Real Vibes Only

What is the Community Living Room? The Community Living Room is grounded in the present, offering a healing space for people to be seen, heard, and valued just as they are. It is focused on present-moment connection and support.

We talk to many people in community through our work and an overwhelming majority of people express feelings of exhaustion. When we take the time to slow down and look at all we are holding, it is not surprising. Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack the many layers of "challenge" that each are holding and how our exhaustion is not only warranted but very, very real.

Join us for the recording from our LIVE podcast hosted by the Women's Fund for the Fox Valley Region - Connection Matters, sponsored by Barbara & William Kelly. Hosts Karen Iverson Riggers and Lynn McLaughlin discuss Normalize a New You: Pandemic Recovery for Women. The global pandemic put our lives on hold. We had so much on our shoulders, we lost people, experiences, and opportunities. We are no longer the same person we were three years ago. Together we explore how we can normalize and give ourselves permission to let go. Connection m

atters, you are not alone.

In the realm of emotion, very often there is a vary narrow box of "acceptable" emotional expression. Too much joy or excitement falls into that category. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through the very essence of joy and creating space in our life to fully experience it.

Taken from the poem "An Invitation to Brave Space" by Mickey ScottBey Jones, this episode addresses one of the more challenging aspects of being human - acknowledging when we cause harm to another person. And yet, it is inevitable and a piece of the human condition. In this episode, Karen and Lynn talk through their own challenges of causing harm and the process they used to honor their emotions in the mess of it and heal. 

We hear often that we should love ourselves more, but what exactly does that mean and, more importantly, how do we begin to do it? Join Karen Iverson Riggers and Lynn McLaughlin as they talk about their own journeys in self-love.

If you experience moments ... hours ... days of feeling overwhelm, know that you are not alone. The pandemic is still affecting us friends. And, let's be honest, we were feeling the overwhelm and stress of life prior to that. The pandemic just served to amplify it and the feelings of overwhelm are hitting us much more frequently. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the feeling of overwhelm, ways that we can acknowledge it and move through it in healthy ways.

Have you ever heard the Albert Einstein quote, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." We are all unique human beings with very different life experiences, dreams and aspirations. Yet much of being human has us comparing ourselves to others ... much to our demise. In this episode, Karen and Lynn talk through the challenges of comparison and how we can best embrace and love ourselves exactly as we are.

As we approach the end of the year, people often begin to think of resolutions for themselves in the new year. It's usually something they want to do more of, less of, or completely eliminate. The absolutes of resolutions result in a good/bad or right/wrong outcome which can be filled with shame. What if instead we set an intention for the year? Join Lynn and Karen as they share their 2023 intentions and how they incorporate self-compassion, curiosity and presence throughout the year.

The holiday season is upon us and, although it can be stressful and challenging for many, we can find magical moments to savor. Join Karen and Lynn as they share their own magical moments where they found themselves savoring life. By slowing down, being present and noticing life through our senses, we will find moments to savor every day.