La Befana's Table with Dina & Friends

In last week’s episode with Tam Orlando of Reclaiming Your Space we explored how de-cluttering our homes can help us to declutter our inner world and on on today’s episode Genevieve Anderson and I explore how the apparel we wear can help us become our most bold and confident selves and the gifts that we find in the deserts of life.

Genevieve Anderson is a multi-hyphenated powerhouse of a woman, filmmaker and artist and social entrepreneur. She's the founder of Wunz Apparel in Action, which is a social enterprise committed to impacting the lives of women and men who have experienced homelessness and are coming through recovery.

In this episode, Genevieve talks about her own experience of loss and her journey creating a super suit-which a high fashion jumpsuit, designed with a tiny red cape as a wink to the superpower in each of us and a nudge to put that power into compassionate action.

More of what we talked about: 

* 1:54 Get to know more about Genevieve

* 3:11 How did Genevieve come up with a super suit

* 17:42 Genevieve’s existential moment

* 19:23 Dustwun film & finding compassion at the border

* 26:13 Core humanity

Connect with Genevieve:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genevieveheatheranderson/

Website: https://www.shopwunz.com/

Other links and resources mentioned:

* https://www.dustwunmovie.com/

* https://impresariobynew.org/campaign/wunz-apparel-in-action-pilot-workforce-development-program-with-the-los-angeles-mission/

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Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and want access to our monthly community and connection hours. Be sure to subscribe to my substack http://dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to my podcast, please leave an honest review, this helps people find my podcast. 

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Welcome folks to another episode of La Befana’s Table. 

Today, I have a really special guest to introduce to you. Her name is Tam Orlando and she is the creator of reclaim your space, a shame-free, judgment-free community, supporting clutter clearing to open up to flow in your home and in your life. 

Tam is an interior designer with a BFA from Parsons' new School of Design and a certified Cosmic smash booking instructor. She’s also the author of a forthcoming memoir, documenting her own reclaiming journey. 

In this episode, Tam and I are going to talk about clutter clearing in a deeper way where she associates it with profound healing and being your authentic self without the need to feel guilty or be ashamed so you can reclaim your space in home & life.

More of what we discussed:

1:25 Get to know Tam

6:52 Clutter clearing as an unexpected way of encountering a kind of profound healing

15:19 Letting go of things that is valuable to you

25:00 How can you reclaim your space as a renter

30:57 Know more about Cosmic Smash Booking

42:15 Releasing shame

Know more about Tam:

Tam Orlando is a thoughtful, intelligent and compassionate speaker, who is able to flow organically in conversation as both interviewer and interviewee.

Her expertise and experience span a wide range of topics, everything from the technical nuances of designing a nourishing and functional home to the power of the feminine in creating a new paradigm of creation, collaboration, and loving community.

A gifted storyteller, Tam finds meaning and weaves connections that imbue the simplest, most mundane experiences with a transcendent sparkle, signs of magic and loving wisdom.

Her identity as a multi-passionate creative, thinker, healer, mother, and queer person informs everything she shares.

Connect with Tam:

Website: https://tam.world/about

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reclaimyourspacebytam/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visions_of_tam/

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Check my book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-at-Threshold-Dina-Gregory/dp/1701122065

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Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and want access to our monthly community and connection hours. Be sure to subscribe to my substack dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to my podcast, please leave an honest review, this helps people find my podcast. 

Rate us on Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-befanas-table-with-dina-friends/id166136165

Rate us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70YvUA6lbFm0gnKdq1YtXZ

What comes to your mind when you think about Valentine’s Day? Often, we associate this holiday with “celebrating love” with all the heart decorations, chocolates, flowers, and gifts. But is Valentine’s really all about celebrating love? Or is it a day of longing?

In this conversation today, I’m gonna be sharing with you my thoughts about Valentine’s Day and what this day elicits within me. 

I’m also reading an excerpt from my book, “Love at the Threshold”.

Synopsis: In Love at the Threshold, first-time author Dina Gregory has written a very moving account of her intimate journey of self-discovery-one that is both deeply personal and absolutely universal. Written in the wake of a sobering and heartrending divorce, Love at the Threshold is a lyrical memoir that gives readers a front-row seat to the crucifixion of a woman's heart as the delusions of romantic love crumble and her faith is put to the test.

Resources mentioned: 

Listen to Episode 7 here: https://dinagregory.substack.com/p/earth-centric-ways-of-thinking-four#detail

Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Love-at-Threshold-Dina-Gregory/dp/1701122065

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Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and want access to our monthly community and connection hours. Be sure to subscribe to my substack dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to my podcast, please leave an honest review, this helps people find my podcast. 

Rate us on Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-befanas-table-with-dina-friends/id166136165

Rate us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70YvUA6lbFm0gnKdq1YtXZ

Welcome folks to another episode of La Befana’s Table. 

Today, we will be joined by our dear friend, Jess Grippo, who’s a dancer, a creative coach, and the founder of Dance Again.

As you all know, dancing is more than just moving the body. It’s a vehicle of expression. 

In fact, dance has been part of our traditions throughout history. Our ancestors used it to celebrate a new life, mourn, and heal. 

Dance helps us tell a story, express our feelings and emotions, connect with our community, and most importantly, connect with ourselves. 

In this episode, Jess and I are going to talk about her journey to dance again after leaving the competitive world of ballet, the courage it takes to dance with strangers, & discovering the healing drum & dance traditions of our cultural roots

More of what we discussed:

01:22- Get to know Jess

02:35- Dance as a form of expression

07:08- Dance again

10:02- Is the bigger version of you blocking you

11:47- Jess’ journey of going into the dances of her ancestry

14:30- There’s healing in dancing

16:30- The original purpose of dance 

Know more about Jess:

Jess Grippo is a dancer, performance artist, author, and creative coach. 

After leaving the classical ballet path and not dancing for years, she started making her own dance videos, alone in her room. While that habit continues, she’s also added quite a few others: starting up an inclusive, creative dance community online and in NYC (Dance Again), making comedic interpretive dances about her dating life and the menstrual cycle (Hungry  Ovaries), writing a book and video series (Dance With This Book), and supporting others in their creative, expressive unfolding through her coaching practice. 

Her work has been featured at TEDxNYU, Lincoln Center's Dance On Camera Festival, the New York Comedy Club, The Vagina Monologues opening act, and more. Her puppy Lucy is her only boss and she frequently daydreams of moving into the loft from Flashdance. 

Connect with Jess:

Website: https://www.jessgrippo.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessgrippo

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jessgrippo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessgrippo/

Other links and resources mentioned:

Dance with this book By Jess Grippo: https://www.jessgrippo.com/words

Alessandra Belloni: https://alessandrabelloni.com/

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Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox be sure to subscribe to

http://dinagregory.substack.com

This will allow you to expand on the conversation via a thoughtful comment section, weekly dialogue threads, and our very own private chat

If you found value and love listening to my podcast, please leave an honest review, this helps more people find a seat at La Befana’s Table.

Thanks for pulling up a seat to another episode of La Befana’s Table.

Today, we have an incredible friend joining us here on La Befana’s table, Sharon Leggio Falchuk, a functional medicine health coach and founder of Intended Holistic Wellness.

Have you or someone you know ever got sick yet doctors couldn’t pinpoint their illnesses?

The thing is health doesn't only mean physical, it is also mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental and many times it requires you to dig deeper to identify the root cause of your illness. 

In this episode, Sharon and I will talk about the connection of knowing your ancestral roots to your healing journey. We are also going to talk about Functional Medicine, what it is, and how it works. 

More of what we talked about:

* 1:18 Sharon’s story and her own experience of chronic illness

* 7:20 Sharon’s journey of assembling her own care team of people who listen to her, believe in her, and who were willing to help her and be partners

* 11:56 How did the Italian root of Sharon help her in her healing journey

* 15:18 Community, love, and music as the best medicine

* 23:33 Ostracizing

* 27:45 The desire of everyone to be completely loved and accepted

* 30:42 What is Functional Medicine

* 42:43 Expose yourself a little bit to stress if you want to build resilience

* 53:20 What you could do today to start your holistic approach to your health

Know more about Sharon:

Sharon Leggio Falchuk, FMCHC found herself bedridden by a serious illness in 2011, and when the mainstream medical system had no answers or help for her she took matters into her own hands. She spent every moment she could doing research, changing her diet & lifestyle, and assembling an alternative and traditional medicine care team to help her forge a path to healing. Her inextinguishable will to be well meant she was willing to try almost anything, and one of the life-changing discoveries she made was the true power of Mind-Body Medicine.Once she reclaimed her health she became a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach and founded InTended Holistic Wellness, where she specializes in helping people with “mystery illnesses” and chronic conditions, as well as those who are highly sensitive. Sharon’s “less is more” approach stemmed from navigating her own wellness journey with many sensitivities, and she feels the most important factor in health & healing is reconnecting with yourself and your unique needs and strengths. She has taken various professional Mind-Body Medicine training courses to help people do exactly that.Sharon has always felt a deep connection to her Italian heritage and cultural traditions. Her passion project is researching traditional Italian healing practices, using them at home, and sharing them with others on social media. She also profiles Italians and Italian-Americans in the wellness space on those accounts, because she feels that those with Italian roots are amazing healers and have a lot of wellness wisdom to share with the world.

Connect with Sharon:

Website: https://www.intendedholisticwellness.com/

Social Media:Instagram -@intendedwell / https://www.instagram.com/intendedwell/@italianamwell / https://www.instagram.com/italianamwell/Facebook -InTended Holistic Wellness /https://www.facebook.com/intendedholisticwellnessItalian-Americans in Wellness /https://www.facebook.com/italianamwell

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Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and want access to participate in our community via a thoughtful comment section, weekly discussion threads, and our private chat. Be sure to subscribe to my substack

dinagregory.substack.com

If you found Soul nourishment and love listening to La Befana’s Table, please leave an honest review, this helps more people find my podcast.

Welcome back to La Befana’s Table. 

Today, I wanted to share with you a story of a friend who recently & unexpectedly passed.

So, I wanted to use this episode as a tribute to Ms. Geraldine by sharing a story of our brief but impactful friendship.

While I am sad that she is gone, I’m happy I get to introduce her to all of you.

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Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox as well as opportunities to extend the conversations via a comment section, dialogue threads, and private chat. Be sure to subscribe to my substack http://dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to La Befana’s Table,, please leave an honest review, this helps more people find a seat at the table.

Rate us on Apple podcast or Spotify.

Have you ever felt like there’s something more to life? That there’s something more you can do, that you can offer to this world but kind of feeling lost as to how to do it? 

Do you ever feel free to express all of yourself? To bring your whole self to the table? Or do you box yourself into different categories depending on what you think the world wants to see? 

What if it’s all connected to our ancestors?

Welcome folks to another episode of La Befana’s Table. 

I am very excited to share this episode with you as I have my good friend here, Jenn Campus. 

Jenn is my go-to person for La Befana’s Table whenever we (I and Befana) need the wisdom to maneuver our way through the absurdities of modern times. 

And today, we are going to talk about the four ancestral ways to help us navigate our longing to belong, to go back to our ancestral wisdom and use this to move forward into a future that is more humane, more wholesome, more grounded, and more rooted.

Key points that we talk about: 

* The importance of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to belong

* How we and our ancestors have been entwined with each other for millennia

* How we, humans, have divided ourselves from all of the other things that make up this planet

* Earth-centric ways of thinking- Four Keys to go back to your ancestral wisdom

* The influence of having a mindset that everything has a spirit (plants, trees, animals, fungi, etc.)

Know more about Jenn Campus:

Jenn is a two-time best-selling author and has a degree in Anthropology and Indigenous/Native American Studies from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA.

As a Mythologist and Scribe of The Old Ones, she translates the unspoken words of the unseen world into stories that captivate our imagination and stir us to come into the right relationship with the world and all its inhabitants.

And as an Anthropologist, she distils those esoteric experiences down to their essence to create various practical frameworks to inspire you to create your own simple daily rituals and traditions that you can apply today to become re-enchanted with the world around you. These traditions can then be left as a legacy to the ones who come after us.

Connect with Jenn here:

Website: jenncampusauthor.com

Social Media: @jenncampusauthor

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Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and want access to our monthly community and connection hours. Be sure to subscribe to my substack dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to my podcast, please leave an honest review, and share with a friend this helps people find their seat at La Befana’s Table.

In today’s episode Dina sits down at La Befana’s Table with Dr. Gina Miele, Professor of Italian, Literature & Folklore, former director of the Coccia Institute of the Italian American Experience and the creator of the Italian Mystics, Saints, & Visionaries Oracle Deck.

Join them for a spirited discussion that spans ancestral roots, the stories that make & shape us, what it means to bring the wisdom of the past to the table of the present, & how you find your people.

La Befana's Table is a people powered podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or supporting subscriber.

Connect with Gina @profgmm

https://stgdesignz.com/ols/products/italian-mystics-saints-and-visionaries-oracle-cards

Thanks so much for pulling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and access to our monthly community and connection hours. Be sure to subscribe to Dina’s substack dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to La Befana’s Table with Dina & Friends, please leave an honest review on your favorite podcast platform, and share with friends.

In today’s episode Dina explores what it means to bring our “whole” selves to the table and how in order to truly thrive, no part of you can be left out, no matter how ugly it is.

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Thanks so much for filling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and access to our monthly community and connection hours. Be sure to subscribe to my substack dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to La Befana’s Table with Dina & Friends, please leave an honest review, and share with friends.

It is the best way to bring more folks into the conversation, forge more connections, learn, grow, & LIVE a legendary story, together

Rate us on Apple podcast:

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In today’s episode Dina shares a little snippet of her search for belonging and how she was eventually able to find her place in this wild world.

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Thanks so much for filling up a seat at La Befana’s Table! 

If you want episodes sent directly to your inbox and access to our monthly community and connection hours. Be sure to subscribe to my substack dinagregory.substack.com

If you found value and love listening to La Befana’s Table with Dina & Friends, please leave an honest review, and share with friends.

It is the best way to bring more folks into the conversation, forge more connections, learn, grow, & LIVE a legendary story, together

Rate us on Apple podcast:

Rate us on Spotify: