Embodied

Anita grew up betwixt and between two religious communities and never felt like she fully belonged to either. The upside? She had a lot of room to figure things out on her own. She talks with two people who didn't find that freedom until they left their conservative religions. They tell her about extracting themselves from tight-knit religious communities and reconnecting with their sexuality and identity on their own terms. Meet the guests: - Nicole Hardy, writer and author of the memoir "Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin," tells Anita about why she left the Mormon church as a single woman in her mid-30s, and how that process shaped her sexuality and relationships. - Dr. Jon Paul Higgins, creator and executive producer of "Black, Fat Femme" podcast, shares their experience growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, what led them to leave, and their ongoing healing work to make sense of religious trauma. Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Before recording this episode, Anita would have turned to Google for her burning questions about abortion. But now, she knows better. She meets two abortion doulas who share the practical and philosophical components of their job. They reflect on what has changed for them since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and what's stayed the same for their alternative and community-based networks of care. Meet the guests: - KáLyn Banks Coghill, an abortion doula, writer, organizer, educator and doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University, shares their on-the-ground experience serving their community as part of the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project - Raven Freeborn, full spectrum doula and community educator, brings us into their work training abortion doulas If you’re interested in finding an abortion fund or practical support organization in your area and learning more about what they do, these sites may be helpful: https://apiaryps.org/pso-list https://www.ineedana.com/ https://abortionfunds.org/funds/ Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita had a terrible 18th birthday (she'll tell you later), but not much changed for her when she legally became an adult. For tens of thousands of young folks in the U.S. each year who turn 18 while in foster care, "legal adulthood" brings a slew of new challenges. Two women who aged out of foster care tell Anita about their experiences and how they informed the relationships they're building today. Plus, she meets someone who's seen the foster care system from both sides — as a kid, and as a foster parent. Meet the guests: - Stephani Smith, a mental health professional, shares how her time in foster care shaped her philosophy on relationships — especially the relationship with her stepdaughter - Ángela Quijada-Banks, holistic purpose coach and author of "The Black Foster Youth Handbook," explains how her foster care experience impacted her romantic relationships - Jessica Lloyd-Rogers, chair of the National Foster Parents Association Council of State Affiliates, talks about how her own time in the system informed how she parented her daughter and the young people she fostered Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita is a dog mom. Her wire-haired, bearded terrier Oliver has been her companion through heartbreak, job changes and pandemic turmoil. She's never going to feel ready to say goodbye, but she knows from watching others lose family pets, that pet grief can wreck you, and it's better to acknowledge this reality sooner rather than later. She talks with pet owners, a veterinary social worker, a vet and her own parents about making space for pet grief and memorializing the animal companions we have loved. Meet the guests: - Corban Smith, adjunct professor at James Madison University, jail/emergency services clinician at Valley Community Services Board talks about being the pet guardian of the late Dallas - Sarina Manifold, certified grief recovery specialist and owner of Authentic Healing Counseling shares what it’s like to be a veterinary social worker - Dr. Erika Lin-Hendel, board member of Not One More Vet and a relief veterinarian, opens up about the veterinary mental health crisis and what community care for vets could look like Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita's idea of relaxation often involves a good book. She's begun exploring the vast world of romance novels and was surprised to learn how much more diverse the genre has become since the days when Fabio was the only inspiration for sexy book covers. Three neurodivergent authors tell her about writing the characters they longed for as readers and making space for new takes on the "happy ending." Meet the guests: - E.S. Yu, author of the paranormal romance “Human Enough” talks about the way indie publishing has welcomed her as a reader and writer - Ceillie Simkiss, author of two romance novella series, including "Learning Curves" shares her favorite romance tropes to upend in her writing - Emery Lee, author of "Meet Cute Diary" talks about the art of writing neurodiverse characters in young adult books Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita does not work with her boo, but after sharing home office space for two pandemic years, she's started to wonder how couples who *do* work together make it work. She talks with two sets of couples in very different professional industries about their strategies for tackling finances, alone time and intimacy. Meet the guests: - Sarah & Austin McCombie, the married duo behind the North Carolina-based band Chatham Rabbits talk about how they learned to give each other constructive creative feedback - Brandé Elise and Danielle Gray, co-founders of CBD product and lifestyle company Unoia share why they felt ready to start a business together just three months after they started dating Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita has not participated in a Dry January, but there are times when she's motivated to pay extra-close attention to her relationship with alcohol. Most recently: during the pandemic. While some of us started drinking more, another group of folks committed to sober curiosity: a movement encouraging introspection about your relationship with alcohol. She meets two people who are years into building sober lives and asks them to reflect on how their sobriety journeys have shaped everything from relationships to thoughts about the future. Meet the guests: - J.Nicole Jones, co-host of the “Sober Black Girls Club” podcast and host of “The Grief Bully” podcast talks about choosing sobriety at age 23 - Tawny Lara, co-host of “Recovery Rocks” podcast, shares what it was like to become sober after years working as a bartender Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita's now living in one of the few places in the U.S. South without an abortion ban. As her home state becomes the nearest safe provider for millions of people, she's observing how abortion providers here are preparing for the spike in demand. She reconnects with one of them, Dr. Rathika Nimalendran, who has been providing access to abortions in North Carolina for years, to talk about what action she's taking in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Meet the guest: - Dr. Rathika Nimalendran, family physician with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health talks about what is on her heart and mind in this moment Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Join gastroenterologist Dr. Satish Rao and neuroscientist Shannon Odell as they brew the science of coffee! Dr. Rao explains coffee's sneaky role in gut health and why it may lead to unexpected bathroom visits. Meanwhile, Odell dives into how caffeine affects your brain and body, revealing the magic behind that morning pick-me-up. They explore coffee culture, contrasting speedy U.S. habits with the slow rituals of other countries, and touch on the connection between coffee and community. It's a delightful blend of science, culture, and personal stories!

Anita treasures sleep and moments of silence. So when she hears typical narratives of early parenthood that include unending cries and restless nights, she has concerns for the mental toll on new parents. But culturally there is a lot of silence around how challenging it can be and recognizing deteriorating mental health while caring for another person can be isolating. In part two of the postpartum series "Delivered," she meets a prolific artist whose experience with postpartum depression catalyzed a mental health journey and a diagnosis of bipolar II disorder. She also talks to a couple about what folks should know about sex and relationships postpartum and why the mental health of non-birthing partners should be part of the postpartum conversation. Meet the guests: - A’Driane Nieves, artist and mother of two, talks about her personal story of postpartum depression - Shannon Purdy Jones, co-owner of Scuppernong Books in Greensboro and mother of two, talks about how her postpartum mental health impacted her marriage - Darren Jones, Shannon’s husband and director of Pricing at Mack Trucks, Inc, shares his mental health journey as a non-birthing partner, and how therapy has helped support their marriage Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram