Becoming Your Best Version

In the new book, Inflamed: Theory, Kathryn Walker, an accomplished nurse anesthetist and psychiatric nurse practitioner, delves into the intricate relationship between mental health and the neurological and inflammatory processes within the brain. This insightful book challenges traditional mental health theories and introduces innovative approaches to understanding and treating mental health conditions.

The book covers a wide range of topics, including:

Inflamed: Theory serves as both a chronicle and a guide, offering readers a profound exploration of the evolving landscape of mental health care. Drawing from her extensive experience as a practitioner and subject matter expert, Kathryn provides a unique perspective on how cutting-edge therapies can revolutionize the field.

Kathryn is the CEO of Revitalist Lifestyle and Wellness, which serves as a leading mental health and wellness company led by a comprehensive team of specialty providers. Kathryn worked at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Tennessee for nine years before attending anesthesia school at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She practiced anesthesia of all specialties for eight years before opening the first Revitalist location in Knoxville, TN in 2018. Today Kathryn operates as a leading advocate for psychedelic medicine as she continues to advance her comprehensive skill set recently graduating with her second Master's degree in Psychiatric Nursing as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Recognizing the need for community access, Kathryn founded the national mental health 501c3 nonprofit, Community Change Foundation (CommunityChangeFoundation.org). This nonprofit foundation focuses on providing financial assistance to veterans, frontline workers, and the financially disadvantaged seeking help with psychedelic therapies. Kathryn incorporated the Community Change Foundation in 2019.

Recognizing the need for education and training advancements, Kathryn founded the American Association of Psychedelics (AAPsychedelics.org). This education non-profit 501c3 aims to continually bring high quality education and training to all disciplines of providers. Kathryn incorporated the American Association of Psychedelics in 2021.

Kathryn is the Academic Detailer for the MetroDrug Coalition, she sits on the board for American Association of Psychedelics, Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, Herzig University, and Women in Psychedelics.

Learn more:

https://kathrynawalker.com/

https://www.instagram.com/revitalist 

https://www.instagram.com/katwalk1217/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-walker-33a868115/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/revitalist/

International Speaker and Violinist Diane Allen is a TEDx/TED Speaker, and Thought Leader who speaks on increasing the meaning, joy and fulfillment in one's work and life by accessing the flow state. As the author of Flow: Unlock Your Genius, Love What You Do, Diane shares her insights on how to harness the power of flow. Years before neuroscientists discovered the positive impact of the flow state, Diane had already experienced its transformative power in her own career as a violinist. Diane was the concertmaster of the Central Oregon Symphony for 15 years, a beloved violin teacher for 28 years, and author of the Fingerboard Workbook series for violin, viola, cello, and bass. It was her unique approach to getting into flow, on demand, that earned her a spot on the TEDxNaperville stage and features on TED, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Associated Press, Boston Herald, Authority Magazine and Thrive Global. Today, Diane is known for her experiential Keynotes, Training, and Coaching programs that go Beyond Engagement™, featuring her three-step Flow Strategy™ system, which empowers people to get into their flow state, be in their genius and love what they do.

Diane asks: "When it comes to work and life, are you spending your time doing or being? Of course, we all have to do things. But how are you being when you are doing? Do you power through your day, doing the best with what you have, only to find yourself physically drained, emotionally empty, and out of flow? Are you fully in flow, deeply engaged, exceeding your potential, feeling whole, happy, and fulfilled? Or, are you somewhere in between?"

"As a violinist, playing a high-precision instrument under high pressure, I've learned that when I'm deeply engaged with the music all the 'doingness' seems to disappear and my 'beingness' takes me on an amazing ride of self-actualization," Diane says. "Getting into the music is a musician's version of getting into the flow state and while the lessons of getting into flow didn't come easily, in the end, not only have I gained flow, I've gained flow mastery. Now, as a global authority on flow, I empower people in all aspects of their lives to get into their flow on purpose, and with purpose."

"It's commonly known that stress narrows cognitive focus and ideation," Diane maintains. "It can also drain overall energy, and it negatively impacts mental health. What's not commonly known is that when in flow, focus broadens, thoughts expand, and learning speed increases. Work becomes rewarding to the point where it refuels you, and flow positively impacts mental health."

"Flow education is like one-stop shopping to resolve many of today's issues by reconnecting people with the humanity that already exists within them so they can be engaged, unlock their genius, and love what they do," suggests Diane. "Whether you are leading yourself, or leading others, you just have to tap into your flow." Diane can show you how.

Diane joined us from Bend, Oregon, where she focuses on her public speaking career and is continuing to work on her book launch.

Learn more:

https://dianeallen.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianeallenspeaker/

https://www.instagram.com/dianeallenspeaker/

https://www.facebook.com/dianeallenspeaker/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZOk_r1n2X2FmbRcoiUhIHQ

Free Gift:

Flow Essentials: Tools to Unlock Your Best Self (Guide + Videos)

https://tinyurl.com/flowstategift

Vicki Larson is a longtime award-winning Bay Area journalist and the former lifestyles editor, writer and columnist at the Marin Independent Journal whose writing can be found in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post and Newsweek among numerous other publications. She specializes in writing about living and loving outside conventional models of coupling and the nuclear family, as well as busting ageist and sexist narratives about aging as a woman and women’s sexuality and desire. She is the author of LATitude: How You Can Make a Live Apart Together Relationship Work, Not Too Old for That: How Women are Changing the Story of Aging, named a Best Book of 2022 by Take the Lead, and co-author of The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists and Rebels, named a Best Book of 2014 by PopSugar.

https://www.vicki-larson.com
https://twitter.com/OMGchronicles
https://www.threads.net/@omgchronicles?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/vlarson
https://www.facebook.com/VickiLarsonJournalist
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickilarson
https://www.instagram.com/omgchronicles
https://omgchronicles.medium.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@vlarson7

Stacy Blemaster defied odds when she was told that she would never live a normal life outside of a mental health facility. After a number of incorrect diagnoses, Stacy finally found a doctor who listened to her and allowed her to open up and feel validated. Detailing her childhood, college life and mental health challenges in To Be Or Not To Be: Shedding An As-If Personality, Stacy details what it's like to have manic episodes, be in and out of treatment, deal with toxic family members who fear the stigma of mental illness and to the other side of finally healing and living a life of fulfillment and happiness as her true authentic self. Stacy is sharing her story to help others find happiness, create true relationships with others, shed as-if images and to feel their feelings. In this episode, we discuss:

Stacy grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She received a BA from Brown University, where she majored in theater, and then went on to be licensed in counseling and human services, earning an MA from John Carroll University. She has two autistic sons and a daughter -- all now adults. She resides in Placida, Florida, with her husband, Robert and their two Golden Retrievers, Libby and Lacey.

Learn more:

https://stacyblemaster.com/

https://instagram.com/stacyblemasterauthor

Laura Venecia Rodriguez is dedicated to helping individuals over 50 regain their mojo and “shine” with renewed purpose and passion after reaching an impasse or experiencing a major upheaval in their lives—empty nest, death of a loved one, divorce/breakup, job change, retirement, or health crisis.

Her YouTube channel, Shine After 50: In Your Body, Mind, Spirit and corresponding blog and newsletter offer weekly advice and inspiration for women over 50 who want to make conscious, wise lifestyle choices so they can enjoy their entire life to the fullest.

As a presenter and public speaker for decades in her federal and private sector career, Laura’s speeches and seminars were consistently praised for their “superb delivery” and “fascinating, well-designed, insightful, educational and engaging” content.

Laura has also delivered well-received educational, inspirational, and spiritual talks including:

 “Tap the Power of Your Intuition”

 “The Power of Hypnosis”

 “Travel Journal Writing: Create your Ultimate Souvenir—A Masterpiece of Memories”

 “Living in Love: The Greatest Romance of All”

for organizations such as Unity Church of Silver Spring (Maryland), Royal Caribbean cruise line and service clubs.

Laura attributes her feeling fantastic virtually all the time and maintaining her college physique and weight in her late 60s to a healthful lifestyle of which yoga, meditation, walking, strength training and rebounding on a trampoline are major pillars.

Laura’s recently published book (February 2023), Gentle Yoga After 50: Get Fit, Flexible, and Feel Fantastic! shares information and insights about yoga that Laura has learned since starting yoga at age 15. Reviews for the book applaud its:

 Loving, mindful, and inspirational approach

 Clear, concise, and easy-to-understand explanations

 Step-by-step instructions

 Detailed guidance and hints for yoga newbies over age 50

Laura earned her MBA (George Washington University), MA (American University), and BA (Wellesley College) and worked as a writer/researcher/speaker for the private sector and Federal government and lived in metropolitan Washington, DC for 44 years. After completing her federal career in December 2020, Laura relocated to Charleston, SC in 2021 and launched Intuitive Advising and Writing, LLC.

Laura loves sharing information about ancient and contemporary practices, techniques, and wisdom to enhance the body, mind and spirit. She has trained in hypnotherapy, meditation, intuitive coaching and tarot card interpretation as a creativity tool. Despite being the consummate klutz, Laura taught herself gentle yoga at age 15 to avoid becoming a couch potato.

Contact Laura at:

[email protected]

https://www.ShineAfter50.com

Follow her:

www.linkedin.com/in/laura-venecia-rodriguez-mba-ma-author-speaker-coach-intuitive-advisor-ba27a0255

https://www.instagram.com/laura_venecia_rodriguez/

https://x.com/Intuition1215

https://www.facebook.com/LauraVRodriguez

https://www.tiktok.com/@laurashineafter50

Kamini Wood, who grew up in a small Connecticut town as a first-generation American with immigrant parents. Early in her life, she navigated the complexities of identity and belonging. Feeling the pressure to blend in and seek external validation, she excelled academically and in helping others, driven by the belief that hard work equaled acceptance.

Becoming a mother of five while pursuing a career as a certified project manager, she realized her identity was externally defined. Raising high-performing young adults, she recognized people-pleasing behaviors in her children and felt a deep calling to reclaim her authenticity and self-leadership.

Seeking to realign with her true self, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery and self-validation. Becoming a certified life coach, she dove into her own self-work, learning to honor her feelings and emotions without judgment. Through self-compassion and self-love, she evolved into her own self-leader.

Today, as CEO and Founder of Live Joy Your Way and AuthenticMe®Life Coaching, she empowers high-performing adults and young adults struggling with self-doubt and the need for external validation. Her mission is to help others recognize their true value and stop outsourcing their self-worth

Kamini is a certified life coach, helps health care workers who are always under pressure manage their work and personal lives.  She is the creator of AuthenticMe® and CEO of Live Joy Your Way - a coaching company helping high performers and overachievers who have seen success through old-rooted, traditional metrics, reestablish their relational self-awareness.  Trained in internal family systems and cognitive behavioral-based coaching, Kamini utilizes her skill set to help healthcare workers, doctors, and lawyers find the balance between work and their personal lives.

Kamini is a best-selling author of Om--Life's Gentle Reminders, who holds certifications in various modalities, including life, wellness, high-performance coaching, teen life, conscious uncoupling, breath work, meditation and diversity, equity inclusion, and belonging. She is also trained in conscious parenting and coaching for children. Kamini conducts one on one coaching and has courses and eBooks available on her website. She also hosts the Rise Up -- Live Joy Your Way Podcast.

Learn more and follow Kamini at the links below:

Website: https://www.kaminiwood.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaminiwood/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsauthenticme/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsauthenticme/?hl=en

In a world where aging is often feared, award-nominated author, poet and psychotherapist Jane Seskin, who is 80 years of age, takes readers on an emotional road trip where they can celebrate the joys and challenges of aging. In Older, Wiser, Shorter: The Truth and Humor of Life After 65 (Tallfellow Press, 2024), Jane reflects on how resilience and self-discovery helped her combat life’s trials and tribulations, especially as she grew older. Through a collection of 89 poems, Jane redefines the narrative of aging and offers readers a positive take on what is often perceived as a negative.

Older, Wiser, Shorter is an insightful collection of poetry; authentic, funny, quirky and heartfelt, acknowledging the physical vulnerabilities, emotional losses, and surprises people encounter in their senior years. Jane also pays tribute to the sense of power, resilience and new-found joys people discover as they acknowledge and accept their aging. Jane's talent for finding the universal connecting tissue of even our most intimate moments will resonate with readers seeking to discover new ways to honor the past, celebrate the present and welcome the future.

Jane says that growing old is a gift. Believe in it. Respect it. Embrace it. From varicose veins to doctors’ appointments to forgetting why you walked into the kitchen, Older Wiser Shorter illuminates the ups and downs of growing older, one poem at a time. Not to be feared but welcomed, aging is natural, exciting, and it’s better than the alternative!

Said Mary Pipher, author of Women Rowing North and My Life in Light, “I sat down to read one poem last night and I ended up reading half the book. I feel as though I know you. You have definitely captured the experience of aging.”

Jane is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the author of 13 books, most recently the poetry collection Older, Wiser, Shorter: The Truth and Humor of Life After 65. Sometimes laughably simple, other times simply profound, Jane's collection is a non-saccharine and delightful account of what getting older is really like. And she actually lost two inches of her height by her 8th decade!

In this episode, Jane talks about:

Jane also has written nonfiction articles and poetry online and for national magazines and journals. Twenty of her poems were published in Cosmopolitan Magazine, five poems in Woman’s Day. Eighteen of her posts have been published in the Metropolitan Diary column in the New York Times. Jane has been a writer-in-residence at the Vermont Studio Center and Noepe Center for Literary Arts in Martha's Vineyard. She has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Jane is a practicing psychotherapist, who counseled survivors in individual and group treatment at the Crime Victims Treatment Center in New York for 20 years. In her free time, she enjoys the theater, walking by the Hudson River, visiting with friends, reading poetry and mysteries (Louise Penny, David Baldacci, Donna Leon) and listening to jazz (Keith Jarrett, Houston Person, Chris Botti). Jane wrote therapeutic soundbites on Twitter under the title: “Emotional Band-Aid. Small Steps for Change.”

Find out more at:

https://www.olderwisershorter.com/

Terry Repak shares the lessons she learned in her expat life in a beautiful way. When Terry and her husband moved to West Africa with two small children at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s, she seized the opportunity to connect with people of other cultures and bear witness to the ravages of the horrible disease, the finding of a cure and education about prevention methods. Circling Home: What I Learned from Living Elsewhere (She Writes Press, 2023) chronicles the adventures and challenges of raising children to be global citizens and trying to find home in countries as diverse as Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Switzerland. Her memoir spotlights the complexity, struggles and profound lessons at the heart of the expat journey.

In this episode, Terry describes her rich relationships with local people in Ivory Coast and Tanzania, and how her deep connections abroad changed her. Her favorite quote by essayist, Pico Iyer, captures the tenor of her book and her experience abroad: "Home is not just the place where you happen to be born; It is the place where you become yourself."

Dr. Helene Gayle, President of Spelman College and former Director of the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center says: “Terry Repak writes about her family’s experiences as American expats in very personal ways, without being afraid of sharing some of the unvarnished realities. With candor and humility, she demonstrates how living overseas can be a rich and fulfilling experience. For Americans, she shows the value of opening ourselves to global perspectives and viewing the rest of the world differently while being more analytical of our own actions. Thank you for this warm, insightful contribution to global understanding and particularly to a more textured understanding of the beauty and the complexities of Africa.”

Says New York Times bestselling author, Melissa Fay Greene: "Her honest book captures not only the beautiful people and landscapes and wildlife they encountered at every turn, but the moments of stark loneliness and confusion. She quickly learned to make friends and seek out local women and expats who became mentors and confidantes. This is how she found 'home' wherever she landed.”

Kirkus provided the following review:

Terry worked as a reporter for several years before going to graduate school at the London School of Economics and earning a PhD at Emory University. She and her partner lived in East and West Africa and in Europe, where he directed AIDS projects and she wrote and raised their children. She has published two other non-fiction books, numerous travel articles for newspapers and magazines, and her research in academic journals. She lives in Seattle where she continues to write and to teach English to foreign language learners and to garden, hike and swim.

To learn more:

TerryRepak.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-repak-ba47041b/

https://www.instagram.com/repakterry/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063607771451

Sarah Dale's love of nature and experiences in the wilds of Montana are what started her wish to get other corporate women to build their own badassery and confidence by learning outdoor skills. She moved from New York City to Montana after a solo vacation to Big Sky. Sarah started Project 1490 to provide the opportunity not only for women to have a unique, outdoor experience that helps them go beyond who they think they are, but they can also build their corporate networks and confidence and have a ton of fun in the process. Project 1490 is "an experience-based women's leadership community designed to accelerate the rise of female leaders--with grace and grit."

Project 1490 is a membership community for high-performance women from manager to C-level that nurtures all sides of women and accelerates their rise to the top. It is a community of ambitious, open-minded, kick-ass women who support and encourage badassery in themselves and each other "and become the renaissance women they wish to be." She calls her work bringing city women to Montana a combination of "Outward Bound" meets "Oprah" type retreats. Women who attend "go beyond themselves, reconnect with nature and return to their lives with a new sense of who they were and what they were capable of."

Project 1490 has an upcoming retreat in the Berkshires that will include leadership content, and expert negotiation skill speaker, wilderness survival skill training and, of course, a party. Project 1490 also hosts "Days of Badassery," some of which are open to nonmembers. You can learn more about their offerings at Project1490.com.

Sarah has had an impressive career. After a 30-year career in advertising, Sarah created Project 1490 by combining her years in leadership with her experiences living in Montana. She's been fortunate to work at great brands like The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Nativo where she led big teams and drove hundreds of millions in revenue. She's been awarded a Cannes Lions, two D&AD Pencils, Folio's Top Women in Media and the Stevies' Gold Maverick Award. She also has a company that does mobile glamping, called thecanvasexperience.com!

As Sarah says, "We ride at dawn!"

Learn more:

Website: ⁠https://www.project1490.com/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-dale/⁠

Instagram: @Project_1490

Glenda "GG" Goodrich, 72, has been questing in the Lakota tradition for 25 years. Questing, a form of going out on the land for self-discovery, has been used for eons. It involves separating from one's regular life, spending time alone and incorporating what the lessons learned can mean in your life. "Nature becomes a mirror that reflects what is going on inside you," Glenda says.

"Over a number of years, I undertook a series of wilderness quests in Oregon, Washington and California in a search to discover what I can learn about life, death, happiness, spirituality and forgiveness through the healing and restorative powers of the natural world," says Glenda. "From a grandmother to my grandkids, from one nature lover to another, I aim to leave readers empowered, at peace with the past, accepting of themselves, and, most importantly, convinced in the indispensability of nature and all the gifts it has to offer."

Her book, Solo Passage: 13 Quests, 13 Questions, Glenda chronicles the sacred ceremonies that connected her to the land, wove her into nature’s web, and transformed her from a woman who worked to please others into a woman who forged her own path. The book is a brilliant collection of adventures—the touch of coyote fur, a snake’s kiss, a ceremonial blood offering—and a profound reflection on the healing and restorative power of nature. Among the questions she explores in the book are: "How can I become my own spiritual authority?" and "How can I reignite the wildness in me?"

Glenda's book was released last September and was a BookLife Editor’s Pick -- “As Goodrich finds solace in her quests, she successfully depicts a symbiotic relationship between nature, solitude and artistic expression. This contemplative journey provides a powerful metaphor for the multifaceted nature of the human experience, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery and reconnecting with nature in finding our truest selves, no matter what age or stage in life. Readers who are curious about the inner workings of the spirit, lovers of nature, or seekers of self-discovery will be enthralled—and likely inspired to embark on their own quests.”

Says Rebecca Jamieson, the author of The Body of All Things: "[Solo Passage: 13 Quests, 13 Questions is a] book for everyone who loves wild places and longs to live an examined life, Solo Passage is a wise, stunningly beautiful page-turner that will leave you moved, inspired and ready to connect more deeply with nature—and yourself." 

In this episode, Glenda shares her experience as a "nature nymph" in Death Valley and learning from her life's teachers how to speak her truth without blame or judgment, among other pearls. She guides others to learn how they can be their truest and most honest selves in this life.

As an artist, art doula, SoulCollage® facilitator, writer and convener of ceremony, Glenda brings together earth-based rituals, community gatherings and creative workshops in a search for new ways to explore creative potential and love for the Earth. She feels most alive exploring wild places and spending time with her two children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

GG lives in a cottage in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. She humbly acknowledges that she lives on the land of the Kalapuya.

Learn more: 

Facebook: @glenda.goodrich.1

Instagram: @glendagoodrich

Website: glendagoodrich.com