Mind Body Gem

• Starting in Criminal Justice field

Kysten remembers choosing Criminal Justice major at her university, not being completely sure if it was going to be her field of interest. After getting a master’s degree in Public Policies, she didn’t want to wait for the job, so she started volunteering. She found volunteering as the perfect starting point from where she could develop her skills in the field. 

• Jail vs. prison

If you convict a crime and you get sentenced for less than 1 year, you will end up in jail. If you are sentenced for more than 1 year, you will go to prison. Even though your sentence is less than a year, jails should start the reentering process with the convicted individual in order to ensure his/her successful return to the community. That's why both the institution and the community are responsible.

• Relationships are our currencies

Rokki and Kysten talk about differences between imprisoned men and women. Kysten claims that there is a huge number of women who ended up imprisoned just by trying to protect their (sometimes even ex) boyfriends. Therefore, Kysten thinks that a large part of them are guilty because they want to be loyal.

• 'First step' idea and concept

Kysten is one of the like-minded people who formed 'First Step'. She spreads awareness of their beliefs and actions, helping people reenter their community, take care of their mental health, improve their chances of getting decent jobs, and get all the dots reconnected. First Step shows that no matter how far away the destination is, journey will always start with the first step.

Follow Kysten on IG: @alana0817

Connect with Mind, Body, Gem guests and upcoming workshops on IG: @Fit_to_navigate

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• Starting Fit to Navigate journey

Asegedech remembers her partner won the opportunity to travel to the Hague, the Netherlands, for a very important summit about entrepreneurship. This gave Asegedech the chance to develop her career and turned out to be extremely important. She quit her corporate job, having nothing but dreams at the moment.

• Hearing no as potential yes

Rokki and Asegedech talk about starting their project from scratch, acquiring their knowledge about the business world, and not wanting to give up after being rejected by potential business partners. They have always tried to promote their idea, knowing the uniqueness of the issue they wanted to spread the awareness of (incarceration and prison are not so popular in some parts of the world, like Australia).

• Meeting people where they are

Asegedech reveals she found inspiration in Rokki's philosophy that people we meet already have their history and life path up to the present moment. Therefore, we should not judge others, but only show them opportunities to improve their lives and encourage them to live in a healthy and happy way. 

• Every decision can be life-changing

There are two ways we can live our lives. We can either let it be or we can fight. Just like a single decision can bring a lot of problems into our life, we can also decide to do good things, which will lead to our rebirth and give our life a purpose. Fit to Navigate is there to show that after dark moments in life, there is always a light waiting to shine on us.

Follow Asegedech on IG: @

Connect with Mind, Body, Gem guests and upcoming workshops on IG: @Fit_to_navigate

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• Best job so far

Erin remembers the time when she had $22 a month (‘while banana was $1’), happily comparing it to the present and her current job, the best she has ever had. Thanks to her full-time job and getting paid for overtime work, she now has the possibility to save money for her new home, where she plans to spend time with her fiancé and son.

• Mother-son relationship

While in last episode Erin was talking about difficulties of building trust in the relationship with her son, now she has great news. She got full custody of her 14-year-old boy and now they have the possibility to finally strengthen their bonds. Although having a teenager in the house is quite difficult, her fiancé contributes to a healthy family atmosphere which benefits everyone.

• Facing problems sober

Erin talks about tons of problems she faced after the prison and how she managed to do so thanks to a strong commitment to herself and staying sober. She constantly deals with overwhelming emotions, but solving problems one after another just makes the next one much easier to solve. She also mentions her hobbies as an important part of living a healthier and relaxed life, including training, yoga, and going shopping.

• Goals are great, but persistence is better

Even though many people set goals after a tough period in life, a lot of them just want to achieve success, not enjoy the journey. Erin thinks having goals is very important, but we should set them only to improve ourselves. That way, if we sometimes don’t succeed, we will be even more committed to entering the next fight with a stronger armor – experience.

Follow Erin Cullums on IG: @erinlee152

Connect with Mind, Body, Gem guests and upcoming workshops on IG: @Fit_to_navigate

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• Education as the foundation of a good life

Janet explains her interests in taking care of people since her childhood. Starting from a stuffed animal hospital in her bedroom, she later became even more interested in becoming a doctor. Although this was not an easy feat, she succeeded through a strong commitment to her studies, and years and years of helping people in her amazing career.

• Understanding women as human beings facing unenviable decisions

Janet brings up the topic of how young women often have very difficult choices to make. One example is abortion at an early age, when a person is in a sensitive period of life and should decide whether to become a mother or continue education keeping open the door that leads to fulfilling professional dreams.

• Being human before being a professional

Rokki remembers a touching moment when she had health issues and Janet offered her help despite her financial difficulties. Janet goes on to talk about how sometimes the healthcare system can be an obstacle rather than support for ill people.

• Setting yourself as the top priority

Through history, women have often tended to put their family needs before themselves. Consequently, women's health was often being neglected. Speaking of health, Janet emphasizes the importance of activities that fulfill women as a person, as individuals who should have some time for themselves. Being burned out professionally and as a mother can result in health problems – from minor to serious.

• Retirement as a new chapter

Even though Janet spent more than 30 years in a very stressful profession, she still has lots of plans for the following years, having various hobbies like fitness, running, and camping with her grandchildren. She claims that setting goals is of vital importance for staying healthy both inside and outside, physically and mentally.

Follow Janet Lucas on IG: @Janet7344

Connect with Mind, Body, Gem guests and upcoming workshops on IG: @Fit_to_navigate

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Erin and Rokki Bonner discuss Erin’s getting back on the right path and dealing with a family crisis after prison, successfully putting it behind and starting it right from scratch with happiness and health as priorities.

• Losing mother-son balance and fighting to win it back

After getting out of the prison, Erin finds it surprisingly challenging to reconnect with her son, who was growing up without her, only seeing her every so often. Erin describes different phases of establishing strong family bonds, starting from complete strangers living together, through learning how to discover mutual boundaries with respect, to the final phase of getting to ‘learn each other’, living in love and peace.

• From addiction to jail

Erin remembers the time she started her addiction when she was just 17. After ending up in jail at 23, she finds herself deeply struggling, trying to find her way to sobriety. She meets Rokki and discovers fitness not only as a way to become fit but also to inspire people.

• Finding the right path

Erin expresses her thankfulness about her life after prison so far. She finds her second chance by working three jobs at the same time, after which she finds one full-time job, with a lot more time to devote to family life. She gets back to fitness, finds a boyfriend, gets a dog, and a cat, all of which makes her new environment perfectly positive and fulfilling. She wants to inspire other people.

• Wise words to the youth

Being young is not easy because making decisions seems much easier and harmless than it is. In fact, looking from the current perspective, Erin deems that young people should find other ways to express themselves, claiming that "there are better things in life” than doing drugs and going astray. Her advice is to start working out, enjoy life totally, and focus on its bright side.

• Erin’s plans for the future

Not wanting to focus on the distant future, Erin’s main plan is to live for today and tomorrow. She thinks that being realistic can help one do much more with one’s future, so her plans are modest. She is going step by step and living life to the fullest.

Follow Erin Hawkins on IG: @erinlee152

Connect with Mind, Body, Gem guests and upcoming workshops on IG: @Fit_to_navigate

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Special guest: Desiree Riley –COO and first Fellow of Fit to Navigate, single mother, mommapreneur, and certified fitness coach.

Dezi and Rokki Bonner discuss Dezi’s incarceration, the sacrifices people make to fit social norms, Dezi's decision to find her own path in the world of fitness, and the importance of being true to oneself.

• Cruel justice system with a ray of hope.

Dezi talks about having been arrested for possession and distribution of marijuana and facing a long prison sentence. She feels frustrated that some groups have been traditionally incarcerated for such offences while others can produce and sell drugs legally. Luckily, this is slowly changing, as selling drugs becomes decriminalized.

• Getting out of prison and in the new job.

Dezi is grateful that her history of a felony doesn’t affect her job interview, as she gets a full-time job. However, shortly afterward, sitting at a desk negatively affects her body and mind, as she gains weight and realizes she isn’t meant to work in an office. In spite of being offered a promotion and various benefits, she doesn’t want to sacrifice her health and quits the job. 

• Life abroad.

What follows is a journey full of challenges mostly throughout Central America. Return to fitness and living healthy changes her mindset and life. She chooses her health and her family’s well-being over a stable and profitable corporate job – a difficult decision but the right one for her.

• Back to the US.

Dezi is now fully dedicated to fitness and enjoys helping people. She earns less money than she would if she had stayed in her old company but has the privilege of spending a lot of quality time with her children. She compares the experiences of financially well-off people with her family’s experiences and she feels no regret at all.

• What does fitness mean to Dezi?

Dezi becomes a certified fitness instructor. For her, being part of Fit to Navigate means purpose, a chance to merge her passions, and a way to provide her children with everything they deserve. She reflects on her present life and its benefits and concludes that everything is finally paying off after a long period of struggle.

• What motivates Dezi?

Finally, Dezi sums up by saying that what drives her are her loved ones, family, and community – all the people she loves. She feels she is building a legacy for her children and the children of her loved ones, her clients, and hopefully future generations.

Follow Desiree 's Journey on IG: @dezispeaks.life

Connect with Mind, Body, Gem guests and upcoming workshops on IG: @Fit_to_navigate

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.