The Expression Sessions Podcast

Welcome Back to Season Two of The Expression Sessions!

We are going to start this season off by reviewing some of the topics of our original 5 podcast and then go back to basics on how we take care of ourselves!  It’s January 2021 and WE’RE STILL IN LOCKDOWN?!  So take a holy pause and have a listen.  Pour yourself a cup of tea, coffee, vino, or H2O and let's chat about this  juncture in our COVID journey together over the last INSANE year.  For some of us this second wave has hit us even harder in the mental health department:(  However, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU FEEL YOU ARE AT TODAY we invite you to honour it, feel the feels, and show up for yourselves ...we are going to pause and take stock of all that we have learned about self-care whilst living through a pandemic.

Because this episode is in partnership with Friends of Muskoka Midwives virtual event "Fill Your Cup" there is also a mini-workshop component to this weeks podcast.  If you are interested check out the event via the links below!

In this workshop and our future LIVE event with Fill Your Cup, we are going to set about to create some organization around all the learning and growing we've done by designing simple, streamlined, relevant and personal self care plans of action...reminders of how we want to be and expression and feel in the world and ways we can commit to practices and rituals that will bring us into those experiences more and more.

LINK TO ENTIRE EVENT:
https://fomm.podia.com/fill-your-cup-virtual-at-home-edition/buy

LINK TO OUR WORKSHOP ONLY;
https://fomm.podia.com/self-expression-is-self-care-curating-a-personalized-self-care-plan-that-works

Today's guest is design diva, Sabrina Linn.  She's a Design Consultant, Magazine Style Editor, Decorator, Pillow Maker, Fabric Lover, Tastemaker, Perpetual Style Entrepreneur & Boss Babe!

Sabrina achieved  early success  in her career working as Design Editor at House & Home Magazine, as well as the  "behind-the-scenes"  Designer on the most popular of HGTV design shows for more than a decade.

​She now runs a successful Decorating Business where she  consults with homeowners and builders who appreciate her attention to detail, and sophisticated approach to designing a space.

​Her signature  style is a combination of  classic design with a modern approach to add warmth and personality. She spends her time working with clients between Toronto and Muskoka  where she continues to decorate homes.

​Are you contemplating a renovation or a refresh of your home? If so, you would benefit working with a design professional to give you design direction and a plan. 

With Sabrina you  start with a Design Consultation and create a design plan suited to your needs. Whether it's a consultation for a new build or a plan to furnish or redecorate an existing space. 

​Design Services begin with a Design Plan that includes: custom room layouts, lighting recommendations, paint recommendations, furniture & accessories sourcing and installation, and selections of surfaces and finishes for bathrooms and kitchen renovations.

Find Sabrina at: https://www.sabrinalinn.com
IG: @sabrina.linn.designs

2020 has been a difficult year to say the least, but here we are rounding the corner and ready for the possibilities of a new year. 

More than ever small businesses are feeling the finial strain of this pandemic and I know appreciate the support this holiday season however you are able to give it! Whether that is sharing their posts on social media and commenting on products or actually being a position to shop small and local this Christmas - please know it ALL is appreciated and does not go unnoticed. 

This week we are dedicating the episode to chatting about the local businesses, artists and shops included in the first ever EXPRESSION BOX ( which blew us away and sold out in 6 hours- you guys are amazing!) 

We can't thank you, our listeners  and supporters for jumping at the opportunity to get your hands on this box and support these local women ( and man)  that we love!

For those that didn't get your hands on a box- you can still buy from these locals and maybe get a great gift idea or two from the episode as we encourage those who are able to shop local this holiday! 

EXPRESSION BOX PARTICIPANTS
@comfortbakeshop
@tanyalistdesign
@Luckyknitsmuskoka
@woodandheartdesignco
@dr.alison.parsons
@Maggieandkaye
@nadora_co
@tidytim
@Charmaine_broughton
@Muskokaaesthetics
@floraldesignsbyallison
@moonwing.meadows
@bodybydesign
@littleblackbow

IT'S LAUNCH DAY!!!

THE HOLIDAY EXPRESSION BOX is available NOW  HERE !!!

Limited Quantities available- Get yours now to avoid disappointment!
https://www.hubproductionsmuskoka.com/the-expression-sessions.html

Sometimes we could all use a little luck, am I right?!  This week we feel SO lucky to not only talk to our amazing guest Kendra of Lucky Knits, but to also launch our first ever Expression Box!!!  We are so grateful to have had so many extraordinary women on our show this season and feel like the luckiest girls alive to be surrounded and supported by such  an amazing community.

We've all heard the quote:  “There's no such thing as luck. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” ― Amy Hempel.  While we do believe this to some extent, we also know that the Universe sometimes has 'different' plans.  For example, were it not for COVID this podcast may have never evolved and in the case of today's guest, a bad accident landed her on the couch for months rehabilitating.  During that time she turned to knitting to keep herself busy...the rest is history!

Do you follow your heart? Wear your heart on your sleeve?  Listen to the whispers of your heart?  Here at The Expression Sessions we are kinda obsessed with our HEARTS.  We believe that true expression is motivated and fostered in our heart's centre and celebrate anyone else who operates this way too!

Today we have the pleasure of talking to the lovely Ciara Thompson (Miss Canada 2017!) about her (and her bf Rob's) candle making business Wood and Heart Design Co. (www.woodandheartdesignco.com), as well as her inspiring experiences in the pageant community. 

​Having both been born-and-raised in Muskoka, they each learned from early on the beauty and magic that it encompasses. They decided that they wanted to find a way to bring that little piece of magic indoors, and thus, Wood and Heart was born!

With the mantra, "a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle", Ciara is literally and figuratively spreading joy and light with her new business, while focusing on uplifting and promoting all women. When we focus on our heart and being the best versions of ourselves, the concept of competition falls away and we are left spreading true positivity and inspiring expression in others.  

"Ignite the Spark. Light the Fire." STAR WARS―Resistance motto

Today we are talking about all things RESISTANCE and the burning question: Why do we often resist the things we want (to express)the most???

The actor  who can’t audition. The hopeless romantic who can never find the right relationship. If you haven’t experienced it yourself, surely you’ve known others who’ve struggled with it to a pretty incredible degree: actively resisting what it is they want most (almost always through unconscious self-sabotage.) It’s something so many people do, but so few know to change, usually because they don’t know why it happens in the first place!

Listen folks! Life as we know it is about change, but what is a person to do when faced with resistance? Resistance to change manifests itself in so many ways, from foot-dragging and inertia to petty sabotage to outright rebellions. The best we can do,  when experiencing change in our own life, is to understand the predictable, universal sources of resistance in each situation and then strategize around them.

Inspiration for this episode came from the Psychology Today article called: 'Why We Resist Change" and it got us CURIOUS!  Please, if the brain science behind the concept of resistance, inertia, and the neurobiology of change gets you all fired up check out the article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201701/why-we-resist-change

We also REALLY love the article: 'The 8 Reasons Why We Resist the Things We Want' by Brianna Wiest, for her practical tips and insight!  https://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2015/09/8-reasons-why-we-resist-the-things-we-want-the-most/

The reality is we can’t always make ourselves or others feel comfortable with change, but we can can minimize the discomfort and strengthen our resolve. Diagnosing the sources of resistance is the first step toward good solutions. And feedback from being mindful of our resistance can even be helpful in improving the process of gaining acceptance for change.

This episode would NOT be complete, however, without our very special guest, and physical expression expert Vanessa McHugh, of Nadora Wellness.

Nadora was founded on the principle of making workout equipment functional, accessible and easy to use in the comfort of your own home, enhance your workouts at the gym or take with you on your life adventures. So you can stay active, strong and healthy anywhere, anytime.

We appropriately talk about the "Resistance Band" and how it can support and strengthen our physical bodies at home and on the go!

Check out their website @ https://nadora.co and get your hands on some FREE workouts and downloads, shop, and read their awesome Blog!

XO
Amy & Emma

Cherished Listeners...today we unveil BIG NEWS! 

We are excited to announce our new venture! We are launching our first ever "Expression Box" just in time for the holidays.   Is the combined possibility of: Giving, Community, and Expression...three of our favourite things here at The Expression Sessions.

This holiday season, The Expression Sessions is releasing a curated selection of expression pieces from local women in our community who were all guests during Season #1 of the  podcast.  True to form, each item touches on a form of expression that we’ve explored this season.  For example: kindness, self-care, physical expression, women's health, mental health , home, food, fashion, beauty, and so on.  Many of the items are exclusive to The Expression Box and/or were selected by us all to encourage self expression in YOU! It will be 'chock a block' FULL of items

It's called “The Holiday Expression Box”, and we are SO pumped!

“The Holiday Expression Box” will be available or pre-sale on NOVEMBER 13th.

THE LAUNCH NOVEMBER 27th !

www.theexpressionsessions.com

This week we sat down with, #bossbabe, Nicole Manion.  Nicole is the owner of Muskoka Aesthetics and Miskoka Beauty and she took a moment out of her busy schedule to tells us about her journey from a student athlete who struggled with dyslexia to the successful, beauty-based, entrepreneur she is today!  

Nicole is a gifted and courageous young entrepreneur that hasn't let age or a learning disability stop her.  She turns problems into businesses and has most recently founded a business mentorship and coaching program to support others in their quest for self-expression.

We also talk about the pros and cons of the billion dollar "Beauty Biz" and how each of us can find our own expression of beauty by confidently being our true selves and by embracing our unique and individual expression of beauty!

Check out her websites: https://www.muskokaaesthetics.com & https://www.miskoka.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week's session is fittingly dedicated to giving thanks and expressing gratitude.  Why is it important to have a gratitude practice?  Well, the benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. Studies show that people who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems. So ya, we want all that;)

In order to start a gratitude practice we talk about the importance of "writing it down".  However, when starting this kind of journalling practice, we implore you...this is about Self-Assessment NOT Self-Judgement!  We like to say: "Stop messing with yourself and, instead, start assessing";) When we honestly and compassionately assess how we show up for ourselves each day, we eventually get to the bottom of our patterns and habits. 

The Expression Session's 4 Simple Journalling Prompts for Gratitude and Growth

Step #1: #Blessings - Ask yourself and notice what went right today! Include those small moments of gratitude.  Celebrate anything positive or anything you achieved...no matter how small.

Step #2: #Reflections - Assess what didn't go as expected and why? To be clear we DID NOT say "beat yourself up for what didn't go as planned"! Be neutral, objective and detached from negative emotions.  The more you know about your thinking and your patterns of behaviours the better! So simply ask: "I could have made today better by...?" 

Step #3: #Goals - Plan a couple of things for your next day.  NOT next month, next year...take life 'One Day at a Time'! Please be REALISTIC. The key is to make sure you will do what you SAY you will do! The goal is to STOP breaking promises to yourself. Write down: "Tomorrow I will...". *Remember, DO NOT put ANYTHING on this list that you know you will not do! The goal is to make tiny promises that are easy to keep.  We are building integrity with yourself here, not shooting for the moon;)

Step #4: #Inspiration - Know you're 'why'! Connect your motivation for doing things to your heart and get specific.  Sure we can all say we want to exercise because we want to "be healthy", but get more honest, dig deeper.  Yes healthy is good, but tap into your heart..."I want to exercise because I want to have the energy to play with my grandchildren, because I want to dance at my son's wedding, because I want to feel powerful and strong in my sexy body...go within to find your 'whys' and if you can VISUALIZE them even better!

Pick up a pen and give thanks this weekend! In this wild world we are currently living in we need to find small moments of gratitude and growth more than ever.  We promise, if you start writing them down, you'll spend the whole day looking for things for your list instead of being sucked into the negative or the drama.  

Till next week,
Amy & Emma