/409442/rss YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYDpQX16k5Uh7G7PFjMjZ8KimqoOpFF-t — CONNECT: - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WomELLE - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womelle - Twitter: https://twitter.com/womelle - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womelle - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realwomelle/ — OUTLINE: 02:18 Expanding into Public Relations 04:04 Starting an Incubator for Writers 05:44 Focus on Coaching and Publishing 07:37 Following Your Heart and Being Present 09:34 Finding Joy and Overcoming Obstacles 11:10 Being Present and Exuding Joy 13:05 Creating Healthy Habits for Joy 17:25 Taking Sacred Pauses and Centering Yourself 19:56 Unleashing Creativity and Telling Your Story 28:21 Awakened to Your Amazing Potential 31:42 Unleashing Creativity Workshop
Amina's story shows the true POWER of a supportive provider. Both of her birth stories had similar interventions (but given in very different ways) with very different provider reactions and a very different outcome!“That was the biggest change for me. It's not like the second birth was just smooth. There were moments when there was blood. There were moments when her heart rate was in distress, but there was that confidence that this woman could do this. This baby is safe and we are doing this together.” - AminaAmina also shares a very special story about visualization during pregnancy and how that can come into play during birth. Her story is a perfect example of listening to the heart, mind, and body in all stages of childbirth. Additional LinksNeeded WebsiteAmina's AppHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, Women of Strength. We are in mid-January and we have an amazing story for you today. We have our friend, Amina. She and I were talking before we started recording. She was like, “You are changing lives. You are inspiring. You are changing people's pregnancies,” and I just want to talk on that. One, it's absolutely an honor to even hear those words, and is so touching, but two, I'd like to counteract that even and say you guys, you, Women of Strength, you, Amina, you– every single person that has been on this podcast, is who is changing lives and these Women of Strength wanting to VBAC and know their options. I'm just here creating the platform. I'm so grateful to do this. It really, really is so amazing to hear story after story, to hear journeys, to hear how people overcome fear and anxiety and doubt.You know, we're not here to prove people wrong, but I do love a good proving someone wrong story when it's like, “Yeah, you tell me my pelvis is too small. I'm going to show you.” No, but really, it's just such an honor to be here. I've been on the podcast now for a year solo without my partner in crime, Julie, and it's been really hard without her because I just loved being with her, but I'm still so grateful to be with you guys today. Like I said, our friend, Amina, has a VBAC story. I just want to tell you a little bit about her. She is an International Yoga Teacher. If you haven't checked out her page, you definitely need to. She's a mother of two and the founder of Honey Studio and of the Movement and Mindfulness App. We know mindfulness, breathwork, and movement are all things that are going to benefit us through our child-birthing years. She is uncovering the infinite possibilities within your body and mind. I love that. Uncovering the infinite possibilities within your body and mind. Review of the WeekAmina, we're going to get into your story in just one moment, but of course, we have a Review of the Week. I love reading these reviews so as always, if you haven't had a chance to drop us a review, please do so. You can do so on Apple Podcasts. I don't know, Spotify? Maybe. Maybe. I don't know if I've ever seen reviews on Spotify, or Google, or you can just email us. This is from sydhayes and it's from Apple Podcasts back in May of 2023. It says, “A Wealth of Information.” It says, “This podcast has so many helpful tools when it comes to birth and especially when avoiding a Cesarean. I listened to it every chance I had when I was planning for a VBAC and I know it helped me achieve my goals. Hearing other women's stories is so powerful. Thank you for this resource.”Look, she's saying it too. Your stories are so powerful. We love them so much and if you also didn't know, we are sharing them on social media because we do have so many inquiries on the podcast. We'd like to try to share more stories on social media. So if you haven't submitted your story, you can do so and you can also submit for social media. Amina's StoriesMeagan: Okay beautiful lady. I am just smiling. I feel like my cheeks already hurt just looking at you. You are glowing. I can just see the excitement and the beauty coming out of you to share this story. Well, to share your stories. I'd love to turn the time over to you. Amina: Thank you so much for having me. Like I was telling you before we started recording, this is a dream moment of mine. It's a very manifestation kind of moment because when I was listening to all of these empowering stories, to get to share mine is a true, true honor. It's something on my vision board so I'm just so grateful to be here. Meagan: Well, thank you. I love that you are talking about your vision board. I think sometimes when we step back and we close our eyes and we truly visualize our life, our journey, and our goals, we truly can help achieve those by doing so. Amina: Totally. I'm going to track this a little bit later on, but I was sitting with a friend in the very middle of all of this. She was telling me that she visualized her whole birth from the beginning to the end and that she saw it all. When I heard her calmly sitting over coffee saying that, I was like, “Wait a minute.” I went home and did my homework and I wrote down the kind of birth I wanted to have which I ended up having. Yeah, I'm going to walk you through the story. Meagan: Yes. Let's hear the stories. Amina: Yeah, so basically in 2017, I had very, very painful periods and I decided I wanted to have a baby. I went to just check out just to get a little check-up to see that everything was okay before we started trying. We hadn't started trying yet. I go to the OB/GYN at the time. It was in Dubai. I'm like, “I have very painful periods to the point that I'm crying on the floor and sobbing. No painkiller is working.” She says, “Are you on birth control?” I'm like, “No.” She says, “Well, if you're not on birth control, then don't complain.” These were literally her words. Meagan: What?Amina: I was like, “Well, can you check me first just to see what's going on?” because I was very connected with my body. I had been doing yoga for a few years and I knew something was off. I had this intuition. Something in my body was telling me, “Something is off.” So she's like, “Sure. Let's check.” She checks and finds a big polyp in my uterus that would prevent implantation from happening. She's like, “I'm sorry. You were right. This has to be removed before you start trying to make any babies.” So that was a moment for me where I was like, “This is weird.” We really need to fight for ourselves to be heard. So anyway, we did the polyp removal, and then they said, “Wait three months and then start trying to have a baby.” We waited the three months. It was September 2017. We tried and I got pregnant. Meagan: Yay. Amina: It was just like that. It was amazing. Pregnancy– I felt good. I wasn't nauseous. I was pregnant with a boy. We did all of the testing and throughout the pregnancy, I started to find my way through Ina May Gaskin's book. I started to read about it and just learned a little bit more about the system of birthing in the U.S. at the time. I decided I wanted to have a midwife instead of a doctor so I switched out. Again, uneventful. I wanted the birth at a birthing center and I felt like I was super prepared. We did a HypnoBirthing course and on the due date, on the due date exactly, I started to have a little bit of bleeding, not even a period kind of blood but just a little brownish discharge. My mom was like, “Oh, you are not supposed to be bleeding. Why do you have blood?” I'm like, “I don't know,” but I was super excited. I'm like, “We're doing this. I'm having the baby.” That was at 4:00 AM. I went to sleep. I woke up soaking in a lot of water. The water had broken. We're like, “Okay, let's go to the hospital.” The water was a bit tinted with some blood. I'm still very calm. It's fine. My body knows what it's doing. I had all of the mantras and I showed up to the hospital and everybody was panicking at the hospital. I don't know why, but they were panicking. They're like, “You're bleeding. You shouldn't be bleeding during birth. You have to be monitored.” All of the things that I was prepared for which is to deny interventions, to say, “I don't want to be checked,” I just remember it being a very intrusive experience where I was constantly being bombarded by nurses and by faces I didn't know. I was definitely not relaxed and then my doctor was like, “Look, I'm going to give you a few hours to labor on your own because I know what you want.” It was basically a doctor with a group of midwives. A doctor was there and one of the midwives was also there. The doctor said, “I'm going to let you labor for a little longer. I'll give you the afternoon to labor and we'll see what happens.” I go into the room and I start to have very intense contractions that were not stopping. It was just like one long contraction. I was just breathing through it and doing all of the coping tools that I was prepared for. My husband is doing the hip squeezes. We're in that labor land, but then someone keeps coming in and I have to constantly argue for myself because you know how they monitor your belly with the contractions, something will move and then they won't get the baby's heart rate and the panic and they run in all of the time. I wasn't really relaxed I would say. Then the doctor comes in. She's like, “Okay, look. We've been monitoring your contractions from the office. You should be in the transition phase at this point, but your contractions are very intense and they are not stopping. I'm suggesting to give you an epidural just to help relax you and we see what happens.” At that moment, I was in so much pain that I was like, “I want a way out. Give it to me. Give it to me.” Meagan: Yeah. Amina: They gave me the epidural and within minutes or so, everything started turning black. I heard the monitors starting to beep and 30 doctors were in the room. Everyone was panicking and my midwife's hand was inside of me moving the baby or doing something and saying, “We're losing him.” I just remember that moment. I was just fighting, fighting, fighting the whole time. In that moment, I was just like, “Surrender. I just want to see my baby. I want to be okay.” My mom was there with me by my side, her and my husband. My mom is this source of strength for me who is always very strong. She didn't panic, but her face was just stricken with fear. I was like, “This is not good. I need to let go of my dream of birthing this way. I can't do it. I give up.” In that moment, my doctor, after they get the baby's heart okay, was like, “Look, I don't know what's going on, but I know that neither you or your baby can handle any more of this labor. We have to get the baby out.” I said, “Okay, go ahead.” I was very okay with it like, “Just do it.” So very quickly, I was in the emergency room or the C-section room. Meagan: The OR. Amina: The OR. I was just in total panic. I was shaking from the drugs and it was just so much. I remember looking into my husband's eyes. He was like, “Just breathe with me.” It was like yoga. I was breathing in, breathing out. This moment was all that mattered. I was just going to stay present.We had the C-section. I had my baby and all of this. He was placed on me in the recovery room and honestly, from then on, it was a very smooth postpartum journey. I healed very well from my C-section. It led me to learning a lot about the core and how to heal and just all of these really amazing things that I didn't know about before. It strengthened my knowledge of its nature. That journey was great and then I think it took me a little while of, “I don't think I want to have any other babies. This was the worst experience of my life.” I kind of just shoved it away. I just didn't think about it. Then he was 3.5 years old. I was like, “Okay. I am starting to miss the baby phase and I would love for him to have a sibling, but I really don't want to go through another birth.” That was just the trauma. But I think the love for him and bringing him a sibling overcame that fear. I was like, “Let's just do it.” So 3.5 years later, we tried to get pregnant and I was expecting it to be just like that just like the first time, but it didn't happen. It was, I think about 6 months that we were trying and when we got into the 7th month, I was like, “Okay. Something's up. Maybe I have another polyp. Maybe I have a fibroid.” I started going from doctor to doctor to check why I was not getting pregnant. It turns out that they were like, “Everything is great. Everything looks perfect. There's no reason why you're not getting pregnant.” Then, in the end, I decided to go the IVF route. I was like, “Let's just do this. Let's save some eggs.” I was 34. I said, “Let's save some eggs in case I want to have future pregnancies and also get genetic tests taken and all of this stuff.” We started doing IVF in July of 2021, I believe, 2022. Yeah. We started doing the first round. We got the eggs out and all of this. It was an easy, breezy IVF cycle I would say. The embryo transfer was in September which was the same time I got pregnant exactly four years apart, almost the same due date so it was crazy. I did the embryo transfer. She stuck and I felt very nauseous for the first few months. I was just super nauseous and I looked up the doctor next to me that was just a great surgeon. I was like, “I'm going to do another C-section. I don't want any surprises. I just want the easiest, safest option.” I go and see him and he's like, “Yeah, you probably had a placental abruption the first time.” Meagan: I was going to ask you if they ever gave you an answer and if it was placenta-related. That's what it sounded like to me. Amina: Yeah, they said that they suspected that the placenta was shaped funny because of my polyp surgery being so close. They said it was a bilobed placenta but they didn't say anything about it was an abruption. They didn't mention those words. They were scared of it at the birth and when I would say, “Is my baby okay?” they were like, “Yes.” So okay, they let me labor until it went to a C-section because of the epidural. It was more that it was the epidural that caused a bad reaction to me and the baby. Meagan: Yeah, blood pressure drops which is going black. Amina: Yeah, going black, exactly. I had all of this fear from all of this and I was like, “I want something very low-risk and safe with a great surgeon, but I want to meet with a doctor.” He was like, “How do you want to deliver this baby?” I said, “I would love to have a repeat C-section.” Then I started to get curious. I was like, “But what if I go into labor?” He said, “Well if you go into natural, spontaneous labor on your own, we can do a trial of labor.”I was like, “Okay. That sounds fair.” Throughout, I think, once I was in the second trimester, I started to feel really good. I started to feel very empowered and strong. I was working out and I was just loving the pregnancy. It wasn't like I felt an alien with the first pregnancy. The second time around, I was savoring it a lot more. I was a lot more in tune and a lot more connected. I was pregnant with a baby girl. Yeah. I was just in this confident feeling. I noticed that whenever I thought of the birth, I started to feel fear. I was like, “I'm going to do a repeat C-section because it's too scary otherwise.” Then I asked myself this question. “Are you avoiding trying for a vaginal birth because you are scared or because it feels like the right thing to do?” It was 100% because I was scared. There was nothing beyond that. There was pure fear. So I started to talk to my therapist. I started to tell her, “I want to dive deeper into my first birth. Why am I feeling this way?” We started to really dive deep and realize that it was a mystery. We're never going to fully know why it happened. I'm not going to get the answer that I need of the reason for my Cesarean. It was just something. This was how he was meant to be born and there was really nothing in my hands. I started to listen to The VBAC Link as soon as I felt that spark of curiosity. I would get on my treadmill and I would walk for, I think, an hour every single day on an incline listening to the stories of all of these women. I started to feel like, “Wait. Maybe this is a possibility. Why am I so scared? Let me see what's on the other side of this fear.” So I decided to have a real conversation with my doctor. He was always throwing around the words “39 weeks”. “When you're at 39 weeks, if you go into labor–” I was like, “Wait a second. The first time, I went into labor at 40 weeks. Why do I have to get to a very small percentage that I go early?” I started to ask him. I was like, “You know what? I would really love to avoid another surgery if possible.” His response was, “First of all, don't glamorize vaginal birth because, with vaginal birth, you're going to most likely tear because you've never had a baby come out of there before. You're not going to be able to hold your pee. You will be in pain sitting down. It's not something glamorous. It's not likely to be the better option,” was what he was telling me. I was skeptical. All the stats that I read was that a repeat C-section is the more risky option. It's not the less and it's a major surgery. And then I said, “The reason that I had a Cesarean the first time was a bad reaction to the epidural most likely.” He said, “No, it was placental abruption and you can rupture your placenta again.” Again, I researched this and I was like, “Wait, just because even if you say it was–” because we don't know it was, “the chances of getting that– it's a whole new placenta, a whole new baby, and a whole new story, so the chances of this repeating again is quite low.” He kind of scared me with these stats that I wasn't convinced with because they are very low. Then I said, “Also, I would love to avoid the epidural because it was the reason everything literally turned black in the birth.” He said, “Well, no. That's not possible because I need access in case I need to get the baby out in 10 seconds.” I realized at that moment that I was just an emergency to this doctor. I am just this emergency case. I'm not seen as a human. I'm not seen as a mother wanting to birth the way that I'm designed to and I'm seen as this scare and this risk. Then he boasted, “I'm very fast. I'm known to be very fast. I don't waste time.” Also, I asked for a gentle C which is like, “Okay, let's get the baby out. Give me a few seconds for the pulsation of the cord.” He was like, “Well, absolutely not. You are cut open. This happens in seconds. I'm very fast.” I felt like I was a medical emergency and also, I felt like, I didn't want someone so fast by my side when I was doing the most intense, intimate thing of my life. I don't want to have this rushed energy by me so I knew I had to get out of there. That was my screaming intuition, “Get out of this practice. Search for a supportive OB/GYN.” Your podcast, The VBAC Link, helped me realize so much with realizing how much that actually can change the outcome. Meagan: Absolutely. Amina: I felt like I was empowered to know that no matter what happens, even if I wasn't with a supportive doctor, I would still try to get my way, but I was like, “Let me just search through my options.” I remember I had seen one of the doctors when I was trying to figure out what was going on with why I wasn't getting pregnant. I had met this beautiful doctor. She was a radiating source of warm, calm energy. I was like, “Why didn't I go to her?” She's more holistic and loves HypnoBirthing and all of this stuff, but she is an excellent surgeon which is why I went to see her. I was standing– I remember this moment. While I was standing in a museum, I was like, “I need to do this.” It was a “yes” in my body. I called them and right away, they were like, “We can take you.” I met with her and as soon as I met her, she was like, “We are going to have this VBAC.” It wasn't “you”. It was “we”. Meagan: As a team. Amina: It was this feeling of a team. She works with a bunch of other female doctors in the same clinic. She was like, “Look, I can't guarantee that I'm going to be there at your birth, but I want you to know that every single person here will advocate for you here in just the same way.” I felt very in touch with her and I would always book my follow-ups with her. I developed this bond with her. But when I would go for my check-ups with her, my body felt relaxed. I wasn't feeling that something was intrusive which was also something. I had faith, I would say. At about 38 weeks, we started to check for dilation. One time, I got this email from her clinic team saying that we were scheduling a C-section for 39 weeks just by mistake. I was like, “I would love to not see that or not have that.” She was like, “I'm so sorry. That was an internal error. There is no C-section being scheduled.” I love that she was just behind me every step of the way. We started to check for the dilation and it was 0. I was like, “Okay. This doesn't mean anything. It's still gonna happen.” Then I was listening to one of the episodes that was talking about the Foley catheter and the low-dose Pitocin. I was very intrigued because I was like, “Okay.” They are starting to say that the baby was getting to 3 kilos or 7 pounds-ish. In the hospital when they would monitor me, they would start to raise the fear of, “Oh, the baby is getting big,” and starting to hint at that. I want to have at least a plan B that's not a C-section but maybe some light interventions. I read about the catheter and I mentioned it to my doctor. She was like, “Yeah. If the time comes and we need to use it, I'm totally fine with it.” She was very humble. She would research things that I mentioned to her that maybe she hadn't tried before and she would be like, “Oh yeah, let me do some research on this,” not as if she knew everything. Meagan: I love that. Amina: She also refers to a HypnoBirthing doula that me and her work with. That's how I knew her from the HypnoBirthing doula. She is so open to maybe we don't have all of the answers already right away. We can go explore our options. I was being monitored consistently at the hospital and they were saying because of the history of the suspected placental abruption. They were always saying, “Yeah. Baby seems very happy. Baby seems very happy.” That made me feel good. Then I heard also about the membrane sweeps so I asked her, “Can we do a membrane sweep at 39 weeks?” She said, “Yes. Let's do a membrane sweep at 38-something.” I went in and I wasn't dilated at all, but she was having a hard time even doing the sweep so she said, “Let's try after you are 39 weeks. Maybe you will be a little more dilated and there is another doctor who has longer fingers who is very good with sweeps.” She said, “I want you to try her next time.” So 39 weeks comes and then I do the sweep. I feel some cramping, but nothing really happens. That day, I go to the hospital and they are monitoring and they say, “The baby is getting big. The baby is over 7 pounds and the more you stay pregnant, the less likely you are to be able to birth vaginally.” I said to my doctor, “Okay, can we book an induction with a Foley catheter and the low-dose Pitocin?” She said, “Let's do it.” I go to the hospital at 6:00 AM with my birthing bag prepared. It ws going to happen. I had read about how painful it is to insert the catheter, but she's just incredible. I was relaxed. Everything was in and it started to do its job. It started to mechanically dilate me because I was at a 0. I was in the room with my husband and my sister just joking and laughing and watching episodes and just not someone in labor. It had nothing to do with labor. Then they would come in. They would check and be like, “Yeah, okay.” I think after 8 hours, they took it out. I was at the 3.5-centimeter dilation from the Foley but she said, “It might close up a little bit.” She said, “Yeah. Let's just see.” So they started the low-dose Pitocin and I remember sitting there on the ball trying to ease into contractions even though they were very mild. I was like, “Wow. I have really good pain tolerance the second pregnancy. I'm not feeling those contractions,” because they weren't real contractions. I'm like, “Oh, wow.” Then I started to feel my baby moving up into my ribs. She was bumping into my ribs. They go and check and they're like, “Yeah, she's at a 0 station. She's not moving down. We have to up the Pitocin a little bit higher.” That day, I had seen an osteopath who had checked me. I was like, “Yeah, I'm going for my induction tomorrow.” She was like, “Why are you going to an induction?” I said, “Because the baby is too big and I need to get the baby out.” She was like, “Your baby is not ready. You shouldn't have the induction.” She said, “Your baby is not ready.” I was like, “Well too bad. I'm not going.” I remembered her words while I was sitting on the ball and feeling the baby move up into my ribs. I was having pain in my ribs. They checked at 6:00 AM. It had been from 6:00 to 6:00, 24 hours in the hospital. My doctor came in. She was like, “Okay, I have the options. You have two options. I either break your water. This has its own risks or you go home. Now you have a more favorable cervix, and let's let labor start on its own.” I thought about it. I was like, “No. I don't want that.” My body was telling me just to go home. So this was 39 weeks and 3 days. My due date was on Saturday and I had all of these things planned that the baby was coming out. My son's birthday, my son's graduation from pre-K. I show up very pregnant and everybody is asking, “Oh, where is the baby?” That was so annoying. I wanted to switch off my phone because everybody knew my due date and was texting, “Hey, where is the baby? Did you have the baby?” I'm just feeling all of this pressure. She was cozy. She was just there happy and not moving down at all. So I started to go to acupuncture just to soothe my anxiety. In the acupuncture, I was just drifting off and then I started to see this round, black, sticky thing. I was like, “What is this? Why does this keep coming to my head? What is this round, black, sticky thing?” Then I realized, it was a head. It's a baby's head. It's black and sticky and has blood on it. I was like, “Why do I keep seeing this? But this is amazing.” Then I realized it was my baby's head. I was like, “It's a good thing I keep seeing a head when I'm doing acupuncture even though I'm not trying to see it.” Two days later, I went back to acupuncture again. I'm drifting off to that space where you're not asleep. You're not awake. You're just in this crazy, floating space. I start to see that I'm feeling my baby's head with my hands and I'm feeling her come out and she's on my chest and I'm sobbing, “We did it. We did it. We did it.” I was like, “Okay, this is beautiful, but I don't know what to do with this. It was just a very cool vision.” Meagan: Hold onto it. Amina: Yeah, hold onto it. The due date comes. The baby is not here. The baby is cozy. We go do another sweep a few days later. I started to feel some cramping and the dilation had even moved backward like she had warned me. I was about 2 centimeters. I was like, “Oh, this baby is never coming out. This is so stressful.” But I was trying to stay positive. The wait was so anxiety-producing because I was like, “What's going to happen? What if I wait all of this time and I end up still having a C-section?” My mind was all over the place. But then I went to see my osteopath four days post-due date. I saw my osteopath. She checks me and she works on all of this deep tissue stuff. She's like, “Yeah. Your baby is ready now.” I was like, “Really?” She's like, “Yeah. All of the muscles that are normally hard and tight are very soft and loose now. Your baby is ready.” That's all she said. Then my mom gets seen by her as well for a session after. She tells my mom, “Make sure you get some rest tonight. Tonight's going to be a big night.” She knew.” Meagan: Oh my. That just gave me the chills. Oh my gosh. Amina: I know. It was crazy. I had no idea. That day, I felt pretty good. I had done the sweep. I had seen my pelvic floor therapist and she was like, “Yeah. Everything looks good. There is no tension.” She was allowed to do internal work at that point. She was like, “Everything looks good.” I was like, “Do you think my pelvis is too small?” She was like, “No. I think everything looks great and you will birth this baby vaginally.” She gave me this boost. It was like someone had seen me on the inside and was like, “You're good to go.” Meagan: You're good. Amina: Yes, you're good. So that day, I went for a walk in the rain with my husband. I came back and I was just suddenly, my mind was somewhere else. I was very distracted. It was like this wave and this film of dreaminess was on top and I wasn't stressed about the time. I wasn't stressed about when she was coming. I just felt very relaxed. My body was super relaxed. After that osteopath, I sat on the ball. I was bouncing and I started to feel a little something. It quickly started to intensify. I couldn't put my son to sleep as I normally do. I was holding his hand while I was on the ball rocking, listening to a playlist that I made that was calming labor music that I liked. While I'm putting him to sleep, I'm holding his hand and I'm just in that world. By the time he fell asleep, it was 9-something and they were ramping up. So my husband was like, “Look. If baby is coming tonight, we should get some sleep.” Meagan: Sleep. Amina: Yeah, right. Yeah right, get some sleep. I got into bed and I tried to start sleeping and it's very intense. I can't sleep. Then I'm like, “Oh. That's the contractions that I forgot about 5 years ago. That's it.” I started to get on all fours and I tried to lay with the ball between my legs in the bed and it ramped up a lot that by midnight, my husband called the hospital, the doctor, and said, “She's having 5-minute contractions. They're getting intense.” The doctor was like, “Okay. Just monitor her for a bit, but if you want, she can come in now and we can get her checked in. She can labor in the room. Let's see.” Oh, the next morning, I had an induction plan already. They had planned it. So she was like, “We'll get her in the room early and she can just labor there and be checked.” I didn't want to go. I said no. I waited for a few hours and I think by 2:00, I was like, “We need to go to the hospital now. Now. This baby is coming now.” I just felt that it was not going to be a long time. We go and this time, the different thing I did from my Cesarean is I had my headphones in and I was not talking to anybody. I was just listening to the song in that dreamy state. I was kind of riding the wave of dreaminess. I was just in that world and listening to the music. My husband was giving them my insurance info, my name, and all of this logistical stuff that didn't make sense at the time with all of the bright lights. Then I'm having contractions. I'm breathing through them. Then comes a resident who is like, “I need to check you. I need to see if your baby is still head-down.” I said, “My baby is head-down. I know that she is. No one is going to check me except my doctor.” He got very angry and he was like, “You're risking your life and the baby's life.” I said, “I know my body. I know my baby. I know that she's head down. I was just at the hospital this morning. If she flipped, I would know.” I was just confident. I was like, “And my doctor can check if she wants, but you're not doing any exams. Thanks, but no.” My husband is the nicest guy. For him to have this kind of confrontation makes him super on edge. Meagan: Uncomfortable?Amina: Yeah. He's like, “He's just doing his job.” I prepped him before. “Look. No means no. No one is going to check me. I'm not being nice to anybody that's in my body or my vagina. No one is looking inside unless I'm comfortable.” We had done also a HypnoBirthing crash course just to remember as a refresher course. We had decided that also, no one can offer me the epidural. If I want it, I'll ask for it, but hopefully, I'm not going to ask for it. At this point, the contractions are super intense. I have to sign this thing that says I'm okay with me and my baby dying. I'm in my world. I'm like, “Sure. Here you go.” Then we get to the room and the contractions get so much that I start to feel paralyzed. I start to feel like first of all, my intention with this birth is to feel good. I want to have a good experience and if I don't get the epidural or if I don't stop this pain, I'm not going to feel good. I tell my husband who is very well-intentioned, I'm like, “Look. I need the epidural now.” He's like, “Amina. We talked about this. We said you're going to ask for this and I'm going to tell you that you can do this.” I'm like, “I don't care what we spoke about. I want the epidural now.” He's like, “You can do this. You said that this would happen, but trust me. You're almost there.” Meagan: That's so cute. Amina: He's really doing all of the stuff that he was told to do, then he gets kind of upset. He's like, “Let me go talk to your doctor.” He goes outside and calls her on the phone. She comes and checks me. I'm still at a 2 so she was like, “Okay. It's going to be a long night.” She explains to him, “Maybe this will help her feel better.” It's going to be a very long night. Let her have it. Let her relax. She'll get some sleep. We're going to be very careful because of the bad reaction last time. We're going to give you a lot of IV fluids. We're going to give you a very tiny dose. We're going to monitor you so well that hopefully, we'll avoid the blood pressure drop thing.”It was very hard to get the epidural in because I was contracting so intensely. It was a lot. They managed to get it in and they were like, “Okay. This is the button. You're going to press it if you want more.” I was terrified. I'm watching the heart rate monitor and the blood pressure watching it and waiting for the emergency. They were like, “You're fine. Relax. Everything is good. Now you can rest.” They put such a tiny amount that I could probably move around if I wanted to. I have the ball in between my legs. I was lying on my side and I could still feel the contractions, but they were just a little bit more manageable which was very nice. This was around, I think I got the epidural around 3:00ish-4:00ish. Someone came to check and I was at a 4. I was like, “Ugh.” They were like, “It's still going to be a long time. Don't worry.” When I was a 4, a woman came in, a resident, and she was like, “You're at a 4. Would you like me to break your water?” At that point, I was in this very surrendery kind of state. I was like, “Sure. Do it.” So she did. She broke my water. As soon as I look, there's red all over the sheets. I was like, “It's blood!” She's like, “Yeah. Birth has blood. There's always going to be blood in birth.” I was just like, “But there's no one panicking around me that I'm bleeding and it's a lot more blood than the first birth?” They were like, “Baby is okay. You're okay. Blood is normal. You're fine. Just relax.” Meagan: Wow. Amina: It was the reverse situation where instead of me being calm and everyone is panicking, it was the other way around where I'm like, “Guys, look. You should panic now!” They're like, “You're okay. Everything is good.”That was just such a moment for me where I was like, “Okay. Blood is normal. I have to not freak out when I see blood.” My doctor had warned me. She was like, “I know you're going to panic when you see blood, but trust me. Bleeding in birth can happen and it's okay. It doesn't mean that something is wrong.” That was a very powerful moment for me. She broke the water and then this was at 6:00 AM. At 6:15, I suddenly felt something shift. I'm like, “I feel a lot of pressure.” They had told me it was going to be a few hours. I tell the nurse, “I feel like I have a lot of pressure like I need to poop suddenly.” She's like, “Poop?” She runs. She gets the doctor and they check. They were like, “You're 8 centimeters. Baby's head is right there. You're almost ready to push.” I start crying. When I heard the 8, I was like, “This has never happened.” That was the first moment that I was like, “This might really happen.” They had this dilation poster on the wall in front of you where you can visualize and see 1 centimeter, 2 centimeters all the way to 10. I would constantly look at it and I was like, “10. It's possible. It's going to happen.” That really also helped me, I think.” So when they said 8 and the baby's head was right there, I had shivers. I was just so happy and so elated. Then they were like, “But it's still a few hours. It's not going to be right away. You're 8. It could take a while until you are ready to push.” 15 minutes later, I was 10 and I was ready to push. Meagan: Oh my goodness. Amina: From 4 centimeters to pushing was in 15-minute chunks. It was very fast, crazy fast. So then at that point, the doctor changed shifts and it was a new doctor, the one with the long fingers who had given me the sweep. She comes in and she's like, “We're having this VBAC. Let's go.” The energy of the room was where everyone was excited for you and cheering for you. It was such a beautiful, beautiful experience. I was like, “I don't care. I'm just so happy to be here.” The epidural stopped working on one side, so I was feeling everything on the right side of my pubic bone, all of this pressure. They were like, “Yeah. It's normal. Sometimes it happens. You're only numb on one side, but the baby is stuck behind the pubic bone, so we need to do some pushes to get her past that.” The pushes, for me, were the hardest part because I felt like I couldn't do the pushing that I prepared for with my pelvic floor therapist or the stuff that I read. It was all just like, “You're going to inhale and then you're going to hold your breath and push, and then you're going to exhale.” It's so counterintuitive to what I was taught to do that I was like, “I don't know if this is doing anything. I don't feel anything. I don't know. Am I doing it?” They're like, “Yes, but you have to keep going.” Her heart rate was kind of in distress in between the contractions and they were like, “You have to push.” She's like, “I'm not telling you that this is an emergency, but I'm telling you that we can't stay here for long, so you have to push.” My husband was like, “Come on, Amina. Push!” I'm like, “Okay. I'm trying,” but I can't connect to it. Meagan: “I'm trying!” Amina: So then I guess I keep purple pushing so much that her heart is going crazy. My heart is going crazy. There is all of this chaos and they were like, “Just forget about all of the monitors. Just push. Push the baby out of your vagina. You can do this.” She moves past my pubic bone and there is a sigh of relief. They start getting out their instruments. There was a guy, a male resident, in the room who started to say, “Can we get out the instruments?” or something like that like the suction. I can't remember what it was called. Meagan: The vacuum? Amina: The vacuum, yes. He started to say, “Can we get out the vacuum?” Meagan: It goes right on their head like that? Amina: Yeah, I didn't even see. He just mentions, “Can I get out–?” The doctor says, “I don't want to hear that word inside of this room.” I was just amazed. Meagan: YES.Amina: Then basically, they were like, “Okay. She moved past your pubic bone. Now is the time to really push.” I'm really struggling with the pushes. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm getting so tired. I'm about to cry. Then I had this moment of, “Let me just reach down and feel my baby.” I put my hand down. I feel my baby. The doctor is not even cueing me to push at this point, and suddenly, I feel her head. My body's super strength takes over and pushes the baby out without cueing, without noise, and without anything. Just by feeling her head, I don't know what happened. It was like this super strength of all of the women in the world. I pushed her out of me and then out came her shoulders and then she was placed on my chest. I was just sobbing with joy. It was the same moment as my acupuncture. It was like, “We did it. We did it.” I'm just sobbing. Meagan: I was going to say that. It sounds exactly like your visualization. Amina: It was. Meagan: You saw this head. You saw this head and then boom. Out on your chest. Amina: There was another moment while I was pushing. The doctor was like, “I see her head. She has black hair just like her daddy.” I was like, “That's the head I saw the first time.” Meagan: Oh my gosh. Amina: My son was born with lighter hair, so I'm like, “This is that moment, the black, sticky head.” I'm like, “This means it's happening.” She was placed on my chest. My husband cut the cord and it was just the most healing, incredible moment of my life because I felt like in that moment, I was invincible. If I can do this, you just feel like you are so strong, but also so humbled by the experience. Yeah. It was the most beautiful moment of my life. Meagan: You grew right there, right? I think there are so many things to say about birth. We grow through all of these experiences and you grew through your C-section and you have grown through your healing. Look how long this journey has been and you have grown in every single aspect of becoming pregnant, learning how to follow your body from the very beginning, something is not right, and then they find out, “Oh, she has this polyp.” You have grown into this person and you are just amazing. This story is so beautiful and I love how your provider was there to back you up and be there for you and be like, “Nope. Don't even say that. Don't even talk about that.” Amina: “Don't say that word here.” Meagan: “We are here.” Something else that I love is that you recognized. Breaking water is something, especially earlier in labor that we kind of stay away from a little bit, and in your mind and your body, you were like, “I feel good about this. I feel like I'm going to surrender to this. I feel this is right,” and then you did it. Then 15 minutes– and then you have a baby. Amina: So fast, exactly. It's not this black-and-white intervention or no intervention. That's what I love about The VBAC Link because I was learning that, “Oh, the Foley catheter balloon can be a great way to have a VBAC.” There are so many different interventions that can actually help you and I think for me, even trusting the epidural again was a big, big, big lesson. Meagan: Huge. Amina: I was like, “This is the moment where I lost all control in my first birth.” Control is an illusion, but that was the moment where I was like, “Just cut me open. I give up.” Meagan: Well, everything went in a different direction from that moment of your blood pressure dropping and maybe there were placenta issues, maybe not. You know, when you were talking about how this may not be something you'll ever know, you may not ever know the exact reason why you were bleeding in that first pregnancy and things like that, it reminded me of our radical acceptance episodes and me too. There are things about my birth I will never know. It doesn't take the wonder route, but it doesn't consume me anymore. Amina: You are accepting.Meagan: Yeah, you accepted that it was that birth. That was that experience. You've grown from that. You've learned from that. You are going on to this next birth with what you know and accepting this next birth as this new birth, right? I think that is so important because so many times in life in general, but birth specifically, especially if we have maybe had a more traumatic experience or a Cesarean or something that really seems to relate just like you were saying. I got this epidural and then my control was lost. I did this and then this happened. I think we can tend to relate and then fear those things to happen ever again. Yeah, I mean, when my water broke for the third time, I mean they say so few people– 10% of people have their water break before labor begins and then it happened again, I was immediately triggered even though my mind knew that my body just needed time. I triggered back and I started having those doubts creep in and all of these things. We have to be able to dig really, really deep and be strong enough to say, “Okay. This is the situation. This is how I feel about it,” and be willing to make different choices. Going in for an induction again, you were scheduled to go in again. I also love that about your doctor that they were like, “Hey, here are your options. We can push this forward and see what happens or this isn't happening right now. We can send you home.” So powerful. So powerful. Amina: This was unheard of. This was unheard of. Meagan: It's not very heard of, yeah. Amina: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, when I told the nurse that day, “My doctor said I can go home now,” she looked at me and started laughing. She was like, “No, she didn't.” I'm like, “Go ask her. I'm going home.” She came back and she was like, “I guess you're going home.” She was baffled. This person was here to have a baby, but they're going home without a baby because that was how much she honors what her patients want, that they are women, that they are about to have a very important experience in their lives, and that they should be a proactive part of it. That was the part that was so important. To be with a provider that doesn't inherently believe that vaginal birth is always safer than a C-section, I think that was a trigger moment for me. He believed that they were the same or that one was better than the other. Meagan: Well, he was putting a lot of things like, “You're going to pee yourself,” and this. Let's be real here. Those are real risks of a vaginal birth. We can have serious urinary incontinence. We can have serious tearing that needs reconstruction. Those are real. What he was saying is real. He was using them as a fear tactic to steer you away and that's where it's wrong. That's where, okay. I'm sorry. I can't say it's wrong. That's where I believe it's wrong. We should be educating very well on both sides and also talking about the risks of a Cesarean and the risks of having our bladder cut, our baby cut, and having blood issues like having to have transfusions. Also, uterine rupture is not eliminated with a scheduled C-section. It's just not, but we don't talk about those things, right? Amina: We don't talk about it, yeah. Meagan: It's just pushed so heavily. You could tell that he was pretty cool, “Oh, you could TOLAC,” until you were like, “Actually, I want to do that.” He was like, “Wait a minute. No, you don't.” That's where we are lacking here in the world of medicine and that's, I think, a lot of the times why some people don't trust providers and don't trust the hospital because of things like this. We need to steer more into your second provider's direction of, “Let's talk about it. What does she want? We know the risks. We're going to talk about the risks, but what does she want and how can we help her get that in a very safe manner?” Right? We want everyone to be safe, of course, but yeah. Amina: Totally. Staying open. Staying open. If she hears about something that she hasn't used before, she has the modesty to say, “Let me research that,” not just like, “I haven't used this before, so hard no.” It's like, “Oh, let me do some research. Let me ask my doula friends what they know.” I love that about her. Meagan: I love that so much about what you said about this provider. The fact that she was like, “You know, I don't know. Let me look at that.” We can have a conversation that's productive. That's what that is offering is a productive conversation between the two of you and not just shutting you out. She may have seen a different study about that and be like, “Nope. I've seen that. That's not going to work.” But you're like, “This study–”. I love that so much. It sounds like your provider was amazing. We had talked about providers. Sometimes I think on this podcast, we sound a little provider-bashing maybe because we are like, “Don't do that. Why would they do that?” We kind of speak poorly sometimes about certain things that providers do. That is absolutely not the case. We love providers here. We love any provider– OB and midwives both. But what we don't love is when our community is mistreated, when they're gaslighted, when they're completely shut out of any options in their own birth experience, and when they're really pushed in the direction of trauma or lack of support. That's what we struggle with. It's not the provider. It's that this is happening to people who we love in our community. I know I say this time and time again. I love this community. I love you guys so much. You mean the world to me. I see posts and there have been times at 2:00 in the morning. I'll be scrolling my phone in the community and I end up crying just feeling, truly feeling those emotions from these people where they are like, “Help. What do I do?” But then I also start crying when I pull up Zoom to record a podcast like this and I see you just gleaming and bursting for joy, so excited to share your story and inspire someone. So I truly love you guys so much. I am so grateful for you being here with us today and sharing this amazing story. It sounds like I might need to connect with your provider because this is amazing.Amina: She is amazing. Meagan: Remind me where this provider is located. Amina: New York City. In New York City, it's hard to find a provider that's supportive for some reason. I went all over in the first pregnancy even. It's quite hard, but really finding a provider who believes in you, who knows you can do it, who is excited for you, and who doesn't just see you as a number and someone who believes you are a woman. Meagan: Or an emergency. Amina: Yes. You're not just an emergency. That was the biggest change for me. It's not like the second birth was just smooth. There were moments where there was blood. There were moments where her heart rate was in distress, but there's that confidence that this woman can do this. This baby is safe and we are doing this together. Meagan: Yes. Which is so powerful. That's only going to help you during your birth. That's only going to help build you up and move you forward and help you feel like overall, it's a better experience. Like you said, sometimes things don't go exactly as planned or it doesn't go so smoothly where sometimes you have to move around because baby is struggling or there is blood or whatever, right? But because you were built up in this experience and the support was truly surrounding you, you were able to have that better experience. Amina: Mhmm, exactly. I think also, I just learned so much from this the difference between fear and intuition. If you have that feeling within yourself, you can really easily mistake fear as, “This is my feeling,” but actually, is it fear or is it your real intuition? They can be blurred and when you just sit with that for a bit, you will see your body saying, “Hell yes,” then it's most likely a yes. Meagan: Yes. I love that you talked about that with your therapist. Let's dig deeper here. Let's find out. Is it that I'm scared or is it that this is really what I want? Don't be scared, Women of Strength, to dig into that and dive deeper into those feelings because sometimes, it can be fear. You're on social media so much. You're seeing scary things and you're like, “Nope. I'm not going to do that,” but once you dive deeper, you might realize something else. Amina: Yep. Meagan: Yes. Okay, well thank you again so much. Amina: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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