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Episode S4E6: Show Notes

 Whether you’re married, single, divorced, or anywhere in between, the art of self-pleasure is something we don’t often talk about. In actuality, self pleasure is a key component to figuring out what actually turns you on and it can be the gateway to having even more enjoyable sex with your partner. Your pleasure is so important for a happy and successful life, which is why we have invited today’s guest, Sienna Sinclaire, to discuss all things naughty! Tuning in, you’ll hear Sienna’s story of exploration and empowerment and find out what leading a ‘naughty lifestyle' means to her. We talk about sex toys, initiating the conversation about them with your partner for the first time, and approaching self-pleasure and body positivity with your children. Sienna believes that we all have our naughty limits and emphasizes the importance of never shaming anyone for their naughtiness (or lack thereof)! For all this and so much more about self love, self pleasure, and sex toys, make sure not to miss today’s episode! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s topic: the art of self pleasure with Sienna Sinclaire.
• Sienna’s work in all things naughty, having won awards for her book on Naughty Travel.
• Her belief in leading a balanced life. 
• How she came to be the naughty girl you see today, starting with stripping.
• The power women hold within relationships.
• Sienna’s liberal upbringing and how her parents led by example.
• What happens when you demystify the body for your kids at a young age.
• The role social media plays in women feeling the need to change themselves.
• How Sienna went from stripping to being an escort.
• Escort relationships and why sex is not always the end goal. 
• What it means to lead a ‘naughty lifestyle’!
• Why the most important thing is that women stop waiting for a man to pleasure them.
• Sienna’s favorite toys in the sex toy shop, like the Neo vibrator.
• How she recommends initiating the conversation about sex toys with your partner.
• Educating your daughters about self-pleasure, starting with being confident in your body.
• The future of sex and body positivity within our culture.
• Sienna’s view on never shaming people for being naughty (or not being naughty).
• What her final limit is for ‘never saying never’.
• How her Naughty Girl clothing shop came to be. 
• What she offers on her Naughty Los Angeles tours. 
  
  

Tweetables:

“The most important thing is that women stop waiting for a man to pleasure them and focus on their own pleasures.” — @siennasinclaire [0:17:24]

“I always say we all have our own naughty levels. No-one should be shamed for not being naughty, and no-one should be shamed for being naughty.” — @siennasinclaire [0:29:24]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Sienna Sinclaire on Twitter

Sienna Sinclaire on Instagram

Naughty Los Angeles
Meetup
Naughty Girl Shop 

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Relationship Drama Might Not Be What You Think (Mindfulness Episode)

Hey Mamas, welcome back to the Zen(ish) Mommy Podcast! In this platform, we are learning together. During today’s short conversation, Jessica shares an insight she gained from a recent experience she had with a friend. Tune in to hear what she realized during a meditation, and what we can all learn from looking inward and realizing that the actions of others are all about the relationships they have with themselves. Take a moment to listen in, gain a little insight, and find some perspective as you approach your relationships with your kids, partners, and friends today. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• A reminder that in this podcast, we are all learning together alongside Jessica.
• Today’s topic: relationships.
• The struggle we all have not to take the actions of others personally.
• Jessica’s experience of taking a close friend’s behavior to heart. 
• How meditation led her to a new insight about how she had been feeling.
• Her realization that the issues she had with her friends were her own. 
• The quote she was reminded of which reminded her to look inward.
• Her decision to unplug and reflect.
• What we can all gain from finding stillness.

Tweetables:

“In this platform, we are learning together, so when I am working through something or struggling through something, and maybe have a little lightbulb that comes up, I want to share it with you guys.” — Jessica Gershman [0:00:11]

“What if other people’s behavior toward me isn’t really about me at all? Not my husband, not my children, not my friends. But really, a direct correlation with the relationship they have with themselves.” — Jessica Gershman [0:02:25]

“The more that we can find that stillness, have a little insight, breathe and let go, the better off we are going to be.” — Jessica Gershman [0:04:04]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Zen Mommy

Zen Mommy Instagram

Zen Mommy Youtube

Zen Mommy Facebook

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Welcome back to the Zen(ish) Mommy Podcast! During today’s mini conversation, we are exploring the relationship between mindfulness and productivity. How many times a day do you find yourself going through the motions? Clearly, we are more productive when our mind has the strength and ability to focus on the task at hand. Meditation and a mindfulness practice is simply a tool to help us bring the mind into laser focus. During today’s conversation, we explore the role of meditation and mindfulness in reaching mental clarity, as endorsed by a long list of well-respected celebrities. Jessica unpacks the difference between mindfulness and meditation, and reminds listeners that there is really no right or wrong way to meditate. Join us today as we answer some burning questions about this powerful paradigm shift. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic: how a mindfulness practice can affect your productivity.
• How productivity improves when you have the ability to focus on the task at hand.
• The role of meditation and mindfulness in bringing the mind into laser focus.
• Celebrities who swear by a mindfulness practice: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Sting, and more.
• What differentiates mindfulness from meditation: mindfulness is a state of mind while meditation is a practice.
• Why there is really no way to do meditation incorrectly.
• Thinking of meditation as a technique to invite mindfulness into your daily life.
• An invitation to tune in next week, and all month, as we talk about mindfulness and mornings.

Tweetables:

“When we are able to bring our minds back to the present moment, we are more focused, and more productive.” — Jessica Gershman [0:01:28]

“The great thing about meditation: you cannot screw it up! It’s not a pass fail, there’s no way to do it wrong, you’re really just exerting the most minimal amount of effort.” — Jessica Gershman [0:02:58]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Zen Mommy

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Zen Mommy Youtube

Zen Mommy Facebook

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Episode S4E5: Show Notes.

 Sleep can be elusive, especially when you’re a mom. Sleep is the most natural thing, but lack of sleep has become a badge of honor that mothers and women wear. Successful people often boast that they have been able to beat the natural sleep cycle to survive on minimal amounts of rest. The sleep industry is massive, banking $32 million each year, but you are still not getting the rest you need. Liz Harden has been a certified sleep coach for almost a decade, providing flexible, inclusive evidence-based sleep coaching packages to parents with her company, Little Dipper Wellness. She is here today to share her much-needed insights on good sleep and how to find it. Tune in to hear her thoughts on preparing for good sleep throughout the day, practicing good sleep hygiene, and managing stress for better rest. We also discuss taking the whole family along on the journey to establishing healthy sleep patterns, and Liz shares the story of what motivated her to research sleep for herself and her baby, and the life-changing conclusions she drew. Join us today to hear all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet today’s guest, Liz Harden, certified sleep coach from Little Dipper Wellness.
• Liz shares her own experience with sleep and how COVID changed that for her.
• Why your sleep quality will be disastrous if the first time you slow down is when you go to bed.
• How poor sleep hygiene affects your cycle along with stress.
• Sending the right messages to your parasympathetic nervous system by creating a buffer before you go to sleep.
• What Liz’s buffer looks like: reading and journaling near a salt lamp, and practicing gratitude.
• Why the body needs moments of rest and recuperation throughout the day.
• How to find little moments of rest throughout the day to set yourself up for sleep later on.
• The importance of getting the whole family on board for a healthy sleep cycle.
• What motivated Liz’s focus on finding good sleep when she became a parent.
• How your emotional state is connected to your child’s emotional life.
• How she empowered herself by going within to support her child’s sleep.
• Using visualization to stay in the present moment as a parent.
• What anchors everything she does: the mindful method for sleep philosophy.
• Why sleep coaching often comes down to parent coaching.
• One word she would use to describe how she wants to leave parents: empowered.
• Where to get involved with Little Dipper Wellness.
• Why she has a sliding scale of pricing: because she believes everyone deserves good sleep.
  
  

Tweetables:

“If the first time that you slow down is when you hit your pillow at night, then your sleep quality is going to be disastrous.” — Liz Harden [0:05:08]

“When you have the positive visualization going, it gives you something else for your brain to latch onto. It keeps parents anchored in the moment.” — Liz Harden [0:28:11]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Liz Harden on LinkedIn
Little Dipper Wellness

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Welcome back to another mindful moment! During today’s episode, your host, Jessica Gershman, will guide you through a mindfulness of the body exercise, to help you to be in the present moment without judgment. This simple tool enables you to bring your awareness to the sensations in the body, allowing yourself to find stillness in the present moment. The aim is not to have a special experience, in fact, it’s usually quite ordinary, and that’s okay. Find a free moment today to get comfortable and drop into your body, before teaching this technique to your kiddos in a future session, so they can find stillness too. Thanks for joining us! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jessica Gershman guides you through a mindfulness of the body exercise.
• A reminder of what mindfulness is: being in the present moment without judgment.
• Finding a comfortable seat, checking in, and noticing how the body feels.
• Stretching, shrugging the shoulders, and moving the ankles in circles with attention. 
• Continuing this movement or inviting yourself to be more still.
• Closing the eyes or moving the gaze downwards in a comfortable, upright position.
• Why it is important to find a position where your body feels both relaxed and alert.
• Placing your hands in your lap and noticing the feeling of gravity.
• Allowing the body to get heavy, remembering that there is no right and wrong outcome.
• Noticing tension in the body and allowing them to soften and relax a little bit.
• What mindfulness of the body is: being aware of the sensations in your body. 
• Practicing just being, and finding stillness from all the ‘doing’ in our lives.
• The ordinariness of the experience.
• A deep breath, and a sigh, before you gently open your eyes.
• An encouragement to repeat this process with your kiddos.
• What you will get when you sign up for the exclusive newsletter: conversations, free yoga classes, breath techniques, and allergy free recipes. 
  
  

Tweetables:

“When you practice mindfulness it’s important to find a position where your body feels both relaxed, and alert.” — Jessica Gershman [0:02:18]

“Remember that mindfulness is just about observing and paying attention to what’s happening without judgment. There’s nothing that’s supposed to happen, and you can’t do it wrong.” — Jessica Gershman [0:03:11]

“This is the mindfulness of the body; being aware of, and feeling the sensations of the body, sitting, knowing what it feels like to invite a bit of stillness.” — Jessica Gershman [0:03:58]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Zen Mommy

Zen Mommy Instagram

Zen Mommy Youtube

Zen Mommy Facebook

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Turning Tragedy into Triumph with Jessi Shuraleff

Episode S4E4: Show Notes.

 Today’s guest shares the story of a woman who has triumphed, overcome adversity, and taken a fork in the road moment to turn tragedy into a platform for helping others. This leader, podcaster and mom is here to tell us about her work empowering individuals and brands to step into their light, reclaim their voice, and drive greater impact. Join us today to hear the story of how a conversation with her husband made her realize she had lost her voice, how she felt in that moment, and how it led to her finally addressing everything she had been avoiding. We touch on coming to terms with society’s labels, navigating feelings around infertility, and the power of reclaiming the story in your own voice, before discussing the tools that helped Jessi to navigate the changing dynamics in her relationships that happened as a result of her personal evolution. Jessi tells us about some of the real and raw stories guests have shared on her podcast, This is My Truth, and tells us why hearing them has been so powerful for us, before sharing her advice to other moms who want to slow down: get outside in nature! Thanks for tuning in. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Jessi Shuraleff.
• The story of how, at 33, she realized that she had the power to write her own story and reclaim her voice to allow her story to speak its truth.
• The conversation she had with her husband that made her realize she had lost her voice.
• How she felt in that moment, and how it led to addressing everything she had avoided.
• Jessica’s experience of addressing sexual trauma and stepping into her sexual power.
• What led to Jessi throwing herself into her career: she knew what she was doing!
• Coming to terms with society’s labels and finding a way to settle into them. 
• The isolation that she felt while navigating her experience with infertility.
• Feelings around failure, infertility and shame that Jessi experienced.
• The sense of empowerment you can feel when you tell the story in your own voice.
• Why reclaiming your voice starts with you. 
• Tools that helped Jessi to recover: therapy and coaching.
• How relationships change as you evolve and how Jessica and Jessi navigated this with their husbands.
• The role of feedback from your spouse and husband.
• Jessi’s podcast, This is My Truth, and the many stories she has featured.
• Her advice to other moms who want to slow down: get outside!
  
  

Tweetables:

“Most likely, all of us have had those moments where you’re asking, why is this happening to me? Why me? I’ve got to be the only one who’s experiencing that. It’s true that your experiences are uniquely your own, but so many times there’s a common thread that we can all relate to.” — Jessi Shuraleff [0:06:03]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Jessi Shuraleff
Jessi Shuraleff on LinkedIn

Jessi Shuraleff on Instagram

The Zen Mommy

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Zen Mommy Youtube

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Bonus
Join former guest and founder of children's mindfulness company Boundless Blooms in this guided meditation that is great to do with your children. Check out Kaajal Agnani's full episode on the podcast.

Kaajal Agnani, Founder & CEO of Boundless Blooms, hails from Fremont, CA. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her partner, Raja, and her sons, Zavi (5 years) and Ayaan (1 year). She holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and University of Southern California (where she also studied mindfulness). Launching her business has been a true labor of love, one where she's been able to combine years of experience in research, operations, marketing, and customer experience, with her passion for children's education and development. 
Mindfulness for Kids

We are all capable of tuning into the present moment and tapping into our unique strengths. Our collection of kids mindfulness cards and books are designed to help kids discover new ways to breathe, move, and use their senses to feel more joy, gratitude, and connection. Inspired by a mother and son's journey to incorporate mindfulness into their daily life, these award winning tools use mindful play to cultivate calm, compassion, and confidence.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
https://boundlessblooms.world/
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http://www.thezenmommy.com/category/podcast
https://www.instagram.com/the_zen_mommy

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Welcome back to the Zen(ish) Mommy Podcast! During today’s mini-episode, we’re diving into the question of what mindfulness really is. Join us as we explore how to combat the mind’s tendency to keep us stuck in either the past or the future through mindfulness. We start by discussing the benefits of mindfulness found by mindfulnessschools.org, which include decreased stress, increased attention, improved interpersonal relationships, and more! Next, your host, the Zen Mommy, walks listeners through a simple introductory mindfulness technique, making sure to check in with the results in the body before, and after. Join us each week for a new exercise to add to your mindfulness toolkit. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• What mindfulness truly means: to be in the present moment, without judgment. 
• How the mind often keeps us stuck in the past or in the future.
• Why it is hard to stay present and rooted in reality.
• Training our mind to come back to the present moment to feel the sensations that are real.
• Results of the research done by mindfulnessschools.org. 
• Mindfulness benefits: decreased stress and anxiety, increased attention, improved relationships, and more.
• Why mindfulness helps teachers to manage stress and find emotional support.
• Jessica urges listeners to notice their surroundings, and do a body scan. 
• She brings our attention to the breath, and to notice where the mind goes.
• We check in with the body again and assess the quality of our attention.
• How you can teach your kids to do the exercise Jessica has walked listeners through.
• Dropping out of the mind and into the physical body through feeling into the body. 
• An invitation to join us for another mindfulness exercise next week.

Tweetables:

“Mindfulness is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but it truly means to be in the present moment, without judgment.” — Jessica Gershman [0:00:43]

“Feeling into the body - allows us to drop out of the mind and into the physical body.” — Jessica Gershman [0:03:49]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Mindfulness Schools

The Zen Mommy

Zen Mommy Instagram

Zen Mommy Youtube

Zen Mommy Facebook

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Hey mamas! Have you ever dreamed of making a business out of food blogging? Whether you’re an accomplished home chef or just want to whip up something delicious for your family’s next meal, you must listen to our next guest. Melissa Griffiths is a food blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer who loves helping busy families reclaim dinner time! Her blog, Bless this Mess, reaches over one million people each month. She is a mom to five, living on a farm in Southern Utah, and she is here today to tell us exactly what it’s like to be a well-known food blogger, what you need to know about weeknight meals, and so much more. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, food blogger Melissa Griffiths (Bless this Mess). 
• The story of how she turned blogging into a business in 2012.
• Her main aim is to help busy families enjoy their time together over daily meals.
• How improving your cooking skills will get your kids to eat well.
• Melissa’s experience of family meals growing up, doctoring her mother’s pasta sauce with vegetables and herbs from the garden.
• Her cooking style: quick, easy, and family-friendly.
• What Melissa loves to bake.
• How homeschooling her five children has changed Melissa’s experience in the kitchen.
• Breakfasts in Melissa’s home: oatmeal, eggs, and pancakes, depending on the day of the week.
• Melissa’s lunches: tuna, quesadillas, and grilled cheese.
• Dinner categories in her home: Mondays are comfort food, Tuesdays are tacos, Wednesdays are slow cooker, and more.
• Her master list includes everything she knows how to make according to category.
• The batchwork involved in getting four to eight recipes ready to cook, shoot and edit.
• How she has built her audience through leveraging Google search terms.
• Melissa’s view on starting a food blog today: the competition is big, but the resources are better than ever.
• What lies ahead for Melissa: bringing more of herself into her brand.
• Connecting to ingredients through growing them in your own garden.
• Advice for novice gardeners: grow green beans, tomatoes, and cut flowers, starting with Zinnias.
• The lost art of seasonality.
• Seeds and where to purchase them.
• Advice for women who want to slow down: exercising outside is magic, and so is gardening!
• Why it is so powerful to do what your heart loves.

Tweetables:

“You don’t have to be a Michelin star Mom. Be proficient at it so that you don’t hate it!” — Melissa Griffiths [0:04:15]

“If you’re doing pretty well in the kitchen, your kids are going to respond. I promise. They will eat things.” — Melissa Griffiths [0:05:09]

“If you can brain dump a list of things you can make, then that will help your variety. Then if you create a one-month meal plan, your kids aren’t going to care if you make something once a month, that’s only twelve times a year!” — Melissa Griffiths [0:17:20]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Bless this Mess
Bless this Mess on Facebook

Bless this Mess on Pinterest
Melissa Griffiths on Instagram

The Zen Mommy

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Have you ever been asked the question; what qualities would you like to see in your children as adults? Often the qualities we want to see are resiliency, confidence, compassion, and empathy. But how do we expect our children to have the attributes that we, as moms, have a hard time embodying? Today’s guest, JuNene K, took her own life circumstances and turned them into a path of education and healing, and she wants to help you to get there too. She is a social-emotional specialist, and a certified life coach with a goal to teach emotional control and resilience as a basis for all problem-solving. During today’s episode, she shares the story of turning points in her life that led her to turn pain into passion, and about working with emotional therapy to bring healing into her own life and the lives of others. She talks about control and acceptance before we explore why it is so important to realize who you are in order to walk through life with resilience. Today’s listeners will learn about the endless motion of mind, body, and spirit necessary to become the best version of yourself, through the daily practice of tending to each one - however that may look for you. We talk about affirmations, and the mind’s tendency to gravitate towards anything negative before discussing the essential piece of starting from within in order to give anything to those around you. Join us today to hear all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What JuNene means when she talks about resiliency: the ability to bounce back.
• Her perspective on failure; that it is not falling, but choosing not to get back up.
• Stories of resilience in her life she describes in her book Unstuck and Unbothered.
• How she learned emotional therapy working as the doctor and nurse on duty for her brother.
• Why healing is not just physical, on this side of life, but continues when we transition. 
• What it means to control the things that you can control and accept the things you cannot.
• The importance of realizing who you are in order to embody resilience. 
• Creating an endless motion of mind, body, and spirit to become the best version of yourself.
• Recognizing that your mind gravitates towards negativity.
• Turning thoughts into actions and knowing that you are the most powerful force in the universe.
• How affirming herself and speaking changed JuNene’s reality.
• The mental practice of self-preservation, taking care of yourself first.
• Why not everything you have to do has to be for the kids too.
• Starting from within in order to serve others.
• Why presence is the biggest gift you can give to someone who is grieving.
• The importance of allowing discomfort.
• What is next on the horizon for JuNene: an even greater platform to impact audiences.
• Her aim to create a space where people can come and recharge their batteries.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 JuNene K
JuNene K on Twitter
JuNene K on LinkedIn

JuNene K on Instagram 

Perpetual Motion Studios
Unstuck and Unbothered 

Tony Robbins

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