Oula Connected from the Vault

Do you need a vacation? Is it hard for you to leave? Kali and Bernice talk about how hard it is to vacate, but how important it is to take a break from your life sometimes! They wonder why it is so hard to do just that, and they blame it on the Puritans for the massive guilt most of us feel about resting!

This week, Bernice and Kali discuss one of the hardest lessons for the heart; forgiveness. They explore how hard it is to forgive, but also that the true gift of forgiveness is to ourselves. The body holds trauma, anger, resentment and other emotions that can be released when we forgive. When we release these emotions, we can create space for light, love and healing.

This week, Kali and Bernice, talk about Resiliency - what is it, do you have it, can you learn it. They discuss their own relationships with resiliency and their desire to instill resilience in their children. Take a listen if you, like they, have ever wished you were more resilient :)

This week, Kali and Bernice gossip about GOSSIP! They talk about the fascinating role that gossip has played in homo sapiens' evolution. Gossip has helped our species create sophisticated social dynamics but also has been used to hurt and isolate members from the community. Be prepared for lots of laughing and if you like emus, well, we're sorry.

Kali and Bernice explore the relationship between self-acceptance and self-improvement. When and how do we reconcile the desire to change something about ourselves and the desire for self love and acceptance? The recognize that most of our personal suffering is because of unhealthy patterns of behavior or thought or societal pressures to conform and grapple with and form a plan for self-actualization.

Kali and Bernice interview Chelle Bird, Director of Oula in the Twin Cities. Chelle shares her body journey through Oula and pregnancy and the three women talk about how normal it is for women to engage in toxic conversation about their bodies. They struggle with their own perceptions of their bodies and their desire to change how women view their bodies. They acknowledge that we live in a society that has a powerful voice in how women should look, and how we all can get caught up in this message, but ultimately want to be the model for change.

Do you ever wish you could be more connected? Do your defenses get in the way of your connection? In this week's episode, Kali and Bernice talk about how it became so apparent over the last Empowerment weekend that we are all searching for connection but how we can't truly experience it until we let our defenses down. But, we are terrified! They explore an incident that happened during their time in L.A. that really brought this whole concept to light!

This week, Kali and Bernice talk about their experiences being a mom. The highs, the lows, the difficulties that they experience finding the balance between "mom" and "me" and how motherhood has changed them. Very true to themselves and this podcast, they are open and vulnerable about this world's most challenging job: Mom.

Ooh, ouch! How comfortable are you with physical discomfort? In our modern age, physical discomfort isn't part of the paradigm anymore. Now, this is NOT about chronic pain, this is about the discomfort you feel when you use your body physically! Why are we so comfortable with mental and emotional discomfort, but not with physical discomfort? This week, Kali and Bernice explore, both in Oula and in the industrialized world, how humans have the luxury to tap out when things get hard.

This week's podcast was inspired by Brene Brown's Netflix special, A Call to Courage. One of the most fascinating parts of this talk to Kali and Bernice was the concept of joy! They explore their own relationship with joy and, like 95% of folks Brene researched, how problematic it is because they always keep the darkness so close. They go on to talk about their desire to stay in the light more often by focusing on gratitude, presence and joy.