How do I talk to my kids about gender and sexuality? This episode is for parents who want to have open conversations with their kids, but may not know how to facilitate that communication, who may have some discomfort around discussing sensitive topics, and who want more information about navigating this part of parenting. 

If you want to show up for your kids in an open and intentional way, but feel uncomfortable talking about sex, gender and sexuality, this episode is for you. In this video, we talk about starting these conversations, staying open without projecting biases, teaching consent and boundaries, sex education and even addressing the often-overlooked aspects from a healthcare perspective. These topics can feel uncomfortable but they are a necessary and important part of parenting, and also of the human experience. As parents, teachers and trusted adults, we need to be able to navigate uncomfortable conversations. So grab a cozy seat, because this isn't just an interview. It's a narrative style, storytelling episode with voices from real people, experts and parents. 

Join Dr Rishma Walji and Dr Ashifa Jiwa for this narrative style podcast with real stories from people who have come out with their families. 

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How intentional are you? FREE Quiz

Resources for LGBTQ+ :

Pride at Work

Lesbian/Gay/Bi Youth Line: 1-800-268-9688 (Toronto)

Two Spirited People of the First Nations (145 Front St. E) (Toronto)

Sherbourne Health Center (333 Sherbourne Street) : LGBTQ specific healthcare (Toronto)

LGBTQ+ Resources USA

Ontario Health Curriculum

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

To donate: https://www.kloss2cross.com/

For more resources: livingxo.com

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

I know how overwhelming it can be to manage the never-ending demands of life. I've been there too. From chasing dreams to navigating personal and professional responsibilities, the weight of stress can feel unescapable. That's why I'm here—to share my journey and offer guidance rooted in expertise and empathy.

When I was in clinical practice, I witnessed firsthand how stress takes a toll on our overall well-being. It impacts our energy levels, hormones, mental health, and physical vitality. 

In this episode, I introduce you to a game-changing concept—ambient stress. It's the often unnoticed background noise that perpetuates our stress levels. By recognizing and addressing this silent accomplice, you can navigate both acute and chronic stressors with greater resilience and clarity.

I share practical strategies and real-life examples to help understand and navigate your own ambient stress.

More resources: livingxo.com

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

In this episode, Dr. Chris Bjorndal shares her journey with mental health and how she is now helping others regain their mental health. She talks about her book "Beyond the Label," where she discusses how labels for mental health diagnoses can be stigmatizing and contribute to suffering. Dr. Bjorndal has struggled with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, suicide attempts, bulimia, and ADHD. She says that seeking help is the first step towards healing, but those with mental health struggles may not be objective about their subjective reality, which makes it difficult to reach out for help. Caregivers and the community are essential for mental health care. Dr. Bjorndal emphasizes the importance of showing up with love and compassion, recognizing that those struggling with mental health may not be ready to take the first step.

The topic of mental health is crucial in today's society, and Dr. Chris Bjorndal shares her story with honesty and vulnerability, which makes it easy for people to relate to her journey. She emphasizes that mental health struggles are a social condition, and we are all responsible for each other.

For more information on living your own XO (extraordinary) life: livingxo.com

Take our Free Gratitude Challenge HERE

Also find a free workshop on Emotional Regulation

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

Misha and her husband had a marriage that seemed perfect from the outside. They were close friends and partners who had been together for years. However, there was one issue that they had been struggling with for a long time - intimacy. Every time they tried to be more intimate, Misha would experience pain, which made it difficult for them to be physically close.

Misha felt embarrassed and didn't know what to do. They both struggled to communicate about it, and despite their efforts to find help, they didn't get the answers they needed. They tried to ignore the problem, pretending it was okay, but eventually, things fell apart.

Misha's story is not uncommon. Many people struggle with intimacy, but it's not something that's talked about openly. For Misha, it was a taboo subject, and she never felt comfortable discussing it with friends or family.

As a naturopathic doctor with over 20 years of clinical experience, your host, Dr. Rishma Walji understands how important it is to have these conversations. She believes that it's essential to break the taboo around intimacy and increase awareness - not just physical awareness (understanding your body) but also system awareness (how to get the resources you need). By sharing Misha's story, Dr. Rishma hopes to encourage others to speak up and seek the help they need.

For resources: livingxo.com

Take the free quiz to find out your intimacy style:  livingxo.com/quiz

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

In this quick tip episode, I thought I’d look at the science, go through some practical examples, and give you some ideas on how to bring more creative flow into your life. 

What is Creative Flow?

Psychologist and researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes the state of flow as a state of concentration or complete absorption in an activity. It’s when you’re so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. You’re in the zone.

And you could be doing any number of activities, running, cooking, painting, gardening. The idea is that it’s a positive mental state, where you’re completely absorbed and focused and feeling your best. 

Today I’ll focus on flow in the context of creativity but the idea is really widely applicable.  

When you’re in flow, you’re in a state of:

• Complete concentration - you become so focussed that everything else falls away.  You can lose track of time.  You become one with the actions that you’re doing. There is what they call a merger between your actions and your awareness. The actions start to feel automatic. And even effortless.
• You also sort of lose your sense of self-consciousness, so your inner critic is silenced. This one is really key for me, I think sometimes we get into an activity and we’re thinking about what we can do better or what isn’t right so of course that isn’t happening when you’re in flow.  And this part is important, you’re not judging. You’re just doing.

I talked a bit more about flow in a very early episode of the podcast on meditation. It’s different from meditation, they are not the same thing, but the way they are similar is that you’re really in the moment.  And a lot of people have trouble really getting into the moment, so if that’s you, you can listen to the episode on meditation for people who don’t meditate.

The Benefits of Being in a State of Flow

When you’re in a flow state, your brain releases all sorts of pleasure neurochemicals - dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin.

I’m not going to get into all the science and details around flow, but just the point to say that when you’re in a state of flow, your creativity is amplified. 

Now here’s the challenge, how do we get into this state more often and more predictably? 

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Slowing Down is Important for Improving Performance
• Being better at Life, not just at Work
• How to Get into a State of Creative Flow
• Protecting Your Creative Flow
• Creative Growth

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please consider writing a review on itunes. I love knowing your takeaways and aha moments from each episode. 

And let me know if there’s something you’re working on that’s your creative expression. 

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

Have you ever wondered how to unlock your creative potential and live a more authentic life aligned with your passions? In this episode, Lauren Abøn Pedersen, a Danish-Canadian singer, songwriter, and composer, shared her journey and experiences with following her creativity and living intentionally. 

In this episode, I’m talking with Lauren Abøn Pedersen. She’s a Danish-Canadian singer, songwriter and composer. She has the most amazing presence and she’s just a lovely person. I felt like we were just hanging out in a coffee shop talking deeply about life and creativity and I hope you enjoy the conversation much as we did.

• Finding inspiration and harmony with nature to fuel creativity
• Making career pivots and bold decisions for creative fulfillment
• Maximizing creative potential through intentional living
• Navigating career changes and pursuing your creative passions
• Living an authentic life: aligning your passions with your actions
• The impact of Canadian and Danish cross-cultural experiences on creative expression
• Embracing uncertainty: managing pressure, comparison and doubt
• How to unlock creativity when you feel blocked
• Control vs creativity and following your own path
• Creating Your Own Muse

And much more!

For more resources, as always visit the website livingxo.com

If you want to start or deepen a gratitude practice for more positivity and peace in your life, join my free gratitude challenge.

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

Ever have trouble managing your emotions? Today your host Dr. Rishma Walji is talking with guest Dr. Joan Rosenberg about unpleasant emotions and how to manage them. 

They discuss grief, self confidence, criticism and so much more.

For a free workshop on Emotional Regulation, a Free Gratitude Challenge and other resources, check out our website at livingxo.com

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

In this episode, we dive deep into the physical, emotional and cultural significance of hair and how it shapes our identity. Your host, Dr. Rishma Walji, and our guests share their own journeys with their hair, how it looks, how much time they spend on it, what it means for their self-perception and how they are perceived by others. Through this conversation, you'll gain a better understanding of the complex relationship between hair and self-confidence, identity, culture, ancestry, expectations and beauty.  You might even find some inspiration for your own hair journey. 

More resources on the website:  livingxo.com

Join the free gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/quiz

Connect with our guest Hima Batavia

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

In this short, 'quick tip' podcast episode, we explore the importance of curating your friendships and surrounding yourself with people who uplift and support you. 

We delve into the difference between collaborative friendships (where both parties support and encourage each other) versus competitive friendships (where there is a constant need to one-up each other). We also discuss how to identify toxic friendships and how to determine who to keep in your life.

If you're looking to  re-evaluate who is in your life, who you want to spend your time with, this is the episode for you. Of course every relationship is unique, in this episode we discuss a helpful way to look at your relationships and to determine if you want to keep certain relationships, work with those relationships to improve them, or gracefully let them go.

For a free quiz to learn your intentionality style: https://livingxo.com/quiz

For more information on living intentionally and making decisions that are more aligned with your goals: https://livingxo.com

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!