Embodied

Anita sometimes fantasizes about no longer having to deal with having a period. But folks along the perimenopausal parkway remind her that menopause is no quick and easy road. Anita's mom and others navigating the change share how it's shaped their relationships with their bodies, sex and where they turn for support. Meet the guests: - Sheila Rao, Anita’s mom, shares her experience of bodily changes once menopause set in - Dr. Anna Camille Moreno, certified menopause practitioner at Duke Health, explains what's happening in the body during menopause and some of the options for symptom management - Omisade Burney-Scott, Embodied guest host and creator of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, interviews Paris Hatcher, founder of Black Feminist Future, about her experience going through menopause in her 20s Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita learns about how the smart devices that keep many of us connected have also contributed to the rise of a new type of intimate partner violence. Survivors share stories of tech-enabled domestic abuse and a cybersecurity expert discusses what folks can do about it.  Meet the guests:- Ashley, a survivor of digital domestic abuse who runs a TikTok account under the name MerelyAshley- Kathryn Kosmides, a multi-time gender-based violence survivor and founder and CEO of Garbo.io, a background check nonprofit set to launch later this year- Audace Garnett, technology safety specialist with Safety Net at the National Network to End Domestic Violence- Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a founding partner of the Coalition Against StalkerwareRead the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita now knows why sex scenes in some of her favorite recent TV shows look a whole lot more like real life: intimacy coordinators. Two of them join her to talk about their work choreographing intimacy and training everyone on set about how boundaries and structure makes things sexier and more fun.  Meet the guests:- Mia Schachter is a consent educator and intimacy coordinator who takes Anita behind the scenes of their work on set.- Teniece Divya Johnson is a stunt performer and intimacy coordinator who shares how we can expand our definition of intimacy.Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita finally learned how to put on sunscreen properly and care for her body’s largest organ, thanks to medical and skincare industry experts who give advice she revisits in this episode. Their tips helped her figure out what to focus on in her skincare routine, and how to resist the temptation to fall down Tik-Tok beauty rabbit holes. Meet the guests: - Dr. Chesahna Kindred, a board-certified dermatologist at the Kindred Hair & Skin Center in Maryland, teaches Anita about the science of the skin and why focusing on a few small things consistently will go a long way - Anay Castro is a certified physician assistant at the North Carolina Center for Dermatology. She talks about how our skin changes as we age, and why she works to give culturally-sensitive skincare advice - Leo Louie takes Anita inside the beauty and skincare industry. He shares insights from years working jobs ranging from Sephora brand representative to writer for the website Beauty Tap Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita learns daycare for children can continue well into the night thanks to facilities open around the clock meeting the needs of parents working nontraditional hours. Two 24-hour care providers take her into their day-to-day operations and discuss the unique bonds they form with the families they work for. Plus a single mom shares her story of relying on a 24-hour facility to help meet her needs. Meet the guests: - Deloris Hogan, co-founder of Dee’s Tots Childcare in New Rochelle, New York, talks about building and running a 24-hour childcare center for more than 30 years. - Evy Hart, co-owner of Molly’s Daycare Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, tells Anita about the unique needs of children and families who use overnight care. - Ayana Moore, clinical research manager, tells Anita about how 24-hour childcare has supported her schedule as a working single parent of two. Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita learns the science behind the most effective form of birth control and hears from a sociologist about how getting a vasectomy transformed his relationship with his masculinity. Meet the guests: - Dr. Matt Coward, an associate professor of urology at the UNC School of Medicine, talks about the science of the vasectomy. He is also the director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at UNC Fertility. - Ryan Cragun is a sociology professor at the University of Tampa. He shares his experience getting a vasectomy — and the reflections on masculinity and manhood it inspired. Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita acknowledges that looking in the mirror and loving everything she sees may be unrealistic. Fat activists teach her about radical reframes, including body positivity and a newer term to her: body neutrality. Meet the Guests: - Virgie Tovar, a fat activist, host of the Rebel Eaters Club podcast and author of “The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color" talks about why body neutrality is a helpful step for some in their body liberation journey - Tigress Osborn, thee chair of the board of directors for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, shares the history of fat liberation and what's been lost as the movement has shifted away from its black, radical roots - Zoë Bisbing, a psychotherapist and co-founder of the Full Bloom Project, talks about building a research-informed resource for those who want to foster a body-positive next generation Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita's only had a handful of up-close experiences with dying people, and it's something she'd rather not think about. It's the antithesis to the philosophy of some folks she admires: death doulas. They say: Spend more time looking head-on at the inevitable. Respect death, don't fear it. Turns out, this uncomfortable approach may make things more comfortable in the end. Meet the guests: - Vivette Jeffries-Logan, a citizen of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, a person who holds healing space for those processing death and dying and a founding partner of biwa| Emergent Equity, talks about how she learned to hold ceremonies for folks who are dying. - Angela Zimmer, a death doula based in Charlotte, talks about how her own experiences of grief informed her desire to help others. - Dr. Aditi Sethi-Brown, a hospice physician, end-of-life doula and co-founder of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, shares how she builds relationships with clients like Sara who are in the end-of-life planning process. - Sara Jenkins, an editor and writer living in Western North Carolina, talks about working with Aditi and preparing for her death amidst a pandemic. Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita learns about non-sexual, social nudity and why opting to live life mostly in the nude could actually make her think about her body LESS. Meet the guests: - Naomi Prioleau, a reporter and host at WUNC, talks about her personal journey to becoming a practicing naturist. - Jay Shapiro, lead coordinator and president of Triangle Area Naturists LLC, shares how to separate sex from nudity. - Sam and Aleah, creators of Our Natural Blog, share how they're working to bring more young folks into the naturist movement in Florida. - Earl runs the website Clothes Free Life, an online resource about naturism around the globe. - Patricka is one of the founders of the Black Naturists Association, which advocates nudity through naturist environments for those in the Black community. Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram

Anita shares an exciting announcement about the Embodied podcast and what you can expect in your feeds starting next week! Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram