Some Kind Of Magic

Holy crap has it been a long time since I've sat down to record an episode of the show. How have 8 whole months passed?! I've sat down to record a few times in that span, but never knew how to start it or what I would even say. It feels like so much has changed that I didn't know if I could truly encapsulate what has been happening for me. 

This episode hits all of the big strokes of what's been going on for me over the last 8 months — big and small — and where things are heading. 

Hope you'll take a listen! 

And if you'd like to connect after the episode, you can find me over on Instagram (@emilylevenson) or through email at [email protected]. 

I had the chance to sit down with Emily Cassel of the Sexy Soulful Success Podcast. Emily and I spent our time talking about sisterhood and how holding space for other women through things like sisterhood circles is a sacred act.

The episode begins with a discussion around masculine versus feminine energy, turns towards old paradigms for success and why they don't work for women, moves into the power of relationships and how they challenge us to grow and evolve, and ends with all of the reasons why sisterhood and sisterhood circles are a tool for the empowerment of women and the world as a whole.

To say that I learned a lot from our conversation would be an understatement. And I hope you feel the same after listening to it yourself.

What stood out most from Emily's interview? What does sisterhood look and feel like to you? Have you ever been a part of a sisterhood circle yourself? And if not, is that something that you would be interested in exploring more after hearing from Emily?

• An introduction to Emily Cassel and what she does
• Masculine and feminine energy versus gender
• Pushing for the sake of achievement versus fulfillment
• Old paradigms of success and how they hold women back
• The shadow side of our ambition and how it shows up
• Paying attention to where the world needs our energy 
• Emily's experience at an all-female college and how that had a profound impact on her life
• How to create space for sisterhood in your own life
• Why Emily says that if we don't look out for each other, none of us will truly be able to rise up
• Sisterhood versus female friendships and what sets them apart
• Sisterhood circles and the power of holding space for one another
• The inherent structure of sisterhood circles and how to set one up
• Relationships as a mirror and how to use them as a tool for personal growth and evolution
• Why Emily says if we can see it them then it means it exists in us
• Sisterhood as a tool to examine our judgments and perceived flaws
• The gifts of difficult situations and how sisterhood allows us to see the bigger picture
• Finding the balance between giving and receiving and why Emily says we should probably be receiving way more than we think we should
• Resetting the being in order to inform the doing
• Emily's definition of everyday magic and how it shows up in her life

• Website
• Instagram
• Podcast
• Facebook
• Private FB Group

• The Millionth Circle* by Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

Self-care is a conversation that I've been wanting to dive deep with and am thrilled to be talking about it with Monica Ballard, a massage therapist, reiki practitioner, yoga instructor, and fellow podcaster.

Monica shares about her her life and work, using her personal journey to inform her professional passions around radical self-care. 

We start our conversation with several book recommendations in the self-help genre, then weave our way through the concept of radical self-care as it relates to authenticity, awareness, integrity, and integration, and, finally, end on one of the most beautiful stories about crocodiles and the Never-Not-Broken Goddess. 

I found this entire conversation to be informative, thought-provoking, and profound and am truly excited to go back and listen again because of the nuggets of wisdom Monica shares throughout. 

What stood out most from Monica's interview? What does the concept of radical self-care mean to you and how can you take steps to come into integrity in your own life?

• An introduction to Monica Ballard and what she does
• Monica's bookclub and the books that they've been reading so far (see Resource Links)
• How radical self-care came into Monica's life and what it means for her
• Why Monica says self-care and authenticity go hand and hand
• The root of radical self-care is deep listening and awareness
• Integrity as integration of body, mind, and spirit
• Why the core of self-care is about giving yourself what you need in the moment
• Monica's mantra of do no harm, but take no shit
• How we view others and what that says about how we view ourselves
• Why you cannot ask another person to do what you are unwilling to do for yourself
• Activating your feminine gifts through self-care
• What your psychic womb is and how to use it in your day to day life
• Why Monica says that anything we overuse can be turned into a weakness
• How to know when your out of alignment with your feminine energy
• Symbols as a way to bring us back to the core of who we are
• What do you desire and what are you willing to receive
• Desire as a gateway to uncovering your purpose and passion
• The story of Akilandeshwari, AKA the Never-Not-Broken Goddess 
• Monica's definition of everyday magic and how it shows up in her life

• Website
• Subscriber Wellness Hub (where the Book Club lives)
• Facebook
• Instagram
• INHABIT Creation Lab
• IN{HABIT} Podcast

• The Upside of Stress* by Kelly McGonigal
• The Willpower Instinct* by Kelly McGonigal
• Come As You Are* by Emily Nagoski Ph.D.
• The Top Five Regrets of the Dying* by Bronnie Ware  
• The self-care post (from Emily)
• The story of the Never-Not-Broken-Goddess (from Monica)

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

I'm fairly certain that there isn't a person on the planet who would argue that breathing isn't important. Hell, it's what keeps us alive. But did you know that our breath is also a tool that we can use to regulate our emotions, bring more awareness into our lives, and balance our energy? 

That's what Meagan Roppo of She Enlightened and I spend our time talking about in this week's episode of the podcast. 

Meagan is a writer, an activist, a yogini, an advocate, and a dreamer. She founded She Enlightened to encourage and empower women and girls to bring forth their gifts, voices, and light through the power of meditation and natural healing. 

What stood out most from Meagan's interview? What role has meditation played in your own life and journey?

• An introduction to Meagan Roppo and what she does
• How Meagan found meditation and the role it played in her life
• Meditation as a tool for self-care
• Making meditation and yoga accessible to everyone, regardless of their backgrounds or experiences
• What meditation (and yoga) has done for Meagan over the past 7 years
• The power of meditation to accept your situation for what it is and be present
• The many benefits of meditation — from sleeping better to feeling empowered to having more room to process our emotions
• The feminine side of meditation
• Affirmations, visualization, and loving kindness meditation 
• The ripple effect of meditation 
• Why Meagan says that yoga found her and how she's exploring it now
• The power of the breath on and off the yoga mat
• Why Meagan says that every emotion has a specific breath associated with it
• Alternate nostril breathing and connecting with the wisdom of our bodies
• Meagan's advice for anyone wanting to get into meditation (and it's not what you think)
• Setting intentions for your meditation practice 
• Why Meagan says that meditation it is what it becomes
• What everyday magic looks and feels like for Meagan and how it unfolds in her life

• Website
• Medium
• LinkedIn

• Gabby Bernstein
• Sharon Salzberg
• 10% Happier Podcast + The Loving Kindness Episode
• The Nourish + Flourish episode about yoga (Apple Podcasts)
• Alternate Nostril Breathing
• The What, Why, and How of Meditation
• The Himalayan Institute (Pittsburgh)

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Lauren Hayes of The Luna Celeste to talk about all things energy work, tarot, crystals, and spirituality. Not only did Lauren share about her personal awakening and how she came to embrace her spiritual side, she speaks to the power of the being open, finding flow, and exploring the things that trigger you most. 

This conversation with Lauren was a profound one for me because it gave me a deeper understanding of my own spiritual awakening, as well as some brand new insights about my experiences last year during my sabbatical. 

Here's to being open to what the journey has in store for us all. 

What stood out most from Lauren's interview? Have you experienced your own kind of spiritual awakening?

• An introduction to Lauren Hayes and what she does
• How Lauren went from running a courier business to becoming an energy worker and spiritual coach
• Why Lauren says she experienced a dark night of the soul that completely changed her life
• Lauren's experience of her third eye opening and chi (qi) balls 
• The power of intentions when it comes to connecting with spirits and the energetic world
• Lauren's spiritual lineage and how she discovered her place within it
• The power of crystals and how they can support us in any phase of life
• The crystals Lauren is carrying around in her purse right now
• Simple tools for clearing your energy
• The power of asking yourself "What do I think of this?"
• Learning how to access the answers that are held within
• Why Lauren believes that spirit speaks to us in synchrocities
• Angel numbers and what they can tell us
• Staying in flow, staying open, and trusting the processing
• How mindset plays a role in your spiritual evolution
• Life as an upward spiral and what that means in our lives
• Triggers and what they offer us in terms of growth
• The more you surrender the easier it will be
• Learning to love yourself no matter what
• Masculine and feminine energy and finding balance
• What happens when you outgrow where you've been
• Lauren's definition of everyday magic and how it shows up in her life

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

• The SKOM Interview with Annabelle Needles
• The Game of Life and How To Play It* by Florence Scovel Shinn
• The SKOM Interview with Tina Conroy
• Denise Duffield-Thomas and her book, Get Rich, Lucky Bitch*

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Season 2 of the podcast!

I am thrilled to be sitting down with De Lisa Patterson, brand mixologist and all around creative. One, because she's freakin' hilarious. And two, because she is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. 

De Lisa's journey starts with a tale of loss — of a job, a relationship, and her self-confidence all at the same time. She shares how those losses took their toll, and also how they shaped her journey. De Lisa offers practical tips for staying in the room and sitting with the discomfort, as well as mindset shifts that were profound for her own transformation.

We also touch on the importance of patience, mindfulness, and gratitude. Three things that have played a major role in my own life and journey. 

What stood out most from De Lisa's interview? What do you think about her perspective around worth, loss, and confidence?

• An introduction to De Lisa Patterson and what she does
• Coping with loss (of a relationship, a job, self-esteem) and how that has shaped her journey
• Redefining your purpose, particularly when you get knocked down from where you thought you belonged
• Why De Lisa says that everything you do leads you to the next thing
• Feeling unloved and unworthy and how De Lisa found herself again
• The power of movement and how that helped De Lisa shed the "weight" of the pain and grief
• How focusing your energy outward can be the antidote to grief and loss
• Staying in the room and sitting with discomfort
• The questions De Lisa asks herself in order to get herself back on track
• Focusing your energy on the things you CAN do instead of on what you can't
• Staying connected to the present moment to keep anxiety at bay
• Why worrying about what may or may not happen is unproductive
• How experiences from De Lisa's past influenced her future
• Being wealthy in life and what that means for De Lisa now
• The power of vision and staying true to your beliefs
• It's not possible or practical until it is
• Learning to be patient and trusting in the journey
• It's okay if you don't get your stuff when everyone else got their stuff
• De Lisa's definition of everyday magic and how it shows up in her life

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• De Lisa Carol Collective (podcast)

• Loretta LaRoche  
• Life Is Not A Stress Rehearsal*

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

This week's Quick Tip episode is all about how I plan for the week ahead in order to make sure that I'm spending my time on the things that I value the most.

There are two things that I do every weekend to ensure that my week gets off to a great start: menu planning and a review of what I have going on for the week. 

It may sound simple at the outset (and perhaps it is), but this weekly ritual is something that helps me feel anchored and in total alignment with the things I value most.

• Podcast Archives
• The Newsletter
• Better Than Before* by Gretchen Rubin
• Sunday Summit from Christine Kane
• Unravel Your Year Workbook from Susannah Conway
• Pinterest Board with Tarot/Oracle Spreads

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

I am incredibly excited to have my friend and fellow health coach slash healthy living pal, Lindsey Smith, on the show. Lindsey has a long list of accomplishments under her belt included being a published author, speaker, coach, and inspirational rapper. (That is not a typo.)

And while all of that is amazing (and it truly IS amazing), the most impressive thing about Lindsey that I've witnessed in the 8+ years I've know her is her power to create magic in her life. So when Lindsey agreed to peel back the curtain and let me pick her brain about manifestation and how she creates magic every single day, I jumped at the chance.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Lindsey in a new way through this conversation and that it helps to connect some dots in your own life between thoughts and feelings and bringing them into reality.

What stood out most from Lindsey's interview? What do you think about her perspective around manifestation and creating magic in her own life?

• An introduction to Lindsey Smith and what she does
• Lindsey's path to becoming and author
• The power of faith and trust when it comes to manifesting
• From thoughts to reality and how that shows up for Lindsey
• Knowing when to push for something and when to sit back and wait
• How Lindsey goes from inspiration to manifestation in her daily life
• Why people aren't good at manifesting (hint: it has everything to do with feelings)
• The scary nature of feelings and why we avoid them, good or bad
• How Lindsey first started manifesting as a child and some examples from childhood
• The power of intuition, taking inspired action, and belief in the process
• Why Lindsey says that visualization was a huge part of the manifestation puzzle as a kid
• The world as a mirror and how it reflects back to us what we're thinking and feeling
• Combatting self-doubt and getting back to a place of openness and balance
• What to do when past stories and emotions come up
• How the experiences in our lives can teach us multiple things over time
• Why Lindsey says that she wants to live in the grey
• Lindsey's definition of everyday magic and how it shows up in her life

• Website
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook

• Eat Your Feelings*
• Junk Foods & Junk Moods*
• Challenge 24 (now 24 Game)

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

This week, I have the absolute pleasure to sit down with Latrice Sampson Richards of the Unicorns Talk podcast. Latrice is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Life-Purpose and Relationship Coach for Black women who are ready to heal from their past so they can build a future they deserve.

We dive deep into topics like manifestation, law of attraction, and forgiveness and Latrice shares the process she used for herself (and now uses with her clients) to know herself fully and bring about positive change in her life.

This episode is chock-full of wisdom and would recommend that you a.) have a notebook and pen handy so that you can take copious notes and b.) listen back as often as needed so that you can navigate creating change and manifest whatever your heart desires in your own life.

What stood out most from Latrice's interview? What do you think about her perspective around relationships, expectations versus boundaries, and change?

• An introduction to Latrice Sampson Richards and what she does
• How Latrice's went from simply existing to thriving in her late 20s
• What Latrice means when she says she had to get to the other side of happy
• Understanding that if you are not okay, then everyone else is not okay
• The power of a personal to-do list and how that helped Latrice completely transform her life
• The importance of knowing who you are first before anyone else can really know you
• Why Latrice says that the more success you experience, the more likely you are to experience success
• Changing your perspective around change in order to grow and evolve
• Getting really clear about your expectations and boundaries
• Why creating something that's realistic AND optimistic is the key to manifesting
• Adjusting your understanding of forgiveness as a way to move forward in your life
• Core people and PRN people and how those relationships impact our lives
• The tools Latrice uses and teaches around forgiveness
• The difference between viewing things from a child's perspective versus an adult's perspective
• Understanding the difference between expectations and boundaries
• The logistics of manifestation and how to overcome obstacles
• The power of viewing everything as a data point when it comes to creating change
• Change as a spiral versus a linear experience
• Doing the foundational work up front so that you can reach your goals with ease
• Latrice's definition of everyday magic and how it shows up in her life

• Website
• The Unicorns Talk Podcast
• Latrice on Facebook + Instagram
• Unicorns Talk on Facebook + Instagram
• Trust Village FB Group

• EmpowHER Your Vision Masterclass
• Ho'oponopono
• Epsom Salt Foot Soaks
• Change Gone Come

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.

As someone who's been on the spiritual path for the better part of a decade, I am always on the lookout for people who just GET IT. You know, people who share an interest in growing and evolving and who are open to things like yoga, meditation, tarot, and energy work.

So when I came across Eryn Johnson of the Living Open podcast, I knew that she was someone I wanted to connect with and get to know better.

Eryn is a Philly-based creative, healer, and seeker whose tools include yoga, reiki, tarot, and storytelling. In this episode, Eryn talks about how all of these tools have come together in her life to help her peel away the layers and become connected with her divine truth. It's equal parts personal journey and an introductory course on the power of yoga and mudras, energy work, and tarot. 

If you're also someone who is looking to dive more deeply into spiritual waters, this episode is for you. And if you're also looking for others who just GET IT, I would highly encourage to reach out to Eryn online and say hello.

What stood out most from Eryn's interview? What are your thoughts on things like reiki, mudras, and tarot?

• An introduction to Eryn Johnson and what she does
• Eryn's path to finding her purpose, including a trip to India to learn yoga
• What reiki is and how it found it's way into Eryn's life
• Connecting with the moments that matter and how Eryn has been able to tune into that
• Why Eryn says that reiki has been a return to her inner knowing
• Believing in feelings versus needing to understand in a rational way
• Embracing the wholeness of our experiences
• Tarot as a guide and a spread to use for insight into your current state
• How Tarot came into Eryn's life and what it has meant in her journey of self-discovery
• Combining yoga with tarot in a very physical way
• Mudras and how to use them in your everyday life
• 3 of Eryn's favorite mudras and how to use them (see below for link)
• The story of The Fool and the meaning behind the card for this conversation today
• The big picture of energy work and how the journey of learning, curiosity, and opening up our hearts has the potential to change the world
• Finding and following what makes you feel good
• Why Eryn says we have to surrender control at some point in order to find happiness
• Eryn's definition of everyday magic and how it unfolds in her life

• Website
• Living Open (on Apple Podcast)
• Instagram
• Facebook

• Lindsay Mack + her February's monthly medicine around blossoming in the void
• The Biddy Tarot 3-card exercise (scroll down to the final spread in the post called Deep Dive into the Major Arcana)
• Eryn's 3-card spread + Emily's 3-card spread
• Alexandra Franzen
• A primer on mudras
• 12 mudras to shift your energy (with pictures of the Garuda, Padma and Anjali Mudra)
• The Women's Book of Healing: Auras, Chakras, Laying On of Hands, Crystals, Gemstones, and Colors* by Diane Stein

• Twitter: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• Instagram: @emilylevenson and #somekindofmagic
• FB Page: Emily Levenson

* This is an affiliate link.