Well Aware Podcast

Bringing classical yoga teachings to a modern lifestyle, Sky Ting Yoga is one of my favorite studios in New York City. The competitive spirit that often comes through in Manhattan yoga classes just isn’t present — this is a space where release is routine. Judgment is sloughed in favor of tranquility and a feeling of retreat, which is essential (and rare) in our culture of constant connectivity.

I first met Chloe Kernaghan, co-owner of Sky Ting, about eight years ago in a totally different and not-so-yogic setting… college! And in 2008, that meant Brooklyn — we both studied at NYU. I lived in Williamsburg off the Lorimer L train stop, and Chloe would drop by every now and then because she was friends with my roommate. We added each other on Facebook and I starting noticing beautiful pictures of her retreats led with Sky Ting’s other half, Krissy Jones, and, eventually, the opening of Sky Ting popping up in my feed. It was time to catch up!

Upon my first visit, I was reminded of the first yoga class I ever took some fifteen years ago (!), which is perhaps why I felt an immediate warmth in the space and connection with the teachers. It’s a nurturing environment that offers all kinds of yoga — Iyengar, Katonah, vinyasa, even Kundalini meditation — but remains nondenominational, which I love. I’m crazy about the minimalist aesthetic, not only is it a breath of fresh air, but it’s welcoming for students at any level. With windowsills full of lush green potted plants, a giant giraffe, amazing skin care (hi, Desiree!), clean eeeats and ethically made athleisure lines Live the Process and Outdoor Voices, they’ve curated what might be the perfect space for those in pursuit of wellness. Once you’re there, you won’t want to leave! 🙂

In our conversation, we parsed out how Krissy and Chloe made yoga their lifestyle. This episode is geared toward the yoga-inclined. It’s for certified teachers, students who want to deepen their practice, anyone interested in opening up a studio space, and really, anyone interested in making a sustainable and modern living through yoga or wellness – the practice of the practice. Chloe and Krissy share their experiences whole heartedly, and what I love is their authenticity throughout. It’s easy to get carried away in the wellness world as young, successful people, but Chloe and Krissy don’t want to be the latest “guru” — in their own words, they’re just regular people navigating life in the city and want to offer a practice that supports, releases and grounds.

Among other things, we discuss:

* The economics of yoga, and how to make a sustainable lifestyle as a yoga teacher

* Krissy and Chloe’s yoga mentors and their styles of teaching with a focus on Katonah Yoga

* Their favorite wellness splurges and rituals

* What teaching their very first class was like (LOL)

* The benefits and rationale for a yoga retreat

* Favorite NYC restaurants (this is a don’t-miss list)

* The story of how Sky Ting came to be

* Krissy and Chloe’s dynamic as business partners

* What they do work-wise and financially to ensure Sky Ting is profitable

* What’s coming up for Sky Ting (HINT! You’ll want to hear this part!)

Today’s conversation is with Sara Auster, a talented musician, artist, teacher and facilitator of sound baths in New York. My first sound bath was back in October of 2015 — I’m by no means pro-sound bather, I’ve just dipped my toes and found each one of my three sonic bathing instances to be different but equally beneficial. I have to admit, I didn’t expect to have a deeply healing experience. But that’s exactly what it was.

In fact, I wasn’t sure what to expect at all. I didn’t know if we’d be sitting upright, if eyes would be open or if I’d be expected to participate. That breezy October evening, I entered a large yoga studio in Soho, right on the most bustling stretch of Broadway. After my eyes adjusted, I joined others in creating a personal haven for the next hour and a half. We fixed yoga mats with lots of props like blankets, blocks and head rests to keep us comfortable in a circle around a collection of musical instruments neatly arranged on a throw. Sara Auster, our sound bath facilitator, came around to make sure everyone had what they needed and addressed questions, since there were a lot of sound bath virgins in the crowd.

Then, we took off. Eyes closed and zero effort exerted, the idea is to receive the sounds as you’re exposed to them, reaping the benefits of the sound waves they produce. The sounds themselves were deeply relaxing, I was able to turn inward and not only listen to the sounds of himalyan singing bowls, rain sticks, tuning forks and even the sound of Sara’s voice, but really soak them in. I loved it, and definitely wanted to go again. My second time sound bathing, I found myself trying to detect a pattern among the sounds, since I had what I thought was a blue print — but by doing so, I manifested anxiety because it was entirely different from the first experience and sound baths are improvised. No patterns. Not surprisingly, this search for order was a reflection of what was going on in life at the time, and although it was anxiety-inducing, it provided insight and awareness into a few things and that was helpful. I recommend bringing a journal, and setting aside some time to write afterward for this reason. Like meditation, you’ll likely get up with lots of thoughts, and you won’t want to lose them!

The third instance, which wasn’t facilitated by Sara but by the equally talented but entirely different Aya & Tyler, was quite restorative. I had several revelations, inspirations and dreams, probably because we did some modern-shamanism body work before hand, and you know, circumstantial sleep deprivation.

In our episode, Sara and I discuss:

* what is a sound bath?

* how one becomes a sound bath facilitator

* how your “sonic diet” affects your well being

* her background in massage therapy, yoga and the arts

* the one tragic / scary / insane life event that shifted her consciousness

* Sara’s light-switch moment from nightlife to wellness

* what it means to “hold space” and how to do it well as a teacher, listener or healer

* Sara’s personal wellness rituals

This episode is for anyone wanting explore healing in a new modality, who has been to a sound bath and wants to know more, or is curious about trying a sound bath. I’m honored that Sara allowed me to share some of her signature sounds right in the episode — so listen to the intro and outro if you want a taste of what one type of sound bath sounds like. By the way, Sara

“Health is something that is incredibly personal and deeply intimate that lives within our bodies, and it will only ever be ours, no matter how many pictures we have on social media health will only be our own intimate experience.”

Brittany Wood Nickerson is an herbalist and holistic practitioner who runs Thyme Herbal, and has dedicated her life to learning about plants and their healing properties. To be totally honest, I never in my wildest dreams I’d be as in awe with plants as I have been recently… from food-as-medicine, to the richness they add to self-care products, to the way they purify air and radiate energy to interiors, plants are awesome.

I always seem to be striving to integrate more plants into my life… with varying degrees of success. I’ve been experimenting with supplements and tinctures, replacing my morning coffee (let’s be real – almond milk latte) with tea, and have even started a little windowsill garden. It’s pretty cute. Right now we’ve got a TON of basil. Actually way too much. If anyone needs organic basil… I’m your person. Hit me up. Actually serious.

Plants are the solution to many modern ails: air quality, common cold, skin irritations, fatigue, stress, the list goes on. I wanted to learn more about her specific approach, as well as the guiding principles behind why plants are so great. I also challenged Brittany a lot in our conversation, about the effectiveness of herbs and plants, the placebo effect and other “knee jerk” type responses to slow living — not because I don’t believe in it, because you know I do, but because we need to hear it. Her answers are so beautifully articulated.

We discuss:

* Foundations and basics of Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and western herbalism

* How to do a “pulse” diagnosis on yourself

* The science of “folk” remedies

* How she turned her passion and truth into her lifestyle

* How she works with her clients to achieve wellness and well-being

* Modern culture around medicine in the United States and the diagnostic culture of the Internet

* Her own incredible experiences of healing through holistic methods

If you want to reach Brittany during the show, if the show changed your perspective, if you’re loving it, let us know. I’m @wellaware_ and Brittany is @thymeherbal on Twitter and Instagram.

SHOW NOTES

Thyme Herbal: Instagram / Twitter / Facebook

Online Herbalism Apprenticeship – Art of Home Herbalism Online

Jessa Blades

Kitchen medicine poster (pictured here and on Instagram)

John Douillard 

Essential reading on herbalism:

Herbal Homestead Journal by Brittany Wood Nickerson

Today’s episode is meant to be a gift for all of you as a huge thank you for listening to WELL / AWARE and for making 2015 the best year ever. Astrologer Bess Matassa not only shares her story, but she also conducts a sign-by-sign astrological forecast for 2016. I love her approach because it’s less of “a terrible thing will happen on May 24, beware!” and more of “if you’re feeling this way in May, here’s the astrological reasoning, and here’s what you can do to explore it.” It’s an invitation to deepen self awareness through the zodiac, using those energies as a vehicle for personal growth. If you’re into astrology, looking for what’s in store for this year or just feeling like you need more groundedness in your life — this episode is for you. Because she’s awesome, she has also curated an accompanying (and amazing) astrological playlist that captures the energy of each sign that I highly recommend you check out.

Since this episode is meant to be used as a resource you can return to, I’ve included time stamps for the start of the forecast and each astrological sign below, as well as a quick recap for each sign. This written guide is certainly the cliff notes version; you’ll want to hear Bess speak about each (she has such a way with words!) but the reference is here should you want to bookmark it and come back to it. Also, if you’re curious about what’s happening astrologically at this very moment, the full moon is in Leo this weekend and Bess wrote all about how you can capitalize on its energy.

I met Bess at an astrological plant workshop at Sprout Home in Brooklyn, where I got my first birth chart reading. If you haven’t splurged on this type of reading yet — I highly, highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy reading horoscopes.

In this episode, we discuss:

* her path to becoming an astrologist (because she also has PhD, and that’s fascinating)

* astrology myths

* how to interpret your sun, moon and rising sign (and what those mean)

* how to navigate your Saturn return (and what that means)

* a comprehensive energetic guide to each sign for 2016

Just a note, we mention a company called Street Signs, which has since evolved and now lives on in Bess’s newest venture, Mojave Rising, where she and her partner Cara look to astrological energies in order to guide others to live a more fulfilling life.

Talk to us during the show! Find us both on Instagram: @mojave_rising and @wellaware_, and tell me which sign you’re looking forward to the most. Footnote: If you’re in the New York area and aren’t afraid of winter storm Jonas, there’s a Cosmic Terrariums workshop this weekend, January 23, from 12 – 1PM at Sprout Home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and more to come in the coming weeks.

Thank you, Bess, for sharing your story, energy and gifts with WELL / AWARE!

ARIES 

Ego expression, combat, fire, spark, alive.

As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries represents a spark. Aries is alive, potent and can even be combative.

Welcome to Season Two of the WELL / AWARE Show! Thanks so much for listening, for your emails, but most of all for your attention and support. I know there are a lot of wellness podcasts out there, and I want you to know that I truly appreciate you came and stopped by to hang out here. By the way, I want to hear what else you guys listen to. Tweet me at @wellaware_ and tell me about your favorite podcasts. Or leave me a note in the comments.

We’re kicking off the season with a continuation of Jase Cannon’s conversation. Jase is a trans woman. She is HIV positive. She overcame drug addiction. She’s a yoga teacher at Modo Yoga, a barista at La Colombe and an advocate for God’s Love We Deliver, a non-denominational organization that delivers meals to New Yorkers who are too sick to shop or cook.

I admire her journey, and perhaps even moreso her ability to speak of it from the heart. In telling her story, she reveals many layers of deep healing that, in one way or another, we’re all journeying through.  In her previous episode we talked about what happened when she quieted the mind and listened to her inner voice — one we all have, by the way — that knew her truth all along. She surrendered and found freedom. For some, it may be gender. For others, it may be career, or a relationship, or any practice that’s not serving your wellbeing.

In this episode, we get a peek into her everyday life. We touch on her addiction and recovery, what it’s like to take hormones but perhaps most importantly, the significance of a supportive tribe. And yes, in case you were wondering, we definitely talk about boobs! Boobs. This episode leaves no stone unturned.

One last note before we get started. Every year, to fundraise for God’s Love, Jase hosts a wellness weekend called Big Love. If you’re in the New York area, I’d definitely encourage you to attend, this year it’s on February 19, 20 and 21. In case you were thinking “that’s clearly not enough to get what I need,” leading up to the event, there are Big Love sessions on Sundays at Hub Seventeen, in the new Lululemon store on Fifth Avenue. Jase posts them all on her Instagram, too. I will be at the one on January 17, this coming Sunday — it’s a sound bath featuring Aya & Tyler … who are incredible musicians, I love meditating and doing yoga to their music. Like I said in the last episode, I have a fundraise for Big Love live and for anyone who donates $50 or more, I’m offering 1:1 sessions to get unstuck for the New Year.

If you want to ping Jase or myself during this episode, she’s @jasecannon on Instagram, and I’m @wellaware_ on Instagram and Twitter, and can also be reached at wellawareco (at) gmail (dot) com.

SHOW NOTES

Jase Cannon: Instagram / Facebook / Big Love Weekend (my fundraiser is

Here we are, at the very last episode of season one.

I feel honored to bring you Jase Cannon’s story. It’s one of growth, transformation, beauty, acceptance and self-love. Her story is complex, with many folds— as such, it made sense to deliver it in two parts. This is part one, and we’ll open next season (on January 14) with part two.

I first met Jase at this year’s Big Love Weekend. She hosts one every year to raise money for God’s Love We Deliver, a non-denominational charity whose mission it is to cook and deliver nourishing meals to those in need. I had never heard of GLWD before this February, but what an incredible way to bring wellness to those who need it most.

In this community, we know that food is medicine and we are what we eat… the founding principle of WELL / AWARE is that we manifest our inner energy with self-care, and that starts with food. What a gift to be able to give that to those too sick to cook, with diseases like MS, cancer or HIV, or a caregiver who has no time to shop or cook a healthy meal. GLWD also caters to dietary needs, dependent on the individual. Ten bucks is one meal. It’s basically two almond-milk lattes. If you’re interested in helping, you can donate here. I’m offering 1:1 sessions to those who donate $50 or more help you manifest your dreams in the new year, get unstuck and discover new rituals tailored to your specific needs. Shoot me an email at wellawareco (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll figure out a time to chat, whether it’s in person or on the phone.

One of the reasons this initiative is so incredible because Jase herself has overcome a drug addiction, lives with HIV and a huge voice in the wellness and yoga community in New York City. After being unexpectedly moved at the event I knew I had to find out more about this person. At the time, Jase was Jason, also known as The Bearded Yogi. I started following more closely on Instagram and noticed there weren’t very many posts for a while, until I noticed 1) the iconic beard was gone (and what a beautiful face it revealed!) 2) beautifully painted nails 3) hormone treatments and 4) lingerie. Intrigued, I looked up the bearded yogi online but instead, found Jase and her journey. In many ways, her journey is the same one we’re all trying to live: the truest expression of ourselves. For Jase, she’d never expressed her true gender identity. In addition to all of the above, she is also a trans woman and is now embarking on a spiritual, mental, physical and emotional journey to, at age 38, finally become who she was meant to be.

We discuss:

* what her life looks like now, after coming out as a trans woman

* the connection between love and shame

* her connection to yoga as a grounding, sacred place

* her journey to true self expression

* surrender

* her new practice of journaling and how it’s helped the transition

* early signs of gender identity

* manifesting an army of angels

* what self-love means to her, and a recent story involving an action of self-love

Say hi to Jase at @jasecannon on Instagram, tell her you listened, and as I always say, if you’re feeling the love, share it!

SHOW NOTES

Jase Cannon: Instagram, Vimeo, Facebook

My Big Love Weekend Fundraiser (Big...

What an amazing, incredible privilege it was to interview this dynamic duo. And… it’s a WELL / AWARE first: it’s the very first time the show has had more than one guest on in the same episode! These two ladies are shaking up the beauty industry in a real way. Kerrilynn Pamer and Cindy DiPrima are the founders of CAP Beauty — you heard it here first, it’s the new Sephora. CAP is a natural beauty boutique and spa that stocks products with only the most natural ingredients. I Love CAP Beauty, with a capital L. It’s warm, inviting, chic without being pretentious and just a fun place to play, experiment and meet like-minded wellness folk. I can walk in and trust that I don’t have to look at labels (even though I do, of course, partly out of habit, partly out of passion and curiosity) but also, I can go there and trust I’ll learn something new about beauty or wellness.

I met the two of them at one of their events, actually co-hosted by Marissa of Negative Underwear and Sarah Levy, owner of Y7 (where Alex Sharry teaches). They became fans of the podcast instantaneously, and I’m so grateful they did.

There’s a reason CAP has a cult following.

1. They bring us brands we haven’t heard of, leading to experimentation.

2. They bring the makers behind the brands to life through intimate in-person events.

3. Their store feels like the living room of your super chic, always put together and on-trend friend. Once you’re there, you’ll never want to leave. There’s no denying they are busy ladies, but something about being in their presence makes you feel taken care of. I also signed up for a treatment in their spa, which was facial acupuncture with the lovely Elizabeth Alexandre, I’ll write about that on the blog.

We discuss:

* Kerrilynn and Cindy’s own wellness rituals

* how Kerrilynn’s celiac diagnosis changed her life

* their favorite natural beauty products

* the mastermind meetings that lead to opening CAP Beauty

* a peek inside their partnership, both big-picture and day-to-day

* the effectiveness of natural beauty products

* the key to cap beauty’s swift success

* balance is overrated (!!!)

* straight up finances

* how to write a manifesto for yourself or your business

* money as a living entity, always in flow

* why relationships are the key to a successful business

If you want to shout out to Cindy and Kerrilynn during or after their episode, you can reach them at @capbeautydaily on Instagram. Tell them you listened. As I always say, if you’re feeling the love, share it!

If you are in NY or visiting and want to pay CAP Beauty a visit, it’s at 238 West 10th street in New York City’s West Village.

SHOW NOTES

CAP Beauty | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Marissa Vos...

I fell hard for Satsuki’s soothing, minimalist watercolors after finding them on Pinterest. It was love at first sight. Her abstract paintings are uniform, but only to a certain extent. Each has its own character and vibration. They all feel organic and have the energy of a peaceful ocean swell. The colors are drawn from analogous palettes: dusty rose, soft grays and easy greens play with one another through amorphous shapes. After discovering her, I followed along on Instagram more closely and started to enjoy her profound words. I also noticed that she also calls herself a “spiritual thinker,” a delightfully complementary juxtaposition to her work. Her posts on Instagram speak to mindfulness from all different angles —  sometimes funny, always uplifting, and she strikes a chord every time. Once I understood the role that wellness played in her work, I knew we had to invite her to the show.

I have a high regard for Satsuki and her sacred creative rituals. As someone who’s always dabbled in art and loves following the scene, I’m impressed by her technique, the story of how she got started and how quickly she was able to make a name for herself. Satsuki’s art has been featured in collaborations with Vrai & Oro, The Dreslyn, and she’s been featured in Refinery29, Kinfolk Magazine and more. Although not originally a painter by trade, she’s made a strong name for herself in a very short timeframe, which I find fascinating.

Like many creatives I know, Satsuki never quite felt like she fit in because she had some special gifts. In fact, for many years of her life, she put on a show to give the illusion she was part of the group, but knew deep down that she was different — in a way that freaked out people who were closest to her.

This episode is comforting for anyone suffering from feeling left out, weird, different or just not mainstream, even if the feeling is left over from childhood. It’s affirming to hear about Satsuki’s unconventional path, as we sometimes forget there are so many options that exist beyond our current everyday realities.

We discuss:

“parallel pathing” or what it feels like to be going in the right direction, on a not-quite-right track]

growing up in a strict culture framework

how to listen to your intuition

her morning routine, which doesn’t involve painting

Satsuki’s painting / artwork-naming process

what it’s like to be a super Pinner

how she solves for anxiety attacks

the importance of determining your financial worth as an artist

learning how to saying no and get more of the work what you want

what “soul work” feels like

SHOW NOTES

Satsuki Shibuya | Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook

Recommended reading: The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, 

I’m very, very excited to announce our guest this week is Daphne Cheng. You may have heard of her. She’s a vegan chef in NYC and founder of Exhibit C (shown above), and when I say chef I mean host, artist, classically trained chef and mindfulness advocate. Her work has been featured on Well + Good, Vogue, Refinery 29, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, SELF Magazine… the list is lengthy.

I met Daphne on a gorgeous night this past August, my friend Alden of Ecocult (also of Episode 003 of the show) invited me to girls’ night out, potluck dinner style. I remember googling Daphne, as she was hosting the dinner, and immediately thought I had to step up my recipe game. I’m a lot of things, but one thing I am not is a cook… I attempted a gluten-free, vegan coconut roasted cherry rice pudding. It didn’t travel well or look pretty, but thankfully it tasted good.

That night I learned that Daphne is a true connector. From our conversation, you’ll see that she loves bringing people together as much as she loves plants and cooking.

This episode is great for anyone interested in the dialogue around not just healthier eating and veganism and what that looks like, which we do touch on, but also someone who’s interested in extending that ethos into the HOW. Not just what you eat, but how you eat it. Who eat it with. The sounds around you when you taste it… making the entire experience of living well more mindful. It’s great for someone who’s gone through eating disorder recovery, or is interested in seeing how an eating disorder can lead to a beautiful life’s passion. It’s also good for anyone interested in becoming a chef, the challenges and rewards, and Daphne’s events are phenomenal for anyone who is interested in vegan cooking, especially if you’re an omnivore!

If you want to shout out to Daphne during or after the episode, her social info is in the show notes but you can reach her @_daphnecheng on Instagram and Twitter. If you’re feeling the love, share it <3.

We discuss:

what it’s like to venture off the beaten path in a traditional family

struggles with anorexia

bootstrapping as an entrepreneur, and side jobs

the vegan appeal… and PETA

the benefits of urban supper clubs

the medical community’s empirical evidence in support of meditation

Daphne’s current favorite foods

photos of Daphne’s Mind Matters event from November 9, 2015 / Daphne at work (above)

SHOW NOTES

Daphne Cheng | Instagram,  Twitter

Exhibit C | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Alden Wicker, Ecocult (and Episode 3 of the WELL / AWARE Show)

Natural Gourmet Institute

Workflowy App

Note: Erin kindly asked me to put a trigger warning here. We talk about eating disorders, addictions and sexual abuse. If any of this material is triggering for you, you may want to skip this episode. 

Lead with your crazy. That’s the Erin Gilmore way. After a lifetime of feeling like she had to suppress her own, she’s learned through a dedicated yoga practice and blossoming teaching career that it’s more authentic and rewarding to lead with it. Why not?

For her, that means being open and honest about her journey, admitting imperfection, revealing the guts and keeping it real. She does all of this publicly, on Instagram as part of her own healing, and with the hope that someone else feels less alone.

Erin has struggled with her relationship with food since she was a teenager. She’s actually spun her yoga practice around her disordered eating, it’s how she found her way out of it. In a slew of other addictive behaviors and substances pushing her along the current of self-loathing through high school and college, one hour a day in yoga was the only time she felt self compassion.

If we’re being honest, I cannot remember how I stumbled upon her. It could very have been suggested by Instagram, or through comments by mutual friends. What I do remember is that the inner agreements pictured here are what moved me to reach out.

In her Instagram post sharing these inner agreements, she said it was five years and twenty pounds ago. A version of myself could relate. If I dug deep enough, I’m sure I could find something very similar in my own journals, though admittedly without the understanding of dichotomous harmony. Everything was so black and white back then, and I too found comfort in yoga. For me, it was more than a decade ago, but yoga … it was never a punishment. It was an active choice, and therefore quite nourishing for the soul.

Recently, Erin wrote:

This fit body is a byproduct of my changes, it came about almost by accident. My intention became my own best interest, clarity, rather than a certain ideal I felt compelled to attain. I made a conscious decision to trust my nature. I chose not throwing up, not starving myself, and not forcing my weak body to work out. This shift in perspective allowed my body to find it’s natural balance. I now live in a body shape that is free of fear and hatred. 

Did you know that more than 90% of women suffer from some form of disordered eating in their lifetime? For someone who has ever suffered from an ED, freedom is all you ever want. This episode is great for anyone who has ever suffered from disordered eating. But understand it can be triggering. We both discuss our own individual experiences with eating disorders, though we don’t mention weight in exact numbers, and how we’ve recovered. It’s ideal for anyone who feels like “a hungry ghost” — always looking for the next thing. 

We discuss:

* how-to achieve self-compassion

* what it feels like to have an anorexia, bulimia, adderol addiction and more

* the tools we used to recover from our respective eating disorders, and the non linear path to get there

* the black veil of shame around openly discussing disordered eating

* Erin’s path to yoga teacher training and a lucrative career teaching yoga

* how she eats, and how she wants to shift her habits

* her new tarot ritual

* how to get into meditation (hint: I sent her Ally Bogard’s episode!