Positively Anti-Inflammatory

241. This week I introduce you to my friend Cindy Im, a New York–based actor who, after decades of navigating the ups and downs of a performing career, made the courageous decision to pivot into becoming a Pilates instructor. In our conversation, Cindy shares what initially drew her to acting, how she discovered a love for fitness and movement, and how Pilates not only eliminated her chronic back pain but ultimately opened a new path forward. Tune in as we talk about navigating major life transitions in midlife, the grief and growth that come with shifting identities, and how our relationships with our bodies and strength continue to evolve.

AND.....

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"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

240. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of August as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar. 

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

239. Join me this week as I reflect on a powerful affirmation from Louise Hay: “It is natural for me to be healthy. It is my birthright to feel good.” But do we truly believe that? What does it mean to feel good, in our bodies, minds, and spirits, especially in a world where many people don’t? And how do we reclaim health as something natural and innate? This episode is a gentle invitation to reconnect with your natural state of vitality, question the limiting beliefs you’ve inherited, and consider that yes, feeling good and healthy might not only be possible, but your birthright.

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

238. Tune in this week as I share my heartfelt reflections from a transformative and life-affirming weekend: my trip to Davenport, Iowa, to perform at the grand opening of the Ecdysiast Art Museum, a one of a kind burlesque museum and performance venue. From reconnecting with old friends to meeting new ones, performing, and teaching, it was a weekend where I felt nourished, connected, and truly alive in my body. I also revisit journal prompts from a past episode, “What Nourishes Your Soul,” inviting you to reflect on what makes you feel most alive.

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

237. This week, I’m reflecting on two powerful affirmations from Louise Hay—one centered on connection with others, and the other on the beauty of being your own best friend. We often think of friendship as something external, but true connection begins within. In this episode, I explore how nourishing solitude can inspire a deeper relationship with yourself—and in turn, allow you to show up more openly and generously in your friendships with others. I’ll share personal insights, journal prompts, and ways to strike a meaningful balance between togetherness and self-nourishment. Whether you’re craving more intimacy with others or seeking peace in your own company, this episode invites you to consider: What kind of friendship are you creating with yourself?

Click here for the Journal Prompt Worksheet. 

~ ~ > A new way to work with me! The 5 Session Focus Series. ~ ~ < 

Email [email protected] with "Tell me more" and I'll send you the details.

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

236. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of July as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar. 

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

235. Who do you consider a lifelong friend? Someone you’ve known for decades? A newer friend you feel deeply bonded to? In the final episode of The Heart of Friendship series—celebrating connection, sisterhood, and shared growth—I chat with my dear friend Michelle, who I’ve been friends with since we were 16, for a heartfelt, funny, and honest conversation about what it means to grow up and older together. We share behind-the-scenes stories from our wild days in our 20s (like lying to our moms and driving 27 hours from Minneapolis to New Orleans for Mardi Gras just to follow a boy), reflect on how we’ve changed (and stayed the same), and and talk candidly about navigating our 50s without children—making peace with that, and what it’s meant for our lives and friendship. Through laughter, love, and deep appreciation, we explore what it really means to keep showing up for each other over decades. This one’s for anyone who knows the beauty—and the sacredness—of a friendship that lasts a lifetime. 

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

234. I’m honored to welcome back my dear friend Laura Libby (aka Ophelia Flame) for part three of my four-part series The Heart of Friendship, where we explore how connection, sisterhood, and friendship evolve through life’s big transitions. Last week, we shared the story of our friendship — from burlesque to beyond the stage. This week, Laura opens up about her journey through perimenopause and menopause — how it shook her, shaped her, and inspired her to become a menopause support specialist. She shares how aging reveals new layers of body wisdom, and why reclaiming joy in midlife is a radical act of healing. It’s a powerful, vulnerable conversation about honoring your body and finding meaning through transformation.

Embodied Artist, Creative Healer & Empowerment Guide, Laura Libby is a multifaceted wellness expert. 

As a yoga and group fitness instructor, meditation leader, massage therapist, menopause support specialist, and certified sound healer, Laura brings decades of experience in movement, mindfulness, and creative expression. As the founder of BloomingThirdAge.com, she is dedicated to helping people embrace middle life transitions with strength, joy, and radical self-acceptance.

Laura offers workshops, special events, and 1:1 coaching to support individuals in navigating life’s shifts with confidence and curiosity. Whether guiding a group through movement and meditation, leading immersive retreats, or working privately with clients, she creates spaces that invite deep transformation, creative exploration, meaningful connection and unapologetic joy.

• Follow Laura on Instagram
• Join Laura's Wise Women Rising Facebook Group

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

233. Welcome to week two in my four-part series The Heart of Friendship, where we explore how connection, sisterhood, and shared growth shape our lives and become essential parts of living a meaningful, wholehearted life. This week I introduce you to my amazing friend Ophelia Flame, also known as Laura Libby, who I met through burlesque, but our friendship has deepened far beyond the stage. Listen in as we talk about how we became friends, the evolution of our relationship through performance, health challenges like Bell’s palsy and Rheumatoid Arthritis, and what it means to be fully seen and supported in friendship. 

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!

232. Tune in this week for the first interview in my four-part series The Heart of Friendship, where we explore how connection, sisterhood, and shared growth shape our lives and become essential parts of living a meaningful, wholehearted life.

This episode features my dear friend and burlesque dance partner of 21 years, Darlinda Just Darlinda (yes, that’s her name!). We dive into the story of how we met, what it’s been like to perform together for over two decades as The Schlep Sisters, and how touring the world, traveling side by side, and sharing the stage has shaped our friendship.

We also reflect on how we’ve supported each other through the highs and lows—navigating health challenges, evolving as artists and women, and truly growing up together in the glitter and grit of showgirl life. It’s a joyful, real, and deeply loving conversation.

AND.....

If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support. 

"Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here. ​

As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing positively anti-inflammatory to life which is here to help support you on your journey. Thank you!