Living Your Yoga - embodied wisdom with Shirlee Williams

Hey friends, welcome back to Living Your Yoga – Embodied Wisdom.

This week we’re diving into the sixth chakra, Ajna—the Third Eye. Located between the eyebrows, its element is light, its color is indigo, and its bija mantra is Om. The Third Eye governs intuition, clarity, perception, and imagination.

When it’s blocked, you might feel disconnected from your inner guidance, overly logical, or unable to see possibility beyond the “facts.” When it’s overactive, you may get lost in the clouds—paralyzed by fantasy, paranoia, or overthinking.

In this episode, I share the honest truth about my move to Costa Rica—a big dream I chased for years that turned out to be more complicated than I imagined. Was it a failure? No. It was a reminder about intuition, timing, and the courage to pause long enough to really listen.

Together, we’ll explore:
 ✨ What the Third Eye is and how it shows up in everyday life
 ✨ Physical + emotional imbalances (headaches, sleep issues, ignoring intuition)
 ✨ Practices to support Ajna: meditation, dream journaling, small intuitive check-ins
 ✨ My personal story of overriding my intuition—and what I learned
 ✨ An experiential practice to awaken your Third Eye through breath, tapping, and mantra

Because living your yoga isn’t about being perfect—it’s about listening to the wisdom already inside you.

💭 Contemplation Question

Where in your life are you overriding your intuition with logic—and what might shift if you trusted that inner knowing instead?

🌿 Resources & Links

✨ Join The Studio – live + on-demand yoga, breathwork & meditation: shirleewilliams.com/thestudio

✨ Learn about Beyond 200 Mentorship for yoga teachers: shirleewilliams.com/beyond200

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Hey friends, welcome back to Living Your Yoga – Embodied Wisdom.

This week, we’re diving into the 5th chakra: Vishuddha, the throat chakra—the seat of your voice, expression, and truth.

I wasn’t planning on this story, but life had other plans… including an emergency tooth extraction that reminded me (once again) how deeply our bodies hold what goes unsaid. From years of sore throats to lymph flare-ups, our throats tell the truth, even when we don’t.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:
 ✨ What the throat chakra is and why it matters
 ✨ How imbalance shows up—physically (teeth, jaw, thyroid, sore throats) and emotionally (fear of speaking up, oversharing, or feeling misunderstood)
 ✨ The ways your voice can act as medicine for your body, mind, and spirit
✨ Micro-practices to start speaking your truth (without needing to give a TED talk)
✨ Why unspoken truths often manifest as physical symptoms
✨ The messy, real-life reminder that authentic communication starts with the small stuff

And yes—we’ll do some embodied practices: think lion’s breath, humming, chanting, and everyday micro-moments that retrain your system to feel safe sharing your voice.

💭 Contemplation Question

Where in your life are you holding back your truth—and what would it feel like to finally speak it?

🌿 Resources & Links

✨ Join The Studio and receive 20% off with promo code INSPIRED (all caps) – https://www.shirleewilliams.com/thestudio

 ✨ Come practice live with me in Collingwood this October at Ever Love Yoga + Breathwork
 ✨ Follow me on Instagram: [@shirleewilliamsliving]
 ✨ Share this episode with a friend who needs the reminder: Your voice matters.

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Welcome back, friends. This week, we’re entering the heart of it all—literally. Episode 4 in our chakra series is all about the fourth energy center, Anahata, the heart chakra.

This is the bridge between the physical and the spiritual, where love, compassion, grief, and connection all meet. It’s also where we get really honest—with ourselves and each other. And spoiler alert: this is the chakra that asks us to be brave enough to feel, forgive, and soften. Oof. No big deal, right?

In this episode, I share a deeply personal story about learning to open my heart again after heartbreak and how it still shows up in unexpected ways. We talk about the physical and emotional signs of an imbalanced heart chakra, how to nourish it (yes, with food and movement), and the practices that gently guide us back to center.

This isn’t about airy-fairy "just love and light" nonsense. This is about real, gritty, soul-level healing—and learning to live from your heart even when it feels hard.

🧘‍♀️ Resources & Offerings
→ Join The Studio and move through chakra-inspired practices with me: The Studio Membership

 → Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for short yoga + breathwork classes: Practice Here 

 → Work with me here: Mentorship Options

💚 Bija Mantra
YAM (pronounced "yum") – chant it softly, chant it loudly, chant it when you’re doing the dishes. Let it soften the walls around your heart.

💭 Contemplation:
What would it look like to live with your heart fully open—even when it’s hard?

💬 Share the love:
If this episode landed for you, share it on your socials and tag me [@yourhandle]. Leave a review, hit subscribe, and pass it on to someone who needs it.

Remember:
 Healing isn’t about becoming perfect. It’s about becoming whole.
And you, my friend, are doing a damn fine job. 💚

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Welcome to Episode 3 of our Chakra Series! Today we’re diving into the solar plexus chakra, your inner fire, personal power, and the place where your “no” lives just as boldly as your “yes.”

In this episode, I’m talking all about what it means to reclaim your worth, stoke your confidence, and stop outsourcing your authority. We’ll explore the subtle energies of this chakra, physical signs it’s out of balance, and everyday practices to come back into your center—including a few stories from my own life when I forgot just how powerful I really was.

Expect truth bombs, a little sass, and a reminder that confidence isn’t about being loud—it’s about being rooted in who you are.

💛 Mentioned in this episode:
The Studio Membership

Work With Me

✨ Contemplation of the week:
 What is one place in your life where you're ready to stop shrinking and start shining? 

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Hey friends, welcome back to Living Your Yoga – Embodied Wisdom!
In this week's episode, I'm recording from the floor of my closet (no joke)... and diving into the messy magic of the Sacral Chakra.

This is chakra two in our seven-part series, and it's all about creativity, sensuality, and emotion—the stuff we often suppress because it feels "too much." But guess what? Feeling deeply is part of being fully alive.

We’ll chat about how to know when this energy center is out of whack, how to get back into flow (literally), and some real-life practices to open it back up—including a story about crying in pigeon.  

Also inside:
 → The truth about emotional blockages
 → Bija mantras and energy fine-tuning
 → A contemplative journaling question to help you tap into more joy
 → Why I created a 10-day Handstand Challenge for women 45+
 → Plus how you can go deeper with these teachings inside The Studio

Let this episode be your reminder: you’re allowed to feel it all—and that doesn’t make you too much, it makes you real.

🧘‍♀️ Contemplation Question:
Where in your life are you holding back your joy or your truth? 

🎧 Like what you hear?
 Please subscribe, share, and leave a review—it means the world and helps others find the show. 💛

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Sign up for the 10-Day Handstand Challenge (Free!) https://www.shirleewilliams.com/offers/QKMwMKD2/checkout

Join me inside The Studio for weekly yoga, breathwork & soulful community. Get your 10 day trial here https://www.shirleewilliams.com/offers/VdUnHW6K/checkout 

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Hey friends—welcome to Episode 1 of the Chakra Series on Living Your Yoga – Embodied Wisdom.

We’re starting at the root. Because let’s be honest… when life feels like it’s spinning, what we’re often craving is safety, stillness, and a sense of home.

In this episode, I dive into the Root Chakra—your energetic foundation—and unpack what it actually feels like when it’s out of balance (hello, anxiety, instability, and survival mode) vs. when it’s aligned (think grounded, secure, connected, steady).

This isn’t just chakra theory—it’s a real talk about how we find our footing when the world feels wobbly. I share personal stories from my own journey—including what happened when I first moved to Costa Rica—and what I learned about finding safety within.

You’ll learn:

• The key traits of the Root Chakra
• The associated element and color
• Everyday practices to feel more grounded
• One simple question to help you reflect on where you're standing

So take a breath. Press play. And let’s come back to Earth—together. 🌍

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Studio (my online space for yoga, meditation & breathwork): 👉🏼  https://www.shirleewilliams.com/thestudio
• More Offerings 👉🏼 https://www.shirleewilliams.com/ 
• 10 Day FREE trial inside The Studio 👉🏼 https://www.shirleewilliams.com/offers/VdUnHW6K/checkout
• Link to The full Chakra Series Coming Soon...

🧘‍♀️ Contemplation Question:
Where in your life are you craving more steadiness, and what helps you feel truly grounded?

🎧 Like what you hear?
 Please subscribe, share, and leave a review—it means the world and helps others find the show. 💛

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Are you living your healing—or just collecting spiritual gold stars?
This episode dives into the embodiment gap: the space between what we know and how we actually live it. No fluff, no bypassing—just real talk, a little sass, and deep reflection.

Welcome back, friends, to Living Your Yoga – Embodied Wisdom.
In this honest and soul-stirring solo episode, Shirlee cracks open a conversation many are tiptoeing around in the spiritual and healing world: Are we actually living the work we’re doing… or are we just collecting healing experiences like spiritual merit badges?

This episode dives into the rising trend of spiritual bypassing—how we often use spiritual practices and healing modalities to avoid sitting with uncomfortable truths. From jungle ceremonies to cold plunges, from journaling downloads to breathwork tears, Shirlee shares her personal reflections on how she once thought she was “doing the work,” but was actually skipping over the part where real integration happens.

⚡️ In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What the term spiritual bypassing actually means (credit to John Welwood)
• Why Shirlee believes the healing world is shifting—and what’s needed now
• The three ways she’s been learning to embody instead of escape
• Why her life has become her ceremony
• A powerful question to guide your own integration journey

🧘‍♀️ Whether you’ve been hopping from coach to course to ceremony… or just wondering why nothing seems to stick, this episode is a loving, no-BS invitation to slow down and root in.

💬 Contemplation of the Week:
What is one healing insight you’ve recently had that you are truly ready to integrate into your daily life?

🎁 Listener Gift:
Get a 10-day free trial inside The Studio — Shirlee’s online yoga, meditation, and breathwork membership. With over 170+ classes (and counting), live weekly sessions, and a supportive WhatsApp community, this is your space to embody the practices in real life.
👉 Grab your free trial here

🛠 More Resources Mentioned:

• Join The Studio for your 10-day free trial
• Explore Shirlee’s Mentorship for Yoga Teachers
• Follow on Instagram @shirleewilliamsliving

🌿 If this episode spoke to you…
Share it with a friend, post it to your stories, leave a review, or send Shirlee a note. These conversations are only the beginning—and you’re invited.

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

In this episode of 'Living Your Yoga Embodied Wisdom, I dive into the distinctions between knowledge and wisdom. Through personal stories and reflections, I  explain how wisdom is shaped by lived experiences, while knowledge is accumulated through learning. Today we chat about the importance of embodying wisdom in teaching and life. 

This episode also highlights the significance of imperfection, personal growth, and authentic sharing in creating meaningful connections. 

I leave you with a contemplation of course. Where are you holding onto knowledge and chow can you begin to embody it? 

00:00 Introduction to Living Your Yoga Embodied Wisdom

01:18 Creating Without Perfection

01:51 Knowledge vs. Wisdom

02:30 The Importance of Embodiment

04:03 Personal Growth and Learning

06:24 Knowledge Wants Perfection, Wisdom Embraces Messiness

08:08 Wisdom is Felt, Not Taught

10:55 Sharing Wisdom from Lived Experiences

15:22 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Retreat

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

Moving to Costa Rica sounded like the dream. Beaches. Sunshine. A barefoot, breezy free-spirited life.
But what no one tells you is just how much it will stretch you—mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

In this episode, I’m sharing the real story behind our third move in seven months (yes, third). It’s been humbling, heartbreaking, and honestly, one of the most powerful practices of yoga I’ve ever experienced.

Because here’s the truth:
 You don’t need a mat to practice yoga.
 Sometimes the biggest growth comes when everything feels like it’s falling apart—and you choose to breathe anyway.

If you’ve ever made a big leap and wondered “What the hell did I just do?”—this one’s for you.

✨ Breathwork at the end
 ✨ Contemplation: What’s the pose life is asking you to stay in?

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene

01:49 The Dream of Moving to Costa Rica

03:30 Reality Hits: Challenges and Adjustments

04:55 Living Your Yoga: Applying Practices Off the Mat

06:08 Reflections on Personal Growth and Healing

09:34 Embracing Change and Trusting the Journey

11:02 Breath Practice and Mantra for Unfolding Moments

16:09 Conclusion and Upcoming Retreat Information

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/

In this episode of 'Living Your Yoga Embodied Wisdom,' I  reflect on the frustrations and struggles of life when things seem not to be working out, despite having a full toolkit of spiritual practices. 

I chat about  the importance of pausing, stepping back, and giving oneself permission to take a break. 

It's ok to let your spiritual tools collect dust temporarily and to find spaciousness and softness in your daily lives. 

Today I share a guided breathing exercise to help you reconnect with yourself and remind you that you don't need to have it all figurd out. 

00:00 Introduction to Living Your Yoga Embodied Wisdom

01:18 Authenticity and Struggles

02:53 When Nothing Feels Right

04:43 Permission to Pause

13:50 Breathing and Visualization Exercise

17:52 Conclusion and Offerings

Come join me inside The Studio for yoga and life

 👉🏼 https://www.shirleewilliams.com/thestudio 

Make sure to check out all the things: www.shirleewilliams.com 

Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/

Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/