

Grace & Grit Podcast
Courtney Townley
The Grace and Grit Podcast takes the health fairy tale you've heard all your life and turns it upside down and inside out, helping women rebuild their relationship with their body once and for all. Placing the focus on love and respect, rather than the aggressive demands and unrealistic expectations that have become the norm, Courtney Townley is determined to help women mend the fabric of what is driving the female health story.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 11, 2019 • 31min
Episode 164: 5 Ways to Cultivate Self-Discipline...Gracefully.
Last week on the podcast we talked about the difference between using discipline as punishment vs an act of love. And this week, I am teaching you 5 ways to apply more self-discipline in your life in a way that feels simple, kind and even joy-filled. If you struggle to show up for yourself consistently, and you know that developing more self-discipline would help you do just that… do not miss this episode. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-164/ Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

May 4, 2019 • 36min
Episode 163: Discipline is NOT a dirty word.
In my opinion, there are two ways you can think about discipline, and how you choose to think about it has everything to do with your ability to use it to move your life to higher ground. What do you make discipline mean? What could you make it mean? Do you want it to be a form of punishment or a form of devotion? Do you want it to mean restriction or freedom? Do you consider it a "have to" or a "get to"? Do you apply it to your life because you "should" or because you "want to"? You get to choose! And your choice in how you perceive it and use it matters. A lot actually. Listen to this episode if you would like to mend your relationship with discipline. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-163/ Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Apr 27, 2019 • 50min
Episode 162: The Space Between Grace & Grit
This week’s episode on the Grace & Grit Podcast is the final installment of the Self-Leadership (and why it matters to your health) theme, and I am talking about the two final pillars: self-compassion & self-discipline (aka Grace & Grit). We need BOTH grace (self-compassion) and grit (self-discipline) to live a healthy, joyous life. The hard part is embracing the quality that doesn’t come as natural to you and not misuse the one that does. As a health coach, I have seen women manipulate self-love into rationalizing why they shouldn’t have to apply the self-discipline that will help them get happier or healthier. And I have witnessed women use self-discipline to the point of self-destruction because they clearly lack love for themselves. I am a champion for residing in the space between self-love and self-discipline, which is why I named my company Grace & Grit. One without the other will cage what is possible for your life. Listen in to this episode to hear more about my thoughts on this and learn a few of my favorite strategies for finding your balance between the two. https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-162/ **** Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Apr 20, 2019 • 57min
Episode 161: Self-Management: Taking Back Control of Your Time, Energy & Mindset
We have covered a lot of ground on the Grace & Grit Podcast this month in regards to Self-Leadership and why it matters to your health. In the first two episodes (159 & 161) I talked about the importance of developing self-respect, and why self-awareness is so essential to self-development. You may have self-respect, you may have self-awareness, you may have a game plan for developing the parts of yourself that need developing, but if you can’t manage your time, your energy, or your mindset – you will struggle unnecessarily to make progress along your journey. This episode is all about helping you to take back control of your time, energy and mindset so you can create the level of success you truly crave with your health, and ultimately, your life. Have a listen. Share your thoughts. And if you love it, please consider sharing it with a woman you believe could benefit from listening too! https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-161/ **** Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Apr 13, 2019 • 49min
Episode 160: Shifting Your Focus from Arriving to Becoming
This month on the podcast we are talking about what means to be self-directed along your health journey and the 6 pillars that make-up powerful self-leadership. Last week we did a deep dive into the most foundational pillar, which is self-respect and on this episode, I talk about self-awareness and self-development. Plus I dish out some tips for improving both of these areas with more ease and grace. I also interview a client of mine at the end of this episode who shares her insight on what it is like to work with me. :) Click the link to have a listen. Share your thoughts and send this to a woman who may benefit from hearing it! https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-160/ **** Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Apr 6, 2019 • 28min
Episode 159: When "Loving Yourself" Feels Impossible
Some health coaches heavily focus on nutrition, others on fitness, and others on mindfulness. While the work that I do as a coach addresses all of these things in depth, the thing I am MOST passionate about teaching clients is self-leadership, because, without it, nothing else will stick for very long. In this episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I introduce what I believe to be the 6 pillars of powerful self-leadership, how self-leadership impacts your ability to take care of yourself and I do a deep dive into the most essential of these pillars: self-respect. This is perhaps, one of my favorite topics to date on the podcast because it is the bedrock of the work that I do as a coach. Over the course of the next month, I will be addressing all 6 pillars of self-leadership and how these pillars directly influence your health story. Click the link to have a listen. Share your thoughts. And if you love it, please consider sharing it with a woman you believe could benefit from listening too! https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-159/ **** Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Mar 30, 2019 • 32min
Episode 158: Sleep Deprivation: A Public Health Crisis
Everywhere you turn it seems there is a new diet or exercise program being marketed to you, but how often do you see the wellness industry pushing the importance of sleep? Sleep is the linchpin to your health, according to Matthew Walker Ph.D., who wrote the awesome book, Why We Sleep. Matthew Walker is Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and Founder and Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science. He is has been deep in the study of sleep for more than 20 years and his book is both illuminating and horrifying. I strongly encourage every human who values their health to read this book and in this episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I highlight some of the biggest takeaways from Walker’s book and dish out a few of my own tips for better sleep hygiene. Have a listen and share your thoughts! https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-158/ **** Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Mar 23, 2019 • 51min
Episode 157: Restoring Hormonal Health w/ Kiran Ram
It is fundamentally impossible to create a state of deep health without adequate recovery and I will forever be reminding my listeners, my clients and my community that the answers to improving health are often not found in doing more but doing less. In a culture that glorifies hustle, it can be really difficult to slow down and grant yourself adequate permission to rest and recover, which can dramatically affect your hormonal system. When hormones are disrupted everything feels challenging and no one understands this better than women entering perimenopause and menopause. In this episode of the Grace and Grit Podcast, I have invited my friend, Kiran Ram, to the show to help women better understand how lifestyle choices can help to restore hormonal balance. Have a listen and share your thoughts! https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-157/ **** Are you loving the Grace and Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Become a Patron >> https://www.patreon.com/graceandgrit Leave a Review >> http://bit.ly/GGPReview Looking for more Grace and Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com

Mar 16, 2019 • 44min
Episode 156: When Restoration Looks Like Making Difficult Personal Decisions w/ Michelle Rycroft
Have you ever heard of Breast Implant Illness? If not, you are not alone. I had not heard of it either until few friends of mine publically announced their intention to have “explant” surgery after they started to suffer from inexplicable health challenges over the past few years. One such friend is Michelle Rycroft, a dedicated health coach and personal trainer who I have had the pleasure of knowing for several years. When Michelle started to share her challenges with what she believes to be breast implant illness, I was intrigued about the illness and started to do some of my own research. I came across hundreds of stories just like Michelle’s and I strongly feel that this is a topic that women need to be better informed about, especially in light of the FDA stepping forward last month to notify the public that “individuals with breast implants have a risk of developing breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or BIA-ALCL, a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cancer of the immune system).” Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures done in the United States. While I am not for or against plastic surgery, I am all for helping women to make educated decisions about their health. Click here to learn more and LISTEN NOW. >>Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Then head over to iTunes and leave a review so the Grace and Grit message can spread to more women who need to hear it. Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit GraceandGrit.com

Mar 9, 2019 • 49min
Episode 155: Restoring in the Azores w/ Joana Meneses
In this episode, I interview a very dear friend of mine, Joana Meneses, who has built an amazing retreat business in her homeland of Portugal (in the Azores Islands, to be more specific). I went to visit her last year for some much-needed restoration myself and, not only was I restored, I was deeply touched and inspired by the place and the people that she introduced me to. Since the entire month on the Grace & Grit podcast is dedicated to the theme RESTORE, I thought it would be a great opportunity to host this incredible friend of mine so you can hear from her first hand how she was able to combine her love of movement with her native country, to create a restoration opportunity like no other. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it:) Click here to learn more and LISTEN NOW! >>Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Help us keep the mic on! Then head over to iTunes and leave a review so the Grace and Grit message can spread to more women who need to hear it. Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit GraceandGrit.com