Higher Self with Carina Shines

In this new season of the Higher Self podcast, we're exploring the witch that lives in all of us. 

In this first episode, we explore who the women accused of witchcraft really were and why they were so threatening to the Catholic Church and establishment of medieval Europe. 

We take a brief tour of the European Witch Hunts, tap into the original source of the Witch Wound, and and explore the aspects that all of us who identify as "witchy" share - whether you practice spells and rituals or simply feel intuitive and connected to the world of the unseen.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

We're back, witches! This new season of the Higher Self podcast is all about the witch within. We'll dive into the archetpye of the witch, the history of the witch hunts (aka women hunts), how this time of year awakens the witchy part of us, and what exactly that "witchy" part is. 

We'll focus especially on the witch wound - that fear of being seen, judged, or exiled for our intuition, spiritual connection, and more - and learn ways to begin to dissolve this wound is small, practical, doable steps.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

In this final episode of the season, we explore motherhood as a profound spiritual and mythic journey - one that cracks us open, reshapes our identity, and calls us into deeper presence -  not unlike the Hero’s Journey and ancient rites of passage. 

From the unraveling of identity to the depths of our shadows and the emergence of a wiser, more embodied self, motherhood invites us into profound transformation.

Beneath the deep love and endless to-do's, motherhood is really a path of awakening: inviting surrender, growth, self-inquiry, and healing. We speak to the sacred thresholds mothers cross - from conception and pregnancy, through birth, postpartum, and beyond - and how these journeys mirror ancient rites of passage. 

Through the lens of myth and story, we reflect on the initiations mothers undergo and how these thresholds, though often painful and challenging, can become portals of meaning, power, and deeply embodied wisdom. 

This episode is a reminder that your struggles are not burdens meant to leave you bitter: they are part of a larger story of becoming. If you’ve ever longed to see motherhood as a spiritual path with purpose and power, this conversation is for you.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

In this episode of The Inner Work of Motherhood, we explore what happens when a mother’s nervous system becomes overloaded with overstimulation, anger, irritability, and wanting to disappear.

You’ll learn how sensory overwhelm shows up in the body, why anger and reactivity are actually protective responses, and how to lovingly guide your body and mind back into balance. 

Through somatic tools, mindful awareness, and compassionate insight, this conversation helps you move from overstimulation to more steadiness - so you can feel more grounded, present, and connected to yourself and your children.

In this episode:

• Understanding maternal overstimulation and sensory overload
• Why we feel “touched out” and what to do about it
• Somatic and mindfulness practices to regulate and release tension
• The deeper roots of moms feeling constantly on edge

If you’ve ever found yourself snapping, withdrawing, or feeling like your senses are on fire, this episode will help you find your way back home to your body and your calm, resilient heart.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

Announcing a short break that will resume with new episodes mid-October. Use these next few weeks to get caught up on listening or to re-listen to any episodes that greatly impacted you. I'll see you soon!

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Instagram and Tik Tok.

Motherhood holds some of the brightest, most magical moments of our lives: ecstatic joy, oceanic love, and the kind of wonder that makes time stand still. But in the busyness of our day to day lives, it’s all too easy to lose sight of these moments. Between the endless tasks of feeding, cleaning, and planning, joy can feel like a distant memory rather than a daily reality.

In this episode, we explore how to reconnect with the joy, presence, and magic of motherhood, even in the hardest seasons. You’ll learn simple, practical ways to slow down, shift your nervous system out of overdrive, and bring more mindfulness into your daily life. From using your breath and attention to regulate stress, to savoring fleeting moments with your child, these practices can help you feel more alive, more fulfilled, and more deeply connected to yourself and your family.

We’ll also explore:
 ✨ The barriers that keep mothers from enjoying parenthood
 ✨ How rushing puts us in stress mode and blocks joy
 ✨ Presence as the foundation of happiness and fulfillment
 ✨ Somatic and mindfulness tools for finding magic in ordinary moments

If you’ve ever felt like the joy of motherhood was a false promise or wondered how to be more present with your children, this episode will give you both the encouragement and grounded practices to shift from stress into awe.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

In Part 2 of Overwhelm In Motherhood, we explore the freeze response - the nervous system state where overwhelm lives - and that can leave mothers feeling shut down, numb, or paralyzed. While freeze can feel like a place of shame or failure, it’s also a clear message from our body - we just have to learn to listen to what she’s saying.

This episode dives into the nervous system and looks at what’s really happening beneath the surface when we’re in overwhelm, how the freeze response shows up in motherhood, and why it can be so hard to thaw ourselves out. We’ll explore gentle ways to create safety, mobilize our system, and begin to stoke our inner fire - so we can return to connection, personal power, and vitality.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Own Yourself by Kelly Brogan

Activate Your Inner Jaguar by Kimberly Ann Johnson

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

In this episode, we explore the hidden factors that contribute to overwhelm: chronic fatigue and sleep deprivation, the mental load of remembering and managing countless details, the role that estrogen plays, sensitivity to the world around us, and the unique challenges of high needs children.

We’ll also reflect on the realities of doing this work largely alone in modern motherhood, why overwhelm shows up differently for each mother, and how awareness of these contributing factors can bring clarity, acceptance, and relief.

Join me next week for Part 2 where we'll dive into the nervous system, how the freeze response shows up in motherhood, and the practical steps we can take to prevent and alleviate overwhelm.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

In this episode, we explore what it means to stay connected to your creativity in the midst of motherhood. Whether you feel creatively blocked, disconnected from your sense of self, or you’re simply longing to feel inspired again, this conversation is here to remind you that creativity is not separate from mothering - it is a vital part of it.

You’ll hear reflections on how creativity can be a life force, a tool for healing and regulation, a lifeline, and a pathway back to your identity. You’ll hear about the subtle ways creativity calls to us, the grief of creative loss, and how to begin tending your inner flame - no matter how small it may currently feel. 

This episode is for mothers, artists, writers, dancers, feelers, and anyone seeking to reclaim their voice, expression, and wholeness.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com 

Why does motherhood so often feel overwhelming, lonely, and heavier than we ever imagined? In this opening episode of The Inner Work of Motherhood, we explore the roots of the modern maternal struggle: the loss of the village, the unrealistic expectations of the “Good Mother,” and the cultural pressures that leave women doing the work of many, often in isolation. 

We’ll explore the need for cultural midwifery - a collective reimagining of how we hold mothers as they cross thresholds, navigate daily challenges, and shape the next generation. This conversation is both a truth-telling about why mothers are struggling and an invitation to dream of a culture that holds them with the reverence, support, and belonging they deserve.

Whether you’re a new mom navigating postpartum, a seasoned mother longing for deeper support, or someone passionate about creating community around parenthood, this episode will help you understand why modern motherhood feels so hard and what needs to change.

Send me a text! You can share thoughts on the episode, ask a question, or just say Hi!

In between episodes you can find me on Tik Tok, hear weekly channeled messages, energy forecasts, and meditations on YouTube, and book a personal reading with me at www.carinashines.com