Podcasts about mannafest living

"My deep emotional struggle has been a secret, hidden behind the façade of dependability. I’ve been busy making sadness wrong and I was not sure how to talk about it." Exposing the Cracks that the Light May Come In Hey guys this Sarah Mastriani-Levi and I wanted to take a few minutes to speak to you from my heart about what's been happening with me, about what's been going on with my podcast and what’s been occurring in my business over the past few months. I usually don't share a lot of personal stuff on this platform. Although, most of you know that I will share personal anecdotes from time to time to support your processes. But this time, I wanted to let you know a little bit about the authentic and human side of what's been going on lately. I hope it will encourage you and give you support that you're not alone in what you're going through. These past few months have been tough for me emotionally, psychologically, physically and spiritually. I have felt like I’ve gone through some challenges that have happened, if for no other reason, then to slow down my pace. For all of you, who personally know me, being an extremely driven, overachiever has been a trademark of my personality for the majority of my life. But something has happened… maybe lots of some things…that have begun to shift my perspective. In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew did some massive damage to my community, and much of the Southern East Coast. We caught the brunt of the storm. We were evacuated from our homes and forced into a “Hurri-cation mode”. Much of my business is online, so fortunately I could operate it from “the cloud” and the hotel where we were staying. However, while we were away there was a massive energy shift that happened in this area. For me, trees are like souls, and coming back to the storm damaged area was shocking, to say the least. Now nearly five months later, we are still seeing FEMA collecting fallout debris from the storm. As you may imagine, hundreds of thousands of trees were erased from the natural landscape. It felt like a spiritual emptying out, almost as if there were volunteer souls that bowed out, in order to allow space and light, for new energy, to come into the area. All in all, that would be a really positive thing, but simultaneously there seems to be a grieving process, both of the people and of the land for the changes that have happened and continue to evolve here. There's a heavy energy, and what feels like opposition to a lot of the new energy that is flowing in. Being an empath, I'm very sensitive to this. Honestly, it has caused me to lose my rhythm a little. It has toyed with my productive abilities for my business, and otherwise. All of this has challenged me spiritually and emotionally throughout these past several months. It has caused me to question my relationships and whether I am in the right location or not. The election season has been overwhelming, surprising and divisive. So much of what I never believed could happen, has…everyday seems like a new surprise, a new twist, a new turn. I feel constant fear and unease in the current political environment. I feel like I’m walking on egg-shells not to accidentally mention my opinion in the “wrong company.” Much of what’s around me believes differently, and I can’t for the life of me wrap my mind around it or support it. I keep asking myself, “is there a chance I could be wrong?” but cannot seem to understand how I could ever think or feel the opposite of what I do. I can’t understand what others are supporting. Strangely, nearly every project that I had started before October has not come to fruition. That is totally unlike me because I love efficiently finishing projects, more than just about anything else. In addition to all of that, every single project that I tried to launch over the past few months has sent me mixed messages with constant snafus and delays. Nearly every lecture that I was invited to speak at, has had a great reaction online, only to be followed by people who don't show up. That was after the fact that they told me personally that the message and topic I was sharing were excellent and important. My podcast, which has brought me so much joy, suddenly went through a shift too. The recording software stopped working for all PCs. I shifted to another recording software to record four important and powerful conversations with Jay Wong, Selena Delesie, Kelly Harrell and Toku McCree, only to discover on each one that my voice was barely audible (in spite of successful test runs). This really shook me up, not just on the technical level of why did this only work great in the test run, but also it was a huge embarrassment considering I had been waiting for months to talk with each of these people. It sent me spiraling…trying to find technical solutions. I also sunk deep into an energetic rabbit hole of questions regarding the value of my voice and why the universe was stopping it from being shared, on what seemed like every front. Was my antenna aimed at the wrong audience? Was I sharing a message that wasn't welcome? Was what I have to share not of value? During the following 2 months, I worked to create a program to launch during the last two weeks of December, along with a mastermind course. I designed it so people could read more and sign up on line, on my website. During the third week of December my website “white screened,” so not only  no launch…no one had access to my website for 10 days, as I gathered all of the parts. Essentially, I was invisible. I scheduled lectures to do an in-person of these programs. Again, tons of interest…and no one showed up. I have lost my mojo and my desire to explain myself to people, locally. Especially those who are not willing to pay $30 for a workshop that could create a healthy lifestyle change and heal what they are suffering from…but alas… that doesn’t come in a bottle or pill. I feel like I’m always swimming upstream and I’m tired. Tons of questioning and self-doubt ensued, as I pushed forward in my creative process. Perhaps I just needed to wait for the stars to fall into alignment for my message to be clear? What did I need to change? How could I possibly feel so connected on some levels and so utterly unheard? It even brought into question the worthiness of the work that I am doing. Although I know that this is a common phenomenon creators go through in the creative process (a.k.a. “the thrash”). I still was full of questions. I felt stuck in the rubble and not sure how to begin to rebuild. I have gone through a very difficult and depressed couple of months. My deep emotional struggle has been a secret, hidden behind the façade of dependability. I’ve been busy making sadness wrong and I was not sure how to talk about it. I am so thankful for the joy my kids and my work bring me in the moments between my relentless questioning. I have felt alone on my journey. I have been in the sad state grieving, within my soul, that may not be so different than the trees that were broken and uprooted. I have felt extremely challenged as a single-mother. My kids see their father 1-2 times a year for 10 days. He lives abroad. I do my best to be the support system of two parents, but it’s just me. I attempt to hold it all together and be what my kids need: physically, mentally and spiritually. They are my number one priority. I feel so happy when they are happy…but lately they have been sad too. Lonely and feeling unconnected to their peers on different levels. I try to hold space for their processes. I feel guilty for feeling jealous of happy families that have two active and loving parents. There is a strangeness in the foreign realization that there are actually couples that enjoy spending time with their partners and families. I feel ashamed to admit that every picture I see of others participating Father/daughter dances tears my heart in two, and brings tears to my eyes. There is no one to play with them on the weekends like their peers’ fathers do. There is no one else around to sign permission slips or to stay home with them should they need to. There is no one else to spilt the driving with when all four kids have activities in four different locations, all at the same time. Who do stay to cheer on…how do you divide yourself? This parenting thing is a one woman show…My commitment and intensity haven’t really left space for anyone else to join me on this journey. Not that I wouldn’t want it. However, no one seems to be able to dependably show up or keep up, as I would need for them to, to be a part of our lives. This too has been a generator of sadness and solitude. I can’t just will myself out of the situation. This past weekend I had a strange wake-up call. I was tired. It was 22:00 and the kids were doing their thing, as I was starting to wind down for the night. I went upstairs to say goodnight only to find a big mess, primarily from one of my kids. It was not just in the bedroom, also in the shared family room. There was a box under the craft table that had a couple hundred crayons dumped on the floor. A clear message that it didn’t matter to whomever dropped it. I was annoyed they had fallen and not been collected…I decided I would bend down and pick them up and not escalate with my volume and discourse on the subject. What followed was the most asinine, unintentionally self-inflicted injury that I have encountered to date. Generally, I have awesome spatial perception and orientation, but this night was definitely different. I bent down quickly, focusing my gaze on the dumped crayons and swiftly caught my forehead on the blunt of a straight back wooden chair. I heard my skull crack from the intensity. I found myself on the floor with the kids all around me, scared and wanting to be helpful. At first I saw stars, and then realized that I couldn’t see out of my right eye. I was worried and in pain. I questioned how this happened and what it symbolized… What am I not seeing that’s right in front of me? Where am I banging my energy because I am trying too hard or too fast?  And yes, I realize that I’m addicted to understanding why? but the message was there: Slow down. Rest. Zoom out. Go into the quiet. Soften up the process. Stop pushing so damn hard. Drop the harshness of the drive. It’s not helping you to move forward. Listen to the Universe’s rhythm, rather than trying overpower it. Take care of yourself. There is no one else who will take care of them. Parenting has been and always will be my top priority. Second to that is serving others and creating impact through my work. I have been struggling to know how and when to share about what I’ve been processing for a couple of reasons. The first is that, as a coach, it is not a great feeling to be totally vulnerable and to talk about personal difficulties. The second is the realization that life is series of cyclical hero’s journeys that you may or may not choose to embark upon…and it’s grueling and emotionally difficult to describe the most difficult part of the process while you are in the midst of it. You can see a diagram of the stages of the hero’s journey in the show notes, if you are not familiar with Joseph Campbell’s work. Diagram of the hero’s journey  It is so much easier to share when you are on the other side of an endeavor and you can be encouraging and remind others the arduous tasks of personal development are indeed, worthwhile. When you are at the bottom, lonely, and deep in inaccessible solitude, it is often difficult to see the end. If you’ve been through it or something like it before, then you probably know that there will be an end, but the inability to be more than a player and a witness to your process becomes overwhelming. There is no set timeline. I often think of the TED talk by Jill Bolte Taylor, wherein she describes going through a stroke, as a neurological and stroke researcher. She talks about recognizing all of the steps of what was going on…she understood it all, yet she still had a stroke and had to deal with the ramifications of it.  Click here to listen to the TED talk with Jill Bolte Taylor I also know… that when you choose to play the game…this game of personal growth and development… you are the one in the arena, subject to anything and everything that may come up…everything you could or couldn’t predict. I am reminded of this excerpt of Theodore Roosevelt’s speech "Citizenship In A Republic" delivered in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.  I am voluntarily in the arena…I choose to remain there. It’s not easy. I signed up for the advanced course. I’m here to make a difference…I’m here to create impact. I push forward…not knowing where it will take me. I recall the words of Zig Zigler, “Go as far as you can see; When you get there, you’ll see further.” From a spiritual perspective, I know that everything is as it should be. I know that timing is just a human illusion. Yet, from a very human perspective…I often struggle. I know that I do not have to give up on my dream to create impact, to generously give back, to have a voice that matters. I just have to relinquish the timeline that I have connected to the process. I know that I cannot truly accept the “call to adventure” if I have placed my own timeline on the journey. Albert Einstein’s words remind us that “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” I have realized that everything I want to create and share couldn’t possibly come to fruition on the timeline that I created months, years…or even decades ago. Everything has shifted with divine timing that was and is beyond my control or comprehension at times. The strangeness of the past few months has also brought a different level of podcasts and expression due to my partially inaudible recordings. Over the next four episodes you will hear a different vibe than you may have become accustomed to. As my voice, either wasn’t recorded, or was recorded in limited capacity, I will be featuring excerpts from the greatness of conversations with Jay Wong, Selena Delesie, Kelly Harrell and Toku McCree. I have been waiting to bring them to refinement and release, until I was clear on how to explain what had happened. The goal of my podcast is multi-faceted and remains the same. As a coach, I want others to hear these amazing conversations that I get to experience. I believe that they are valuable, impactful and important. I honor every one of the guests that I have had on, and will have on in the future, for sharing their amazing stories and messages. I think the second and primary reason for the podcast’s creation was to give a platform for the voices that are often heard only in private conversations… to show that emotional intimacy is not only an achievable goal… it can happen in one conversation…in one moment…in one synchronized breath. I feel like I would be robbing others of the opportunity of learning something great, along with me, if I did not share these messages. I wanted to offer them my gratitude for the work they are putting out in the world, inspired by Thich Nhat Hahn’s quote of “How can I love you more?”. As well as the question of how can I help others to love what you are doing as much as I do? I questioned whether I needed to redefine my business and brand identity, knowing that on some level I wanted to redefine my hustle. I have had numerous conversations trying to gain clarity. Tons of things are in the works and I have had to call on my coaches and guides to help keep me moving forward. I’m clear that 2017 is the year I desire to become completely location independent. I do deep work with inspired and creative leaders who are invested in their own spiritual hero’s journey. I provide coaching, as well as create courses and services to support their spiritual and physical health and wellness. I have five courses in the works that are launching soon including: Food and the Heroes Journey-How to Fuel Greatness (thank you Jan Black for helping me refine the concept) The Hero’s Journey Backpack Crash Course-helping others to understand what they need to have in their spiritual backpack to embark on a true spiritual journey (Riley Temple, Brian Musial and Paul Nattoli, you guys talked me through this one) I have a mastermind in the works for people who are suffering from the loneliness and isolation that often comes from being spiritual and creative entrepreneurs (Liz Scully, your guidance is unmatched on this subject) I have a year-long program called Your year of Transformation that I've been slowly building. (Peter Rossetti, thank you for your patience and helping me to realize that everything in life is just a design problem that needs a spiritual solution) I have updated my Creating a Better You program to be in alignment with the kinds of people who are a good fit for me to work with. As many of you may or may not know, all good coaches have other coaches and advisors, because they know their value and are willing to pay for good coaching. So, I turned to MY support team of coaches and friends to really try and dig deep to figure out what I needed to shift within me to create my greatest message in the world. Amongst the others, on my support team I would like to show appreciation for: Soness Stevens, my TED speaker coach, for guiding me to connect with ease and grace as I prepare my speech. Karen Wright, you have been encouraging and helped me to remember that you can't take on as much as I have as a single parent without it being hard… That it is supposed to be hard. Marika Tomkins you have reminded me that I need to continue sharing the human side of my spiritual struggles and to allow it to come out authentically. Without you, I wouldn’t have considered sharing publicly what has been going on in my life. Deborah Williams, you have kept me returning to look at the spiritual brilliance of shifting and changing money mindsets. Anthony Mattis, you continue to remind me how to lose judgment where I didn't even realize it existed, to always consider that “it's an interesting point of view that I have that point of view” and not wrap any conclusions around that. Chris Suddeth, your Energy work has been pivotal in helping me, reminding me that it's OK to express my humor and wit, as well as my sweet side. Jacqueline Friel Smith, thanks for helping me to see myself as others see me and capturing that, even when it is difficult for me to see it. Laura Petersen, your reminder that “only good will come from this” has been reassuring. Also, bringing up the question of “what am I not willing to see, that if I was willing to see would change all realities?” has be extremely helpful. Diana Babauta, thank you for your support and believing in what I do. Thank you for helping me to keep my body in a strong and functional condition. Ifetayo White, your loving grandmother energy and powerful spiritual work continues to be an inspiration. Nick Snapp, your encouragement and understanding has helped me to connect to the very pragmatic and functional side of getting things done. Your program Real Accountable is a phenomenal resource and I want to see you succeed in serving others through this amazing gift you have created. Anna Cragin your positivity and accountability have shown up and allowed me to acknowledge the achievements that I have made. In spite of the fact that my desire to accomplish things is in constant overdrive; You have helped me to celebrate the small wins. Moshe Dekel, thank you for helping to keep me healthy, seeing value in my approach to holistic medicine and guiding me when and where necessary. There have been so many others who have shown up and offered an ear, a word of encouragement, a word of advice. For all of you, I am thankful. My focus has shifted to the questions of: What if everything I’m doing and going through is exactly right? How would I approach my work differently? I lean on the words of one of my heroes Maya Angelou who said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” I’ve been trying to be even more attuned to messages from the universe, through opportunities that present themselves. I’ve been examining where, within my spirit I have blocked the appearance of ease and grace from an outdated, limiting belief pattern that everything good needs to come through very hard work (a.k.a. the workaholics constant “fix” of validation). I am a creator and I won’t stop creating powerful tools and transformations for the amazing clients I have the privilege to work with. I am working and writing all the time, often single-handedly. I actively silence the negative self-talk, daily, to push forward while listening to the cosmic timing. Some days I flow with ease, others I feel like I must power through. But I show up. Every. Damn. Day. In fact, I’ve been sleeping in the “arena” for years. I recognize the need for surrender and I am allowing the light into the cracks. I continue from a place of deep knowing and intuitive inspiration. Rumi tells us, “the wound is where the light enters you.”   And Leonard Cohen reminds us: Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in… This is Sarah Mastriani-Levi of Mannafest Living signing off from a riff on Simple Change- Creating Impact One Conversation at a Time. Thanks for taking the time to listen.   Connect and Follow Sarah Email Website Facebook Personal Facebook Business Twitter Instagram LinkedIn     Never miss an episode of weekly inspiration from Simple Change. Subscribe now through iTunes, or Stitcher, or listen to an episode here. Simple Change Theme Music by Hani’el Mastriani-Levi Simple Change Logo by Eden Mastriani-Levi This podcast was edited by Mannafest Living

Here’s a recap of my first season of Financial Karma Podcast.  Here are highlights of what I learned from launching my podcast this summer. Money is involved in everything we do. We should be prepared to make informed decisions and we can change ourselves with awareness, intention, and accountability.  Highlights Episode  0:  I talk about how I started and why I’m a financial karma coach. I was interviewed by Lisa Vogt.   Episode 1:  Splash into Summer, with Nick Snapp. Nick discussed how he got into podcasting, what got him out of the corporate world, how he got into productivity, set routines, and bring up productivity to people.    Episode 2:  A Delicious Summer with Alexandra Jamieson. She discusses how to do the body scan, listening to your body’s messages. What it means to observe and listen to every part of your body. She discusses the activities best for summer.    Episode 3:  Women with Wanderlust with Melissa Jones. Melissa helps people to add polish to their personal and business branding with her design. She lives for travel, new challenges, and adventures and recommends traveling to everyone who can afford it.    Episode 4:  Summer Tips for Mannafest Living with Sarah Mastriani-Levi.  She discusses naturopathic medicine and holistic bodywork. She has had extensive clinical practice and is a certified practitioner in the following fields: advanced reflexology, shiatsu, Swedish massage, manual lymph drainage, iridology, aromatherapy and herbology. She  also discusses stuff such as:  How we create a plastic life, It’s not what happens to you, but how you handle what happens to you,  How to find your “allowable rebellions”,  The biggest factor that contributes to Sarah’s success as a coach,  Why fear has never stopped or defined Sarah,  Why you need to be curious, Different challenges with the lifestyle choices we make,  How she intentionally makes time to connect with her children,  Why being outside should be a priority in your life,  How to make positive changes in your life to get what you need, Why dieting is something you should avoid,  and Why Sarah loves her work and how she helps people.    Episode 5. Back to School (and more) with Bruce Langford. Mindfulness needs to go with every student’s return to school.  Does mindfulness apply to your finances? YES! Most of our money decisions—good or bad—are affected by our subconscious mind. Through his work as a mindfulness coach, Bruce helps his clients with the many problems of life with gentleness, candor, and respect. His passion is to help people become more calm, focused, and happy.    Episode 6. The Girls of Summer with Amy Lopez.  Lying is wrong  and  can lead to all sorts of problems. There are so many negative character traits that we unknowingly cultivate when we choose to be untruthful. So, be the best YOU that you can be, and tell the truth.  Amy Lopez, works with 3rd-8th grade girls, helping build confidence in the next generation of women.     Episode 7:  Change of Seasons and Meditation with Joe Somodi. Joe is a professional yoga teacher and certified life coach who helps people incorporate a daily practice of meditation into their lives.  He talks about attaching to the good and detaching from the bad.    Episode 8:  End of Summer Wrap-Up with Deb Williams.   In this podcast, I recommend Camp Good Life Project to connect with people to enhance your business and your life. Having these types of connections allows you to have support and input from others in your business. Knowing you have connections that have your back, it is such a relief.   Having connected relationships is a wealth all its own. Focusing on this aspect of wealth first will allow you to manifest other types of wealth. There is more to wealth than the almighty dollar. Running your business from a spirited place will allow you to grow in innumerable ways.    Episode 9:  Moving on to the Fall and Deb Williams Coaching Practice.  The  complexity of the brain, our neurons, and the coping strategies that we turn to is discussed in this episode. In addition, why I changed my point of view and the benefits it has brought me,  Better overall health,   How I approach decision-making (it starts with a deep breath!),   You can’t control what other people do; you can only control what YOU do.,  Gratitude---why it’s amazing Connection with people, How I blended the work I love Group and one-on-one work Giving people a safe place,  How I help you gain insights, and The 8 Money Personalities: Which ones describe you best?     Episode 10:  Winging It, Owning It and Coming Out Ahead.  How to merge your finances with your psyche is discussed here.  I’ve got my CPA and my Tax clients too, so there’s a lot going on. I’m a bit overwhelmed at the moment and you can see why!   Karma Tip: The word is conviction. It’s being sure what you say and believe is true, and that can even be true to you. My conviction is to work on my self-care and reducing my stress level. Having an open mind causes people to hear each other out, and it can actually cause you to change your convictions. Thinking this way can bring about a more peaceful world. 

Martin Lesch is a husband, musician, songwriter, phenomenal pianist, and teacher, in addition to being fully committed to preserving the art and culture of jazz music. There are a lot of people who love jazz music and kind of idolize the life of the creative artist/ musician, so I feel that his willingness to be open and vulnerable about both the joys and struggles on his path will be extremely insightful. During this conversation we discuss creating, as a legacy of caring about community. We delve into tough subjects like the creative process, addiction, dealing with death and questioning everything. He also discusses his decision to create a new CD Journey through Jazz and to sell it on iTunes. Martin has always had an interest in music. He tells stories of playing the piano from before he was old enough for lessons (starting around 4 years old), simply making up his own melodies and asking his mother what she thought of them. He began taking lessons at 5 and had both good and bad teachers until his tween years, when he finally found a great teacher. That teacher was a stand out because he did two things: asked Martin what kind of music he liked (and let him play that), as well as "taught him music theory from the get-go." Parallel to his childhood interest in music and the arts, he describes growing up in New York City with a family that had some very interesting theological metamorphoses. He describes how his thought patterns changed and were shaped with deep conversations with family and extended family members. Martin grew up playing music and went through  Berklee music school. He was writing, performing and constantly on the road. He had the opportunity to perform with exemplary musicians from all around the world. He spent an extensive time in China, and Europe, as well as touring all over the United States. His greatest desire was"[He] just wanted to create." During that time his meditation practice grew, as did the depth of his commitment to Buddhism. We discuss how "creativity develops in the quiet, not in the noise." Music is definitely another language and form of expression. Jazz solos are like improvisational stories. 'Sometimes you get home at the end of a night performing and you feel like you didn't finish saying everything that you wanted to say..." explains Martin. He then sits down on his piano at home and plays a bit more until he has finished "his story" for the night.   Martin talks about the Jazz tradition of helping younger players to become accepted into the Jazz community, as well as offering them the experience that they need to fully step into the world of improvisational music. We discuss how Martin extended that invitation to my son Hani'el Mastriani-Levi, after hearing a brief video of him warming up for a sax lesson, in a parking lot.     Hani’el in the Parking lot: https://youtu.be/8XSRPIHjl3Q Hani’el’s Debut at Jazz corner link: https://youtu.be/Mn_SNfv7UWo Martin is vulnerable in discussing the risks of creative to show up fully and the bravery necessary.  "Being brave is attractive." "The best art is created in an ego-less space." " Jazz enables your art to be a community activity." He also openly discusses how substance abuse is a huge deterrent to artistic development and progress. We speak about how prevalent it is in the world of art/music and how quickly it can lead you down the wrong path. Martin spent years writing for others and now he says, "I'm writing every night...just that I'm doing it live on stage." The legacy that he desires to create is not just as a musician, rather as a compassionate person who helped to bring empathy amongst others  in the community. A Simple Change that Martin recommends is: Practice Meditation...every day in some way...to create compassion & understanding in all that you do. To learn more about Martin Lesch and how you can support his mission of preserving the art of Jazz music and/or to purchase his new album, please contact him at: leschband@gmail.com or visit him at the website: www.martinlesch.com Sources Mentioned in the Podcast Journey Through Jazz by Martin Lesch  Buy it on iTunes here Jackson Evans Christopher Russell Linus Enoksson Lessons with Jevon Daly Jevon Daly Music Junior Jazz Foundation   Here's Moonlight in Vermont off the Journey Through Jazz album 2016 Journey Through Jazz by Martin Lesch Buy it on iTunes here   Connect and Follow Martin Email Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn     Never miss an episode of weekly inspiration from Simple Change. Subscribe now through iTunes, or Stitcher, or listen to an episode here.   Simple Change Theme Music by Hani’el Mastriani-Levi Simple Change Logo by Eden Mastriani-Levi This podcast was edited by Mannafest Living

Never miss an episode of weekly inspiration from Simple Change. Subscribe now through iTunes, or Stitcher, or listen to an episode here. Today's guest, Natasha Wozniak is a an artist, jewelry maker, philanthropist and committed to bringing awareness to what is really going on today in Nepal. Natasha describes an interesting childhood in Wisconsin that was rich with curiosity and music. At a very young age Natasha lost her father and began her process of searching out those who were living lives "with meaning." While looking through a National Geographic magazine, she read a story of a man in Nepal who walked three weeks in one direction just to reach a spiritual location that was important to him. That article triggered her curiosity regarding what could be so important that someone would walk for three weeks.  While in college, she decided to do a study abroad, and in spite of her initial inclination to go and study in Paris, she redirected and chose Nepal. While in Nepal, she connected deeply with the people that she encountered in the village where she was staying. There were about 100 villagers. She said that she felt the warmth, love and support that she had been deeply craving in her teen years, since her father's passing. She always maintained some contact with her Nepalese friends along with a very clear desire to give back to them.  When the earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015, and Natasha heard that the village she had once lived in was being called the epicenter...she sprung into action trying to determine how she could best support the people. Many people want to help in situations such as these, yet feel confused if their contributions will reach the actual destination. Natasha had a direct connection and someone, on site, who could offer real footage of how donation dollars we being put to immediate usage.  When the earthquake hit, Natasha had no way of realizing how deeply it would affect everything in her life. She has since traveled there several times and is leading groups who would like to visit. Natasha has been highly instrumental (nearly single-handedly) in organizing fundraising efforts and took on the personal responsibility of doing everything possible to rebuild the village. She has even allowed her jewelry making business, take somewhat of "a back seat" as she is putting all of her efforts in to rebuilding not only Rainaskot, but two other villages that were badly damaged in the area.  Natasha is fluent in Nepali and is able to communicate fluently with officials and villagers in Nepal. She and her local colleagues were asked by local coordinators to create a plan to quickly rebuilt permanent homes. This was the ultimate goal of disaster recovery. They, however, have taken it a step further, by not only rebuilding the homes, but also creating an infrastructure for additional income for the villages, by creating "guest rooms" in each home. Her current mission is to both help villagers in Nepal to rebuild their homes but also to provide them economic development opportunities through customized plans, whether through tourism, agriculture, crafts or manufacturing. To learn more about Natasha Wozniak and how you can support her efforts to rebuild Nepal one village at a time and each village one brick at a time, please contact her at: natashawozniak@gmail.com or visit her at the website: www.fundforlamjung.org/ There is a large "donate" button that will lead you to a direct donation page. Sources Mentioned in the Podcast   Natasha's Jewelry business National Geographic Documentary on Earthquake in Nepal Connect and Follow Natasha Email Video of the work in Rainaskot Facebook-Fund for Lamjung LinkenIn   Simple Change Theme Music by Hani’el Mastriani-Levi Simple Change Logo by Eden Mastriani-Levi This podcast was edited by Mannafest Living

Welcome! Today we are talking to Sarah Mastriani Levy over a cup of tea-cino! Sarah has a podcast called Simple Change, and is also a Holistic Healthy and Lifestyle Coach!  Sarah has an interesting background and grew up living for awhile in Grand Canyon National Park!    Sarah Mastriani-Levi was born in the United States and spent the first 18 years of her life traveling with her family and studying in various regions of the U.S.  In 1995, she moved to Israel and began her training in naturopathic medicine and holistic bodywork.  She has had extensive clinical practice and is a certified practitioner in the following fields: advanced reflexology, shiatsu, Swedish massage, manual lymph drainage, iridology, aromatherapy and herbology.       In this episode, Sarah also discusses:   How we create a plastic life It’s not what happens to you, but how you handle what happens to you How to find your “allowable rebellions” The biggest factor that contributes to Sarah’s success as a coach Why fear has never stopped or defined Sarah Why you need to be curious Everything is “Google-able” How to get the best returns on your investments in life Different challenges with the lifestyle choices we make How she intentionally makes time to connect with her children Why being outside should be a priority in your life How to make positive changes in your life to get what you need Why dieting is something you should avoid Why Sarah loves her work and how she helps people     Connect with Sarah:   Website: http://mannafestliving.com/   Simple Change Podcast: http://mannafestliving.com/simple-change/  

Emily Alexander is an artist, film maker, mom, daughter and now more than every committed to helping others to do more of what they love. Emily starts her story describing her clear calling to be an artist from a very young age. Although she grew up in what she called "the Conservative South," she describes a huge amount of support from her family and great cultural appreciation. The Arts were nurtured from a young age and an integral part of her upbringing. She, not surprisingly, found herself in art school...followed by film school in New York. After film school she had a job offer in Los Angeles that she felt was to great to refuse. Venice Beach, CA was a wonderfully supportive lifestyle. She led a juicy, and vibrant lifestyle as a film maker and she felt very at home. That was, until she encountered a difficult break-up...which led her back to North Carolina. Upon her return to North Carolina, she found herself quickly falling back into familial roles and found it difficult to accomplish her initial plan of taking a break at home and then returning to California. She decided to study to be a Massage Therapist and stay close to the home front. Her practice as a massage therapist continued for several years...as she was not only married, but also had a daughter. She said that in spite of her decisions regarding how to make her massage practice resonate with her personal style, she still felt empty. She was making great money, but on some level she felt that she had "sold out on her dream" to be an artist for the security she wanted to provide for her husband and daughter. Not long after coming to that realization tragedy struck from several angles. She surprisingly lost her mother from a brain aneurysm...followed by losing her daughter's best friend in a drowning incident. The grief caused Emily to spiral into a deep depression that she was unable to pull herself out of, even with medical intervention. Emily shows great honesty and vulnerability as she describes the intensity of  her personal struggle. She really opens up and allows us to comprehend the mental thought process that led her to checking herself into a mental institution. As a last resort, to help her, she and her doctors decided it would be best for her to go through electroshock therapy. She outlines her trepidation and her grand relief to see that this was in fact a very helpful method/treatment for her.  Emily tells a story of finding a box of broken crayons in the ward that re-opened her eyes to exciting and healing art can be to everyone, but especially to those suffering with depression. From that moment she realized that she needed to do whatever was possible to bring art supplies to psychiatric wards everywhere. She used her personal struggle as a launch pad for helping others. She’s doing a lot within her community with her own art work, and helping others to learn about how art can help them find their souls and purpose in life. One simple change that Emily recommends is:  Emily describes a priority/value shift wherein she stopped the process of coveting things...that were just objects...and rather using extra funds to towards meaningful experiences, whether they be solo or shared with others. To learn more about Emily Alexander and how you can contribute to her vision of bringing art supplies to those suffering with mental illness, please contact her via email ladyalexander@gmail.com. Sources Mentioned in the Podcast Tim Burton Edward Scissorhands Venice Beach Restoring Antique Silverware Charles and Linda Gupton's "One of a Million Project" featuring Emily David Foster Wallace- Burning Building Analogy   Connect and Follow Emily Email Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkenIn Pinterest *Disclaimer-Neither Sarah Mastriani-Levi, nor anyone associated with Mannafest Living either endorse/support or discredit any medical decisions regarding treatments or methods described here. This episode is shared solely to enable to Emily to share her experiences as a process to rediscovering her life calling/vision. Simple Change Theme Music by Hani’el Mastriani-Levi Simple Change Logo by Eden Mastriani-Levi This episode was edited by Mannafest Living

Sarah Mastriani-Levi is a holistic health coach, leader of leaders, a chef specializing in plant-based cuisine, and founder of Mannafest Living. When someone is seeking a change in their life, they may not know what steps to take first, and Sarah helps guide them through these periods. Her work is rooted in appreciation of cultures developed while living in various parts of the U.S. as well as Israel and China.   Sarah is the proud mother of four talented children! She has also found time to co-author three international best-selling books and is contributing to a fourth. And, she is the host and producer of the Simple Change Podcast.   Sarah joined me on Ever Better for a discussion that included:   Raising children who can hang with jazz greats, and the inherent challenges Moving to China to learn acupuncture and Chinese medicine  Practicing holistic medicine in Israel and the U.S. Guiding clients through life transitions and tips for making changes Practicing leadership Learning to cook Moroccan food and plant-based cuisine Weaning off addictions like cigarettes and switching from glucose to fructose Producing her podcast, Simple Change, in which I was an honored guest. Listen here.    Request a free, downloadable copy of the Ever Better eBook: EverBetterU.com/book.

Simple Change is a podcast designed for listeners who are ready to create lasting change, in the middle of a shift or just plain fed-up with doing what everyone else is doing. Simple Change listeners want a new and inspired outlook as a motivation.The goal and tone of this podcast is to inspire others to step into a transformation process. through the simple changes, be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual and to discuss the lasting impact they can create in your life. Holistic Health and Lifestyle Coach Sarah Mastriani-Levi of Mannafest Living shares conversations with inspiring people who will offer tips and tools to create impact and lasting change through a series of small steps. Get the latest updates from the show at: www.MannafestLiving.com    Simple Change is a podcast designed for listeners who are ready to create lasting change, in the middle of a shift or just plain fed-up with doing what everyone else is doing. Simple Change listeners want a new and inspired outlook as a motivation. About a year ago I decided to do a little experiment and create a challenge for myself. Up to that point, I had helped clients create impactful, life-altering changes through my coaching programs. I knew that I was able to be the accountability partner they needed to create holistic lifestyle changes. Yet, in the same token, I felt that the majority of what was being said by me was somehow guided. I became curious how quickly that guidance could come through me for others. So, I created an experiment called “Free 15 minute Strategy Sessions” and put it on social media as an open invitation. I set several rules for myself: This would be a gift. No selling or self-promotion. I knew if people felt inspired they would remember what had moved them and come back for more. Sessions would be 15-minutes. (This one I fudged on a little, allowing some sessions to run over by about 10 minutes). I would allow the clients to choose from one of the following three questions: Where are you feeling most challenged in your life? If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be? What is the one thing that you are procrastinating on more than anything else? The results from this experiment were phenomenal, much larger than I could have imagined. The reach was broad: from Austrian opera singers to drug dealers in Miami, from college professors to brick layers, from Buddhist monks to strip club owners leading meditations in the locker room before shows. I talked with hundreds of people. They were all my teachers. All that I had to do was to show-up (via phone) and listen to their stories and then echo back possible creative solutions from within their answers. They had everything that they needed within themselves…they just needed someone to shine a light on an angle previously hidden from view. It was inspiring and gratifying. The follow-up responses I received were proof-positive that change can happen very quickly when someone is ready. A door opens and a transition occurs. The experiment shifted my belief about how long a process can take. Those Strategy Sessions proved to me that lasting impactful conversations can inspire others as well. I felt called to do this podcast following a multitude of non-recorded, honest conversations with amazingly interesting people, like yourself. I love my work and feel inspired daily by the people I have the opportunity to talk with and coach. I have been told that my specialty, as a coach and friend, is to ask creative and thought provoking questions that enable clients to reassess their previous understandings and to shed light on how they can create lasting, impactful change by shifting a thought pattern. The goal and tone of this podcast is to inspire others through the simple changes you have made, be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual and to discuss the lasting impact it has created in your life. I am shooting for 20-60 minute interactions that feel flowing and unpressured. I’m not looking for memorized or “right” answers, just interesting ideas. I desire to bring in guests who are willing to engage in simple yet powerful, juicy and thought-provoking conversations. I am in the process of building the content for this podcast and am excited to allow the direction to evolve organically.