Nearly Enlightened

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The season has changed and if you’re paying attention, you can probably feel the energy shift. 

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Danielle Manseau of Venus Rising RI for one of those conversations that starts with seasonal transition and somehow turns into something so much deeper than the autumnal season. 

What if the change you’re looking for isn’t actually “out there”? What if you're searching for something outside of yourself that isn't outside of you at all? 

In this episod  we talk about the energetic shift that comes with autumn, grief and heaviness, and the quieter transformations happening underneath the surface because not every season of change looks dramatic transformation. Sometimes the subtle changes make the biggest impact. 

We dive into non-attachment through yoga philosophy and shamanic healing principles, why trying to control every outcome keeps us stuck, and Danielle’s surprisingly perfect video-game metaphor for life: you level up, revisit old lessons, and realize you’re responding to the same challenges from a completely different place.

And then we get into the real stuff.

How do we restore faith after hard collective seasons? How do we find balance without swinging from one extreme to another? Why is community—and actually talking to other humans—such an important part of healing?

Danielle also brings in the shamanic medicine wheel and the idea of moving through transformation on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. We talk about becoming the “hollow bone” meaning learn to hold space without letting someone else’s story hijack your own.

And because we’re living in 2026, we also have to talk about the elephant in the room: our phones.

Social media addiction. Comparison. Doom-scrolling. The weird way endless consumption can slowly rob us of creativity, presence and joy.

The good news? You don’t have to reinvent your entire life overnight.

We talk micro-wins, small sustainable steps, the power of being a beginner again, and finding the tools that help you listen inward instead of constantly looking outside yourself for the answer.

Because here's the thing:

You can look outside yourself for validation, answers, permission and change, but eventually, you have to come home to yourself.

The answers aren’t always easy. They aren’t always immediate. They aren't always the easiest solutions. And sometimes you need a teacher, a friend, a therapist, a community or a little spiritual kick in the ass to help you hear them.

But your power? That part was never out there.

If this conversation hits something in you, listen, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review. And if you’re new around here, binge a few episodes, you might just find a tool you didn’t know you needed.

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

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Does yoga still count if there’s a weed whacker going off outside?

Spoiler alert: YES.

In this episode, Giana and Dee get into what yoga actually looks like when we take it out of the perfectly curated studio and put it into… real life.

We’re talking gym yoga, practicing in parks, noisy classrooms, distracted minds, strength training, mobility, breathwork, meditation, savasana, and all the things that make yoga WAY more than stretching on a mat.

We start with gym yoga and why we love bringing the practice into spaces where people already feel comfortable. Yoga doesn’t have to happen in a candlelit studio for it to be “real yoga.” In fact, sometimes bringing yoga into a gym is exactly what someone needs to discover that the practice is for them.

We talk about how pranayama and breath awareness can complement strength training, why mobility matters, and why savasana isn’t just the part you get to skip when you’re in a hurry.

And then we go deeper.

Because if your entire yoga practice falls apart the second someone makes noise, your phone goes off, traffic is loud, or life gets inconvenient… maybe that’s not a failure of your practice. Maybe that IS the practice.

We also get real about teaching yoga—the pressure to always be “zen,” learning anatomy and teaching through experience, working with mixed-level rooms, the business side of being a yoga teacher, and why mentorship and community matter so much if we want yoga teachers to actually build sustainable careers.

This is your reminder that yoga isn’t about creating perfect conditions.

It’s about learning how to meet yourself in the conditions you actually have.

So whether you practice in a studio, a gym, your living room, a park, or next to someone aggressively attacking their lawn with a weed whacker… you’re still practicing.

Yoga belongs in real life.

Hit play, then send this one to the person who thinks they’re “not a yoga person.” They might just need a different definition of yoga.

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

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What if the thing standing between you and the idea you can’t stop thinking about isn’t a lack of talent… but waiting to feel ready?

In this episode, Giana sits down with Jessi, founder of Big Time Publishing and host of the Do It Or Don’t Podcast, for a very honest conversation about what actually keeps us from doing the thing we say we want to do.

Writing the book. Starting the business. Posting the content. Putting your work out into the world.

Because let’s be real: sometimes “I’m not ready yet” is just a really nice way of saying, “I’m scared to be seen trying.”

Jessi shares how she taught herself to self-publish, why she chose to go that route instead of waiting for a traditional publishing deal, and what she learned about the gatekeeping that can come with agents, marketability, and the publishing industry. We talk about why traditional publishing isn’t a gold star—and why self-publishing can be an empowering way to bet on your own story without waiting for someone else to decide it’s good enough.

We also get into the messy middle: perfectionism, identity shifts, writing the terrible first draft, posting imperfectly, TikTok for authors, and the very freeing realization that people probably don’t remember what you posted two reels ago anyway.

Basically? You are allowed to be a beginner.

You are allowed to suck at first.

You are allowed to figure it out as you go.

And you definitely don’t need permission to start.

If there’s a book, business, creative project, or big idea living rent-free in your head, this one is your sign to stop waiting for the perfect moment and do it anyway.

Hit play, then send this episode to the person who keeps saying, “I’m going to do it someday.”

Follow Jessi on socials:

@especiallyjessi

@bigtimepublishing

@doitordontpodcast

Connect with Jessi:

https://bigtimepublishing.com

https://bigtimebookstudio.com/p/home

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

Kat Parks is back for another spicy episode on botox, TMJ, Face Yoga and what your injector might not be telling you. Kat joins Giana for another candid, educational conversation about Botox, TMJ/TMD, face yoga, facial massage, natural aging, and what informed consent should actually look like before we put a needle or a toxin into our bodies.

Botox is marketed like it’s as harmless as a manicure. Preventative Botox. Baby Botox. Just a little here, a little there. But what happens when we stop treating injections like a casual beauty choice and actually look at the biology, the risks, and the incentives behind the industry?

And because apparently we can’t talk about modern beauty without dragging modern yoga into it, we start with a bigger cultural pattern: what happens when something designed to be a deeper practice gets reduced to a quick fix?

Modern yoga has been watered down into fitness. Modern beauty has been watered down into optimization. And somewhere along the way, we’ve gotten really good at looking for the fastest possible solution to discomfort, aging, stress, and insecurity.

We unpack the viral Hannah Berner masseter Botox story and use it as a jumping-off point to talk about Botox for TMJ, changes in smile and facial function, toxin spread, boxed warnings, adverse events, and why having a “reputable injector” doesn’t mean there is zero risk. We also talk about why adverse events may be underreported and why personal experiences deserve to be part of the conversation.

Then we go deeper.

Jaw clenching and teeth grinding don’t happen in a vacuum. Stress, breath, posture, nervous system regulation, and habitual patterns can all show up in the face and jaw. We talk about the facial feedback loop and why the relationship between your nervous system and your face goes both ways.

Kat also shares alternatives that often don’t get the same airtime as injections, including face yoga, intra-oral/buccal massage with a trained practitioner, habit awareness, breathwork, posture, and nervous system regulation.

This isn’t an episode about telling you what you’re “allowed” to do with your face. It’s about asking better questions.

Because maybe the goal isn’t to fight aging at all costs. Maybe it’s to understand what we’re choosing, what we’re potentially giving up, and whether the quick fix is actually serving us in the long run.

We’re talking about:

• Why modern yoga and modern beauty have both become obsessed with quick results
• Why Botox feels so normalized—and why questioning it can make people defensive
• The difference between TMJ and TMJ disorder/dysfunction
• Hannah Berner’s masseter Botox experience and what it can teach us about risk
• Botox risks, toxin spread, boxed warnings, and why “reputable injector” ≠ zero risk
• The facial feedback loop and the connection between stress, the nervous system, and the jaw
• Face yoga and intra-oral/buccal massage as potential tools for supporting facial and jaw health
• Why adverse events may be underreported
• The “preventative Botox” narrative and what we’re actually trying to prevent
• How beauty culture can influence the way we perceive natural aging
• Expression, vitality, facial function, and what can get lost in the pursuit of looking younger
• Choosing informed consent over fear, shame, or blindly following beauty trends
• Why your advanced practice might have less to do with looking perfect—and more to do with actually being present in your body

If this conversation makes you question something you’ve been told is “normal,” good. That’s the point.

Share this episode with the friend who’s considering Botox, the person who’s always clenching their jaw, the yoga teacher who needs a reminder that yoga is more than a workout—or anyone who’s trying to figure out how to care for their body without turning aging into a problem that needs to be fixed.

And if you loved the conversation, leave us a review and let us know what you think.

Connect with Kat Parks / Be Easy Face Yoga:
Instagram: @beeasyfaceyoga
NoTox Guide: beeasy.life/notox
Find Your Face Freedom™: FindYourFaceFreedom.com

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

Kelly from Forest Farms is back on the podcast—just four and a half months postpartum, baby Walker in her lap—to give us an honest look at what it's really like balancing motherhood, beekeeping, herbalism, and a growing small business rooted in clean, intentional living.

We dive into the world of bees, unpacking everything from swarms, queen cells, and hive splits to what "bearding" actually means and why catching a swarm can make or break a colony. If you've ever been curious about what goes on inside a hive, this episode is your crash course.

Then we talk honey. Why is spring honey light and floral while fall honey is darker and richer? What does local honey actually tell you about where it came from? Kelly walks us through the harvesting process, why raw honey naturally crystallizes, what that foamy layer on top really means, and why less processing often means a better product.

The conversation expands into holistic wellness, non-toxic living, and becoming a more conscious consumer. We cover beeswax skincare, castor oil serums, clean candles, hidden fragrances, soil health, organic gardening, tick season, and why her homemade pickles somehow steal the show at every farmers market.

If you're passionate about sustainable living, supporting local farms, and bringing cleaner, more intentional products into your home, this episode is packed with practical takeaways and plenty of fascinating bee facts along the way.

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

If you've ever walked out of a yoga class feeling stronger... but still like something was missing, this episode is for you.

Yoga has gotten louder, faster, and more performative. More playlists. More poses. More aesthetics. But is it actually helping us live yoga?

This week, Dee is back on the podcast, and we're pulling back the curtain on everything we've been building behind the scenes before diving into a conversation that might challenge the way you think about your practice.

We're talking about what modern yoga isn't teaching you.

We unpack why asana is just one small piece of yoga, why the Eight Limbs and the Yoga Sutras are more relevant than ever, and how breathwork, nervous system regulation, and self-study can completely transform your practice—on and off the mat.

Then... we go there.

We talk about yoga and religion, mantra, deity-based pose names, cultural respect, informed consent, and how teachers can honor the roots of yoga while creating spaces that respect every student's beliefs and personal boundaries.

And because you know us, we couldn't leave without a few spicy opinions.

Injectables. Peptides. The obsession with quick fixes. Filming in yoga classes. Tripods. Apple Watches. The culture we've created around wellness—and whether we're actually willing to do the slower, deeper work that real transformation asks of us.

This isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions.

If you're craving a yoga practice that goes beyond the poses and actually changes the way you move through life, press play.

Resources Mentioned

🧘 Ready to go deeper? Join the Deepen Your Practice Challenge. A guided journey beyond the poses, exploring the Eight Limbs of Yoga through daily teachings, reflections, and practices. Sign up here

🎥 Watch our webinar: What Modern Yoga Isn't Teaching You, this training dives even deeper into transformative practices that are often left out of today's yoga classes. Watch here

✨ Learn more about Nearly Enlightened, upcoming offerings, and ways to work with us: learn more here 

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

In this episode of The Nearly Enlightened Podcast, I'm joined by Kat Parks, face yoga teacher and creator of Find Your Face Freedom, for a conversation about aging, beauty standards, self-acceptance, and what it means to feel at home in your own skin.

We explore the messages women receive about aging and appearance, and how social media, filters, influencer culture, and the rise of "preventative" cosmetic procedures can shape the way we see ourselves. Kat shares her perspective on informed consent, discussing questions surrounding injectables, long-term effects, and why understanding all of your options matters before making decisions about your body.

More importantly, this conversation is an invitation to reconnect with yourself. We talk about face yoga as a mindfulness practice—one that helps build awareness, release tension, support circulation, and deepen your connection to your body. Rather than chasing perfection, Kat encourages a more intentional relationship with aging and beauty, rooted in self-awareness and choice.

If you've ever found yourself navigating the space between self-acceptance and the pressure to look a certain way, this episode offers a thoughtful perspective on finding your own path.

✨ Connect with Kat:
Face Yoga: https://findyourfacefreedom.com/

NoTox Movement: https://beeasy.life/notox

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from hearing it. Every share helps us continue bringing these conversations and tools for healing, growth, and self-discovery to more people.

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

This conversation feels especially important right now because honestly… a lot of people feel off. Time feels strange, emotions are heightened, nervous systems are overloaded, and so many of us are searching outside of ourselves for answers, relief, or certainty.

In this episode, I sit down with Danielle Manseau of Venus Rising RI for a grounded and honest conversation about the current Taurus season energy, the feeling of nonlinear time, and what it really means to “clean the spiritual home” starting with the body, the nervous system, and the patterns we keep repeating when we avoid the root cause.

We explore holistic health and wellness with nuance, from the rise of peptides and weight loss injections to emotional eating, cravings, parasites, and the deeper energetic and emotional patterns that can exist underneath symptoms. This conversation is not about shame or fear. It is about learning discernment, reconnecting to the body, and understanding that symptoms are often signals asking us to slow down and listen.

We also talk about feminine cycles, nature connection, intuition as a skill, manifestation beyond surface-level “hacks,” energetic boundaries, pedestal culture in spirituality, and the importance of creating sacred containers where you can actually hear yourself clearly.

This episode is for anyone craving deeper self trust, grounded spirituality, healthier boundaries, nervous system regulation, and a more authentic connection to their body, mind, and spirit.

Inside this episode:

•  Taurus season themes + why so many people feel emotionally and physically overwhelmed right now 
•  The body as the spiritual home 
•  Nervous system regulation and pattern repetition 
•  Wellness culture, quick fixes, peptides, and dependency 
•  Emotional eating, cravings, parasites, and energetic parallels 
•  Reconnecting to feminine wisdom and cyclical living 
•  Discernment vs fear-based spirituality 
•  Intuition as a practice you strengthen over time 
•  Manifestation through regulation, belief work, and self awareness 
•  Boundaries, energetic ethics, and protecting your peace 
•  Community, reciprocity, and healing isolation 

If this episode resonates, share it with someone you love, leave a review, or send me a message and let me know what landed for you. Conversations like this help build the kind of community where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to reconnect with themselves.

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

n this episode of the Nearly Enlightened Podcast, I sit down with Sheena Lee Cesaroni — a U.S. Air Force veteran, psychology-educated coach, podcast host, public speaker, and mom who rebuilt her life from the ground up after trauma, PTSD, and years of hyper-independence that looked like strength on the outside but felt like constant fight-or-flight on the inside.

We get real about the empath–narcissist relationship dynamic and why it can feel like fate when it’s actually familiar nervous system wiring. Sheena breaks down the spectrum of narcissism, the warning signs behind love bombing and control, and why so many women get stuck trying to “fix” someone so they can return to the version they first met.

From overgiving to losing your identity, we map the patterns that keep repeating until you name them, take ownership, and choose something different. Because healing isn’t about blaming the past — it’s about building awareness and learning how to respond instead of react.

Then we shift into practical healing — the real, everyday work of rebuilding self-trust and creating emotional safety in your body and your relationships. We talk about nervous system regulation tools like breathwork, yoga, nature, and sound… and how consistency, accountability, and self-awareness become the foundation for secure love.

Sheena also shares what “secure” looks like in real life:
 a relationship where you feel both peaceful and powerful —
 where boundaries are clear, trust is steady, and interdependence becomes possible.

This conversation is for anyone who is tired of survival mode, ready to break old patterns, and willing to rewire what they believe they deserve.

Because healing isn’t about becoming someone new —
 it’s about coming home to yourself and building a life that feels safe to live in.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

•  Why empaths and narcissists often collide 
•  The nervous system patterns behind relationship cycles 
•  Love bombing, control, and falling for potential 
•  Hyper-independence as a trauma response 
•  Moving from victim stories to accountability and real change 
•  Reacting vs. responding in conflict 
•  Emotional safety and secure relationships 
•  Daily practices that rebuild self-trust 
•  What secure love actually feels like in your body 
•  How to shift from survival mode to self-led living 

Connect & Continue the Conversation

Follow and learn more from Sheena Lee Cesaroni here:

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

Listen to my guest appearance on:

 The Mindset Radio Podcast 

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

What happens when innovation disrupts tradition? When growth gets mislabeled? When leadership gets projected onto instead of understood?
In this episode, I sit down with Bizzie Gold for a raw, grounded, and nuanced conversation about evolution in the wellness world.
We open with the big question: What actually makes something a cult? And how often is that word just a placeholder for fear, projection, or discomfort with change? We explore how intense communities can be misunderstood, how mislabeling shuts down meaningful dialogue, and why sometimes what looks like a schism is simply growth in a new direction.
Bizzie shares what it was like to be branded the “antichrist of yoga” over something as small as a pelvic tuck — and how that moment became part of a much larger wave. Long before functional and somatic movement went mainstream, she was challenging tradition and asking better questions about safety, mechanics, and embodiment. We talk about what it really costs to innovate publicly — and what happens when the internet decides you’re the villain.
This conversation goes deep into leadership, boundaries, and the emotional undercurrents that fuel backlash. Splitting. Envy. Parasocial dynamics. Mob mentality. The 2019 crisis. The coordinated attacks. And the surprising number of apologies that came quietly after the storm passed.
But more importantly, we talk about responsibility.
What does it mean to lead without self-deifying?
How do you hold stewardship without trying to be a savior?
Why do conflict-avoidant leaders often get consumed by the very communities they’re trying to protect?
We unpack the real-life logistics no one glamorizes — payroll stress, messy team dynamics, clear contracts, limited bandwidth, and the power of direct communication. Bizzie brings a refreshingly honest perspective on how strong boundaries don’t harm community — they protect it.
We also explore her evolution away from traditional yoga models and toward somatic and functional mechanics that prioritize physiology, safety, and spirit-led presence. This isn’t about rejecting movement — it’s about aligning intention with impact. Honoring lineage without becoming rigid. Letting practices evolve without burning everything down.
If you’re a teacher, leader, space-holder, or simply someone committed to ethical growth, this episode will give you language and tools to:
Spot projection (in yourself and others)
Set boundaries without guilt
Lead without losing yourself
Honor tradition while allowing evolution
Stay rooted when the noise gets loud
This is a big, honest, necessary conversation about innovation, insecurity, and integrity in modern wellness.
If this resonated, share it with someone who loves nuanced conversations and bold ideas. And when you leave a review, tell me: What boundary are you committing to this week?

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened |  Nearly Enlightened