She Talks

During this third episode of our Dakini’s Den series, I’m doing something a little differently. I’m inviting you to be a fly on the wall in my 2018 mastermind program- the SHE Leadership Circle. Last week, I sat down with three (amazing!) women from this year’s circle: Lori Mihalich-Levin, a lawyer/author/founder of “The Mindful Return”; Amelia Barrett, a yoga teacher/neurologist; and Lotus Baker, a stay-at-home mom turned yoga/art studio owner. We spoke about the biggest obstacles they overcame in their careers this past year, wonderful opportunities they created as a result of investing in themselves, how the SHE Leadership Circle helped them get where they are, and why they almost didn’t join (but were so glad they did). Today’s talk is for you if you keep saying “I want to put my work out there”– but continue making excuses not to. In 2019, I’m offering the SHE Leadership Circle for the second time. The “upper tier” to A Year of SHE, this mastermind has limited space and is available by application

However gifted someone is, her intuition about you is just that. Hers. She’s still going to see you through the vantage point of her life. To some degree, her perspective is going to be a projection onto you. This is why the safest and most accurate expert on your life is YOU. No one knows you as well as you know yourself. It’s much wiser to invest in honing your own intuition than to hire others for theirs. The former will serve you faithfully for your entire life. It’s like the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu instructed, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Just like a sunflower seed has programmed within it all it needs to become a beautiful flower, so too do you have everything you need inside to flourish as the woman the Universe created you to be. But you won’t fulfill your destiny if you don’t get still and listen to what you should do next. Today on the podcast, as the second episode in our Dakini’s Den series, I’m sharing an excer

During the first two weeks of November and December, to celebrate the opening of my year-long programs (A Year of SHE & the SHE Leadership Circle), I’m sharing a new series on the podcast called “Dakini’s Den.” In Tibetan Buddhism, Dakinis are manifestations of Awakening appearing in feminine form. Each of these SHE Talks is an excerpt from the “Dakini’s Den” classes I taught in the 2018 year-long programs; and today’s talk is all about turning into the blazing truth within you. All the answers to all our problems live inside us. To heal the world, each of us needs to play our part in listening to and then acting on this inner guidance. Even though it’s the most pleasurable and profound experience one can ever have, we still have tremendous resistance to turning to the blazing truth within us. May today’s talk inspire you to stop looking for magic “out there” and start shedding limitations to resource the miracle that you already are. Learn more about A Year of SHE & the SHE Leadership Circle here: ww

Today’s podcast guest leads us into a rich and deeply needed conversation about abortion. In the fourth and final episode (for now) of the # I Had an Abortion podcast series, I interview Linda Weber. A woman in our community led me to Linda after I published my abortion story in July. And I’m so glad she did. I feel this is the most important podcast episode I’ve ever shared. Linda Weber is a true wise woman. She’s been a psychotherapist, spiritual counselor for women, and active feminist since 1970. She was also one of the country’s first abortion counselors and helped to start a non-profit abortion & women’s health clinic in Boulder, Colorado in 1973 (where I sought skilled counsel after my own abortion last year). She also leads Women’s Wilderness Quests in Colorado every summer and is the author of the gem of a book, Life Choices: The Teachings of Abortion. It tackles a very complex subject with such lucidity, accessibility, and sophistication that I firmly believe it needs to be required reading mater

Welcome to the third episode in the # I Had an Abortion series! I’m honored that Dr. Christiane Northrup agreed, graciously and enthusiastically, to share with us today her wisdom on this taboo topic. No stranger to standing at the frontlines in advocacy of women’s health and wholeness, Dr. Northrup is a pioneer in this field, New York Times bestselling author, and board certified OB/GYN. She’s also one of my personal sheroes whose shoulders I stand upon to be the woman I am and do the work I’m doing today. Listen in to learn: * Dr. Northrup’s experiences of performing abortions, and why she stopped * How the Patriarchy has co-opted women’s fertility and erotic energy * Ways to re-own feminine, erotic energy by running your pelvic bowl like a business * Why codependency is really how every woman learns to behave early on– and how abortion challenges this * About her new book, which explores the dance between “energy vampires” and empaths * How women’s silence around abortion is perpetuating its stigm

Welcome to the second episode in the #I Had an Abortion series. Almost three years ago, I invited one of my closest friends, Emma Teitel, to interview me for the inaugural episode on my podcast, SHE Talks. Today, I asked her to come back so that we could talk about abortion. I felt called to have this conversation with Emma, in particular, for a few key reasons: * Emma and I have been close friends for a decade, and she was one of the extraordinary women who stood by me through the challenges of the past few years. * Now a women’s empowerment coach and psychotherapist, Emma used to work in a women’s health clinic, where she supported women and teens during their abortions (and many other circumstances). * Named “Cleo” in my story, Emma volunteered to serve as my own “Abortion Doula.” Her compassionate presence and skillful space holding allowed me to feel held and supported during my own, unexpected initiation of abortion. Emma and I discuss: * Why Birth Doulas and Abortion Doulas are really the same t

Sisters: We’re about to cross a big threshold together. Today I’m sharing the most important story I’ve ever told. As you read it, you have complete freedom to think and feel anything. Whatever experience you have, own it. The only thing in life that we can ever fully trust is our own experience. The world is changing. Women are changing. We’re changing. I’m changing. What’s called for now is a whole new era of womanhood and women’s leadership. An era where each of us lives in full integrity with her inner authority– her SHE. An era where each of us values her own truth above the opinions and reactions of others. An era where we’re all free to be fully ourselves, together. The world needs our courage. Our truth. Our audacity. Our love. And, most of all, our willingness to stand for something larger than ourselves. Read the written version of the story here: http://bit.ly/2Ja0Qot Donate to Redemption Circle here: https://www.patreon.com/RedemptionCircle

Welcome to the final episode of our summer season. Confession: Sometimes reading or listening to my own teachings lifts my spirits. This was true with today’s talk. Being human can be hard. This world can be harsh. But the challenges we face are never random. They’re here to help us uncap latent strengths within us. The more we face, the stronger we become. To keep having the courage to say “yes” to life’s challenges-- and stay sane and true to ourselves along the way-- we need all the inspiration and support we can find. I won’t give too much of a lead-in to today’s talk, other than I’m pretty sure it will lift your spirits, as it did mine. I gave today’s SHE Talk on the final morning of the last SHE Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training in Thailand. In it, I share: * How to give every woman (all those spirits and bodies who identify themselves as female and/or woman) a seat at the table * What’s missing from women’s yoga, meditation, & spiritual leadership * Ways to make sense of our deepest, most

When we hit rocky roads– inner and outer– is when we’re mostly going to want to lean on the advice of “experts.” But, as I recently heard a wise person say, “Advice is the devil.” And I would have to agree. Leadership comes from taking refuge in your inner wisdom. It asks us to source guidance from ourselves, and then to trust the path we’re shown. Unfortunately, this approach is the exact opposite of the one we’ve been encouraged to follow our whole lives. In today’s SHE Talk, the third in our Poolside Sutras series, I explore this in more depth. (This talk was recorded mid-way through the last SHE Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training in Thailand). In it, I speak about: * How to stop worrying about what other people think * The yogic breathing exercise that Brené Brown uses with her family to calm anxiety and overwhelm * How to get over our fear of failure * Breaking our addiction to stress * The most important quality for feminine leadership (rarely seen on social media) * And more Sisters: A dai

Enough of us are waking up now that we’re starting to see the widespread erasure of undomesticated women from religion, myth, and positions of power. As the lies that we’ve been taught to live crumble, we don’t have historical references to look to to remind us of who we once were. The only place we can look is in our own hearts and bodies. Buried deep in our subconscious, the seats of souls, lives the memories of who we truly are. In today’s Poolside Sutra, I explore this in more depth. Today’s talk is an excerpt from a Q & A session I held mid-way through the recent SHE Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training in Thailand. In it, we will explore: * How to live from a multi-sensory place * My favorite bedtime ritual for clearing energy * Creative ways women can meditate * The flavor of the feminine that’s being birthed through all of us right now * Using your intuition to grow your business * The number one thing that holds us all back * And more. Sleeping Beauty’s spell lives even in the yoga & medi

So many are touting the benefits of sleep these days (hallelujah!), so today I’m going to focus on sleep’s less-talked-about sister– silence. Silence is hard to come by these days. From lawn mowers to garbage trucks, traffic to TVs, we’re constantly being bombarded by... noise. This is one of many the reasons why I offer an annual silent retreat. For seven days, women can undertake a sacred pilgrimage– away from the stresses of their daily lives, to a beautiful place in nature, and into themselves. To give you a taste of these retreats, over the next few weeks I’m publishing some of the talks I gave at a recent one in our annual, summertime podcast series,“Poolside Sutras.” Poolside Sutras are intimate, deep teachings — but, since it’s summer (at least here in Colorado!), they’re meant to be enjoyed on-the-go: on your hikes, chilling poolside or at the beach, or to keep you company during that road trip. The first episode in this series is a talk I gave on the third morning of the silent retreat in Tha

I wanted to share the audio from a talk I gave at the end of March here in Boulder at an event called “The Truthteller Tour,” hosted by Kelly McNelis, founder of Women for One.This is the first public talk I’ve given since The Book of SHE came out... two-and-a-half years ago! So, yeah. This was a big step for me. I’m still in the wobbly space between death and rebirth, so, rather than muscling myself into a faux confidence, I gave myself permission to show up in my full rawness. To do this, I spoke about “How to Gracefully Navigate the Unknown.” Women are still contacting me, telling me how touched and inspired they were by what I shared. I hope this talk moves something in you, too. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at: http://www.TheWayoftheHappyWoman.com/podcast

Welcome to the 5th and final episode in the mini-series, “Disrupting the Divine Feminine.” Whether it’s a health problem, relationship stress, the fear that the goodness you’re experiencing will fade, or simply a question mark about your next steps, we all live with varying degrees of uncertainty. It’s inescapable. Even though we like to think that our surroundings are fixed and stable, the truth is, we don’t know if we’ll be here this time next year, much less tomorrow. Rather than spiralling down into anxiety and worry over life’s unknowns, how can you instead use uncertainty and unexpected obstacles as opportunities to be the deliberate creator of your dreams? In today’s SHE Talk we’re exploring: - How outdated principles of Newtonian physics are keeping us boxed inside exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, thinking/playing small, and cycles of repeating our past - Why quantum physics can help us feel more alive, free, and in touch with the truth of limitless possibility that always surrounds us - Ways to

Welcome to episode 4 in our mini-series: Disrupting the Divine Feminine. Our intuition was educated out of us when we were very young. Our parents told us to listen to them rather than to how we felt. Now we look to Google for advice instead of into our own hearts and minds, and we’re paying a big price. Isn’t it time you get the education in self-trust that you never got? In today’s SHE Talk, I share: -Why you need to stop asking for (and giving) advice -How we’ve become a culture that’s addicted to experts -What steps you can take to restore trust in your own inner knowing -The key to business success that no one’s teaching -What a real, wild woman looks like in 2018...and how you, too, can be that free In the SHE School & SHE Leadership Circle 2018, you’ll get the mentoring, practices, and sisterhood you need to learn to trust & life from your inner wisdom. Become a woman who lives her truth and feels alive, joyful, and free. Our 9-month journey begins on February 1. Learn more about The SHE S

Welcome to episode 3 in our mini-series on Disrupting the Divine Feminine. And today we’re going deeper. Externally, do you look successful and put together; but, inside, you feel like you’re really hiding. Do you feel that, deep down, you don’t want others to really see you; and, most of all, you don’t really want to see yourself? You have the whole setup: the color-coded chakra candles, the crystals by your bed, the goddess cards, the recycled yoga mat. Oh! And let’s not forget– Mercury Retrogrades mapped out in your planner through the rest of the year. You’ve changed your external environment to be more harmonious and “Zen,” but, inside, ​do you​ really ​feel more whole​? In today’s SHE Talk, I discuss: - How spiritual fads are making us overly superstitious (and are yet another form of hiding behind masks) - Why the practice of subtracting (rather than adding more rituals, more stuff) holds the key to peace-of-mind and personal power - How moon cycles, periods, astrology, etc. have become more w

Welcome to the second episode in our mini-series on “Disrupting the Divine Feminine.” In the wake of Harvey Weinstein (et al), I know it’s not fashionable for me to say this. But I love you, so I have to. For us women, becoming unstoppable in life takes being more like a man. If you have the liberty to be reading these words right now, then the biggest thing holding you back is not outside of you. It’s not your boss, your bank account, your childhood, your lover, your kids. It’s you. YOU are what’s holding you back. YOU-- and specifically your own thoughts and feelings--are what keep getting in your way. Now that we’re being honest with ourselves, wouldn’t it be wise to cultivate the tools to STOP doing this? Wouldn’t it be wise to learn to be bigger than your thoughts? Bigger than your feelings? Greater than the sensations in your body and circumstances in your life? In today’s SHE Talk, I share: - How Martin Luther King Jr. (whom we’re honoring here in the U.S. today) exemplifies key qualities of th

In recent years, as we’ve come to revere the Divine Feminine, we’ve replaced one set of rules (work yourself to the bone to prove that you can do the job as well as any man can) for another (drink green juice, wear crystals, and worship the moon and Mercury Retrograde to prove that you’re a good person). Somewhere in the mix of swapping one societal code for another, we’re still missing the point. You are the creator of your life. You are god in the flesh. You are a divine being, in charge of designing your own destiny. The power is inside of you. And you’ll never find it anywhere else. If you’re not yet as happy, healthy, whole, wealthy, successful, vibrant, or (fill in the blank), as you long to be…...maybe it’s time to admit that you’ve been looking for answers in all the wrong places. Will 2018 be the year that you finally take your power back? If your answer is “YES,” then I invite you to come on a journey with me. Beyond the land of “same-old, same-old,” and into the Realm of Extraordinary (aka The

Here we are...the finale of 2017. We made it. I both want to slap this year across the face and hug it tightly and thank it profusely. For breaking me down. For making me strong. For showing me who I am, and who I am not. And for so much more that I don’t have words for yet. For the past several months I’ve been in a deeply internal place. I’ve gone further inside than any other time in my life. While I’m still inside of this process, I wanted to peek my head out today to connect with you before we close for our annual holiday vacation. Today I’m inviting you into my hibernation space, where I’m sharing on the podcast: - What’s alive for me now at the end of two (beyond!) challenging years - Some reflections after turning 40 last month - The form of exercise that has helped me the most (physically and emotionally) - Two self-care rituals I’m loving - What my new daily rhythm looks like (it’s not what you’d expect!) - Health breakthroughs for any woman undergoing an autoimmune or mystery illness - New fro

There’s nothing quite like in-person connection to really feel a strong sense of community. That’s why today I’m excited to (for the second time this week!) do something a little bit differently on our podcast. For the first time, I’m inviting two members from our community into a conversation with me-- and all of you. Both are very cool women who are up to equally cool things in the world. If you haven’t met them already, it’s time you do. Meet Jennifer Racioppi, a gifted astrologer and women's coach. And Michelle Bloom, the owner of Bloom Retreat in the Bay Area. They both attended the SHE Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training in California this past April. In our conversation, we chat about: - How to shift away from a yoga & meditation practice that feels stuck, rigid, and forced to one that feels organic, flowing, and authentic - Ways to explore your sexuality in your spiritual practice so that you feel less “tight” in all areas of your life - Why Jenn renamed our training the “Mystic Rebels Gather

“If you choose to leave, you may never return,” her mother warned. “Who will I be if I stay?” Diana replied. And so begins Diana, Princess of the Amazon’s, Heroine’s Journey into the unknown to discover her true power. On a recent Friday evening, I went to see Wonder Woman: Rise of the Warrior with one of my girlfriends. Throughout the movie I’d smile and lean over to whisper in her ear, “I LOVE this movie!” And I know I’m not alone. Since Wonder Woman’s inception seventy-five years ago, she’s been the most beloved female superheroine of all time. Yet, after nearly a century, this is the first time she’s made her way to the big screen. I believe this is a sign: We all not only need this archetype now, but we’re ready for her. She holds the golden key for us to courageously be a whole new kind of woman. Today on the podcast I’m doing something a little differently. I’m sharing my take on the new movie, Wonder Woman. This archetype of a wise, sensual warrior is precisely the one we’ll be exploring and