Running Wild with Christine

Hi my lovers! Meet my colleague Jaden! This aussie import was open enough to come chat with me about his relationship to his sexuality, his body image issues and his sex life (or lack thereof). We go through his early life, student years, and coming out journey together. We spend some time talking about first relationships and self-sabotage. We digress into some highly entertaining stories of first moves and awkward flirting, before diving in deep. Listen in if you too feel like your inability to love yourself is hindering your ability to find a loving partner. Listen especially if you're fully aware of it and just haven't gotten to the point where you can help yourself. 

Topics: high school awkwardness, relationships, body image, the importance of swimming lessons, university/college self-reinvention, rejecting physical touch, frustration, self-awareness of being one's own worst enemy, depression, escaping home vs escaping problems, virginity as a myth, spontaneity and more! 

I am so grateful for open souls. Thank you Jaden for this refreshing dose of vulnerability and honest storytelling. Sorry for not being more helpful! Lovers, come get your dose of self-deprecating humor and cackles. 

Thanks again for listening and speak to you next week. Please consider supporting this podcast financially at the appropriate button somewhere on this page, or reviewing and rating this podcast on your favorite platform. I love you mucho. x

ps: seriously tho, DM me if you're down to entertain Jaden and I with your dating profiles ;) 

Well lovers... This episode comes to you three days late, because life happens. I had planned to come out with a special Valentine's day episode about Love, with Mark, to talk about progress, learning and relationships. I wanted to be joyful, talk about us and celebrate the successes of this ever-changing relationship we are building. Instead, we had a bad weekend of arguments and anxiety. Here is our unedited, unchecked, vulnerable couch therapy session about mental health and our version of non-monogamy. Please do feel free to skip this one. 

I love you all. May you all be kind to yourselves and take life one step at a time. 

Yours, as always. C. x

Welcome my lovers. Let us delve into the wild woman archetype today. Meet Fiona. She is a women's empowerment educator and feminine embodiment facilitator. We go back to her worldly upbringing, boarding school stint and decade of confusion spent climbing the corporate ladder. We then dive into the interesting bit, the breakdown bit, the "fuck this shit" bit. Stick around for this fascinating saunter around femininity and sexuality. I really loved getting to know Fiona and I hope you will too!  Thank you for one of the few things that you do right, @instagram. 

Topics: online connections, Brexit, life changing moments, fucking the system, travel, the digital nomad life, yoga, sex, periods, shame, shadow-banning, witches, wilderness, communities of self-identified women, movement, power, patriarchy, unlearning, trust, rules, healing, (as always storytelling), individualism vs. community, presence and so much more! 

For coaching and more on the Wild Feminine Way, go to fionamccoss.com or @fionamccoss on IG! If you're in Seattle, WA, this Sunday Feb 9, check out the "We Sensual Womxn" event at the Mind Body Sanctuary! 

Resources: Wild by Cheryl Strayed, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, Women who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

Welcome my lovers! Meet Shane! He's our human of the week, and also Sally's partner from episode 65! In this episode, Shane walks me through his British childhood and career in social & youth work. We get to today: a point in his life where he gets to wake up and think "What now?" A point of reinvention, unlearning and re-writing of the story. Join us for this genuine and special episode with the kindest man. 

Topics: family values, Saint Albans Tourism, setting personal deadlines, getting laid off, Neuro-Linguistic Programming courses, silence, Love, vulnerability & masculinity, storytelling, community, being unprepared, fatherhood, identity building, having supportive partners, motivation, self-confidence and inadequacy, barriers to success, and SO MUCH MORE. 

Stay tuned for more on Shane's upcoming projects @sd_sandiford on the socials! And of course, do go to mannersldn.com and support badass womxn entrepreneurs! 

(Resource: KickOff@3 kickoffat3.co.uk )

Thanks for listening and speak to you all next week!

Much love, C. xox

Hello there! Meet Sarah Trivett, our somatic trauma therapist of the day. As is tradition, we retrace her steps from childhood to today. We spend some time talking about how insidious trauma is and how the realisation of its existence is a huge step. This episode is all about how the personal intertwines with the practice. Sarah tells me about her focal shift from addictions' treatment (with mostly men) to somatic sexuality work focused on vulva-owners. Follow us down this path of paradigm shifts and Aha moments. Listen in on her journey from "blah" sex to what she calls altered-state orgasms! 

Topics: Vancouver DTES, grief, parents, healing, trauma, counseling school, feminist narrative therapy, imposter syndrome, sexual healing, tantra, personal development, discovering pleasure, spirituality, jade eggs, conscious body exercises, inner child work, group sexual energy and so much more! 

For one-on-one Holistic Sexuality Coaching and Trauma Resolutions with Sarah, go to sarahtrivett.com. You can also check out the Jade Magic Series at The Dharma Temple in Vancouver, starting Saturday Feb 15th!

Resources:  Pussy: A reclamation by Regena Thomashauer, ProChoices Community Therapy Clinic prochoices.ca, Layla Martin laylamartin.com. 

Thanks again for listening! Speak to you next week. And as always, please do follow, subscribe and review the podcast to help others find us! 

Happy new year!!! Welcome back my lovers! What a treat we have prepared for you today! Meet Claire, our superstar comedian, dancer, actress and producer. She came over to the couch to talk about The Dirty Betty Show, Feminism, and small towns! Naturally, we kick off the episode by discussing strip clubs. We then do our usual "who are you" dance, from childhood in a small town to producing a provocative show to shake up said small towns. Join us for this candid and giggly episode about personal achievements and definitions of success.  New fave quote of the pod: "When you love something so much, you can squeeze it too tight and just break it." Claire's advice: start with something you don't love quite that much.  

She tells me about her funny, filthy, feminist femme-led comedy shows, and the challenges she faces touring across Canada. 

Topics: Luminesque, theatre, depression, bombing auditions, comedy, making your own big break, fuckboys, drag performances, handling negative reviews, creating something that isn't meant for everyone, TW: rape mention & lack of consent, learning, the smart use of half-measures, producing & casting a show, acting, extroverts vs. introverts, stage vs. screen, community building and storytelling, fostering JOY and so much more. 

Thanks Paula for the connection! For more on Claire, go to @clairemariepollock and @thedirtybettyshow on IG! I also encourage you to go see a show! You can find out more about the detes and dates at thedirtybettyshow.com. 

Welcome to the last episode of 2019!!! Thanks so much for sticking around for this very special episode with an indescribable human! (Let me attempt this anyway..) 

Meet jaye simpson, an Oji-Cree Saulteaux Non-Binary Two Spirit Queer Trans Woman (Sapotaweyak Cree Nation) poet, artist, performer and activist. They came over to the couch to tell me all the things. We go back to their 16 years in foster care, their art, advocacy and social justice work. In this episode, they tell me about their trials and tribulations, but also about stepping into their power and what the keys to their successes are.  

Topics: spotted owls, small town cruelty, queerness, slam poetry, erasure, violence, baby queers, call out vs cancel culture, privilege, indigeneity, social capital, colonialism, the tragic story of Tina Fontaine, the problem with the [white and capitalist] justice system, politics, land acknowledgments, the limitations of "awareness", gender identity, social work failures, coming out, bullying, sex, writing about sex, dating standards, power, and SO MUCH MORE, LIKE A FUCKING LOT. 

Bottom line: be unapologetic and consensual. 

Mentions: Maggie from @graceclubyvr, Billy-Ray Belcourt @nakinisowin, Kai Cheng Thom kaichengthom.com, Gwen Benaway @gwenbenaway, Arielle Twist @ArielleTwist, Sonya Renee Taylor  thebodyisnotanapology.com, and probably a few more. 

For more, go to @jaye_simpson or look up HUSTLING VERSE (Arsenal Pulp) or go to Grain Vol 46, No. 5 for their writing! 

Thanks so much my beautiful souls for feeling all these feelings with us. Thank you for being part of this journey, for broadening your conversations, for laughing, crying and raging with us. I wish you rest, constructive energy and purpose in these reflective days. See you in the roaring twenties for more unabashed, unfiltered, uncomfortable topics with new and familiar souls. 

All my love belongs to you. C. xo

Rage.         How does it feel? Where do you feel it?

Welcome to this week's awe inspiring episode with Ji-Youn (pronounce Jiyanne) Kim. I had the pleasure of welcoming her over to the couch to talk about social injustice and feelings. We do our usual walk about her Korean roots and Vancouverite childhood. We zero in on her university days. Fun fact: if you google "UBC drop out" one of the first photos you'll find is of Ji-Youn! It's in those days that she started advocating for mental health after she went viral for dropping out following a suicide attempt. Check out the Tipping Point if you want to know more about an advocacy movement that aims to push post-secondary institutions to better support student mental health.

We wander around her steps from drop out to counsellor, to arrive at her work on Processing Rage. Follow us down this rabbit hole to hear more about the tools we might have or need to work through some of this world's most burdensome emotions.  

Topics: white supremacy, survivors guilt, social justice, assimilation, healing, the whiteness of the wellness industry, somatica, shame, anti-oppression, intersectional feminism, anger vs. violence, screaming, the socialization of expressing/suppressing emotions, non-closure, valuing the questions when there are no answers, attachment theory, de-colonizing socialization, labeling, self-responsibility, control issues and SO MUCH MORE. 

References: Cicely Belle Blain @cicelyblainconsulting, Lutze Segu @thefeministgriote (ep28), and you'll have to listen for the others! 

For more, go to @itsjiyounkim on IG or itsjiyounkim.com for her coaching and counselling services. 

Thanks so much for listening my loves. I wish you some grounding moments of peace. All yours, 

C. xo 

Meet Toni, our 20 year old advocate for gender inclusion and acceptance within death services for today! He is a transgender man, who identifies openly within the funeral and death care services profession. He is currently studying to become a funeral director and embalmer at the Canadian College of Funeral Services. Today, Toni candidly opens up to us about what it means to him and talks about the current system's implications for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. 

Death and Funeral services are not (yet) equipped for transgender care and it will take people like Toni to make it happen! Please do join us for this fascinating episode on a topic I had never thought about before (privilege!). Thank you so much Toni for taking my hand and leading us down the rabbit hole. 

Topics: death, coming out as trans, grief, the three main options you get once you're dead: embalming, cremation and no embalming, representation, trans rights within death services, mental health, death doulas, abuse, funeral rites and remembering, suicide, science and binaries, empathy, LGBTQI+ rights and services, and so much MORE! 

Bit of wisdom for today: "Accepting your own death is a really good way to learn to live." 

References: Coroner Talk podcast, The college he goes to: ccfs.ca, Canadian network for the prevention of elder abuse: cnpea.ca, 

Thank you so much Debbie for the intro! Sorry I got to tell the world about him first! (Everyone check out the Uncomfortable podcast!) And obviously, go support Toni @transdeathcare on IG and Twitter! 

Much much love and tenderness to you all. Yours as always, 

C. xo

Welcome to the much-anticipated follow-up episode to Joanne and Julia's Expressions of Self series on life after trauma. The women held three consecutive storytelling events, each one month apart, on the topics of Survival, Resilience, and Healing after trauma. They came over to my couch to discuss how it went, what they learned and what surprised them. Their aim was to gear the conversation towards the HOW, and not the who, what,  and why's of survival. Listen to this hilarious and empowering episode, led by your fave trio!  

For an intro to the girls, refer to episodes: 31 with Joanne, 39 with Julia, and 58! 

Topics: trauma, forgiveness, storytelling, thinking out loud with others, somatic exercises, resilience as a constant, healing as a non-linear concept, learning and connection from personal experiences, counseling, the pitfalls of certain post-traumatic services, imposter syndrome as a survivor, setting and expressing boundaries, battling negative self-talk, knowledge building, empathy, setting standards on treating each other with dignity and respect - and not doing it alone!! 

The common thread of these conversations was simple, and worth repeating: we need to practice showing the forgiveness and kindness that we show others, to ourselves.  

For more on Expressions of Self, go to expressionsofself.com or on Facebook. For more on So I Had An Abortion, go to the website, IG @soihadanabortion and twitter @soihadanabort. 

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. Tell me what you wanna hear my lovers. I'm happy to keep using this podcast as my personal platform for free education, but I'm happy to shift my attention to any potential blind spots! ;) 

I love you all. Thanks for coming to play. 

C. xox