It Has to Be Me

Liam Le Kelle shares the power of sound healing to help us quieten our minds, and process our emotions and experiences without words.  Raised in the Australian bush by a strict father, and struggling with depression, Liam found freedom and joy in making music with everything in nature. Indigenous mentors nurtured his love for the songs of the land, prompting a lifelong practice and mastery with ancient and modern instruments.  Experiencing the profound impact of sound on his own emotional growth, Liam then studied healing modalities with spiritual teachers around the world.  His work has been shaped by listening—to the earth, to energy, to people—and noticing and feeling what’s drowning beneath the noise.  We discuss how changing our vibration and frequency releases stagnant energy, breaks thought patterns and behavioural cycles, and gives us greater clarity. Liam takes us through how sound and breath can help us meet discomfort and integrate trauma, not as wounds to reopen, but as wisdom that guides us to something new.  “Let sound, and what you can’t see, take you inward,” Liam says, to connect with self, and effect change outward.    TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Sound helps us come into the wisdom of our stories without the words. Our relationship with sound and music is shaped in childhood experiences. Staying in the same vibrational frequency perpetuates the same stories.  We often confuse comfort with safety, and dissociate from what we need to feel.  Sound healing can help release trauma, shed old beliefs, and welcome new energy.  Sound baths help us connect: cognitively, spiritually, and emotionally.  Indigenous cultures teach us to respect the vibrations and songs of nature.  A skilled sound practitioner improvises to serve the healing that is needed.  ABOUT LIAM LE KELLE Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and master of sound, Liam Le Kelle has decades of experience facilitating transformative healing journeys.  Trained in Tibetan sound therapy, traditional didgeridoo healing, tantric practices, vocal and breathwork techniques, Reiki, and other healing modalities, Liam integrates ancient wisdom with contemporary energy practices. Developed in study with indigenous elders, spiritual teachers, and musicians around the globe, Liam’s approach blends sound, music, breath, and energy work to guide people toward inner harmony, connection, and resilience. A close relationship with nature and sound helped Liam navigate inner turmoil, identity struggles, and depression. Through sound and energy sessions, he supports others in discovering joy and presence.  Using humor as a vital tool for healing, even in challenging moments, Liam helps people open their hearts with grace and authenticity. CONNECT WITH LIAM Website: https://www.sacredsound.global/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SacredSoundGlobal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredsound.global/ MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Struggling with the chaos of the world? Sound therapist and Reiki master Kelly Sullivan shares the power of Tibetan singing bowls to combat stress, promote relaxation, and support better physical and emotional health.  Kelly’s journey as a wellness practitioner began not out of clarity, but in anxiety. Studying graphic design, she felt unfulfilled and burnt out, craving a deeper connection and purpose.  Escaping the uncertainty, she spent a summer volunteering in Nepal, fell in love with the culture, and brought home a Tibetan bowl. The souvenir collected dust on her shelf. Then a Reiki practitioner introduced her to traditions of ancient sound healing. The ornamental became instrumental, and Kelly was hooked. She returned to Nepal to study, and became a Tibetan singing bowl therapist.  Kelly explains how Tibetan bowls differ from crystal bowls, and how she uses the bowls as diagnostic tools to determine which chakras in the body need to be aligned and balanced. She walks us through how listening to the bowls’ sounds and vibrations trains our brain waves to slow down. This gentle meditation opens creativity and intuition.  We discuss the differences between sound and music, and how our unique relationships with the bowls help us find our individual flow and tap into the rhythm of relaxation.  Slow down, Kelly says, create your own stillness, and listen. Allow sound to lead, so your energy can speak.   TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Sound therapy with Tibetan bowls can restore energy balance.  The Tibetan bowls work with seven notes that correspond to the seven chakras.   Each singing bowl makes a unique sound, resonating differently with each person.   The bowls’ harmonies promote relaxation and rejuvenation.  The vibrations of the bowls train our brain waves to slow down. Creating stillness through sound is a powerful form of meditation to access creativity.  In the slumber state, intuition and clarity of intention can rise to the surface.  Understanding your vibration and energy enables you to tune into the needs of others.  ABOUT KELLY SULLIVAN Kelly Sullivan is the director of Soli Wellness, a boutique studio dedicated to sound therapy, Reiki energy healing, meditation, and holistic wellbeing.  A Tibetan singing bowl therapist, sound healing practitioner, Reiki Master, and Yoga Nidra meditation teacher, Kelly harnesses the power of sound and energy to combat stress, calm the mind, regulate the nervous system, and restore inner harmony.  Kelly’s journey with holistic wellness began in 2010 on a trip to Nepal, where she experienced the healing power of Tibetan singing bowls. She returned to Kathmandu to study this ancient healing modality, and incorporated it into her Reiki sessions when she went back to Australia.  A member of the International Sound Therapy Association, Kelly enjoys expanding her knowledge and sharing the transformative benefits of sound. CONNECT WITH KELLY Website: soliwellness.com.au Instagram: instagram.com/soliwellness.studio Facebook: facebook.com/SoliWellnessStudio MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Is time your ally or enemy? I explore our relationship with time, and how our perspective dictates our behavior, ability to embrace change, and will to take action on what we want.  We get into beliefs around time, and how they’re shaped by family systems, internalized capitalism, societal expectations, ageism, fear, desire, and self esteem. We look at ways to cultivate a conscious understanding of time that feeds a better quality of life.  Diving into quality versus quantity, we unpack how obsessing about the “right time” limits our possibilities. A better approach: Slow down your experience of time, tune in, embrace imperfection, seize opportunities to practice and learn, and relish time spent resting, reflecting, integrating, and planning.   Drawing on wisdom from past guests, I reiterate the pitfalls of getting stuck in the past or projecting into the future. And how stories keep us engaged with the present to savor each moment and experience more joy.  It’s always the right time to decide: “It has to be me.”   TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Our relationship with time is linked to identity and self-worth. The “I’m not enough” story pulls us out of seeing what is available in real time.  Living in the past or projecting into the future robs us of clarity and joy in the present.  Spend time to assess information, investigate the source, and engage critical thinking. Time is a gift we give ourselves and others. Be discerning about how you spend it.  Allow time for self-care to bank more quality time in the future. “It’s not the right time” is a common excuse to indulge fear.  Nothing is a waste of time. There is value in every experience.   MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Somatic educator Elizabeth Jurgensen shares her interpretation of Native American moon teachings about patience and quality of life. Through the lens of her personal story, she walks us through the lessons we can glean from lunar cycles.   In midlife, a car accident left her navigating menopause with serious physical injuries. Confronted by her inability to work and further her career as an educator, she found wisdom in the Grandmother Moon teaching. This tradition prompted a reexamination of Elizabeth’s beliefs about success, productivity, and purpose, and illuminated the traps of internalized capitalism.   In our conversation, we explore the moon as a mirror for feminine growth—the quiet power of the dark phase, the discovery and discernment of waxing energy, the brilliance and weight of fullness, and the necessary softening, reflection, and integration of waning back to the new moon.  Elizabeth invites us to embrace the contentment, trust, and pace of the moon—the slow and steady filling and emptying that allows us to savor every phase of the journey. Follow the moon’s lead, she says. Welcome change, bask in the dark and light of the moment, and celebrate the possibilities that come with each state.  The moon reminds us that we are whole at every phase. We’re only seeing a sliver of the story. There’s more to come.  TESS’S TAKEAWAYS The moon gives us holistic perspectives on time and productivity.  Constantly moving and changing, the moon shows beauty in change.  The dark phase offers time to rest, ground, reflect, and recharge.  Waxing is an opportunity to check in and explore alternate possibilities. The moon moves steadily to full. Embrace the slow and rhythmic reveal.  The temporary intensity of fullness offers growth and then clarity.  Rather than crashing from a high, waning invites us to savor, integrate, and celebrate.  Wanting more is not to be exiled. It’s an energy that carries us. ABOUT ELIZABETH JURGENSEN With a thirst for learning and achieving, Elizabeth has had multiple careers applying herself to education, research, and disciplined practice.   Her post-college years were focused on the performing arts, as an actress and dancer. Moving to the corporate world, she got a business degree and worked in finance. Her next pivot was to work as a fitness instructor and wellness coach.   Discovering her love for academics, she went back to school, getting a Master’s degree in a new field and teaching college students.  Debilitating injuries from a car accident and ten years’ rehabilitation, made her work impossible, and brought Elizabeth to the next major phase of her life. She embraced somatics, exploring trauma healing, relational dynamics, and embodied awareness.  The values of slowing down and turning inward, and the gifts of deep presence and self-care became central to her philosophy. She pursues them as ends in themselves, not toward goal-oriented pursuits, nor in a commercial practice.    A certified somatic educator, Elizabeth integrates insights from ancient archetypes, women’s wisdom traditions, and the interplay of masculine and feminine energies. She shares what she knows in adaptive and informal ways to guide others.  MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Want a deeper emotional connection with your male partner? Embodiment coach Speed Weed shares his struggle with isolation, and how he guides other men to connect with their hearts and their vulnerabilities in more meaningful relationships.   He tracks his unexpected journey from being nicknamed Speed as an infant to aspiring actor to educator, to advance man for the Clintons in their White House years to screenwriter and producer of hit TV shows.  Life in the fast lane thrust him into mid-life lonely, unfulfilled, and looking to be a better man for his family and in his marriage. But without male role models he wanted to emulate, Speed didn’t know where to start.  An embodiment workshop where men modeled open-hearted masculinity and honest communication initiated the deep connection with others (and self) he had been missing. Determined to help other men develop the same intimate knowing that had shifted his perspective so profoundly, Speed embraced his new calling as a practitioner.  We discuss the power of mentorship, men’s circles, and embodiment and polarity practices to teach presence, open listening, and mindful sharing and boundaries. Speed then offers his takes on relationship dynamics, what really holds men back from identifying and expressing their emotions, and the key problem with traditional masculinity. This conversation isn’t about perfection or mastery. It’s about humility, devotion, service, and having the courage to slow down, speak less, and feel more. To be led as much as lead.   TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Men have to learn embodied masculinity from other men. Open-hearted vulnerability modeled by men offers a way out of emotional isolation.  Embodiment practices cultivate a deep sense of self and support intimate relationships. Polarity exercises lead to greater presence, understanding, and compassion.  Awareness of your nervous system’s capacity helps draw healthy boundaries.  Exploring the wrong road is often how you get on the right road. If you don’t have to explain, justify, or analyze your decision, it’s usually right. We speak and write and live to figure out what we know.   ABOUT SPEED Speed Weed is a leader of embodied polarity work for men who want more depth and connection in their lives.  For over 20 years, he worked as a writer and producer on TV shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NCIS: Los Angeles, Arrow, Haven, and The Summer I Turned Pretty.  He found his calling outside entertainment, in coaching other men in embodiment and toward generative, loving masculinity. Speed immersed himself in the healing arts.  Having graduated from teacher training in masculine embodiment with John Wineland and Kendra Cunov, Speed continues his study with other renowned teachers to build his knowledge and strengthen his practice.  Through coaching, men’s circles, and workshops, Speed guides men and women into the deeper wisdom of their hearts and bodies.   The nickname his parents gave him as a baby is misleading. Speed values the slow pace of presence and the deep clarity of sobriety.  CONNECT WITH SPEED Website: https://www.workingdeep.com/it-has-to-be-me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingdeep/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speed-weed-9017541a/ MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Struggling to cope with male abuses of power? Amir Khalighi, founder of Embodied Masculine™, shares how he works helping men connect with themselves, and identify and express their needs with genuine respect for feminine energy and for women.   Raised by a single mother, without a positive male role model, Amir fell into a spiral with drugs and alcohol. He recounts his journey from addiction to sobriety, and how meeting men at peace with themselves motivated him to embrace sovereignty, somatic wisdom, and sacred responsibility.  With the help of male elders, men’s groups, and embodiment practices, Amir healed his fractured sense of self. He began mentoring other men seeking direction and purpose.   Amir describes the void left by the absence of father figures and the responsibility that conscious men feel about toxic masculinity. He gets into how he helps men navigate grief and give expression to it, and understand their hunger for guidance, purpose, and validation. We discuss the importance of mentorship and community in shaping a loving expression of masculinity. Amir explains how men can move from disconnection to devotion through initiations, rituals, somatics, and honest conversations with other men committed to fully embodied awareness.  Taking us inside the dynamics of his marriage, Amir shares how he uses his experiences to guide other men to share their vulnerability, celebrate women, and form intimate relationships. Amir’s philosophy: Look into your heart with courage, and take responsibility for your actions. When things get hard, lean forward, and welcome the breakthrough that leads to clarity and healing.   TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Boys are born, men are made.  Healthy masculinity meets strength with reverence, not domination.  True masculine integrity honors the divine feminine so men can celebrate women.  Initiation ceremonies honor life transitions to promote awareness and self-actualization. Somatic practices help men connect with their needs through movement and sound.  Men’s circles allow men to safely express themselves and mentor each other. Men need other men. Community support is vital for healing and self-discovery. Elders modeling positive masculinity anchor younger generations.   ABOUT AMIR  Founder of Embodied Masculine™, Amir Khalighi works as a teacher, coach, and speaker, helping men step into their power and live purpose-driven lives.  Amir’s own journey into self-actualization started with study of existential philosophy and comparative religion. In his 20s and 30s, he helped men with addictive behaviors into recovery through martial arts and other practices. His approach integrates Jungian psychology, somatic healing, shamanism, embodiment methodology, yogic intimacy, Celtic mythology, Sufi mysticism, and mythopoetic men’s work.   In coaching, workshops, men’s circles, initiation programs, and facilitator training, Amir builds communities where men find role models and ways to embody their male energies in loving paradigms of masculinity balanced with feminine counterparts. Working with men from all walks of life, from Fortune 500 CEOs, influencers, and artists to young men finding their paths, Amir speaks at and facilitates men’s events around the world.  Through his website BelovedPoetry.com, Amir shares his love of poems, presenting the works of Rumi, Hafiz, Neruda, and others.    CONNECT WITH AMIR Website: https://embodiedmasculine.com/ Website: https://belovedpoetry.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khalighi/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KhalighiA/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/embodiedmasculine/  MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Keri Khalighi, somatic guide, shares her journey from shape-shifting, performing, and stifling her voice to reclaiming her feminine power through embodied listening.   She remembers her shy 13-year-old self from small-town Nebraska who was catapulted into the world of high fashion. Modeling in New York and Europe, she underwent a trial by fire, learning to shut down her sensitivity to survive.  Naive, and craving safety and stability, Keri became a serial monogamist, and failed to find the emotional intimacy she needed.   Being a mother, a doula, and caregiver for her dying father cracked open a new level of awareness, connection, and wisdom. But, it took a divorce to usher in a renaissance of being.   Through tantra and other ancient traditions, feminine embodiment practices, and guidance from mentors, Keri moved into a deeper understanding of herself. That planted the seeds for a soul connection with her husband, Amir. She takes us inside their partnership, and how it serves as the foundation for their work as somatic and embodiment guides. Celebrating the wisdom of age, we honor the stories we carry in our bodies as women, the beauty of exploring our sexuality, and how breath, movement, and poetry open our hearts and possibilities.  We dive into the power of women’s circles, and the ancient magic of feminine gathering. Then, Keri shares the beauty of tea ceremonies, which help us slow down and catch up—both to ourselves and with the fast pace of life.  She encourages us to live in “the juice” and humility of the unknown, listen to the truth of the moment, and share your imperfect offering. TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Somatics, tea ceremonies, and other practices open us to embodied listening.   Women are always birthing, not only babies, but ideas, and new versions of themselves.  Women’s circles provide a space for connection, free expression, and healing. Pleasure is yours to have and share. Not something somebody gives you.  Have the sovereignty to walk away from what isn’t yours, and step into what is.  Grief is an initiation portal that opens up new possibilities and knowing.  Your darkest experiences turn into the gold from which to serve. Celebrate the mystery and humility of the unknown and listen to the questions.  ABOUT KERI KHALIGHI Somatic guide and ceremonialist, Keri Khalighi invites women into deeper connection with their bodies, their truth, and the rhythms of the natural world through private mentorship, circles, and workshops.   Guided by archetypal and ancestral threads, and rooted in decades of experience with embodiment, birthwork, trauma healing, and sacred ritual, Keri’s offerings create space for women to listen to their inner knowing.  At the heart of her practice is Cha Dao - the Way of Tea - a ceremonial path which she weaves with somatic listening, expressive movement, and feminine wisdom traditions.  Keri collaborates with her husband, Amir Khalighi, founder of Embodied Masculine, offering immersive experiences that explore the sacred dialogue of the feminine and masculine energies that exist within us and between us.  CONNECT WITH KERI Website: https://wayoftheelements.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keri_khalighi  Guided by archetypal and ancestral threads, and rooted in decades of experience with embodiment, birthwork, trauma healing, and sacred ritual, Keri’s offerings create space for women to listen to their inner knowing.  At the heart of her practice is Cha Dao - the Way of Tea - a ceremonial path which she weaves with somatic listening, expressive movement, and feminine wisdom traditions.  Keri collaborates with her husband, Amir Khalighi, founder of Embodied Masculine, offering immersive experiences that explore the sacred dialogue of the feminine and masculine energies that exist within us and between us.  CONNECT WITH KERI Website: https://wayoftheelements.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keri_khalighi MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Are your eating habits messing with your hormones? Meghan Donnelly, lead dietitian for the 60 Day Reset, shares the science behind why so many women struggle to lose weight despite “eating healthy.” Many of us are unknowingly sabotaging thyroid function and metabolism by eating too little, not too much. The results include blood sugar crashes, hormone imbalances, brain fog, brittle nails, hair loss, sleep problems, fatigue, and mood swings.  Disordered eating patterns, Meghan says, aren’t always as stark as anorexia and bulimia. They show up in subtle everyday behaviors we consider normal, but are damaging our bodies. Meghan gives us strategies to boost metabolism and weight loss, and the best foods for hormones. She explains why gut health and protein are critical for hormone health and lays out the reasons we should be snacking every day.  We discuss the importance of personalized nutrition solutions, then weigh the side effects of Ozempic and other GLP-1 injections, covering how these medications can seriously decrease muscle mass and bone density.   Tune in for some vital nutrition information that may surprise you.  TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Eating balanced meals frequently promotes weight loss and hormone balance. Undernourishment slows down metabolism, digestion, circulation, and brain function. Disordered eating includes many behaviors normalized today. Quality snacks support thyroid health to ward off and combat autoimmune disease.  Better gut health is crucial for better hormone and blood sugar regulation.  Meeting your protein needs is a game-changer for better hormone function. Working with a dietitian isn’t about restriction, but about strategies to expand choices.  Ditch generic diets. Personalized nutrition is the path to sustainable lifestyle change. ABOUT MEGHAN Meghan Donnelly, MS, RDN, CDN, is a registered dietitian specializing in gastrointestinal nutrition, and is Director Of Health Communications at the Celiac Disease Foundation.  Her experience spans clinical practice, nutrition counseling, medical nonprofits, and the food industry. In her private practice at Nutmeg Nutrition, Meghan helps her clients establish a balanced and joyful relationship with food, particularly when managing digestive disorders (IBS and SIBO), food intolerances, gluten-related conditions (celiac disease), and disordered eating.   She also provides nutrition counseling for heart health, kidney disease, weight management, and food intolerances. Monash University certified, she guides clients on Low-FODMAP diets.   As lead dietitian for Skinny60®, Meghan provides nutrition education and support for participants in the 60-Day Reset.  CONNECT WITH MEGHAN Nutmeg Nutrition: https://www.nutmegnutrition.org/ 60-Day Reset: https://www.skinny60.com/60-day-reset/ MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Is menopause making you miserable? What you’re doing to fight it could be making things worse. I’m sharing the biggest mistakes we make so you can avoid them, and some strategies that actually work to lose weight over 40.   Recounting my struggles, I weigh up what I’d do differently to avoid the hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, sleep issues, and mood swings.   Top-line takeaway: I’d ditch the diets and get serious about gut health.   We’ll dive into how the gut controls hormones and metabolism, and cover why “eating healthy” isn’t enough to combat tanking estrogen and progesterone. Then, we’ll walk through my strategy for thriving through menopause: personalized nutrition, knowing your food triggers, and meeting your protein needs.   Drawing in wisdom from previous guests, we’ll go over the importance of advanced labs and early DEXA scans, how to improve bone health and avoid osteoporosis, and why a dietitian should be a core member of your medical team.   A key strategy that’s missing for most women? Sharing experience and resources in a supportive, like-minded community. You can’t Chat-GPT-your-way through this transition. Tune in to get proactive and take charge of your health.   TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: Personalized nutrition is the key to achieving health goals at any age.  What you eat dramatically affects how you feel during menopause. Optimizing gut health and blood sugar helps to balance your hormones. Over 40, meeting your protein needs is a game-changer.  Dieting can make menopause symptoms and health issues worse.  The 60-Day Reset includes access to dietitians and community support.  Reduce hot flashes, brain fog, and other symptoms by knowing your food triggers.  Get advanced hormone and thyroid panels with a menopause-trained doctor.  MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Struggling to process fear, anger, and grief? Karen Kenney—writer and spiritual mentor—gives us a masterclass in finding love, compassion, and resilience in challenging times.  When Karen was 12, her mother was brutally murdered. She and her sister were sent to live with strangers. Through years of trauma and confusion, Karen sought solace in books and stories. While others around her took satisfaction in vengeance, she found peace in forgiveness, through guidance from mentors, and her study and practice of somatics, yoga, and other healing modalities.  This put Karen, who grew up Catholic, on an unexpected path to a different relationship with spirituality and the divine. After getting a communications degree at Boston University, she lived and worked with Marianne Williamson, then immersed in study of A Course In Miracles, finally claiming her role as coach and thought leader.   We discuss the impact of family and cultural conditioning in shaping internal narratives, and the importance of shifting limiting beliefs to temper the dialogue with ourselves and others.  Cornerstones of Karen’s approach are personal responsibility, harnessing the agency we have, recognizing what spirit and source mean to us, and developing a unique connection to them.  She maps how to assemble a team of spiritual advisors, noting the importance of tapping into our resources and community to consider things in different ways. Then shows us tools to resist fear, acknowledge risk, and feel ‘safe enough’ to take action toward what we want.  Karen’s story epitomizes “It has to be me.” But her message is: You don’t have to do it alone.  TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: A Course In Miracles is a workbook to prompt self awareness and growth.  Developing your own approach to spirituality supports self-love and compassion.   Intimacy heals. Personal responsibility and deep relationships expand your choices. Grief is a sacred path to your deepest healing and highest service.  You can feed a grievance or you can seek peace. You cannot do both.  Forgiveness isn’t forgetting. Choosing compassion means suffering doesn’t run the show.  You’re not the sum of what happened to you, but what you’ve been called to because of it. We’re never completely safe. Feeling safe enough is enough. ABOUT KAREN KENNEY Spiritual mentor and writer Karen Kenney uses humor and dynamic storytelling to bring a down-to-earth, no-BS perspective to self-development. Bringing together tools that coach the conscious and unconscious mind, Karen helps clients deepen their connections with self, and discover their unique understandings of spirituality.  Her practice combines neuroscience, subconscious reprogramming, integrative hypnosis, somatics, and other holistic modalities to help regulate the nervous system, examine internal narratives, remove blocks, and reimagine what’s possible. A passionate student of A Course in Miracles, devout yoga teacher, and Gateless Writing instructor, Karen is a frequent speaker and retreat leader. Via her programs The Quest and The Nest, she coaches individuals and groups.  With The Karen Kenney Podcast, she encourages listeners to shift from a thought system of fear to one of love, compassion, and personal responsibility.  CONNECT WITH KAREN Website: https://www.karenkenney.com/ Podcast: https://www.karenkenney.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenkenneylive/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkenneylive/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKenney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenkenneylive/ MEET TESS MASTERS:   Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.     CONNECT WITH TESS:  Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ Thanks for listening!  If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  Subscribe to the podcast.   Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.