A Healthy Curiosity

Do you find it difficult to communicate your needs and wants to friends and loved ones?

You're not alone. In Episode 27, Brodie talks compassionate communication and boundaries with LaShelle Lowe-Chardé, a certified trainer in Non-Violence Communication (NVC). LaShelle coaches couples and individuals on developing healthy communication skills, with an emphasis on identifying universal needs and staying grounded through mindfulness practices.

In this episode, we explore:

• How different people have different needs
• Helpful vocabulary for expressing needs and wants
• The difference between sympathy and empathy
• Things that may feel or seem like empathy, but aren't
• Boundaries! Setting them and finding success
• What happens when we fail to honor our own boundaries

Resources:

LaShelle's Website

Lashelle's Feelings and Needs List

E26 – Brodie's Holiday Tips

Ah, the holidays. A time of family togetherness, warmth, and cheer… plus hard-to-digest food, alcohol, and stress. Whether you're celebrating at home or traveling to see family and friends, Brodie has 8 great tips to help you weather the ups and downs of the holiday season.

In this episode, we explore:

• Managing digestion in a sea of complex, hard to digest food
• Making time for self-care
• Getting good sleep
• Taking some deep breaths

Resources:

Brodie's Kitchari Recipe

You've heard of menopause, but are you familiar with perimenopause? In this episode, Brodie talks with Dr. Katherine Dale, ND, about perimenopause, the natural transition from reproductive years into menopause. Menopause is well known as the end of a person's years of fertility, when the menstrual cycle comes to an end. Perimenopause, then, is the transition time in which progesterone and estrogen decrease dramatically, sometimes causing symptoms such as hot flashes, heavy and/or irregular menstruation, or difficulty sleeping.

In this episode, we explore:

• Perimenopause as the natural transition out of fertility
• Common symptoms of perimenopause
• Ways to mitigate symptoms of perimenopause
• Hormonal changes during perimenopause
• The mental and emotional aspects of perimenopause

Resources:

Dr. Kate's Website

Is shame keeping you from recognizing your value? In this episode, Brodie talks with Jennifer Kind, LPC, CDWF, EPC, a Psychotherapist and coach in Portland, OR who works with people cultivating more shame resilience, self-acceptance, and the ability to be kinder to themselves and others. Jen believes shame holds people back; it is not a good motivator for change. Shames breeds fear, anxiety, depression, and paralysis. It keeps us from becoming who we are; it keeps us from living our truth.

In this episode, we explore:

• The ways shame holds us back
• Unhealthy cultural attitudes about vulnerability
• How there can be no courage without vulnerability
• Ways shame can manifest in our bodies and emotions
• Ways to build resilience against shame
• The connection between shame and body image

Resources:

Jen's Website

Jen's Facebook Page

Jen's Twitter

Brené Brown's Ted Talk: The Power of Vulnerability

Brodie talks with Julie Zuzek, the corporate yogi business coach, about the connection between personal growth and business. Whether you're an entrepreneur or you work for someone else, it can be a struggle to show up authentically and allow your work to reflect your true self. Being vulnerable doesn't have to be a weakness; allowing people to see your imperfections allows them to embrace their own imperfections as well. You can create the work environment you need by drawing boundaries, and you might be surprised by your colleagues reactions.

In this episode, we explore:

• The power of vulnerability in the workplace
• The importance of the "third entity"
• How embracing your imperfections empowers others to do the same
• Servant leadership
• A lunchtime recharge practice

Resources:

Breathing meditations!

Meditation 101 Mini-Course

Have you ever felt unlucky in love? Maybe you've had partners that made you feel bad about yourself or you've been on plenty of dates but can't get someone to commit. Maybe you're in a long term relationship and simply feel it could be more fulfilling.

It may be time for you to date yourself. In Episode 22, Brodie talks with Veronica Grant, dating coach and private yoga instructor, about ways to improve our love lives, whether we're dating casually, seeking a long-term relationship, or currently with a long-term partner.

In this episode, we explore:

• Dating yourself: what does it mean?
• Some common reasons people struggle to enter a relationship
• Some common reasons people struggle to get what they want out of a relationship
• Treating yourself the way you want to be treated
• Deciding what you want out of your relationship
• Setting boundaries (because boundaries are sexy!)

Veronica is a Dating Mindset Coach, host of Date Yourself Radio, and creator of the Dating Mindset Bootcamp. She helps smart, savvy women who feel like they have it all except that ONE thing, find and keep their perfect-for-them relationship.

Resources:

Veronica's Website

Veronica's Facebook Page

Marie Forleo's Book, How to Make Any Man Want You: How to Be So Irresistible You'll Barely Keep From Dating Yourself

Uncertainty can be hard to deal with. Not knowing where you're headed and what's in store can make us feel like we need to do something to exert control over our experience, but sometimes there's simply nothing we can do but wait. Wait to see what happens; wait to see what's coming; wait to see what guidance, inspiration, and truth we may find along the way. In Episode 21, Brodie talks with her sister, Dr. Claudia Welch, DOM, about the feeling of being amid change, and finding ways to be comfortable as reality is shifting around us.

In this episode, we explore:

• The layer of our being: the koshas
• How do you figure out what is yours to do in times of great change?
• Sūtaka: a transitional time
• How can you soften the impact of uncertain times?
• How does Fall relate to letting go and times of uncertainty?
• "Unbecoming" our patterns
• Adjusting hopes, dreams, identities, and plans when we're in a state of flux
• Finding truth in the midst of information/media overload
• The importance of internal stabilization during unstable times
• Discerning between stable and unstable times

Resources:

Dr. Claudia Welch's website

1 in 12 women will get invasive breast cancer. The primary means of screening-- mammograms-- detect more breast cancer, but that doesn't translate into lives saved. In a study of 90,000 women over a 25-year period, women in the mammogram group's mortality rates were even with women who didn't get mammograms. In addition, mammograms are painful, subject women to radiation, and aren't particularly helpful for the 45% of women with dense breast tissue. Enter thermography: a non-invasive, radiation-free, pain-free alternative to mammograms.

In today's episode, Brodie talks with Dr. Carla Garcia, a board-certified Doctor of Oriental Medicine with more than 30 years of experience in Integrative Medicine, who has been utilizing thermography in her practice since 1999.

In this episode, we explore:

• What is thermography and how does it work?
• Screening tools vs. diagnostic tools
• Why thermography may be a better screening alternative for women
• The connection between qi stagnation and inflammation
• Dr. Garcia's top self-care tips for breast health

Did you know acupuncture is being used to treat veterans with PTSD? Or that its's twice as effective and safer than the standard of care for lower back pain?

Don't worry, most people don't.

In Episode 19, Brodie talks with Matthew Bauer, Licensed Acupuncturist and President of the Acupuncture Now Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to clearing up common misconceptions about acupuncture and helping acupuncture reach its full potential around the world. Matt founded the Acupuncture Now Foundation to improve the information about acupuncture that is available to the public, including treatment options, treatable conditions, treatment availability, current research, and more.

In this episode, we explore:

• The problems with current acupuncture research
• Acupuncture information scarcity
• Some promising acupuncture studies
• Unexpected places acupuncture is being used
• Acupuncture on babies(!)
• How acupuncture could stem the opioid epidemic

Resources:

The Acupuncture Now Foundation Website

Twice as Effective and Safer

Do your daily habits leave you feeling out of balance? Dr. Michele Summers Colon is a physician (specifically a holistic podiatrist), entrepreneur, yoga instructor, and motivational speaker on a mission to inspire women to live happier, healthier lives that honor their own bodies, wants, and desires. Dr. Michele is also an Ayurvedic practitioner bridging the gap between Western Medicine and Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India. Michele utilized wisdom from the Ayurvedic tradition to heal herself when Western Medicine could not, and now she uses Ayurveda in her practice to help her patients find balance according to their Dosha and the specific imbalances and challenges they encounter.

In this episode, we explore:

• Doshas: what are they?
• The significance of the number 3
• Natural sleep cycles
• Natural eating cycles
• When is the best time to exercise?
• Is breakfast always the most important meal of the day?

Resources:

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller

The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Decisions into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson

Michele's Website