The True North Collective Podcast

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

Episodes

Thursday Aug 27, 2020

AMPLIFY ERICKA JONES: JUMP THE PUDDLE S3|E33

Thursday Aug 27, 2020

Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future.

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance to the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long.

This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism.

Today, we hear from Ericka Jones (she/her), friend of Rachel’s and founder of Yoga Coalition, an alliance for combined action bringing inclusion, equity, and diversity to the yoga community. Ericka has spent 11+ years as a Diversity + Inclusion professional, collaborating with key stakeholders to develop comprehensive strategies to increase diversity and build and sustain inclusive behaviors. Currently living in Minneapolis, she is a yoga teacher and lululemon ambassador, passionate about bravery and ensuring all people have access to resources that let them thrive. We talk calling out to call people in, deconstructing default realities, subconscious barriers, transformative conversations, diversifying yoga spaces, slowing down to speed up, being a compassionate disruptor, connecting to joy, and taking a leap for change in humxnity.

TAKE ACTION: This episode, we have donated to Yoga Coalition, Ericka’s selected anti-racist cause. We are strongly encouraging our listeners who feel inspired to also donate what you can to support action efforts that empower yoga spaces to be consciously inclusive, equitable, and diverse through education, resources, and tools so that ALL people feel welcomed, represented, and that they have equal access to yoga. Donate here.

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The four agreements
Chelsea Jackson Roberts
Music from: https://www.premiumbeat.com/home

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

How can we call someone out in a way that acknowledges where they’re at in their journey and actually calls them IN to the conversation? How can we allow for nuances of accountability that meet individual's where they’re at and invite them to experience something different versus telling them what is reality? We learn the most and sustain growth the most through experience, so how do we take that into account as we are collectively evolving around racial injustice (and anything, really)?
Stop trying to already be at the finish line when you are just starting to crawl. When something must shift, we have to learn to slow down to speed up so that we can make effective, sustainable, and impactful change. If we try to be further along than we actually are, then we miss huge parts of the journey that are necessary for real evolution. Ultimately, those seemingly small skips actually turn into major setbacks as we realize that we have built a shotty foundation on unstable ground and it’s a house of cards.
Are you standing at the puddle in analysis paralysis about what MIGHT/COULD happen or are you jumping over the damn puddle and learning as you go? Keep going. Show up now. Take action. Don’t wait. Brock Armstrong says that action leads to clarity and if we wait for the perfect moment to do anything we miss the moment entirely. What puddle are you ready to jump over, now?

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[3:30] Welcome, Ericka!
[6:15] Storytelling + learning from people different from you
[8:00] Going from the most diverse high school in the US to a predominantly white college
[10:30] Organizational default recruiting + deconstructing the marketing model
[14:30] Calling someone out to call them IN
[17:00] Slow down
[19:45] Clip of a conversation on a bridge in Minneapolis
[25:20] Transformative conversations
[28:00] Profiling
[33:10] Yoga off the mat
[36:30] The moment of truth + moving the middle
[40:00] It’s time to jump
[43:30] Subconscious barriers + self-selecting yourself out
[45:30] Yoga coalition
[48:00] Using your voice for action vs destruction
[53:00] #blackjoymatters
[59:00] Learning the diversity of black stories
[1:01:00] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
[1:01:45] Reach out to Ericka via IG @ericka.jones_ + check out Yoga Coalition to learn how you can take action to diversify yoga spaces across the world, or support their efforts via donation here.

Saturday Aug 22, 2020

CONVICTION: THE ROLE OF RELIGION + SPIRITUALITY TODAY S3|E32

Saturday Aug 22, 2020

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! 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 celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same.

Today, we’re bringing back Preston Bowers (he/him), from Season 2 | Episode 12, to have an open dialogue around religion and spirituality in the 21st century. Preston is an atheist turned non-denominational Christian after some life-altering, heart-opening experiences from his college years that forced him to come face-to-face with himself, ultimately deciding to study Philosophy and Biblical Studies. We talk about self-righteousness, religion as a psychological crutch, boundaries, spirituality vs religion, morality, death, conviction, loneliness, the purpose of religion + spirituality in the 21st century, self-reliance vs faith, and learning zoom backgrounds. We start slow, but it really ramps up into a deep conversation about how faith can play a role in our lives during these shifting times.

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @iammiketodd
#amplifymelanatedvoices @queenafua
#amplifymelanatedvoices @innerlightwarrior
AllTrails
Vibram
Dallas Baptist University
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
Duncan Trussel Family Hour Podcast
Brene Brown podcast: Unlocking
Brother David
Harvard Divinity School article - Religion is changing not dying
Harvard Divinity School article - future study of religion
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Have you allowed religion (or anything for that matter) to be a psychological crutch? A crutch that allows you to avoid taking responsibility for your life or gives you a perceived easy way out from facing your life? Pay attention to the things you deploy in an effort to avoid actually taking ownership for your life. Pay attention to the things that you use to give yourself permission to act in ways that are actually out of integrity for you. And yes, even things that are supposed to be “good for you” or “helpful”, can be used in ways that allow us to avoid taking responsibility and ownership.
What do you believe? What do you build your world view around? What are your boundaries that allow you to live into your beliefs? There is an invitation to find your clarity around what is important and what your beliefs are that create your world. Without clarity of these beliefs, you will still have beliefs, they just may not be yours.. So, get curious about what your beliefs are and what beliefs exist within you that maybe want to shift and evolve. And when you land those beliefs, have the courage to be a stand for them while having an open heart for those who may have their own different set of beliefs so that both of you can honor your own journeys without dishonoring someone else’s and visa versa.
Keep digging in. Get curious. Poke holes. Research new ideas and find YOUR answers. Just because you land on one worldview that works for you today doesn’t mean that you have “gotten there”. See if you can use that as a foundational framework, then keep looking to ideas and concepts outside of your chosen path to challenge your views and see if your current view still sticks. Or maybe it shifts and that is ok too. Keep learning and growing and evolving and getting YOUR answers, even if it takes you down a path you never thought you would have considered. You will either get more confirmation that the path you are on is the right one for you, or you will learn something and adjust to a shifted path that is more right for you. Either way, you are closer to your path if you continue to question, get curious, unpack, challenge and grow vs staying stagnant and dogmatic.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[1:40] Zoom background explorations
[4:35] Jenell almost kills her Tinder date
[12:10] AD: Join us for THE COLLECTIVE, a live community zoom conversation on different topics related to authenticity + living your TRUE NORTH. September (9/3 @6pm CST) is all about reconnecting with your inner child(ren). Sign up via our email list (at the top of our website) or in the link in our IG bio.
[12:44] Welcome back, Preston!
[18:00] Self-righteousness pushes people away
[21:00] Using religion as a psychological crutch
[24:00] There are lots of paths to death + life
[30:00] Religion vs spirituality
[45:00] Boundaries
[48:10] AD: McAlister Training (remember Lauren McAlister from Season 3 | Episode 27) is offering online classes that you can join today. Two weeks of unlimited classes for only $35! Sign-up here. Enjoy!
[50:00] What is moral?
[56:00] Things have come + gone, but religion has always been around
[1:01:00] Do your research + genuinely dig in
[1:03:30] Ignorance is not bliss
[1:06:00] Universal essence AND my unique experience
[1:09:00] Conviction
[1:14:00] Role of religion + spirituality today
[1:27:00] Self-reliance vs faith
[1:34:45] How do you live your TRUE NORTH through religion or spirituality?
[1:37:10] Reach out to Preston via email at prestonbowers.ltc@gmail.com or via IG @aprestonbowers

Friday Aug 14, 2020

IMPOSTERS SYNDROME: RELINQUISHING CONTROL S3|E31

Friday Aug 14, 2020

Today, we talk to Ivette Guintu (she/her), Jenell’s friend and former co-worker at Mindbody, a learning and development professional, with a masters degree in public health, and a mother of two who recently started a brand called Mom’s Talk Trash - documenting the journey of all things low waste. From Halloween costumes to 90’s eyebrows, working on global health, but somehow still not feeling fulfilled, meeting your “soulmate”, learning how to evolve after your partner gets in an accident that leaves them paralyzed, confidence, luck vs choice, relinquishing control, and imposters syndrome, we discuss the power of sharing your insecurities and fears in order to liberate yourself and others from the isolation of perceived unworthiness. Enjoy!

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @sylvestermcnutt
#amplifymarginalizedvoices
#amplifymelanatedvoices @intersectionalenvironmentalist
#amplifymelanatedvoices
Co-Active Training Institute
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Can you allow people in your life to evolve? Can you allow their journey to unfold the way they want it to, regardless of what that means for you? It is so easy to have a vision of our future with someone else, but they have a say too. AND life has a say, as well. And what happens when your vision doesn’t match what unfolds? Can we be brave enough to let go of control? Can we be brave enough to listen to our hearts and follow what we hear no matter where it might take us? Maybe that is actually what love is. No right or wrong, just thoughtful, authentic, and honest listening and responding.
You can go from A to C and not necessarily have to go through B. The way you get there might be different depending on a bunch of factors. And when you can get connected to your values and your intention and your authentic truth, you can allow detours and bumps to show up that might not seem linear, and still find your way to your ultimate vision nonetheless. By releasing control and allowing life and others to co-create with us, we will get there by embracing a path that might look different than what we had expected. And that is ok.
There is power in sharing your fear, lack of worthiness, and insecurities because you are seriously NOT the only one that ever feels that way. You are humxn and it’s part of being humxn to have fear, lack of worthiness, and insecurities during your life. When you can open up and not isolate or keep your story hidden, you can liberate yourself and others who are also looking for connection and support.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[2:00] Halloween memories
[9:35] Dressing up in a tight dress to buy chocolate chip cookies
[13:13] 90’s eyebrows
[17:10] AD: We are looking for guests! If you or someone you know is obsessed with authenticity or is fearlessly finding and living their TRUE NORTH, and they want to be a guest on our podcast, please email us at hello@thetruenorthcollective.org or reach out to get more info! We’d love to have you on to chat about all things TRUE NORTH.
[17:44] Welcome, Ivette!
[24:24] How do you know if someone is your soulmate?
[32:00] The evolution of a relationship after a spinal cord injury that leaves your partner paralyzed, in a wheelchair
[38:00] Relinquishing control
[45:00] Imposters syndrome
[51:00] Sharing your honest insecurities + fears + lack of worthiness
[58:00] Noticing when you are trapped in thinking you don’t deserve something or aren’t worthy of something
[1:02:00] Luck vs choice
[1:04:00] Confidence
[1:09:00] Trusting in the evolving nature of life
[1:13:00] How is this preparing you?
[1:18:20] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
[1:19:25] Reach out to Ivette via IG @momstalktrash

Friday Aug 07, 2020

NATURE’S CURE: LIVING FOR THE DAY S3|E30

Friday Aug 07, 2020

Today, we talk to Seth Souza (he/him), Jenell’s backpacking + adventure buddy, who's into ALL things outdoors, and is building a business, Get Moving Adventures, that incorporates nature and outdoor activities as a way to address mental health. From journaling + collaging, break-ups, being in jail, being in nature, finding your own happiness and then sharing it with others, recognizing social support, owning your part, sharing your story, living for today vs planning for tomorrow, and impermanence. We also bring back conversations on poop - we know you’ve been missing it!

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @melaninbasecamp
#amplifymarginalizedvoices @pattiegonia
#amplifymelanatedvoices @wildginna
#amplifymelanatedvoices @theblackoutdoors
Grizette
Solar Shields
10% Happier by Dan Harris
Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast
Mark Atkinson
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Never underestimate the impact of helping just one person. We often get trapped in this idea that the only way to make a difference is to help as many people as possible. But what if you could help one person so deeply that they in turn were able to fully live and be the person they were meant to be? And what if the one person you could help was yourself? Influence comes in different forms and breadth is not the only way to change the world.
Sharing your story is personal. And the how and when of sharing your story is up to each of us. And it’s up to each of us to notice when we are curating our story for the audience, at expense to ourselves. And it’s up to each of us to trust that we know best who gets to hear the raw honest truth of our story or the pieces that feel right for us to share. There is no right or wrong way, but we each have to be accountable to our stories and be responsible for owning how + when we share them + with whom.
Are you living for today or planning for tomorrow? Are you sacrificing your current quality of life for a future state quality of life that may never unfold? Where are you putting your resources? This is a big question with no right answer. What if it’s both? Each of us gets to decide what our balance of living in today and preparing for tomorrow is and we have no idea how much time we get so it’s a gamble either way. At least give yourself the space to ask the question and listen to what your heart and soul answers today so that you can be true to you, whatever that truth may be.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[1:30] Dumping the dump
[7:35] Journaling
[13:50] AD: Sarah Philipp, founder of Abundelicious, and Season 1 guest (S1|E5) is currently offering a course for wellness trainers + coaches who would like to start offering remotely, but maybe aren’t sure where to start. Pre-sales for the course start Aug. 1st. Sign-up here.
[15:00] Welcome, Seth!
[16:30] Wanting to live as much as you can
[26:00] What pulls you through lower days?
[29:00] Being ready for change
[33:00] How + when to tell your own story
[45:00] Impermanence
[50:00] Living for the day vs planning for the future
[56:00] Trusted surrender - finding YOUR edge between taking control + letting go
[58:00] Living for the day when you’re in jail
[1:04:00] Being a number + a convicted felon
[1:10:00] Being able to accept help + support from others
[1:14:15] We are the keepers of this specific slice of life
[1:19:00] Choosing to engage with your life
[1:23:30] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
[1:23:40] Reach out to Seth via IG @adventureswithseth or via website getmovingadventures.com

Friday Jul 31, 2020

INFLUENCE: GETTING HELP IS FOR THE STRONG S3|E29

Friday Jul 31, 2020

Today, we talk to Lisa Bruno (she/her), aka “Bruno”, Chicago-native and one of Rachel’s best friends from college. She is proof of what a genuinely real friendship can look like that evolves and adapts over time to meet each person where they are at. Bruno has a heart of gold, she is charismatic, passionate, and an absolutely all-around incredible humxn. We talk about the battle between money and happiness within your career, ego, focusing on yourself, finding a therapist and coach, being a self-development junkie, boundaries, acknowledging the weight of our past, forgiveness to get free,

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @thelovelandfoundation
#amplifymelanatedvoices @anonawellness
#amplifymelanatedvoices @privtoprog
#amplifymarginalizedvoices @thegreatunlearn
The Angry Therapist
Mark Groves Boundaries Course
Landmark Forum
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Therapy is for the strong because you want to and are willing to grow. Therapy and life coaching and getting mental health support is a NORMAL part of being humxn and needs to be a NORMAL part of wellness routine and self-care. Different times of your life will call for different types of support. Different situations will require different modalities. And if someone isn’t a fit, that is more than ok! Simply part ways and keep looking until you find a fit that can support you on your journey of life. Because there is massive healing and power in being able to be witnessed being 100% yourself with another humxn who has no attachment to who you truly are.
Notice the patterns in yourself and in your life. Don’t ignore or bury it, but really look at them, deeply. Because whatever you do not face now will keep showing up until you decide to actually look at it. In order to heal, we need to look at the things we would otherwise prefer not to look at until we have been able to shift and evolve and grow into who we want to be and actually are.
We always have influence in every moment and situation, even if it doesn’t feel like we do. Every action or inaction is a choice that co-creates the experience we are having, which we are influencing and impacting. Where in your life have you told yourself that you don’t have influence, when in fact operating from a place of perceived lack of influence is STILL influencing the situation? We always have choice and influence, even when we think we don’t. Knowing that you have that power in your influence of existing, how do YOU want to show up?

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[2:00] Tics + vampires
[5:25] Meaningful tattoos
[9:30] Birds shitting on you
[11:20] AD: Join THE COLLECTIVE, a coming together of our TNC community to have live conversations via zoom on how we are fearlessly finding + living our TRUE NORTH. Join us the 1st Thursday of every month to unpack a different topic of authenticity - August is all about connecting with your UNIQUE GIFTS. Sign-up for our mailing list or via the link in our IG bio - see you there on Thurs, 8/6 @6pm CST
[12:12] Welcome, Bruno!
[18:30] Realizing therapy isn’t just for “crazy” people
[29:00] The power of being witnessed being yourself
[35:00] Celebrating what’s working
[41:00] Disrupting patterns
[50:00] Acknowledging trauma
[1:04:00] Connecting to your influence
[107:00] The weight of your past
[1:10:30] Forgiveness
[1:17:20] Victimhood vs owning it
[1:26:30] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
[1:26:50] Reach out to Bruno via IG (was @lbruno16, it has been updated since the recording to @lb_trust_in_the_journey) or email lisabruno216@gmail.com

Friday Jul 24, 2020

EMBRACING LESS: TRAVELING ABROAD DURING COVID-19 S3|E28

Friday Jul 24, 2020

Today, we talk to Lizzie Somabut (she/her), friend and former co-worker with a Masters in Counseling, a true passion for self-care, community, and leadership, she recently took a year off to travel around the world (learning about the COVID outbreak while abroad!), and now she’s pivoting her career into sustainability. From traveling abroad as a global pandemic hits to dealing with anxiety and practicing going with the flow, we chat about the importance of sharing with those closest to you how special they truly are, learning new languages, logistics of taking a year off to travel abroad, self-care, trusting your intuition, facing irrational fears, going deep, and embracing less to experience more impact in your life.

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @intersectionalenvironmentalist
#amplifymelanatedvoices @blackgirlstraveltoo
#amplifymelanatedvoices @sheinthemaking
#amplifymarginalizedvoices PODCAST: She Explores (@she_explores) - insidious ways implicit bias creeps into our indoor & outdoor lives, the motivation behind their photography project Discovering Gender, and more with @appalachianexplorer. https://she-explores.com/podcast/perspective-shifts-ash-hobbs/
Merit Coffee in Dallas, TX
Coffee hand grinder
Workaway
World Nomads
Soul of Egypt
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Consider the power of letter writing and sharing with people just how amazing they are. We don’t often take the time to acknowledge how incredible and important the people in our lives are to us, or to actually share it with them. And yet, when we do, it can be life-giving for everyone involved. Who is someone that you could reach out to and share just how much they mean to you?
Have a plan...and then always be open to changing your plans. One of the consistent things in life is change, so always be ready for that reality to be present. Learning to trust and be agile, acknowledging dips and differences in expectations, can allow you to shift more quickly and adapt to the situation. Ultimately, getting back on with life vs wasting time mourning what could’ve been and not being present to the beauty that is right in front of you.
It’s normal to be afraid prior to experiencing new places, new experiences, new things for the first time. Yet, when you go for it, all that fear washes away, and in hindsight being afraid seems so silly and unnecessary. Where are you feeling afraid not because you are in danger, but because it is new for you? Where are you stopping yourself from stepping into a new experience out of fear of the unknown? Is it time to take the leap and allow the fear to wash away? What do you need to step into that fear and trust the aliveness that is on the other side of that fear?

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[1:20] Just keep practicing!
[5:35] A love of hobbies
[6:30] Learning a new language
[11:00] Coffee love!
[17:07] AD: Join us 7/29 @6:30pm CST for a 75-min digital workshop with @her.hq_ called YOUR BODY’S TRUE NORTH. This is a movement + reflective workshop to reconnect + strengthen an authentic relationship with your body. We only get one body, let’s take some time to listen to its innate wisdom + show it some love. Sign-up here!
[18:00] Welcome, Lizzie!
[26:00] Learning about Covid-19 while abroad
[33:30] COVID anxiety realities
[38:00] Logistics of traveling abroad for a year
[48:00] Visiting new places + changing cultural perceptions
[56:00] Trusting your abilities + knowing your limits
[1:05:00] Having a beginner’s mind
[1:06:00] Self-care + wellness while traveling
[108:00] Embracing less
[1:12:40] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
[1:16:00] Reach out to Lizzie via IG @lizziesomabut

Friday Jul 17, 2020

BODY IMAGE: GIVE UP ‘THE GHOST’ S3|E27

Friday Jul 17, 2020

Today, we talk to Lauren McAlister (she/her), co-owner of McAlister Training, Marketing Content Specialist at mindbody, and a Nutritional Therapy Consultant. We jam about body image and self-worth, becoming aware of our own bodies and body comparison, recognizing when innocent habits turn into self-sabotage, addiction to body positivity, taking responsibility by walking our talk, surrendering to the grey area, seeing the beauty in each of us, and getting naked to no longer hide our bodies.

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @encouragingdietitian
#amplifymarginalizedvoices @dietiananna
#amplifymelanatedvoices coming soon! MY BLACK BODY podcast @jessicawilson.msrd
#amplifymarginalizedvoices @sarahherron
Topo Chico
Crazy Water
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Something can start as an innocent habit and if we aren’t paying attention, it can turn into self-sabotage, self-harm, or addiction. Notice when the actions you are choosing take blind precedence over living and experiencing life. Notice when innocent habits become rigid rules that run your life. Notice when you are reaching and yet it never feels like enough. Notice when actions stem from self-hate vs self-love or self-kindness. And know that it is always ok to ask for support when we find ourselves unable to choose on behalf of ourselves or love for self.
To borrow an idea from Glennon Doyle’s recent book, Untamed, where have you created an ideal humxn or an idealized version of yourself that you are trying to live up to? A ‘ghost’? And how has that illusion that you can never truly live up to (and changes over time to always stay just out of reach) keep you from actually living your life? Where are you living for unrealistic + out of reach ‘ghosts’ vs truly living?
What if instead of forcing your body to do the things you think it’s supposed to do or should do (like workout every day, in this way, at this time, for this amount of time or you are “bad), we asked ourselves what our bodies need today? What DOES your body need today? Who does it want to be? What does it want to get up to? Or not get up to? Does it need to rest? If you cannot hear what it has to say that’s ok - we were never taught to listen! So, keep asking and keep listening until you DO hear it speak to you. Then make sure you take what it has to say seriously and genuinely show up for your body the way that it needs you to.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[1:20] Water obsessions
[6:45] Celebrity run-ins
[18:18] AD: Join us on 7/29 as we host a 75-min digital workshop with @her.hq_ called YOUR BODY’S TRUE NORTH. This is a movement + reflective workshop to reconnect + strengthen an authentic relationship with your body. We only get one body, let’s take some time to listen to its innate wisdom + show it some love. Sign-up here!
[19:00] Welcome, Lauren!
[29:00] Innocent habits or self-sabotage?
[43:00] Wasting so much time focusing on our physical bodies
[47:30] Addiction to the drama of body positivity + self-help
[49:00] Giving up ‘the ghost’
[55:00] bridal bootcamp BULLSHIT!
[1:00:00] Am I part of the problem?
[1:10:00] Riding the wave of life in the grey area
[1:12:00] Being ok being naked
[1:20:00] Acknowledging that the way you speak to yourself is modeling for how the world will speak to us and each other
[1:26:00] Spot the soul beauty in those around you
[1:28:30] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
[1:18:30] Reach out to Lauren via mcalistertraining.com or via email at lauren@mcalistertraining.com or via FB or IG @mcalistertraining

Friday Jul 10, 2020

BODY TALK: RECOVERING FROM EGO (part 2) S3|E26

Friday Jul 10, 2020

Today, we have part 2 of our “body talk” conversation with Maaia Geis (she/her), a virtual friend from Regina in Saskatchewan, former spin instructor, interested in psychology with a focus in neuroscience, and currently working on a coaching certification with a program called Becoming a Soul Coach. We talk about exercising from ego vs soul, ignoring our body’s warning signals to save face, listening to inner experiential data vs hard analytical + comparative data, and sexual health. We kind of go all over the map, but if you can follow the thread, we land on an invitation to show up genuinely as the real you so that we can all create a more real and connected world.

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @evyan.whitney + @sexuallyliberatedwoman
#amplifymelanatedvoices @thenapministry
#amplifymelanatedvoices @decolonizingfitness
#amplifymelanatedvoices @kendramorous
WhoGet a free WHOOP strap and your first month free when you join with my link:
Ride to Conquer Cancer
Gran Fondo Whistler blog post
@thebirdspapaya
Goop Lab - female sexual wellness
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

When the data doesn’t match the feeling, what do you go with? Have you ever experienced doing something and having it feel AMAZING, almost spiritual, and then you look at your speed or you get a grade or a critique or feedback that just doesn’t capture the impact that the experience had within you on its own? What do you do with those seemingly opposing pieces of information? Who do you trust? In our efforts to always be improving, where have we lost the ability to honor the magic of experiences for what they are? To honor the feelings we have. To honor the sense of accomplishment vs only focusing on how we match up to other people. What if we shifted the conversation to ask about people’s first-hand experiences of a thing as the go-to curiosity vs where they ranked? How might we experience the world differently if we started looking at the world in this way?
The importance of talking about what is actually going on vs covering it up + continuing to push through things that aren’t working for you is paramount to wellness + well-being. Injuries (physical, emotional, psychological, etc) don’t really go away until we actually face them + address them. And our bodies will keep yelling louder + louder + manifest in other ways until we actually pay attention + listen. Plus, when we talk about it, we usually discover that we are NOT alone + we realize that our shares can be a point of connection to others who may also be hiding.
Notice when you are consuming reality vs curated storytelling in social media + movies + society and how that impacts you. Also, notice what you tend to create and put out into the world...is it your reality or is it modified? What are you modified? What are you trying to portray? What if we were a stand for the real vs perpetuating fake, modified, untrue life + expectations that are not universally achievable? How might we change our own world and the world around us to be really real?

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[1:20] Bellotti burps!
[4:11] Welcome back, Maaia!
[6:00] Paying attention to sleep
[8:00] Exercising from a place of ego vs getting to know our body
[15:00] Honoring your experience over all else
[23:23] AD: Courtney Nikolay (guest from S3 | E2+3) has given debt the middle finger by creating simple strategies to remove debt + create thousands of dollars of savings, quickly. Now, she is offering FINANCIAL COACHING to anyone looking to also give the middle finger to their debt + find financial freedom. Email Courtney for a complimentary coaching session at cbnicolay@gmail.com!
[25:50] Discovering an injury in your pelvic floor
[36:00] You only get one body, how do we sincerely take care of it
[44:00] Body cognition + intelligence
[53:00] Connecting + going inward to get answers
[57:00] Conceptual understanding vs experiential understanding
[1:05:00] Power of normalizing the realness of being humxn
[1:08:00] Normalizing genuine realities of the vagina + sex drive
[1:20:00] Society expectations for men + women
[1:14:00] How do you live your TRUE NORTH through your body?
[1:18:30] Reach out to Maaia via IG @maaaaiageis

Friday Jul 03, 2020

DOGMA SOUL: THE AUTHENTIC TEACHER WITHIN S3|E25

Friday Jul 03, 2020

Today, we are talking to Kristin Goss (she/her) is a fellow meditation teacher at BREATHE meditation and wellness in Dallas. She is also a yoga teacher, creator of Dogma Soul - a lifestyle brand that leverages inspiration of handmades for the mind, body, and soul, and an avid traveler and wanderlust junkie. We first met over a conversation around what it’s like to find your authentic voice as a teacher and a mutual affinity for the healing effect of tears, and we quickly realized that the insights needed to be captured for more than just our ears. We chat leaving the corporate world to follow your dreams, the importance of crying to clear, the energetic influence of handmades and learning how to be our own version of a wise goofball.

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices @ckyourprivilege intersession summer skool - an amazing interdisciplinary group of black women educators holding space for anti-racism education through an array of expertise + lenses
#amplifymelanatedvoices comedian Sarah Jones at MOTH on not having to be a one-dimensional stereotype
#amplifymelanatedvoices TEDx Talk with Dr. Tara Swart on Neuroscience + Nationalism
Broadcity “What a wonderful world” episode
SNL Newark “Airport Sushi” Skit
Darryl Hammond “Cracked Up” documentary
BREATHE Meditation + Wellness - 200 hr meditation teacher training
Wat Pho Temple - Thai Massage Training
Mark Graves Boundaries Course
White Sands National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Stonehenge
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

What if you could just make a choice and then immediately just do it. No overthinking. No over-preparing. Just fully trusting and leaping. Allowing what shows up to show up and embracing the situation with curiosity, a beginner’s mind, and no preconceived ideas or notions. Giving yourself the space to meet people and things at face value and letting them tell you what they are today versus how they have been captured and retold. What baggage, expectations, roles, and weight would you be able to let go of to purely show up for each moment of your life and allow it to tell you who it is today? Who would you get to be then in that moment?
As a facilitator, teacher, educator, guide, leader, etc. - where is the balance between being yourself in service of yourself + your truth, while also being in service of the material and content. When we represent a category, what is our responsibility to show up as expected vs swinging out to find our own voice with the material and within the space? When are we too concerned about being responsible for the “right way” of delivering the material that we don’t allow our true selves to come through? When do we elevate the content at the expense of ourselves? When are we too attached to being our unique selves to the point where we distract from the heart of what we are trying to share? What is your balance of staying true to yourself, while also honoring the concepts you are sharing? And allowing space for others to interpret those concepts in their authentic way, too.
Sometimes, even when we show up our best, we rub people the wrong way or we create friction for the people around us. When this happens, check-in to see what is there for you to learn and grow through from the experience, and then see if there is an invitation to trust that you were the deliverer of an experience that was part of some plan that you may never be able to understand and that is ok. Our interactions always plant seeds within us and for those around us to grow when they are ready. Can we detach from needing to see the ultimate flowering of those seeds and trust in whatever role we happened to play vs wasting time judging ourselves and beating ourselves up when it wasn’t exactly what we wanted it to be? Do your best and detach from the outcome. Again and again and again.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[1:20] Dreaming that your dog could drive
[4:00] Foot fetiches + thumbs up foot
[12:12] Men dressed up as babies
[15:49] AD: Join THE COLLECTIVE: un-sugar-coated conversations about authenticity, live via zoom on the 1st Thursday of every month! Each month we unpack a different topic of authenticity - July is all about self-sabotage. Sign-up by joining our email list or click the link in our IG bio - see you there at 11am CST on 7/9 :)
[16:50] Welcome, Kristin!
[22:00] Jumping off the cliff of corporate life
[27:50] Finding your teaching voice
[35:30] Comparison vs observation
[42:00] Connecting to your niche
[49:30] Being an influence of friction
[53:00] Having a PhD in crying
[1:03:00] Sensitivity confusion
[1:07:00] Using emotions to become the best version of ourselves in life + in business
[1:08:00] Clearing to create
[1:10:00] Why handmade?
[1:14:00] How do you live your TRUE NORTH in one word?
[1:18:30] Reach out to Kristin via IG @dog__ma_ or via website dogmasoul.com

Saturday Jun 27, 2020

SELF-SABOTAGE: THE GOOD + BAD OF HOW WE HIDE S3|E24

Saturday Jun 27, 2020

Today, we are bringing back Joaquin Torres-Maryea from earlier this year (S3|E8) for another round of TRUE NORTH exploration. This time were digging into self-sabotage and how we abandon and neglect ourselves. We consider how even seemingly “positive” stuff, like productivity and being super happy, can actually be a form of self-sabotage; how the idealized self can get in the way of truly living; when neglecting self might be an “okay/good” thing; and how important it is to never forget that as self-aware as we become, we are always still humxn with all of our humxnness.

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

#amplifymelanatedvoices video on Liberatory Relationships w/ @andrearanaej + @desiereeadaway
#amplifymelanatedvoices “Unlocking Us” podcast w/ @larvernecox
#amplifymelanatedvoices “The Biracial Boy” video by @thedevinway
The Angry Therapist
Shambhala Meditation in Milwaukee, WI
THRIVE – a human development company
Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

How can you recognize when actions are rooted in fear at the expense of yourself? Whether it’s a feeling or a thought or a sensation or a knowing, it can be helpful to recognize the differences within your when you are doing things FOR yourself vs doing things to HIDE yourself so that you can recognize the signals in your system that are warning you of where you are heading.
As “enlightened” as you think you get, you are still a humxn with all the humxness that being a humxn comes with. The goal with this growth stuff isn’t to stop becoming humxn, it’s to become more accepting and understanding of what it means to continue to BE humxn for the rest of the time you get on this earth.
Pay attention to what you are digesting. What you are feeding your mind, body, and soul? What content + media you are digesting? What activities you are choosing to do? What emotions you are attaching to to feel better? Notice when what you consume drowns out your essence.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[1:00] On July 9th, we are hosting THE COLLECTIVE – a monthly virtual community gathering where we unpack different aspects of authenticity in real-time alongside other humxns who are also exploring their TRUE NORTH. July is all about self-sabotage; we hope to see you there! Join our email list for details.
[4:30] Self-care + connection amidst change
[6:20] Welcome back, Joaquin!
[8:00] Intuition
[12:00] Hiding from yourself + others
[16:30] You are NOT alone
[20:00] Self-doubt + operating out of fear
[26:30] Ego + expectations + idealized versions of ourselves
[34:00] Laughing off your reality
[38:30] Allowing yourself to be seen + allowing yourself to truly see others
[42:00] Drowning out your essence
[48:00] Consciously numbing out
[54:00] Brene Brown – owning your shame
[1:01:00] Your authenticity is always still there
[1:10:00] Using our authentic energy for something or someone
[1:14:00] How do you neglect your TRUE NORTH in one word?