Curb the Binge: The Podcast

On Curb the Binge, we forgive the past, learn from it, and look to the present and the future. This podcast is less about the binging behavior, and more about where we are going, how we are evolving out of old patterns into new territory, and what tools we can use to empower ourselves in the direction of our heart's longing and our soul's actualization. Numerology can be one of these tools. I met Felicia Bender at a party several months ago, and after witnessing a presentation she gave on the life path numbers, I knew I needed to bring her on this podcast. What is numerology? Hans Decoz says, "The Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Hebrews, Egyptians, Phoenicians, early Christians, Mayans and Incas all employed number systems to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the universe." Simply put, numerology is the study of the energy and vibration of numbers - the specific, unique frequency that each number holds, and how paying attention to this numerical information in our birthdays, names, and our environment, can give us practical, applicable, and exceedingly valuable information about our lives. And while it may seem woo-woo, just think about how pervasive numbers and mathematics are in an increasingly computerized world. All that code is written in numbers, and Pythagoras, the same historical figure who delineated the geometric facts you learned in high school - also compiled the mathematical disciplines of the Arabic, Druid, Phoenician, Egyptian and Essene (1) sciences to create the form of numerology most often used today. My guest Felicia Bender has a Ph.D. in Theater, brings an incredible liveliness to her teaching of the life path numbers, and has written two books and many more materials on this subject. She's so fun to listen to, and today, she not only discusses each of the life path numbers (so you'll be sure to hear about yours); she also teaches you how to calculate your life path number in a snap. (1) Hans Decoz, Numerology:Key to Your Inner Self.

Tom Cartwright is the Founder of Cartwright Coaching & one of Australia’s leading coaches for substance abuse such as alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. His passion for working with clients to overcome addiction and live a life of choice has been fueled from his own inspiring story. In this podcast, Tom tells us how he's navigated the journey from his own addictions to alcohol and gambling, to a life of meaning, purpose and fulfillment. Find out how he's overcome his own shadows - including the fear of success - along the way. Here are just some of the things you'll learn: * The connection between addiction and shame. * What is "toxic shame"? * Why recovery and healing is not a straight line. * The power of making a decision. * Why allowing yourself to live your best life must comebefore healing addiction. * How to get clear and honest about our comfort zones and how they are playing into our addictive patterns. * Why transitioning from surviving to thriving is a huge step to congratulate ourselves for and be patient with ourselves through. * Developing a healthy relationship with fear. * How our primitive brain and tribal instincts challenge our drive to thrive. * The beauty (and effectiveness) of baby steps. * A powerful metaphor for how to up-level the way we relate with change. * Shooting for higher-quality problems. * How to build self-trust.

In this episode, Katya speaks with Lopa van der Mersch - CEO of Rasa, a brand dedicated to making natural formulas to help ease the stress of modern life and care for our energy levels, naturally. We talk on two topics:    Energy Energy levels seem so key to our happiness and feelings of fulfillment, and it seems we are consistently told that more is simply better. Is this even true? Or is this view unbalanced and resulting in us tapping our bodies for energy they don't have, or are unwilling to expend for their own, intelligent reasons?   When it comes to energy, what is truly nourishing, natural and sustainable?    Lopa and I dive into these questions and explore a potential paradigm shift in how we relate with our energy levels. We talk about the herbs she uses in her coffee substitute formula, Rasa Herbal Koffee, herbs that have been used for thousands of years to promote stress resiliency, mental clarity, and balanced energy. We are talking sustainable energy support, here.    Eating Disorders  Later in the interview, Lopa tells the story of her own experience with eating disorders, which now feels totally behind her. Her story is unique in that she truly blazed her own trail, and it worked.   A uniquely compassionate, honest and wise voice, may you be inspired and refreshed.      Lopa's Bio:    Modern life is crazy, and Lopa van der Mersch is obsessed with bringing accessible adaptogens to a world that needs them.   Adaptogens are a class of superherbs that help ease feelings of stress and overwhelm: Nature’s antidote to stress.   Thanks to her love for Ayurveda, Lopa has been using adaptogens for over a decade, and credits them with helping her heal Hashimoto’s.   Twelve years after she first started taking ashwagandha, Lopa had her first son and found herself deeply needing stress-support. She partnered with an herbalist to create a coffee alternative blend, which was the foundation of Rasa: a brand dedicated to making full-spectrum, holistically-balanced tonic adaptogen formulas an easy part of everyday rituals—starting with their coffee and coffee alternative blends.   As CEO of a growing startup and mom of two young boys (3 and 8 months), Lopa gets to experience daily how effective the Rasa products are. Her passion for Rasa is only matched by her love of tea ceremony and her knack for often-inappropriate humor.

When it comes to addiction, astrology is a rich place to look for answers. While everyone's astrological birth chart is unique, and there are many configurations and signatures that could point to the potential of or tendency towards addiction, one looming theme bears mentioning: that of Neptune. Neptune is the planet that represents the ocean of consciousness, the field into which the individual soul dissolves and we are all One.  Perhaps this reads like a total abstraction, or perhaps you have had some of your own personal experience of this, even if it was just a glimpse. And, even if it does read like an abstraction, there are elements of Neptune we can all relate to. Neptune is the planet that rules higher states of consciousness - states sometimes reached through meditation, yoga, and prayer, but can also be reached for some by walking alone in nature, creating music and/or art, and other beautiful doorways into our own mystical vastness. It's also the planet that teaches us - and represents - transcendent, unconditional love. These so-called "elevated states" are a requisite for living a healthy and happy human life, though some of us need more, some of us need less, and the doorways to get there are many. One person's way of achieving existential bliss is not the doorway for the next person. That is all well and good. Yet, sadly, when we don't know of any healthy way to merge with our infinite nature, the all-too-easy doorways begin to look appealing: enter addiction in all its forms. As life-preserving as authentic Neptunian fulfillment can be, the delusion/addiction side of Neptune can be equally destructive, effectively blocking our access to true happiness and fulfillment. In this episode, astrologer Valeria Torres and I explore this archetype of Neptune, going deep into its symbology, the gift of being a "Neptunian person," as well as some techniques for balancing the shadow sides of this archetype. A strong Neptune can give us the ability to create truly inspired and inspiring things in this world - but only if we anchor ourselves enough to bring the gifts from other realms, into this one. Valeria Torres, also known as AstroVal, has been pouring her soul into the esoteric subjects since she remembers. She truly reconnected with herself through astrology and so sharing this ancient wisdom has become her life purpose. She offers astrology sessions, teaches for an online astrology school and has hosted various workshops and retreats on the subject. Valeria’s goal is to connect you to a deeper level to help you heal and understand the nature of your soul through self-love and compassion, while creating an atmosphere for transformation with her coaching skills. She says: We are here to shine our own light through self-acceptance. She believes that once we recognize who we truly are, the gifts and challenges we incarnated with, we will align with our unlimited potential.

Forgiveness is an essential tool for freeing up energy, taking back our creative power, and living our fullest lives. So many of us think we've forgiven when, in fact, we've just buried our resentments. This leaves us drained and cut off from our full potential, and, often, not knowing why. Dara McKinley has dived deep into this work to discover how we can really, truly forgive. Dara experienced her own big betrayal some years ago, and she found herself unable to let go of the hurt and resentment it left her with. Her life was impacted - with cyclical thoughts and the eventual development of a "mystery illness." Dara found herself in a perfect storm of physical and emotional turmoil that spurred her to look for answers. She began to research forgiveness, then implemented what she learned in what came to be a successful 3-week forgiveness journey that left her feeling completely liberated from her burden of hurt and resentment. She's turned her research into a methodology which she calls, simply, "How to Forgive." According to her, once you know how to do it, you can use this methodology anywhere, anytime, with anyone or anything. We focus the second part of the show on how to apply forgiveness to eating disorders and our often delicate relationships with ourselves. In this talk, we dive into: * What forgiveness is and why it's important. * What betrayal is and how to know whether you have been betrayed. * Dara's own story of betrayal, how she connects it to a "mystery illness" she developed, and how she eventually found her path of healing. * The biggest misunderstanding folks have about forgiveness. * What is the difference between forgiveness and compassion? * What is the difference between forgiveness and bypassing? * The inner work of forgiveness and why it's so powerful. * How does forgiveness apply, on the eating disorder path? * How do the steps for forgiving ourselves differ from and overlap with the steps for forgiving others? A Little Bit About Dara: Dara McKinley, MA possesses an unwavering curiosity for emotional health, spirituality, and the practical  intersection of these two worlds. Her passion has led to a 15 year career in human services which includes an M.A. in Contemplative  Psychology from Naropa University, and a private counseling practice. In 2007 she began a 10 year journey studying the feminine essence with renowned divine feminine teachers, and through tracing back and studying her own indigenous roots. Dara has created and facilitated workshops and retreats, but today she is devoted to raising up a modern, and dogma-free forgiveness path called How to Forgive. She defines forgiveness as “a spiritual experience that heals betrayal,” and asserts that forgiveness mastery is core to the success of feminine power. Register for her course athttps://howtoforgive.com/ref/16/ [Your%20referral%20URL%20is:%20https:/howtoforgive.com/ref/16/]