My guest today is truly in the business of challenging the status quo, and in her own words, gets even the most stubborn of us grooving into an ass shaking + move making state of mind.

Angel Phoenix Arsenal (previously known as Angela Gallo) is on the podcast today with myself and my biz sidekick Tara Caetano (stay tuned for an upcoming solo interview with her soon), to help us reclaim our anger and open our minds up to our privilege, in a way that activates change for the future.

A little more about Angel:

• Angel Phoenix Arsenal is a Melbourne Doula who has turned her obsession with all things birth, motherhood, sexuality, women's work, social media, justice-for-all, personal growth, passionate professional development and challenging-the-status-quo mindset, into an empire of inspiration.

• She is gregariously enthusiastic about creating monumental spaces where cis women, non-binary and/or non cisgendered women can come to play in BIG ways. She is also infatuated with all things powerful business strategy and principles, as well as the positively productive use of social media to successful, amplify your brand and business. Her instagram @the_angela_gallo is most certainly a playground of inspiration that you must explore.

• Angel also trains Doulas. And not just any kind of Doulas, either. Fierce, impassioned, unique, devoted-to-the-cause, resilient, visionary, trailblazer type of Doulas – the kind committed to bringing the humanity, connection and compassion back to a multitude of thresholds Doulas hold space for. Doulas who travel to the brinks of places where all hope is lost, and bring humanity back to the barren. 

In this episode we dive into:

• Demystifying the topics of oppression, self-suppression and the ways we have been taught to feel unsafe in our anger
• How the "good girl" mentality and not feeling 'oppressed enough' keeps us from participating in conversations that need to be had
• How anger serves a purpose in activating change, and how not engaging with the oppressive nature of our society is privilege in full action
• How to discover what you're truly passionate about
• How to have a healthy relationship with your anger, in a way that amplifies your work and cultivates confidence and conviction, vs. keeping yourself in a counter productive victim mindset

THE CHALLENGE:

Each episode of The Amber Hawken Podcast comes with a challenge and in this episode Angel challenges you to have the hard conversations: How can you initiate the uncomfortable conversations, both in real life and on social media?

How can you ask better of those you know? Where are you letting things slide?

How can you back these conversations up with action?

Email [email protected] and tell us about your results and or experience with this (we may not reply, but always here to listen and keep you energetically accountable).

As always, we adore hearing what you think of each episode and appreciate all your itunes ratings and comments on the podcast, so if you enjoyed it, please let us know by giving us a five star and leaving a review. You can head over to your favourite platform to do this and subscribe - iTunes, Spotify, Libsyn.

More epic episode are on the way. Until then...

My guest today is a repeat offender (guest) on the podcast.

What I love most about this podcast is how much change I know is possible for anyone who listens to it.

The conversation style of Jer and I becomes a crazy in depth banter where we take things to a deep level of understanding and embodiment, fast. It's just how we roll which is why I am so damn excited to announce the Ignite Your Life retreat we are running in August together in Byron Bay. Check it out here. 

Okay, a little background on Jer,

The man himself is a:

• TEDx speaker trying to make kindness cool. Watch the TEDx talk here.

• PhD scholar who spent the past five years studying the science of human behaviour, specifically how attitudes affect action and how we can communicate to inspire greater and lasting change.

• A spoken word poet who rants about love, life, and everything in between. Watch his most recent viral video here.

• Instagram and beautiful words @longdistancelovebombs

• A compassion-cultivating, day-making change agent, a kind heart, someone who believes in you.

The major take aways you'll get from this episode encompass:

• why human beings find it so difficult to change and how to get leverage on yourself to ease that grind
• it's not about massive action (even though sometimes it is), it's about the little things (which we dive into everyday examples of small changes for massive results)
• what it really takes to turn your investment of time, energy, money and 'hopes' into actual action despite a lifetime of resistance and patterning
• how to call yourself out on your own bs
• the most effective to to make change stick
• what kind of damage self denial, rejection, shame and guilt about not being good enough can do and how to spot when this is playing out in your life even though it's terrifying to face at times
• lots of jokes, dirty ones, bad ones, sad ones, ones that no one but ourselves will laugh at....

Enjoy!

It's been almost 15 months since I last released an episode and Im stoked you are here.

This episode is a solo session with myself where I will be teaching something that is the core of what I bring to any event, workshop, one on one session, retreat, corporate event and of course my own personal practice; self connection.

In this episode I take you through:

• The different associate elements of intuition, thought, feelings, emotions, motivation, action and results
• How to increase the fire for change towards what you want to expand on and create on in your life
• What prevents us following through with ideas of change
• The loop of negativity we often unconsciously find ourselves in and how to reverse it
• Explanation of self connection on a practical level
• How to use the breath to release tension or built up emotions
• How to use our breath to bring the mind, body, feelings/emotions and nervous system into balance
• A meditation that you can use anytime to come into your centre and connect to the present moment, recalibrating your mind, body and emotions with calm
• My background and different businesses I have that are relevant to what I'm teaching in the podcast

Guys, Im so bloody glad to be back.

This is also published at amberhawken.com

I have some epic guests coming up on the podcast, so please make sure you head over to your favourite platform and subscribe - iTunes, Spotify, Libsyn.

Before you go, I have a favour to ask. If you enjoy any of the episodes, I would love it if you could let me know by leaving a review on iTunes with a five star rating. This helps the podcast reach those it may be of benefit to.

I would love to know how you went with this episode. Please leave a comment below about your experience with the guided meditation at then end. Did you notice a change in your energy or mental state?

Until next time!

Kelsey Grant is passionate about living in a world where people feel inspired, fulfilled, balanced and happy within the expansiveness of their intimate relationships. As a Love and Relationship Educator rooted in Radical Self Love Methodology, she writes, speaks and teaches men and women the art of accessing greater alignment with themselves, one another and the essence of true love. Kelsey so eloquently teaches the art of uncrossing the wires of understanding between men and women, expanding self-awareness and leveling up relational development, so legendary love, healthy relationships and sustainable partnership become possible again in this disconnected digital age. She unpacks how our family dynamics growing up affect our relational intelligence, and how we can navigate the tough stuff like heartbreak with wit, humour and the best giggle I've heard in ages. We vibe on all this and more:

• The danger of putting your partner on a pedestal
• Boundaries 101 - what the heck they are & how we create them
• The different types of boundaries
• Unpacking boundaries within a family system
• How abandonment plays out in our relationship dynamic
• Why humour is an integral part of successful relationships
• The role of the 'runner' & the 'chaser' within a couple
• The danger of not communicating expectations
• How to use conflict to strengthen union
• How to bring up vulnerable conversations with a partner (or potential partner)

Listen in right til the end where Kelsey shares her mic drop last words on what she advises is THE most important thing we can all do in service of our relationships and catch more of her work through all of her social media platforms: www.kelseygrant.com Twitter facebook.com/RadicalSelfLove @radicalselflove on Instagram A Year of Love Masterclass Kelseys book, Sabotaged Love: The 12 Archetypes Keeping You From The Love You Want

Dr. Alexandra Solomon is a licensed clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University. She's the author of the book Loving Bravely: Twenty Lessons of Self-Discovery to Help You Get the Love You Want and maintains a psychotherapy practice for individual adults and couples, so can you guess what we chat about?

Yup, l-o-v-e.

If you are a human you will get so much out of this conversation.

Warning: we go deep real quick! I’m attracting these BIG conversations about relationships, the masculine and feminine and love lately as it seems many of us are leaning in to love.

Alexandra shares her own core wounds with such self compassion and vulnerability, it felt like having an intimate D & M with a friend.

She brings up some hugely valuable points about the shame people can carry from moving through infidelity (and when they let that shame stop the relationship transforming in to the 2.0 version), how curiosity within our relationships creates self-awareness, and the side affects of infidelity on our sense of self. Alexandra also shares her personal experience (backed by research) about how to keep the spark alive in her own 20 year marriage which could literally change the way we approach long-term romance. We unpack relationships through these topics and so much more:

• How to know when to leave a relationship
• How to come back to yourself
• Why originally she resisted studying love because she was a feminist (and why that was an illusion)
• Why reclamation of our inner child/younger selves is the most powerful place to go to heal
• How active spiritual practices helped her move through the loss of her father
• The beauty of what can come from trauma
• Unpacking infidelity
• Dr Alexandra’s favourite questions to ask clients in therapy
• The bravest question to ask within a relationship
• The silver lining of cheating
• The top 3 ways to get the love you want
• How to keep intimacy alive in long term committed relationships

And so. much. more. You’re gonna want to listen to this one, folks, as it could change the way you approach your intimate relationships forever.

I love that she describes the space between the stimulus and the response as the place where we can consciously choose how we are going to handle any situation - this is ultimately the power of mindfulness, which allows us to live with more vulnerability and open-heartedness.

What a pleasure to converse about bringing science and soul together for successful relationships. Be sure to drop me a comment on Instagram about your biggest takeaway from this episode and what you’re going to explore or apply to your own life for the sake of deepening your relationship to love.

I think I may have found one of my favourite humans on the planet. Yep, author of The Good Hustle, Polly McGee is a walking paradox from the get-go. A tattoo-covered yogi who works in the corporate world, this woman has a story that I'm beyond excited to share with you today.

 Here’s why I know you will love this interview. We discuss:

• The importance of serving others
• Why she rejects the idea of 'fake it til you make it'
• Why success is about the collective, not the individual
• The quickest way to lose the moment you're in
• Why you don't need to become a better version of yourself
• The core wounds we all have & the real illusion of them
• Defining 'Dharma'
• Rejecting the expectations of the corporate world (especially suits!)
• Happiness isn't the end goal... it's something else
• Polly's personal practices for mental discipline
• What Polly would like to have as a superpower

And so. much. more...

Whoa. Wasn't that awesome? Told you I found my twin flame. Polly is that passionate about the life-changing magic of meditation practice, that she is offering a copy of her brand spankin' new book, The Good Hustle, to TWO of my beloved listeners (one audio book & one physical book if you're old school like that).

Entering is simple: tell me WHAT your 365-day meditation commitment is + why you're doing it by emailing me at [email protected]. Remember to also note which book you'd prefer: audio or physical. Giveaway closes Sunday 31 March.

Get more Pollydox here:

www.pollymcgee.com

@pollymcgee on Instagram

Vulnerability without strength is fucking chaos. Build foundations within, THEN, open your heart. Strength + vulnerability = Open hearted freedom.

Today’s guest Traver Boehm is the author of Today I Rise, a TEDx speaker and men’s coach, currently practicing intentional nomadism. He is the founder of the Man Uncivilized Movement, redefining the way men around the globe experience their masculinity, and teaches people to skillfully use the inevitable pain of their lives as fuel for growth and positive change.

We cover so much in this episode, from reaching deep into the darkest moment of Traver’s personal life where he found himself losing everything, to Traver’s “The Year to Live Project” that would eventually see him on a 28 day social experiment living in complete darkness and isolation in Guatemala. Traver is as real and honest as they come, and we dive into one my favourite topics, vulnerability, and how combining the Primal Masculine and the Divine is radically shifting the way men experience their masculinity. Because in his words, Men need both, women need men to have both, and the planet needs this more than we do.

Traver’s story, strength and his hunger to get deeply acquainted with what it means to go beyond everything you know to be true about life is infectious, and I could have chatted with him all day. If you’ve ever contemplated on what you would do if this was your last year alive and feel the pull to test your own limitations, this episode is for you!

Dive in to hear more on:

• How honesty is the new vulnerably
• Learning how to be vulnerable in a healthy way, as opposed to a destructive way
• Learning what it is to die and be free
• How our pain can be our guru
• The power of pushing beyond your edge and coming back to life
• How to be honest in your voice and actions
• Cultivating energy and driving into the direction of love and creativity
• Sexual energy and its ability to manifest
• How to own your manhood and mature masculine
• How to hold space for your partner and not get triggered
• How to feel into the feminine sensuality and use that for purpose and enhancing relationships
• Dying and understanding your insignificance in order to really live
• Leaking energy by fantasizing, and how using stimulants and other distractions can destroy your life and relationships

When you are strong, you can hold space for yourself even when falling apart because you allow yourself too. You are strong in your unconditional love.

Be sure to tune in right to the end where I challenge Traver to 90 days of something very very difficult!

Emily Ann Peterson is a singer-songwriter, creative consultant, and author of Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous. In 2013, Emily was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor, which forever altered her two-decade livelihood as a cellist/cello teacher. Refusing to lose her life's love of expression, she knew she’d have to be brave, and man, is she that! In an act of neurological defiance, she expanded into wider mediums and broke through her creative glass ceiling, opening the door to limitless possibilities.

I just had to have this woman back on the show (check out this throwback episode with her a year ago) because we always go deeeep in to our personal stories of navigating life's curveballs with humour and honesty.. the only way you get it here with me!

Emily offers so much transparency and I adore the work she is bringing to the world. In this conversation, we cover this and more:

• How to be brave
• A new way to look at 'readiness' in terms of launching a creative project
• Her most powerful method of self healing
• Unpacking what we can do with our anger
• The ingredients of bravery
• What to do when we're faced with the feeling of "this is the end of the world"
• How to identify emotions in your body
• Why it's important to inspire the emotions we desire to feel
• What advice she would give to her 15 year old self
• How we express our truth through mediums other than our voice

Emily oozes a humble warmth AND a powerful fierceness that fuels her drive to be a catalyst for bravery. I've loved this conversation because we don't cover what's IN her book but the brilliance of the behind-the-scenes of what needed to happen for her book to come together. If you need more Emily Peterson in your life, find her here:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook Website

In this special edition podcast, the roles have reversed and I am the interviewee. Kylie Mcbeath, co-founder of the holistic digital program Zura Health holds the mic this time as we role-reverse - you will recognise the wisdom of her voice from my most recent podcast episode (#23), Empowering Your Needs + Breaking Through. I share loads about my experience in the health and fitness worlds that ultimately led me to the work I do today, and how something like emotional eating goes deeper than our relationship to food.

Time and again I’ve seen the one thing that can crush an otherwise empowered and successful person: lack of emotional awareness, mental empowerment, and overall self-connection.

I can’t stress these factors enough.

If you’re not seeing the results that you want from your self love affirmations, endless diets, and strict eating and exercise regimes, this message is for you. By results, I don’t just mean physical, I’m talking about achieving a deep sense of emotional fulfilment and love within. If you want to look in the mirror and feel gratitude and freedom, you must learn how to work with your mind and emotions so you are no longer their servant. We discuss (to name a few):

• The core cause behind our unhealthy relationship to food and our body
• A question to ask yourself that may radically change your life
• An easy-peasy meditation practice
• The core human needs
• Disconnection = not living an alignment
• Tools and action steps to cultivate deeper connection to self
• Identifying our core values
• Emotional resiliency and why it's so effing important
• Understanding emotional data

Discipline, self connection, and emotional resilience are REQUIRED LIFE SKILLS if you want to let go of control, radiate with confidence, and find the happiness that you deserve. Let me know over on insta (@amber_hawken) what this conversation brought up in you and drop a comment about your biggest takeaway.

Connect closer with what Zura Health is all about:

zurahealth.com

@zurahealth

Check out my other resources on body image, emotional eating and emotional resiliency: How To Not Hate Your Body + Use Food To Escape Your EmotionsMy Podcast (episode #15) with nude yoga teacher Rosie Rees

Today's guest, Kylie McBeath is the Co-Founder of Zura Health, Writer, Emotional Wellness Coach, and a spokesperson for soul. She is committed to uncovering the tools, technology, and ethos to live a life at the bleeding edge of our potential. From inner struggles to moments of complete bliss, Kylie invites us to the depths of our own shadow so that we can integrate, accept, and become the most aligned version of ourselves. In this conversation, we get up close and intimate with the power of our emotions, and what the heckneeds even are.

Ky gets real about her own weaknesses and strengths and the reality that the work never ends – because that’s where the adventure is. Fulfilment is found when we play at our edge. Her mic drop advice right at the end is amazing and I share a little real life breakthrough from an experience I had with an angry man in a sauna…

We covered all of this and heaps more:

• The perfect world we grew up with could sabotage our perfect adult life
• How our relationship with our parents can write our future
• Dealing with darkness
• How to get yourself unstuck
• How to have heart-centered anger
• The difference between being overpowering and being powerful
• Why going against our values is not about being a “bad person”
• How to “do the work” and shift your life
• Understanding spiritual bypassing
• Learning emotional intimacy
• How resisting, denial and being stuck in our story affects our relationships and our life

You don’t have to break down to break through

Kylie is a breath of fresh air in this realm of work. She’s honest about her own journey of unpacking her stories while holding a refreshing perspective on getting intimate with our emotions without getting entangled in them. She is a powerhouse and I hope you love this interview as much as I loved having this conversation! Let me know over on insta (@amber_hawken) what you thought of this podcast and drop a comment about your biggest takeaway.

Connect closer with Kylie:

kyliemcbeath.com @beingisbeautiful on Instagram