Soul Deep

Today we get to hear Ashely Snowden tell us what it was like for her to grow out of people pleasing tendencies and make decisions for herself.  Ashley spent several years as a co-star on the public television show Seeking Sister Wife which cast a spotlight on her personal life that made it even more difficult to make personal decisions that inevitably create public misconceptions.  Through her story, we learn to pause before we judge, assess before we act, and trust our next steps even when the road ahead isn’t always clear. 

Today Clara Kent opens up about the limiting self beliefs she adopted early on in life and the journey of personal development that has led her to accept and nurture the person she wants to be, rather than what outside voices tell her to be.  Clara shows us how through deep introspection and questioning, we can heal, break out of old patterns and discover a whole new version of ourselves that was actually waiting there for us all along.

Today we get to here from Bhanu Nandini, who’s childhood was thrust into chaos at the onset of the Bosnian War in the early 1990s.  Bhanu’s experience of personal suffering and the witnessing of mass suffering from so many people around here opened her perspective of universal compassion in a way that compelled her to pursue a path of spiritual development and service to others.  Her experiences hiding and ultimately fleeing her war torn country of origin flipped a switch deep within that reminds her even today that we all share the same wants, needs and drives for safety and comfort, and rather than taking what we can before somebody else does, we can work in such a way that by serving each other, we find a way for everyone to win.

Today is going to be lots of fun with good laughs and deep dives into the meaning of friendship.  Kishor and I have been friends for many years and together we will share what we’ve learned being real with each other, being there for each other, and practicing forgiveness when we sometimes fall short.  As a latin-american gay man growing up in New York City, then traveling across the globe as an adult, Kishor has battled through family and social rejections and come out the other side to live his truth through spiritual practice while shining his light to the world. 

Ganga Sheth shares her story of life falling apart due to physical injury.  As a professional dancer who just moved to India to study classical Odissi style dance, losing the ability to walk or move on her own challenged her sense of personal identity along with her sense of purpose and spiritual connection.  What do we do when our life’s calling seems to be stripped away from us?  How do we maintain faith in a higher plan when everything we’ve been building towards in life is suddenly gone?  Ganga takes us through her process of answering these questions for herself, which includes dealing with grief, letting go, and opening herself up to new ways of viewing herself and her life’s calling. 

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Dhanya Rico shares with us how to adopt the mindset of an intelligent consumer.  In a world of limitless options for self-help, personal development, fitness gurus, life coaches and social influencers, it can be overwhelming to assess where to go for what we actually need.  Part of being an intelligent consumer involves creating the space for self reflection that allows ourselves to determine for ourselves what we are looking for in life, rather than have somebody else tell us, for us.  With a Masters Degree in Counseling and Counseling Education and a specialization degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, along with being a lifelong spiritual practitioner, Dhanya sheds some light for us on what it looks like to create that space, learn how to make smart choices, be ok with changing our minds when we need to, and the importance of taking personal responsibility for our own individual, spiritual growth. 

Please keep in touch with Dhanya at www.instagram.com/dhanyamusic/

Today, Acyuta Gopi opens her heart and shares what it’s like when we live within closed walls and choose not to let anyone in out of fear of hurt or betrayal.  Life’s pain has a way of making us feel like we can’t trust anyone, that if we show our true selves, we will regret it.  And while it’s important to use discretion with who we let in to certain chambers of our life, it’s also important that we don’t let our boundaries become walls that prevent us from ever being known to anyone.  Acyuta talks about her journey through fear towards faith and how her spiritual practices help her embrace a messy world in need of a lot of love. 

Genesis Warren shares her experience of family betrayal, dishonesty, and learning to work through forgiveness at her own pace.  She shows us tremendous courage and authenticity by putting her story out there to the world to show you and to show me that what it looks like to own our own story and become empowered by our truth, rather than hide away and carry feelings of shame.  This can be particularly difficult when our story intertwines with the stories of others, whether it be family, friends or partners.  I hope that through our conversation, you can feel a sense of connection, a sense that you are not alone, and a courage to integrate your own story in a way that feels uplifting and empowering to you.   

In today’s conversation, Bishamber Das tells her story of being a young Punjabi girl in the UK who grew up watching movies that never portrayed plus size women in a positive light.  We hear her challenge of isolation and social judgement that eventually fueled her ambition to shift the social narrative of how women are portrayed in media.  As Britain’s first ever South asian plus size model, Bishamber carries a message of inclusiveness and acceptance that is helping to redefine standards of beauty and heal the wounds of rejection and prejudice for women across the globe. 

Adelfa Marr tells us about what it was like to start being honest with herself and others about her experiences with domestic abuse.  Getting out of abusive situations is not easy, especially when others tell us that it’s our fault for staying.  When we have to justify our suffering or explain our situation, we shy away from even opening up to others in the first place.  When we don’t even know where to start, we just keep it in.  And when we’re not honest or accepting about what we’ve gone through or are going through, or don’t have space to air it out and let it breathe, its just not possible to begin the healing process.  Adelfa moved out of silence and found personal strength by creating disclaimer free zones for herself, her social media followers and her coaching clients, where people can tell their stories, validate their experiences, and from that honest place start to move towards healing.