Monica’s Journey: Grief, growth and the courage to start over

Awakening Creative Power Through The Womb w/Gaia Balbi

We mark Diwali by reframing darkness as fertile ground for light, then move into the womb as a universal creative center for all bodies and a portal for ideas, purpose, and aligned action. Gaia shares practices to live guided, heal stored trauma, and balance feminine and masculine energy with grounded structure. • Diwali as light emerging from potential, not opposition • The womb as creative center beyond gender and childbirth • Separation from intuition through ego and constant thinking • Water and cellular memory storing trauma and patterns • Energetic roots informing physical symptoms and healing • Balancing receptivity with structure for aligned action • Rituals and daily practice to hear guidance clearly • Collective circles as safe containers that accelerate healing • Moving from me to we to birth new social structures • Practical ways to listen to the body and act with courage Find Gaia: Instagram @gaiabalbi and gaiabalbi.com

Wild Sacred Journey with Kate Powell

We trace Kate Powell’s path from early sensitivity and lost spark to a grounded practice that blends yoga, energetic medicine, storytelling, and animist ceremony. We explore boundaries vs walls, grief literacy, colonization’s impact on belonging, and how to rebuild culture with the land. • early sensitivity, overwhelm, and numbing • yoga and farming as doorways back to body • clairs and energetic hygiene in daily life • boundaries as membranes, not walls • nervous system patterns formed in overwhelm • presence and witnessing as core healing skills • colonization, empire, and cultural severance • animism and seeing everything as relationship • ancestral breadcrumbs in song and story • the age of the third thing and culture-making • upcoming ceremonies and how to connect Find Kate: www.wildsacredjourney.com • Instagram: @WildSacredJourney_KP • Ceremonies: Nov 8 at Stephanie McKinley’s; Winter Solstice Dec 21 at Daydream Studios

Monica’s Journey: Grief, growth and the courage to start over

We share Monica’s journey from small-town roots to Nashville dreams and a tumultuous relationship that taught her to trust her gut, grieve fully, and rebuild her life with calm and clarity. A raw, honest talk about loss, love-bombing, gaslighting, and finding home in yourself. • growing up in McAdoo and leaving for new chances • losing a best friend to overdose and making a documentary • coping with grief, guilt and finding closure with family stories • Nashville hustle, creative work and a pandemic pizza startup • choosing love and moving back to Virginia for stability • red flags, gaslighting and isolation in a serious relationship • the unsaved number discovery and decisive exit • rebuilding health, self-trust and emotional boundaries • dating with discernment and seeking emotional intelligence • embracing uncertainty, family ties and future pivots

Yoga's First Limb: A Deep Dive into the Yamas w/Stephanie McKinley

What moral compass guides you when traditional religious frameworks no longer resonate? In this soul-nourishing conversation, Lauren and Stephanie explore the Yamas—yoga's ethical guidelines that offer a refreshingly compassionate approach to living an aligned life. Unlike rigid commandments that focus on what not to do, the Yamas provide a gentle framework that acknowledges our humanity. "It's just a practice," Stephanie reminds us, "and you just continue to come back to these teachings until the end of time." This permission to be imperfect while still striving for growth feels revolutionary in our perfection-obsessed culture. The conversation dives deep into each Yama, starting with Ahimsa (non-violence)—not just toward others but toward ourselves. "The warfare inside our own minds is atrocious," Stephanie observes, highlighting how our self-talk impacts everyone around us. Through exploring Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (energy conservation), and Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), we discover how these ancient principles apply profoundly to modern challenges. Most powerfully, the episode reveals how practicing these principles creates freedom from within. When we're truthful with ourselves, generous with our energy, and unattached to outcomes, we naturally show up as our authentic selves. As Stephanie shares, "It un-muddies the water, clears the fogged glass, and allows us to see things more clearly." Whether you're seeking personal growth, better relationships, or simply a way to navigate life with more grace, this conversation offers practical wisdom for bringing these timeless teachings into your daily experience. Ready to find your way back home to yourself?

My Experience of Pregnancy w/Lauren and Hannah

I am pregnant!! On this episode I bring on my bff Hannah to talk about my pregnancy experience so far.  As I'm posting this, I'm 37 weeks pregnant, so I believe this will be a good place to pause the podcast for a bit as I transform and embark on this new journey of motherhood.  In this episode we chat about my experience, my mindset, my beliefs, what I've learned, *how I've been feeeeeling*, and more! I hope you enjoy this episode and some of our perspectives.  Follow your path and trust yourself - there's no single right way to approach pregnancy and birth. The most important thing is connecting with what feels true for you. <333