INHABIT: THE ART OF RADICAL SELF-CARE - monicaballard.com

Today we have a wonderful guest! Tynel Jael is a powerhouse of a woman. She co-owns a winery with her husband, she's a mother to two young boys, a jeweler, a friend, a facilitator, and a constant learner who is here for the story of Life. Today Tynel shares her story of becoming a mother and a wife and getting to know herself all over again. Listen as she shares her experience of connecting to the Divine Feminine at the Core of her Being, and how she uses her spiritual practices to navigate the very real and taxing stresses of life. This is a juicy, vulnerable episode & I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!   In this episode: * The feeling of "Who Am I?" after having children close together later in life * Longing for the Divine Feminine but not getting it anywhere * The experience of realizing that the Divine Feminine is ALREADY INSIDE, and understanding that she didn't have to change herself or anyone outside herself in order to become more acceptable * The experience of never knowing that women can be soft and beautiful AND strong and powerful * The experience stress caused by deep trauma dividing us in relationships * The idea of choosing an ultra strong and masculine man vs. men we can lead & control * The discovery that being in her Divine Feminine created spaciousness in the relationship for both partners to BE themselves * The gift of asking the question, "How can I be powerful without pushing & resisting in my life & relationships?" * Learning to not abandon herself and her own life path to focus solely on her husband * The socialization of women to ONLY use their gift of giving and nurturing others * How to cope with young children, stress, and lack of sleep

Welcome to Episode 13 of IN{HABIT}! It's Valentine's Day today! The perfect time for a boost of Radical Self-Care! So I created this Radical Self-Care Reset Challenge and I hope you enjoy it!

Today we have a deep, heart-full show all about the experience of being detached from ourselves and from life, disordered eating, and the other struggles that can be born from our pain. Our guest today is the lovely old soul Hanna Anderson. Hanna is a sister, lover, daughter, and sociologist specializing in organic food systems. She is currently enjoying the privilege of homesteading off grid, allowing life to expand, and see what arises next on her path. Hanna has so much wisdom and insight to share, and I really hope you enjoy the show!   In this episode: * Hanna's experience of coming into life feeling detached from herself & her life. * Being hospitalized at age 14 for anorexia. *Recovery as an explanation of "what it's like to have a body, and how to manage it". * The "fit-girl cult"- often presented as healthy living in our culture. * Hanna's investigation of food as our identity; exploring the why around the fact that not everyone has access to good food. * Dr. Masaru Emoto's Water Experiment - (see video here) * To be ignored is the worst of all. * The emergence of Self-Love happens in glimmers & roller coaster patterns. *The exhaustion of "managing" herself. * The power of noticing and unraveling our patterns without judgement. * The power of starting small when learning how to honor our own will. * The truth that we have to let ourselves be seen & known in order to be honored and loved. * Knowing its ok to not open up to everyone. *The study of the Divine Feminine as a way to empower ourselves as Feminine Beings. * Beauty ideals are fluid across time and culture. * Hanna's favorite Radical Self-Care tools * The power of Naked Time

Today our guest is the lovely Jessie! Jessie is a real-life Lady Boss, a mother, partner, and the primary breadwinner in her family. We talk about her story & life experiences of creating a career as a single mama, relationships, deciding to have another baby after 11 years, and being the primary breadwinner in her family. I feel like so many women can relate to Jessie's story, and I hope you enjoy this episode!   In this episode: * Being willing to be a woman leader as a way of shaping the environment we live in. * The world needs strong, compassionate women leaders. * The power of constructive criticism for growth. * Learning how to not be overcome with bitterness & resentment while parenting alone. * The concept of "Love Begets Love" with blended families. The more people loving our children, the better. * The experience of being with a partner who wasn't in love with her child. * Woman as the breadwinner. * The truth that all moms are not meant to be stay-at-home moms. *Its ok to be a mom and still love working. * How to balance being present in all areas of life. Home life / work life. *The importance of being willing to get out of our comfort zone, trying new things, and knowing we are free to change our minds. * The realization that you can have everything you want and still not be happy if you're not doing the things you enjoy doing. The importance of scheduling our Radical Self-Care practices.

Today we are having a deep and vulnerable conversation about the pain of divorce, and the often unavoidable conflicts that can arise from time to time when co-parenting. Our guest today is the lovely and insightful Phoebe Cellitti. She is a dear kindred soul-sistah, a mother, wife, social-worker, teacher, and speaker. I am sure so many of you can relate to the stories Phoebe shares! Did something in this episode remind you of your own life? Please email me at [email protected]. I would love to expand this conversation with your input, and share your stories on the show!   In this episode: * The shame that arises from divorce. * The concept that healing is not a linear process. Phoebe's experience of letting ofr of the expectations that healing and releasing grief will be a linear process. *The upheaval of conflict even after times of peace. * The pain of an Ex getting with a new partner, and the feelings of shame and inadequacy. * Phoebe's pain and how it impacted her relationship with food. * The experience of receiving positive feedback from others during a time of starvation and horrible self-care, self-loathing, and pain. * The black and white cycle of starvation vs. complete indulgence * Phoebe's experience of surrender, and coming to a place of being ok with the way things are. Being ok with being misunderstood, or getting the outcome she ultimately desired. * The very real frustration of co-parenting and the feelings of being trapped and stuck. * Sometimes the path to Radical Self-Care is choosing our battles, and choosing the path of least resistance. Listening to our intuition. * Surrender and releasing control is NOT EASY. * Moving into health can be a releasing of addiction to suffering and drama. * Radical Self-Care is not indulgent. Radical Self-Care is doing the thing that is most nurturing & healthy for ourselves. *Phoebe's wonderful advice for women going through unavoidable conflict. * When others are telling us to "get over it", it is often about their own discomfort with our pain.

Hello & welcome to episode 9 of IN{HABIT}!! I am so happy to welcome Grace Payne to the show! Grace is a dear friend, a massage therapist, wife, mama to two dogs, and is currently falling in love with herbalism. In this episode we explore some of the dynamics of love, sex, intimacy, and desire in long term relationships. This is a juicy episode! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!   In this episode: * The challenges of receiving love AND being a people pleaser. *How challenging it is when we are learning to let in healthy love after over-giving and being in un-healthy love for so long. * Exploring some of the challenges around long term relationships and maintaining emotional intimacy & sexual closeness. * The benefits of scheduling in intimate time with our mate. * The grumpiness of an under-fucked woman. * The link between foreplay and maintaining desire & openness to sex. * Doing it for the man occasionally vs. too much. * The importance for women to know their own bodies, and discover their own pleasure zones. * What happens when we focus TOO MUCH on our partner. * How Grace started coming home to herself. *The benefits of #LiftingMyLove for women. *The importance of relaxation and pleasure for women. *Grace's advice for women longing for more intimacy & a sexual spark. And more....

I have a very special show for you today! The subject is sacred sexuality, and our guest is the lovely Lady Shepsa Jones. Lady Shepsa is a mother, poet, author, life-coach, and juju woman! I have had the great pleasure of working with Lady Shepsa and I am thrilled to have her here on the show! Lady Shepsa shares about her experience discovering sacred sexuality as a path to her own healing, and how it has impacted every area of her life.  She shares about the power of often-forgotten Divine Feminine energy, and all the benefits activating it holds for women everywhere. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!   In this episode: * The power of the Divine Feminine, and correcting the idea that feminine energy is a weakness * Sacred sexuality as true Self-Love and a release of guilt & shame. *Re-claiming our sensual power as women * What happens in relationships when a woman doesn't feel free, comfortable, and safe in her sensuality/sexuality. * How to attract men who desire deep connection and want to make love to our entire bodies. * Misconceptions around female sexuality, such as the black & white stereotypes of saint vs. whore * The ways healthy sexuality enriches our lives * What true sexual freedom really looks like * How to tune into your sensual nature And more....

On today's show we are talking about the many layers of Radical Self-Care, and the importance of our Creative Feminine Heart. Our guest today is Amy Day, a writer, mother, artist, yoga teacher, & herbalist. Amy has wonderful insight to share on the journey of Radical Self-Care as a lifelong path to wholeness. We also talk a lot about the Creative Spirit in every woman, and how honoring our appetites brings joy and depth to life. We also discuss what happens when we fail to honor our Creative urges and fall into darkness, self-sabotage, and depression. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!   In this episode: * Radical Self-Care as many layers of body, mind, & spirit * The importance of asking ourselves what we need. * True Radical Self-Care is letting go of "shoulds" and comparison. * Creativity as freedom. * Saying YES to life! * Honoring our deep appetites, and what happens when we ignore them. * Radical Self-Care as a journey, and a natural sloughing off of our old limiting habits and beliefs; not a one time miracle healing.

Today we are talking about relationships and how we balance our own needs and wants with the wants and needs of our partner. Our guest today is a dear friend of mine, Phoebe Andrews Elliott. Phoebe and I met years ago in a yoga teacher training. Phoebe is an artist and a yoga teacher. She teaches the art of creating Yantras, the sacred geometry of yoga, as well as teaching yoga and leading yoga retreats in beautiful destinations. Phoebe has great insight into Radical Honesty and relationship because of her own experiences on the path. I truly hope you enjoy this interview!   In this episode: * The importance of daily routine and using the morning to set the tone for our day. * Balance & boundaries an the fact that it takes time and practice to implement these things. *Realizing that each partner in a relationship has different, and equally valuable needs. * Learning how to be Radically Honest, even when we don't want to hurt other people with our truth. * Communicating our plans and needs in advance with our partner as a way of creating greater flow in our lives and Self-Care. * Recognizing when we are using Radical Self-Care practicesas a way to hustle for our worth,and to feel that we are "good enough".

I am so happy to bring you think interview with the lovely and inspiring Nikki Hicks. Nikki is my very talented hairstylist and a dear sister-friend. She is a meditator, she is devoted to a lifetime of discovering Self-Love, and she is a Water Protector. In this interview we explore Nikki's journey of growing up surrounded by drugs and addiction, finding herself following in that same path, and her experience of desiring MORE from life and following the Light toward wellness and sobriety.   In this episode we explore: * The relationship between loneliness, shame, lack of connection, and addiction. * The fact that sobriety and a life of balance is not always cold turkey or linear. * The importance of Radical Honesty in being free from addiction. * What it looks like to date as a woman who desires to have loving relationships, AND hold onto her Essential Self, and practice healthy boundaries. * The idea that the people we are attracting are teaching us about ourselves, and showing us where we have unhealed wounds & patterns. * The idea that the more we know who we are and what we are worth, the higher the quality of the people we attract.