Outside The Studio with Tessa Tovar

Is stress a motivator or the influence that pushes you to achieve or the measurement leading to success? Tessa and Erika Belanger ask what our relationship with stress looks like, how to release that energy, why numbing is not the answer, and scratch the surface on plant medicines.

Erika

is a yoga teacher, stress coach, and the host of the On and Off Your Mat Podcast.

Timestamps

(06:15) Rewiring stress

(11:10) Dealing with stress when we already have practices

(18:30) Numbing

(23:00) Do we really know what we want?

(29:45)

Erika's experience with anxiety

(34:30) Traditional western medicine and mental health

(40:10) Plant medicine

(47:50) Disclaimer on medicinal plants

(49:00) Psychedelic tourism

(57:10) Erika's podcast

Key Takeaways

1.

Healing from stress or anxious thoughts may take several steps.

First, meeting yourself with where you are and what you feel you need to do. Often when we have anger or restlessness we think a calm yoga session will do the trick, but perhaps screaming into a pillow or sprinting up your

driveway will release that energy- let loose and do what feels natural.

Second, shift that energy to the opposite practice; move from punching your soft couch to a playful cartwheel or talking to your plants with encouragement.

Third, anchor that energy with grounding practices

such as breathing exercises and mindfulness.

2. Numbing how we feel is a popular choice to avoid messy problems. This may take the form of binge eating, shopping, substance use, and more. However, ask yourself if you feel better afterwards or where this will take you. We move according

to how we feel so it is imperative that we know what we are ultimately after; is numbing getting you the wanted result?

3. Knowing what you value and want out of life can be a big question. Start small by asking yourself, "What is it that I actually want for breakfast today?" and

remembering you don't need to rationalize why you want something. You do not need to explain yourself on why you feel something is right for you. This can be further applied to larger things such as knowing your body and what medical treatments are right for you.

4. Do your homework

and consult professionals when trying and exploring plant medicines and psychedelics. It may have opportunities for healing, however there are side effects, dangers, and possible negative outcomes. Integration into and after psychedelic experiences are key for safety and healing; journaling,

meditating, rest and processing with other participants are imperative for understanding your experience.

Connect with Erika Belanger

Website: https://erikabelanger.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika.belanger/

https://www.instagram.com/onandoffyourmatpodcast/

Freebie for Stress: https://erikabelanger.com/stressvideo

Connect with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

What do you do in the 30-60 minutes before falling asleep? Do you drift away peacefully or is there restlessness entwined with anxiety? Mara and Tessa chat about what a ritual is, what different energies mean, and what it looks like exploring them.

Mara Branscombe is a ceremonialist,

spiritual-coach, yoga teacher, and meditation guide. She is the author of Ritual as Remedy, Embodied Practices for Soul Care .

Timestamps

(01:55) Fall rituals

(03:25) Negative connotations surrounding rituals

(05:55) Witches, black cats, and

the black plague

(09:10) What is a ritual?

(10:15) Using creativity as a guide

(14:00) Anxiety and intuition

(17:10) Simple rituals

(20:00) Where did Mara start?

(24:50) Mara's first ritual experience

(26:55) Resources for communal spaces

(30:00) Differences of new versus full moon ceremonies

(32:55) Mara's moon rituals

(35:30) Intention shifts during lunar cycles

(41:10) Mara's background in yoga

(47:00) Last minute thoughts

Key Takeaways

1. A ritual

is anything done with intention and being fully present both inward and outward. Welcoming the extraordinary, leaning into what lights you up, and creating sacred spaces are all aspects of practices. Ritual and rhythm are paired together hand in hand, yin and yang.

2. Anxiety and

intuition are predictive and generative energies respectfully. Anxiety is predictive energy because we often forecast that we will fail or feel negative outcomes. Generative energy with intuition, "feels like a big yes" as Mara puts it as it, however, we are conditioned to not feel

or follow that calling. Where will that "big yes" take us and what can we generate, develop, and achieve through it?

3. Mara's evening routine consists of no media consumption, a warm shower or ocean dip to wash off the day, working with plant energies such as lavender and

acknowledging that your work for the day is done. We are sensitive beings, if we don't stop working even during sleep, we become endlessly tense.

4. Finding a community of like minded people could begin with asking if anyone is holding an equinox or solstice gathering or finding

new and full moon circles. If finding that company is difficult to find, following the lunar cycles and simply observing the moon is powerful. Holding space for the new moon with new beginnings and full moon for wild, expansive powers is a beautiful opportunity for others to join you as well.

5. We are all born intuitive with the capacity to heal and self guide. Becoming attune to the environment and the rhythms of nature and aware of energy, we become more spacious and centric, embodied in being connected.

Connect with Mara Branscombe

Website:

https://marabranscombe.com/

Ritual as Remedy Book: https://www.amazon.com/Ritual-Remedy-Embodied-Practices-Soul/dp/1644114240

Email: [email protected] Connect with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

Do you want to live an inspired life of sparkling adventure and achieve goals you never thought possible? Get started this morning! With her new book, Kristen Helmstetter and Tessa examine how starting your day right with positive affirmations can lead to manifestation with action and

inspiration to get your creative endeavors in motion.

Kristen Helmstetter has written more than ten books on self-talk. Her popular podcast, Coffee Self-Talk with Kristen Helmstetter, shares her formula for living an intentional life with a happy, magical mindset.

Timestamps

(01:45) How did Kristen's book come about?

(08:50) How do we stick to a new routine?

(13:10) Becoming aware of our self talk

(18:35) How long does it take to establish a habit?

(22:00) Thoughts on manifestation

(25:03)

Kirsten's journey to becoming a creative writer

(30:00) Daily writing routine

(34:10) Kristen's podcast origins

(41:00) Kristen's bodybuilding and vegan background

(45:50) What does healthy eating look like for Kristen?

(51:15) Looking back on

Kristen's struggles with diets

Key Takeaways

1. If you wake up feeling mentally terrible at home, you're going to do the same thing away from home, even in a beautiful country like Italy, like Kristen did. She found that starting your morning with

social media and emails got her fired up with negative thoughts and habits and wanted to change her mindset. Over her routine cup of coffee, she found that taking the simple five minutes to recite morning affirmations changed her behavior, rather than spending time on the news.

2. Old habits die hard. That's why adding a small addition to a morning ritual or behavior you connect to (drinking tea, cooking breakfast, showering, etc.) will be helpful in creating a new pattern that will stick. Or simply, when you mindlessly reach for the phone, reach for the

affirmations instead.

3. Self talk is your inner dialogue and we may not be fully aware of how negative we're thinking. Setting a reminder, like sticky notes, to observe your thinking patterns will help you understand how positive or negative they are. Positive mindsets are

imperative as they change your mood and bring a sense of happiness. Smiling and contentment attract opportunities.

4. After finding veganism and other strict diets didn't work for her family, Kristen finds that a balanced diet works best, but happily admits that she occasionally

has “bad food” once in a while when she wants to. Loving herself and accepting her body is key to not obsessing over something she craves. She is aware her body is not the way it was in her twenties, not even her thirties; regardless, she loves and accepts herself wholly. You are worthy.

Links

No Plot? No Problem! by Chirs Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo, which inspired Kristen's creative writing: https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Problem-Revised-Expanded-High-velocity/dp/1452124779

NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/

Connect with Kristen Helmstetter

Website: https://kristensraw.com/blog/

Kristen's New Book Coffee Self-Talk: https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Self-Talk-Minutes-Living-Magical/dp/0982372264

Email: [email protected]

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

Connect with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

So, you, like Tessa, want to write a book? Start a podcast? Follow your creative vision? For those who listen to their head, but want to feel their gut, Tessa and Lynee Palavios talk about inspiration and what it means to follow our instinct. Doing what you love can start now.

Lynee

Palavios is a CEO of a virtual assistant agency and a social media marketing firm, a published author, motivational speaker, community director, and proud mother. She is the author of Inspire.

Time Stamps

(01:35) Lynee's new book and how it came along

(05:20)

What does following your gut look like?

(07:50) How do we stay inspired when we don't listen to our gut?

(11:50) Seven layers deep

(14:45) Lynee's virtual assistant business

(22:00) What was it like working with Tony Robbins?

(25:20) Intuition in

motherhood

(30:55) Nutrition and diets

(36:05) A1 and A2 milk and quality of food

(39:35) Being business with your significant other

(43:15) How do we start a business with little to no cost upfront

Key Takeaways

1. Gut instinct and

inspiration is joy, excitement, and a feeling that tells us what we need to do. What prevents us from following that instinct are our negative thoughts that won't let us grow and spread our wings. Our brain wants to protect us from harm and embarrassment to keep us safe; take the stairs,

not the elevator, the harder path to truly flourish.

2. To find your true purpose, go seven layers deep and reflect. Start with the inspiration and follow with the why. For example, Tessa has wanted to write a book since she was little; she would start with the inspiration, the book,

and then ask, “Why does she want to write a book?” Perhaps her answer is because she wants to share her work with others and then she would continue to ask why, until you're seven layers down which shows your true purpose.

3. Listen to your body when it comes to nutrition, regardless

of the trending diet. Just because keto and paleo diets are the new thing everyone's advertising, doesn't mean it will necessarily work for your body. Use your intuition and have everything in moderation. The quality of your food is the most important. Lynee discusses how she won't

deprive herself of a dessert if her body is craving it because she knows she'll have it in moderation.

4. If you want to follow your creative dreams, start now! Want to be an author? Start with writing your thoughts down or record what you want to write and have it transcribed, then

find a publisher (Amazon is a great option). The most important part is that you take action to make it happen; the internet is a fantastic resource. Even if it doesn't make money, what matters is that you put a piece of yourself out into the world.

Connect with Lynee Palacios

Website: https://lyneepalacios.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyneepalacios/channel/

Lynee's Book Inspire: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578944243/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1663468558&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=8-1

Connect

with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

Tessa's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Book-Poetry-Savasana/dp/1731243588/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17NJ9FS5ED45B&keywords=tessa+tovar&qid=1666810690&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=tessa+tovar%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1

What does it mean to roar like a goddess? It begins with self respect. Acharya Shunya and Tessa discuss goddess theory, the story of Shiva and Shakti, and what our divinity really consists of.

Acharya Shunya is a truth-teller, awakener, motivational speaker, and spiritual coach.

She is the author of several books including Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom and Sovereign Self and Roar Like a Goddess.

Timestamps

(00:30) Who is Acharya Shunya? What does her name mean?

(02:35) What is goddess archetype theory?

(05:50)

Who are the goddesses in archetype theory?

(14:50) What is patriarchy

(22:30) The story of Shiva and Shakti

(31:15) Acharya's mother teaching how to roar through stories

(33:30) How to embody self respect

(38:45) Put your hands on your heart

(42:20) Acharya's arranged marriage

(49:15) One thing to get from roar like a goddess

Key Takeaways

1. Acharya Shunya's book follows goddess theory consisting of three parts: Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Saraswati. Durga

focuses on taking back our full feminine power, Lakshmi guides on cultivating inner contentment, while Saraswati illuminates the gifts of wisdom and inner freedom.

2. When Shakti says, in the myth Shunya tells, "I will stay your daughter until you respect me" we soon find

that Shakti does not find respect. Shakti then burns the threads of attachment and transforms into her true form. This shows us how we must access our own rage, rather than always being too accommodating and pleasing; we must stand for ourselves.

3. To find respect, we must

first start with respecting ourselves. We may find ourselves keeping a list of our failures, but we need to look at the bigger context of our divinity, which includes those failures. There is the sunrise with the sunset, youth with old age. Radical wholeness is the divine goddess Shakti.

Connect with Acharya Shunya

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acharyashunya/groups/

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

Website: https://www.acharyashunya.com/

Vedika Global: https://www.vedikaglobal.org/acharya-shunya

Acharya Shunya's Book, Roar Like a Goddess: https://www.acharyashunya.com/

Connect with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

Tessa's color archetype is orange, what's yours? What do we do with that information? Walaa and Tessa take a look at how we can use color in processing and embracing emotions, what we paint our walls, and meditative sounds in color therapy. Not only do we have the basic rainbow to

work with, but the shades, tones, and values are wider than we know.

Walaa is a color therapist, spiritual coach, and interior designer. She is the founder of Walaa Color Ways and is the author of Heal Yourself With Color: Harness the Power of Color to Change Your Life

Timestamps

(04:25) Color therapy and Walaa

(05:50) How did Walaa find color therapy?

(08:35) Color archetype

(09:55) The shadow of the archetype

(13:45) How do we express scary emotions with our color?

(15:15) Color in

our daily lives

(16:45) Matching color with complexion

(18:35) Shades of color

(23:05) Color and your house

(24:55) Intimacy colors

(26:45) Neutral colors

(28:30) Colors to foster focus

(30:35) Kitchens and color

(38:30) Seasons

and color

(40:00) Sound therapy with colors

(45:15) Walaa's book on healing with color

(47:45) Auras and energy fields

(49:15) Walaa's experience in publishing and writing her book

(53:35) What's next for Walaa?

Key

Takeaways

1. Our color archetypes stem from the day and month we are born; the light and shadows telling us different aspects of our personalities. Color therapy is like a map from the sun, the rawest form of light, to understand ourselves better through the frequencies

of color.

2. In our daily life, color can be utilized to manifest and foster emotions. Painting walls of different rooms specific colors and accenting with corresponding tones will make each aspect of the house unique. Wearing, for example, yellow when we are sad or orange when we

are grieving, helps us bring out what we need to process.

3. With color, we can listen and meditate with color sound therapy. For every color archetype there are sounds that correspond that can be used for meditation and aligning our energy.

Connect With Walaa

Website: https://color-ways.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walaa.colorways/

Email: [email protected]

Connect With Tessa

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

The world tells us, "You can't" to anything daring we want to accomplish. Our arguments against ourselves most often stop us from following our dreams. In this rich episode, Tessa asks Renee Linnell how she's always taken leaps of faith, overcome tremendous pain and loss, healed

from mistakes, and what happens when we are receptive.

"For those who understand, No explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, No explanation is possible' - Ziad K. Abdrlnour

Renee knows devastation—when she was 33, she joined a Buddhist cult, got brainwashed,

burned almost everything she owned, and nearly lost her sanity and her life. Renee stuffed down plenty of shame. But eventually, she shook it off, made peace with her flaws and failures, and got busy living her life to the fullest. Renee is the author of The Burn Zone and her newest book Still

On Fire.

Timestamps

(00:00) Who is Renee Linnell?

(01:40) Has Renee always been adventurous?

(04:15) Renee's career as a professional dancer

(09:30) How does one become a professional dancer? Is it ever too late to start?

(11:30) What

stops us from following our dreams?

(16:40) Renee's entry into Buddhism

(19:10) What Buddhist lessons does Renee still follow after being in a Buddhist cult?

(21:35) What is Renee's meditation routine?

(22:15) Is there a happily ever after?

(25:20) Trying

everyone's point of view isn't always possible

(28:25) How do we create a community with unreceptive people?

(30:15) Why do certain people attract certain personalities?

(33:00) Does having time between relationships make a difference?

(34:20) Why is being alone

so difficult?

(38:20) How do we invite the divine, magic and miracles?

(40:40) Renee’s miraculous hip recovery

(45:10) Turning pain into purpose

(47:50) What's next for Renee?

Key Takeaways

1. We often focus on and argue for our own limitations,

which prohibits us from doing what we want. Instead, knowing where you are starting, what you need to do, and how to overcome the roadblocks, will lead us to action for following our dreams.

2. Being in a Buddhist cult, Renee naturally experienced negative aspects of Buddhism. When she left,

she walked away with positive teachings from Buddhism such as practicing simple meditations, rather than the rigid courses she followed. Through our negative experiences, we can pick up constructive lessons or aspects.

3. We can't always see everyone's point of view, because we are all unique

on different levels. Someone on the top floor can't see the point of view of someone in the basement, especially if they’ve never wanted to be anywhere near. It's better to spend our energy living our brightest, most thriving life while being open and receptive.

4. Renee joined the cult

because she felt love was missing from her life, and was searching for something to fill it. The more we love ourselves the less we are going to let people treat us poorly. We attract the love pattern that we grew up with as children while accepting the love we think we deserve.

Connect

with Renee Linnell

Renee Linnell's new book, Still on Fire: https://reneelinnell.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renee.linnell/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Renee_Linnell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReneeLinnellAuthor/

Connect

with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

Many are familiar with the Lunar cycle, but what can we learn from studying and applying it to our personal lives? April McMurtry and Tessa examine the deeper aspects of how following the Lunar cycle can show us balance such as time for rest and renewal or the study of yin and yang.

April McMurtry (she/her) is a dynamic Lunar facilitator and course creator. She is the founder of The Moon Is My Calendar and has independently published the New Moon Calendar Journalsince 2014.

Time Stamps

(03:15) Who is April?

(10:55) Intuition

(12:50) Lunar cycle in relationship to our phases in life

(16:30) Listening to the voice inside us

(20:15) Where to start learning about the Lunar cycle?

(24:00) What is the beginning of the Lunar cycle?

(28:00) How are the moons

named?

(32:20) How do we practice the yin and yang energies of the moon?

(36:30) Wisdom of waning

(40:20) What do we gain from knowing our birth moon phase?

(42:40) Discussing the influence of the moon on our actions

Key Takeaways

1. Honoring the Lunar cycle doesn't only have to be the physical phases of the moon; it can be followed throughout daily life as well as an entire lifetime.

2. Recognizing the yin and yang energies of the full and new moon, we can incorporate these meditations

throughout our daily practices. Using our breath as an example, we can see the inflation and deflation of our lungs much like the full and new moon.

3. To begin learning about the Lunar cycle, closely working with a Lunar calendar will be the best tool. Circular calendars

are a helpful reminder that time flows in cycles.

Connect With April McMurtry

Website: https://themoonismycalendar.com/

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

Podcast: https://themoonismycalendar.com/podcast

Email:

[email protected]

Guided Breathwork: https://vimeo.com/395329026

Native American Moon Names: https://www.aianta.org/native-american-moon-names/

Connect with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMYm-7kNZfulgaiCi2w8Cw

What is, as Rebecca Ward describes, a "paper tiger" and how do we differentiate real versus perceived threats? Rebecca Ward and Tessa dive deep into personal experiences of fear, an understanding how to regulate our nervous systems, and how adverse childhood experiences (ACE) influence

our lives.

Rebecca Ward is a therapist, speaker, and author with her new book, The Paper Tiger Syndrome: How to Liberate Yourself from the Illusion of Fear.

Time Stamps

(00:00) Who is Rebecca Ward?

(03:20) What is a paper tiger?

(09:50)

Background on Rebecca and how she was lead to her work

(14:10) How do we acknowledge the fear in our lives?

(20:05) The ACE study and its importance

(23:55) How did Rebecca process her fear in her own life?

(25:55) Support systems and the huddle effect

(28:30) The spirituality of how the nervous system is wired

(31:30) How can we regulate the nervous system?

(35:25) Can you remember a time you have felt truly fearless?

(38:40) Developmental trauma and childhood imprints

(44:50) Styles of therapy (49:55) Reparenting

practice and examples

Key Takeaways

1. A paper tiger is something that we fear, regardless of it being completely harmless. By reclaiming our lives from fear, we can begin to heal and move forward.

2. By regulating the nervous system both spiritually and

scientifically, processing fear will become accessible. Having togetherness with a support system during that time is essential.

3. Childhood traumas leave an influential imprint for the rest of our lives. Reparenting the way our bodies react to perceived dangers makes processing

emotions simpler.

Connect With Rebecca Ward

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

Website: https://irisinstitute.com/

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus