The Goddess Movement

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

⚠️ Content Note: This episode explores themes of sexuality, including kink, and contains important discussion around differentiating healthy sexual play from sexual abuse.

Now—let’s get real. I’m sitting down with sex therapist and all-around powerhouse Shauna Burns-Thomson to pull back the sheets (literally and figuratively). Together, we digest the raw truths from our last show, The S Word, and tease what’s coming in our unapologetic new series, The F Word. These conversations aren’t about shock value—they’re about creating an inclusive, judgment-free zone where folks can actually explore their sexuality without shame.

From kink curiosity to boundaries, from play to consent, we’re diving headfirst into the messy, liberating, oh-so-human reality of sex. And because we’re not just here to talk the talk, we’re also launching a 3-part seminar series dedicated entirely to Pleasure!—because your body deserves it, your spirit craves it, and your life will thank you for it.

Tune in, get curious, and let’s turn those whispered questions into unapologetic conversations.

PLEASURE PRIORITY 3-part sex health seminar with Shauna

Hosted at The Goddess Movement at 33739 Essendene Ave in Abbotsford, Shauna will lead this 3-part series through October, November and January. For more info and all the juicy details, go to:

https://app.schedulehouse.com/SH/Client/003701#workshops

and use the pulldown menu to select “Pleasure Priority.” All three seminars for $99+gst. It’s the perfect Saturday night out!

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST, SHAUNA BURNS-THOMSON

• https://fraservalleysextherapy.com/home-1
• https://www.facebook.com/FraserValleySexTherapy
• https://www.instagram.com/fraservalleysextherapist/

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR STUDIO NEWSLETTER

• https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/611879/102500689194779711/share

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

This episode is your permission slip to stop letting fear boss you around. Aryn is ripping the lid off decision paralysis and showing you how to get out of your own damn way. From real-life screw-ups to listener “oh-my-god-that’s-me” questions, she proves that bravery isn’t about being fearless—it’s about making moves while your knees are shaking. You’ll learn how to break big scary things into bite-sized wins, why flopping is just part of the glow-up, and how every single choice—even the messy ones—pushes you forward. Tune in, grab your courage by the throat, and turn that fear into fuel.

“Not just when you are on stage. Record yourself when you are in your group rehersals and see what you show up like. Because if you are not showing up with big energy in your class rehersals, you are going to diminish your opportunity to show up big when you are on stage. But do both! Record both! And see what happens. Look at it again through the lens of your best friend who wants to give more energy. And then be very honest with yourself. Go, where are the places where I could show up bigger? And is that in my body movement, or is that in my face, or is that with my overall energy? These reflective surfaces can be a very powerful tool.”

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

• We’re back! Aryn offers a new biz update and note about the frequency of future podcast episodes on The Goddess Movement
• Begin as you mean to continue - a piece of advice that guided the way as Aryn became a parent
• She relates this concept to the student journey in our pole and LUVEN programs, breaking down common experiences through ‘archetypes’
• About setting a goal or charged awareness as we begin or engage in something, and how to create a focal point (and stick to it)
• How creating expectations part way through the experience becomes problematic, with reference to pole competition and performance
• Tips for students who desire to stretch and advance to higher levels through taking accountability and allowing proper time and/or training
• Fast-tracking this process: What do I need to get there? Get feedback right from the source (us, the facilitators!)
• When a lack of fundamental skills is clear and hinders a student’s ability to advance (and our solution: psst… take our workshops)
• Why getting comfortable with the mirror and video recording can greatly improve confidence, energy and skillset in dancers
• Reflective tools as your best friend: how to show up with even more energy come performance day
• Choosing to learn rather than feel or behave defeated
• Receiving feedback from people who you respect and seeking out opportunities to gain feedback in real time, most beneficially via private lessons
• An invitation to relate this process as an athlete, professional, facilitator, parent and in our everyday jobs

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR STUDIO NEWSLETTER

• https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/611879/102500689194779711/share

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

“The way this space went down… it was like, had I been 12 hours later, I likely wouldn’t have got the space. But now I think even moreso, it was in not telling anybody it allowed me to process it in a really real way with my own thoughts and feelings and instincts about it. Without being pressured by the excitement of what it could be. Especially because the space is so f*cking beautiful.”

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

• Aryn brings on Allycia and Kim on the podcast to talk about our new studio!
• Kim introduces herself as a current TGM staff member and tells the story of how she found the studio at 17 yrs old
• Allycia shares how she was referred to The Goddess Movement, and began a journey of healing
• How their kids have been positively impacted by experiencing the studio culture and our Legacy of Love
• Everyone discusses their favourite things about our original home on Sumas Way, and express their excitement for creating abundance in our new space
• Thoughts about being seen through our big, beautiful windows in the new location – as our authentic, uninhibited selves
• About creating resonance in a studio space – through decor, energy, furniture etc.
• The origins of “faaaaancy” and the birth of the Gold & Velvet Era
• A moment of gratitude for Dynamic Dance; the studio we currently share space with
• Aryn shares more about the journey of searching for our new home – from frustration, to fear, to excitement, to elation
• How the acquisition went down (beginning with the full moon) and all the magic that surrounded the swift process (think unicorns & pegasus')
• How this level of risk and commitment deeply stretched Aryn
• A sneaky peak about our brand new “XO” Pole & Spin Pole series coming in 2025
• Kim shares her desire to express her sensual side, and engage in contemporary performance in the future
• Allycia and Kim share what they are most excited about after seeing the new studio downtown Abbotsford
• Bonita the Badass helping us communicate our culture of the messy middle (stay tuned!)

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS

• Jesse Urquhart, Realtor > https://www.jesseurquhart.com/
• Theo Katsiris, Stamina Construction > https://www.facebook.com/theokatsiris/

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

Aryn creates this little “express” episode where she shares her thoughts on the pressure of time and timing. She ponders how her interaction with timing has shifted from forcing timing like an angry bull in her 20’s into the playful curiosity and surrender of it in her late 40’s. Join Aryn for this episode as she leaves a trail of cookie crumbs to ponder in your relationship with timing!

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

BOOKS

• WILD POWER by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer
• WISE POWER by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer

“I think entrepreneurs are incredibly multifaceted. I think there’s a lot of things that we're capable of learning and doing, but if we spend all of our time doing those things (even if we don’t like it or we’re not necessarily efficient at it) it prevents us from doing the things that do make a big impact. I’ve come to realize that if I am going to be behind my business, where I thrive is in the creative aspect of things. I tend to be the spark of stuff, and then I have this beautiful team that can follow through on it. Which is allowing then the business itself to start to grow and amplify and do more of its purpose – which is touching people and connecting people.”

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

• Aryn invites on the podcast guest Nicole Moore, Owner of Tidal Wave Collective
• Nicole shares about her first experience at The Goddess Movement and how welcome she felt
• About the journey of coming out as gay
• They reminisce on Nicole’s first retreat experience, hosted by Aryn called Lion + Rose retreat
• How to ‘do life in the body you have’
• About challenging the societal norms that say our worth is derived from what we accomplish or how we look
• Nicole takes us through her leadership career in aquatics and the tech world as an ‘entrepreneur’
• About the naked ocean cold plunge: how it started and what it evolved into
• Connecting with your senses, becoming curious and playing with textures
• Trusting intuition and tapping into our innate knowings through embodiment
• Nicole takes her passion for leadership processes and systems to go out on her own
• How Tidal Wave Collective helps entrepreneurs work smarter
• All about leadership – with staff, with students, with community
• When letting others shine and giving them the podium promotes our Legacy of Love
• Natural consequence as a leadership style
• About collaboration, delegation and communication within a business' ecosystem
• Aryn asks Nicole’s top 2 tools for systems optimization for solopreneurs

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST NICOLE MOORE

• https://www.instagram.com/nic.tidalwavecollective/
• https://www.tidalwavecollective.com
• [email protected]

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

“I don’t feel like I need to always be on track anymore. I used to… I used to a lot. But I don’t feel like that is realistic anymore. I feel like the more things you do in life, and the more experiences you have in life, the more I in particular, realize there is no such thing as being in track all the time. You can have goals, you can have desires, you can have actions and at no point in time will they all perfectly align so that everything is exactly the way you want it. It will never happen. So, the way I manage all these things is I immediately take responsibility; not try and point fault at other people or other things. The ability to take responsibility when I fall off track or drop a ball is hugely empowering because now it’s not about life happening TO me, it’s about how am I shaping life.”

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

• Aryn continues to respond to her prompt on Instagram about what people would like her to blab about
• The topic of getting out of your own way and getting back on track paralleling with getting back in your body
• When acute trauma makes this work debilitating, and how to move forward with a professional
• How the body perceives sensuality as sexuality, and how this shows up in the studio at The Goddess Movement
• How the internal dialogue gets loud and leans into what it knows in order to create a truth
• About replacement dialogue and finding a point of reference through personal experience as an individual
• The value in asking a dear friend about your own behaviours & self-sabotage
• A question from Aryn’s coach prompts her to go deeper into doable action
• When we demand that fears gets specific – “What do you actually want from me?”
• How to empower yourself by taking responsibility for getting off track rather than beating ourselves up
• When bucking societal agreements causes friction and how you can develop more ability to not give f*cks
• Feeling safe in your body: make it a solo activity first ie. body scan
• Connecting to your body through movement and why slowing down promotes proper awareness
• The energetic portal through our pelvis region and how women lock it closed as an emotional trauma response
• As seen in the studio – when having a larger shaped body leads to a preconceived notion of failure (and how to shatter that narrative)

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

BOOK

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

“I have so much respect for the teacher of that class because trying to bring forward the principles of philosophy, and create active thinking and curiosity-based questioning around concepts, and not making things right or wrong with a lot of our young people right now… is very difficult. Because it's a skill that you have to learn. But he f*cking loved that class because it was all of that stuff. It was theorizing and thinking and poking holes at things. So that would be one; question everything. Question everything people tell you about what you are supposed to be as a grown up, the responsibilities you're supposed to have, the pathway you're supposed to lead, the choices you make. Question everything that you find interesting.”

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

• When creativity strikes (at 3 AM)
• Responding to a poll created @‌thegoddessmovementpodcast Instagram stories; asking what people would like to hear here
• What advice Aryn would give to someone in their 20’s
• About questioning everything – including what we learn about relationships from rom-coms
• A podcast testimonial that comes in via text while recording
• The value of money as a rule
• Basic curiosity and a stories about Aiden being persistent as a kid in school
• Aryn expands on the vibe of episode 32 about questioning the rules of the game of life
• About taking risks in money, marriage, and hobbies like diving
• Releasing perceived pressures and changing direction to explore other interests – a permission slip
• Prioritizing play and how it pays
• “Just f*cking do it” :: not your commonplace commencement speech
• Falling in love with potential and establishing core values over searching for your “calling”

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

“This is f*cking phenomenal. Now, the problem with it, is unless you get other tools to learn how to deal with the anxiety, it can get worse and worse and become a massive, interruptive problem because it just disrupts your entire life. Usually it’s at that point that we start to seek help – we deal with these coping mechanisms forever until we can’t function with life anymore. Drugs and alcohol are coping mechanisms to deal with things that are intensely uncomfortable; whether that is trauma, or an experience you’re in. I think it’s amazing that our brains find ways to blow off the steam. The challenge with it is, when it starts to disrupt your life to the point where you are no longer thriving, you are no longer moving forwards, and in fact you are starting to become destructive, that’s when we want to start introducing some other tools that can be more generative for you. So, giving all the grace in the world to coping mechanisms. For anybody who has needed them, or who has engaged with them and are trying to navigate through them – please have grace, please give yourself and your coping mechanism an intense amount of grace.“

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

• This week’s episode was inspired by shower thoughts
• Aryn dissects parts of a book she read (linked below) regarding 'BRULES', being bullshit rules
• About questioning everything – the difference between absolute and relative truths
• Community truths adopted by groups and how they do and don't serve future groups
• We look at laws just like rules imposed on us by our parents
• Some examples, including religion, that can play a part in the unconscious following of ideologies, principles and rituals
• Poking around the status quo as a generative offering to create deep roots for what you do and believe in, based on lived experience
• The power of personal truth – a life hack
• Universal truths that we can all get behind, as foundations of the human experience on planet earth
• Aryn revisits a course she created in 2018, The Clarity Project and poses 4 epic questions (see below)
• About coping mechanisms, martyrdom and hiding parts of ourselves as ways of living, and the potential detriment if not dissected
• What cheerleading and grocery bags taught Aryn about her strength
• The importance of WHY we are poking around at foundational beliefs, to avoid unnecessary destruction
• Leaving you with a guiding thought on grace

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

SHOUT OUTS

• BOOK > The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani

QUESTIONS FROM ARYN’S COURSE “THE CLARITY PROJECT”

• What are some beliefs, habits, or ways of being that have been passed down to you from your parents, grandparents, authority figures, or religion/cultural structure?
• What are some behaviors, patterns, or coping mechanisms you have been doing life with because of trauma or something difficult you have experienced?
• What behavior or habit have you developed to find yourself in because is served in gaining you attention, validation, or favour?
• Is there something about yourself that you hide, protect, or diminish that you wish you could shout from the rooftop? Can you identify why you bean to tuck it away?

“This is something I am seeing happening a lot. It’s something I have been addressing in my business with my team, it’s something I have been working on myself, and it's something that I see even though our clientele. I feel like we are all very over-extended and have been that way for quite some time. I feel like the level of busy in people’s lives is f^@king insane. I am on a personal quest of… I don’t want to say being less busy. I feel like I have cultivated a pretty good balance these days. For me, it's now finding joy and making sure that joy is being prioritized in my life. There are moments of course when I am really f^@king busy, which was these last two weeks, which was also when I dropped the ball.”

TODAY ON THE GODDESS MOVEMENT:

• This episode was inspired by a scheduling conflict Aryn faced last week
• The challenge of managing such a variety of items, aspects and people in her business
• Asking the question: What does it tell us, when we drop the ball?
• Aryn reads the October 1st excerpt from the daybook ‘Simple Abundance’ all about burnout
• Pinpointing “care exhaustion” as a form of burnout, and from a business owner’s point of view
• A look into how this constant stream of thoughts affect our ability to be present for sexual intimacy
• How FOMO can add to our level of exhaustion
• Diving into the things we don’t love to do, but are necessary for long-term success and joy

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST ARYN SAVARD

• https://www.instagram.com/aryn_savard?igsh=MWJtcHVzZmZ5dmpibg==
• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

JOIN US IN STUDIO

• https://www.instagram.com/tgm.studio?igsh=MzE2d2FvbWxmMXV3
• https://www.thegoddessmovement.com

PODCAST LOVE-BYTES

• https://www.instagram.com/thegoddessmovementpodcast?igsh=MWYxOGN5Z3diY3pubg==

SHOUTOUTS

• BOOK > Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach
• BOOK > Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D.
• Nicole Moore > Systems Specialist: https://www.instagram.com/nic.tidalwavecollective?igsh=bWR5NWJycGlvaTNj