After a few tricky weeks for me, I wanted to chat today about getting to know - and working with - your shadow. Shadow work has been such a beneficial practice for me throughout my journey and continues to be something I do regularly.

I really hope you also take away something beneficial from this episode if you're struggling to come to terms with the parts of yourself you're not so proud of, wanting to learn how to forgive yourself and let go, or trying to move through limiting beliefs.

Above all, be gentle with yourself and all the past versions of yourself. We're all just trying our best.

Love always

Cass xx

(00:00) - Hello + some reflections and intro

(04:47) - My first experience understanding shadow work

(06:39) - What is your shadow/shadow work? With prompts from Scott Jeffrey and Carl Jung  

(09:37) - breaking shadow work down into two stages: getting to know our shadow + integrate our shadow

(11:40) - the shadow is born in childhood - recognising how behaviours and beliefs are rooted in previous life experiences

(15:54) - before you get to know your shadow, you must become friends with yourself

(14:14) - we will always be imperfect, acceptance is uncomfortable but liberating

(21:00) - journal prompts for your shadow work

(26:27) - the “3,2,1” shadow process

(30:40) - we can’t be happy all the time but shadow emotions are not bad emotions

Joining us this week is my friend, colleague and multi-marathon-runner Finlay Hampton. We take this opportunity to address some FAQ we often receive from clients and our run community from avoiding injury and burnout, to how to properly fuel with food before and during a run, to our favourite running shoes.

Hello dear ones!

In this week's episode we dive into how to cultivate the sticking power and patience to execute your dreams. Always falling short of your goals? This episode is for you.

I also delve into some buddhist teachings, as well as the neuroscience behind building trust in ourselves.

With love always

Cass x

You are worthy of love in all forms, in your wonderful expression of human experience here on this planet.

I hope you all enjoy listening to this episode where I invite my fiancé, Joe onto the podcast. We talk about his career and how his passion for herpetology & nature has fostered a fearlessness in him that I admire very much. We also talk about how we met, our proposal story and our experience with sobriety as well as giving life advice & answering questions submitted by you all. Let me know if you enjoyed this different kind of episode, getting to know more about my life behind the scenes.

Technical difficulties meant we lost the second half of this episode's video footage, sorry friends!

Love always,

Cass

The question I get most in my DMs is “How do I start running?” but I want you all to remember that for me it really started with setting smaller goals and growing them, as my confidence and self belief grew. A glimmer of hope and inspiration turned into a short walk, turned into a jog between trees, turned into a lap of the park, turned into 3K, turned into 5K.. 10K.. Half Marathon… and so it goes on.

I can’t stress enough how important mindset is but I recognise some of you are now kicking into gear and want more information on running terms and how to structure and plan your runs. Hopefully this episode gives you that introduction.

I can absolutely do more episodes on this topic, so please let me know what else I can discuss to help you progress in your running journey in the comment box below.

Love always

Cass

(00:14) Welcome back - thank you for your feedback

(01:08) Why I wanted to dedicate an episode to “how to start running”

(04:30) The Marathon distance origin story - Pheidippides 

(07:25) You must first begin with your mindset

(13:00) Understanding running terms - what do they all mean?

(14:30) Hill repeats

(15:09) Intervals

(15:44) ‘Easy’ runs

(16:16) Long runs

(17:29) Negative splits

(17:56) Speed work

(18:20) A ‘split’

(18:38) Tempo runs

(18:49) Warm Up/Cool Down

(19:12) The most important thing when beginning your running journey

(20:32) We all need different plans

(20:45) You will never be “ready” so just try

(22:43) “Dust if you must“ by Rose Milligan

Often the biggest hurdle standing between us and our goals is our negative self-talk or the judgments and expressions of others. In this week’s episode I hope to offer you some advice on detaching yourself from these obstacles and dig into what we mean by “finding our purpose” especially when struggling with mental health and life’s responsibilities. I introduce you to the idea of “the sublime” and how to reconnect with the pure joy of your inner child to discover your true self and reason for being on this earth. 

Love always

Cass

(01:03) What do we mean by “finding your purpose” and “the sublime”

(03:25) Clouding the sublime with self-sabotage

(05:18) Book recommendation: Mastery by Robert Green

(07:01) How to *start* finding your purpose when you are at your lowest or aren’t neurotypical

(13:54) Other people and what they think of you *are* going to be a big hurdle. Block out the noise. 

(15:28) “That’s so cringe” means you’re doing something right. To be cringe is to be free.

(18:06) The presence of the sublime in childhood

(18:49) The first step in rediscovering what it is you love most - owning your voice

(19:40) Looking for underlying patterns throughout your life that gets you into flow state

(21:11) Just because it involves running and fitness for me, does not mean it has to be for you

(22:25) Everyone’s career and life journey is different - acknowledging agency and privilege

(24:17) Finding what you love and make it your work or hobby

(24:43) Have we lost the art of having hobbies?

(25:46) What is self-sabotage, why do we do it and breaking the cycle

(33:30) Content Warning: story including suicidal thoughts

(37:05) “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver

Welcome back to 9 lives Season 2! I am so happy to be back, and so thankful for you joining me here friends.

In this episode we discuss building willpower. That elusive golden nugget that everybody wants but many find so hard to find. I touch on the science of creating tenacity in your life, and tell the story of the ‘cross roads’ moment from my own journey that changed everything for me. Who do you want to be? Do you want more for yourself? Those answers might just be on the other side of doing things you don’t want to do.

Thanks for listening friends, until next week,

Cass 💛

In this week's episode I tell the story of 'taking it too far'... how I broke out of the constant hedonistic cycle. I discuss reversing the damage I did to my body- yellowing eyes, swollen features & ankles.

I also give tools to find fun in peace and quiet after extremes.

Fun can be a cup of tea, a walk in the woods, or a quiet moment of stillness with yourself. Finding joy in self exploration and self improvement is possible. And it could change your life.

With love always & until next week,

Cass 💛

In this episode I delve into the problems with excessive social media consumption. We discuss comparing yourself to the unrealistic and somewhat unattainable lifestyles you see in online fitness. I offer some tools to create boundaries with your phone, to get offline & into the real world.

I touch on why I believe 'what I eat in a day' videos might not always be helpful, and talk about the importance of not putting others on pedestals. We must claim inspiration from others as power, not as a lack of your own worth.

Embrace all the little things that make you, you. Being the odd one out can be your greatest strength, to see the world through unique eyes... hold onto that - it is your gold, your treasure to share with the world.

Until next week

Cass 💛

In this weeks 'ask me anything' I discuss the loneliness and solitude a self improvement journey can sometimes create. I give some insight on how I coped with this, and how to make peace with saying goodbye to people, places and habits that no longer serve you.

I touch on grieving through running, finding peaceful love after toxicity and how to foster a 'it's never too late to change your life' attitude!

Merry Christmas gorgeous humans. Thank you for listening in 2023. 9 Lives SEASON TWO will return on January 8th. I look forward to starting the year strong together.

All my love, until next year - Cass 💛