Do you ever find yourself longing to feel more freedom and acceptance in your life?

Behavioral health coach and owner of Alchemy Coaching, as well as the host of the Pragmatic Alchemy podcast, Courtney Edwards came on the show to talk about finding greater internal balance and freedom. Courtney blends her background in psychology and counseling with the practical framework of coaching to help folks invite more mindful wellbeing into their everyday life. In this episode, Courtney talks about the difference between guilt and shame, and her own struggles, triumphs, and lessons learned on her journey to greater internal balance and freedom.

Key Takeaways:

Resources:

Pragmatic Alchemy Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pragmaticalchemy

Alchemy on Instagram: www.instagram.com/alchemybhc

Alchemy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/alchemybhc

Courtney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyredwards/

Website: www.shineandsoar.com

Have you ever felt pressure to “fit in” in a yoga or pilates class? Ivory Howard shares the importance of inclusivity and welcoming diversity in physical fitness.

Ivory Howard is a certified yoga and pilates instructor with a Master of Public Health and an advanced training in plant-based nutrition.

Ivory understands that everyone's relationship with health and wellness is different, and she seeks to honor that with her work. She's been seen in US News & World Report, Health Digest, Fit & Well, Weight Watchers, The Zoe Report, Sisters from AARP, and other publications for helping others achieve their health and fitness goals.

In this episode Ivory talks about the nuances of the yoga and pilates culture that may create gatekeeping and exclusivity and the importance of physical wellness and fitness to be available to people of all backgrounds and body shapes.

Ivory offered my listeners a special gift: the guide How to Survive your First (or next) Pilates class. Find this gift at http://eepurl.com/djI949

Resources:

Website - http://www.ivoryhoward.com

Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/flatbelly

FB - https://www.facebook.com/flatbellypilates

IG - https://www.instagram.com/flatbellypilates

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@flatbellypilates

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@flatbellypilates

Have you ever felt afraid of letting go of the “shoulds” of perfectionism? Donna O’Shea shares that perfectionism has played a huge role in her life. She discusses how she was raised to be a “good girl” and it has been a tremendous process in her adult life to unravel the perfectionism and the fear of not being perfect.

Donna talks about self-criticism and self-sabotage that has been present in her perfectionism and the process she underwent to let go of the “shoulds”.

Key Takeaways:

Resources:

Find Donna on Instagram @innerwild_therapy

The link to the Freebie: www.thecalmingground.com/Newyear2024

Have you ever felt that you wanted to hide your imperfections?

In this episode, Anne Vainio, Alopecia Empowerment & Life Purpose Coach tells of her courageous path from burn-out and debilitating shame from being diagnosed with alopecia and permanently losing all of her hair, to courageously sharing her imperfections with the world, and finding a connection to life and others she thought was no longer possible.

Anne offers the inspiration and wisdom to all that we do not have to be ashamed of our imperfections, but rather accept them as an important aspect of our beauty.

Key takeaways:

Resources:

https://www.avain.io/

https://www.instagram.com/avain.io/

Have you ever wondered if you’re a perfectionist? In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun, psychotherapist and mindfulness coach, explores perfectionism as a spectrum and notices how many of us might find ourselves resonating with that spectrum.

In this episode, Elizabeth explores self-compassion as an antidote to perfectionism. And the ways in which meeting our perfectionism with vulnerability can actually enhance our ability to connect with others.

Key takeaways:

Resources:

www.thecalmingground.com

Have you ever struggled with never quite feeling good enough? In this episode, Tina Kocol, author of The Perfectionism Journal: Guided Prompts and Mindfulness Practices to Reduce Anxiety and Find Calm and psychotherapist and founder of Philly EMDR and Green Circle Collective, engaged in a conversation about perfectionism.

In this conversation, Tina highlights both the strengths and the struggles inherent in perfectionism. She discusses perfectionism as a creative adaptation to life’s struggles that can, unchecked, eventually lead to unnecessary pressure and emotional distress.

Tina offers the possibility of generating awareness as a form of empowerment. She suggests that we can choose whether or not to continue to allow perfectionism to call the shots or to take back the power to discern what is “good enough” for ourselves and feel generally happier in life.

Key Takeaways:

Resources:

https://www.greencirclecollective.com/

https://www.phillyemdr.com/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-perfectionism-journal-tina-kocol/1140850812

This episode focuses on the many benefits of forest bathing on physical and mental health. In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun interviews several people who have participated in forest bathing experiences: Margy Davis-Mintun, Garth Mintun, and Marc Joslyn. Elizabeth also interviews her husband Scott, who has guided several forest bathing walks with her.

This episode focuses on the value of forest bathing (also known as forest therapy and shinrin-yoku) to slow down, connect with yourself and the land, and drop into your senses.  The practice of forest bathing offers a structured sequence as well as spontaneity, and it works within the paradigm that we are in a reciprocal relationship with the natural world around us.

Key Takeaways:

Are you someone who struggles with burnout and can’t quite get that work-life balance you so long for? Health and life coach Jessica Seddon specializes in empowering her clients to make changes to improve their lifestyles to regain their energy and help them feel more fully alive.

In this conversation, Jessica talked about her journey from burnout to balance and how she found and deepened her connection with herself. She discussed the impact of stress on mental and physical health. Jessica highlighted how technology has advanced so much faster than our nervous systems and the impact of the increase stimuli of technology on our bodies.

This conversation addressed the importance for people to reconnect with their own vitality - their own energy source. She reminded listeners that if they are experiencing burnout, they are not alone and there are ways to get through this. She emphasized that it is possible for burnout to be considered as a gift, as it is an invitation for a change for the better. She shared that it is unlikely she would have made the life change she made which offered her much greater health and well-being if it were not for the burnout that prompted her.

Key Takeaways:

Resources:

www.jessicahseddon.com

Have you ever wondered what the ancient Chinese practice of Qigong is really all about?

In this podcast episode, Elizabeth Mintun, a psychotherapist and mindfulness coach, reflects on her journey from a life of stress to one of peace and vitality through her encounter with the ancient Chinese practice of Qigong.

Elizabeth explains that the word “Qi” in Chinese means “energy” or “aliveness” and “Gong” refers to the skill or ability to work with that energy. Qigong is intended to help the body become both more relaxed and stronger and focuses on transforming stress itself into vitality. The practice combines acupressure, sounds, breathwork, and meditative movements. Elizabeth shares her personal story of attending powerful and life-changing workshops and then enrolling in a Qigong teacher program that changed her life.

Elizabeth encourages listeners to find activities and practices that “fit” for them, which may not necessarily be Qigong, but can offer them greater peace and vitality in their lives. She reminds listeners that their version of a life-changing practice of self-care is possible for them to find, too.

Key Takeaways:

Resources:

Holden Qigong: https://www.holdenqigong.com/

Have you ever tried acupuncture or wondered how it works? Acupuncturist Tessa Olson explains how acupuncture enhances vitality.

Tessa has a Masters degree in Oriental Medicine specializing in acupuncture and Chinese herbs and is a practicing acupuncturist in Columbus, Ohio at Renewal Acupuncture. In this conversation, Tessa talks about her childhood filled with illness and her encounter with acupuncture, which changed her life and brought her back to health and wellness.

This conversation explores the ways in which acupuncture is a lifestyle approach to help move energy within the human body and reduce stagnation. Tessa explains that acupuncture offers a completely different way to understand the body. Acupuncture explores heat, cold, dampness, and dryness in the body and looks at both the individual and their environment, including the seasons.

This conversation also explored the impact of stress on the body and the ways that acupuncture can offer a solution to decrease stress and irritability.

Tessa offers strategies people can do at home when they are not able to access acupuncture to help reduce stagnation and stress.

Key Takeaways:

Resources:

Renewal Acupuncture: https://www.renewalacupuncture.com/