Most people will tell you that separation and divorce are the most painful and stressful experiences they've ever faced. It's a confusing time when you feel isolated, and have many questions about issues you've never faced. 

DivorceCare Groups meet weekly for 13 weeks to help you face these challenges and move toward rebuilding your life. It is also offered locally in our community as well, at Twin Lakes Church, Santa Cruz, CA. And Pam is here to talk about it!

Join us as we get frank, laugh, and spill some of our beans.  For growth of course!

Join us today, as we talk to Bryson's dad about what his journey has been like as a single dad. This interview will make you laugh, melt your heart, and perhaps believe in our humanity a little bit more. When we think about things, we can better things.

We will be taking a short break for the summer.  Lost or Found podcast will resume after Labor day.  Have a great summer, and I hope that you get to enjoy some moments of time! Take Care of yourself!

She brings up developing a harsh, high-achieving inner critic, which became associated with emptiness, confusion, guilt, and shame, as she learns to honor herself, to find out who she truly is. 

Dr. Toni Liu is a nomadic cartoonist, ex-gynecologist, relationship coach, sex educator, podcaster, and advocate from Asian mental health. Check out her website drtooni.com and her book, “Why You No Doctor Anymore?!”

We may have looked like hell recording this interview, but isn't that the first sign of friendship? Oriana comes clean and states that she errrr, she doesn't generally like self-help books nor memoirs. I had no idea. But she therefore may be the perfect person with whom to review the book. She's going to be real. I've also been feeling vulnerable about the book's release, and, quite frankly, a little afraid. Join us as we of course laugh, talk about vaginas, and my vulnerabilities, as I choose to less afraid.

My book starts off with my midlife crisis when I acknowledge the harsh realities of corporate medicine and don't like the person that I'm becoming. Starting the podcast and learning about what health and wellness really entails has been a journey, as I also ended up exploring the deep wounds of generational trauma. My own wounds that I've carried. But letting go of everything that I thought was important helped me to see the patterns in my own life, within my family of origin, and in my career. I choose my life. And, of course, let's be honest, I'm not going to write a book without cursing, mentioning bowel movements, and laughing. This is not your typical doctor book.

Today, we have Jordan Thorpe on the show to get the conversation started on cultural trauma, as he brings up his Native American heritage and the ethnic cleansing that occurred in America's past. The marginalization and violence imposed upon Native Americans is unfortunately one of many aspects of American history where populations have been suppressed and demoralized. Our legacy of injustice has created populations of very hurt people, such that they've carried the pain and anger for generations. But is the answer "an eye for an eye?" Or are there other ways in which we can heal our past wounds with compassion and understanding, and remember fully- so that we stop repeating past mistakes- and don't become like "them."

Jordan Thorpe is a Santa Cruz native and entrepreneur, is a dedicated Real Estate Broker known for his local expertise and client-focused approach. Outside of work, he treasures spending quality time with his family, indulging in his passion for cooking, and diving into captivating books, embodying a balanced lifestyle of professional success and personal fulfillment.

Here today to help us is the amazing Colleen Murphy! She is a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator as well as Parent Coach, and now teaching parenting classes and workshops at the Live Oak Family Resource center,  You can find her at fromtheheadtotheheart.com.

Dr. Esther An was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and she still considers herself a Midwest person at heart.  She moved out to California in 2006 and has been enjoying the sun and fun ever since.  She is a Pediatric Critical care doctor here in Northern California and she is married with one child and two quirky cats.

It's really been a long ass journey, but I'm still standing! And I'm super excited that this book is close! And if you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to rate the podcast, however you get your podcasts!

I had been working as a doctor for almost 15 years when I had a full blown midlife crisis. I was supposed to have reached the promise land of success, and yet I found myself so unhappy, angry, and becoming someone that I was not. And then I threw it all away to become a podcaster. It was during this time that I thought about the reoccurring pattern in my life. I was enmeshed. At my corporate medicine job, I smiled, never complained about the increasingly impossible workload, didn’t cause any problems, and was becoming the kind of doctor I never wanted to be. 

But my enmeshment didn’t start at work, I also had been enmeshed with my family of origin. Enmeshment happens when parents are unable to see their children as separate entities, when being “too close” can lead to a form of trauma. So much of my energy as a child was spent on making my dysfunctional parents feel better, being the only friend to my mentally struggling mother. I became a doctor for their approval! And for too long, I did not have a strong sense of who I was. 

And well, like Humpty Dumpty on the wall, I fell hard but I decided to look at all the pieces.

Dr. Bruce Lipton, the author of The Biology of Belief, notes that we are programmed to live a certain way by those who take care of us. In turn, this affects how we live, a lifestyle we may not have knowingly chosen for ourselves. Glennon Doyle, in her book Untamed, calls it an unnecessary burden that is passed on. Some people call this family karma or family patterns. Others call it generational trauma. Because of the issues of the parents, siblings, or generational forefathers, there’s a certain energetic pattern that develops within the family at large as pain continues to get passed on.

It’s remarkable how this traumatic bundle is unknowingly passed down for lifetimes. It could have started with one person, but others subsequently continue to follow the pattern and forget its origin. We are still connected to past generations and generations of people we never knew through dysfunction. Really kind of crazy if you think about it. Not only are we physically related to our distant and immediate family members, but we can still be living with their learned patterns and pain. 

What sucked in their lives could be what sucks in our lives. 

Ken Robins was born on 9/11/1944 during a bombing raid in London and grew up in extreme poverty and violence and has been seeking the safety and healing of healthy relationships ever since.

He is fascinated by the potential for suffering to become a blessing and specializes in the healing of trauma and the promotion of ”safe attachment” in intimate partnerships.

Ken was a group, couples and individual process leader at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur for 30 years and continues his private practice in Carmel Valley California.

It was originally coined by a psychiatrist to describe the wounds that form when a person's sense of what is right is betrayed by leaders of high status. Whether or not we think about it, we all hold a moral compass and sometimes we see this being jeopardized by what we partake in, witness, or fail to prevent. This is especially true in the practice of medicine, as people's health and lives are at stake.

Some doctors call it burnout, and some may really be burned out, but unfortunately in medical practice, it's not just the doctor's problem. As healthcare has become corporatized, and the majority of doctors work for corporate, there is a bigger problem at large. When Dr. Wendy Dean noticed that the rate of suicide in doctors were higher than active military members, she surveyed docs to see how they were doing.  And she found that many were not unhappy due to burnout and working too hard, but because the healthcare system made it so difficult for them to care for their patients. 

If you know a doctor or nurse, if you are a doctor or nurse, if you know a doctor who committed suicide, if you are a little or a lot unhappy, please consider listening to this episode. You may realize that you are not alone.  And, unfortunately, it's a topic that doctors cannot openly talk about at work. They're still calling it Burnout. 

Dr. Tara Sood is a seasoned physician holding dual board certifications in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, boasting 18 years of experience in high-volume Emergency Departments. Complementing her clinical work, Dr. Sood extends her passion for healing to international humanitarian aid. With 7 years of hands-on experience in disaster relief and refugee care, she serves as a technical consultant for the International Medical Corps (IMC), leveraging her skills to enhance healthcare access for vulnerable communities worldwide. Outside of her medical practice, she finds joy in fostering dogs from a local rescue organization. Specializing in rehabilitating psychologically withdrawn dogs who have endured abuse and neglect, she provides them with care and attention, helping them heal and rebuild trust in humans.

And on today's episode, I am happy to introduce Tai Kuncio to the show. Tai Kuncio is a chronic pain coach, who specializes in Pain Reprocessing Therapy - a ground-breaking new way to treat (not just manage) chronic pain and symptoms.  

1.2 billion people on the planet suffer from chronic pain.  They go from doctor to doctor looking for answers, trying every treatment they can find without much success and are often left demoralized, depressed, and without hope.  Thanks to recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, researchers have gained a deeper understanding of chronic pain and how to treat it.  By working on where pain originates - in the brain - patients can significantly reduce or eliminate their symptoms and get their life back. You can find Tai at retrainyourchronicpain.com.

While many would be turned off by the idea of fitness training, as we are more prone to injury as we get older, it's important to actually feel strong in our bodies while also appropriately addressing the painful and weaker areas.  It's preventative and perhaps curative. Last week, Alex was on the show talking about his history with pain, as well as the emotional and physical pain that he sees in his clients.  On this week's episode, Alex begins to tell us what we can do.  Perhaps the most intuitive trainer I've ever met, I can't help but really know that he gets pain.  And well, I think there's so much that one can do to help you, if they get it.  

Check this episode out if you have pain, or you've thought about the possibility of a physically, and perhaps emotionally stronger YOU!

You can find Alex on instagram @alex2636 or you can email him at Ealexsoto85@gmail.com.

Also, We will be taking a short break for about 6 weeks.  We’ll be back in the middle of September.  I’ll miss you, but I need some time to chill.  And don’t forget to check out some older episodes that interest you.  And don't forget to rate this podcast.  On Apple podcast, you have to scroll to the bottom of the page of episodes- to see the 5 stars. For Spotify, the rating is usually at the top.

Have a wonderful rest of your summer.  And be kind to yourself.  Because, if not for YOU, where would you be?  And I thank you.  I also wanted to thank Katherine Hallissy Ayala, my beloved Webdesigner, you can find her at CodeByKatherine.com, and Will Mitchell, my beloved Sound producer, who makes everything sound easy and definitely Ups my game- you can find him at hands-on-sound.net.

You can find Alex on instagram @alex2636 and you can email him at Ealexsoto85@gmail.com.

I’ve been mentioning in the last few episodes the imaginary letter that I wrote on behalf of my mother- by me, for me, to me.  And it originally started off as a monologue way-back-when on episode 50, as I delved deeper to include it in my upcoming book.  

On last week’s interview, I became especially interested in something that Dr. Chris Fahrenbach said.  We were discussing Jennette McCurdy’s book, I’m Glad My Mother Died, and we were talking about how enmeshment- when parents are overly reliant on their children for support- can lead to emotional trauma. I asked her towards the end of the interview, how do we HEAL from enmeshment?  And she brought up differentiation - to essentially separate yourself from the destructive environmental influences. In order for us to live our own lives and fulfill our own destinies, we must differentiate ourselves from destructive family and societal influences.  Differentiating from negative influences and identities from our past allows us to become who we truly are, rather than following a prescribed identity from either our family or our society.  

So friends,this letter has become a part of my process of differentiation from my pain. With this letter, I can understand my pain, and I can understand my mother's pain. I don't have to hate her, nor do I have to like her. I can see things clearly. I choose my own future.

I present to you a chapter from my book.

My Imagined Letter. By Me, For Me, To Me

When you think of childhood emotional trauma, one might think of neglect, but the opposite, being “too” close can lead to enmeshment trauma.  A child can become the “parentified child”, where the child takes on caring for the parent’s emotional needs, such that their parents’ lives center around theirs, they are their parent’s best friend, their parent’s self worth is hinged on their child’s success, and they are guilted when they want less contact.

And enmeshment trauma can manifest as being afraid of conflict, difficulty in relationships, low self-esteem while deeply relying on approval of parents, and lack of self identity such that they do everything to keep others happy and “please” them.  Does this sound like anyone you know?  Unfortunately, I wonder if this is more common than not.

And who better to discuss this with, than our favorite clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Fahrenbach.  She’s been on the show in the past, and I just LOVE her.  

And if you’re loving the podcast, don’t forget to give us a great rating, write us a review however you listen to podcasts, and send a favorite episode to your friends.

Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. It doesn't mean that you are vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy. Rather, you are proportionately choosing more of your foods from plant sources.

Join us today as Crystal Robb is on the show to talk about plant based nutrition!  I think in order to make healthful changes into our lives, getting to the bottom of why this change benefits us leads to a habit that really becomes consistent.  And we’re not talking being a vegetarian, we’re talking about adding more vegetables and fruits to our diet.  It’s known that food is highly inflammatory, and why make the fires in our bodies worse? Join us as we talk about how to get started, and get inspiration for plant-based eating throughout the day!

Crystal Robb has been actively working in the wellness community for over 10 years. She is a nutritionist, specializing in plant-based nutrition, culinary and sustainable agriculture. Crystal is also a registered yoga teacher, and professional surf instructor.  Crystal offers wellness consulting and coaching to inspire you to live your best life.  You can find her at crystalrobb.com

Perhaps that is a fundamental truth that we continue to deny. You are already very special. But how do we start to really remember?

Father Raniero is a Catholic monk from the New Camaldolese Hermitage in Big Sur and he is here to talk about our awakening and enlightenment.  He was one of my original interviewees when I first started, when we began the podcast talking about forgiveness on  Episode 2.

And today, he returns to talk about Our Awakening, what he calls Our God within us, and all around us.  And we use the term God loosely, it could be our faith, whichever religion you practice, the universe, your light.  Your truest form. This conversation was very important and timely for me, because sometimes I also forget my light is there, dampening it. Father Raniero reminds us to never forget, to live with, and be guided by what is in all of us.  He begins by giving us a little homily, and check out the amazing conversation as we go at it.  And I really mean it, he is so insightful, speaks with joy always, and truly loving.  It was a conversation that I needed to hear at that very moment in time. On a side note, this is something that I've been noticing with truly spiritual people- it's like they remember and know the child-like Joy in life, and we can feel it. It's like, JUST CHILL. Like the Dalai Lama always seems like he's laughing or joyful.

And if you like this interview - check out the other monks that I interviewed in the past: Cyprian Consiglio was in The Breadth of the Divine on ep 27 and Michael Fish was on the podcast in The Journey thru Life on episode 88. These monks are legit soul reaching, insightful, aiming for love at times what seems like a whole other level. Be inspired to live your best life!

And don't forget to give us a great rating, send your fave episodes to your friends, and tell people about us! It helps so much, as this is a project of Love, as you advocate for your health and well being more.

Why does it seem like our initial response is to put our tears in a bottle? Could there be a purpose to our suffering? Does suffering just prove that we are real? How do we turn our pain into something that can help us?

And who better to talk about our suffering with, than a practicing psychologist - especially Dr. Andre Decary!  And I’m so glad to welcome back one of my most fave psychologists, because he’s totally a safe place in which to discuss something that’s painful and scary...as we continue to make sense of it.

And for sure, Andre Decary has certainly led a very interesting life- he was a monk in the Hindu tradition, survived a near death experience, specialized in trauma, and is in private psychotherapy practice in Berkeley, CA.  He states that he was wounded and had managed his wounds well until a breakdown in the Himalayas, which brought him to the field of psychology.  It was the beginning of his introspection into himself, as he now helps others.

Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?

We base our discussion on Dr. Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person, who first coined the term in the 1990s, when she began researching high sensitivity.  There are many others who share similar characteristics and it's thought that 15-20% of the population are HSPs. 

Highly sensitive people notice more stimuli in their environment, even lower threshold ones, and are more sensitive to pain, hunger, lights, and noise; have increased responsiveness to both positive and negative influences; and get easily overwhelmed.  And let’s be honest, this sensitivity is viewed differently in different cultures, and this trait is often misunderstood.

While highly sensitive people are sometimes negatively described as being “too sensitive," it is a personality trait that brings both strengths and challenges.

And these are just some of the traits.  Colleen Murphy, who was previously on the podcast talking about Parenting on episode 97, is here today to discuss the Highly Sensitive person.  She is a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator as well as Parent coach, and now teaching parenting classes and workshops at Live Oak Family Resource Center.  You can find her at fromtheheadtotheheart.com.  And check out Dr. Elaine Aron’s website hsperson.com!

Today Dr. Emmert talks about anger, rage, and resentment. As in Chinese medicine, human emotions are reflective of energies in nature, and it is thought that one sees a lot of rage during the springtime. I’m also a mom and a wife.  I can understand rage. The season of the spring is considered wood energy, which was previously at rest and storing, concentrating its energy, as it now bursts forward with rebirth, and new buds. Perhaps we are not separate from nature. What does this surge in energy activate for you? Anger has power.

You can find Dr. Emmert at solis.care.

Today I have Dr. Dave Clarke back on the show, and we’ll be discussing Dr. Gabor Maté's bestseller book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of “normal” as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the sicknesses of individuals and the declining soundness of society. As he writes, "Much that passes for normal in our society is neither healthy nor natural."

But what’s fun about these discussions is our interpretation of the book- I enjoy this the most.   I don’t know where the conversation will go, ever, but we go someplace safe together and share our thoughts.  I really also enjoy talking with Dr. Dave Clarke, a retired ICU and Internal Medicine doc.  He's hella smart, he's a man who still reads books (!?!!), and discusses with an open heart. And if I may also add - he's been very popular with female listeners. Check him out in his past episodes, Ep. 85: 8 Dates & Ep. 70: When Things Fall Apart.

I also wanted to thank you for listening to the show.  I am super grateful.  And thank you to my sound producer Will Mitchell from Hands on Sound in the background, as well as Katherine Hallissy Ayala, my website designer and my technically savvy person and friend.

Experts in the field have defined chosen families as “nonbiological kinship bonds, whether legally recognized or not, deliberately chosen for the purpose of mutual support and love.” Basically, these are the people who understand you, lift you up, celebrate you, help you, and love you, even without biological ties.

I think the truth is, we all need each other.  Sometimes it may not be possible in your family of origin.  And I wonder if it’s a survival of the fittest thing to try find that meaningful connection elsewhere.  It’s easier when you have someone whom you can depend on, love, and who will also root for you.  

I’m discussing today’s topic with my good friend Oriana Gliessman, who has become my Chosen Family.  I love her despite not having a biological tie with her, and I love that she’s never afraid to get real.

I was introduced to our guest through a friend, who is also a client of his.  Andre Decary has certainly led a very interesting life- he was a monk in the Hindu tradition, survived a near death experience, specialized in trauma, and is in private psychotherapy practice in Berkeley, CA.  He states that he was wounded and had managed his wounds well until a breakdown in the Himalayas, which brought him to the field of psychology.  It was the beginning of his introspection into himself, which led him to devote his time to helping others.

Join us as we talk about marriages!

And don't forget!  If you are loving the podcast, don't forget to rate us or leave a review, and send your friend a favorite episode!  Your support matters!

I've heard about Colleen Murphy and the amazingness that she is through several parents locally in Santa Cruz, and I figured that it was time that I sit down and chat with her!

Good parenting feels good and by learning to do it right, we can set the foundation.  We can't control another human being because we can't control their thoughts, and thoughts fuel behavior. But behaviors are communication.  Sometimes we label certain behaviors as bad, but it's not the essence of their soul, it's just communication.  We can learn to rethink it, and think about what's fueling our children's behaviors, and the alien beings that they are, hahahaha.  

Colleen Murphy is a parent coach, helping parents with support, finding new ideas and a different approach from the one they’re using or maybe parenting differently from the way they were parented.  She is a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator and now teaching parenting classes and workshops at Live Oak Family Resource Center. The request from families for more one-on-one help led her to create her own parent coaching service.  You can find her at fromtheheadtotheheart.com.

Trevor Maxwell is on the show, and he wrote Open Heart, Warrior Spirit: A Man’s Guide to Living with Cancer.  He is also the founder of Man Up to Cancer, inspiring men to connect and avoid isolation throughout their cancer journeys. He has also been living with stage IV colon cancer since March of 2018.

Man Up to Cancer is a leading support community for men impacted by cancer, as they offer peer-to-peer support, an annual retreat, chemo backpack program, learning opportunities, connection, and there are more than 30 local chapters geared toward improving the quality of life for their members. Trevor states that when faced with cancer, women tend to “reach out,” and men tend to “check out.” While all of us know someone with cancer, what I didn’t realize is how many men are impacted by isolation when facing cancer.  This leads men down a path toward mental health problems, strained relationships, and poor medical outcomes.

Check out his podcast Man Up to Cancer and you can find him at manuptocancer.com.

Have you ever also noticed that you usually think and act in certain ways in romantic relationships?  Maybe you're a bit jealous and afraid of being alone for too long.  Or perhaps you feel confident and totally trust your partner.  One explanation for these patterns is the attachment theory.  Knowing your unique attachment style can help you become more self-aware and build healthier long-term partnerships.

A funny and upbeat conversation between girlfriends as we get real, laugh, learn together, and laugh again!

The facts are alarming.  And you may know already know someone in an abusive relationship. 

Many children exposed to violence in the home are also victims of physical abuse. Children who witness domestic violence or are victims of abuse themselves are at serious risk for long-term physical and mental health problems. Children who witness violence between parents may also be at greater risk of being violent in their future relationships. 

Kalyne has spent the past 25 years advocating for social justice and equity for historically marginalized individuals and communities through community organizing, policy advocacy and direct services. As the Chief Executive Officer at Monarch Services, Kalyne leads a team of service staff in providing prevention and intervention services focused on domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking serving over 5,500 community members each year. You can find her at Monarchscc.org. Please also consider donating to this wonderful and super impactful organization.

And if you’re loving the podcast, don’t forget to give us a great rating however you listen to podcasts.  Believe me, it helps, and I am super grateful.

Crystal Robb has been actively working in the wellness community for over 10 years. She is a nutritionist, specializing in plant-based nutrition, culinary arts, and sustainable agriculture. Crystal is also a registered yoga teacher, and professional surf instructor.  Crystal offers wellness consulting and coaching to inspire you to live your best life.  You can find her at crystalrobb.com

And today, we talk everything about Stress and the Immune System!

It's true that stress can come from many places, and the problem is...when stress doesn't go away.  It can be from pressure from work or home, the food that goes into our mouths, lack of sleep or overstimulation, the stress of always being connected and notified socially.  And this stress has direct impact on our immune system.  What happens when our immune system becomes dysregulated?

What are signs of an overactive immune system?

Join us!  Dr. Rao is a badass, seriously one of my doctor girl crushes.  A wonderful and true advocate for our health, she is also a fantastic educator.   An Internal Medicine doctor by training and experience, she is a strong proponent of holistic medicine, and focuses her medical practice on wellness and prevention.  You can find her at raowellness.com.

In his book, Don Miguel Ruiz brings up the fear-based beliefs and assumptions that undermine love and lead to suffering and drama in our relationships.  Together, Daisy and I talk about "the parasites" - our beliefs that make us suffer and sometimes control our lives, our emotional wounds, and the freedom and joy that love can offer. And oftentimes, it's seriously a work in progress.  

But what can't we do, if we start talking about difficult things?

Thank you for finding us and listening to us!  If you're loving the podcast and if you haven't already done so, please leave us a great review, and send your friends an episode! Every little bit helps! And remember- there's no one like you!! More reason to invest in yourself!

Transition periods are sometimes chosen and sometimes not.  Transitions exist in many forms, we can be in between jobs or careers, grief and mourning, relationships, illness, or retirement.  It's a period where we may not be able to necessarily weigh our lives with our productivity, as it's a period of reassessing, turning inwards, to figure out what we really want.  What is visible on the outside may not matter, as we transform into something new.

I'm so glad to have the chance to converse with Tenzin on today’s podcast! Because let's be honest, transitions are a hella slow process, sometimes enigmatic, and also...really frustrating.

Tenzin Chogkyi is a teacher who bridges the worlds of Buddhist thought, contemplative practice, mental and emotional cultivation, and the latest research in the field of positive psychology. She took monastic ordination in 2004 with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and practiced as a monastic for nearly 20 years.  Since 2006, she has been teaching in Buddhist centers around the world. Check out her podcast Unlocking True Happiness! You can find her at unlockingtruehappiness.org

I also wanted to thank my listeners for coming back, for joining us, and for finding us.  I think you’re the bestest and I’m really honored to be a part of your day today.  If you’re enjoying season 3, please don’t forget to give us a great rating, however you get your podcasts.  And send your friends your favorite episode!

I am SO excited to have Samantha Fey back on the show!  She's here to talk about her new book, The Awake Dreamer, and it's a super interesting and fascinating read.  I seriously loved this book and could not put it down.  

Dreams have played a significant and active role in Samantha's spiritual development and awakening.  Her book is full of fascinating stories, exercises, and techniques to not only remember our dreams but to also gain insight from our dreams.  It is through her extensive research that she explores famous soul travelers, premonitory dreams, dream visitations, healing dreams, past-life dreams, guides and angels.  Seriously, it's a fascinating topic, and her beautiful book is so well written as she uses research and intuition to help us gain insight from our dreams.  Because what's better than thinking about our soul's potential and living a fuller life?

I'm pretty open about it, but Samantha Fey is one of my heros.  My girl crush.  And she is also the cohost of two popular podcasts, Psychic Teachers and Enlightened Empaths, both of which teach listeners how to embrace and celebrate their innate sensitivity and gifts.

And he is finally here!  While a Catholic monk, he refers to God as a she.  Since I’ve known him, he’s always referred to God as a woman. I've never heard anyone call God a she.  He describes her as the gentlest of all voices,  inside of all of us.  And what if hearing this quiet and gentle voice in all of us, is crucial for really getting to know ourselves? Our true selves?

Today Michael Fish talks with us about the Journey through life, based on the 4 stages of life in the Hindu tradition.  Believe me, he is an amazing speaker, who speaks from the heart. You can find him at hermitfish.com.

Today Dr. Jotwani (aka Dr. Rak) talks with us about the powerful changes that we all can make to our own bodies, which has the potential to be curative, as it can prevent and reverse the overwhelming chronic disease that exists in the world.  We live in a world where hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes are not shocking news, and in fact they are only the beginning.  In my opinion, preventable disease should always be shocking, because ultimately, we don’t have to go there.  There is SO much that we can do about it, I really mean it.  It’s hard, but we can all take control of our lives, with persistence and the right guidance.

I realize this may be a tough topic right before the holidays, but before we ever commit to doing something, it’s good to plant that seed in our head, ponder the thought, and see if takes root when we are actually ready to commit.  This is called Fighting For Our Lives, and not just seeking medication when we suddenly find ourselves host to a chronic disease. This is not a diet -- it’s a Lifestyle. Healthy living.  It's each of us choosing to live and choosing what we bring into our lives.

Dr. Rak sees patients remotely, and you can check out his website at rakyourlife.org.

If you're loving the podcast, don't forget to give us a great rating, send your friends an episode, and subscribe!  

Jeanne Feeney is a dancer, choreographer and movement therapist, and has been a certified practitioner of Body-Mind Centering™ since 1989.  She runs the Studio at Squid Row in Santa Cruz, CA, where she shares her passion for movement, working with adults and children as they navigate the changes of life, in their bodies.  You can find her at movementlaboratory.org.

I am super excited because Dr. Dave Clarke is back on the show again. This time, we are talking about about relationships.  

Together we read the book, 8 Dates by John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman.  Let’s be real, long term commitment is hard and it takes effort.  And in this book, Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, draw upon forty years of research from their famous Love Lab, inviting couples on fun and rewarding dates, exploring eight topics that matter the most in relationships- including trust, conflict, sex, money, family, adventure, spirituality, and dreams. And Dr. Clarke and I discuss these essential conversations!

Join us as we get real, and still have a good laugh!

Yoga provides a retreat from our busy and chaotic lives, while providing many mental and physical benefits. Yoga develops inner awareness. It helps us to focus our attention on our body's abilities at the present moment, while also helping us to develop our breath and strength of mind and body. Surveys have shown that people who practice yoga are more aware of their bodies than those who don't practice yoga. People also tend to be more satisfied with and less critical of their bodies, promoting more positive body image and self esteem.

Join us as we talk about the power of yoga with Daisy!

The holidays can be emotionally, physically, and psychologically taxing, and every family, no matter how loving, has its fair share of challenges.  Do we break the people-pleasing pattern which is typically at our own expense, or do we set boundaries and prioritize some of our needs and give at a sustainable rate?

My friends- you, your sanity, and your well-being matters!  For sure.  Join us today, as Denise Correll from the Enlightened Empaths podcast and I discuss boundaries before the holidays.  We laugh, we almost cry, and we laugh again, as we have a heart to heart on breaking the people-pleasing habit, and practice the art of self-care and self defense.  Why?  Because it totally matters.  Your well-being depends upon it. 

You can find the amazing and talented Denise at thegratefulmessenger.com.

And don't forget!  If you're loving the podcast, rate us!  Subscribe!  Send your friends your Fave episodes!  Go back and listen to the ones that you haven't.  It helps a lot.  This is totally a project of love which began with my breakdown, as I continue to work towards my breakthrough.  And thank you for inviting us into your lives!

Join us in this super informative and interesting show as we not only rethink our food, but where it comes from, and how it’s made.  Jonathan is a personal chef cooking for clients in the central coast area. He has been cooking healthful, vegetable-forward, and seasonal food for over 15 years, and less healthful but still tasty food even longer than that! 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a bird that tries to perfect the art of flying. He may be a bird, but he's a badass, who's gonna-become-a-renegade bird. He has an unbounded passion for flight despite the rebuke of his clan or flock. He's bored with his life, disheartened by the passionless lives of those around him, and he's made an outcast because he can't conform. This book shares a profound truth about our existence.

And I get to discuss this special book with Dr. Larry Arias. Larry is a pharmacist and would-be creative person who lives with his husband, dog, and two cats in magical Santa Cruz.  His interests include discovering beauty and humor in unusual places, finding the perfect balance in things that are “weird” and “cool,” and rooting for the underdogs of society. He hopes to one day move from his professional career and pursue a path that allows him to amalgamate his interests into artwork that can be shared with the world. 

As Dinasha describes her organization, she describes what she and her family created in Leo’s spirit, which is thoroughly profound and inspirational. 

Dinasha speaks beautifully from the heart, as she shares her life with us and her foundation that came from it.    Please join us as Dinasha Cellura talks to us about how she continues to carry the pain and honors her son in what she does in her time left here, as she gives herself permission to continue living.  Please also consider donating to their wonderful foundation- Live Like Leo, and you can find their website at livelikeleo.org.

Most people know that children need shelter, food, and love to be happy and healthy, but there's more to consider.  Overall child well-being can be affected by the child's own personality and those around them like their family and community.  While providing a uniform definition of child well-being is difficult, it's generally understood that a child's well-being is a measure of the quality of their life, including how well they are and how well their life is going.  This broad definition can easily encompass the different ways of assessing child well-being, such as health, education, family or social life, or safety and security concerns.  

A child's well-being is important, as it allows us to understand how children are coping in their world.  It is with their well-being that we begin to learn about resilience.

Join us in today's conversation as we talk about our children!  Their well-being matters, because it's the building of a better foundation for the stronger sense of self.  And what can't you do, if you have all of you?  Dr. Garry Crummer, MD, is a board certified doctor in Pediatrics and Integrative and Holistic Medicine, in Santa Cruz, CA.  

And if you're LOVING the show, don't forget to support us by subscribing, telling your friends, and leaving us a great review!  All of it seriously helps!!

Is there an aspect of your life where you feel like it's time to take charge?  If we don't advocate for ourselves, who honestly will?  On this week's episode, my friends Carla Roa and Kim Rodriguez join me to discuss what it means to "be the boss of you."  It begins with understanding the priorities that define you. Deep commitment to your personal goals can drive you to break through limited beliefs, to act on your own behalf.  When you take charge of your life, you can make the positive life changes you have been dreaming about.  Being you is super important.

Cierra Ryzcek is on the show today as we get real and converse about siblings.  She has been an independent jewelry artist for over 12 years and for the past 10 years has owned her edgy, modern, surf & beach styled boutique called Lumen Gallery, located in the Heart of Capitola Village. You can check out her amazing store at lumengal.com.

If you're loving the podcast, please don't forget to subscribe and leave us a great review however you get your podcasts!  This is a project of love, as we talk about real things that actually matter - because it's empowering and it contributes to your health and well-being.  Live Your Life!

We will be taking a short summer break, and will be returning on 9/8/2022.  Stay tuned for more exciting and thoughtful shows!!  Take time to check out the older shows that you missed! 

Strong friendships are a critical aspect of most people's emotional well-being.  Research shows that close friendships are associated with greater happiness, self esteem, and sense of purpose such that people with close connections are healthier, recover from certain illnesses more quickly, and live longer.  It's Legit!

On today's episode, I sit down with my friend Oriana Gliessman as we get real and discuss friendship.  Oriana has always had friends, while I recently have more friends.  Join us in this fun conversation as we talk about what is a good friend, how we can be a better friend, and, well, are friendships just confusing sometimes?

Karen is a Santa Cruz STEAM and Math educator and she has participated, lead, and hosted numerous mission trips in response to  her passions of connecting with diverse cultures and deepening her faith.

On today’s episode, Jonathan Miller returns to the show to talk about his love of ferments and beans, one of the ways in which we can improve our BM’s.  If you’re producing soft, well formed logs that aren’t hard to push out and are very regular, then your bowels are probably in good shape.  If not, consider listening to this episode to learn about how ferments and beans can add to your health.  It’s a beyond the poop kind of moment.

Jonathan Miller is a personal chef cooking for clients in the central coast area.  He has been cooking healthful, vegetable-forward, seasonal food for over 15 years, and less healthful but still tasty food even longer than that!

The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect.  Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. She draws upon traditional Buddhist wisdom and offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering into perhaps joy.

On today’s episode, Dr. David Clarke, MD and I discuss Pema Chodron’s best-selling classic, When Things Fall Apart. Because sometimes, chaos is our teacher.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, tell your friends, and leave us a 5-star review! Save your life, by having these conversations!

Josie Teresi is an intuitive energy healer, reiki healer, counselor, and YouTuber.  She has published several books, including You Were Born a Star, Now What? based on the teachings of  “A Course In Miracles” and the Unity Philosophy.  Visit her webstie, josieteresi.com, and her YouTube channel, Into Light.

Dr. Lembke is the Medical Director of Stanford Addiction Medicine.  A clinician scholar, she has published more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries in prestigious medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA.  She is also the author of Drug Dealer, MD, and Dopamine Nation, a book that shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.

You can find Dr. Lembke at annalembke.com.

Sara is the founder of a nonprofit organization called Joaquins Warriors DMD. You can find her nonprofit at joaquinswarriors.com.

It’s important to think about and to address appropriately- as dyslexia can affect a person’s self image. Students with dyslexia often end up feeling “dumb” and less capable than they actually are. They can encounter a lot of stress due to academic problems, and may become less resilient.

While it is a lifelong condition, with the proper help and early identification, people can learn to read and write well, so that they can live their fullest life.

Join us, as Judy Robinson is on the show to talk about this really common condition. She is a retired educator who specializes in reading and autism spectrum disorders. Judy lives in Carlisle, MA.

Daniel Clauw has said in a 2019 lecture, there isn’t “any drug in any chronic-pain state that works in better than one out of three people.” He went on to say that nonpharmacological therapy should instead be “front and center in managing chronic pain — rather than opioids, or for that matter, any of our drugs.”

Our approach with chronic pain is mostly medications, specifically opioids. However, chronic pain patients require a multifactorial approach, but unfortunately, our approach is not necessarily multifactorial. Join us, as we talk with Dr. Lishanna Emmert about acupuncture as a treatment modality to help with chronic pain. You can find Dr. Emmert at Solis.care.

Christopher Greer is a therapist in Santa Cruz, and he earned his Masters in Social Work.  He spent the last few years working at a local non-profit providing varying levels of support for people struggling with Substance Use Disorder, individuals with varying mental health disorders, and those who have been involved in the criminal justice system.  And he helps his clients with their mental health and well being, to consider the whole person.  You can find him at chrisgreertherapy.com.

Join us for a fun and upbeat conversation on this timeless classic!  Plus, Cierra is back on the show!  Love, Love, Love our discussions, as well as the unpredictability of our conversations!?!  You can also find Cierra’s lovely shop at  lumengal.com.

On today’s show, we have Yvonne Liu to talk about her life as an adoptee and childhood trauma survivor.  She is a freelance writer, who lives in Los Angeles, whose her Huffpost adoption essay was viewed over 1.5 million times in one week.  She has written multiple articles and essays, and is currently working on her memoir.  Her work has appeared in the NY Times, Newsweek, salon, and NBC News.  She had kept her family’s secret for over 60 years, and is now writing about it, telling her truth and her story. You can find her at yvonneliuwriter.com. Join us!

Passover is centered around the retelling of the biblical story of the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt.  The holiday is so rich in symbolism and meaning, as it incorporates themes of springtime, homeland, family, Jewish history, social justice, and freedom.  The central ritual of Passover is the Seder, which is a ritual packed feast with symbolic foods, intended to help the Jewish people relive God’s great redemptive act.  The overarching theme of Passover is redemption – the divine redemption of the Israelites for the understanding of God, divine morality, and ethics. 

I’m really honored to have Rabbi Eli back on the show, to talk with us about redemption and renewal, as we can all think about how we can celebrate our freedom and the profound meaning it has on all of our lives.  

You can find Rabbi Eli Cohen at cysantacruz.com.

Jonathan Miller is a personal chef cooking for clients in the central coast area. He has been cooking healthful, vegetable-forward, seasonal food for over 15 years, and less healthful but still tasty food even longer than that! Though he claims his favorite bean is the Good Mother Stallard bean, it’s actually impossible to have a favorite since almost all beans are delicious!    

Join us for today’s conversation!  Connie Sobczak is here to share her thoughts on aging.  She is the founder of The Body Positive https://thebodypositive.org/.  Plus, Connie has authored two outstanding books – Embody: Learning to Love Your Unique Body (and quiet that critical voice!) and The Wise Woman Guidebook.  You can also find her at conniesobczak.com. And check out her AMAZING TedX talkhttps://www.ted.com/talks/connie_sobczak_embracing_your_critical_voice_the_gateway_to_self_love

According to Dr. Alan Wolfelt, after working with thousands of grieving people over the years,  he writes that he has “learned that if we are to heal we cannot skirt the outside edges of our grief.  Instead, we must journey all through it.” Grief is what we think and feel on the inside when someone we love dies.  It’s the internal meaning given to the experience of loss.  Mourning is the outward expression of our grief, the difficult journey that we define.

On today’s show, we have my friend Kim Rodriguez to talk about her husband’s death and she speaks about rediscovering what it means to live a full life.

And as Dr. Chris Fahrenbach says in the interview, “If you can’t talk about something…Why is that?”

I am a Catholic. And I don’t understand why Womenpriests are not formally accepted. As a Catholic, I often find myself at a crossroads.  When I feel lost, confused, or really sad, going into a church makes me feel safe and heard.  As a child, we started to attend church as our family started to fall apart. Although I believe God exists everywhere, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be in a place of worship, sometimes that faith is more obvious to me in a church or in the woods.  Although I feel called to the Catholic faith, I am tolerant of all religions, as I believe, to each his or her own. As much as the church comforts me, I don’t agree with everything the it teaches. For example, why can’t women be priests? Why can’t priests marry?

On today’s episode, Dr. Chris Fahrenbach, a psychologist here in Santa Cruz, CA, talks with us about Roman Catholic Womenpriests, as she, herself, is one. And, well, I can’t hide my adoration for Dr. Fahrenbach. She is so thoughtful and introspective as she guides us into this discussion. Join us! To learn more, goto romancatholicwomenpriests.org

On today’s episode, my friend Cierra Ryczek and I discuss Lindsay Gibson’s book, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents.  Even the title made me pause, because, well, it feels like a gigantic dose of reality.  Like a bit of vomit plus a good cry.  It’s definitely an Ouch (plus probably a couple of expletives).  The book teaches us that emotionally immature parents cause emotional neglect and rejection, which have long term effects, with the reality that our parents could have been toxic.  But she says that this neglect wasn’t about us, it was about them.  If you’ve felt lonely as a child, join us in this interesting and super fun conversation as we try to begin to understand.  Two women together in a room, who have experienced emotional loneliness as children – who are not going to continue to live that way as adults.  Spiritual Gangsters, we are!

You can find Cierra and her beautiful store at lumengal.com.

And thank you for giving us a listen!  We are a relatively new podcast, and if you are loving the show, please don’t forget to give us a great rating, and tell all your friends.  I am rooting for the badass that is you because the truth is, if you put your mind and soul into it, there is nothing that you can’t do.  For Sure.

Thank you to all my listeners!  I am so grateful to all of you who are listening.  Thank you for letting me into your lives, and, hopefully, together we feel more courage than fear, we laugh more than we cry, we feel more faith than doubt, more hope than despair, and more light than darkness.

Thank you to my amazing website designer, wonderful and very competent friend, Katherine Hallissy Ayala at CodeByKatherine.  I am so grateful you chose to take a chance with me!

And thank you to my fantastic and utterly professional Sound Producer, Will Mitchell at Hands on Sound.  You make sound hella amazing, and thank you for aiding me on my journey as a podcaster.

Today we’re talking about Astrology with Jenifer Edwards!  She is a gifted Maine-based Intuitive Astrologer who believes that her divine mission is to assist others in discovering their Soul’s Purpose through their unique astrological fingerprint, their birth chart.  The birth chart is a soul map of our journey in this lifetime, filled with the challenges we choose to master as well as the blessings which guide and enhance our human experience.  I am so excited to discuss Astrology with Jenifer! If you love reading your horoscope, you’ll find this conversation fascinating! You can find Jenifer at thankgoddess.org.

On today’s show, Samantha Fey is here to talk about Empaths! She is the host of two podcasts- “Psychic Teachers” and “Enlightened Empaths.” Join us in this engrossing conversation as we talk about Empaths. It’s important to recognize that because Empaths are natural healers of the world, we naturally want to make things better. But when we are not aware of who we are and we don’t have firm boundaries – we take on other people’s problems, and it can literally affect our own health. You can find Samantha Fey at samanthafey.com.