LIfe and it's medicine

{CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EARTH} RIVER SPIRIT

THE SERIES 'CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EARTH' IS A COLLECTION OF ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN HUMANS AND THE WILD. THEY EMERGE FROM THE MINI COURSE 'HOW TO BECOME INVISIBLE IN A WORLD THAT DEMANDS TO SEE EVERYTHING' IN THE COURSE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SPECIAL NATURE ENCOUNTERS THROUGH ESSAY, PICTURES, POETRY OR OTHER EXPRESSIONS. THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY PUBLISHED HERE ON THE WEBSITE.


River spirit

Spirit of the river, clear and pure, flows with ease and beauty. No obstacles too difficult for her to overcome and she does so firmly but tender. Her gentle sounds are soft and soothing, whispering “let go”.

She welcomes me with joy and laughter, playfully caressing my naked body as I step into her cleansing, fresh waters.

Here I fell at home, a daughter of the river.

by Sigrid Fay


Meeting Mortality with Sarah Kerr

When it's over, I don't want to wonderif I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,or full of argument. I don't want to end up simply having visited this world

Mary Oliver
When Death Comes


This conversation felt very personal in the emotional waves of loosing my mother in law. Sarah’s way of bringing compassion and clarity to the process of dying is beautiful and important.

My partner and I had a long talk about it after I had ended the interview. This is the power of bringing openness to these difficult themes - we don’t have to sit alone with our grief, fears, missing. Death is so foundational to life. And still so abstract. I hope you listen with some care and space around what it brings up for you. We need these conversations.

 
 

About Sarah Kerr, PhD

Sarah has been a death doula and ritual healing practitioner since 2012.  Her work helps dying people and their families connect with each other, and with the innate wisdom of the dying process. 

Sarah’s approach draws on nature-­based spirituality, sacred sciences, and the richness of the human soul. She designs and facilitates ceremonies that help her clients to integrate experiences of death, loss, and transformation. These rituals honour the spiritual significance of what’s happening, and bring healing to the living, the dying, and the dead.

 

As a founder of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare, Sarah is a teacher and mentor to death doulas and others who are called to offer spiritual support at end-of-life.  Sarah’s teachings validate her students’ intuitive knowing about death and dead people, and guide them to meet mortality in ways that are more healing, more whole, and more holy.

 

Find more of Sarah’s work here:

www.sacreddeathcare.com

https://www.instagram.com/sacred.deathcare

https://www.facebook.com/sacred.deathcare

https://www.tiktok.com/@sacred.deathcare

 

Holistic Survival with Luke McLaughlin ☾ 9

I was so excited to interview Luke, and now get to share it with you. The way he shares his knowledge and skills is super inspiring. His love for this Earth poors through the screen.

His mission is close to mine and I feel honored to ham him on the show. The work speaks to our cells and hands more than the modern ways of comfort. But it is a language more and more are beginning to speak and learn.

Listen in on our down to Earth talk about earth based skills, survival in a modern World and what it means to live close to the nature of being human.

Also get is fire starting record… you may want to take the challenge. ;)

About Luke:

Luke McLaughln is a naturalist, teacher, rewilder, mentor, survivalist, and founder of Holistic Survival School. Luke has committed his life to mastering and teaching ancestral and indigenous living skills in order to help people find their balance and connection to the Natural World.  Luke learned his skills working at a primitive wilderness therapy program in the West Desert of Utah.  With over 500 days on the trail, Luke has mentored hundreds of people in the wilderness and learned how Earth skills teach us vital life lessons. Furthermore, Luke has witnessed first hand how nature connection helps bring about growth, health, and vitality to everyone’s life.

Luke combines humor, knowledge, and patience to create an easy-going, yet informative experience. He is dedicated to meeting people where they are at, with love and compassion in order to help foster a new (actually old) way of being human. 

Go follow Luke and his work here:

Instagram - it is a treat

His site <3

And youtube channel

Move Like Water with Easkey Britton ☾ 5

Today’s guest is Easkey Britton. A scientist, academic and social activist, with a PhD in Environment and Society, Easkey is always one to look in places others aren’t for the answers to difficult questions. Her curiosity and passion for fairness and gender equality are the qualities that others to her.

She currently works as a research scientist at the National University of Ireland, Galway, where she explores the use of blue and green space to restore health and wellbeing. Most recently she joined the EU-funded SOPHIE project on Oceans and Human Health and her work will focus on ensuring everyone has a voice in setting the direction of oceans and human health research, identifying key people who should be involved in the stakeholder discussions.

credit ANDREW KAINEDER / @kaineder

A life-long surfer, Easkey’s parents taught her to surf when she was four years old and she channels her passion for surfing and the sea into social change. Her work is deeply influenced by the ocean and the lessons learned pioneering women’s big-wave surfing in Ireland and introducing the sport of surfing with women in Iran.

Passionate about facilitating creative & collaborative processes, Easkey founded Like Water, a platform to explore innovative ways to reconnect with who we are, our environment and each other, through water.

Easkey is a one off, wild hearted and free spirit. She’s ridden some of the biggest waves in Ireland; no audience, no blue skies, no golden sands, just her and a crew she trusts. Doing something she loves; chasing cold water mountains.

Watch a recent film Easkey made about her connection to the sea and its cycles below.

A Lunar Cycle: https://vimeo.com/288338638


Links mentioned in this episode:

http://easkeybritton.com

http://likewater.blue

https://movelikewater.splashthat.com

She is one to listen to if you are interested in how we can take action and re-connect to nature. How we can heal the overwhelm and fear and begin to create the change we desire.

Come Spring and Self-Sufficient Success. (Copy)

Last year I tried this thing on going *big* with the blogging. I think I took a dive into it with an off-start point, as I don’t enjoy writing advice and how-tos. I like writing about life, not so much to inspire the masses, but as happens to many I know, things process in a different way through writing, talking and sharing. 

One of the reasons why I enjoy circle work so much, is because things process differently in a setting like that. Where we aren’t there to deliver, put up a show, or put on a mask; it’s a different way of relating to self and others. 

So sitting down here at the computer, I am relating to this in a new way. Many have asked why I don’t blog about life here in the forest. Or show what we do and choices we’ve made. It never really stuck with me … why would that be interesting? However over the past few months I have begun to feel a desire to share a bit more. Realizing, I guess, that we are doing a lot of cool things here. 

My beautiful sister has been my communications woman for a month and she also got the inspiration stirring. So here we go. Attempt number 14 to find a way of creating a blog presence that feels creative and interesting to write. 

Spring here has been a tease for a few weeks. Are you coming? Nope not yet. Patience, people of the north. And there has been a weird energy in the people around me, and myself included, of wanting to get things rolling, and still not feeling fully capable to gain momentum. I’ve felt a long take off ramp is ready and yet my body hasn’t been willing to unfold in the pace that I’ve set things up for. 

Sorting seeds and checking in with the ones I harvested and fermented last year. 

 

But this weekend it was as if it finally clicked into place and we put on warm clothes and fled into the garden. We got the seeds out, trying to plan what we would like to grow this year. And more importantly, where. 

 

 

One of the biggest lessons has been - PLAN - and be realistic in our ambitions. I once was told that after 5 years of getting this self-sufficient lifestyle going, you will have made enough mistakes to begin a route to success. It feels like we may need a little more…

I have a good feeling about this year and our harvest adventure. 

This is what our first real spring garden looks like - mud and more mud. We got most of the early veg ready and have it in a warm(er) space and hopefully we will begin to see little green heads popping out of there soon. 

 

We’ve had success with onions, potatoes, zucchini, strawberries, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, peppers, garlic, rocket and beans. So this is where we are starting. Hoping to add some cabbages, squash, pumpkin and leeks this year. Cross your fingers. :)

Our idea is that guests at the *Forest Retreat House* can enjoy going out and fetching greens for their dinner. I will write about this space soon. It's an adventure for sure!!! 

Love
Carina

Bleeding sustainably...

Most women are beginning to notice the rise in women owning their blood. Some find it over the top, gross, something that should continue to be private and toned down. 

Others, me included, find the power in knowing how my cycle influences me throughout the month. And more so how my way of living influences my cycle. It is our feedback system if we dare to listen. It tells a lot. And whether you feel like claiming it publicly or not, I can only recommend beginning to explore your cycle. 

This is not only the bleeding time, but the full cycle from pre ovulation all the way around to the days you bleed. 

Tuning into emotions, mood, physical sensation, energy. In this post I share a little more on tracking your cycle. Take a read…

For this post I wanted to bring attention to the less-waste approaches I’ve made when it comes to my cycle. 

It is very simple actually, I stopped buying pads, tampons (only used those when I was a teen) and have invested in 6 fabric pads and a luna cup. That is all I use. 

It is easy. I have a little wet bag for used pads. Wash them with towels etc. No smell or a bloody mess… haha. 

But the thing that brings me true joy is what it saves me money wise and Earth wise. 

 

The Numbers

Meet Jaluna Red ;) . She’s 50 and just had her last period. She had her first when she was 12. She has 2 children and with both kids her cycle began again 10 months after giving birth. 

The past 2 years her cycle has been a little irregular.  So taking all of this into calculation, she has had around 408 bleeds in her life time. 

Jaluna used to bleed 5 days on average and used 4-5 pads or tampons a day. (You can do your own calculation. I have 3 girls so I will experience fewer.) 

Jaluna has used a whopping 8160 pads/tampons in those years!! That’s a lot going down the drain or in the trash! 

She used a common brand, non organic etc. 1 pad cost her around 20cents.* So in her life time she spends roughly 1600USD on pads/tampons alone.

It’s a lot really. 

 

My calculation
So let’s say I have to buy three cups in my bleeding years. Each cup lasts around 10years = 17USD per cup.

And then 3x 6 cloth pads (those who can make them themselves can save even more) = 25USD for a 6pack.

All together it has cost me roughly 126USD with the zero waste version. 

 

A lot of math, but worth doing! 

So there are a few motivation pointers to look at when it comes to choosing what you use. And more and more are coming up: underwear was recently launched for example, so you don’t need any of the options above, sponges and more. 

Glancing at these numbers it gives me the sense of the scale of our choices. 

Little me may not make a big difference… we think. But let’s say that I get 4 friends to join me. We’ve already saved the world from 32640 pads/tampons. Each of those 4 inspires 4 more etc. and all of the sudden we are making an impact. 

Numbers will vary no doubt. Cost will vary no doubt. But the amount of trash we generate continues to rise. Where it goes. What it means to our Earth will also be discussed, for me my consumption and consumer habits is in my power and worth looking at 1 million *little me* actions is no longer insignificant! 

I hope that this post will inspire you to do your research and what is out there, and maybe find a way to bring the number down of what we throw away or flush out into our water. 

With Love
Cx

For inspiration on zero waste action in your business check out this post... 

 

*I ran it through Google and these are prices on average in Europe. See links below. It will vary from country to country. But the amount of pads being thrown away is the same, regardless of the price. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AFMJMPQ/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?pd_rd_i=B01AFMJMPQ&pd_rd_wg=pX95O&pd_rd_r=MQ44JXCKV8B8PQZHRFZ7&pd_rd_w=0Looe&th=1

 

https://menstrualcupreviews.net/go/MeLuna-Main

The Magic of Circle with Sora Surya No (Copy)

Sora Surya No is a transformative business coach, intuitive mentor, international retreat leader, inspirational speaker, fire igniter, heart whisperer, nomadic entrepreneur, world traveler, sister, friend, and lover of love.

Listen in here

She is also a dear friend and woman of great inspiration to me. She has shown me the true value of sisterhood and she guests the Podcast show today, to talk about sisters, circle and why that kind of support is so important. 

Sora brings women together online and in person all over the world. The groups she runs are so full of love and openness. Please check her out here:

Web www.sorasuryano.com/

Facebook www.facebook.com/RadiantWomensCircle

And my favorite Instagram https://instagram.com/sorasuryano/

What are you hungry for? with Rachel Cole (Copy)

What are you hungry for?

This interview moved me. The reflection of what I am hungry for still ripples during my day. You are going to love Rachel and her work is so important.

Rachel Cole is a certified life coach, celebrated retreat leader, and women’s empowerment expert. She has spent ten years guiding women to identify, understand and feed their truest hungers – at and away from the table. As an eating disorder survivor herself, Rachel speaks with great wisdom, sensitivity, and authority about what it takes to live as a well-fed woman in the modern world.

She has traveled across the United States and internationally speaking and teaching to sold-out gatherings of women on how they too can find ease and fulfillment in their lives simply by honoring their own hungers. Rachel holds a Masters Degree in Holistic Health Education and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Episode #21 with Nichole Kellerman (Copy)

get moving

Today we are getting moving with Nichole Kellerman Wurth. She just got back from Africa and guests us to share her wisdom about women's health, moving, and why it's important to look at diet and food in a different way.

Nichole wants to live in a world where women actually enjoy the process of losing weight + connecting with their bodies.

As a weight loss coach, she’s been featured on major websites like The Well Grounded Life, Your Great Life TV and The Greatist.

When she’s not fearlessly (but lovingly) pushing her clients into a lifestyle they dream of, you can find her laughing with friends, connecting with nature and loving up on her husband and two dogs.

Her business Wildly Alive Weight Loss is for women who want to stop dieting, re-frame their minds so they can reshape their bodies. Her teachings are like nothing you’ve ever heard.

Discover how you can lose weight by feeling #WildlyAlive at WildlyAliveWeightLoss.com.

Episode #20 with Kendra Kentor (Copy)

Kendrakentor

Listen in here

Kendra Kantor is a  Wellness Mentor and Guide for creative women who are looking to embrace their self discovery and improve their mental health wellness. She helps women take action toward becoming the person they want to be and living a life they have created to enjoy. Kendra wants to live in a world where mental and emotional wellness and self care is a top priority. And her big life goal is to travel in an RV full time with her husband and son.

She guests us for a chat about wellness in motherhood and how this can be a challenge. Kendra shares her vulnerable story - something many women can relate to but maybe don't talk about.

You can also find her here: 

Facebook

Website

Blog

Episode #15 with Ellen Nightingale (Copy)

ellennightin

Ellen and I share a favorite quote. I knew as soon as I saw here website that I had to interview this woman.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” 

~Maya Angelou

She works with moms to support communication skills and attachment skills. She works with moms who have children with special needs, and focuses on helping her clients find their voices and tell their stories.

Ellen Nightingale is a speech-language pathologist, coach, and writer. She currently leads workshops and retreats for moms to help them find their voices and tell their stories.

She stopped by to talk about speaking our truth, the importance of story and motherhood.

Check her out here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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Join me for this free tele class

Mindful Woman

I will share 3 tips to support you to begin and create a sustainable meditation practice in your life, without increasing stress in your life. If you can't join live, no worries, a recording will be sent within 24 hours, to everyone who signs up.

You can do this. You aren’t doing it wrong. We will look at how to simplify to create a sustainable path for you.

Sign up here

Email Address

First Name

Episode #14 with Sara Christensen (Copy)

sara2

We had such a fun interview. I laughed most of the time and Sara is a such a great woman.

This podcast is about health, the body, why it isn't about food and oh yeah - Granny underwear... :)

About Sara

As an accomplished CEO, acclaimed coach, dynamic speaker and insightful author, Sara Christensen brings enormous enthusiasm, insight and lots of laughter to her clients.

Sara has been a successful entrepreneur for the past 20 years. She currently presides over a online health and weight-loss coaching business. Her programs are delivered virtually and available to women all across the world.

Previously she founded a wireless tech company in 2000 and ran the company until 2010 when she sold it. At that point, the company was doing $10 million in sale/year and had 75 full-time employees. It was Sprint's largest business partner for 5-years running and had clients such as Best Buy, State Farm, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Qualcomm.

She also worked in business development for a dot-com during the first peak of the Internet. She was in corporate information technology and marketing management for 8 years prior to that, at a high-tech firm, large giftware company, business development firm, and a real estate company. At the same time that she was working these corporate jobs, she founded and ran a consulting company that specialized in the sports and beauty industries.

Sara earned her Bachelors of Science degree from St. Cloud State University. She is a Certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is certified through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She is also a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer.  

Check out her free resources here... 

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SOCIAL MEDIA

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https://www.facebook.com/SaraChristensenweightloss

https://twitter.com/saracxoxo

http://www.pinterest.com/saracxoxo/

http://instagram.com/sarachristensenxoxo

Going BARE with Michelle Fetsch - Episode #13 (Copy)

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Tune in to hear more about the BARE campaign and the importance of loving your body -exactly as it is.

Michelle Fetsch is the visionary behind the organization Women Enough whose BARE Campaign is empowering women of all shapes and sizes to expose their bodies and life stories with the world. Michelle has been coaching, mentoring, and advocating for women for nearly 15 years and is committed to supporting all women in being seen, heard and free.

Having spent years struggling with eating disorders, low self confidence and body image issues, Michelle founded Women Enough in 2010, a global support network committed to empowering women in realizing their personal and professional greatness. Women Enough believes a woman’s worth goes far beyond her beauty and is actively involved in spreading this message through media campaigns, events and local peer to peer support groups.

If you are interested in partnering with or getting involved with the BARE Campaign or Women Enough Michelle can be contacted at Michelle@WomenEnough.com.

Support the BARE Campaign and learn more by visiting www.WomenEnough.com or Facebook

Episode #12 - body love with Emily Brown (Copy)

emilybrown

Emily Brown is an Eating Psychology Coach and has made it her life work to completely revolutionize the way we think about health and our bodies. She recently completed her studies at The Institute for the Psychology of Eating and graduated from Nutrition Therapy Institute of Colorado in 2006.

She opened Blossom Yoga in Laramie, WY in 2008 and has been inspired through teaching and connecting ever since. She has a passion to empower others to live fully, speak confidently, and realize their self-worth. It is through yoga and understanding the true value of food that she began to feel freedom after years of over exercise, struggle with food, and hating her body. Emily believes totally that the experience of that freedom in others will begin to change the world!

Emily came by for chat about:

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 body love and why it's important

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 self-care

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 living in Wyoming... :)

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 healthy body image

Connect with Emily on her Facebook page and her website. 

Connect in Thursday: Friends (Copy)

Connect with friends

In times of stress, one of the first things I have neglected were my friends. The people that I didn’t have to feed or pick up somewhere. Not that I didn't miss them, I just couldn't find the energy to give anything.

But they are the connections that fill me up, give me that something extra and a good laugh. And I know from talking to them after hard times, that they never expected me to give a whole lot.

It can seem hard and overwhelming to to anything but the absolute necessary in times of stress. But those who truly love, support and care for us, are the ones that can give you what you need.

Connecting to your female friends is today’s focus.

[Tweet "This is a shout out to my friends. Thank you! È

Pick your phone, go to the computer or get your mail pigeon ready, and send a note of gratitude to a woman who is dear to you. Let them know how much they mean to you, why they are important, what you are grateful for in them.

Episode #8 with Karen Osburn (Copy)

Self-compassionate woman Karen Osborn

Do you shame yourself as a mom? Do you feel guilty about not being perfect?

Karen Osburn guests us today to talk about motherhood and embracing ourselves, our imperfections and vulnerability with more love.

Dr. Karen Osburn is a Chiropractor, Wife, and Adoptive Mommy of two young boys.

Her Chiropractic office, Synergy Family Wellness Centre in Alberta, Canada, owned with her husband, Dr. Ed Osburn has served wellness chiropractic care to the families in their community for 12 years.

But since becoming a Mom almost 4 years ago, Karen has really struggled with being a mom.  It was the hardest thing she had ever done, and she never felt like she was doing it right.  Karen found through blogging and in her conversations with patients and friends that other moms felt the same way, but yet thought it was just them.

So she decided to do something about it and created Mom at 41.

Mom at 41 is a Podcast, Website and Blog to provide support, inspiration and  a conversation to share struggles, the lessons learned from it, and to help Moms embrace their imperfections. Also check out her Facebook page here.

Connect In Thursday: B R E A T H E (Copy)

Self-compassion breathe

We are moves, doers and driven women. We want to do things right. Often with meditation or yoga that "doing it right" enters how our practice, it could be we feel the longer the better, sitting right, getting the poses 100% like our teacher. The sense of what works for us, can fade a little.

Longer can be good, but it isn’t the only way to be mindful, to connect in. During a busy day, serving others less can still be so much.

[Tweet "During a busy day serving others, connecting inward can do so much. Take 3 deep breaths. #mindful #connectinthursday #breath""]

Take 3 deep breathes. Bring more attention to the out-breath. Letting go of the air. This is an invitation to let be. Allowing for these 3 breaths, the thoughts, sounds, feelings, to dos take care of themselves. Connecting to where you are, the body, to right here rather than there (the future, the other person, the past, the to dos yet to come).

What happens during those 3 breaths?

Episode #7 Pleasure with Lesley Stedmon (Copy)

Self-compassion podcast woman

Do you miss pleasure in your life?

Today's show is a great and important one. Our guest today is bringing pleasure back, not as a luxury but as a part of everyday life. I love it.

Lesley Stedmon believes that pleasure is non-negotiable. She wants to live in a world where busy women take the time to make pleasure a priority. Merging her experience as a Registered Nurse and Certified Sexual Health Educator.

Lesley created a movement called The Sensual Sisterhood; a growing community of women who desire to experience the most sensual version of themselves.

Through 1:1 coaching, online workshops, client intensives and destination retreats, Lesley has consistently created a sacred and safe space for hundreds of women to reclaim their desire, embody their truth and own their strong, sacred, sensual selves.

You can find out more about Lesley and The Sensual Sisterhood at www.thesensualsisterhood.com

Episode #6 with Casey Erin Wood (Copy)

Casey erin wood

I was curious about what authentic brilliance is, and invited Casey on the show to tell her story and why she feels Authentic brilliance is something we all have.

Casey Erin Wood has a simple philosophy: the universe is speaking to us, we should listen.

As a writer, speaker and coach she has dedicated her life to helping women own what she calls their

Authentic Brilliance

, the quality of clarity and confidence that allows you to walk into a room and transform people through your sheer presence.  She believes we each possess this unique essence and that we are on this planet to share it.

One client shared, “I want more of what she's got - motivation, inspiration, excitement, brain waves, illumination and vision.", while another declared, “Casey is your go-to gal if you're looking to shine even brighter in the world."  And another simply said, “She brought me home”.

When she’s not empowering women to own their Authentic Brilliance you can find her nibbling dark chocolate, having dance parties with her daughter or rocking tree pose on her dock.

In this episode we talked about: 

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 why connection the body is important

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 how to access your authentic brilliance

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 what that means

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 how your surrounding and sisterhood support you

You can check out Casey’s new group program here, it’s all about deepening your connection with your intuition!

Episode #5 Inspirational Woman Bri Seeley (Copy)

Inspirational Woman Project

Bri Seeley is here with a strong message and an inspirational project that is going to touch the hearts of many women.

She is an entrepreneur for all things woman that is passionate about sharing her story, and the stories of other amazing women. Her training and passion as a fashion designer led her to create a fashion label dedicated to femininity and helping women connect with their true selves.

Bri has paved her path by surrounding herself with inspirational women, which revealed to her a disheartening trend that she is dedicated to change. She recognized how intensely women search outside of themselves for happiness and validation, losing touch with what makes them women and conforming to external pressures of how women should show up in the world.

This gap between how women define themselves and how society defines them has created an immense amount of discord and unhappiness. Thus the Inspirational Woman Project was born. 

In this podcast Bri and I talk about

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 her upcoming book and the journey that brought her to creating it

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 why women don't feel like an inspiration

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 how digging deeper into the theme of womanhood has changed her, and those who participated, life

The self-compassionate woman podcast

 why this is (still) an important topic to explore

Check out more about the project here and connect with Bri on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram