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Hey there, Zen Mamas! Have you tried and struggled with meditation for years? Do you want to meditate, but it just seems so out of reach, reserved only for the most disciplined yogis and monks? In today’s short episode, we’re taking some of the mystery out of meditation and going over practical tips for how to build a practice that’s simple yet rewarding. 

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Welcome to another episode of The Zen(ish) Mommy Podcast! Today we are joined by Laura Erlich, acupuncturist, herbalist, and author of Feed Your Fertility. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how hormones affect the entire body, why sex hormones are only the baseline hormones and are not the main ones to be focused on, and how trauma and stress affect hormones, adrenals, and circadian rhythm. We discuss why society has normalized exhaustion, self-care, western medicine, genetics, and accepting yourself for who you are. Laura even shares some incredible insight about what hormones do when we age and what women should be looking out for through these changes. She then explains the difference between perimenopause and menopause before telling us her opinion of hormone replacement therapy. Finally, we learn about the importance of accepting where you are in your journey and doing what you need to do to get through life. You don’t want to miss out on this incredible conversation!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, Laura Erlich. 
• Why hormones affect our entire body as the catalyst to tell our organs what to do and feel. 
• Why sex hormones aren’t the primary hormones we need to be concerned with. 
• How trauma and stress affect your adrenals, hormones, and circadian rhythm.
• Why society almost condones a sense of constant exhaustion. 
• How self-care means different things to different people. 
• Why we should use medication when it’s needed. 
• Why we are all products of our beginnings. 
• How to accept that life isn’t easy.
• Why Laura wishes she didn’t spend so much time worrying about her appearance. 
• What hormones do as you age and what women should be looking out for.
• The difference between perimenopause and menopause. 
• The average for completing menopause. 
• Laura’s opinion of hormone replacement therapy. 
• The importance of accepting where you are in your journey and being grateful for everything.

Tweetables:

“When you have a healthy circadian rhythm in your body, your 24-hour clock is functioning the way it should.” — @laura_erlich [0:05:47]

“That internal stability is what [self-care] is about at least for me” — @laura_erlich [0:13:29]

“We are so fortunate to live in a world where modern medicine exists and there’s no reason to suffer at the expense of using it if it’s what your body really needs; which is different from abusing it.” — @laura_erlich [0:15:59]

“We’re all here to try to live a good life, and be kind to each other, and minimize suffering.” — @laura_erlich [0:17:53]

“The things that are happening to you that are from a genetic place actually have nothing to do with you. They were given to you. They were passed down to you through this ancestral lineage of genetic mutations and this is what you got.” — @laura_erlich [0:21:56]

“Old age does come with its own series of hormonal challenges and we have to get past them.” — @laura_erlich [0:41:38]

“Don’t shame yourself around doing what you need to do to get through this thing called li

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Welcome back to the Zen(ish) Mommy Podcast! Today, we are talking about gut health with the CEO of Health Life Yeah, Karin Banghart. Our guest is passionate about educating listeners on gut health after having gone through a bout of colon cancer in 2020. Join us today to hear Karin’s story and some of the most valuable things she learned along the way. We touch on the hidden ingredients in commercially produced foods and unpack the importance of educating yourself and making the necessary changes. Learn what you can do to lose weight and change your life over a period of twelve weeks, hear why it’s so important to listen to your own body’s cues, and find out what it looks like to bring your mindfulness practice into your relationship with food. Join us to hear more today. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet today’s guest, Karin Banghart, CEO of Health Life Yeah. 
• Nicole’s experience of watching her daughter’s anxiety become manageable through gut management. 
• Karin’s story of getting diagnosed with colon cancer and trying different diets. 
• Why going gluten-free made such a difference to Karin after her diagnosis.
• The story of how she became a nutrition and health coach.
• Why the gut is so important and what the vagus nerve does.
• What the Standard American Diet consists of and why it is harmful.
• Hidden ingredients in commercially produced foods.
• Jessica’s story of having banned food dye in her home.
• The importance of educating yourself and making changes.
• The gut microbiome and what causes gut dysbiosis.
• Signs and symptoms of an unhealthy gut.
• What you can learn from your stool and what to look out for.
• Eliminating everything over a process of 12 weeks.
• Why eliminating all processed foods is the most effective way to lose weight.
• Why it’s so important to listen to your own body.
• The importance of carrying your mindfulness practice into eating.
• Karin’s yay or nay list.

Tweetables:

“They tested me for celiac and everything was fine, but I went ahead and took gluten out and it changed everything.” — Karin Banghart [0:11:09]

“A healthy gut is important because it runs the show.” — Karin Banghart [0:12:04]

“If you look at a label and you can’t read it, you can’t pronounce it, you don’t know what the heck it is, your body doesn’t know either!” — Karin Banghart [0:17:42]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Health Yeah Life

Food Babe 

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Hey there, Zen Mommies! Welcome back for a small but powerful bit of mindfulness amidst the chaos of everyday life. This visualization is excellent for grounding while struggling with change or letting go of what is no longer serving you. This meditation is best completed while lying down, so get cozy, pop on your headphones, and dive in for some relaxation and self-care. 

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Welcome to another episode of The Zen(ish) Mommy Podcast! Today we are joined by Taran Conwell, who is here to talk all about mothers’ little helpers; younger, cheaper babysitters who have less experience but will allow you to enjoy a much-needed break! Listening in, you’ll hear all about the importance of establishing a support system from the get-go of parenting, why having a paid babysitter is better than always relying on family members, and why you should leave your partner alone with your children sometimes. Taran also shares what her support looks like as well as what she pays her helpers and where she finds them. We discuss the hard work that is motherhood, the ‘excuses’ mothers make when fearful of leaving their children with someone else, why a mother’s little helper is the perfect gateway into hiring a babysitter, and how the helper benefits from the job. You don’t want to miss out on this one!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Taran Conwell. 
• Why it’s important to establish a support system as soon as you have a child. 
• Why it’s better to have a paid babysitter than to constantly rely on family. 
• What Taran’s support system looks like right now. 
• Why you should leave your partner alone with your children.
• What a mother’s little helper is and how it differs from a babysitter. 
• How Taran pays a mother’s little helper. 
• Why mothers really need a break. 
• How Taran finds mother’s little helpers. 
• How mother’s little helpers benefit from their job. 
• The biggest ‘excuses’ Taran hears from moms who don’t want to leave their kids. 
• Why a mother’s little helper is the perfect gateway into hiring someone to watch your kids alone.

Tweetables:

“I definitely feel like I’ve built my support system with the intention of having help when I need it without having some sort of other expectation that I cannot meet.” — Taran Conwell [0:08:38]

“You can hire [a mother’s little helper] and then you don’t leave the house because their experience is a little bit less.” — Taran Conwell [0:11:12]

“The greatest part of a mother’s helper is that they’re a lot more affordable than a traditional babysitter.” — Taran Conwell [0:12:43]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Taran Conwell on Instagram

The Undomestic Mom Podcast

The Undomestic Mom

The Zen Mommy

Zen Mommy Instagram

Zen Mommy Youtube

Zen Mommy Facebook

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Hi, Zen Mommies! Do you ever feel like you’ve been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Of course you do, we ALL do! So, today, listen in for a breathing and visualization meditation to help let go of that excess baggage, which clouds our ability to feel present and focused in our lives. This meditation is best done in a comfy chair or seated position, so find a quiet place and join us for a moment of peace. 

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Nobody plans to get divorced, especially when you choose to have kids. But, it happens. Today’s guest, Alicia Robertson, is on a mission to change the narrative around divorce, with the ultimate goal of helping as many women as possible. Join us today as she shares some pearls of wisdom that her clients benefit from, how to reframe the old idea of ‘staying together for the kids’, how to approach divorce, and how to navigate the conversation with your kids about the relationship ending. Reminding listeners that it’s still possible to achieve everything you want to as a family after a divorce, today’s guest shares her own story of liberation and joy following her marriage coming to an end. We explore finding the right emotional support for your family, what it means to ‘accelerate empty nesting’, and much more during today’s conversation. Alicia believes that if you have the courage to go after what you want, anything is possible, and delivers a message of hope to listeners today. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet today’s guest, a life coach on a mission to reframe the narrative around divorce.
• Alicia shares why she has such a positive relationship with the idea of divorce. 
• The top two concerns that folks come to Alicia with.
• What children actually need and why they don’t need two married parents to get it.
• Why children can be a motivation to work on your problems, but not the only reason to stay together.
• The positive modeling that you can offer your children when you end a loveless relationship.
• How shame and the narratives you grow up with create your relationship to divorce.
• What it was like for Alicia to be the first person in her family to get divorced.
• The liberation she felt when she first got divorced.
• Viewing divorce as a project to undertake as you create a new relationship with your former partner.
• Navigating the conversation with your kids in a stable and secure environment.
• Practicing independent single parenting within and outside of the family home.
• Aligning with values and goals between parents and children.
• Why every plan needs to be child-specific. 
• The role of external professional support and why it is important.
• Why it is so important to validate and lean in to hold your children emotionally.
• Accelerated empty nesting through allowing our family to work through a separation.
• Understanding that life is always changing and evolving and why it is important to navigate that together.
• The right time to introduce new partners and friends to your children.
• Alicia’s belief that if you have the courage to go after what you want, anything is possible.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Alicia Robertson on LinkedIn
Lemonade Life
Lemonade Life Coach on Instagram

Lemonade Life Coach on Twitter

Insight Timer

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There’s no better way to improve your mood and bring more of the good into your life than to focus on feelings of gratitude. In this short meditation, Jessica invites you to take a few minutes out of your day to bring your attention to the joy and beauty around you. Enjoy while lying down with your eyes closed or even as you’re sitting in traffic or on the train.

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Happy New Year! In today’s mini-episode, Jessica considers the idea of “resolutions” versus “intentions” in our approach to the new year. What is it you want to do? And are you using the right approach to get there? Are you focusing only on your goal, and if so, can you shift your focus to your method instead? Tune in to hear more about how to work toward your goals in 2023, and how compassion can be the greatest tool to help us stay on track when all we want to do is give up. 

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