The True North Collective Podcast

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Episodes

Un-sugar-coated convos w/everyday humxns fearlessly finding + living their TRUE NORTH

Episodes

Tuesday Oct 26, 2021

BOXES: WHO ARE YOU + WHAT ARE YOU MAKING IT MEAN ABOUT YOU? S4:E33

Tuesday Oct 26, 2021

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.

In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same.

In today’s episode, we’re so excited to talk to Jessica Klatt, founder of Be, a human writing specialist, small biz consultant, + she believes that none of us are on this planet by accident. Jessica founded her soul biz, Be Industries, after a very long career in Title Insurance where the universe continually nudged her into a place of discomfort until she surrendered into what she was being moved into + began taking acting steps in living her full purpose + talents. In this episode, we wrestle with:

Being a solar powered humxn
Hair + nail phobias
Haunted tinder dates
Self-awareness + crying on your kitchen floor
Perceptions of self
Management of time + energy in your relationships
Values
Speaking your truth
Boxes
Repeat trigger cycles
Facing fears

Jessica has an uncanny ability to say so much while saying so little - she packs a big punch. Her grounded presence is backed by the fact that she has genuinely excavated + faced many sides of herself + continues to embrace this practice as a way to fully show up for herself + others. Enjoy the invitation to step more deeply into yourself + be inspired by all of it. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @thezoyaflow
#amplifymelanatedvoices @innerlightwarrior
#amplifymelanatedvoices @shalya0h
That Girl Got Ghosted by Jenell
KDWB + Dave Ryan
Whose in your room by Ivan Misner
Connect with Jessica via her website wiredtobe.com , via email at jessica@wiredtobe.com or via IG @wiredtobe
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

You can take your past + alchemize it or you can use it against yourself. When we can learn to use our experiences to learn + get to know ourselves + grow into who we truly are (the good, the bad, + the ugly) then we can truly show up in this world as our full selves + give the gift of who we truly are to the world. When more people do this, we can change the world. It’s not about being “better”, it’s about holding all of you with reverence.
When you show up as yourself, some people will inevitably fall away. Can you let them without making it mean anything about you or about them? Can you allow who you truly are to be the guide for who is attracted into your space? Can you allow those that no longer align to find their people that they DO align with + allow you to find your people that YOU align with? There is a grieving in this, but the space it makes for who is meant to truly show up is game-changing.
Your perceptions create your stories, which create your reality. If you believe something about yourself based on a story you have created in your mind, then you are living into that story + manifesting it in real-time. If you don’t want that story to be truth, then you must change the story. That comes from within + reflecting on what you want + know to be true + then walking that walk + talking that talk.

Tuesday Oct 26, 2021

MENTAL HEALTH: IS THE AMERICAN DREAM MAKING YOU SICK? S4:E32

Tuesday Oct 26, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re so excited to talk to Amy Walz, a wife, mother, mimi (grandma), puppy lover, advocate for the underdog, Christian, hope mentor, cancer registrar, + small biz owner specializing in wedding event planning. She lives with her husband (Nick), silly pup (Oliver), + sweet pup/therapy dog-in-training (Willow Grace)in Minnesota. With a servant’s heart + a desire to save others from the many years of struggles + dysfunctions that her family has endured, she remembers feeling very alone + as if no one understood what her family was going through + as a result found a drive + vision to change the world’s perception of mental health diagnosis. Amy writes her family’s story in Six Hearts, Four Paws, + One Ray of Hope, written from the perspective of one of her dogs. ***TRIGGER WARNING: suicide, sexual bullying, + emotional abuse. In this episode, we wrestle with:

Recycled styles
Chance encounters
Transplants + changing personalities
Adoption journeys
Being open to non-traditional family structures
Finding yourself later in life
Normalizing mental illness
Compassion + healing across generations
Living the facade of the American Dream
You are not weak
True rock bottom + crisis-peer-mentor program
High functioning trauma survivorship
Power of puppies

Amy is passionate, sincere, + a welcoming space as she genuinely supports people through mental illness + finding hope. Settle in as we get real, open, vulnerable, + hopeful together in realizing we truly are not alone. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @thelovelandfoundation
#amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective
#amplifymelanatedvoices @kiergaines
Whoop promo: We’re teaming up with Whoop to offer our listeners a free first month free + free Whoop strap - simply use this link to sign-up or DM Jenell via IG @jaynelreese! Whoop is a wearable that tracks your heart rate variability + gives a ton of in-depth data around recovery, strain, sleep.
Connect with Amy via IG @yourenotalone_willowswaggin
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

The traditional family structures (or traditional anything) are very narrow + don’t really allow for a multitude of possible expressions that account for each of our unique beings. Not having enough expansive expressions can be isolating if you don’t fit the mold. The question to consider is where are you living in a way that you think is the “right way” or “only way”? Is it possible that there could be other ways of being that? Spoiler alert, there is, so we encourage each person to notice when they are stuck in one-way thinking + create space to consider more variations to allow more authentic coexistence to come to life in the world.
While the stigmatization of mental illness is shifting, there is still much to be done to normalize honesty around mental health needs + asking for help. You are NOT weak to acknowledge mental illness. It is ok if it is embarrassing. Be embarrassed + still ask for help. Mental illness is a signal that something is not being met in your life. Not that there is something wrong with you. Because there is nothing wrong with you. There are so many resources out there to support when we are feeling small + alone, but if we aren’t willing to say those words, then we may never find the support we deserve. You are not alone.
We all have our own chains in this life + we each need to recognize our own chains so that we can deal with them versus dumping them onto others. And as we understand our chains we can begin to unravel what support we need, what acceptance we need, how to ask for the resourcing that works best for each of us, to allow others into our world in a way that is life giving for all parties involved + creates choice without desperation for all parties involved. What are your chains? How are you dealing with them? What are you ready to do + be for yourself to start to loosen + remove those chains? What additional support would help you with this?

Tuesday Oct 12, 2021

EMBRACING WEAKNESS: WHAT IF YOUR ‘BEST SELF’ IS BURIED WITHIN YOUR PERCEIVED +/or REAL WEAKNESSES? S4:E31

Tuesday Oct 12, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re so excited to talk to Kenzie Weidman, a 27-year old finance professional + fitness entrepreneur from Wisconsin, working full-time at Robert W. Baird as an Experienced Advisor Recruiter, while also being the sole owner + lead instructor of Evolution Cycle Studio (EVO). Kenzie is a lover of fitness + is passionate about creating inclusive communities around movement in safe + judgment free environments. In this episode, we wrestle with:

Compassion + pain + letting go
Starting a studio + keeping your full time job
Power of having no plan
Bringing back humanity
Embracing our weaknesses
Internalizing positive feedback + compliments
Innovation through unlikely spaces + people
Mirror work
Body image
Owning the complexities of your reality
Cycle of healing + growth
Friends of different ages
Being a beginner

Kenzie is a grounded magnet for those who are ready to start believing in themselves + loving where they are along the way. She has an uncanny ability to hold the beauty in the WIP + inspire you to keep showing up for you. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @ayeshaophelia
#amplifymelanatedvoices @thenapministry
#amplifymelanatedvoices @larissa_speaks
Tonglen meditation
Kevin James + King of Queens
Enneagram
Whalebird Kombucha promo: We’re teaming up with Whalebird to offer our listeners 10% off your order, using the code JENELLRLETSPARTY!
Connect with Kenzie via IG @kenzieweidman or follow her + her studio adventures via IG @evocyclestudio
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

The power of having no plan can sometimes be the most transformational influence. Where are you over-controlling your life + forcing your will when maybe releasing your grip could open you up to possibilities you never even dreamed of. Lots of times we cannot even think about what could show up + so sometimes we have to truly let go of our own visions to allow what we never could exist to show up.
What if your highest potential self is actually buried within your weaknesses? What if the way through to who you want to be is by embracing the parts of you that you want to throw away? What if befriending ALL parts of yourself is the key to your life?
You can love who you are + still want to improve on parts of yourself. It gets tricky when you feel like the only way to love yourself is to change aspects of yourself. You are always lovable. Period. The end. Wanting to change or evolve has nothing to do with how lovable you are. It has to do with who you want to be as you continue to love yourself in all of your layers + dynamics + contrast.

Monday Sep 27, 2021

REWIRING YOUR BODY: WHO AM I REALLY? (also it’s our 100th episode!!!) S4:E30

Monday Sep 27, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re so excited to talk to Nicole Lohse, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Feldenkrais Practitioner, and Yoga Teacher. She supports people in shifting out of survival + into flow through her 1:1 work + online programming. Her work is based on emphasizing that you are already whole + her knowledge of body, mind, + soul influences how she supports others from a very intuitive, energetic, + somatic place. Nicole walks us through how to be more connected with yourself by understanding the language of your body + your survival philosophy. By building your capacity + regulation at a nervous system level, your resiliency will increase. It’s from here that you’ll shift from surviving your way through life to thriving + accessing more of your truth. In this episode, we wrestle with:

A quick celebration for our 100th episode!!!
Learning to speak German while in a practicum to become a firefighter + smelly raft guides
Understanding your body’s linguistics + survival patterns
Movement as an IN to get to know yourself
Numbing out, overriding, distracting, + bypassing
Building capacity for activation + discomfort
Recognizing your wholeness
Feeling your emotions
Knowing your somatic experience of living your true north
Listening to the body as a more efficient + productive approach to life
Living the live experiment of life
How connection + relationship fit into somatic work
Putting support systems on pedastals

Nicole is the most beautiful grounding presence that innately invites a full-bodied exhale. Get ready to be soothed into essential self-inquiry about who you are through your body’s natural experience. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @melaninbasecamp
#amplifymelanatedvoices @vasu_sojitra
#amplifymelanatedvoices @embodiedtruthhealing
Skinwalker Ranch on History Channel
Check out Cindy Luffred readings (from S4|E12) via @revealingsoul
Polyvagal Theory
Peter Levine - trauma healing through somatic approach
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Kristin Neff + self-compassion
Come play with us beyond the podcast! The COLLECTIVE is a free monthly conversation with people from all over the world (third Thurs of every month) + our monthly workshops explore a different facet of authenticity + are held the first Thurs of every month. Sign-up here!
Whalebird Kombucha promo: We’re teaming up with Whalebird to offer our listeners 10% off your order, using the code JENELLRLETSPARTY!
Connect with Nicole at nicolelohse.com or via IG @nlohse + check out her online program called Discover
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

There is an elegance to understanding yourself + who you are through the experience of being in your body. Through movement + listening to our body nuances we can not only know who we are better, but we can change + heal. We live in a society that teaches us to numb out, override, + bypass our signals so that we can keep going at breakneck speeds, but it is actually quite harmful + can cause long-term damage when we ignore such a masterful + important information source in our bodies + felt sensations.
This work can be a daily practice of building capacity on a smaller scale over time so that the BIG + SCARY stuff eventually doesn’t seem quite so BIG + SCARY as you build towards it. Start small by slowly sitting in smaller discomfort + situations, intentionally expanding the ability to hold scarier over time.
Explore what it feels like to access your truth states as much as you do your survival states. The more we practice being in those truth states, the easier they become to access in any given moment. We tend to spend so much time exploring the pain states, but rarely digging into the nuances of the somatic truth states + this can be a resource + powerful access point for us as we cultivate somatic literacy + healing within our bodies.

Monday Sep 13, 2021

DISRUPTING DYNAMICS: ARE YOU OWNING YOUR? S4:E29

Monday Sep 13, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re so excited to talk to Ashley Parker, founder of A Splash of Ash, who's made it her mission to inspire individuals to live their best lives while being their best selves. With her master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, she shares actionable mindset shifts to help you change your every day, which in turn will change your life. Check out A Splash of Ash Podcast on Apple + Spotify, as well as her blog, newsletter, + merch. And be sure to check out the episode where Ashley interviews THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE! In this episode, we wrestle with:

Making friends through fitness
Soft, tender strength
Putting yourself in a box
Judgment vs preference
Making things about you that aren’t about you
Holding the grey, disrupting old dynamics + having hard convos
Be who you want to be
Wrestling with our experiences
Owning your shit

Ashley is relatable, down-to-earth, + will make you feel like you’ve been friends forever. Get comfortable, settle into your space, + enjoy this deep, yet light conversation about owning your shit. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @theblackenneagram
#amplifymelanatedvoices @matt_cama
#amplifymelanatedvoices @matriarch.movement
Rishi tea
Phil Good IG @philgoodlife
Mark Groves IG @createthelove
Kintsugi - Japanese approach to highlighting imperfections
Meinl Wooden Frog instruments
Come play with us beyond the podcast! The COLLECTIVE is a free monthly conversation with people from all over the world (third Thurs of every month) + our monthly workshops explore a different facet of authenticity + are held the first Thurs of every month. Sign-up here!
Whalebird Kombucha promo: We’re teaming up with Whalebird to offer our listeners 10% off your order, using the code JENELLRLETSPARTY!
Connect with Ashley at splashofash.co + sign up for her newsletter, or follow via IG @a_splashofash, + listen to A Splash of Ash Podcast
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Where have you created boxes for yourself that you may have outgrown? Where can you learn from the boxes you have created for yourself + start to expand beyond them? Where have there been boxes put on you that you can acknowledge + bust through? Where have you created communities around your boxes? You are not the boxes you have put yourself in, nor the boxes you have been put in. Keep learning + paying attention so that you can be bigger than these boxes.
We are never always going to see eye to eye. We are going to have differences of perspective. We are going to want things to be different than others might want them to be. Having conversations when there is a difference of perspective is hard. Hard conversations are hard, but they’re essential + inevitable to build closer more understanding connections. You will learn so much about yourself + it will facilitate growth in all involved.
Our hard life experiences CAN become gifts when we gently + truly sit with, wrestle, + look at them for what they are for us. Our experiences are invitations to take our lives back. Our situations can give us more range + an ability to sit with more of our own + the collective humxnity. If we force ourselves to simply believe that all our experiences are gifts, then we are just controlling + manipulating our reality. We must be willing to feel what comes with our life when we are ready to feel it + no sooner. And to seek help when we cannot do it alone. Then, we get to decide what our lives + our stories actually are, for us.

Monday Aug 23, 2021

ADULT SEX ED: ARE YOU PRIORITIZING YOUR SELF-PLEASURE? S4:E28

Monday Aug 23, 2021

Today, we have our second conversation in a new series called ADULT SEX ED, where we talk about all the things we never learned in sex ed, now as adults! It’s awkward, playful, real, honest, + informative because we ALL deserve to get our sex questions answered in a way that feels empowering + pleasurable. We are honored to again speak with Joy Davis, Canadian-based creator of Full Moon Fertility, Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) FAM Educator, trained in the Justiisse Method, + Dr. Emily Kirkwold owner of NFP Pharmacist, NFP + cycle charting in the Marquette Method, to chat about all things masterbation + self-pleasure. This will be an ongoing conversation to normalize sex, pleasure, sexuality, bodies + their fluids, + so much more. DM us if there is a topic you want us to talk about in a future episode! In this episode, we wrestle with:

Stigma around masturbation
First self-led orgasm memories
Self-advocacy
Many ways to masturbate
Religion
Representation + complexity of the clitoris
Your body is good
Pressure
Exposure to different types of bodies + confidence
Birth control + libido
Partners + masterbation
Toys, accessories, experimentation - just try stuff!
Educate yourself on butt stuff

Thank you, Joy + Emily, for being so open + giving in your perspectives + truths. We appreciate you both so much. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @evyan.whitney
#amplifymelanatedvoices @dr_cuterus
#amplifymelanatedvoices @gynaegossip
#amplifymelanatedvoices @fertilityfriday
Pure Romance Parties
The Sexually Liberated Woman Podcast
Sex with Emily Podcast
Cliterally The Best Podcast
True Sex + Wild Love Podcast
@lydiareeves_artist + vulva casting
Connect with Joy via IG @fullmoon.fertility + Dr. Emily via IG @nfppharmacist
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

How can you expect to have a pleasurable sexual experience with someone else if you don’t know how to have one with yourself? It is hugely important to understand our own bodies + how to take care of our needs in all ways so that we can self-advocate for ourselves with others. And we don’t have to wait until a certain age to start to live into this + talk about it + practice it.
It is essential that we prioritize our own pleasure. Period. And if this feels tough, know it’s ok because we haven’t been taught to do this in mainstream western society. But we are each unique in how we experience pleasure + so we each deserve the chance to explore that for ourselves so we know how to feel good. It is highly recommended to create space for self-understanding mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically (including sex!). It may not be comfortable right away + that is totally ok, but don’t give up on yourself + your needs + your pleasure. Keep going, keep learning, keep advocating. It is worth it. Your body is good. Your pleasure is a good thing.
Talking about sex + masturbation + our bodies + pleasure doesn’t make more people have MORE sex, it ensures that we are having healthy sex. NOT talking about it doesn’t lessen the amount we have sex, it just makes more people ashamed of doing it. And in reality, we are all already doing it, so let’s embrace it + learn about it + talk about it + enjoy it!

Monday Aug 16, 2021

TRAUMA RECOVERY: HOW DO YOU START TO HAVE YOUR OWN BACK? S4:E27

Monday Aug 16, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re so excited to talk to Soheila Hakimi, a lifestyle content creator, self-taught photographer, travel writer, + mental health podcaster, born + raised in Toronto, Canada. Guided by her authenticity, Soheila focuses on connecting to her audience through vulnerable storytelling, engaging conversation, + beautiful photography. In 2019, after years of suffering from PTSD, depression, + anxiety, she opened up to her audience about her mental health struggles + created a podcast called Is That Soh Podcast, which aims to inspire, empower, + provide insights on various mental health + life topics so that others who are also struggling can find support + community. In this episode, we wrestle with:

Big families
Self-reflection
Comparison + the downward spiral
Healing journey + finally remembering the truth
High functioning PTSD
Rape culture + self-blame
Using social media to share your trauma
Self-sabotage + having a good support system
Secrets, shame, + control
Self-compassion for your younger self
Share in safe spaces to empower self + others
Becoming who we want to be
Delaying the inevitable
Relapses
Power of language
Healing is painful + SO rewarding
Emotional hangover

Soheila is like the best friend you had growing up. She invites you in with her genuine laugh + makes you want to stay with her honest humxn generosity. This is an episode with some heavy content matter, so take care for yourself as you follow along on this journey of self-discovery. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

**TRIGGER WARNING: this episode includes topics surrounding sexual assault, harrassment, + suicide.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @compassion.prison.project
#amplifymelanatedvoices @thebodypositive
#amplifymelanatedvoices @matt_cama
#amplifymelanatedvoices @blackandembodied
Come play with us beyond the podcast! The COLLECTIVE is a free monthly conversation with people from all over the world (third Thurs of every month) + our monthly workshops explore a different facet of authenticity + are held the first Thurs of every month. Sign-up here!
Mindful self-compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff + Christopher Germer
Single. On Purpose. by John Kim
Connect with Soheila via IG @isthatsoh or her website at isthatsoh.com or give her podcast a listen via Ig @isthatsohpodcast
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

It’s ok to take the time you need to share your story with the world. It’s ok for it to take time to fully be able to see what has happened to you. Your body knows not to shock your system + so as you start to own who you truly are + the trauma that may be there, allow it to unfold intuitively. There’s no need to force it as that is just another survival mechanism. And in fact, it cannot be forced if you truly want to heal. Take your time. Take as much time as you need. With all the love in the world, you have permission to take the time you need for you to feel safe + ready.
Where might you need to develop more self-compassion for your younger self and/or your current self? Where are you being super hard on yourself because you think you could’ve done better? Is that actually helping you to heal + do better now? No. Self-criticism is perpetuating the shame + the negative inner beliefs. Self-compassion is such a beautiful practice in learning how to sit with all the parts of yourself in a way that honors them + appreciates them for doing the best they could do at the time, even now.
No matter how far you have come, there will ALWAYS be setbacks. That is life. We never arrive at some magical place where suddenly nothing bothers us, no mistakes happen, nothing triggers you. It’s gonna happen. It’s inevitable. So, knowing this, how can you care for yourself as you continue to grow + learn + heal + spring forward + double back + pick yourself back up, again + again + again? We’re humxn. This is what we are all learning to do every day. You are not alone.

Monday Aug 09, 2021

QUANTUM POSSIBILITY: WHERE ARE YOU STUCK IN SAMENESS? S4:E26

Monday Aug 09, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re so excited to talk to Zoya Flow (legally Tiff Cochran), a non-conformist who only uses the term since it seems most people need something to describe her. When people ask her who she is, she often simply says “Zoya.” She is gender non-conforming, uses the pronouns she/her/they/them, a grounded dreamer, focused explorer, meditative warrior, + creative thinker. She believes in mastering only what she must so she has space to taste more of life’s experiences, including being a certified healing artist focusing on herbalism, energy healing, reiki, divination, + meditation. She’s also the host of The Possibility Flow Podcast, a series of explorations to offer fellow explorers the opportunity to see topics from new perspectives to help them release their true selves in being + manifesting quantum possibilities. In this episode, we wrestle with:

Trusting intuition
Listening to the wisdom of elders
Embracing the highs + lows
Staying in unhealthy relationships until we learn our lesson
Sovereignty
Polyamory, bisexuality, + freedom of expression
Love + conditioning
Internalizing lifestyle differences
Quantum possibility + non-conformity
Importance of relaxing
Cerebral vs embodied experiences
Being the master of your own creation
Pronouns + gender expression
Self-love CAN come from loving others first
Gender freedom

Zoya is a kind, genuine, non-linear, multi-dimensional being who makes it feel safe to explore the unexplored within yourself + the world around you. Thank you for your time, space, + energy; you are welcome back ANYTIME! <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @ayeshaophelia
#amplifymelanatedvoices @shayla0h
#amplifymelanatedvoices @billycarsonofficial
Come play with us beyond the podcast! The COLLECTIVE is a free monthly conversation with people from all over the world (third Thurs of every month) + our monthly workshops explore a different facet of authenticity + are held the first Thurs of every month. Sign-up here!
Whoop PROMO: get a free strap + first month free using this link or DM Jenell via IG @jaynelreese
Connect with Zoya via IG @thezoyaflow or @thepossibilityflow
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Intuition isn’t just guidance towards the positive, it’s actually inner guidance along waves of ups + downs. This actually creates movement. If we were only guided towards the obvious “ups” then we would be stagnant. Instead, in order to keep the momentum, intuition actually sometimes guides you into what feels like a down because there is stuff to learn + grow through that part of the wave too + it keeps us moving on the wave + on our path. Where is your intuition guiding you today? Can you listen? Or are you forcing yourself to only listen when it feels “good” to you? What is that causing you to miss?
Where have the labels in your life put unnecessary limits on your life? Sometimes having labels can acknowledge an aspect of yourself + its existence in the world. Sometimes the labels become a new cage with a new set of restrictions + expectations. It’s important that whether we utilize labels or not, that we allow each person to choose what works for them that allows them to feel the freest being who they are. And for each of us to be open to allowing that freedom of expression to exist as we get to know each individual + their unique preferences.
Embracing the idea of quantum possibility is acknowledging that there is always, always, always more than one way to experience or look at any given situation + this actually gives us the power to create. If we can allow ourselves to look beyond our current construct of should’s + shouldn’ts, there is an insane amount of iterations + options to consider for how to make the next move. And if this feels overwhelming, know that you can always narrow back down whenever you want, but that narrowing is a choice + not the ultimate truth. We are never actually stuck, we are just closed off to other possibilities.

Monday Jul 26, 2021

ADULT SEX ED: WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD LEARNED ABOUT SEX + YOUR BODY? S4:E25

Monday Jul 26, 2021

Today, we are introducing a new series called ADULT SEX ED, where we talk about all the things we never learned in sex ed, now as adults! It’s awkward, playful, real, honest, + informative because we ALL deserve to get our sex questions answered in a way that feels empowering + pleasurable. In today’s conversations, we are honored to speak with Joy Davis, creator of Full Moon Fertility, Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) FAM Educator, trained in the Justiisse Method, + Dr. Emily Kirkwold owner of NFP Pharmacist, NFP + cycle charting in the Marquette Method, to chat about all things sex ed. This will be an ongoing conversation to normalize sex, pleasure, sexuality, bodies + their fluids, + so much more. DM us if there is a topic you want us to talk about in a future episode! In this episode, we wrestle with:

Lack of information + conversations
Normalizing sexual development + body exploration
Doing your own work
Starting conversations about sex + bodies young
Sex in the media + inaccurate information
Consent + open communication
Introducing new types of sexual acts
Understanding yourself + your partner’s body + fertility cycles
Birth control

Thank you, Joy + Emily, for being so open + giving in your perspectives + truths. We appreciate you both so much. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @evyan.whitney
#amplifymelanatedvoices @dr_cuterus
#amplifymelanatedvoices @gynaegossip
#amplifymelanatedvoices @fertilityfriday
OMGYes
The Art of Giving + Receiving: The Wheel of Consent by Betty Martin
In the Flow by Alisa Vitti (audio version is really good!)
Lisa Hendrickson-Jack + Fertility Friday Podcast
Mark Groves Podcast: Holly Grigg-Spall Sweetening the Pill
Connect with Joy via IG @fullmoon.fertility + Dr. Emily via IG @nfppharmacist
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Where are you avoiding conversations that are important because they aren’t “appropriate” or they’re uncomfortable? It’s most likely that if you have the question or thought that it exists outside of you, too. If it’s a safe space, then this is your permission slip to go for it + start the conversation. If it isn’t a safe space, then the invitation is to see if you can find spaces where you can have the conversation + then play with expanding the circle of influence as you get more comfortable owning your own truth about the topic. We all deserve to be heard + to hear real humxn experiences about life, sex, all of it.
Understanding consent is more than just a yes or a no. It includes nuances around giving + receiving. It includes open communication + respect of both parties in understanding what roles each is playing + if both are ready + willing to play the roles of giver +/or receiver. This is a very important part of physical intimacy, but truly for all types of intimacy + connections.
Do everything you can to understand your body. Period. Your body has SO much wisdom + can help you understand your overall health + vitality if you know your own baseline + what’s healthy + “normal” for you. Then when you understand your own body, you can better communicate with partners or doctors in order to advocate for yourself + explain why you might need certain things sometimes + other things other times. There is so much to explore, so start where you are drawn + then keep adding to your understanding over time. It is actually such a beautiful, inspiring, loving process.

Monday Jul 19, 2021

UNIQUENESS: WHAT VERSION OF YOU IS REALLY YOU? S4:E24

Monday Jul 19, 2021

Today, we are honored to speak with Chenise Monet, a friend of Jenell’s from SLO, recovering people pleaser, avid adventurer, serial hobbyist (surfing, wine tasting, wine making, snowboarding, baking, longboarding), tech nerd, mother to a beautiful on + fiddle leaf fig tree, perpetual student who loves spending time outdoors, observing people, traveling, + reading, in an attempt to better understand the world + what drives our behaviors. In this episode, we wrestle with:

Vulnerability boundaries
Changing beliefs + values over time
Rebellion
Recovering codependency
Are you broken or just humxn?
Feeling unfit to be a mother
Embracing your uniqueness
Getting stuck in your identity
Projecting a critical self-view onto others
Attachment styles

Chenise is a wise, loving voice of authenticity. She will invite you to own wherever you’re at with a raw, calm, loving, + honest vulnerability. <3

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @sahdsimone
#amplifymelanatedvoices @jayshetty
#amplifymelanatedvoices @findingoourwaypodcast
Whoop PROMO: get a free strap + first month free using this link or DM Jenell via IG @jaynelreese
Come play with us beyond the podcast! The COLLECTIVE is a free monthly conversation with people from all over the world (third Thurs of every month) + our monthly workshops explore a different facet of authenticity + are held the first Thurs of every month. Sign-up here!
Attachment styles
Attached by Amir Levine + Rachel S. F. Heller
Connect with Chenise via IG @chenise__monet
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Are your current beliefs + values still serving you? Sometimes we never check in to ensure that our inner guidance system is still up to date for who we are practicing being today. We can carry a lot of old, default, programmed beliefs + it’s important to check-in on them from time to time + adjust, shift, revise, throw out, re-create as many times as we need to to ensure we are operating from our truest beliefs + values.
If you are unsure you can do a thing or are worthy of doing a thing, ask yourself if that is an undeniable truth or if there is a way to do it anyway? If you really want a thing, then you must be willing to overcome the fear of unworthiness (or other fears) that might come with it. Most likely you will need to overcome feelings of unworthiness at times (maybe sometimes more than other times), regardless, so you might as well have those feelings while you do the thing you want to do + work at overcoming those feelings + proving them wrong in the process!
Can you embrace your uniqueness as gifts to the world? What if the way you are IS the gift? And if that’s too far of a stretch, could you reflect on how your uniqueness might be a gift? It’s a cool practice to start to consider that the parts of you that might seem abnormal could potentially be magical + inspiring + wonderful. Because spoiler alert - they are! You just have to believe it + live into it.