Embodied

Anita learns daycare for children can continue well into the night thanks to facilities open around the clock meeting the needs of parents working nontraditional hours. Two 24-hour care providers take her into their day-to-day operations and discuss the unique bonds they form with the families they work for. Plus a single mom shares her story of relying on a 24-hour facility to help meet her needs.

- Deloris Hogan, co-founder of Dee’s Tots Childcare in New Rochelle, New York, talks about building and running a 24-hour childcare center for more than 30 years.

- Evy Hart, co-owner of Molly’s Daycare Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, tells Anita about the unique needs of children and families who use overnight care.

- Ayana Moore, clinical research manager, tells Anita about how 24-hour childcare has supported her schedule as a working single parent of two.

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Anita learns the science behind the most effective form of birth control and hears from a sociologist about how getting a vasectomy transformed his relationship with his masculinity.

- Dr. Matt Coward, an associate professor of urology at the UNC School of Medicine, talks about the science of the vasectomy. He is also the director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at UNC Fertility.

- Ryan Cragun is a sociology professor at the University of Tampa. He shares his experience getting a vasectomy — and the reflections on masculinity and manhood it inspired.

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Anita acknowledges that looking in the mirror and loving everything she sees may be unrealistic. Fat activists teach her about radical reframes, including body positivity and a newer term to her: body neutrality.

Meet the Guests:

- Virgie Tovar, a fat activist, host of the Rebel Eaters Club podcast and author of “The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color" talks about why body neutrality is a helpful step for some in their body liberation journey

- Tigress Osborn, thee chair of the board of directors for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, shares the history of fat liberation and what's been lost as the movement has shifted away from its black, radical roots

- Zoë Bisbing, a psychotherapist and co-founder of the Full Bloom Project, talks about building a research-informed resource for those who want to foster a body-positive next generation

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Anita's only had a handful of up-close experiences with dying people, and it's something she'd rather not think about. It's the antithesis to the philosophy of some folks she admires: death doulas. They say: Spend more time looking head-on at the inevitable. Respect death, don't fear it. Turns out, this uncomfortable approach may make things more comfortable in the end.

Meet the guests:

- Vivette Jeffries-Logan, a citizen of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, a person who holds healing space for those processing death and dying and a founding partner of biwa| Emergent Equity, talks about how she learned to hold ceremonies for folks who are dying.

- Angela Zimmer, a death doula based in Charlotte, talks about how her own experiences of grief informed her desire to help others.

- Dr. Aditi Sethi-Brown, a hospice physician, end-of-life doula and co-founder of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, shares how she builds relationships with clients like Sara who are in the end-of-life planning process.

- Sara Jenkins, an editor and writer living in Western North Carolina, talks about working with Aditi and preparing for her death amidst a pandemic.

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Anita learns about non-sexual, social nudity and why opting to live life mostly in the nude could actually make her think about her body LESS.

- Naomi Prioleau, a reporter and host at WUNC, talks about her personal journey to becoming a practicing naturist.

- Jay Shapiro, lead coordinator and president of Triangle Area Naturists LLC, shares how to separate sex from nudity.

- Sam and Aleah, creators of Our Natural Blog, share how they're working to bring more young folks into the naturist movement in Florida.

- Earl runs the website Clothes Free Life, an online resource about naturism around the globe.

- Patricka is one of the founders of the Black Naturists Association, which advocates nudity through naturist environments for those in the Black community.

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Anita shares an exciting announcement about the Embodied podcast and what you can expect in your feeds starting next week!

Anita loves a good romantic story — especially when lovers prevail against all odds. There are a million reasons to give up on happily ever after when one or more people in a relationship are incarcerated. But for those who stay together despite prison walls, a special kind of connection is created, as we learn in the season two finale.

- Monae and Adriel Alvarado share their one-of-a-kind love story — from meeting inside prison while they were both incarcerated and sending love notes while in solitary confinement to building a life together on the outside.

- Sutina and Steven Green reflect on building a relationship and growing a family while Steven was serving a life sentence without parole in California.

- Jenesee Green, Steven & Sutina's 17-year-old daughter, talks about growing up with an incarcerated father and what she's learned from her parents' love and relationship.

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Anita may not shy away when conversations get uncomfortable, but approaching difficult topics can depend on who you're talking to and which self you're bringing to the discussion. In this special episode, she exchanges notes and kinship with Anna Sale and Allison Behringer, hosts of the podcasts "Death, Sex & Money" and "Bodies" respectively.

Meet the guests:

- Anna Sale, host of "Death, Sex & Money," shares lessons learned from 7 years of hosting hard conversations on the microphone and personal insights detailed in her new book "Let's Talk About Hard Things."

- Allison Behringer, creator and host of "Bodies," a feminist documentary podcast, shares what exploring the mysteries of our health & bodies with has taught her about creating space for hard conversations.

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Anita has little trouble knocking out for a good night's sleep. But feeling well rested all the time? That's a little more complicated. Why do our bodies struggle to do what we know is good for us?

Meet the guests:

- Jade Wu, a psychologist and sleep specialist, gives us some sleep science 101 and shares her top tips on battling insomnia.

- Andre Royal Sr. shares how narcolepsy affects his relationships and why he's trying to help folks better understand what narcolepsy looks like through his organization Suddenly Sleepy.

- 15-year-old Jordan tells us about being diagnosed with narcolepsy in third grade, and how he's navigated friendships, school and life ever since.

- Anita's parents talk about what they've learned from dreamland and making sleeping a priority.

- Dayna Johnson, an epidemiologist, tells us about sleep disparities for Black folks and why we should think about sleep as a public health issue.

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