In this special episode, join Alyssa as she introduces her husband and new Co-host, Brad, as they unveil their new spin-off show, A Self Care Summer of Love, as a part of Alyssa's first ever Patreon membership for the Self Care Spotlight podcast! So what are the perks of this membership, how exactly is Brad going to be involved, what juiciness are they going to talk about, and why did he push Alyssa to do this membership (even though she resisted it). + Alyssa will explain her vision for the very first group episode live reflection chat that gets YOU access to our amazing guests! Uncensored. Relatable. Fun. Yet Deeper.Join the SCS Patreon membership for $6/month for exclusive episodes & access to guests!https://www.patreon.com/selfcarespotlight

Self Care Spotlight

BONUS! A Summer of Love + Patreon with Alyssa and Brad

For the final installment of Season 5’s theme, relationships as self care, we’re talking adult friendships with The Joy List founder and author of Unlonely Planet, Jillian Richardson. During a global pandemic where seeing your friends isn’t an option, this conversation felt ironic and yet timely. Jillian told Alyssa she doesn’t really see herself as a friendship expert, but more like a communication expert, but isn’t that what we’re really talking about with mature friendships? From how friendship is like dating to how to communicate hurt feelings, Jillian provides beautiful, tangible communication techniques and wisdom. Because in a world where loneliness is just as detrimental as smoking (Jillian' drops stats), having these kinds of conversations is imperative to us finding conscious friendships to have these kinds of conversations with. This was one of the most anticipated topics of this season, and it doesn’t disappoint! _______Want a $6 community Patreon to get live group episode reflection chats and bonus content from guests? VOTE in this 30 second survey! Show Notes including books and trainings mentioned: alyssakuzins.com/self-care-spotlight/the-joy-listHang out with Alyssa on IG @alyssakuzins 

Adult Friendships, Loneliness and Communication Like a Grown Up with Jillian Richardson

To some, embodiment, pleasure and sexuality might seem like frivolous topics during the global pandemic of Corona virus, but Alyssa and guest, Andrea, sacred sexuality and feminine embodiment coach, wholly disagree and share why. In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of a devoted self-pleasure practice (and how it evolves), tuning into when you’re ready to be entered (by yourself or another) and how to let your partner know, de-armouring the cervix, crystal wands and yoni eggs, and the voice-yoni connection. If any of this sounds new or even scary, rest assured that Andrea and I break it down in this sisterly conversation that will have you ready to embrace your feminine essence and pleasure in the most delicious way! Andrea even graces us with her Vocal Alchemy to seal all this juiciness! ------------Use code: FEMMEPGH10 for 10% off your crystal wand or yoni purchases at https://theempoweredwoman.ca/shop Let iTunes know SCS is awesome- leave a review Get free embodied movement practices on Alyssa's Instagram @alyssakuzins Show notes for this episode including Andrea's group program, The Vessel- click here

Female Sexuality and Embodiment as Medicine in the Time of Corona

What does it mean to be a “man?” Why should women care about understanding men’s sexuality? Sacred sexuality coach and healer Matthew Ayriss, offers up an analysis to the confusing situation modern men find themselves in. On one hand they’re raised to “man up” and on the other end, they reject this toxic masculinity at the expense of embodying healthy masculinity. He explains in depth how the lack of support in men’s sexuality work and emotional mastery impacts boys and therefore our relationship with men. And what about women being “too much” for men to handle? He zones in on how the Masculine can uniquely hold space for the Feminine’s dynamic range.Chalk full of tangible tips and real-life examples, this episode is bound to serve you, especially if you identify as a man or are in relationship with men Show notes at alyssakuzins.com/episode90 Be my listener spotlight of the month by leaving me a 5 star rating on iTunes to help spread this message far and wide! 

Masculine Sexuality, Redefining Masculinity, and Holding the Feminine with Matthew Ayriss

If I said the secret free diet, I wouldn’t be talking about food; I would be talking about a secret free love partnership. Season 5 is all about relationships as self care, so what about the ultimate committed relationship? Marriage. February’s guest is Ted Talk speaker and NYC’s top marriage + relationship coach, Laurie Gerber. I asked questions like, why are less young people getting married? How has marriage changed? Where does she see it going? Are people inherently good? Why do we lie? And how do you have the hard conversations, especially when they’re deal breakers? We have all lied and we have all been lied to. This is a fascinating episode about using radical honesty to have the most fulfilling love partnerships that align with your values, not expectations.----Show notes include:Laurie' Ted Talk "Secret Free Diet"Your $75 off coupon code + link to Inner U courseThe Art of Honesty pdf outline to having hard conversationsPlease head to thejournaldeck.com/episode89----Got 2 minutes? Share your biggest takeaway or why you love listening to the show, and I'll put you in the self care spotlight! Leave me a voicemail at 412-218-1229. xx 

Secret Free Love, Marriage & Evolution with Laurie Gerber

Season 5 is all about relationships as self care. The intention? To strengthen and understand our most important relationships, starting with you and your inner child. Because self care might have the word “self” in there, but we all know that how we interact with others, has everything to do with our own self worth, joy and what we bring with us from our childhoods. Whether you had a wonderful or not so wonderful upbringing, our childhoods shape our lives deeply and we all have hurts. Alyssa Mancao, a psychotherapist with a specialty in EMDR and the inner child, sat down with me to discuss the value in working with your inner child, destigmatizing therapy, the current trend of therapy, validating your unique childhood wounds, and she offers up a beautiful exercise to speak to your inner child. This episode had me thinking about my own upbringing, and it’s clear to me where I still have work to do to step fully into my power. It starts with you. Let’s journey back. ----------Drop some show love! Call my Google voicemail at 412-218-1229. I used the OG Journal Deck with Alyssa. Find it here. SHOWNOTES: thejournaldeck.com/episode-88 

Validating Your Inner Child & Going to Therapy with Alyssa Mancao

SEASON 4 FINALE-- Wrapping up a season of inner healing, for the first time ever, Alyssa brought on a friend. Not an expert, an author or a coach, Jennifer Watt is simply a real woman doing the work. If Alyssa could pinpoint one person in her life who has done the work to heal trauma and personal wounds, it would be her dear friend and retreat assistant, Jen. Having been in therapy since she was 18, Jen, now 33, felt honored to share her healing journey and openly shares about foster care, finding out she was adopted, being raped, body image, mother wounds and contemplating suicide (trigger warning). Keeping it raw yet light, the ladies share a laugh about what she really thought while attending her first retreat led by Alyssa. Now in a place where she feels more beautiful and alive than ever, Jen shares the healing tools that helped her get here, in the hopes that her story will reach someone who needs to hear it. You might cry or laugh as these two soul sisters have a real talk conversation about what it means to do the work on the path of healing through the femme. ------Show notes: thejournaldeck.com/episode87 Jen answered a prompt from the Goddess Edition Journal Deck- shop here. Alyssa referred to episode #35 Winter's Gift of Darkness & Holiday Blues- listen here.Leave a message for Alyssa about the show in our voicemail box by dialing 412-218-1229. Alyssa listens to them personally. Just know that your voice may pop up in an episode! 

Wounded to Radiant: A Femme Healing Journey with Jennifer Watt

Soft. Soften. Softening. You hear your yoga teacher use this language, and when you start talking about Feminine energetic qualities, you will undoubtedly start hearing about it too. But what is it? How do we get there in a hyper masculine culture that makes our soft edges feel rigid? And what about the notion of being soft AND fierce? Admittedly, it can feel quite esoteric, and after a client jokingly said to her, "Wtf is soft?" Alyssa realized that so many of us are struggling with this concept of soft that feels unreachable and unsustainable. Alyssa breaks down her interpretation of soft from the lens of resistance and leaves you with a question you can ask yourself at any time to come into softening. She also offers up two hands-on suggestions and concludes with softness in the context of romantic relationships.___________SHOWNOTES: thejournaldeck.com/episode86 DEALS: The Journal Deck Black Friday Sale coming soon! Be sure to follow us @thejournaldeck or join our mailing list HERE so you don't miss out on our BIGGEST sale of the year- Woo! YOUR VOICE MATTERS: Did this help you think of soft in a different way? Share your favorite thought from an episode, leave a question, or some love by dialing 412-218-1229 to reach our Google voicemail box. Alyssa listens to them personally. 

WTF is Softening?

What is it about some people that makes them feel magnetic? Why do some people comes across as so alive, while others are struggling to get by and constantly exhausted? According to meditation and mind expert, Rajshree Patel, it’s about Vital Force, i.e. life force energy. This book has changed the game for me; it has impacted how I go about my self care practices and how I teach. It all comes down to Energy Intelligence. We’ll talk about Rajshree’s former life as an LA prosecutor to how she is now one of the founding teachers of the world-renowned Art of Living Retreat Centers. Today’s topics include: what is Vital Force and how to cultivate it, Shiva and Shakti, Big Mind vs. head space, why mindfulness meditation may not be for you, the art of no focus attention, and conscious journaling. She even offers up her favorite breath work exercise and has a free bonus course offering to walk you through the book’s teachings on a deeper level. And guess what? You can now give me a call with the Self Care Spotlight Google Voice Line!! Tell me your favorite thought, leave a questions, or comments by dialing 412-218-1229 to reach our voicemail box._________Show notes including The Power of Vital Force book and free book bonus course at:thejournaldeck.com/episode85 -bonus course only available through October 1, 2019OCTOBER SPONSOR: The Ultimate CuffUse code ALYSSA20 to get 20% off your gorgeous cuffs to take your Apple Watch to the next level and support this podcast. Now you can track your workouts and look stylish. No more ugly, dirty rubber bands. I have the Honey in rose gold and the Mia in silver.Owned by a Pittsburgh-based mama. I’m obsessed. Thank you, Ultimate Cuff!

The Power of Vital Force Energy with Rajshree Patel

Welcome to the Fall 2019 season! This season, we're focusing on healing, and we begin with trauma. That might seem like a heavy topic for starting a season, but just like the leaves, fall is a season to let go. We face the dark to go towards the light. And speaking of trauma, we have all experienced it. Trauma is defined by something feeling unexpected, unprepared, and felt out of your control. But despite the fact that many of us deal with trauma and live in chronic low level stress in our daily lives, we're often not taught how to process it in a healthy manner or we feel shame or guilt for needing time to heal. In today's episode, I'm joined by Reita Johnston to talk about Somatic Experiencing and looking to the body for cues to healing. Just like animals, we have built in systems to heal from traumatic experiences, we have just forgotten how. ---------Get your FREE Journaling Starter Package!- 5 OG Journal Deck prompt worksheets- Self Care Calendarthejournaldeck.com/starter-packageCall Me!! Leave me some love, questions, or comments by dialing 412-218-1229 to reach the Self Care Spotlight voicemail box. I can't wait to hear about your favorite moments!Shownotes:thejournaldeck.com/episode84 

Somatic Experiencing and Healing Trauma with Reita Johnston

Have you ever felt like you were too much? Have you every felt scared to put the real you out there and be seen? Have you ever felt shameful about your self expression, your sensuality or worried about looking egotistical? Are you afraid of changing because of what others may think or say? This is wounded Feminine energy. She often lives underneath wounded Masculine energy. We all have both energies inside of us and yet we struggle to embrace our wholeness because we often feel fear, shame, and guilt around releasing our femininity and sensuality: i.e. being seen. Alyssa shares her personal journey into how we can move through this process. She also announces her new member-based intuitive movement workshops- FEMME PGH! --------------FEMME Invocation Mp3 + want the juicy scoop on FEMME PGH? Enter your email.alyssakuzins.com/femme Early bird launches the week of August 11th for 1 week only. I'm calling in 14 women to be SEEN. 

Wounded Feminine: Being Seen and Giving Yourself Permission

Bonjour! Summer is the season of vacations, and even if you love what you do, we all need space. Every now and again you need a vacation to step back into your center, have ZERO to-do lists (not even a self care agenda) and reset. I went to France with my husband on a delayed honeymoon/1 year anniversary from June 15-25, 2019, and I didn’t open my computer once in 2 weeks! It was lovely. In this episode, I share on how we almost didn't go (it’s a CRAZY story), my thoughts on self care while vacationing, social media anxiety, universal signs, and remembering that everything is figureoutable (thanks Marie Forleo). This trip was everything I needed, and it reminded me that sometimes we have to fight for our joy, but boy is it worth it! I'll wrap up the episode with trip highlights and try to answer the one question everyone keeps asking, which place did I like more? ------------------TRIP ITINERARY + OUR AIRBNBS + TRAVEL TIPS:thejournaldeck.com/episode82Want to meet me in Atlanta, GA?Free Journaling Benefits Talk- DETAILSJournaling + Feminine Energy Workshop- DETAILSLoved this episode? There are 750,000 podcasts, so I appreciate you listening to mine! Would you mind taking 5 minutes to write me a review on iTunes? 

Provence to Paris: Fighting for Your Joy and Healing

Why does dancing feel so cathartic, how is it a spiritual practice, how does dance or a dance class differ from the experience of yoga, how can we get over the fear of being seen and owning our sensuality, femininity, and body, and why is this SO life-affirming not only for you, but for EVERYONE, especially right now? The right of a woman to have a say in what happens to her own body is being debated as we speak in the US, and India Dania, creator of the empowered embodiment dance class, The Strut Club, and I, were very much aware of that during this recording. I want you to FEEL this conversation so much that you do something with it. That maybe you make energetic moves in your life or you physically move your body without shame, guilt, embarrassment, or judgment. Whether that’s shaking it by yourself in your living room, in a dance class, or posting a video on Instagram. My woman crush India believes that you were born to dance and that movement really is soul medicine, so get to it. You’re so beautiful when you own it. And remember, your movement is a part of a bigger movement. -----------SHOW NOTES: thejournaldeck.com/episode81 Big thanks to this episode's sponsor, Phonetic Digital Eyewear! I've been loving my pair the Ryan, and you can protect the health of your eyes too with the code selfcare15 for 15% off your purchase! phoneticeyewear.com (use code: selfcare15 for 15% off) Want to meet me in Atlanta, GA?Free Journaling Benefits Talk- DETAILSJournaling + Feminine Energy Workshop- DETAILSMoved by this episode? Won't cha please write me a review on itunes?! 

Dance as Embodiment, Expression and Empowerment with The Strut Club

“Fearing rejection from others, we reject ourselves.” That’s the kind of wisdom you can expect in this episode with author of The Courage Habit and Director of the Courageous Living Coach Certification, Kate Swoboda, who has also been featured in MindBodyGreen and Forbes. Kate proclaimed that she was feeling feisty during this interview and her realness truly shines on issues like fear of rejection and how the life coaching/self help industry can be seen as not a real career or naive. This was a wise, deep conversation. I know you’ll feel fired up like I did and ready to shine your light and stand fiercely in your courage, despite the haters and despite your fears, which Kate has no interest in crushing. In fact, she wants you to mindfully move through your fears. Let’s dive in.SHOWNOTES:thejournaldeck.com/episode80Makeover launches Sunday, May 12! Stay up to date on Instagram @thejournaldeckCan you do me a favor?If you love this show, I'd be so grateful if you could leave me a Review and give us a 5 star rating on iTunes to reach more people like you!Click here, go to Ratings & Reviews, click Write a Review and Click to Rate. 

Unapologetic Courageous Living and Rejection with Kate Swoboda

Why don’t we talk about grief? Sadness? After losing our 3.5 year old goldendoodle, Luna, to kidney disease at the beginning of March 2019, my husband Brad and I felt ourselves in the clutches of grief, and I have come to believe that grief is a part of your self care toolkit when you’re hurting. Just as much as meditation or prayer or yoga, grief is a tool, a process that you have to allow space for, otherwise it will swallow you or become a ticking time bomb. In today’s special episode, I invited Brad to come back on the show to talk about our individual grieving processes, share Luna’s story from how she brought us together all the way to her death, the universal signs, as well as what our deepest lessons have been through this heart-agonizing process. This episode is full of moments that will make you cry, but also remind you of the deep joy and privilege that is LIFE.______________________SHOWNOTES:thejournaldeck.com/episode79Healthy Paws Pet Insurance-Click HereCan you do me a favor?If you love this show, I'd be so grateful if you could leave me a Review and give us a 5 star rating on iTunes to reach more people like you!Click here, go to Ratings & Reviews, click Write a Review and Click to Rate. 

Luna’s Lessons: Grief, Joy, Purpose and the Gift of Life with Alyssa and Brad

Self Care might be a trendy word, but it’s so much more than a Sunday. It’s a lifestyle that can change your life, and in a world where we are more stressed than ever, we have to go deeper than occasional bubble baths and massages. Feel better, do better. This podcast is about getting to the heart of living your most aligned life against the backdrop of every day life. Energy Management. Healing. Radiance Expansion. Self Care Elevated. Through my solo episodes and interviews with inspiring women, who are just as likely to meditate as they are to curse, the goal of this podcast is to empower you to unapologetically take up space and make space. And remember, self care can change the world, by changing yours first! Are you ready? This podcast was birthed out of The Journal Deck, a product and brand rooted in self care and living your Truth, and is hosted by the creator, Alyssa Kuzins. Lighthearted yet deep. Mystical yet practical. Simple yet luxurious. Connect with Alyssa on Instagram @thejournaldeck or learn more at thejournaldeck.com.

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Self Care Spotlight

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