The Nourished Sensitive Podcast

In this season opener of The Nourished Sensitive Podcast, Leah sits down with fellow dietitian Jennifer Anderson to talk about the child feeding research, restriction and intuitive eating, ARFID and picky eating, and what feeding looks like when your child doesn’t come with the manual, or the brain wiring, others seem to have.

When feeding your kid gets complicated.

When you became a parent, you probably thought feeding your child would be the easy part.

Swore you’d never bribe your kid with dessert, never make a separate meal because it was easier than a standoff, never hear yourself say, “just try it,” in a voice that didn’t sound like your own.

Or maybe feeding was easy for years until your child came home one day and said, “My friend says bread makes you fat,” and you froze.

Now what?

Between picky eating, confusing nutrition headlines, and the fear of saying the wrong thing about food or bodies, it’s hard to feel confident about any of it.

In this conversation:

* When feeding your kid gets complicated

* When best practices don’t help your kid

* The Five Pillars for Raising an Embodied Independent Eater

* Look at the whole bucket, not just one study

* It’s not whether you restrict, but how

* You run the family restaurant

* For picky or sensitive kids who need a different approach

* The Six-Step Process for Feeding Dilemmas

* When it’s more than just “picky eating”

* What courage to feed them well actually costs

Our guest today is child-feeding expert Jennifer Anderson, MPH, RDN — a registered dietitian-nutritionist and the founder of the community and educational platform, Kids Eat in Color.

When Jennifer’s ten-month-old son showed early flags for picky eating and started to fall off his growth chart, she felt lost about what to do. She had a nutrition background, read the literature, and had a bookshelf of information on the topic, but what she found still didn’t fit her family, or her kids’ specific feeding issues.

So she built a different way — and that became Kids Eat in Color.

In Jennifer’s new book — Feed Them Well: A Guide to Raising Healthy, Confident Eaters for Life — she takes overwhelmed parents of picky eaters, and every between, through everything she’s learned from her own experiences as a parent, and as a dietitian specializing in this area.

Feed Them Well is a part evidence and part instinct based guide to feeding children from baby’s first foods through the teen years — the exact words, scripts, and decision-making frameworks, without judgment or perfection required.

It’s available for pre-order before its release on September 8th.

If this sounds like your family’s home restaurant…

And your gut’s been telling you something is off with your child’s eating for a while, but you’re overwhelmed, listen to the full episode on The Nourished Sensitive Podcast.

For a complete overview of Jennifer’s Five Pillars of Eating for Raising Eaters with Embodied Independence + Six Step Decision Making Framework for Feeding Dilemmas, pre-order Jennifer’s new book Feed Them Well before September 8th.

Explore the Book and Pre-Order

You’ll Receive These Free Essential Pre-Order Bonuses:

* How to Talk About Fruits & Veggies Printables

* How to Talk About Weight & Health Conversation Guide

* Bedtime Snack Chart

* Live Video Q&A with Jennifer and Grandma: the grandparent conversation every family navigates. (post-event recording link from August 12th)

Jennifer Anderson, MPH, RDN is the founder of Kids Eat in Color, a trusted comprehensive resource for parents supporting their child’s nutrition and relationship with food, with a social media community of over 2 million. She is a registered dietitian and has a masters of science degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Her work has been featured in national media, she speaks at professional conferences, and has created numerous resources for Pediatric Healthcare Providers.

She is also the CEO of BetterBites®, a platform of digital health programs that equips parents with tools to guide their child through nutrition-related diagnoses and challenges.

Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids.

Website: kidseatincolor.com

Instagram: @kids.eat.in.color

Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@kids.eat.in.color

Facebook: facebook.com/kids.eat.in.color

The Nourished Sensitive is a magazine and community for humans across the spectrum of sensitivity.

Subscribe for new episodes, articles, resources, toolkits, and invitations to upcoming facilitated community circles.

Got a question, or just something to say?

We’re at: [email protected].

🌸 Blooming With Conversations SeriesThis conversation is part of a semi-regular dialogue and teaching series that brings sensitive leaders and self-healers together to explore what we need to thrive in our sensitivity through thoughtful dialogue, real-time coaching, and personal storytelling.

Subscribe to receive future Blooming With conversations in your inbox.

Want to Opt Out? if this series no longer feels supportive, you’re welcome to toggle it off in your email settings at any time, while staying subscribed to the rest of the TNS magazine and newsletter.

Blooming With Marina – When Sensitive People Stand Up For Themselves: How to Set Boundaries and Stay In Your Power

Have you ever left a conversation or a conflict situation wishing you’d said or did something differently?

Maybe a comment landed sideways, a request felt off, or someone crossed a definite line, and instead of standing up for what you wanted or needed in the moment – you just smiled, nodded, and moved on to keep the peace and avoid the conflict?

Realizing later, that… you didn’t actually let it go?

You feel it in your tight jaw, the tension in your shoulders, an emotional heaviness in your stomach, and thoughts on an endless loop about how you should have asserted yourself better…

Resolving Conflict Can Be…Complicated.

For many sensitive people, conflict doesn’t arrive cleanly. Often, it shows up as freezing, fawning, over-explaining, or taking on more responsibility than is actually yours to hold.

Maybe you experience both empathy and discomfort because you understand the other person deeply, and care about their point-of-view. You might also want to give them the benefit of the doubt, cause they're a fellow human, but at the same time you know something in your contract was violated, and you don’t want to excuse it.

It might even be hard for you to express anger. Like it feels like a forbidden feeling. Or perhaps, you just need more time and space to process, and you’re not sure how to advocate for yourself without seeming dramatic, unkind, or difficult.

When you’re sensitive, it’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your nervous system reaction to injustice, or feel unsure about how to set a boundary in the moment. Especially when you’re not very practiced at it.

Navigating conflict can be messy and complicated, but in this conversation, we’re going to simplify it.

Anger, Boundaries, and the Work of Staying in Your Power

In this episode of the Blooming With Conversation series, Marina and Leah move through this landscape together.

We talk about people-pleasing as a way of self-soothing in the absence of self-advocacy and anger processing skills, and why standing up for yourself can feel like a full-body meltdown experience, as well as how to navigate that gracefully.

We explore how to feel and process anger not as something explosive or dangerous, but as an early, often subtle signal that something you value needs protecting. Talking about the difference between feeling anger and acting from it.

We spend time in discernment around self-advocacy:

* how to tell the difference between a real boundary crossing and an old wound being stirred,

* how fear-based reactions can soften when you sit with them long enough,

* and how learning to respond thoughtfully—rather than react aggressively—can help you stay grounded and in your dignity, honor, and power as a sensitive human.

As the conversation unfolds, we close out with a more humane, sensitive-friendly understanding of self-advocacy; one that allows for uncertainty, practice, and repair. And that doesn’t require you to harden or override your sensitivity, but instead stay connected to yourself and your values while you learn to name your needs, make requests, and protect your power.

If you’re ready, this conversation is an opportunity to learn how to stop shrinking, and stand up for yourself no matter what life throws at your nervous system.

And we’re not speaking from a pedestal here.

Marina and I have each had our own work to do around this, and have learned a lot. We just hope listening feels easy for you and that you learn something as you sit with two friends willing to slow down and make sense of it all together.

Warmly,

Leah & Marina

When Sensitive People Stand Up For Themselves: How to Set Boundaries and Stay In Your Power

In this conversation, Marina and Leah walk us through the core inner skills sensitive people often have to learn the hard way:

* Understanding why self-advocacy is so dysregulating — how standing up for yourself activates the nervous system, especially when people-pleasing once kept you safe

* Recognizing anger as an early boundary signal — learning to notice anger in its softer, subtler forms and use it for protection rather than suppression or explosion

* Discerning real boundary crossings from old threat responses — sitting with fear and anxiety long enough to tell the difference between past wounds and present-day dynamics

* Advocating for yourself without hardening — practicing responses that honor your values, dignity, and needs without becoming reactive or self-punishing

…and reflect on why learning these things in conversation and community—rather than in isolation—can help sensitive people feel safer, clearer, and more empowered as they grow.

🌱 Seeds of a Conversation

Choose a Chapter to Listen

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Sensitive Self-AdvocacyWhy standing up for ourselves is uniquely challenging for sensitive people.

02:48 – Boundaries, Anger, and the Nervous SystemHow boundaries, anger, and nervous system responses are deeply connected.

08:49 – The Complexity of EmotionsEmotional layering, empathy, and needing time to process.

11:42 – Real-Life Boundary CrossingsPersonal stories of conflict and self-advocacy in action.

15:04 – Growth Through ConflictHow boundary challenges become moments of transformation.

17:54 – Anger as a Tool for Self-AdvocacyReframing anger as information, not aggression.

24:06 – Communication That Protects DignityClear requests, honesty, and nonviolent communication.

34:55 – Values as the Foundation of BoundariesLetting what matters most guide your response.

40:26 – When Anger Is About Old WoundsDistinguishing present-moment boundaries from past triggers.

48:11 – Releasing Anger & Integrating SupportCreative practices, visualization, and the power of community.

We’d Love to Hear From You

After you listen, Marina and I would love to know:

* What part of this conversation moved something inside you?

* Where in my life have I stayed quiet to keep the peace, even when something in me felt unsettled or crossed?

* How do I typically respond when anger or discomfort arises—do I turn it inward, smooth it over, or avoid it altogether?

Comments, reflections, and shares are always welcome.

Join Us in Circle: Self Alchemy for Sensitive Self-Healers

This circle is a gentle, structured-but-spacious gathering designed for sensitive and neurodivergent souls who want dedicated time to tend to their inner world.

What We Work On:

* Guided grounding practices to ease into your body

* Journaling or workbook time (bring your own or use the prompts Marina offers)

* Emotional processing support in a compassionate group setting

* Energetic boundary and intuitive exercises drawn from Marina’s own toolkit

* Self-compassion practices inspired by leaders like Kristin Neff and Tara Brach

* Gentle community sharing where you can speak, listen, or simply be present

If You’re Searching For…

* dedicated time to tend your inner world

* a consistent spiritual practice

* to explore spirituality and intuition

* a sacred space where sensitivity is honored

* gentle accountability and support

* companionship on the healing path

…this bimonthly circle is for you.

Meet Marina Biggio, Founder of Cosmic Marina, LLC.

Marina is a spiritual practitioner and the founder of Cosmic Marina, LLC, where she supports sensitive, intuitive, and deep-feeling souls through spiritual healing, intuitive guidance, tarot, energy work, soul retrieval, past-life regression, and group facilitation.

Marina’s Journey into Her Purpose

Originally trained as an engineer at Smith College, Marina spent years balancing scientific rigor with a deep inner exploration of spirituality and consciousness. After entering a successful on-paper career in biomedical technology, Marina experienced a profound spiritual awakening after navigating several years of depersonalization and derealization disorder (DPDR).

Through lived experience, spiritual inquiry, and hosting her podcast Out of the Mud, Marina eventually emerged from DPDR with clarity and a renewed sense of calling. In 2022, she left engineering to devote herself fully to spiritual and healing work.

Marina brings a rare blend of grounded practicality and soulful insight to her work—bridging intellect and intuition to help others reconnect with clarity, wholeness, and inner truth.

Learn more about Marina and her work at www.cosmicmarina.com.

The Nourished Sensitive Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Dear readers,

When I was an undergraduate nutrition student at The University of New Hampshire somewhere between 2011 and 2015, I became absolutely obsessed with TEDx Talks.

I just loved the way an idea or a story—offered with clarity and conviction—could profoundly shift my perspective, and transform the cultural conversation.

Some of my early favorites back then were Angela Lee Duckworth’s “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” and Susan Cain’s “The Power of Introverts”.

I can remember watching these while sitting on the bed in my dorm room, in between studying for my exams, as background noise. I’d often came back to one of them when I had an experience related to its lesson.

This habit continued throughout my twenties, after I moved to Seattle to start my career. At that time, Simon Sinek’s “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” and Brené Brown’s “The Power of Vulnerability” were the Ted talks that had my attention.

These conversations shaped my earliest understanding of leadership. How I think, how I teach, how I facilitate, and eventually how I would step into my own thought leadership and educator voice as founder of The Nourished Sensitive.

Then, about three months ago during a design session, while visually mapping out the kinds of gatherings I wanted to create and host inside The Nourished Sensitive Collective, I circled back to my obsession with Ted talks. In that moment, a younger version of myself came forward and she had an idea.

WAIT. What if…what if we created our own TEDx-inspired, coffee-chat-style conversational series with contemporary sensitive leaders, to inspire the next generation of sensitive leaders!?

I’ll admit, I was pretty impressed by my own idea, so I sat there and thought about it.

A media platform for a tender kind of thought leadership started to materialize.

Empowering conversations infused with softness and strength. Offering the same clarity, messages of empowerment, and resonance of a traditional TEDx Talk, but wrapped inside the gentle, relational, heart-forward cyclical, and feminine kind of energy that the Nourished Sensitive community is starting to become known for.

I was seeing the vision more clearly now.

This could be a space where sensitive leaders, healers, creatives, and community members come together as friends to share their lived philosophies, their inner tools, their clever ideas, and the inspiring growth stories that have shaped them. Eventually, shaping a new generation of sensitive leaders, visionaries, and healers.

What started ten years ago as an undergraduate obsession, slowly evolved into a vision, grew deep inside my heart for years, and now has finally landed in your inbox as an actually real-thing you can see with your own eyes and hear with your ears.

I am delighted and deeply honored to welcome you into our very first 🌸 Blooming With Conversation featuring Marina Biggio, Founder of Cosmic Marina, LLC.

We hope you will enjoy our conversation, and may it nourish the sensitive though leader, healer, and visionary still emerging from deep within you. 🌱

Warmly,

Leah

Founder of The Nourished Sensitive

🌸 A Conversation in Bloom: Self-Alchemy for Sensitive Self-Healers

In this conversation, Leah and Marina explore the concept and practice of self-alchemy: the deeply human work of transforming what feels heavy, messy, or painful inside us into something softer, kinder, and more aligned.

In this conversation, Marina and Leah walk us through the four essential self-healing skills every sensitive person should learn (but no one teaches us):

* Emotional processing

* Energetic boundaries

* Nervous system grounding

* Self-compassionate inquiry

…and talk about why doing this kind of deeply personal work in community is a better alternative to the “fix yourself” self-help version of healing.

This conversation introduces Marina’s new bi-monthly circle inside the TNSC Garden:Self Alchemy: A Bimonthly Co-working Circle for Sensitive Self-Healers, where members can actually practice these skills together in grounded community.

🌱 Seeds of a Conversation

During this part of the conversation, Leah prompts Marina to explain how she sees self-alchemy work differently than the conventional “fix yourself” self-improvement path to healing.

Marina’s answer may surprise you…

Choose a Chapter to Listen

00:00 – Blooming With Conversations comes to life02:00 – Meeting Marina: the engineer-turned-mystic04:40 – The pull toward facilitation and service06:50 – What self-alchemy really asks of us10:20 – Moving beyond fixing: the truth about healing12:40 – Growth as a seasonal, spiraling journey14:45 – The four essential skills of self-healing16:00 – Learning to feel: the art of emotional processing20:45 – Energetic boundaries and reclaiming your own field28:50 – Grounding the sensitive nervous system35:10 – Self-compassion as the anchor of all inner work41:00 – Why sensitives heal best in relationship47:30 – A sanctuary designed for sensitive and neurodivergent souls50:10 – Inside the Self Alchemy Circle55:05 – A closing blessing and an invitation to deepen

We’d Love to Hear From You

As you listen, Marina and I would love to know:

* What part of this conversation moved something inside you?

* Which of the four self-healing skills feels most alive for you right now?

* What season of self-alchemy do you feel yourself in?

Comments, reflections, and shares are always welcome in the Garden.

Join Us in Circle: Self Alchemy for Sensitive Self-Healers

This Blooming With Conversation opens the doorway into Marina’s new bi-monthly co-working circle for sensitive self-healers, which begins tonight—Monday, December 1st, 2025, from 6:30–7:45 PM EST, and meets every other week.

This circle is a gentle, structured-but-spacious gathering designed for sensitive and neurodivergent souls who want dedicated time to tend to their inner world.It’s part co-working session, part healing circle, part soft landing place for anyone who struggles to consistently make time for their own emotional or spiritual care.

Inside the Self Alchemy Circle, you can expect:

* Guided grounding practices to ease into your body

* Journaling or workbook time (bring your own or use the prompts Marina offers)

* Emotional processing support in a compassionate group setting

* Energetic boundary and intuitive exercises drawn from Marina’s own toolkit

* Self-compassion practices inspired by leaders like Kristin Neff and Tara Brach

* Gentle community sharing where you can speak, listen, or simply be present

This is a space for all the work we mean to do on our own but rarely make time for—shadow work, self-inquiry, reflective writing, grounding, tending, and the slow, seasonal work of spiritual growth.

If you’ve been longing for:

* dedicated time to tend your inner world

* a consistent spiritual practice

* a sacred space where sensitivity is honored

* gentle accountability and support

* companionship on the healing path

…this bimonthly circle is for you.

Paid TNSC members receive full access; TNSC Guests are warmly welcome with a drop-in ticket of $22. Replays are always available within 48 hours of the circle. Email Leah at [email protected] with any questions.

Read the Full Sanctuary Circle Participation Agreement.

Meet Marina Biggio, Founder of Cosmic Marina, LLC.

In this inaugural Blooming With Conversation, I sit down with one of my dearest friends and one of the original founding members of The Nourished Sensitive Collective: Marina Biggio of Cosmic Marina LLC.

Here’s Marina sharing about her work as a healing guide for sensitive humans.

Marina’s Story to Becoming a Founder

Marina’s path is a beautiful blend of the practical and the mystical.

She began her career as an engineering major at Smith College—solving thermodynamics problems by day while quietly exploring the meaning of life, the origins of the Universe, and a wide range of spiritual traditions in the spaces between.

After graduation, Marina stepped into a financially rewarding career in biomedical technology, but soon found herself in the messy middle of a profound spiritual awakening that led to many years of experiencing a depersonalization and derealization disorder (DPDR).

After surviving and enduring through many years of this untreatable disorder–even starting a podcast to talk about her experience she called Out of the Mud–Marina eventually came out of her DPDR experience, but only after she had fully explored and deepened into the spiritual questions her soul had encountered along the way.

From there, Marina found she could no longer ignore the call toward a different kind of work. In 2022, she left her engineering job and founded Cosmic Marina, LLC., where she now offers spiritual healing, soul retrievals, psychic readings, past life regression, intuitive guidance, tarot readings, energy work, and group spiritual healing and self-discovery facilitation for sensitive, intuitive, deep-feeling souls like herself.

Marina brings a rare combination of grounded practicality, spiritual know-how, and deeply soulful insight to her work—as equal parts engineer, mystic, and compassionate guide. She shine brightly with an authentic presence that naturally invites others into clarity, wholeness, and deep inner truth.

🎗️ PS. If you’d like to become a Nourished Sensitive Collective Member to get invites to all of our events, be featured in the Nourished Sensitive Magazine, and host a circle for our community, subscribe to the TNS Substack to be part of supporting this inspiring mission, vision and heart and soul-led community. 🌱 🌸

For questions, contact Leah at www.nourishedsensitive.com/contact.

In This Episode

In this intimate and nourishing conversation, Leah sits down with somatic yoga teacher and writer Bettina Schelkle of Bettina’s Yoga Journey.

During this conversation, Leah and Bettina explore how slowing down, moving gently, and listening inwardly can open a deeper relationship with the body—especially for sensitive humans who have spent years living primarily in their heads.

Together, they unpack what embodiment really looks like in real life: the subtleties of rebuilding trust with the body, and why gentle, internal movement practices can be more transformative than rigid, structured yoga practices for the sensitive system.

If you’re a sensitive human who has been longing to feel more connected to your body, soften, and gently come home to yourself, this episode offers a grounded entry point into the practice and philosophy of somatic yoga.

Meet Bettina

Bettina Schelkle is a somatic yoga teacher, longtime practitioner, and reflective writer whose work centers on the art of embodied awareness and intuitive, nervous-system–supportive movement.

With over fifteen years of personal practice and nearly a decade of teaching, she blends Hatha yoga, somatic principles, Feldenkrais-inspired exploration, and gentle somatic guidance to help sensitive souls reconnect with their bodies.

Bettina’s yoga practice is rooted inside her own healing journey as she navigated challenges with anxiety, numbness, disconnection, and burnout. Today, Bettina supports humans in the often messy, complex, and slow process of returning to their bodies through gentle movement paired with curiosity, compassion, and inner trust.

Explore her writing and offerings at: Bettina’s Yoga Journey on Substack.

In This Conversation:

In this episode, Bettina shares her journey from living primarily in her mind—analyzing, intellectualizing, and overthinking her inner world—to slowly finding her way back into her body through somatic yoga.

We explore the subtle yet profound experience of the mind–body disconnect, how it forms over years of stress, burnout, and emotional withdrawal, and how difficult it can be to recognize when disconnection has become your default.

Bettina describes how somatic yoga and Feldenkrais principles helped her rebuild trust in her body’s wisdom, and explains why slow, subtle, internally guided movement can create deeper shifts for sensitive systems than high-intensity, dopamine-fueled workouts. Bettina also shares how learning to move from within, rather than perform movement from the outside, reshaped her entire relationship with practice.

We talk about why sensitive and neurodivergent folks often feel intimidated by open-ended or unstructured movement practices, and how patience, imagination, and permission each become essential tools for embodied healing. The conversation then expands into how embodiment supports emotional resilience, healthier boundaries, and meaningful self-care, especially for deep feelers.

We close with a reflection on why showing up for your practice regularly is one of the most radical acts of self-trust you can choose.

Explore the Episode

During this part of the conversation, Leah prompts Bettina to imagine a simple somatic practice for the aspiring yoga student rolling out their mat for the first time. Bettina shares an answer that might surprise you…

Choose a Chapter to Listen

01:29 – Bettina’s Journey into Somatic Yoga05:29 – The Mind-Body Disconnect10:54 – Reconnecting with the Body14:52 – The Process of Embodiment18:12 – Exploring Different Yoga Practices22:25 – Defining Hatha Yoga27:05 – Integrating Somatic Approaches into Hatha30:09 – Intentions and Feedback in Teaching37:43 – The Future of Somatic Yoga Teaching41:48 – Navigating the Journey of Self-Discovery46:24 – Experiencing Breakthroughs in Somatic Yoga51:45 – Connecting to Collective Consciousness54:11 – Practical Steps for Reconnecting with the Body01:01:01 – Embracing the Process of Being01:05:34 – Personal Benefits of Somatic Practices

Listen, Share, and Leave a Review

If this episode reached your heart and nourished your soul, please consider sharing the love with a friend and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Your words help sensitive voices be heard—and let others know they’re not alone.

About The Show:

The Nourished Sensitive Podcast is a sanctuary for quiet listeners, sensitive storytellers, and everyday healers who speak to the sensitive soul of life and grow together through authentic conversations and genuine connection.

Hosted by holistic health coach, registered dietitian, and heart-led healer Leah Tarleton, MS, RDN each episode invites you into intimate conversations on sensitivity, nourishment, healing, personal growth, and self-discovery.

With warmth and empathy, Leah weaves personal stories, soulful reflections, and practical wisdom drawn from her signature Nine Elements of Nourishment framework—a body-mind-spirit approach to thriving as a sensitive, neurodivergent human.

Connect with Leah & The Nourished Sensitive

Leah Tarleton, MS, RDN, is the founder of The Nourished Sensitive—a holistic health guide, dietitian, and mind-body eating coach supporting sensitive souls through her Nine Elements of Nourishment framework.

* Substack: nourishedsensitive.substack.com

* Free Guide: Holistic Guide to Thriving as an HSP (subscribe to download)

* Instagram: @the.nourished.sensitive

* Contact Leah: nourishedsensitive.com/contact

In This Episode

In this heartwarming and inspirational conversation, Leah sits down with certified spiritual life coach, Janelle Lindemuth of Highly Sensitive Life Coach.

During this conversation, Leah and Janelle explore what often happens when high-achieving, sensitive women hit burnout, and how reconnecting with intuition can guide sensitive souls back to alignment, joy, and deeper self-trust.

Together, they unpack Janelle’s lived experience of having woken up one morning with the realization that the life that looked “good” on paper no longer felt right in her body. Janelle shares her journey from corporate burnout, to rebuilding her life from the inside out, to finally becoming a guide for women navigating similar challenges.

If you’re a sensitive human who has ever found yourself pushing through exhaustion, repeating cycles of burnout, questioning your path, or wondering why success still feels hollow, this episode offers both resonance and relief.

Meet Janelle

Janelle Lindemuth is a certified spiritual life coach and self-described soul purpose mentor whose work centers on guiding sensitive, high-achieving women to reconnect with their inner wisdom and live in alignment with purpose.

With a background shaped by her own experience with chronic burnout and spiritual awakening, Janelle blends personal experience with intuitive guidance, and nervous-system–supportive practices with exploratory mindset work to inspire and guide sensitive and soulful humans back to themselves and their authentic purpose in life.

Explore her writing and offerings at: @highlysensitivelifecoach on Instagram.

In This Conversation:

In this episode, Janelle shares how burnout, chronic fatigue, and persistent physical symptoms became the turning point that forced her to slow down and listen to what her body had been trying to tell her for years. She walks us through the moment she realized she could no longer stay in her corporate career—no matter how successful it looked on the outside—and how she began the courageous process of rebuilding her life from the inside out.

We explore how reconnecting with intuition doesn’t require dramatic rituals or hours of meditation; sometimes a single minute of silence, a deep breath, or a moment of stillness is enough to shift everything. Janelle also shares the synchronicities and inner nudges that ultimately led her to the spiritual life coaching program that transformed her path.

Together, we examine how to release the story that you’re “behind,” and what it looks like to trust that your timeline is unfolding exactly as it should. Janelle reflects on why joy—rather than performance, approval, or productivity—is one of the most reliable compasses for spiritual alignment.

We close with practical, accessible ways to begin trusting yourself again after years of burnout or self-doubt.

Explore the Episode

During this part of the conversation, Janelle and Leah pull the Patience card from the Ritual Soul Oracle Deck, and together, they intuitively explore the meaning behind the card.

Choose a Chapter to Listen

00:01 – Leah welcome’s the listener and Janelle into the conversation03:23 – Why purpose isn’t something you have to chase07:44 – Janelle’s story of corporate burnout & awakening18:44 – How to listen to your body & follow your intuitive nudges28:59 – Practical steps to follow your joy and connect with your intuition43:00 – Book reading: Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given50:07 – Simple ways to start trusting yourself on your unique path56:00 – Card pull and spiritual messages - Leah and Janelle share insights58:30 – Final words of encouragement and messages of love for your journey

Listen, Share, and Leave a Review

If this episode reached your heart and nourished your soul, please consider sharing the love with a friend and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Your words help sensitive voices be heard—and let others know they’re not alone.

About The Show:

The Nourished Sensitive Podcast is a sanctuary for quiet listeners, sensitive storytellers, and everyday healers who speak to the sensitive soul of life and grow together through authentic conversations and genuine connection.

Hosted by holistic health coach, registered dietitian, and heart-led healer Leah Tarleton, MS, RDN each episode invites you into intimate conversations on sensitivity, nourishment, healing, personal growth, and self-discovery.

With warmth and empathy, Leah weaves personal stories, soulful reflections, and practical wisdom drawn from her signature Nine Elements of Nourishment framework—a body-mind-spirit approach to thriving as a sensitive, neurodivergent human.

Connect with Leah & The Nourished Sensitive

Leah Tarleton, MS, RDN, is the founder of The Nourished Sensitive—a holistic health guide, dietitian, and mind-body eating coach supporting sensitive souls through her Nine Elements of Nourishment framework.

* Substack: nourishedsensitive.substack.com

* Free Guide: Holistic Guide to Thriving as an HSP (subscribe to download)

* Instagram: @the.nourished.sensitive

* Contact Leah: nourishedsensitive.com/contact

In this reading, Leah brings her latest soul-stirring love letter, "Life, When You're Open Hearted” to life. In this piece, she shares her thoughts on what it feels like to live from an open heart and the path to choosing love over fear, embracing vulnerability, and finding the beauty in life's messiness and discomfort.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your sensitivity or seeking deeper connection, this lovely reading offers a sanctuary for your sensitive heart.

This reading will help you:

* Live More From an Open Heart: by clarifying the embodiment and practice of open-heartedness, and offering you the unique courage to live from the heart.

* Embrace Vulnerability: in learning how opening up can lead to richer, more meaningful relationships, even when it feels risky.

* Reconnect with Your Inner Child: and discover ways to heal and tap into the joy, creativity, and wonder that might be hiding beneath life’s everyday stressors.

* Build Authentic Relationships: to move beyond superficial connections and find genuine bonds that nourish your heart and root it in mutual care and authenticity.

* Balance Self-Love and Giving: and find encouragement to nurture yourself while still being there for others, preventing burnout along the way.

* Overcome Fear of Rejection: by cultivating resilience and self-acceptance to keep your heart open, even when facing rejection and grief.

By the end of this episode, Leah leaves you with a beautiful prayer to soothe your heart while inspiring and empowering you to embrace your sensitivity as a strength. After hearing this prayer, you’ll feel more connected to a sense of emotional and spiritual well-being and will see yourself in a whole new light.

Listen to what you need most:

02:30 - Understanding Open-Heartedness vs. Sensitivity

* Differentiating between sensitivity and open-heartedness.

* The unique courage required to live from an open heart.

10:15 - Living with an Open Heart

* The importance of presence and meaningful connections.

* Challenges of maintaining an open heart in a transactional world.

20:45 - Embodied Open-Heartedness

* Embracing vulnerability as a strength.

* Exploring the essential needs of open-hearted individuals.

30:30 - The Intersection of Love and Health

* Heart disease as a metaphor for emotional dis-ease.

* The connection between emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.

40:00 - Reconnecting with the Inner Child

* Healing through childhood joy and creativity.

* Practical steps for reconnecting with your inner child.

50:20 - Building Authentic Relationships

* Overcoming transactional dynamics in relationships.

* Strategies for fostering genuine connections.

60:10 - Facing Fear and Rejection

* Maintaining an open heart despite fear of rejection.

* The importance of self-acceptance and resilience.

70:00 - Self-Love and Preventing Burnout

* Balancing self-care with the desire to care for others.

* Practical self-care tips to sustain an open-hearted approach.

80:30 - A Prayer for an Open Heart

* Guided reflection and a heartfelt prayer for maintaining openness and resilience.

90:00 - Closing Thoughts

* Recap of key insights.

* Encouragement to embrace sensitivity as a strength.

* Teaser for the next episode.

🌹 Will You Be My Valentine? Attend Upcoming Sensitive Sanctuary Circle on The Art of Open-Hearted Living.

Sensitive Sanctuary Circle is a biweekly group that meets inside The Nourished Sensitive Collective membership. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to open this circle to non-members to come get a sense of connection with other heart-centered individuals while exploring the topic of open-heart living.

Just think of it like a first date–with a non-judgmental, loving group of lady friends who meet every two weeks to catch up, connect, and share life together.

💌 You are Cordially Invited to Attend our Circle.

Join us for an evening of genuine connection and meaningful conversation centered around living from an open heart.

Together, we'll explore the practical aspects of embracing an open heart in our daily lives, addressing common challenges in love and personal growth, including:

* Empathy Under Pressure: Cultivating understanding even in tough situations

* Balancing Vulnerability and Self-Care: Maintaining compassion while taking care of yourself

* Forming Genuine Connections: Building authentic relationships with others

What to Expect:

* Individual Reflections: Take time to introspect and connect deeply with your own feelings

* Group Discussions: Share and learn from each other's experiences

* Facilitated Conversations: Guided topics on:

* Showing compassion

* Practicing emotional awareness

* Living openly without burnout

* Nurturing sensitive, deep-feeling hearts

This heartfelt gathering is an opportunity to:

* Connect with like-minded individuals

* Enhance your emotional well-being

* Develop strategies for living a more compassionate and authentic life

Details & RSVP:

We would love for you to join us and contribute your unique perspective to our conversation. Please find the formal invitation and event details below:

Sensitive Sanctuary: The Art of Open Hearted Living

🗓️ Feb 3rd 2025 at 6:15p-7:30p ET [Add to Your Calendar]

📍 The Nourished Sensitive Collective membership

💻 Hosted via a Private Zoom Meeting

* Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84881932439?pwd=WFWeadAG0rRTaGLyr5Bz4s5QRQWYYl.1

* Passcode: openheart

Add to Google Calendar

Add to Outlook Calendar

All you need to bring is an open heart and you’ll leave inspired to live more fully and compassionately. We look forward to sharing this meaningful experience with you!

We look forward to having you there and connecting over this heartfelt topic!

XO,

Leah

Hi, I’m Leah—founder of The Nourished Sensitive. As a holistic health guide, registered dietitian, and heart-led healer, I blend science with soul, nourishment with embodiment, and personal experience with deep transformation.

My work is rooted in The Nine Elements of Nourishment, a framework that integrates emotional health, self-empowerment, nutrition, embodiment, value alignment, and spiritual growth—guiding you toward a life of greater balance and wholeness.

As an artist and storyteller, I see healing as a creative act. Through engaging workshops, support circles, and holistic coaching, I guide sensitive souls to reconnect with themselves, embrace their gifts, and create a life that truly suits them.

My offerings and writings provide a space for self-discovery, deep nourishment, and personal growth, helping you cultivate a life that feels both authentic and fulfilling.

I’m honored you’re here and invite you to continue your journey through community, conversation, workshops, and 1:1 support.

Our mission here at The Nourished Sensitive is to unite sensitive individuals to foster mutual growth, holistic wellness, and learning, helping us live authentically and contribute meaningfully to the world.

Visit us at: www.nourishedsensitive.com

A Few Ways to Support Our Mission at TNS

The Nourished Sensitive mission is to unique sensitive individuals to foster mutual growth, holistic wellness, and learning, helping us live authentically and contribute meaningfully to the world.

If our content and mission resonates with you, here are a few meaningful ways to support the work we do.

🌱 Grow With Us – Become part of the The Nourished Sensitive Collective for exclusive resources, workshops, and connection with fellow sensitive souls.

💌 Subscribe to Our Newsletter – Get heart-centered reflections, holistic wellness insights, and updates straight to your inbox. Sign up here to stay connected and receive our free Holistic Guide to Thriving as a Highly Sensitive Person.

🐝 Follow Along – Stay inspired and connected by following us on Instagram where we post frequent stories that speak to the heart of sensitive souls: @the.nourished.sensitive

🫶🏼 Share Our Work – Forward this post to a friend or share on social media to help us reach others who may benefit from our message.

🌸 Give What You Can – Consider supporting our work through Buying Leah a Coffee or a giving a gift subscription to keep this publication free and accessible to all.

Thank you for being here and for supporting a more inclusive, compassionate world. Together, we’re growing something beautiful. 🌿

In this special meditation episode, we invite you to ground yourself in resilience and open your heart to love. This meditation is designed for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and those seeking an intentional moment of peace and reconnection with their inner strength. Let this guided experience nourish your soul, helping you build resilience from within, ground your body out of overwhelm, and cultivate a deep sense of self-compassion and love.

What You’ll Experience in This Episode:

• Grounding Practices – We begin with a gentle visualization to help you root down, bringing stability to your mind and body.


• Resilience Building – Discover how resilience is a natural part of your sensitive nature and explore ways to nurture this strength within.


• Heart-Opening Exercises – Guided prompts help you embrace love and compassion, softening any walls around your heart.


• Mind-Body Connection – Learn how to connect your sensitivity with grounded practices that reinforce both inner peace and resilience.

Whether you’re navigating personal challenges or simply looking for a mindful reset, this meditation will leave you feeling supported, grounded, and connected to your true self.

Thank you for listening to The Nourished Sensitive Podcast! If this episode nourished you, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or rating us on Spotify. Your feedback helps us reach more sensitive souls like you.

Stay connected and explore our offerings:

• The Nourished Sensitive Membership – Join our sanctuary for sensitive souls, with access to workshops, resources, and a supportive community.


• 1:1 Coaching – Personalized guidance to help you thrive with a holistic approach that honors your unique journey.


• Holistic Guide to Thriving as an HSP – Download our free guide to start nurturing yourself with practical tips and insights for a balanced, sensitive life.

For more inspiration and updates, visit The Nourished Sensitive and follow us on social media. Embrace your sensitivity – it’s the root of your strength.

🫶🏼 Trigger Warning Disclaimer Some episodes of this podcast may include discussions on sensitive topics, including but not limited to disordered eating, body image, trauma, and mental health. These topics may be triggering for some listeners. Please prioritize your mental well-being and consider pausing the episode if it becomes overwhelming. Seek support if you feel triggered, and revisit the episode only if and when you feel safe.

⚕️ Health Disclaimer This podcast episode is provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice, therapy, or any form of health treatment or diagnosis. There may be inherent risks involved in implementing advice you receive from a podcast without the support of a qualified healthcare professional. By choosing to listen to and engage with this episode, you do so with full intention for your health and well-being and assume any risks associated. Please consult with your medical doctor, therapist, or a qualified healthcare professional to ensure that any health practices discussed align with your personal healthcare plan and desired outcomes. The views, opinions, and experiences shared on this podcast are those of the host and guests and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace professional advice. The information provided is based on personal experience and professional insight but may not be applicable to every individual. Please consult with relevant professionals regarding any specific health, mental health, or personal concerns.