The Great Connect

What is a weighted blanket—and can it actually improve sleep, reduce anxiety, and help you stay asleep through the night?

In this episode of The Great Connect, Carrie sits down with Elizabeth Grojean, founder of Baloo Living, to break down the science of sleep, the real reason so many people wake up at 3am, and how weighted blankets support nervous system regulation through something called Deep Pressure Touch.

If you’ve been struggling with sleep, stress, or burnout—this conversation explains what’s actually happening in your body and what you can do about it (without adding more to your routine).

What you’ll learn in this episode:

What does a weighted blanket do? How Deep Pressure Touch works (like a hug, massage, or swaddling) to calm the nervous system and promote relaxation

Why do I wake up at 3am and can’t fall back asleep? The connection between cortisol, stress, and disrupted sleep cycles

Do weighted blankets help with anxiety and sleep? How serotonin increases → converts to melatonin → supports deeper, more restorative sleep

Why is sleep important for overall health? The impact of sleep on hormones, metabolism, mood, cardiovascular health, and cognitive function

What is nervous system regulation? Why your body needs to feel safe before it can truly rest

Is doing more wellness actually making things worse? The concept of “competitive wellness” and why doing less can be more effective

How do you build a business without burning out? A real conversation on conscious entrepreneurship, boundaries, and sustainable success

Key topics covered:

weighted blanket benefits deep pressure touch explained how to fix 3am wake-ups cortisol and sleep natural sleep support tools nervous system regulation techniques burnout recovery holistic health and sleep optimization conscious entrepreneurship how to reduce stress naturally

Who this episode is for:

– If you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep – If you feel wired but tired – If your wellness routine keeps growing—but you don’t feel better – If you’re building a business and trying not to burn out – If you’re looking for simple, effective tools to support your nervous system

This conversation starts with sleep—but it’s really about something deeper:

How to feel safe in your body again. How to stop overriding your system. And how to create real rest in a world that keeps asking more of you.

🔗 Explore Baloo Living inside the Holistic Health Hub: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/baloo-living

Nobody tells you that building a healing practice also means building a business.

In this episode of The Great Connect, Carrie talks with Rebecca Kushner—CPA, certified health coach, and what many of her clients lovingly call their “business therapist”—about financial wellbeing for holistic health practitioners.

This conversation is for practitioners, coaches, and wellness business owners who want to help people without burning themselves out in the process. Together, they unpack the hidden pressure behind the “see more patients, make more money” model—and why that approach often leads to overwhelm, capacity issues, and unsustainable growth.

Rebecca shares a more grounded way to think about practice finances, pricing, profitability, overhead, hiring, marketing, and sustainable business growth—especially for practitioners who were trained to serve, but never taught how to run a business.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the “more patients = more money” model has limits
• How to build a profitable, values-aligned practice without self-sacrifice
• The real reason so many practitioners avoid their numbers
• A simple financial health audit for your practice
• How to think about pricing, volume, expenses, and take-home income
• The three forms of currency affecting your business: money, time, and energy
• A practical red, yellow, green expense framework to evaluate subscriptions, tools, and overhead
• How to know when it’s time to hire admin support, a practitioner, or outside help
• Why marketing advice feels so noisy—and how to find what actually works for your business
• The power of monthly money meetings to reduce stress and create clarity
• How to grow a wellness business in a way that supports your life stage, values, and real capacity

Whether you’re just starting your private practice, navigating the messy middle, or rethinking how to grow without burning out, this episode offers practical insight and real relief.

If you’re a holistic practitioner, health coach, functional medicine provider, wellness entrepreneur, or private practice owner trying to create a more sustainable business—this one’s for you.

Connect with Rebecca:https://www.rebeccakushner.com/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/accountingforappetite/

In this episode of The Great Connect, we sit down with herbalist Erin Antosh Rudzinski for a grounded, beginner-friendly conversation about herbalism, western plant medicine, and the healing potential of the plants growing all around us.

If herbalism has ever sounded interesting but also a little overwhelming, this is a beautiful place to start.

We talk about what herbalism really means, how local herbs can support the body, and why plant medicine does not have to mean buying dozens of supplements or overhauling your entire life overnight. Erin breaks down the basics of teas, tinctures, capsules, and herbal rituals—and shares simple ways to begin working with herbs for stress, sleep, gut health, energy, liver support, and seasonal allergies.

We also explore the bigger picture: how modern life affects our health, why local farms matter, how weeds like dandelion and chickweed can be surprisingly supportive, and what it looks like to reconnect with the medicinal value of the natural world around us.

In this episode, we cover:

• What herbalism and plant medicine actually mean
• The difference between western herbalism, TCM, and Ayurveda
• Why local herbs and ancestral plant traditions both matter
• Dandelion, chickweed, marshmallow root, skullcap, tulsi, valerian, eleuthero, and stinging nettle
• Teas vs. tinctures vs. capsules—and why preparation changes how an herb works
• Herbal support for stress, sleep, energy, gut health, liver health, and seasonal allergies
• Why raw local honey can be helpful during allergy season
• The problem with pesticides when foraging or harvesting from your yard
• How Erin’s own healing journey led her into herbalism
• Simple ways to start using plant medicine without making it complicated

This conversation is a reminder that herbalism does not have to be extreme or intimidating. Sometimes it starts with a cup of tea, a better understanding of the plants near you, or seeing your kitchen scraps in a completely new way.

If you’ve been curious about natural wellness, plant medicine, herbal remedies, local herbs, or beginner herbalism, this episode is for you.

Connect with Erin: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/where-the-good-grows

Perimenopause 101: think menopause is just hot flashes and mood swings? Not even close.

In this episode of The Great Connect, Carrie sits down with Nikki and Susannah, co-founders of Menopausitive, for an empowering, beginner-friendly conversation about perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause, hormones, symptoms, hormone therapy, midlife health, and what women were never properly taught about this transition.

If you’ve been wondering why you suddenly can’t sleep, feel more anxious, have brain fog, heart palpitations, mood shifts, weight changes, or just feel “off” in your body—this episode helps connect the dots.

Whether you’re in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, this is a powerful introduction to what’s actually happening in the female body during the menopause transition—and how to navigate it with more support, clarity, and self-compassion.

In this episode, we cover:

• Perimenopause vs. menopause vs. post-menopause
• When perimenopause starts and how long it can last
• Common perimenopause symptoms and lesser-known signs
• Why progesterone and estrogen matter so much
• How hormones affect sleep, mood, stress, metabolism, gut health, and inflammation
• Why midlife workouts may need to change
• Nutrition support for women in midlife, including protein and fiber
• Hormone therapy explained in a more approachable way
• How to talk to your doctor about menopause symptoms
• Why so many women feel dismissed, confused, or alone during this phase
• The link between menopause, brain health, heart health, and longevity
• How to support yourself with stress tools, strength training, community, and better information

This conversation is for women navigating the menopause transition—but also for partners, daughters, providers, and anyone who wants to better understand what women’s bodies are moving through in midlife.

Because this is not a niche issue. It’s not “just stress.” And it’s not something women should have to suffer through in silence.

If this episode resonates, share it with a woman you love—or with someone who loves a woman.

Resources mentioned:

• Menopausitive Workshop: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/the-menopausitive-workshop
• Insight Timer (meditation app): https://insighttimer.com/
• Dr. Becca Levy's research on aging attitudes, Yale: https://ysph.yale.edu/about-school-of-public-health/communications-public-relations/publications/public-health-magazine/article/becca-levy-and-the-fight-against-ageism/

🎙️ Guests: Nikki & Susannah, Co-founders of Menopausitive

🌐 https://www.holistichealthhub.app/the-menopausitive-workshop

The Human Array explores holistic health without the overwhelm, the BS, or the miracle cures. Just real conversations, real science, and the occasional admission that sometimes surviving IS the wellness practice.

🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss what's next.

Most people don’t think about their pelvic floor—until something starts to feel off.

Leaking. Pain. Pressure. Prolapse.

But these symptoms don’t appear overnight. Pelvic floor dysfunction is often something that’s been building quietly over time.

In this episode, pelvic floor physical therapist Kathy Bochnowski, Founder, PT, OCS, Cert-DN, joins us for a real, honest, and long-overdue conversation about pelvic floor health—what it is, why it matters, and how to actually address the root cause of common symptoms.

What Is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support your bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. It plays a critical role in:

• Bladder and bowel control
• Core stability and posture
• Sexual function
• Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery

When these muscles are weak, tight, or uncoordinated, it can lead to a wide range of symptoms—many of which are often dismissed as “normal.”

Common Signs of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

• Urinary leakage (especially with coughing, sneezing, or exercise)
• Constipation or bowel issues
• Painful sex
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Low back, hip, or tailbone pain
• A feeling of heaviness or possible prolapse

These symptoms are common—but they are not something you have to live with.

Why Pelvic Floor Health Matters

Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just affect one area—it can impact your entire body.

Even small symptoms (like occasional leaking) can be early signs of deeper imbalance and may progress over time if left unaddressed.

The good news: most pelvic floor issues are highly treatable with the right support.

What We Cover in This Episode

• What the pelvic floor is—and why it’s often more vulnerable in women
• The full range of pelvic floor symptoms (urinary, bowel, sexual, and pain-related)
• Why leaking, constipation, and painful sex are not “just part of being a woman”
• How early symptoms can point to more advanced issues like prolapse
• The connection between pelvic floor health and back, hip, and tailbone pain
• What pelvic floor physical therapy actually looks like (and why it’s not just Kegels)
• What to know before and after pregnancy
• Why the standard 6-week postpartum checkup often falls short
• Why it’s never too late to seek support—at any age or stage

Who This Is For

Anyone with a pelvic floor.

This includes women at every age and stage—whether you’ve had children or not, whether you’re in your 20s or navigating perimenopause, whether your symptoms are new or something you’ve been quietly managing for years.

The Bottom Line

Pelvic floor dysfunction is common—but it’s not inevitable.

Most symptoms are preventable. Many are treatable. And you don’t have to accept leaking, pain, or discomfort as your baseline.

About Kathy

Kathy Bochnowski, Founder, PT, OCS, Cert-DN, is a pelvic floor physical therapist based in Park City, Utah, with over 21 years of experience in pelvic health. She works with women, men, and children, helping them restore strength, function, and confidence in their bodies.

Learn more at: https://portal.holistichealthhub.app/happy-body-physical-therapy

The Great Connect is part of The Human Array — holistic health for real humans, no gurus required.

What if your fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, and lack of motivation weren’t personal failures—but a light environment problem?

That’s exactly what Roudy Nassif, founder of VivaRays, discovered after years of struggling with his own health—and seven years of deep research into why nothing else was working.

In this episode, we break down the overlooked variable in modern health: light.

Not just blue light—but the full spectrum, the timing, and how your light environment is shaping your hormones, mitochondria, dopamine, melatonin, and circadian rhythm—often without you realizing it.

No extremes. No perfection required. Just a clear, eye-opening conversation about what light is actually doing to your body—and simple, practical ways to start working with it instead of against it.

What we cover:

• Why up to 2/3 of your energy may come from light—not food
• What artificial light is doing to your mitochondria after sunset
• Why blue light isn’t “bad”—but timing and context is everything
• How nighttime screen exposure impacts dopamine and next-day motivation
• Why sunglasses might be working against your biology
• A simple, realistic 5-step daily light protocol you can start tomorrow
• Why one pair of blue light glasses isn’t enough—and what actually works

The 5 Steps Roudy Recommends:

• Get 10–15 minutes of morning sunlight (no sunglasses; barefoot if possible)
• Get additional sunlight mid-morning
• Get gradual UVB exposure midday (11am–2pm) to support vitamin D + melanin
• Watch the sunset to signal your nervous system to wind down
• Reduce/block artificial light after sunset with the right lenses at the right time

This is the episode for anyone who’s tried everything—diets, supplements, sleep routines—and still feels like something is missing.

Because it might not be what you’re doing. It might be the light you’re living in. And this conversation just might change your health—and life—forever.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Thanks to Roudy’s generosity, enjoy 15% off your VivaRays order through April 23, 2026.

🔗 Learn more about VivaRays: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/vivarays

The Human Array is your no-BS guide to holistic health — self-aware, science-backed, and zero wellness elitism.

📱 Follow us: @thehumanarray 🌐 thehumanarray.com

What does holistic health actually look like when you strip away the gadgets, protocols, and biohacking buzzwords?

In this episode of The Great Connect, Carrie sits down with Dr. Tom Ingegno—Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and East Asian medicine practitioner with more than 25 years of experience—to talk about what real, integrated health looks like in a system that’s failing both patients and practitioners.

Together, they explore why modern healthcare often burns out the very people trying to help, how convenience culture and engineered foods have shaped our health, and why so many of the most powerful health practices are still the simplest ones.

The truth? A lot of what actually supports our health isn’t complicated—but it does require intention.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• What biohacking gets wrong about health—and what a 3,000-year-old medicine tradition gets right
• Why no retreat, supplement, or protocol works without doing the internal work
• How the healthcare system is burning out practitioners while failing patients
• Why many food cravings aren’t a willpower problem—they’re a food science problem
• The free, foundational health practices that still matter most (sunlight, breath, movement, community)
• Why joy and human connection are non-negotiable inputs for health, not soft extras
• How East Asian medicine concepts like the pericardium (emotional protection) translate into modern life
• Why “that’s just aging” is a myth worth questioning—and what healthy aging can actually look like

This conversation explores preventive health, personal responsibility, and how simple daily practices can support wellbeing—even in a healthcare system that often works against both patients and practitioners.

Who is Dr. Tom Ingegno? Dr. Tom Ingegno is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine who specializes in Japanese-style acupuncture and East Asian medicine. He runs Charm City Integrative in Baltimore, where he offers acupuncture alongside therapies like cold plunge, red light therapy, sauna, and salt therapy. He hosts the podcast Irreverent Health, recently screened the film Suck It Up, Buttercup on medical burnout and healthcare reform, and authored a cupping book designed to bring an affordable traditional home practice back to everyday families.

🔗 Charm City Integrative: https://www.charmcityintegrative.com/

🎙️ Irreverent Health Podcast: https://irreverenthealth.com/

📖 Tom's Cupping Book: https://www.thecuppingbook.com/

🎬 Suck It Up Buttercup Film: https://irreverenthealth.com/suck-it-up-buttercup/

EPISODE RESOURCES

Holistic Health Hub Directory: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/directory

Mead Hall Mondays: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/offer/acts-of-peace-in-times-of-war-beem

The Great Connect is part of The Human Array — real conversations about holistic health, no gurus required.

Food Frequency 101 explores the idea that food may be more than just fuel—it may also carry energy, frequency, and information that influences how we feel.

In this episode of The Human Array podcast, Carrie sits down with Karin Edgett—visionary artist, photographer, and holistic food educator—for a conversation about food consciousness, conscious eating, and the energetic relationship we have with what we consume.

Karin shares how years of migraines, nausea, joint pain, and depression eventually led her to the first practitioner who suggested food might be part of the solution. That moment sparked a journey through nutritional cooking, traditional food cultures, and time spent on food farms across Central and South America—where she began learning how differently food can be grown, prepared, and understood.

Along the way, Carrie and Karin explore ideas that stretch beyond conventional nutrition: food as frequency, choosing high-vibration foods, traditional fermentation practices, and the role intention and awareness may play in how nourishment is received by the body.

From garlic and dandelions to yogurt whey and fermented condiments, this conversation opens the door to a more curious and conscious way of thinking about food.

No rigid rules.

No one-size-fits-all prescriptions.

Just an honest conversation about food consciousness, holistic nourishment, and how our relationship with food may influence wellbeing, creativity, and transformation.

What We Cover

• Karin’s healing journey—from chronic migraines, joint pain, and nausea to discovering holistic nutrition, traditional food preparation, and alternative wellness practices
• The lost history of fermented foods—why ketchup, mustard, pickles, hot sauce, and even soda were once naturally fermented
• Why the liquid whey on top of yogurt matters—and why it may be one of the most overlooked probiotic foods in your fridge
• The difference between truly fermented kombucha and commercial kombucha that has been pasteurized and re-carbonated
• Food as frequency—what people mean when they talk about food carrying energy or vibrational qualities
• The “state of grace” before eating—how gratitude, awareness, and mindset may influence digestion and nourishment
• High-vibration foods—including leafy greens, garlic, and wild plants like dandelions
• The unforgettable pig story—a surprising conversation about intuition, animals, and listening to food differently
• Small first steps toward more conscious eating—from cooking at home to choosing whole foods and fermented foods

Perfect for You If…

• You’re curious about food consciousness, food frequency, or high-vibration foods
• You want to explore holistic nutrition beyond calories and macros
• You’re interested in traditional food preparation and fermented food
• You’ve tried conventional nutrition advice and want a more intuitive, whole-person approach to food

Connect with Karin: https://portal.holistichealthhub.app/karin-edgett

Garlic dressing book: https://www.karinedgett.art/art-food-etc-blog/2025/12/2/garlic-lover-dressings-recipe-book

Real talk: women’s health research has historically been underfunded and underrepresented. In this episode, the THA team sits down to talk about the things most of us had to figure out on our own—hormonal cycles, birth control, perimenopause, and why your intuition about your body actually matters.

No gurus. No miracle protocols. Just a group of people who went looking for better answers—and want to have the conversation we all deserved way earlier.

In this episode:

• Why most health research was done on male bodies (and what that means for you)
• Understanding your hormonal cycle—and why it affects literally everything
• Perimenopause: what it is, when it starts, and why it sneaks up on people
• Birth control, hormonal health, and the evolving conversation around both
• How intuition and community fit into making health decisions
• Why asking questions is the whole point

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. We're just people who care about women having better information.

Let's be honest—if you've Googled intermittent fasting lately, you've probably ended up in a rabbit hole of conflicting advice, extreme protocols, and someone telling you that hunger is just a mindset.

This episode is not that.

Carrie sits down with holistic health practitioner Jim Jackson to cut through the noise on one of the most talked-about (and most misunderstood) approaches to eating. No dogma, no hardcore protocols—just a real conversation about what intermittent fasting actually is, why it's not as scary as it sounds, and how to start in a way that doesn't make you want to quit by day three.

In this episode:

• What intermittent fasting actually is (and isn’t)—and why your ancestors were basically already doing it
• The difference between real hunger and "I'm bored and the kitchen exists" hunger
• Why starting with a simple 12:12 fast is a completely valid move
• The actual benefits: fat burning, insulin regulation, mental clarity, and cellular repair (yes, really)
• What to eat when you break your fast (hint: not a donut)
• Special considerations for women—especially around hormonal shifts and your cycle
• Why your diet matters before you start fasting

Whether you've tried IF before and gave up, or you're completely new to the concept, this is your starting point.

🔗 Resources mentioned:

• Learn More and Connect With Jim Jackson: https://www.holistichealthhub.app/jim-jackson
• [Free Resource] Download Intermittent Fasting Guide: https://portal.holistichealthhub.app/offer/jija-intermittent-fasting-guide
• Light Me Up! Retreat Details (including a $300 discount!): https://portal.holistichealthhub.app/offer/light-me-up-retreat