Story Medicine. It's the feeling you get after having a good conversation with a sister or friend. Through vulnerability there is connection. Through vulnerability is strength. #togetherwerise #thestoryofher

Story Circles launching in Oct. learn more at rachelmaskell.com

It’s my third year going to Burning Man. I’m not a veteran but obviously there is a reason I keep going back. It’s not the cheapest of experiences, it takes a good chunk of time to organize and be offline and away, and the conditions are intense...so why?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately since we are just a few days away from landing on the playa. There has been many conversation about what it’s like and of course why I go so I thought I would share in today’s video.

If I were to answer with one word I would say FREEDOM. Freedom from what and why? Well, for that you’ll have to watch the video, but before I go there are many reasons that make Burning Man a special place. Many of which I don’t mention in the video. If you’re curious then definitely check out the 10 Principles of Burning Man to understand why. https://burningman.org/culture/philosophical-center/10-principles/

Some people make Motherhood look easy or glamorous. Some women can be back in their skinny jeans within weeks. Or back to work running around like nothing's changed.

That's cool and all but not all women have the same story. For some of us the transition into Motherhood was a kickoff into a whole new way of living. For Tara Parker Tait it initiated a move out of Canada, a new career, and ultimately a sense of reprioritizing her life.

In today's video Tara and I chat about Motherhood: the highs and lows, what's missing and how the unknown can be the greatest ally in transformation.

PS I get a little into one of my comments and drop a F-bomb. Whoops! #sorrynotsorry

xo

From the unknown to the known. From the I thought I knew to what the heck. And still we do it with love and sacrifice...mothers. They are incredible and the ultimate heroine. At least in my book.

It’s this journey into the unknown and the triggers from our own childhood that make motherhood so challenging. How do I get this beautiful and free willed child to listen to me and go to bed? And how do I do that without breaking her self confidence and independence? These are my mama woes.

So what I am doing about it? Besides reaching out to you for advice? I follow my practice which I share at the end of this video. I am feeling fierce in my dedication, now more than ever. Xo

It’s interesting to me to learn about other people’s stories, their journeys that get them where they are today. Lately the theme has been around food - the archetypes, my own challenges, and today a dear friend of mine has opened up to share her story - Lisa Knox.

Lisa shares how she used food as form of control and as a way of not listening to her body. We talk about tuning in to our intuition and why being a Healthy Deviant is one of the most important things we can do today.

I’m struck with how fluidly Lisa talks about her disorder and how adept she is doing the self growth work. You can hear it in her language but also her willingness to look at her shadow side, recognize it, and make a plan on how to move through it. Skills.

Sharing this story now in hopes someone else relates. Perhaps they can find a nugget of wisdom or a new awareness that helps them along in their path. I’m trusting it will.

My relationship with food has definitely been up and down. As I share in today’s video I have tried lots of diets and weight loss behaviors, but nothing ever worked. It wasn’t until I came to realize that I was infusing my food with negative emotions and self talk that I was able to reset my relationship with it.

I still have days where I dance with food - some days not wanting to eat at all and others finding myself indulging in decadence with friends. Regardless of my actions I now have a deeper understanding of who I am and how to tune in to my body and eat more intuitively. What I crave no longer controls me and in fact I no longer have many cravings. I am driven now by a desire to experience life, taste good food, and feel alive in my body. These are all aspects I can control myself that I don’t need to do through food.

So this is Me. My journey around food. I share it with you now in hopes it will help inspire or awaken a shift within you.

To good health!

How do you use food? Yes, USE food. Because we know most of us aren’t just using food as fuel, nor do I think we should. It’s a full on sensory experience but one that is often ripe with pain, addiction, and control. I know my own journey has elements of that.

As Dana James says, “generally women have a very complicated relationship with food…it stems from how we source our self worth.” Oh boy. And how we source our self worth comes from our primary childhood wound. Yep, it gets deep.

Further, it’s a topic that we need to be discussing, sharing and healing from. As a mother I feel even more determined to look at these wounds and to address them so I can be aware of how my behavior may impact Kaliana in the future. We all want the best for our kids and healing our own wounds feels like the best place to start.

So sit down, take a little time, and learn what your food archetype is. It’s fascinating, useful, and powerful.

PS if you know someone who would benefit from this conversation, please pass it along. I’m sure they would love to hear from you and it may be the trigger they need to take action.

How do we find our life's calling? By listening to the messages in our environment. Whether in our bodies or all around us the universe will try to get our attention and point us in the direction where we can be our best in service.

For Heidi Stevens (heidistevensinc.com) this meant moving out of a highly dominated commercial real estate field into helping women creative entrepreneurs find their sweet spot and make money doing it. Lots of money!

On Heidi's journey she has done a lot of personal growth work, aka ‘Team Heidi,’ that has allowed her to move into a grounded place that she can now inspire and lead other women to find their own mastery. And we can all use a sister to lift us up and help us navigate our way.

In today's show Heidi shares what she learned in real estate and how it applies to womenpreneurs, the feminine and masculine balance in the workplace, the number one blockage for success and tips on how to combat it.

Tune in for the whole story below.

One thing I believe wholeheartedly is that the Universe uses life experiences to teach us lessons about ourselves and our personal mission. Sometimes these lessons can be as simple as taking a wrong turn and ending up somewhere fabulous that you never knew existed but is exactly what you need at that moment. And sometimes those lessons can be more complex and emotionally tumultuous - these are ones often related to our health.

Dis-ease and health opportunities are some of my favorite ways to reframe these often challenging and overwhelming experiences. That in hitting a low or a crisis moment we are given the chance to take a step back and to think of our lives more holistically.

This journey is exactly what inspired Jenny Castro to launch Living Wholly - an events, community, and wellness platform that connects people with resources and tools to live a more supported and nourished life. And, as a mama, it’s helped her to heal her relationship with her mother, a vital step towards empowering a new lineage of women through her daughter.

In today’s show Jenny Castro shares her story and the motivation behind launching Living Wholly, setting new boundaries with her mother, and how to balance family ties while taking a new direction and perspective on life. Tune in for more below.

“1 in 4 Americans are lonely.” - Ashley Sumner

Community. What a buzz word. I hear it everywhere I go and I get it. When James and I left New York it wasn’t because we didn’t have connections or friends, it was because we wanted more space and a better quality of life for the family. But after moving to Los Angeles, I get it. I have a community here like I have never had in my life. And I am grateful.

Unfortunately many people don’t have a support network or a sisterhood that they can lean on. As new mothers this becomes even more apparent and often more desolate. So what’s the solution? Not everyone can come to LA, nor would they want to. For some, maybe you, the urban environment just ain't your thing. So then what...how does community get built and thrive?

That’s been the mission of Ashley Sumner in her many iterations as a community builder. And now joining forces with Gianna Wurzl they have developed a platform that I think will fill a need for many women across the country. Enter wequilt.co. No, it’s not a quilting company...but I’ll let Ashley tell you all about it in today’s #mumboss TV episode.