Embodied

Anita is getting married next year, which means she's been thinking a lot about money and what kind of spending aligns with her values. Turns out that her money behaviors (and yours) are shaped by experiences and beliefs that have accumulated since childhood. She talks with a financial therapist and a money coach about their work to help people better understand their money hang-ups and explores some unconventional ways to think about your money. Meet the guests: - Steven M. Hughes, a financial therapist and money reiki practitioner, helps us go deep when we think about our relationship to money — and how that can help our relationships to each other - Morgan Curtis, an organizer and money coach, explains how we can translate feelings of shame or guilt about money into tangible action that can help our communities Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Dive deeper: - Morgan’s resource library - Net worth calculator

The first time we did an episode about the pelvic floor, Anita learned that y'all needed that education just as much as she did. She revisits the topic with a focus on access for trans and gender nonconforming folks. Two providers reflect on the sexuality education that has informed their approaches to treatment, and a patient shares his experience navigating pelvic pain with providers who weren't always well-informed about treating trans patients.Meet the guests:- Markus Harwood-Jones, an author and TikTok user under the name @markusbones, shares his experience with pelvic floor physical therapy- Alex Papale, a pelvic health physical therapist and sex educator, talks about the barriers to pelvic PT for trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming folks- Dr. Uchenna “UC” Ossai, a sex-positive pelvic health physical therapist and sexuality counselor, introduces ways that patients can advocate for themselvesRead the transcript | Review the podcastFollow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram 

Anita is well aware that bringing a new baby into the world is a lotttttt of work (even though she's never done it herself). But when she heard about friends and family members choosing surrogacy to build their families, she realized how little she knows about that process — and how many misconceptions exist. She talks to a three-time surrogate about why she chose this path. A father who has had a child via surrogacy details how his family navigated the process from a financial, legal and emotional perspective; and a sociologist zooms out to give the big picture of the surrogacy industry. Meet the guests: - Eloise Drane, founder of Family Inceptions, talks about her experience as a three-time gestational surrogate. Family Inceptions is one of the only Black-owned surrogacy agencies in the country - Brian McGunagle, founder of Westport Pride, shares his experience going through the surrogacy process with his husband to have their now-toddler son - Heather Jacobson, professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Arlington, shares her ethnographic research on gestational surrogacy in the United States Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Dive deeper: - Surrogacy law map state-by-state - Heather Jacobson’s book “Labor of Love”

After Anita watched the Netflix docuseries "Keep Sweet," it was on her mind for weeks. She sat down with Elissa Wall, one of the central figures in the series, to talk about growing up in an isolated, polygamist religious community in which everything was decided for her – from what she could wear to whom she would marry. Elissa talks about adjusting to life outside the FLDS Church, her process of healing after a traumatic childhood and her ongoing journey of embodiment. Meet the guest: - Elissa Wall, speaker, advocate, mother and author, talks to Anita about her upbringing in the FLDS church, her forced marriage at the age of 14, and her ongoing journey to re-establish a relationship to her body after leaving the community. She is the author of the memoir "Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs." Please note that this episode contains references to religious trauma, pregnancy loss and sexual assault of a minor. Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

For most of guest host Omisade Burney-Scott's life, she was a reluctant viewer of horror films — squinting through her fingers long enough to get to the closing credits. In recent years, that trepidation has turned into thrill as she's watched the Black horror genre evolve. She talks with a filmmaker, director and horror scholar about how they see their own experiences reflected in the Black horror renaissance. Meet the guests: - Lana Garland, writer, director, producer and curator of the Hayti Heritage Film Festival, reminisces about the Black horror films that left their mark on her and how the genre has evolved - Dr. Kinitra Brooks, Leslie Endowed Chair in literary studies at Michigan State University, shares her own Black horror memories and examines key ingredients in the genre - Bree Newsome Bass, artist, organizer and filmmaker, talks about the evolution of the genre both on and off camera Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita pretty much stopped wearing bras in the pandemic, and she's likely not going back. But she knows that for many, a good bra is clutch for daily comfort. She traces the surprising history and technology of the brassiere with the inventor of the sports bra and an expert who consulted with the Army on their first-ever tactical bra. Then she meets two people whose bra stories bump up against how we define and redefine gender and social norms for ourselves and others. Meet the guests: - Lisa Lindahl, an author and entrepreneur, tells the story behind the invention of the sports bra - Jené Luciana Sena, a bra expert, author and host of the podcast "Visible Panty Lines," explains the technicalities of bra fit and shares her work collaborating with the Army on their first-ever tactical bra - Destiny Liley, a freelance content creator, talks about the challenges of being a larger-chested person and her thoughts on bralessness - Ren Gutierrez, a first-generation Latine advocate for queer and trans mental health, reflects on going through his bra collection in the weeks before getting top surgery Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Dive deeper: - The origins and evolution of the bra - Behind the invention of the sports bra, via the National Inventors Hall of Fame

Anita has long taken a laissez-faire approach to digital security. But as she's learned (the hard way), just because she doesn't have something to hide, doesn't mean she has nothing to lose. She calls in experts, including an abortion doula and sex worker, to learn strategies for keeping personal information safe online. Meet the guests: - Amanda Bennett, a project manager for Digital Defense Fund, walks us through the basics of digital security and shares practical tips - Kestrel, an abortion doula and member of the Mountain Area Abortion Doula Collective, shares what they and their collective members do to protect themselves - Dr. Olivia Snow, a sex worker and research fellow at UCLA’s Center for Critical Internet Inquiry, talks about what we can learn from sex workers when it comes to digital security Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Dive deeper: - How to keep your abortion private and secure, from the Digital Defense Fund - A report tracking abortion criminalization - Digital Security tools from the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Anita revisits a conversation with folks who've undergone facial feminization surgery as part of their gender confirmation process. FFS is a set of bone and soft tissue surgical procedures that reshape the forehead, brow, jaw and more. They share what the surgery meant for them, plus a medical anthropologist helps unpack who gets to decide what femininity looks like. Meet the guests: - Emma Ward, songwriter, producer and community manager, shares her experience of facial feminization surgery - Eric Plemons, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, discusses some of the history of this set of procedures and how we define a "feminine" face Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Guest host Omisade Burney-Scott is a proud Aries Sun-Leo moon-Virgo rising and has been looking to the stars since the ‘70s. She and her best friend of over 50 years look back on how astrology influenced their relationship growing up and how they move in the world today. Plus, she talks to two astrologers about how this practice can play a role in social justice movements and in the intersections of our identities. Meet the guests: - Cheyanne Headen, a community and de-escalation specialist and Omisade's cousin and best friend, talks about how astrology influences her work and parenting styles - Jessica Lanyadoo, astrologer and host of "Ghost of a Podcast," explains how our cultural understanding of astrology has evolved and how this practice can be applied to social justice - Zacchary Powell, astrologer and former president of the Association of Young Astrologers, explores how a spiritual practice of astrology can deepen self-understanding Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita shares an episode of “This Is Uncomfortable,” a podcast from Marketplace that explores the ways money messes with our relationships and life plans. Rebecca Danigelis never planned to stop working. Raising two kids as a single mom, everything she earned went to making sure they got the best education she could afford. But when her son Sian-Pierre's career took off, hers started to crumble. Find “This Is Uncomfortable” wherever you get your podcasts. Look out for their next season in early October. Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram