What does turning 50 teach you about life, health, adventure, and what really matters?

In this deeply personal episode, I’m sharing what my 50th year has already taught me—and why I believe we’re never finished growing, changing, and becoming.

From celebrating with my kids in Nashville and Seattle, to wake surfing, making sourdough, traveling, and creating experiences instead of waiting for the “perfect” moment, this episode is a reflection on what it means to intentionally create the next chapter of your life.

But 50 also brought some unexpected health revelations.

After experiencing joint pain, brain fog, inflammation, weight changes, and other symptoms, I decided to dig deeper into what was happening in my body. That journey led to testing for Lyme disease and co-infections—and to a whole new chapter of learning about health, nutrition, and the mind-body-spirit connection.

And then came the bigger realization:

Sometimes the universe asks us to cocoon before we're ready to become the butterfly.

I share what that cocooning season has looked like for me, the messages I've been receiving about the next evolution of my work, and why I'm stepping forward to support others navigating Lyme, chronic health challenges, and mysterious illnesses.

✨ If you're entering a new decade, navigating a major transition, feeling called toward something new, or simply wondering what you want the next chapter of your life to look like, I hope this episode reminds you that you don't have to have it all figured out.

You just have to keep going.

You might be in your cocoon right now.

And your butterfly may be closer than you think.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

What if healing isn't just about managing symptoms—but about understanding your body, supporting your immune system, and becoming an active participant in your own health?

In this episode, I sit down with Mindy to talk about her personal healing journey, Lyme disease, the immune system, inflammation, nutrition, and the alternative approaches that have transformed the way she thinks about health.

We have a candid conversation about what happens when you start questioning the traditional narrative around chronic illness and become curious about what else might be possible.

We explore:

• Mindy's experience with Lyme disease and chronic illness

• The connection between inflammation, immunity, and overall health

• Why she believes the body has an incredible capacity to heal

• Acemannan and the research surrounding it

• Nutrition, dairy, supplements, and supporting the body from the inside out

• Telomeres and the idea of measuring cellular age

• Alternative approaches such as iridology and functional medicine
• Why mindset and the stories we tell ourselves matter
• Moving away from fear and toward informed decision-making
• The importance of researching your options and advocating for yourself
• Finding a deeper purpose through your own healing journey
• Mindy's mission to help others reclaim their health and live the life they feel called to live

One of the biggest themes in this conversation is ownership.

Not blindly accepting one answer.

Not living in fear.

Not assuming that a diagnosis has to define the rest of your life.

But becoming curious, asking questions, learning about your body, and exploring what support might be available to you.

And ultimately, remembering that your health isn't separate from your life, your energy, your relationships, or your purpose.

✨ When your body feels better, you're able to give more of yourself to the life you're here to live

Mindy Haukedahl is a licensed neuropsychotherapist, certified brain health professional, author, researcher, and international speaker whose mission is to bridge the gap between neuroscience, immune health, and the body's remarkable ability to heal.

After spending more than four years battling chronic neurological Lyme disease and multiple co-infections, Mindy experienced a dramatic recovery that transformed the direction of her life. Today, she dedicates her work to helping others understand the science behind immune optimization, brain health, and the powerful connection between mindset and physical healing.

Mindy is the founder of Afton Therapy in Minnesota, where she specializes in integrative neuropsychotherapy, ADHD assessments, qEEG brain mapping, and neurofeedback. She is also a PhD candidate in Integrative Medicine at Quantum University, conducting clinical research on the synergistic effects of immune activation through acemannan alongside guided mindset training in individuals with Lyme disease.

She is the author of the memoir Suffering Never Silences Calling and A Body That Feels Safe: The 120-Day Mindset Experience, and is the founder of Lyme Rewired, a platform dedicated to educating people about the science of healing, chronic illness recovery, and hope.

Through her research, speaking engagements, podcasts, and social media, Mindy is passionate about helping people understand that healing is not just about treating symptoms—it's about creating the conditions for the body and brain to function as they were designed to.

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

What if the secret to vibrant health isn't found in the latest diet... but in returning to the way nature intended us to live?

In this eye-opening conversation, I sit down with raw food advocate and author Axay Shah (Raw Foodiest) to explore how the foods we eat impact not only our physical health, but our energy, longevity, mindset, and connection to nature.

This isn't about perfection or following another restrictive diet.

It's about questioning what we've been taught, becoming curious, and discovering what truly nourishes our bodies.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Akshay chose a raw food lifestyle—and how it transformed his health
• The difference between eating for pleasure and eating for nourishment
• How our food choices impact aging, energy, and vitality
• The role of fiber and the gut microbiome in overall health
• Breaking free from lifelong food conditioning
• Why change feels uncomfortable before it feels natural
• Progress over perfection when creating healthier habits
• The connection between nutrition, spirituality, and living in harmony with nature
• Why asking questions—and testing ideas for yourself—is one of the greatest acts of self-care

One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation:

Your body is incredibly wise—but it can only thrive when we begin giving it what it was designed to receive.

Whether you're curious about eating more whole foods, improving your energy, or simply creating a healthier relationship with food, this conversation is an invitation to become more intentional—not more rigid.

✨ Small changes practiced consistently can create extraordinary transformation.

Axay Shah is the founder of RawFoodiest.com and the author of IN NATURE WE TRUST: A Raw Food Manifesto for Energy, Healing & Longevity, which received a Kirkus Starred Review. At 50 he was told his fading energy was a normal part of aging. He refused to accept it. Today, at 67, after more than two decades eating 100% plant-based raw food, he takes zero medications, has zero chronic disease, has completed eight marathons, and has published 21 years of his own medical records for anyone to examine.

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

In this episode, I sit down with Mary Thompson from Apple Seeds to talk about transforming the way children experience food—from growing it, to cooking it, to actually enjoying eating it.

This conversation isn't about perfection or strict diets.

It's about creating healthy habits that last a lifetime.

We explore:

• Why getting kids involved in cooking changes everything
• Helping picky eaters try new foods without pressure
• Working with sensory sensitivities around food
• Building confidence in the kitchen at a young age
• Farm-to-table education and why knowing where food comes from matters
• Shopping local and supporting farmers' markets
• Choosing healthier foods without feeling overwhelmed
• Organic vs. conventional produce and practical grocery shopping tips
• Soil health, nutrient-rich foods, and why quality matters
• Raising healthier children through simple, everyday choices

One of my favorite reminders from this conversation is that every small step counts.

A child trying one new vegetable.
Cooking one meal together.
Visiting a local farmers' market.

Those moments don't just change eating habits—they build confidence, curiosity, and a healthier relationship with food that can last a lifetime.

If you've ever struggled with picky eaters, wanted to feed your family healthier meals, or simply wondered how to make nutrition more fun and approachable, this episode is full of practical ideas you can start using today.

✨ Healthy living doesn't begin with perfection—it begins with one simple choice at a time.

Work with Mary Thompson:https://appleseedsar.org/

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

Have you ever wondered if your body is trying to tell you something?

In this solo episode, I share a powerful experience I had during a massage that completely shifted the way I looked at the pain I'd been carrying in my shoulders—and the message my body was trying to communicate.

What began as physical discomfort became a profound lesson in surrendering control and learning to receive.

For years, I've been focused on fixing, improving, healing, and helping. But during this experience, my body revealed two simple words that changed everything:

Let go. Receive.

In this episode, we explore:

• How your body communicates through pain and tension
• The spiritual meaning of surrender versus giving up
• Why so many women struggle to receive
• Letting go of the need to fix yourself and everyone around you
• Control, perfectionism, and trusting divine timing
• Opening your "receiving portal" to love, abundance, guidance, and miracles
• Simple practices to reconnect with your intuition
• A guided meditation to help you release, receive, and expand your energy

If you've been carrying the weight of everyone else's needs...
If you've been trying to control every outcome...
If you're exhausted from always doing...

This episode is your invitation to pause.

To trust.

To soften.

Because sometimes the greatest transformation doesn't come from doing more.

It comes from allowing yourself to receive.

✨ Stay through the end for a guided meditation designed to help you release control, open your heart, and reconnect with the flow of divine timing.

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

In this deeply expansive conversation, I sit down with psychologist, breathwork facilitator, and author Dr. Colleen Quinn to explore the powerful connection between breath, the subconscious mind, trauma healing, and the wisdom already living within us.

We dive into topics that challenge conventional ideas about healing and invite us into a more compassionate relationship with ourselves.

We talk about:

• Why the answers you're seeking may already be inside of you
• How conscious breathwork opens the door to the subconscious mind
• The science and spirituality behind healing
• Wounded inner children and the patterns that shape our lives
• Subconscious programming and why 95% of our behaviors happen automatically
• Breathwork as a gentle path to processing trauma
• Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted healing
• The difference between suppressing emotions and integrating them
• Shame, mother wounds, and revisiting old stories through the eyes of love
• How to remain present when life feels uncertain
• The unconventional love story woven throughout Colleen's book, Essence Merging
• Why love—not fear—is the true healer

One of my favorite reminders from this conversation:

You don't have to force your healing. You only have to become willing to meet yourself with curiosity, breath, and compassion.

If you've been feeling stuck in old patterns, overwhelmed by your thoughts, or disconnected from your intuition, this episode offers a beautiful invitation to slow down, breathe, and remember who you truly are.

✨ DEEP HEALING + INNER CHILD WORK🌿 SPIRITUALITY, SHAME & INTEGRATION❤️ ESSENCE MERGING + FINAL REFLECTIONS

Dr. Colleen Quinn is a mystic, a transpersonal trauma-informed psychologist trained in Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. Certified in breathwork, she uses this practice to guide clients to their own souls where love viscerally brings coherence which is the healing.  

In 2018, Colleen had her 2nd near-death experience which was the catalyst for her awakening. Her profoundly raw and intimate transformation is chronicled in her newly released book, Essence Merging, which serves as a primer of what one can expect when giving up the ego’s control over experiences. To learn more or to receive her free download, “9 Simple Steps to Awakening,” visit Colleen’s site www.essencemerging.com. https://a.co/d/09bOvw36 

You Tube Link for Steps to Integrative breathwork:

https://youtu.be/HiHkw_9UiVo?si=UDLiyUZCzN-KfI2O 

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

What if healing isn’t about “fixing” yourself… but learning how to live in alignment with your body, energy, and spirit?

In this deeply expansive conversation, I sit down with Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide Guru Karam (Laura Benton) to explore the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, meditation, subconscious healing, karma, nervous system regulation, and what it really means to create a grounded life in a chaotic world.

This episode goes far beyond wellness trends.

We talk about:

• The three doshas in Ayurveda (Vata, Pitta & Kapha)
• Why modern life is creating nervous system overload
• How food, habits, and daily rituals affect your energy
• Meditation, subconscious programming, and witness consciousness
• Karma, forgiveness, and emotional healing
• The importance of grounding through the body and nature
• Why resistance and self-sabotage happen when we try to change
• Hypnosis, past lives, rebirthing, and spiritual awareness
• Creating sustainable healing through small daily practices

One of the most powerful reminders in this conversation:

Your body is constantly communicating with you.
Most of us were just never taught how to listen.

This episode is for the person who:
Feels overwhelmed by the noise of modern life
Knows there’s a deeper connection between mind, body, and spirit
Wants healing that feels grounded, practical, and spiritually aligned
Is ready to stop abandoning themselves and start creating supportive daily rituals

And maybe most importantly…

We talk about how transformation doesn’t happen through perfection.
It happens through consistent, loving awareness.

✨ If you’ve been craving deeper peace, clarity, grounding, and connection with yourself, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

Laura Benton (Guru Karam) MSN, RN

Laura began studying yoga at 16 years old in Houston Texas. In

1998, she and her husband Mehtab Benton founded Yoga Yoga studio in Austin TX, which grew into a business with 5 yoga studios and a spa. In 2015 they sold the business. Laura has been a yoga teacher and teacher trainer for over 30 years and continues to teach yoga and sound healing with the gong online with her husband Mehtab. She is trained in Ayurveda and hypnosis and past life regression. At the age of 50, she dec ide to pursue nursing and received her MSN and certification as an advanced practice nurse in 2015. After working as a provider in pain management, she decided to take a more holistic approach to healing . She started Self Health Care Nurse as a way to help people directly via health coaching using the tools of Ayurveda and hypnosis. She and Mehtab moved to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2024 and enjoy gardening and nature in the Natural state.

Work with Guru Karam and Mehtab:

http://www.selfhealthcarenurse.com

yogimehtab.com and mention Lillian10 at checkout for a discount on any service! 

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

What happens when healing the mind isn’t enough… and the body is still holding the fear?

In this deeply grounding conversation, I sit down with hypnotherapist and healer Bonnie Poirier to explore the connection between anxiety, the subconscious mind, the body, and spiritual healing.

Bonnie has been practicing hypnotherapy for over 30 years, and this conversation opened up so many important truths about what it really means to heal — not just mentally, but emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

We talk about:

• How hypnotherapy works with the subconscious mind
• Anxiety, overstimulation, and why so many people feel emotionally exhausted
• Driving anxiety, smoking cessation, and fear patterns
• The relationship between the body and spiritual access
• Meditation, relaxation techniques, and nervous system healing
• Writing books, creativity, and planting seeds through subconscious work
• Bonnie’s new book Sacred Passage and the sacred role of caregiving

One of the most powerful parts of this episode is the reminder that caregivers are doing deeply holy work — even when they feel unseen, overwhelmed, or forgotten.

This conversation is compassionate, calming, and incredibly validating for anyone navigating anxiety, caregiving, emotional healing, or spiritual growth.

✨ If you’ve been craving deeper peace, clarity, and connection with yourself, this episode will meet you there.

Bonnie Poirier is a pastor, spiritual director, and hypnotherapist with a heart for guiding others through grief and into peace. She is the author of Sacred Passage: Walking Beside a Loved One at End of Life and Grief as a Sacred Journey: Companioning the Soul Through Loss. Her upcoming book is Be Still: A Devotional for Quieting the Soul. Through her ministry, The Peaceful Path, she offers gentle support rooted in faith, compassion, and presence.

Bonnie Poirier, M.S. 413 N New Hampshire

Covington, LA 70433(985) 373-2321

[email protected]

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

This episode came through frustration… and turned into something much deeper.

After trying to record this podcast three times (yes, three 😅), I realized something powerful:

Irritation isn’t the problem. It’s the signal.

In this episode, I share what opened up for me after a deeply expansive trip to Hawaii — and how coming back into “normal life” brought up resistance, frustration, and hidden limits I didn’t even know I was carrying.

We talk about:

• Why irritation is often a sign you’re ready to expand
• The hidden “rules” we live by (and how they quietly limit us)
• How to shift from releasing energy… to actually transforming it
• The connection between creativity, emotion, and your energetic body
• Why you can’t fully change your life by only working on one layer of yourself

I also share a simple but powerful practice I learned from Gay Hendricks to help you expand your energy in real time — especially when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or reactive.

And maybe most importantly…

We talk about how to stop waiting.

Because the life you want isn’t built someday.

It’s created in the moments where you choose to expand instead of contract.

If you’ve been feeling irritated, stuck, or off lately — this episode will help you understand why… and what to do with it.

✨ And if you’re ready to go deeper into your energy, boundaries, and intuitive power, explore Own Your Energy — my program designed to help you understand and protect your energetic field.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction + “Third Time’s the Charm”

02:00 – Post-Trip Come Down + Feeling Off

04:30 – Expansion Through New Experiences

07:30 – The Hidden Rules Running Your Life

10:30 – Breaking Mental Limits in Real Time

14:00 – Expanding Your Capacity (Money, Experience, Life)

17:30 – The Role of Environment + Support Systems

20:00 – What Expansion Actually Means (Energetically)

22:30 – Irritation Is a Signal, Not a Problem

24:30 – Transforming Energy Instead of Suppressing It

26:30 – Turning Inspiration Into Creation

28:00 – Do the Thing Now (Stop Waiting)

29:00 – Final Reflection + Invitation

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.

In this conversation, I sit down with Amanda Bravender — artist, entrepreneur, mother of five, and creative force behind multiple businesses — to talk about what it really looks like to build a life rooted in creativity, intuition, and courage.

We talk about:

• Starting a business at a young age (even when people doubt you)
• Following creative sparks that turn into unexpected opportunities
• The connection between creativity and anxiety relief
• Letting go of the “traditional path” and trusting what feels aligned
• How one small yes can completely change your life

Amanda shares her journey from beauty school to building a thriving makeup career, traveling for theater and opera, and expanding into entirely new creative outlets — including cooking and beekeeping.

This episode is especially for the woman who:
Feels pulled in a different direction… but keeps second-guessing it
Knows she’s creative, but hasn’t fully trusted it yet
Is ready to stop overthinking and start following what lights her up

Your creativity is not random.
It’s guidance.

Follow Amanda Bravender: https://www.instagram.com/thebravefarmers/

https://www.instagram.com/bebesbeautyandbees/

Join Lillian's Open Up Community:

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Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please use your own discernment and seek professional care when needed.