Life Academy

Its time for us to deep dive back into our mental health journeys. Dena tells us a bit more about her wild Rehab experience and how it kinda felt like prison and Alicia gets very emotional and vulnerable (proud of our girl for being so open about this for the first time)

Life Lesson: Friendships come and go, season, reason or lifetime. Learning to let go is so healing. Also- Addiction does not discriminate.

Instagram:www.instagram.com/denaamy

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

YouTube: Life Academy The Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Facebook: Life Academy The Podcast Private Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/

Recs / Homework: take a goddamn NAP!

get yourself a professional house clean, you deserve it.

Wearing:

Dena: aimn https://www.aimn.com.au/

gimme jewels: https://gimmestore.com/

Alicia:cotton on body https://cottonon.com/

we love you, if you are enjoying Life Academy please subscribe and review!!

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This week it’s just us, catching up on all things bestie chat 💕. We talk about our health, house renos, Dena’s back and twerking goals, Father’s Day gifts, our future weddings and plans for babies, a rare night out we had (yes, it actually happened!), and the excitement of Dena’s sold-out retreats.

Life Lesson: Sometimes we all need a weekly debrief with our besties, talking sh*t, it keeps us grounded and sane. ✨

Stay connected with the us:

⁠⁠⁠Dena: @denaamy⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Alicia: @aliciabanit⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠TikTok: @lifeacademythepodcast⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠YouTube: @LifeAcademyThePodcast⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Facebook: Life Academy The Podcast Private Community⁠⁠⁠

Dena: ⁠Feather & Noise⁠

Alicia: ⁠Kinga Csilla ⁠

Recs: Dena’s retreats are officially sold out until June 2026, but spots are now available for the June 2026 retreat. Check it out at: ⁠www.TheSelfRetreats.com⁠

🌸

Looking for the perfect personalised Father’s Day gift? We love ⁠Songfinch⁠⁠ 🎶⁠

Wear your jewellery, it's a vibe we are loving ⁠Arms of Eve⁠

⁠Song: Keli Holiday - Dancing 2 ⁠

We love you, if you are enjoying Life Academy, please subscribe and review!!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So we have another fallen soldier… Dena is officially continuing in her poo era with gastro around the whole house. The Kaplan sisters pull through again though- this time with the amazing Ariel Kaplan. The smallest but sassiest Kaplan sister.

( low-key she's a better podcast host than Dena. Maybe it’s time for a re-cast? 👀)

Alicia chats with Ariel about:

Starting her career so young on The Saddle Club and Oliver!

Neighbours and her filming experience.

Sisterhood and growing up in the spotlight

Her eating disorder, how harrowing it was, and her recovery

Studying Fitness and Health

Her recent wedding 💍

Becoming one of Australia’s top fitness gurus 🏋️‍♀️

How different the kaplan sisters actually are.

Life Lessons: If you believe in yourself enough, everyone else will too. Fake it till you make it, baby! Blind confidence all the way.

Tinder can actually be a place to find true love, who knew!

Stay connected with us:

Ariel Kaplan: @arielerinkaplan

⁠⁠Dena: @denaamy⁠⁠

⁠⁠Alicia: @aliciabanit⁠⁠

⁠⁠TikTok: @lifeacademythepodcast⁠⁠

⁠⁠YouTube: @LifeAcademyThePodcast⁠⁠

⁠⁠Facebook: Life Academy The Podcast Private Community⁠⁠

Recs / Homework:

Invest in good pjs: https://www.boody.com.au

Do something that challenges you this week, like a class at Barry’s Bootcamp!

Get into a hot space, infrared sauna, hot pilates, enjoy the buzz and steam.

Wearing:

Ariel: Cotton On and Crocs (still waiting on that sponsorship)

Alicia: Bella Boheme

We love you. If you are enjoying Life Academy, please subscribe and review!!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hormones & Mental Health with Professor Jayashri Kulkarni.

This week, we had the absolute privilege of interviewing Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, a world-renowned psychiatrist and Australia’s leading expert on PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), as well as menopause, and women’s mental health.

We asked so many big questions, the professor has a 2 year wait list so we really wanted to share her with you all as we know so many of you suffer with pmdd and peri/menopause, she answered all of our questions with clarity and compassion. This episode is a must-listen for anyone wanting to understand the deep connection between hormones and mental health.

In This Episode, We Explore:

What defines PMDD and how it differs from PMS

The mental health impact of hormonal changes during menopause and pregnancy/birth

Why mental health care needs to be tailored for women

The neurological science behind hormone-sensitive mood disorders

Thoughts on the birth control pill

Advocating for your health when you're not being heard

How our medical systems can better support women’s health.

The professors experience watching miracles take place using hormone replacement therapy.

About Professor Jayashri Kulkarni

Professor Kulkarni is the Director of the HER Centre in Australia and a pioneer in women’s mental health research. Her groundbreaking work on the links between hormones and psychiatric conditions is reshaping how we understand and treat these issues.

Resources for PMDD:

https://www.iapmd.org/

HER Centre Melbourne

Recs/homework:

Charlotte Tilbury blush- healthy glow stick (peachy glow)

Do your skincare routine and drink that water dolls!

Books: The Glasshouse, The Oasis, I’m your Peri Godmother.

Stay connected with us:

⁠Dena: @denaamy⁠

⁠Alicia: @aliciabanit⁠

⁠TikTok: @lifeacademythepodcast⁠

⁠YouTube: @LifeAcademyThePodcast⁠

⁠Facebook: Life Academy The Podcast Private Community⁠

Wearing:

Dena- Kinga Csilla and Gimme jewels

Alicia- Kinga Csilla and Gimme jewels

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lets do this again, last time was so much fun! We answer your burning Q's! some of these are saucy!

Follow us at:

⁠Dena: @denaamy⁠

⁠Alicia: @aliciabanit⁠

⁠TikTok: @lifeacademythepodcast⁠

⁠YouTube: @LifeAcademyThePodcast⁠

⁠Facebook: Life Academy The Podcast Private Community⁠

Wearing:

Dena – King Csilla

Alicia –Kmart baby!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is next‑level magic, we sobbed our way through it and it might be our favourite episode so far ✨

We’re joined by the sensational Jessica Lynne, one of Australia’s most in-demand psychic mediums, live from Melbourne. Brace yourself baddies: Jessica did a live reading for us, and even now, we’re still reeling from how accurate it was. So specific. So deeply moving. It's like spirit was right there in the room with us. Jessica's slogan is 'I talk to dead people' and she seriously does, in the most humorous and loving way, Jess usually has a waitlist of months and months for readings so were are so lucky to get her on the pod. We hope you get as many goosebumps as we did! Full discretion and transparency we cut out part of Alicia's reading as it got so personal.

Whether you're a believer or a bit skeptical, Jessica’s energy is warm, grounded, and deeply intuitive. She shares what it’s like to connect with spirit, how messages come through, and how we can all tune in to our intuition more.

In this episode:

A jaw-dropping live reading

What spirit communication feels like

Psychic vs mediumship (and how to tell the difference)

How signs from loved ones show up

Why you should never ignore your gut feeling

The lime hack

✨ Life Lessons:

Spirit speaks through love

Your intuition is a superpower

You’re more connected than you think

Use Lime for energy clearing (Limeglo is Jess's product)

Connect with Jessica:

📱 @jessicalynnemediumship

🌐 www.jessicalynnemediumship.com

🕯 Lime Glo candles for energy clearing

Follow us at:

⁠⁠Dena: @denaamy⁠⁠

⁠⁠Alicia: @aliciabanit⁠⁠

⁠⁠TikTok: @lifeacademythepodcast⁠⁠

⁠⁠YouTube: @LifeAcademyThePodcast⁠⁠

⁠⁠Facebook: Life Academy The Podcast Private Community⁠⁠

Recs:

Mountain and Moon @mountainandmoon

Limeglo products

"The Bucaneers" TV series on Apple TV

Wearing:

Dena- @maxted_clothing @mountainandmoon Jewels.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is very special for two reasons: We’re joined by the amazing Gemma-Ashley Kaplan, Dena’s big sister and best friend (Alicia is home sick – love you babe, and miss your magic).

We got to sit down with our parenting hero and idol, the one and only Lael Stone. And honestly? It was everything. What a privilege.

Whether you’re a parent, thinking about becoming one, or just trying to figure out why your inner child still throws tantrums at the worst possible moments this one’s for you.

Lael is a speaker, educator, and author who’s changing the game when it comes to raising emotionally intelligent kids and healing ourselves in the process. She’s also the co-founder of Woodline Primary School, a school in the Victorian countryside that puts emotional wellbeing first (finally!).

We adore her. And you will too.

In this episode, we chat about:

Why “perfect parenting” is a myth (and thank goodness for that)

How to actually stay calm when your kid is not

The magical power of repair (yes, you’re allowed to stuff it up sometimes)

How parenting is basically free therapy if you let it be

Raising emotionally aware kids in an emotionally messy world

And what happens when you start putting connection over control.

💡 Life Lessons from Lael:

✨ You don’t need to be perfect – just present.

✨ Big feelings aren’t the enemy – disconnection is.

✨ The more you heal, the more space you create (for you and your family)

OWN YOUR STORY! wear it with pride.

💖 Instagram: @laelstone

🏫 Her heart-led school: Woodline Primary

🌐 All the good stuff: www.laelstone.com.au (including her new book!)

Stay in the Life Academy loop:

🧠 Dena Amy: @denaamy

💫 Alicia Banit: @aliciabanit

📱 TikTok: @lifeacademythepodcast

👯‍♀️ Facebook: Life Academy Community

📺 YouTube: @LifeAcademyThePodcast

Connect w/ Gemma:

@gemmaashleystudios

Recs:

Wear Nala Bras www.wearnala.com

Declutter your home/work space!

Breathing with self love and compassion.

Wearing:

Dena- Raef the Label

Gemma- Seed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Puberty, perfectionism, and taping up your titties, shit gets real as Alicia and Dena rewatch "Growing Pains" and take you behind the scenes of Dance Academy S1, Ep 8.. just for you guys as requested!

🎬 In This Episode:

Reflecting on Abigail’s emotional battle with body image.

Why this episode felt so personal for us in various ways.

Real talk on puberty, control, and performing while your body’s changing.

A behind the scenes all access pass into the filming process.

💫

Raw, honest, and still heartbreakingly relevant this rewatch opens up a bigger conversation about self-worth, adolescence, and what it means to be enough. A moment for every teen who’s ever felt like their body was the enemy.

Follow us at

www.instagram.com/denaamy

www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FY3kDRxvQ/

Watch us on YouTube

www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Wearing:

Dena- SABBI

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lets talk about sex baby! This episode is WILD... in the best possible way. We sit down with the incredible Chelsea Faye, a trauma-informed Kundalini Activation specialist who helps women around the world reconnect with their sexual energy and release stored trauma from the body.

Chelsea’s story is raw, magnetic, and deeply transformative. After working in the sex industry for nearly 14 years, she experienced a powerful spiritual awakening that changed the course of her life. Today, she supports others in reclaiming their inner power through body-based healing and energetic awakening. We highly recommend attending one of her workshops if you are in Melbourne or working with her 1:1. She also offers a facilitator training in Melbourne, Australia, for women who feel called to guide others in sensual embodiment and Kundalini activation.

We dive into:

The sex work industry

How trauma is stored in the body and how to release it

The power (and misunderstanding) of sexual energy

What it means to awaken the "wild woman" within and our sexual fantasies! (eeek)

Spiritual awakenings, identity shifts, and healing the nervous system

Chelsea’s honesty and radiant presence lit up the room. We hope you feel as inspired and expanded as we did.

Life Lessons from this episode:

✨ Your body holds the wisdom your mind can’t always access

✨ Healing doesn’t always look spiritual – sometimes it looks wild, raw, and real, YOUR MESS IS YOUR MESSAGE.

✨ You’re allowed to change paths, identities, and stories – especially when they no longer serve your soul.

Follow Chelsea: www.chelseafaye.com.au

@chelseafaye_

Follow us:

🧠 Dena Amy: @denaamy

💫 Alicia Banit: @aliciabanit

🎥 TikTok: @lifeacademythepodcast

👥 Join the conversation on Facebook: Life Academy Community

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube:@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Recs:

Gimme Jewels www.gimmestore.com

Music on and move for 10 minutes eyes closed.

Stick TV series Apple

Wearing:

Dena- King Csilla

Alicia- Cotton On Body

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Its another LIFE LATELY sesh with Alicia and Dena, from toddler sickness, fake tan disasters and our 40 under 40 lists. Plus goss about the upcoming Bali trip, Mayas birthday party and some makeup tips.. We have a good old bestie catchup and cant stop talking about our daughters as usual. we are also still in our POO era, someone make us t-shirts.

Follow us at

www.instagram.com/denaamy

www.instagram.com/aliciabanit

www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast

Join our Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FY3kDRxvQ/

Watch us on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast

Recommendations:

Go for a massage!

The best linen ever from Protect a bed: https://protectabed.com.au/products/signature-tencel%E2%84%A2-quilt-cover-sets?variant=44818484232409

Mayas birthday cake: @mallowandco_

Dirt Cleaner:

https://thedirtcompany.com.au

Wearing:

Dena – Kmart and Cotton On

Alicia –Dissh

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices