We each have maybe a handful of teachers in our lives that fundamentally shift the way we see or experience— Michelle Cassandra Johnson has been one of those teachers for me.Michelle is a true embodiment of grace, fire, compassion, and grit, and is a radiant example of how to to show up with skillfulness and heart in a dysfunctional world.Her new book Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was released just this week, and I am so excited to dive into and savor it starting next weekend when I’ve carved out some special time and space to do so.I hope you enjoy this conversation with Michelle, and that if you arent’ already familiar with her books and other offerings, that this will be the first of many times you get to experience her gifts.“Our culture conditions us to notice what is going on from the head up and not from the throat and heart down. The only way out is through, by way of the feelings. If we are going to make social change, we need to cultivate a practice of feeling... When one connects with their feelings as yoga teaches us to do, one can connect with their heart. If one is connected with their heart, they have the opportunity to be changed and to shift their perspective. They have the opportunity to feel the pain of living in a world that is designed to break the spirit through violence, oppression, and injustice.”— Michelle Johnson (from Skill in Action)About Michelle Cassandra Johnson (she/her)Michelle is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings for over two decades and has a background and two decades of practice as a clinical social worker. Michelle’s work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017 and her newest book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021.Michelle teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide and is on the faculty of Off the Mat, Into the World. In 2020 she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge.Links + Additional Resources:View these show notes on our website at https://gaiacenter.co/blog/bodyful-06Follow Michelle on Instagram @skillinactionFinding Refuge book and 40-day sadhana (sliding scale pricing)Finding Refuge podcastSkill in Action bookMichelle’s upcoming eventsMichelle’s race equity training

What's the F***ing Point?

Michelle Cassandra Johnson on Finding Refuge and Prioritizing Collective Care

Occasionally you meet someone who makes you feel good just by being in their presence, no matter what you’re doing or talking about. Sarah Jane Chapman is one of those people.She is (in my words) a modern-day witch who lives in alignment with the earth as an extension of herself, and has worked hard to heal her relationship with her body after years of slogging through diet culture and eating disorder recovery.Sarah Jane is a mama, a massage therapist, and a yoga teacher who teaches the kind of classes I actually want to take (which, TBH is rare ?). And does a lot of other cool shit, which you can hear about in our conversation or read in her bio below or at her website. I hope you enjoy this conversation!“Yoga therapy is an individualized practice created to work with someone’s specific system. I typically see clients once or twice a month to check on their practice and tweak it if necessary. If practiced regularly, I can see changes in my clients’ systems. It’s truly magic.”— Sarah Jane Chapmanwww.sarahjanechapman.comInstagram: @sarahjanechapFor full bios and links to resources mentioned in the episode, visit the full show notes at http://gaiacenter.co/blog/bodyful-05.

Sarah Jane Chapman on Yoga Therapy & Body Liberation

Note: While this particular episode might be more intriguing for clinicians or folks in recovery from an eating disorder, I also believe there are nuggets in this conversation that will be intriguing to any listener with an interest in the body and psychology.You might think that working with the body would be a central component of eating disorder recovery.And from a standpoint of medical safety and nutrition, that has always been the case. But as far as working with the body as part of the actual biopsychological healing process? Not so much.The field of trauma recovery has come a long way in the past 2 decades, with a great deal of research showing us that we MUST go to the body (rather than exclusively relying on traditional talk therapy) if we want to help people heal more fully from trauma. Rachel Lewis and Paula Scatoloni have been on the leading edge of applying the learnings about the neurobiology of trauma and attachment to working with eating disorders, which almost always overlap with trauma and/or attachment issues, and historically have been viewed as one of the most challenging mental health issues to work with and recover from.Both coming from strong and varied backgrounds in somatics and psychology, Paula and Rachel co-developed the Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders model of assessing and treating eating disorders. I had the privilege of taking the level 1 Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders in North Carolina in 2017, and I am looking forward to taking the level 2 training in 2022.In this converastion, we talk more about what has historically been missing from eating disorder treatment, and explore some of the foundations underlying the ERED model. Embodied Recovery Institute: https://www.embodiedrecovery.org/For full bios and links to resources mentioned in the episode, visit the full show notes at http://gaiacenter.co/blog/bodyful-04

Rachel Lewis & Paula Scatoloni on Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders

Tiya Caniel Maynard is one of those people who you learn more from just by being around than by sitting in a lecture with your average university professor.You FEEL the truth (bless that neuroception, thank you body!) and importance of what Tiya says because you know she’s earned her wisdom through the crucible of life experience, and continues to embody that truth and walk her talk just with how she consciously chooses to show up in the world.I am gonna have to follow up with Tiya on the whole Ennegram question because, while I’m not trying to type someone else, she is bringing some BIG 7 energy to the world (very noticed and appreciated by this 7 ?) and doing ALL THE AMAZING THINGS. Be sure to check out her bio and links to many wonderful offerings below. About TiyaTiya Caniel Maynard is an interspace tailor, yoga teacher, author, designer, and more. She helps her clients and students learn how to adorn themselves from within by teaching them sustainable tools to facilitate their own healing. Shew loves adorning herself in beautiful garments, creating sacred living & work spaces, cooking & eating delicious foods, practicing rest as rebellion, writing, spending time in the woods, embodying liberation, exploring her sexual freedom as it relates to yoga and being a black woman, and giving & receiving love.Follow Tiya on IG @tiyacaniel & check out her current happenings HERE!For all links & additional resources, visit the full show notes at  http://gaiacenter.co/blog/bodyful-03

Tiya Caniel Maynard on Innerspace Adornment & Liberation Through Sexuality

I could start with listing Deirdre Fay’s accomplishments (which, believe me, are MANY)— but that would miss the most impactful element of my interaction with her.Deirdre is that magical and rare combination of kind, warm, smart, and powerful as hell. She’s the one with decades of experience working alongside some of the top leaders in mental health and yoga (uh, she is one of them), but when I was talking with her, she made ME feel important.Damn, y’all.Since having this converastion a couple weeks ago, her phrase “unshakeable core” has come up in many of my client sessions, and I know it (among others) will be a concept I return to again and again with my clients and with myself. About Deirdre FayDeirdre Fay, MSW has decades of experience exploring the intersection of trauma, attachment, yoga and meditation, and teaches “a radically positive approach to healing trauma.” Deirdre founded the Becoming Safely Embodied skills, the basis for the book Becoming Safely Embodied, a manual of the same name, and is the author of Attachment-Based Yoga & Meditation for Trauma Recovery and co-author of Attachment Disturbances for Adults, as well as the co-author of chapters in Neurobiological Treatments of Traumatic Dissociation.For links & additional resources, visit the full show notes at  http://gaiacenter.co/blog/bodyful-02

Deirdre Fay on Becoming Safely Embodied

Bodyful is my 5th podcast to produce, and I’ve never been this excited or proud to share anything I’ve created.Already, just with this first interview and the future guests I have lined up so far, I know this is going to be something really special.When I was recently scouring through Amazon’s catalog of somatic psychotherapy books, I came across a recent release called Whole-Body Sex and was immediately intrigued. Even just reading the book’s description, I knew I had to speak with author (and Colorado-based therapist) Melissa Walker for this podcast.In this lively, deep conversation, Melissa shares with us about the model she created (Somatic Concentric Sex Therapy), the importance of expanding our definition of erotic, and what it looks like to approach embodiment work from an inclusive, liberation-oriented perspective.About Melissa WalkerMelissa is a somatic sex and relationtionship therapist, author, educator, and author of Whole-Body Sex: Somatic Sex Therapy and the Lost Language of the Erotic Body. She offers somatic counseling for individuals, couples, and conscious nonmonogamous relationships, as well as online workshops for those wanting to refine skills of relational and erotic embodiment. Melissa facilitates integrous learning experiences about bodyful eroticism and intimacy as a source of increased vitality, inspiring relationships, and healing of the whole self. Fundamentally, these offerings support allyship with sexuality as a transformative force within us all. Links  + Additional Resources:View +stream  this episode & show notes on The Gaia Center's websiteWhole-Body Sex on Routledge Publishing and AmazonEmbodied Relationships Center - Melissa's private practice in Westminster, CODr. Christine Caldwell’s book BodyfulnessAmber Karnes' Chair Yoga programAudre Lorde's essay "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power" (in both text and YouTube audio read by the author)

Melissa Walker on Whole-Body Sex & Reclaiming the Language of the Body

Note: I'm putting this new podcast on the same feed as my old one, "What's the F***ing Point?" — so it may take a minute for Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. to reflect the name change. And you'll stll be able to access those episodes of WtFP... there's some fun stuff in there!  ?I’m excited to tell you about Bodyful, a podcast that explores  the wonder and complexities of living in this human form, and how we can engage in an ongoing practice of bodyfulness to become more fully at-home in ourselves and in the interconnected web of Gaia, the living earth.I’m your host, Valerie Martin, founder of the Gaia Center for Embodied Healing, and this podcast will feature both solo episodes from me, and interviews with a variety of leaders and healers in the field of body psychotherapy and other facets of the bodily experience. We’ll share practices you can do along with us, and we’ll dig into the concepts of embodiment and  bodyfulness, a term originally coined by researcher, clinician, and professor Christine Caldwell.Dr. Caldwell has helped me to deepen both my understanding and experience of what it means to be an embodied AND bodyful human, and I’m grateful to her for inspiring the name of this podcast.We hear all the time about the importance of being mindful— and it’s time to invite our bodies to the party. Welcome to Bodyful.------------------The Gaia Center: www.gaiacenter.co / @thegaiacenterWhat I'm Up To: www.valeriekmartin.com/now / @valkaymartin 

Introducing Bodyful

I had the honor and joy to sit down (virtually, as it goes nowadays) with 2 incredible women who are leaders of a community that means a lot to me, and who I am lucky to call friends.I love hearing the way Ashley and Elizabeth talk about the birth of TRILUNA— a shared vision that they were each working on their own to build, and upon discovering that, decided to join forces and MAKE SHIT HAPPEN.And they have done just that over the past ~2 years. TRILUNA has a variety of wellness-related offerings, from corporate programs to community events and personal retreats. But more important than any of the "what" they offer is the "HOW," because they're building all of this with a hell of a lot of integrity, in an industry where it's increasingly hard to come by (at least in dominant culture).Co-founded by a Black woman and a white woman, TRILUNA also stands for true diversity, inclusion, and equity— in PRACTICE and not just in hashtags and optics. In this episode, we broke down a painful recent incident that highlighted— even in this post-George-Floyd, supposedly more "woke" time— we still have a LONG freaking way to go in dismantling racism and white supremacy culture.This episode is full of heart, and I know you'll hear what I find so special about Elizabeth, Ashley, and what they are up to with TRILUNA.For full bios and a kickass list of some of their current fave books, documentaries, etc., check out the full show notes here. About TRILUNATRILUNA is a 100% female-owned company based in Nashville, TN on a mission to make wellness accessible and enjoyable. For everyone. They specialize in getting back to the basics so their classes are designed to cater to all levels of experience and fitness. Their goal is to increase access to sustainable wellness, build supportive communities, and create everyday magic.TRILUNA on Instagram

WtFP: Community, Wellness & Racism with TRILUNA's Ashley Brooke James & Elizabeth Moore

As I told them in the interview, if there were some kind of award for a wellness power couple (I'm sure some magazine is working on it), I would sure as hell nominate Brooklynites acupuncturist Dr. Sarah Biffen and hypnotherapist Daniel Ryan.Not only are they both accomplished AF, but they're also genuinely very kind and cool people— none of the cringey egotism or false humility you often see with folks at the top of their field, but just grounded expertise and open curiosity.In this conversation, we go everywhere from exploring how we are making meaning (and not) out of COVID-19, my burning questions about past lives/past life regression therapy, how the hypnosis community reacted to Jordan Peele's Get Out, what acupuncture needles actually do and why you don't need to be afraid of them (I commit to actually trying it after this pandemic mess is over!), and so much more.For a little about Sarah and Dan, see abbreviated bio's below— more info on them, and links to stuff we mention in the episode, is available at the show notes for this episode here. Oh, and if you listen to this episode the week it airs, here's some important time-sensitive event info that Sarah mentions at the end of the episode! Make sure to check out her upcoming 4-week virtual workshop series, "Go the F*ck to Sleep," co-hosted with yoga teacher Annie Wild. It runs Thursday evenings (8-9pm ET) starting THIS Thursday 5/28— and you better believe I will be there... the quarantine sleep struggle has been toooo real over here. Learn more here & sign-up here!About Sarah Biffen, LAc, DACMSarah Biffen is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Board Certified Herbalist, Reiki Practitioner, and Holistic Health Coach. At her private practice in New York City, she utilizes Acupuncture, Herbal Formularies, Nutritional Guidance, Lifestyle Therapies, Energywork and Bodywork to restore balance and promote optimal health.Sarah on Instagram: @dr.sarahbiffenAbout Daniel Ryan, CRTDaniel maintains full-time private practice as Co-director at The Center for Integrative Hypnosis in New York City. With offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn, he offers hypnotherapy, regression therapy, mindfulness, and meditation to individuals, groups, and businesses. He is also co-host of the new podcast Mind Space Minimal.

WtFP: Sarah Biffen & Daniel Ryan on Whole-Person Healing and Wellness Realness

Also, don't forget to subscribe to my new podcast, {re:}charge, where I share mini-muffin-sized episodes (4-7 min) every weekday morning to help you get aligned and inspired for the day ahead!About Megan SlatteryMegan found Reiki energy healing while teaching a classroom of thirty preschoolers at a Montessori school. Reiki quickly taught her about how to manage her own sensitive energy in order to survive and thrive in any circumstance, including a chaotic classroom! Megan now helps other sensitive helpers and healers to understand and manage their own energy with Reiki and Shamanic healing so that they can embrace their empathic powers and create emotional freedom. Megan also runs Tender Heart Tools that helps you send grief and healing care packages that are perfect for the empath or loved one in your life who is going through a hard moment and needs some heartfelt support.Head over here for full show notes including links to resources mentioned in the episode.

Reiki Healer Megan Slattery on the Dark & Light Sides of Energy

 The "trailer" / more info on the new show— and what's happening with WtFP— is available in the {re}:charge podcast feed here and wherever you listen!A new episode of {re:}charge will be released every weekday morning, and are short enough to listen to while you're in the shower, making your breakfast, getting ready for the day... or wherever you want to take me along with you!If you want to get future episodes of the new pod, they WON'T show up in this feed, so be sure to subscribe to {re:charge} wherever you listen to podcasts!And best of all, this is not a podcast about cramming more information into your already-information-overloaded brain. It's JUST about getting aligned and motivated for your day.I'm excited to share this new journey with you!~valerieConnect with me:Instagram: @valkaymartinWebsites: www.valeriekmartin.com/howdy                        www.gaiacenter.co 

Introducing my new quickie morning podcast, {re:}charge

Will be adding show notes very soon to some links mentioned in this episode - meanwhile, find all past show notes and what I'm up to at www.valeriekmartin.com and connect with me on the  gram @valkaymartin! 

Checking In + Update on the Pod

Though I've only spent a few hours with Sara Schuster so far, I know it's just the beginning of what's sure to be a meaningful friendship.I first came across Sara last fall at the 2019 Folk Magic Fest in Nashville, and when I looked her up on Instagram afterwards and saw that part of her bio read "vegan plant witch," I was like "I need to know this woman."I reached out to her in December with the dual request of bringing her on the podcast AND being my gardening doula (I need help, y'all), she was as excited as I was. In this conversation, we weave between fun and challenging topics, and if you're interested in gardening, herbalism, intuition, tarot, veganism, animal rights, or body positivity, you'll love this episode!You'll hear how f-ing excited I am about Sara's newest offering, the Full Moon Fill-Up zine (on paper, mailed to you every month!)— and don't forget to check out her podcast, Tending Seeds, and her shop where you can buy her seasonal offerings (right now, her custom Elderberry syrup and a Winter Wellness tea... I just placed an order for both and am so excited to pick them up this week, but she will ship them to you wherever if you're not local!)Head over here for full show notes, including Sara's bio and links to stuff we mention in the episode!Also, if you loved this episode, listen to episode 11 with Rebecca Trinidad, episode 12 with Krystal of Power Femme Tarot and episode 37 with Drew Hicks!

WtFP: Sara Schuster on the Magic of Plants

Despite how common symptoms of anxiety and depression are these days, there's a general lack of understanding about how to address them in a holistic (whole-person) way.About 1 in 5 American adults has an anxiety disorder (and that number appears to be climbing), and about 7% have experienced a depressive episode within the last year [1]— and that's just at the clinical threshold, meaning that many more folks have experienced subclinical symptoms of anxiety and depression that they may or may not be aware of or getting help with.Inspired by a celebration earlier this week for the opening of a new mental health group called The Collective here in Nashville, I decided to focus this solo episode on how I conceptualize anxiety and depression and the various facets we need to consider as we're working toward stability, healing, and wholeness.For full show notes including links mentioned in the episode and my Life Map template free download, head over here!

A Whole-Person Approach to Healing Depression & Anxiety

Whether you observe Thanksgiving or not, we can all use frequent reminders to zoom out and appreciate what we have... after all, it's a heck of a lot more peaceful to love what we have than it is to focus on/want what we don't have.After the intro portion of this episode (about 11 minutes in), I'm sharing with you a modified version of a wonderful exercise by Ann Marie Davis, one among many powerful exercises in The Work That Reconnects, which was originally created by deep ecologist and Buddhist scholar, Joanna Macy.In this episode, you'll learn about and experience first-hand the powerful concept of Deep Time. If possible, it would be ideal to listen to the exercise (11 minutes til the end) in a space/time where you can be still and quiet, perhaps in savasana or another resting pose, and not at a time where you're likely to fall asleep to my oh-so-soothing voice :P Head over here for full show notes including links to stuff mentioned in the episode.And as I hit this exciting landmark of my 50th episode, THANK YOU for listening!

WtFP: Harvesting the Gifts of the Ancestors

Ultimately, everything kind of boils down to one question: What's the f***ing point? Hosted by psychotherapist and yoga instructor Valerie Martin, this podcast features brief solo episodes as well as in-depth interviews with guests on a wide range of topics including psychology, spirituality, philosophy, social justice, and deep ecology. Valerie invites listeners to explore the intersection of their own personal/spiritual growth with broader societal and ecological issues, blending thoughtful discussion of important issues with meme-obsessed humor and levity.

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What's the F***ing Point?

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