The Embodied Jewish Woman with Rena Reiser

What does it actually mean to "hold space" for someone? And why do so many of us struggle to do it, especially with the people we love most? In this conversation with my husband Rabbi Yonasan Reiser, we dive deep into the nervous system dynamics of holding space - from the protective bubble we create around someone's experience to why our instinct to "fix" actually disconnects us from the people we're trying to help. We get real about the challenges of holding space in marriage, why men and women often need different things when they're dysregulated, and how understanding someone's nervous system state changes everything about how we show up for them. What we explore: The energetic container of holding space Why our children need their full emotional experience How dysregulation affects our ability to hear solutions Why "fixing" often misses the mark completely

What if healing isn't about cutting more out of your life — but about what you choose to add back in?

In this conversation, I sit down with registered dietitian Noa Miller to explore how nutrition and mind-body work can come together to support chronic health conditions. We discuss how stress, emotional repression, and restrictive mindsets around food can keep the body in a state of tension — and how curiosity, nourishment, and regulation help it return to balance.

Noa shares her own journey through surgery, autoimmune illness, and the search for a sustainable approach to healing. Together, Noa and I unpack the complex relationship between body, food, and emotion, offering a grounded, compassionate look at what real healing requires.

Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of:

• Why restriction and quick fixes rarely work long-term

• How emotional awareness and nervous system regulation affect digestion and inflammation

• Ways to approach nutrition with flexibility, curiosity, and joy

• The power of integrating medical, emotional, and spiritual care