Humaning: The Shit We Need to Talk About

The shit we need to talk about this week: if we are not well within ourselves, how can we be well with others, especially those we care for?

I know, given all the horrific shit going on outside our doors, this is a doozy, huh? But I’ve got a good reason for asking it: Our well-being is political AND the priority. And, lately, in my work, I’ve been asked more and more: “What is Ayurveda and why do you bring it into all that you do?”

That opening question: “if we are not well withi...

The shit we need to talk about this week: the work/life balance doesn’t exist. It’s a lie we’ve been sold (like so many others) by capitalism and white supremacy culture.

In this episode, I’m joined by my awesome friend and colleague, Rebecca Sebastian, as she unveils an important truth about the work/life balance: 

We can never achieve balance because both work and life exist on the same side of a scale, with the individual on the other side.

Join us as we explore: 

- What this revel...

The shit we need to talk about this week: the collective burnout and overwhelm we’re feeling since the inauguration is real.

We have got to acknowledge and validate our personal struggles as we face the unprecedented nature of current times here in the US. 

In this week’s episode, I put a spotlight on the need for self-care now more than ever and advocate for it through a different lens than we’ve discussed before: the importance of recognizing the ultra basic daily self-care you’re doing. And, I take a deep dive into the two m...

Welcome to Season 3! The shit we need to talk about this week: 

Now that we are in full on polycrisis mode here in the US, what if we FINALLY live our lives the way we want to and NEED to for the sake of our well-being, the revolution and finally letting the systems crumble, as well as for the sake of the collective?

In this episode, we discuss:

- Using winter’s invitation as the foundation for our self-care moving forward, regardless of the season.

- The importance of finding joy ami...

This November has brought us major emotional upheaval with the election results on top of what we’ve already been dealing with and the holidays coming around the corner. 

If you're like many of us, the holidays can be a stressful time. Family dynamics, obligations to attend events, the absence of loved ones, and financial or emotional strain can all add layers of complexity to what is meant to be a joyful season. 

If you’ve been feeling this way, I want to offer you five simple practices to help soothe your holiday stress:

1) V...

In this episode, I welcome a cool-ass human, Dr. Dee Frayne (pronounced fray-knee), to the show!

Dr. Dee Frayne, she/they, is a professional changemaker, disruptive leadership strategist, and performance coach. She loves nothing more than helping feminist leaders, changemakers and social entrepreneurs to lead the fight against social inequality and systemic oppression. Dee wants to help you BE the change so that you can LEAD the change…without the burnout, overwhelm, pressure, and punishment. 

The shit we need to talk about this week is the importance of acknowledging and reclaiming anger as a tool for...

In this episode, we dive into the collective feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm that many of us experience during the fall season. And this year in particular, as schedules change and responsibilities increase, it's important to also acknowledge how external events—like the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and the turbulent political landscape—are deeply impacting our well-being.

We discuss the importance of recognizing and validating these feelings, rather than spiritual bypassing or gaslighting ourselves. You’ll find practical self-care strategies to help you cope with the season's challenges, emphasizing awareness and simplicity. From nourishing your body and calmin...

Fall schedules and responsibilities are now in full swing amidst the transitional period between seasons - which might have you feeling a bit off, too - and the political climate is SO MUCH RIGHT NOW. 

It’s likely, and unsurprising, you’re feeling overwhelmed and drained, and as a result, you’re on autopilot or numbing out to just get through the days.

It makes complete sense to choose one of those coping mechanisms, especially at this point of the year, because the shit you need to do (whether you want to or not) requires your at...

Fall is hella busy and full of transitions. And, we need to make it to the US presidential election day on November 5th as easefully as possible AND THEN move through the days after with resources STILL AVAILABLE. 

Because as I said last year, we are no longer entering December running on fumes. 

This, my people, is most certainly not that. So if you’re feeling under-resourced, this episode is for you.

The shit we gotta talk about this week: Whether Fall is YOUR TIME OF YEAR or not, feeling under-resourced heading into this...

The shit we need to talk about this week is: Right now, you might be feeling like your bandwidth and capacity are way too low going into all that’s around the corner in the coming weeks. I hear you. Many of us are feeling stretched thin in terms of our available time AND what we can realistically do in it. And I don’t think it’s really an exaggeration or underestimation, honestly. The levels feel bleak and they are. 

And I know you - your work, your responsibilities, your causes, your contributions, your people, your well-be...

The shit we need to talk about this week is that it’s astonishing to me that I keep having a conversation around people knowing self-care is important but they’re still half-assing it. So I have to ask you point blank: At what point are you going to cut the shit and actually do it?

You’ve acknowledged how important self-care, rest, and resourcing yourself is but there is a resistance in actually taking the time to do it. You know doing these things is an act of resistance, it’s radical action based on what we conti...

We are officially past the halfway point of what has been a very tumultuous year and friends, it just keeps going. The presidential election here in the US is on the forefront of the mind for so many of us, on top of multiple genocides, and that’s on top of all of the changes in legislation and horror and injustice that’s been happening. Shit is very scary out in the world and I am feeling palpable outrage and fear from people I’m connected with. And rightfully so. We have every right to be angry at what’s going...

A note: I recorded this in a shared space so be prepared for some background sounds big and small! It’s real life real-lifing in real time! Thanks for your patience!

This summer, my goal for you is to stay cool and at ease from the inside out and be minimally burned by the dumpster fire that is this world. How does that sound? You in?

In this episode, I discuss:

- Tending to the tough and tender parts of our spirit at this point in the year

- The three ke...

Friends, we are having to endure too much these days, both in our individual lives and collectively. And if you, like me, are finding it to be increasingly harder and harder to cope in the world, then, this episode is for you. And I hope you get from it a bit of what you need. 

I’m hearing from people that they’re feeling numb, disconnected, distressed, grief, overwhelm, anger, exhaustion, anxiety, and so much in between. We all have our own ways of dealing with all that is present while living in our current times, and some...

It’s common to find yourself cleaning the clutter from your living spaces as spring unfolds. And I feel as though these days, with all we’re continuing to witness and endure in the world, there is a connection between the heaviness, overwhelm, horror, and burnout we’re experiencing and this response of cleaning and purging in our home lives. 

So many of us feel helpless even though we’re doing as much of the hard work as we can to stand up to oppression and injustice and advocate for those with less power. As a result, it's natu...

These days, so many of us are experiencing lots of both/and situations and opposites at the same time since it continues to be really hard to be in the world with so much conflict, genocide, harm, and inequity going on. It’s a conversation I continue to have with so many friends and colleagues and so I thought this would be a timely one to have with you here because in these conversations, an important question keeps coming up: 

What the fuck do we do with ourselves right now? How do we meet this moment?

...

Now that nature has increased sunlight and some warmer temperatures, it is thawing out from winter’s cold. And depending on where you live geographically, there might have been ice and snow, so the earth is starting to be saturated with water. It’s providing us fantastic conditions for planting seeds and reaping abundance. 

As a result, you might be feeling uplifted as we come out from under winter’s veil of darkness and nature feels lighter.

Or, like me, you might be feeling a lingering lethargy, from the winter, and/or from ongoing accumulation of hard...

Spring is here and I don't know about you, but I have zero interest or energy to do any springing, jumping or bouncing forward. What’s deeply present for me these days are some heavy hitters: grief, overwhelm, stress, fatigue, disconnect, worry, doubt, and fear. On top of all the current events that just won’t quit. 

In this episode, I get candid about how I’m experiencing life in the hopes that if you’re experiencing life in a way that does not at all align with nature’s spring, you’ll know you’re not alone. And if y...

I think there’s some confusion happening out there in the world when it comes to consistency. We all know when it comes to definitions, consistent is something we’re pretty dependable about doing, usually the same way, while constant means doing something continuously without interruption. And yet, when it comes to our committed actions in the world, somehow our effort to be consistent has morphed into an expectation (including a self-expectation!) of being constant. 

Always tuned in.

Always moving forward.

Always thinking.

Always in some sort of action to disrupt or su...

We get a bonus day this year. An extra 24 hours. A bonus 1440 minutes. 86,400 seconds more to work with. 

What an amazing thing it would be to do something special on February 29th (or later if you’re getting to this episode after!)

How about making this time work for you? Not just on the leap day but throughout the year?

In this episode, we:

- Dive into the science behind the Leap Year (cuz to me, this is just the coolest!)

- Explore the Leap Year in calendars of cul...

The shit we need to talk about this week: We need to examine how our own guilt, shame, and peer pressure play into our relationship with exercise.

Cuz the reality is, for us liberation-focused folks, it’s still there. 

- It’s there in the guilt of not having the energy, motivation, or desire to work out.

- It's there in the judgment of not having the energy to do the workout the way you planned.

- It’s there in the shame of making changes and not doing the workout like yo...

The shit we need to talk about this week is self-love has become a commodity in dominant culture, much like self-care. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the word friendship and how that’s feeling a bit more aligned for me. And considering that Valentine’s Day is this week, I thought it was a timely topic to drop into.

So my question for you is: What kind of friend are you to yourself? Are you a real one? 

Not just when it’s easy. I’m talking about in the messy moments. In the moments whe...

Winter tends to be really challenging for a lot of people, and those difficulties can happen in different ways. For some people, it’s kind of the same cycle year after year with the same challenge or challenges and for others, it changes based on how they’re experiencing life. 

This week, the shit we need to talk about is how necessary uncovering any discomfort, difficulty, or challenges that happen for you every winter in your mental, emotional, physical, or energetic health. Because the reality is, some of the stuff we sweep under the rug is still prese...

Winter calls us to slow down, to turn inward, to rest, reflect, rejuvenate, and imagine. And as you might be feeling, there is a huge ass conflict with that and the way dominant culture is behaving itself.

In this week’s episode, the shit we need to talk about is how complicated the start of winter is and how hard it is to keep wintering through January and February when society is sprinting forward.

We’ll also discuss: 

- Ways to continue to answer nature’s winter call to slow down, to turn inward...

Western society has placed such a huge importance on creating a new year’s resolution that’s of course fueled by the building blocks of perfectionism, hustle and grind, commitment, and discipline culture. 

Many of us who are in decolonized spaces and doing liberation work in our lives have adapted the resolution making practice to be less about achievement, commitment, and drive and more meaningful and true with choosing a word or a goal that is more heart-centered. 

In the last 2 weeks, this has been all anyone can talk about in shared spaces and on social...

This week, the shit we need to talk about is: when we are experiencing collective overwhelm, exhaustion, and injustice, we have got to leverage rest, quality sleep, and taking it easy to cope, to be in it, and to keep going day after day and move through it. 

Beyond navigating current events, these practices are essential when we’re managing everyday stress, going through tough personal times, and also just living every day in capitalism and a culture built on white supremacy. That’s the real real and there’s just no way around it. 

I am not...

The world is hard to be in right now. The shit we need to talk about today is how to meet ourselves in the difficulty of being with and digesting all that is happening, especially since there continues to be one atrocity after another amongst all the other shit that’s been going on.

In this week’s episode, we discuss Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom of strengthening our digestive power through practices that meet us where we are right now in 2023. These practices include:

- Purposeful pauses and self-love acts throughout the day

- Even...

When it comes to Fall, it is nature’s natural downshift, the transitional period between vibrant summer and dormant winter. But it can be a very unsettling time based on society’s pace, how life is landing for us, and with consideration to current events.  The shit we need to talk about in this episode is living in tune with nature for fall so we can be more at ease and nourished. 

The guidance includes practices for:

- Considering you, your nature, and how you experience nature’s season

- Honoring the natural rhythms...

With all that’s been going on, challenges, hardships, oppression, attacks on marginalized communities here in the US and abroad, it is not easy to be in the world right now. 

Last Sunday, on October 8th, I celebrated my 4th business anniversary. And if you know anything about me, or if there’s one thing you SHOULD know about me, it’s that I freaking love celebrations. Milestones are so important to me. But honestly, it felt weird to celebrate. 

The question that was rolling around in my mind since then is some of the shit we...

Enroll in the Fall Back to Yourself Series!

The glitch continues as the last bit of summer comes to an end and we prepare for fall to begin this weekend. In today’s episode, we’re continuing to explore practices that will support you as you navigate this time of change, and actually these practices can offer you support throughout the fall season! They include:

- Tuning in to your present needs and how you want to feel during September. 

- Creating a plan for committed action that is flexible based on your avail...

Enroll in the Fall Back to Yourself Series!

We are officially in glitch territory - the two week period between the end of the summer season and the beginning of fall. And in case you’re unfamiliar with this concept, Ayurveda science uses the term glitch for the transitional time in between the end of one period and the start of another. During this period, it is possible for things to feel a little off, turbulent, or overwhelming. You know, glitchy.

During the glitch between seasons, it’s important to notice when the characteristics of the...

The shit we need to talk about today when it comes to caring for yourself is self-consent, the process of  tuning in, listening in to yourself for a yes or a no, and then the most important step - honoring that. 

Period. Without judgment, without second-guessing, nothing.

If you, like me, are a master spiritual bypasser, it’s not our fault. Thanks to white supremacy culture, we have had no choice based on the sheer speed and expectation of capitalism. And when it comes to the oppression of folks with marginalized identities, we are not affo...

In this week’s episode, the shit we need to talk about is: the work of disrupting and dismantling the oppressive systems in our life, and namely our well-being, does not require us to be martyrs and run ourselves into the ground in the name of being faithful servants of the cause. 

On the contrary, it requires us to be resourced, as full as we can be in the moment, aware, connected to ourselves, living authentically, and being that person when we go out into the world. 

It requires us to handle our shit and be i...

The shit we need to talk about this week: Fall is an incredibly busy and variable season, which can feel great for some but it can be totally dysregulating and aggravating for others. So, we need to be focused on fostering stability from now. 

Fostering stability is cultivating the ability to tolerate difficulty and withstand adversity without becoming consumed by your emotions and responding reactively.

And it’s good timing since we’re now in the second to last week of August, and some of you have already experienced the change in schedule and responsibilities and t...

This month, for many of us, is one of great transitions, especially here in the US. I am willing to bet you or someone in your close network is heading back to work or school or more responsibilities on a likely more rigid schedule sometime within the next 3-4 weeks.

There tends to be a lot of feelings, perhaps some excitement (for some new stuff coming), and also tough emotions like anxiety, worry, dread, and deep sadness around what’s ending and feeling unprepared for what’s next because you didn’t quite get enough of all the su...

CW: we’re going to be having a candid conversation around food and the mess America has made of it all. So a quick content warning: I recognize a conversation about food and eating can be very uncomfortable and you may be dealing with some difficult emotions and possibly working through some challenging situations on this front. Disordered eating, body/food shaming, fat-phobia, and food insecurity are real and present. It is completely understandable if you have a complicated relationship with food and need to take breaks as you listen. It’s also totally fine if you would prefer to s...

Yoga at its roots is a way of life that centers self-awareness and deep connection with community and nature even though in the West it has been appropriated and watered down to a type of exercise to get more flexible. The ancient culture, philosophy, and practice of Yoga are a disruption of white supremacy culture and western individualism. 

In this episode, the shit we need to talk about is deconstructing your relationship with Yoga asana from what you’ve been taught by dominant culture. We explore reflections for you to consider and reimagine your physical practice plus:

CW: In this episode, we’re going to be having a real conversation about exercise that is bound to touch on some areas of life that you have lots or big feelings about and it may even bring up some past tough experiences because I’m calling out a lot of shit today that is wrong in the fitness and wellness industry and how it fucks with our mental and emotional health, promotes dieting, fuels disordered eating and body shaming, and disconnects us from ourselves in the worst ways possible. Feel free to come back to this at a late...

We’re officially halfway through 2023 so it’s time for a pretty big check in. When you’re living in self-awareness (or on the journey of learning to live in it), you’re essentially in (or moving toward) a constant state of inquiry, of checking in, and being tuned into what you’re experiencing. 

Considering summer’s call to expand, transform, and reap, PLUS reset and prepare for fall and winter, in this week’s episode, I’m offering you prompts and reflections so you can explore how life is landing for you in three aspects: summer, mid-year, and loo...

The shit we need to talk about this week is: we need some more freaking ease in our lives. 

Obviously, we need to end all the horror and trauma and bullshit of inequity, stripping people of their rights, and all the ways certain groups are in danger here in the US and around the world. So let’s keep doing the work of standing up to all of that shit, AND let’s also resource ourselves by allowing more ease in our lives. 

You know I don’t mean just in taking a walk or a bath...