In this conversation, I sit down with Life Practice Guide, Luke Wientzen, to explore the themes of presence, stillness, and the courage it takes to embrace our inner selves. We discuss the importance of Luke’s work in relational meditation, the impact of grief on personal growth, and the profound role that working with teachers who understand and embody stillness can have on our journeys. Through personal anecdotes and insights, we explore the dynamic nature of stillness and the significance of cultivating true presence in our daily lives.
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Luke’s purpose comes forth at the intersection of teaching, meditation and the art of attention. For over 20 years he has served as a guide, educator, and mentor in a range of settings. In 18 years as high school special ed teacher, he learned the uniqueness of every mind. For the past 17 years a yoga and breath guide, he has developed a unique and seasoned facilitation of body-heart-mind somatic experiencing, mindfully bridging movement and breathing arts. As co-founder of Our Breath Collective, he has shared meditative breath inquiry with over 2000 members and has trained over 350+ students and facilitators worldwide. Now, as a Living Practice guide, he helps people live with integrated and realized wholeness on the path of awakening to their true nature.
Rooted in two decades of practice and training in Zen, yoga, somatics, subtle body, breathwork, relational meditation and insight dialogue approaches, his work points to one radical truth: freedom is always available, right here.
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Explore Luke’s Offerings:
-Falling Open: A 4-Week Meditation Immersion
If you have been curious about coming on a retreat with me, definitely listen to this episode.
In this episode, I briefly reflect on the journey that led me to the decision of closing my era of hosting retreats in Costa Rica. Over the last year, the calling for a shift has become undeniable, and I'm excited to share more of that with you.
Tune in for a deeper understanding of why I host retreats, and for a glimpse into what’s next as my offers evolve to better serve the bodies, hearts, and minds of those in my community.
In this episode, I sit down with Reis Paluso + Luke Wientzen, founders of Our Breath Collective, a transformative breathwork company dedicated to bringing education, integrity, and authenticity to the breathwork industry.
Together, we explore what it means to work in this space with embodiment, humility, and confidence, drawing from our own human experiences.
Whether you're a participant or aspiring facilitator, this conversation offers powerful insights into creating impactful and ethical breathwork practices for yourself and your community.
Join Emily + Nico for a conversation on learning to open to, accept, and allow for everything we are as human beings, and to love ourselves for all that is.
Come with us on retreat where we'll continue this work through a variety of embodied meditation, breath, and somatic movement practices in the jungles of Costa Rica in February 2025.
Details on the retreat:
WILD HUMAN RETREAT 2/22-2/28 in Santa Teresa Costa Rica
Connect with Emily
- https://emilyblackwellyoga.com
Connect with Nico
- substack
It's been a while -- dropping a shorty episode here to catch you up on how I've been living + healing after heartbreak, more insight into my sabbatical from teaching Yoga, and how all of it deepened my understanding of the gift that is coming to know, accept, and embody our multidimensionality.
Links to all things:
NOVEMBER 2024 RETREAT (req. password. DM me)
Join Emily and Sex Educator, Britni Volkman aka PLEASUREBEL for an exciting + explorative conversation about how we can use sex as a portal for self-liberation, personal empowerment by practicing radical authenticity and embodying the truth of who we are and what we desire.
Connect with Britni for support + education on conscious + PLEASUREBEL sex: @britni_with_an_i // website coming soon
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Emily: @emilyblackwellyoga // https://emilyblackwellyoga.com
Join Emily Blackwell + Dustin Borlack as they speak to their work in vibrational medicine and embodied practices by sharing ways in which sound, breath, and movement can serve as potent catalysts for inner transformation and self-discovery.
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In this episode, we take a dive deep into their take on the profound synergy between sound and somatics and their transformative potential for healing, manifestation, self-awareness and self-expression, and work as pathways towards wholeness and personal empowerment.
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If this work speaks to you, Emily + Dustin invite you to explore + harness the magic and the power of sound and somatics to cultivate greater well-being, creativity, and authenticity in your life by joining them on their RHYTHM + BODY RETREAT happening April 19-21 in Saugatuck, MI.
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Find out more: https://emilyblackwellyoga.com/rhythm-and-body-retreat
Follow Dustin on IG: @dustydayo
Follow Emily on IG: @emilyblackwellyoga
If you're interested in joining us on our fourth retreat in Costa Rica, then you're going to want to listen to this episode.
For more details on the retreat, click here.
To join us in Michigan, email me emilyblackwellyoga@gmail.com
Click here to try explore The Sacred Space for free for 7 days
Aryn Evans (aryn love) [she/they] is an artist, lawyer, ceremonialist, and mindfulness guide [RYT 300]. Her work draws from nature wisdom, psychology, Yoga and Ayurveda, plant magic, and her lifelong study of spiritual traditions. Aryn is the creator and host of love space podcast (https://lovespace.buzzsprout.com).
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Drop into this episode to hear Aryn share about the role medicinal plants and play have guided her along her path as yoga and meditation teacher, mindfulness guide, spiritual coach, and all around rockstar of a human being with a heart of compassionate gold. If you are someone who has been curious about the positive power of plants and living in reciprocity with mother nature, you're going to love this episode.
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Connect with Aryn on Instagram: @arynevans and be sure to give her show @lovespacepodcast a listen!
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If you would like to do your own exploring with the modalities discussed in this episode, join Aryn and I on a mystical retreat for the 11/11 portal in the woods of Michigan November 10th-November 12th, 2023. Email us for more details. emilyblackwellyoga@gmail.com / arynevans@gmail.com
Investing in ourselves can be one of the most empowering things we can for our personal and professional growth. When we decide to take the leap and sign up for a training, program, or retreat that is going to help us grow, we're proclaiming to the universe (and ourselves) that we one: know we're worthy of it; and two: trust ourselves to follow through and show up for what we need to do to make our dreams come true.
In this episode I discuss my own personal experience with a sleazy + salesy business coach who showed me exactly how NOT to operate my business, as well as my experience and observations as a service provider who is a witness to the sacred + intimate process that we go through when the time comes to dive deep into self-trust and send over a large payment to someone or something that promises an improvement to our growth and well-being.
In this episode I discuss how we should never push or press anyone to do anything that doesn't feel right for them, especially if they're not in the right mindset, don't have the space in their schedule, or are struggling financially and how by *not* convincing those who aren't ready, we make space for those who are and those who can be fully present with what we're offering.
This by no means is meant to encourage you to not invest in yourself -- quite the opposite, really. I hope you walk away from listening to this episode feeling connected to the truth in your heart, and both inspired and empowered to make the decision that's right for you, whether that means holding off on what you want so that when you do decide to do it (whatever 'it' is) you feel super good about it; OR leaning into the fear that comes right before you take the next steps into your fullest potential.
Either way, I think you'll find that this episode will remind you that as long as you're really listening to your heart, being honest about what you find, and moving in the direction of that truth, that you'll experience a deepened connection to your intuition and an overarching expansion in your consciousness.
If the time is right for you, join The Embodied Yoga Teacher Mentorship
or if you just need to dip your toe in, join our membership community, The Sacred Space - free 7-day trial!
In this mini episode, we take a look into the deeper work that goes into creating and sustaining a Yoga business by breaking down an intensive session I had with a mentee. Listen in to hear how I helped guide her to uncover why she had been feeling stuck, avoidant, and resistant to creating content and promoting her offerings, and which steps to take to get unstuck and create meaningful content with ease.
Join The Embodied Yoga Teacher Mentorship:
https://emilyblackwellyoga.com/yogateachermentorship
Instagram: @emilyblackwellyoga
Join Emily and TomCat for a lighthearted and insightful update on all things life, business, and chats on spirituality.
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Upcoming Events:
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We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode. Sending love and gratitude to all.
Most self-sabotage happens at a subconscious level.
Meaning that so often, we’re completely unaware of how conditioned thoughts and behavior patterns are holding us back.
The first step to healing and breaking through these unconscious blocks is to develop practices of self-reflection and mindfulness, leading us towards self-awareness and raising our consciousness around how our behavior patterns are directly connected to the thoughts and beliefs that live in our minds.
The sad truth is that this is the step where so many stop on their journey– dead in their tracks– before they even get going. That's because it’s not the fun or sexy ‘meditate + radiate positive vibes only’ type of practice that is going to help us heal.
Breaking through deeply rooted self-beliefs requires a hard and honest look inward: a place where many are afraid to go. It can be painful to acknowledge where our blocks come from. And there are reasons for that.
Somewhere along the way, we learned to live in fear of being ourselves. And that if we allow ourselves to show up fully, that there are parts of us that will be rejected, shunned, or deem us unlovable. And that hurts.
But the thing about pain is that the only way out is through.
We have to breakthrough to break free.
Tune in to learn why I believe that Embodiment practices like Tantra, Breathwork, and Somatic Experiencing are our most powerful tools for healing, self-empowerment, and emotional liberation.
For 1:1 mentorship, reach out.
Stay connected:
Tune into this mini episode to familiarize yourself with the spiritual meaning behind the Summer Solstice and uncover ways to align with this fiery season of power and abundance.
Join us on our Rainforest retreat in Costa Rica September 8-14!
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Book before June 8 + save $100 // 8 spots available as of 5/11/22
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Tap emilyblackwellyoga.com/costaricaretreat for more details
The way we treat ourselves impacts everything we do. It affects the way we show up in the world, for others, and for ourselves. Negative self-talk is poison from the ego-mind. Tune into this episode to learn how to live from your heart, and how to build an unconditionally loving relationship to yourself no matter where you are on your journey.
For deeper 1:1 support, schedule a time to explore coaching + mentorship by clicking here.
Contact Emily: @emilyblackwellyoga | emilyblackwellyoga@gmail.com
Join us in Costa Rica September 9-14, 2022: subscribe for retreat updates here.
In today’s episode, we dive into my *favorite* modality for healing + transformation: Embodiment.
Learn about what embodiment means, what it means to embody the essence of who you are, and how to do just that. Embodiment is a practice of going down and in the body to uncover the truths that lie within us. It’s not always pretty, but it is transformational.
Listen to learn more.