What if the key to healing, manifesting, and feeling like yourself again was already built into your body?

This week Lisa and Desi welcome another guest — Gigi, registered nurse, neurosomatic practitioner, and founder of The Cyclical Women. Gigi is on a mission to help women stop fighting their bodies and start trusting them — through cycle awareness, nervous system regulation, and simple daily rituals that actually work.

And her story? It's one of the most raw, real, and inspiring ones they've had on the show yet.

In this episode:

• How postpartum anxiety became the breaking point that changed everything
• The breath work session that cracked her open — and led her to kundalini
• How her husband's comment about tampons and tennis sparked her entire mission
• The four phases of your cycle explained — what's actually happening hormonally and energetically in each one
• Why your nervous system is the conductor of your entire hormonal show
• How tracking your cycle for just a few months can completely change your relationships, your moods, and your life
• The luteal rage that was destroying her marriage — and how cycle awareness made it stop
• Why your healing journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's
• Gigi's Big Womb Energy 11-day challenge — and how it activates the lower three chakras for confidence, creativity, and safety in your body

This is the conversation every woman deserves to have — and probably never got growing up.

🎙️ Real Talk Real Healing with Lisa & Desi ft. Gigi of The Cyclical Women

🩸 Your Cycle Explained — The Four Phases

Menstrual (Inner Winter):

• All hormones at their lowest
• A time of quiet, rest, and inward focus
• Less hormonal noise — actually a clarifying time

Follicular (Inner Spring):

• Estrogen and FSH begin to rise
• Energy comes back online — you like people again
• Creative, social, beginning to feel yourself

Ovulatory (Inner Summer):

• Estrogen peaks — voice becomes more sultry, energy is magnetic
• Testosterone rises — motivation and drive are high
• The shortest phase: only about 4 days (48 hours of true peak)
• After ovulation, estrogen takes a nosedive — like the party girl leaving the party

Luteal (Inner Autumn):

• Progesterone comes online — calm, nesting, organizing energy
• BUT: when cortisol is chronically high (which it is for most women) progesterone gets bullied and can't do its job
• Result: PMS, rage, mood swings, depletion, feeling unlike yourself
• The nervous system is the conductor — regulate it and the whole hormonal orchestra plays better

🧠 The Nervous System & Your Hormones

• The nervous system is the conductor — hormones are the instruments
• A dysregulated nervous system = cortisol overload = progesterone suppression = PMS symptoms
• Practices like kundalini, Kriyas, and somatic work set a new nervous system baseline
• When cortisol goes down, oxytocin goes up — and everything else follows
• Gigi shares how her previously severe luteal rage (divorce papers level) is now gone — through nervous system work and cycle awareness

📓 How to Start Tracking Your Cycle
Gigi's simple daily practice:

1. Note your cycle day (Day 1 = first day of full bleed, not spotting)
2. Track your most prominent mood
3. Track your energy level
4. Note any physical symptoms — cramps, headaches, breast tenderness, cervical mucus

After 2-3 cycles you'll start to see solid patterns — and you can begin to support yourself proactively instead of being blindsided every month

Shadow Stalking the Luteal Phase:

• Notice when PMS symptoms or mood shifts consistently appear
• Ask what's coming up and why
• Support yourself through that phase instead of pushing through

About Gigi & Her Programs:

🌀 Big Womb Energy — 11-Day Practice Challenge - link here 

• Starts October 1st
• Activates the lower three chakras: root (safety), sacral (creativity and flow), and solar plexus (self-sourced power)
• Uses kundalini and energy practices to regulate the nervous system and awaken your most expressed self
• Past participants have healed chronic back pain, called in desires, felt more regulated and confident, and had people notice a visible shift in their energy
• Perfect entry point for women new to this work

📚 The Cyclical Women Collective — Free Facebook Group - click here

• Monthly masterclasses including Divine Desire: How to Manifest Using the Power of Your Menstrual Cycle
• Community space for women to share and support each other

Gigi also works with women who have irregular cycles, are on birth control, have had hysterectomies, or are navigating perimenopause and menopause

Connect With Gigi:

• 📲 Instagram: @gloflo.withgigi
• 👥 Facebook Group: The Cyclical Women Collective
• 🔥 Big Womb Energy Challenge — starts October 1st (click here)

Connect With Us:

• 📲 Instagram: @RealTalkRealHealingPodcast
• 💬 DM us — what landed most for you from this episode?
• 🎥 YouTube: Real Talk Real Healing

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Money is never just about money.

In this episode, Lisa and Desi get real about their own relationships with money, the beliefs they inherited growing up, and how those stories still show up today in spending, saving, avoiding, receiving, and investing in themselves.

We’re talking about the fear that comes up when you spend money on yourself, why investing in your growth can feel so much scarier than spending on something familiar, and how to start separating what you actually believe from the money stories you were handed.

This isn't about spending money you don't have or pretending financial responsibilities don't exist. It's about getting curious about what’s underneath your financial decisions and learning to make them from your own values instead of fear.

In this episode:

•  The childhood money stories Lisa and Desi are still unraveling 
•  Scarcity, avoidance, guilt, and fear around money 
•  Why spending on yourself can feel harder than spending on everyone else 
•  What it actually means to “bet on yourself” 
•  Fear vs. intuition when making an investment 
•  Why worthiness and money can become so intertwined 
•  Shifting “I can't afford it” into more intentional money language 
•  Simple ways to become more conscious of how you spend, save, and receive 

Key Questions to Sit With:

•  What did I learn about money growing up? 
•  Whose money beliefs am I still carrying? 
•  What emotions come up when I spend money on myself? 
•  Am I saying no because it isn't right for me, or because I'm afraid? 
•  What do I actually value enough to invest my time, energy, and money into?

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Our very first guest is here. 🥹

In this episode, Lisa and Desi sit down with Elyse Berendson for a real conversation about divorce, motherhood, sobriety, relationships, and rebuilding your life when the version you thought you were supposed to have falls apart.

Elyse shares how she went from checking all the boxes  career, marriage, house, motherhood while still feeling numb, to walking away from an unhealthy relationship and discovering healing in a completely new way.

We talk about breathwork, starting over, losing friendships as you change, dating after divorce, learning to be alone, and realizing that healing isn't about reaching some perfectly "healed" destination.

In this episode:

• The moment Elyse realized something had to change
• Recognizing unhealthy relationship patterns
• How breathwork became a major turning point in her healing
• Choosing sobriety and outgrowing parts of her old life
• Losing relationships and finding a new community
• Dating after divorce and refusing to settle
• Learning to recognize triggers without judging yourself
• Why healing looks different for everyone

Sometimes the life that falls apart is the one that leads you back to yourself.

🎙️ Real Talk Real Healing with Lisa & Desi

Connect with Elise:

Find Elyse, her work, and everything mentioned in this episode through these links 

https://www.instagram.com/elyseberendson

https://stan.store/elyseberendson

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This one has been a long time coming.

In this episode Lisa and Desi are getting real about their relationship with alcohol — the blackout years, the pandemic drinking, the liquid courage, the wine culture, the morning-after regret — and the slow, natural shift toward something more aligned.

This isn't an episode telling you to stop drinking. There's no judgment here. This is an invitation to get curious about why you drink, what need you're actually trying to meet, and whether the choice is genuinely yours — or just autopilot.

Because alcohol isn't the only thing this episode is about. Whether your vice is scrolling, food, cannabis, shopping, or avoiding — the question underneath it all is the same: what emotion are you trying not to feel?

In this episode:

• Lisa and Desi's honest, personal histories with alcohol — from blackout nights to conscious sobriety
• Why our generation was practically programmed to drink — and what's finally shifting
• The difference between consciously choosing a drink and just reaching for one on autopilot
• Why alcohol and other vices are actually distance from uncomfortable emotions
• Practical tools to become more conscious and intentional — before, during, and after drinking
• How to find other ways to meet the need alcohol was filling

A simple practice for next time:

• Before: What am I feeling? What do I actually need?
• During: Am I genuinely enjoying this or trying to change how I feel?
• After: How do I feel physically, emotionally, and energetically?

No shame. No labels. Just awareness — and the conscious choice to say yes to yourself.

🎙️ Real Talk Real Healing with Lisa & Desi

Key Questions to Sit With:

• How often do I drink without even questioning the decision?
• What emotions or situations make me want to reach for the thing?
• What am I hoping it will change or bring me?
• If alcohol wasn't available tonight, what emotion would I actually have to sit with?
• What does my body actually need right now?
• What am I saying yes to — and what am I saying no to?

Important Note:
This episode approaches alcohol and substances from a place of curiosity and consciousness — not shame, labels, or ultimatums. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please seek professional support. Lisa and Desi are available to help point you in the right direction. 

Tools & Resources Mentioned:

• 🧠 EFT Tapping — for working through urges and getting to the root emotion
• 💊 Ketamine therapy — Desi's experience using it intentionally to shift her relationship with alcohol
• 📱 Opal App — free app to block social media and create conscious boundaries around scrolling
• 🌀 Lisa's Instant Shift — 5-week live program with breathwork, meditation, and somatic practices. DM Lisa to join the next round starting now!
• 🌸 Desi's Inner Child Haven — 14-week signature program. Waitlist open. DM Desi for details

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What if the situation isn't actually the problem?

What if it's the meaning you're giving it — in the first five seconds after it happens — that's creating all the pain?

In this episode Lisa and Desi are diving into one of the most practical and powerful topics they've covered yet: how to shift your perspective when life feels like it's going sideways. And spoiler — it has a lot less to do with toxic positivity and a lot more to do with getting honest about the story you're telling yourself.

In this episode:

• Why the same situation can feel completely different depending on where you are emotionally, hormonally, and energetically
• How your menstrual cycle is directly affecting your perspective — and what to do about it in each phase
• The 3D, 4D & 5D framework for shifting out of survival mode and into your soul's perspective
• Why "rejection is protection" — and how to actually believe it in the moment
• The difference between surrendering and giving up — and why surrender creates more space for magic
• The BTFAR framework: Beliefs → Thoughts → Feelings → Actions → Results — and how to reverse engineer your life with it
• How to stop controlling the outcome and start co-creating with the universe
• Why "everything happens for a reason" doesn't always land — and what to say instead
• Practical reframes for when nothing feels like it's working
• How to pause before you react — and why that pause changes everything

Reflection Questions from this episode:

1. What actually happened — and what am I making it mean?
2. Do I actually know that the story I'm telling is true?
3. What am I trying to control right now?
4. What else could be true about this situation?
5. How would I respond if I trusted that this part of my life could be easy?

This episode is a permission slip to stop spiraling, start observing, and choose a different perspective — one small reframe at a time.

🎙️ Real Talk Real Healing with Lisa & Desi

Tools & Resources Mentioned:

• 🌀 Lisa's Instant Shift — 5-week live program with breathwork, meditation, and Kriya practices to regulate your nervous system and shift your energy. Next round starts August 31st. DM Lisa to join
• 🌸 Desi's Inner Child Haven — 14-week signature program. The BTFAR framework is used in one of the healing eras. Waitlist open now. DM Desi for details
• 🔮 Astrology and moon tracking as tools for emotional awareness — listen to Lisa's solo astrology episode for more

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We're doing something a little different this week — and honestly? It was so much fun!!

Lisa and Desi are back with a 'hot takes' episode, rating real-life friendship and relationship scenarios as red flags 🚩 green flags 💚 or yellow flags 🟡 — and as always, keeping it real about what these things actually look like when you're on a healing journey.

From the friend who gets weird every time something good happens to you, to your partner asking for space during an argument — some of these are clear cut, some are more nuanced than you'd think, and all of them are conversations worth having.

The real talk? Most of these come down to one thing — the willingness to have uncomfortable conversations. And on a healing journey, that skill changes everything.

Drop a 🚩 💚 or 🟡 on our Instagram when this episode drops and let us know which ones you agreed or disagreed with — we want to hear from you!

🎙️ Real Talk Real Healing with Lisa & Desi

Reflection Questions:

• Where am I avoiding a difficult conversation right now?
• Am I making something mean more than it actually does?
• Which of these flags showed up most in my own life?

Connect With Us:

• 📲 Instagram: @RealTalkRealHealingPodcast — we're posting these scenarios on our stories, drop your flag in the comments
• 🎥 Watching on YouTube? Like, share, comment and tell us which flag hit home the most
• 💬 Want us to do another hot takes episode? Let us know!
• ⭐ Leave us a review 

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You're not bad at manifesting. You're just manifesting from the wrong energy.

In this episode Lisa and Desi are diving deep into one of their favorite topics — and one of the most misunderstood. Manifestation isn't about thinking positive thoughts or writing things down on a vision board. It's about the energy, frequency, and identity you're actually living from every single day.

And if there's a gap between what you say you want and what keeps showing up in your life? This episode is going to show you exactly where to look.

In this episode:

• Why everything carries energy — and how you're feeling it before you even understand it
• The Map of Consciousness by David Hawkins and using it to understand your frequency
• Why you can't spiritually bypass your way to a higher vibration 
• How to actually raise your energy: breathwork, movement, crying, shaking, nature, laughter and play
• The war on your attention — and why what you consume every day is programming you
• The real blocks stopping you from receiving (unworthiness, fear of being seen, hyper-independence, believing receiving has to be earned, and more)
• Why your inner child beliefs around money, love, and safety are running your manifestations
• Strive and surrender — what it actually means to let go without giving up
• The 8/8 Lion's Gate portal practice below
• Leo season and Jupiter in Leo — what this could mean for you (look at IG for your Rising sign!)
• How to become the version of you that can actually receive what you're calling in
• Lisa's Instant Shift program and what Kriyas are — and why they work

8/8 Portal Practice:

1. 8 things you're ready to let go of
2. 8 areas you're ready to declutter
3. 8 things you're calling in — your big, specific dreams
4. 8 action steps you're going to take to meet those desires

Reflection Questions:

• What am I giving most of my attention to right now?
• Am I genuinely aligned with what I say I want — or am I forcing positivity over unhealed wounds?
• How safe does my body actually feel receiving what I'm asking for?

This episode is a permission slip to stop forcing, start feeling, and finally become the version of you that's ready to receive.

🎙️ Real Talk Real Healing with Lisa & Desi

Tools & Resources Mentioned:

• 📖 The Map of Consciousness by David Hawkins (click here)
• 📖 The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
• 📱 Opal App — free app to block social media and set boundaries around screen time
• 📱 Insight Timer — free meditation and breathwork app
• 📚 Desi's Energy Leaks Ebook — four ways to identify and shift where your energy is going. DM Desi to grab it
• 🌀 Lisa's Instant Shift — 5-week live program with weekly breathwork, meditation, and Kriya practices, plus a mini birth chart reading. DM Lisa to join the next round
• 🔮 Lisa's new 1:1 container combining astrology and kundalini practices — DM Lisa to learn more

Connect With Us:

• 📲 Instagram: @RealTalkRealHealingPodcast
• 💬 DM us what you're calling in during the 8/8 portal — we want to celebrate with you
• ⭐ Leave us a review 

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Before the podcast, before the programs, before any of it — there was a decision.

A scary, expensive, what-am-I-doing decision that neither of us fully understood at the time. But it changed everything.

In this episode Lisa and Desi are pulling back the curtain and sharing the real story of how they found life coaching, what their lives looked like before it, how they met each other, and what finally led them to create Real Talk Real Healing together.

This one is personal. Raw. And exactly the kind of conversation they created this podcast for.

In this episode:

• What life looked like for both Lisa and Desi before they found coaching
• How they both stumbled across the same mentor and ended up in the same certification without knowing each other
• The big investment that changed everything — and the fear that almost stopped them
• What surprised them most about the certification (hint: it wasn't what they signed up for)
• How they met in person, lost touch, and found their way back to each other
• Imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and the real challenges of starting out as coaches
• What people assume about coaches and healers that isn't true
• What they'd tell their younger selves if they could go back

No highlight reel here. Just two women who said yes to themselves before they were ready — and never looked back.

🎙️ Real Talk Real Healing with Lisa & Desi

Mentioned in This Episode:

• 👩‍💼 Angie Lee — women's empowerment coach who introduced both Lisa & Desi to the coaching world
• 🌿 Samantha Skelly — founder of Hungry for Happiness, (now Pause Breathwork) their original life coaching certification mentor
• 📖 The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks — referenced for the upper limit concept
• 🌀 Lisa's Instant Shift — 5-week beta program, limited spots available. DM Lisa to learn more, next round happening soon!
• 🌸 Desi's Inner Child Haven — 14-week signature program. Waitlist now open. DM Desi for details
• Connect With Us:
  • 📲 Instagram: @RealTalkRealHealingPodcast
  • 💬 Head to our stories on the day this episode drops — we're doing a Q&A so you can ask us anything about our stories

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Healing doesn't just change your friendships. It changes how you show up inside of them.

Maybe you've started setting boundaries, speaking up for yourself, or realizing you no longer want surface-level relationships. But now you're wondering... how do I actually create the kind of friendships I want?

In Part 2 of our Relationships After Healing series, we're talking about what it looks like to build emotionally healthy, intentional friendships as an adult.

We'll explore why making friends feels harder as we get older, how to have honest conversations without creating stories in your mind first, why boundaries actually strengthen healthy relationships, and how your inner child may still influence the way you give and receive friendship.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Why making friends as an adult feels so different
 • How to build intentional, meaningful friendships
 • Healthy communication and having difficult conversations
 • Setting boundaries without guilt
 • What healthy conflict actually looks like
 • Becoming the kind of friend you're looking for
 • Learning to receive support instead of always giving it
 • Understanding how personality and emotional needs can shape friendships

If you've been searching for answers about adult friendships, making new friends, healthy boundaries, difficult conversations, or creating deeper relationships, this episode will give you practical tools and a new perspective on what healthy friendship can look like.

If this conversation resonated with you, it may be a sign that your inner child is still learning what safe, supportive relationships feel like.

Reflection Questions: 

• Where am I settling in friendships?
 • What boundaries am I afraid to set?
 • What qualities do I want in my next season of friendships?
 • Who makes me feel safe enough to fully be myself?

Book an astrology Birth Chart Reading with Lisa here!

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Have you ever looked around and thought... "Why don't my friendships feel the same anymore?"

Maybe you're craving deeper conversations. Maybe you're setting boundaries for the first time. Or maybe you feel like you're outgrowing people you love, and it's leaving you feeling lonely, guilty, or wondering if something is wrong with you.

The truth is, healing doesn't just change the relationship you have with yourself. It changes the relationships around you, too.

In Part 1 of our Relationship Series, we're diving into why friendships naturally change as you heal, why outgrowing friendships can feel so painful, and how your inner child may still be influencing the people you feel connected to today.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Why you're outgrowing certain friendships, and why it hurts so much
 • How your inner child influences who you become friends with
 • The difference between what's familiar and what's emotionally safe
 • Why healing can feel lonely before it feels freeing
 • Why your circle may get smaller before it grows
 • How to navigate this season with more confidence and self-compassion

If you've been searching for answers about outgrowing friendships, feeling lonely during healing, setting boundaries with friends, or wondering why you feel disconnected from the people around you, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not broken.

You're growing.

If this conversation resonated with you, it may be a sign that your inner child is still longing for the safety, connection, and belonging she deserved all along.

Inside Inner Child Haven, we gently explore the younger parts of you that continue to shape your relationships, emotional reactions, boundaries, and sense of self, so you can create deeper, healthier connections without abandoning who you are.

If you're ready to take that next step, I'd love to support you. You can learn more about Inner Child Haven or book a Connection Call using these links.

💗 If this episode spoke to you, don't forget to follow the podcast, leave a review, or share it with a friend who needs this reminder today.

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