Plan Simple with Mia Moran

“If you're drawn to pull a card, just do it.”

–Crecia Cipriano

I’m infatuated with oracle cards. They’re such a cool entry to start trusting your intuition more that I’ve woven them throughout the new FLOW Planner. I’m excited to talk with Crecia Cipriano, an intuition-driven decisionmaking coach who uses cards in her coaching practice.

Cards can give guidance, validation of something happening, new perspectives, and new connections. And there are all kinds of cards, so everyone can find a deck (or several) that fit their vibe.

You can do year or quarter ahead spreads. You can do daily pulls. There are so many different ways to use oracle cards to tap into your intuition (and use that for planning). Are oracle cards part of your toolbox?

We talk about: 

• What exactly a pull and a spread are
• Year or quarter ahead spreads, daily card pulls, and pulling a card when you felt drawn to or need guidance
• Reminders of claiming statements or affirmations from your pulls
• Coming into new relationship with the cards we pull for a year or season
• How to interpret cards
• Why to use or not use the guidebook information

ABOUT CRECIA

Crecia Cipriano is an intuition-driven decisionmaking coach who helps passion-powered coaches, course creators + other small biz visionaries access all the calm, confidence + clarity they need to make the moves that matter most in their business + claim joy like it’s their job (because it is!)

With her signature card coaching method, Crecia helps you tune in to your own inner wisdom, tune out the noise of what everyone else wants, thinks + believes, turn up the volume on your unique message + magic and sing it out in service of your most positively thriving life + business.

Crecia is trained in Transformative Coaching through The Graduate Institute for Holistic Studies and Wild Soul Movement philosophy + methodology with Elizabeth DiAlto.

Her unique coaching style has been molded by a lifetime of self reflection + deep inner learning, enriched by a personal tarot + oracle card practice of over 30 years, and is grounded in a 17-year career in education + ed leadership and 5+ years in the online business space as an affiliate program strategy + messaging coach, asset creator + guide.

Crecia thinks you are magic in motion, and that it’s time you started acting like it ;) 

LINKS

• https://www.instagram.com/thriveandbloom/
• https://linkedin.com/in/crecia-cipriano-6899b6101/
• Oracle Cards with Mia Moran
• More on oracle cards in our Soulful Summer activity book

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action. 

Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it. 

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• CHOOSE AN ORACLE DECK. There are so many different kinds of oracle cards. They come with quotes or various kinds of artwork. They have different themes and styles. Find a deck that resonates with you. Can’t decide? Choose more than one … they will serve you at different times.
• PULL A CARD. Take a minute to get grounded and detach from what else is going on. Shuffle the deck. Pull a card. Look at it. Start with what you see without trying to attach meaning. What does it evoke in you? If you know something about symbolism you can add that in. If you choose you can read the guidebook that comes with the cards.
• TRY A SPREAD. You can do a past-present-future spread, a card a month for the next quarter, or a 5-card spread for the coming season with these questions: Where should I focus my energy in this season? What must I clear in order to grow? How can I live in alignment with the energies of this season? What should I explore? What’s waiting for me in the next season?

“Our journals are a place to really be curious, to actually discover things we don't already know, to ask powerful questions.”

–Lynda Monk

Can journaling help with burnout? Social worker and life coach Lynda Monk found that reflective practices help avoid burnout. Fortunately, she was a lifelong journaler and journaling is a reflective practice.

You don’t have to be a long-time journaler to get benefits. It took me a long time to develop my own practice, and I’m excited to get you some tools to develop yours. It’s not for everybody, but if you’re interested it can be a powerful self-care tool.

Instead of just recording what you did, try making a list of questions about your life or some aspect of your life. Then use each of these questions as a journaling prompt. Think of your journal as a means of exploration and discovery. You can also include  affirmations, intentions, gratitude, stream of consciousness writing.

We talk about: 

• What to write about — questions we have, the things that keep going around and around in our minds
• Getting clear on your why of journal because that can shape the form of your practice and your reason can motivate you
• Picking a time that feels easy — it might not be first thing in the morning — and recognize how much you can pack into a short time
• Letting go of perfectionism in our journal and in our practice
• Noticing patterns in what we write and what we can learn from that and using it as a mindfulness practice
• How to use ideas if your journal becomes a catch all

ABOUT LYNDA

Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW, CPCC, Director of The International Association of Journal Writing (IAJW.org), an inspiring membership community for journal writers worldwide, is known for her profound insights into the therapeutic and life-changing power of journaling. Through her dynamic speaking engagements and educational sessions, she inspires individuals to harness the power of writing to heal and transform their lives. Lynda is the co-editor and co-author of several books including Affirmations for Self-Love – a guided journal, The Great Book of Journaling; Transformation Journaling for Coaches, Therapists and Clients; Writing Alone Together, and she is the author of Life Source Writing™️. Lynda is Registered Social Worker and Certified Professional Life Coach, with 30+ years’ experience teaching, speaking, and coaching in the areas of burnout prevention, self-care, wellness and writing to heal. She lives with her family on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, on the West Coast of Canada, where she tries her best to write every day.

LINKS

• https://IAJW.org / https://lyndamonk.com 
• Journaling Gift: https://iajw.org/journalwriting/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iajw__/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifewritercoach
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndamonk/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAJW.org

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.

Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS. If you get stuck wondering what to write about, write a list of questions you are curious about or things that are on your mind. Then use one of those as a prompt the next time you sit down to journal.
• CHOOSE YOUR WHY. What do you hope to get out of journaling? That why may help shape what you write about or when. Use that why as a motivation when you are struggling find the time or follow through. “I’m going to journal now, because …”
• SET A TIMER. It’s amazing what you can write in 5–10 minutes. You can do it first thing in the morning or during those awkward gaps of time. Schedule 5–10 minutes or pull out your journal when you see a space like that. Set a timer, write, and when the timer goes off, let yourself be done.

“If we're gonna be creative, there needs to be space in our life.”

–Parrish Wilson

You don’t have to write or journal every day to have a regular practice, but having a practice can be extremely powerful and even healing. Writing therapist Parrish Wilson agrees with me that an every day isn’t required.

Parrish uses therapeutic writing, which is any writing that supports our mental well being. That could be many things — autobiography, memoir, poetry — but the most common form many of us are aware of is journaling.

How do we use journaling if we don’t do it every day? What does a journaling practice look like? Is there a difference between journaling on your own and journaling with a therapist? We dig into these questions.

We talk about: 

• Reasons to journal in different moods 
• Getting to know your own rhythm and flow in creating a practice and allowing writing to happen without being tied to an outcome or plan
• Expressive writing as a combination of facts and our thoughts and feelings about them
• The heal and release cycle and why you might feel worse, temporarily, after writing
• Ways to do more embodied writing
• That it’s the writing, not the therapist that does the work in writing therapy

ABOUT PARRISH

As a Writing Therapist, Parrish Wilson brings together over twenty years of experience working and writing in the field of mental health. She holds an Masters in Counselling and Spirituality, and a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing. Her studies have focused on therapeutic writing as a tool for processing trauma and emotional distress. In her work with individuals and groups, Parrish crafts transformational writing experiences leading to deep personal transformation. Writing therapy takes many forms and Parrish can support you however you are pulled to write: journaling, memoir, poetry, essay or short story. In her non-work life, she’s a mama to two neurodivergent boys and a big fan of restorative yoga, high quality tea and messy (aka loved in) houses.

LINKS

• parrishwilson.com
• Instagram: @parrishwilson
• Facebook: Parrish Wilson Creative
• Facebook group: Writing Vibes
• LinkedIn: Parrish Wilson

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action. 

Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from. 

Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation. 

• FIND YOUR WRITING FLOW. Writing first thing in the morning or writing every day might not be your thing. Experiment with when you feel in flow writing. Try creating a writing block of time each day, but realizing it might look different. Some days might be words on the page, others might be research or brainstorming or reading.
• WRITE WITHOUT LOOKING. You’ve probably heard about writing as if no one would read it. Parrish suggests looking away from your screen so that you don’t get caught up in errors or beautiful phrases. Try writing without reading as you go along or looking back at your writing.
• GET EXPRESSIVE. Write about what happened and how you felt about it. Remember that it’s normal to feel worse after writing something hard. Notice, though if you continue to spiral around it. Consider working with someone who can help you with therapeutic writing.

“The assignment is alignment. How do you come into that place of alignment for what's true for you?”

–Karen Kenney

Curiosity over check marks — spiritual mentor Karen Kenney talks about how rote activities and putting spirituality on our to do lists doesn’t work.

There’s a difference between a habit and a ritual. Karen talks about the 5 Ds of a daily spiritual practice (DSP): daily, dedication, determination, discipline, and devotion. If you’ve ever had your meditation practice turn into another to do, it’s the devotion piece you want to look at — whatever the actual practice.

There’s no one size fits all when it comes to a spiritual practice. You need to get curious about your purpose and the what and when and how that will work for you — and why.

We talk about: 

• Creating your DSP and getting curious about what works for you 
• Bookending your day with love 
• They why behind spiritual practices first thing in the morning and right before bed
• Not using spiritual practices to beat yourself up
• Growing into a practice and getting over resistance
• The effect on your nervous system

ABOUT KAREN

Karen Kenney is a certified Spiritual Mentor, Writer, Hypnotist, Integrative Change Worker and Coach. She’s known for her dynamic storytelling, her sense of humor, her Boston accent and her no-bullshit approach to Spirituality and transformational work.

She’s been a yoga teacher for 25 years, is a Certified Gateless Writing Instructor, and is also an author, speaker, retreat leader and the host of The Karen Kenney Show podcast.

A curious human being, life-long learner and an entrepreneur for 20+ years, KK brings a down-to-earth perspective to the spiritual principles and practical tools that create powerful shifts in people’s lives, relationships and businesses.

She works with people individually in her 1:1 program THE QUEST - and in her group program THE NEST.

Her approach brings together tools that coach both the conscious and unconscious mind. She combines Brain Science, Subconscious Reprogramming, Integrative Hypnosis, and Spiritual Mentorship to help clients regulate their nervous systems, remove blocks, rewrite stories, rewire beliefs, and reimagine what’s possible!

Karen wants her clients to have their own lived experience with spirituality and to not just “take her word for it”. She encourages them to discover and deepen their own personal connection to Self, Source and Spirit in tangible and actionable ways.

Her “Your Story To Your Glory” process helps people to shift their minds from an old thought system of fear to one of Love - using compassion, empirical evidence and humor, her work is effective, efficient, and wicked fun!

KK’s been a student of A Course in Miracles for 30 years, has been vegan for 20+ years, and believes that a little kindness can make a big difference.

LINKS

• https://www.karenkenney.com/
• Build Your Spiritual Team freebie: https://www.karenkenney.com/freebie
• The Karen Kenney Show Podcast: https://www.karenkenney.com/podcast
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenkenneylive/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkenneylive/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKenney

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens. 

But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum. 

Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change. 

Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation: 

• START AND END YOUR DAY WITH LOVE. Start your day with five minutes of your spiritual practice. Try this as you wake up because of the opening that phase of wake/sleep has for us. Take five compassionate minutes to look back on your day before bed.
• GET CURIOUS. Instead of putting meditation (or whatever practice) on your to do list day after day, ask yourself what this practice means or does for you. Do you like the effect it has on you? Are you doing it because somebody else told you to? Is there a different practice that would serve you better? For example, if you have trouble sitting still for meditation, would walking mediation serve you? (Note, it doesn’t have to be meditation!)
• REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE LOVE. What happens if you remind yourself that you are love every day? What if you go about removing barriers to that or to believing that?

“The more I got into it, the more I saw how the cycles of the moon are this beautiful, loving, unconditional container for us to be human.”

–Keri-Anne Livingstone

Let’s do a moon deep dive, because getting into more natural rhythms is so freeing and fascinating. I’m really excited to talk with Keri-Anne Livingstone, a clarity coach who taps into the cycles of the moon.

We focus on four cycles of the moon: the new, the waxing, the full and the waning. Keri-Anne explains the significance of each and how to make the best use of each phase. We can use each phase something different: anchoring, action, full expression, and assessing and learning.

The moon has you even if your body doesn’t cycle. So you can map your energy to the moon as a guide. And no matter where you are, you belong in whatever phase you’re in within the moon’s beautiful, cyclical, supportive container.

We talk about: 

• Slowing down and intention setting with the new moon 
• Feminine stages: maiden, mother, crone, and the often overlooked hag
• Finding full expression and connecting during the full moon
• Using the elements of earth, air, fire, and water to your benefit during different parts of the cycle
• The difference between new moon and dark moon and how to approach each
• When you are off cycle with the moon

ABOUT KERI-ANNE

Keri-Anne Livingstone is a certified Clarity Coach and emotional regulation specialist, guiding women through life's biggest challenges to have more peace, power, and presence through private coaching sessions, her online programs and Radical Acceptance Retreats held around the world. 

With over a decade of experience and a lifetime of learning, Keri-Anne is known for delivering potent insights and perspective, drawing from her deep understanding of the human experience to help clients connect to their truest selves with clarity and confidence.

Her unique and intuitive approach transcends surface-level solutions, diving deep into root causes to create lasting change. Through her expertise in somatic experiencing, compassionate inquiry, and internal family systems, Keri-Anne provides safe, brave space for fundamental shifts, healing and growth.

Clients who work with Keri-Anne experience transformative outcomes, including a significant increase in confidence and self-awareness, a regulated nervous system, reconciliation of toxic patterns and relationships, healing from trauma, and experiencing a profound sense of trust and peace within themselves. 

Her commitment to creating a safe, sovereign, and supportive process to explore and grow, ensures women feel empowered to reclaim their power, rewrite their story, speak their truth and live life on their own terms, unapologetically.

Whether it's anchoring yourself to weather a storm, rewriting your story, or daring to disrupt the status quo, Keri-Anne is here to see and celebrate you every step of the way.

LINKS

• www.keriannelivingstone.com
• Download Align with your Mojo with the Moon Cheat Sheet
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keriannelivingstone
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daringtosuck
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/keri.anne.livingstone/
• Podcast: https://www.keriannelivingstone.com/podcast/

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action. 

Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it. 

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• ANCHOR DURING THE NEW MOON. Identify when the next new moon is. Remember this is a time to rest and go inward. What can you cancel or shift to give yourself more rest? Can you get quiet and hear your intuition? If building in more rest for the next new moon feels stressful, try shifting your schedule now for the new moon after that.
• PLAN A MONTH AROUND THE MOON CYCLES. Remember that the four moon phases follow these purposes: anchoring, action, full expression, and assessing and learning. Take a look at your plan for the month. What can you shift fo fit that schedule better? For example if your busiest week is the new moon, can you move some things? Can you take more action during the waxing stage? Can you launch or go live during the full moon?
• REFLECT AND LEARN. Just as we need rest periods, we need time to notice, reflect on, and examine what we did and learned During the first three weeks of the cycle. During the waning moon, take some time to journal. Ask yourself: What’s changed? How am I different?

“If we take away the idea of 24 hours, and instead put in the idea of a 28-day cycle, which is our feminine cycle, time expands.”

–Dr. Aumatma

Stop trying to get it all done in a day! Women are meant to work on a 28-day cycle, not a 24-hour, testosterone cycle. I’m really excited to talk with Dr. Aumatma Simmons about getting to know the moon, our cycles, and how thinking about time from a feminine perspective can change everything.

Dr. Aumatma is a naturopathic endocrinologist focused on fertility. She’s found fertility issues stemming from an imbalance in masculine and feminine energy. Things shift in all areas when women step into their feminine power.

To do that, we shift to a 28-day cycle. If you are menstruating, it’s your feminine cycle. If you aren’t (or if you are in the place where things are unpredictable, like me), you sync to the moon.

We talk about: 

• Why you may struggle with doing things you want in your life the same way every day
• How to use your cycle to get more done
• When to focus inward
• Wanting to stay on the high energy, but needing the period of rejuvenation in our cycle, and the effects of not filling our cup during our menstrual cycle
• What to do if you cycle is determined by medication or is in flux and how to sync to the moon
• Women receiving more than giving

ABOUT DR. AUMATMA

Dr. Aumatma is a double board-certified Naturopathic Endocrinologist, in practice for close to 20 years. Dr. Aumatma founded the Holistic Fertility Institute to support badass power couples to create the family of their dreams and to train doctors who want to specialize in fertility. She is the best-selling author of "Fertility Secrets: What Your Doctor Didn't Tell You About Baby-Making.” She is on a mission to help bring healthier babies into the world by creating healthier parents and a healthier planet. To expand that mission, Dr. Aumatma co-founded Madre Fertility, a smart fertility analysis that individualizes people's fertility journey through diet, lifestyle, and supplements, based on key data. Dr. Aumatma has been featured on ABC, FOX, CBS, KTLA, MindBodyGreen, and The Bump as the Holistic Fertility Expert. Reach out to work/ train with Dr Aumatma: IG/TikTok @holisticfertilitydoctor or www.holisticfertilityinstitute.com

LINKS

• www.holisticfertilityinstitute.com
• Instagram: @holisticfertilitydoctor
• Tiktok: @holisticfertilitydoctor
• Soulful Summer Activity book — with moon/cycle tracker

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action. 

Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it — and remember it might not look the same day to day through your cycle. 

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• TRACK YOUR CYCLE OR THE MOON. Start tracking your cycle. If you don’t have a menstrual cycle or it is not predictable, start tracking the moon. Track your energy with your menstrual or moon cycle. (You can find a tracker with ideas for playing detective in the Soulful Summer Activity book linked above.) If you already track, start shifting things to better use your energy.
• PRACTICE RECEIVING. Women often give, give, give to the point of burnout, but we need to receive. Practice saying yes when somebody offers to help you or do something for you. Practice asking people to do things for you.
• REST AND RECHARGE. Try easing back during menstruation or the new moon. Reschedule things. Skip a workout if you aren’t feeling it or do something lighter. Give in to more rest. See what happens when you rest and restore during this time instead of pushing through.

“We don't have to feel shame about some of those ways that we react.”

–Heidi Fischbach

Stuck at 11 all the time? Overreactive? Think rest is a dirty word? This conversation about our nervous system  with nervous system coach Heidi Fischbach is for you. She helps people feel at home in their bodies and go from anxiety and overwhelm and shut down to authentic connection.

This is one of my favorite topics — one I’ve been working on myself for a while now — and I’m excited to help you get started or make a plan to move forward with nervous system work. Our nervous system connects our bodies, minds, and emotions — and impacts our relationships.

One of the things I love about nervous system resetting is that it doesn’t have to take years to undo something. As Heidi says, our bodies are good at being in the now. We can make a body-based shift that changes a lot.

We talk about: 

• Different states of our nervous system — and what happens when we get stuck in one
• Burnout and learning that rest isn’t a dirty word
• Defensiveness as a sign we don’t feel safe and why we need an embodied sense of safety
• What happens when you can’t trust your body
• Not making change, but making change possible
• Shifting from “what’s wrong with me” to friendly awareness

Bonus: Nervous System Exercise with Kelly Lubeck

We do regular nervous system regulation in FLOW365, and we’ve include an exercise with our teacher Kelly Lubeck.

ABOUT HEIDI

Heidi Fischbach is a nervous system coach and an award-winning (featured) speaker who has facilitated body-based transformation and healing for tens of hundreds of clients and students.

Heidi has developed a unique science-backed and body-based program to help her clients reset stress- and trauma-based patterns of coping so that they can feel safe and at home in their bodies and meaningfully connected to themselves and what matters to them.

Heidi brings decades of therapeutic massage and Focusing experience, which she combines with a Polyvagal Theory-informed understanding of the nervous system. As a result of Heidi’s Nervous System Reset Program, women are able to lay down new neural pathways which allow them to transform anxiety into calm and meaningful connection.

ABOUT KELLY

Kelly Lubeck, MPH, is passionate about changing the world for the better, through individual and community-level healing programs that inspire wellness, health and soul- centered, embodied leadership. Kelly guides changemakers and leaders to heal their individual nervous systems and release self- defeating patterns of self-sacrifice and overgiving in their work and relationships that lead to burnout, anxiety and illness. Kelly is currently a teacher in FLOW365.

LINKS

• https://heidifischbach.com/
• 5 Steps Back to Calm
• https://www.youtube.com/@Heidistable
• ReadySetPause Facebook group
• FLOW365

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.

Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU FEEL UNSAFE. Even when we can rationalize that we are safe, we don’t always feel safe. There are exercises you can do to help you feel more safe. For your first step, practice noticing when you feel unsafe. Some hints may be defensiveness, tension in different parts of your body, being overly calm, tamping down things you want to say.
• PRACTICE FRIENDLY AWARENESS. The next time you find yourself asking “What’s wrong with me?” practice friendly awareness. Notice what’s happening around you. Notice what’s happening in your body. Maybe ask yourself, “What’s wrong, honey?”
• RESET YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM. There are many ways to reset or regulate our nervous system. We do this work regularly in FLOW365, because it’s so important for health and also improves our productivity. Try the exercise Kelly shares. This isn’t a one and done practice. Schedule time to do it throughout the week.

“Remembering the childlike joy and wonder of connecting to color on the page is a great first step for anyone, even if you've never tried art journaling.”

–Minette Riordan

Journaler or not a journaler? Whichever camp you fall into, check out art journaling. It might be the kind of journaling you’re into. It might be the door to your purpose or new insights

I’m talking to creative mentor and artist Dr. Minette Riordan as part of our Summer Soul Series. We're looking at different tools to help us be more fulfilled humans at a stage when we're looking for a lot of meaning. Art journaling has potential to open our understanding — and we deserve to have fun!

We start with this definition of art journaling (there are others): a creative practice and process of self discovery and meeting yourself on the page such that the page becomes a mirror that reflects your inner beauty back at you. It’s not just for people who think of themselves as artists; it’s for everybody.

We talk about: 

• Getting past our creative scars and reconnecting with our younger creative self — and the sensory details of crayons and other tools
• Using art journaling to bring curiosity, wonder, and play into questions like who am I? and why are we here? 
• The power of a page of spirals and making meaningful pages without worrying about them being pretty
• Don’t get too precious with supplies or too attached to your journal
• Befriending (or even drawing) your inner critic
• What we can learn about ourselves through this process

ABOUT MINETTE

Award-Winning Entrepreneur and Best-Selling Author, Dr. Minette Riordan is a creative mentor and artist with close to 20 years experience guiding others to live their best lives. She loves supporting midlife women to reclaim their creative brilliance and design a meaningful and purposeful vision for their lives. Her mission is to empower women to share their creative light with the world. She believes that when we are all working in our creative genius, we can solve all the world’s problems. She is an artist, author of 3 books and creative spirit who is a wee bit obsessed with coffee and dragons.

LINKS

• www.minetteriordan.com
• https://www.minetteriordan.com/quiz 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drminetteriordan/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drminetteriordan
• The Power of Habit
• Your Brain on Art

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens. And action can be fun!

Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life. 

Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation: 

• GET SUPPLIES. You don’t need fancy art supplies to start. Go on a scavenger hunt in your house. Gather art supplies left from your kids or grandkids or a past hobby. Gather old magazines, scissors, and glue sticks for collage. Or go to the children’s section of the store and get a cheap drawing pad, some crayons and markers.
• MAKE A 15-MINUTE ART JOURNAL DATE. Schedule 15 minutes for your art journal. Tie it to a habit you already have — do it with your coffee first thing or add it to your morning routine. Schedule 15 minutes at the end of your lunch. Set your materials out. Set a reminder. Show up for yourself.
• ASK WHAT DO I NEED TODAY. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. Start with a prompt or question, like What do I need today? Don’t overthink. Just start putting color or image on the page. Add words if they come to you. Remember, you aren’t trying to create a pretty page, but a meaningful one. When you are done, ask yourself what the page tells you.

“When we're present, we know what we want. We know how to get it.”

–Christina Granahan

Let’s dig deeper into the Enneagram. Last week we got the basics on the Enneagram, and today I’m really excited to share more in this conversation with Enneagram-informed Therapist and Coach Christina Granahan to help you really use your Enneagram.

If you’ve looked at your Enneagram at all, you probably know your type or number, but do you know about energy centers? Christina shares the three main energy centers — body, heart, head — and how an imbalance can affect us.

When we get all three of our energy centers on board, we are more present. The Enneagram is one of many modalities that can help us come into presence and make change in our life through being present.

We talk about: 

• Triads and which energy centers different triads are often weak in
• Cancel culture and forgetting the head center
• Questions different types should ask themselves to balance their energy centers
• Holding your type tightly and loosely 
• Shadow work and shining light on the parts of us we hide or don’t see
• Finding more energy or right-sizing your energy by doing Enneagram work

ABOUT CHRISTINA

I’m an Enneagram-Informed Therapist & Coach. As a social worker and coach, every single question I ask is in service of the client's agenda - moving them forward into action while building their awareness around what motivates them, what holds them back, and what choices they make in their perceptions and assumptions about the people and situations around them.

I use the Enneagram to do this work because it is the most efficient, accurate framework for bringing consciousness to unconscious behavior. By illuminating and objectifying aspects of our lives, we are better able to bring change and choice to them. The Enneagram shines a light on the personality and all the habits therein, to allow you to work with them.

LINKS

• Website: https://christinagranahan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/granahancoaching/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinagranahan/
• Enneagram and Conscious Living
• Enneagram 101 with Kelly Travis
• Enneagram Institute for RHETI Enneagram test: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
• The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Russ Hudson and Don Riso
• Enneagram Made Easy by Deborah Egerton

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.

Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• TAKE THE ENNEAGRAM TEST. The best starting place with the Enneagram is taking a test to find out your type and wings. You don’t want a quick 10-question test. You want a recommended version. When you take it, don't overthink the questions, just answer. Don’t spend too much time in your head. Remember to hold your results lightly and loosely.
• LEARN ABOUT YOUR ENERGY CENTER. If you’ve learned about your type, now try learning about your energy center. Which energy center is least active for you? Take a step — awareness might be the first one — to get that energy center more on board.
• NOTICE WHEN YOU’RE DOING THAT THING AGAIN. Of of the things the Enneagram does is point out things about ourselves that we may want to admit are part of ourselves. First, remind yourself that whatever it is, is part of you, but not the whole you. Acknowledge when you are “doing the thing again.” That awareness is the start of a shift.

“The Enneagram gives you a roadmap into “how do I grow?”

–Kelly Travis

We all have different core motivations — and the Enneagram lets us understand ourselves and others better. We’re doing an intro to  the Enneagram with Kelly Travis, a wellness and career coach and certified Enneagram practitioner.

The Enneagram is one of the tools you can use to become more you and to navigate the world in a way that is more authentic. It’s another way to slow down and connect with your center.

The Enneagram shows us the good and bad sides of our types — or to put it another way how our type helps us and how it can hold us back if we aren’t aware and don’t adjust.

We talk about: 

• how our core motivations mix with our thinking, feeling, and action centers to create our type
• an overview of the 9 core types
• recognizing ourselves — strengths and struggles — in our types
• our wings and lines creating a picture of potential for us
• how the Enneagram can help us understand conflict and team dynamics
• advice for completing the Enneagram test and reading your results

ABOUT KELLY

Kelly Travis leverages her skill set as a wellness and career coach, organizational facilitator, speaker, and certified Enneagram practitioner to help clients achieve their professional goals – whether as individuals, teams, or organizations. Kelly is a wellbeing and work expert, dedicated to helping clients create productive and meaningful work cultures while also prioritizing employee wellbeing. Her strengths include relationship building, team motivation, and leadership development at all levels. Kelly also works with individuals ranging from high-level executives and business owners to rising stars, providing coaching in areas such as health and wellbeing, emotional intelligence, professional growth, healthy leadership, and team development initiatives. As an accredited Integrative Enneagram practitioner with a Bachelor's of Science in Public Health Education and Promotion, and certification as a Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Kelly has the expertise to help you achieve your goals while staying healthy and balanced. Kelly's passion for aligning goal achievement with wellbeing began in college, where she captained the UNC-Charlotte cross country team as a collegiate All-American runner. Kelly has worked with prominent clients such as NASA, Dropbox, Nevada State Bank, and many others, helping them create thriving and collaborative work environments

LINKS

• www.kellytravis.net
• The Enneagram Effect podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withkellytravis/

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.

Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• TAKE THE ENNEAGRAM TEST. The best starting place with the Enneagram is taking a test to find out your type and wings. You don’t want a quick 10-question test. You want a recommended version. When you take it, don't overthink the questions, just answer. Don’t spend too much time in your head.
• LEARN ABOUT YOUR TYPE. When you get your results, read about your type and other information. Start with the report from the test itself. Want to go deeper? You can schedule time (set a timer) to research more — it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole, so put a container around it for yourself. And don't be surprised if there's a little bit of ickiness. Part of the Enneagram is learning to look at our full self with clear eyes. Understanding the things that feel like flaws or drawbacks is just information we can use.
• NOTICE HOW YOU SHOW UP. Once you have this information, notice how you show up. Start by noticing. It may point to strengths you can lean into more. It may also point to areas you may want to work to shift‚ not to be less you, but to work more effectively and authentically.