For episode 60, we sit down with Functional Nutritionist, Andrea Nakayama to explore the gaps in the ever present conversation around longevity and health. Andrea posits that storytelling, meaning and fulfillment are essential to a life well lived. Andrea is a prolific writer and storyteller in her own right, crafting a newsletter called, ”Mending” and runs a book club called, ”The Longview” exploring the intersection of storytelling and health and longevity.  What we cover:  Andrea’s new terrain in longevity, meaning and the role of storytelling  Control vs influence Shift in perspective, a diagnosis isn’t a blame, fault overlay  Reimagining longevity: longevity, and a life well lived isn’t about length but about meaning, fulfillment The role of narrative medicine within health and functional medicine  Why pathologizing health is limiting and the role of storytelling in reclaiming health The role of interoception: how did this land and move within in me?   Exploring completion: how our loved ones carry on with us  Life and longevity, and legacy, and legacy can be defined however we wish to define it.  How longevity and storytelling have inspired Andrea’ vision and presence within the Functional Medicine realm  Why optimization at every turn Is limiting and draining vitality Connection has as many anti-inflammatory benefits as some of our top anti-inflammatory supplements Health and longevity has less to do with the things we take, things we do and things we measure  Andrea shares some of her non-food and health activities that feed our soul and turns us on  “Optimization tools are not appropriate for stabilization”  Mentions:  Andrea Nakayama website Share Blackie: Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin  Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to shift the way people relate and collaborate through radical responsibility, curiosity and emotional intelligence. You can follow her work HERE and follow her on social at www.instagram.com/elisamaryhaggarty and www.instagram.com/thesoulpodcast

Today we welcome Conscious Leadership Coach, Joyce Chen of the Conscious Leadership Group to the podcast. We traverse the land of wonder, and how to access it and what blocks our capacity to step into wonder. We also explore the role of a whole body yes and a whole body no as it relates to identifying and going after our wants, needs and aliveness. Joyce is a force of insight, wisdom and she offers much of her own personal journey through the lens of Conscious Leadership. This episode is for any human and leader seeking more congruence, aliveness and confidence to build an exquisite life.  We cover: What a side by side, conscious coaching relationship feels like and why it’s effective for both coach and client.  The role of wonder in a coach/client dynamic  How emotions unlock our capacity to step into wonder What a whole body yes is  The role reactivity can play in preventing wonder or preventing us from accessing a whole body yes The power of a pause to explore wonder and emotions Joyce reviews the five core emotions via CLG and what questions we can ask to explore their inteligence How a whole body yes opens up a landscape of opportunity and choice  Joyce encourages listeners to step into exploring what needs to change/shift from a whole body no to a whole body yes The journey Joyce took while at Meta in honing her interest and love for Conscious Leadership principles Joyce encourages people leaders and managers to really become aware of being in a whole body yes or no state, and the ”reckoning inside of us” when we are out of alignment with our work  The role of the socialized self in development and how it can hinder our knowing and desire in adulthood  Our innate knowing and wisdom around what we want and how we can use sensations, pause and emotions to connect more deeply with ourselves Both Joyce and Elisa share their fears around life milestones and model stepping into wonder  References: Gay and Katie Hendricks, The Hendricks Institute Whole Body Yes via The Conscious Leadership Group  Peter Hawkins on side by side coaching approach  Martha Beck  Please click here to follow and learn more about The Conscious Leadership Group. You can follow Joyce Chen on Instagram @joycechen_coaching and here on LinkedIn. Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach and host of The School of Unlearning podcast. She coaches leaders and teams to step into radical responsibility and strengthen relational connection.

Elisa Haggarty and Justin Mulvaney explore the origin story of their upcoming event, ”Loving Challenger: A Playground for Radical Aliveness” which takes place on February 8th in NYC. If you notice a surge of curiosity and aliveness listening to this episode, click here to check out the event and apply to be in person with Elisa and Justin exploring big questions and practicing new ways of being.  In this episode Elisa and Justin cover:  Where the idea of ”Loving Challenger” comes from What the term ”coach body” means and how this workshop on February 8th illuminates and shapes your ”coach body” Who this event is for and how to know if you are ready to step into this Conscious Leadership playground Who this event is not for  The importance of being willing to show up and play vs sit back and learn  The importance of play and aliveness in coaching and life  The structure and container for the event  How exploring our emotional worlds will be a part of the event  Intentions for showing up on February 8th  To register for this in person event on February 8th in NYC, at Fabrik, please click here. Use the discount code, ”FRIEND75” for $75 off.

In this episode, Justin Mulvaney who is a Conscious Leadership Coach and peer/friend of mine takes the microphone and interviews Elisa on her recent experience at The Integrity Bootcamp with The Conscious Leadership Group.  If you are seeking aliveness and alignment in your life and in the workplace, this episode lays out the pillars of integrity based on the work of The Conscious Leadership Group. You will hear how learning how to give/receive critical and appreciative feedback and the power of congruence are the foundations of integrity and aliveness.  Elisa and Justin dive into:  Integrity is about energetic aliveness and congruence, it’s not a moral or ethical.  The tenets of feedback via CLG framework Feedback is a gift and a pathway towards connection, learning and is also for the collective.  When receiving feedback, ask, ”how is it true?”  The feedback that Elisa received that lit her up and also challenged her Justin explains how we can receive the feedback without needing to change/create/solve for the feedback, let it land.  ”You’ve never met another person, you’ve only met your story of them.” Byron Katie  What our ”racket” is according to CLG and how we use our racket to cover up discomfort and vulnerability.  How feeling feelings to completion unlocks aliveness and creative energy  How fear and anger and sexual energy are connected  What a projection is and how we ”x” out what we don’t accept in ourselves and in others.  Congruence: your inner world is matched by your outer expression and how this ”noticing and matching” is the foundation of aliveness and integrity  ”We are either getting more transparent or more opaque.” Jim Dethmer  What a ”Whole Body Yes” and ”Whole Body No” is and why this is connected to aliveness.  Elisa and Justin explore the questions: ”What am I willing to risk to experience full aliveness?” and, ”What are you not willing to risk to experience full aliveness?”.  Elisa and Justin share critical and appreciative judgements for each other at the end. ”Coaching is only as powerful as we honoring aliveness in our lives. The Coaching happens outside of the coaching for everyone.” Justin Mulvaney ”Leadership isn’t learned in the workshop, it’s learned in the work.” Kristen Lisanti  ”The idea that the healing is here for the client is part of the illness” Deb Katz Click here to learn more about the work of The Hendricks Institute.  To learn more about Justin Mulvaney, click here to follow his work. Justin is a Conscious Leadership Coach and a powerful force for founders who want to create and run business with aliveness and integrity.  Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to shift the way people relate and collaborate through radical responsibility, curiosity and emotional intelligence. You can follow her work HERE and follow her on social media.

Today’s episode is the fourth in a five part series on relationships and we sit down with Somatic Coach and Practitioner, Sarah Coxon. Sarah connects the dots between her first love, archeology and the work she does now to help people reclaim their power through somatic practices. Our conversation traverses many spaces, and brings us all closer to understanding, and feeling empowered about the healing path. Unlike many practitioners, Sarah doesn’t hyperfocus on the trauma, instead, she uses practices and present moment awareness to address what is here now. Sarah offers us gem after gem and posits that perhaps moving toward joy and aliveness can be a powerful pathway to healing.  How Sarah’s background in archeology has shaped her worldview, and how it influences her work in Somatic Coaching The link between nature and our own internal growth and healing  Sarah connects the dots for us on how our leaps in technology have surpassed our own biological and psychological capacities to handle them  Context in archeology is foundational, we are always looking at the context to understand a finding or a pattern in history and Sarah helps us see this through the lens of Somatic Coaching  Sarah reveals how our lack of curiosity, largely influenced by our need to know and technology, has impacted our capacity to think, feel and stay connected. Sarah shares her insights on her evolution in coaching which started 8 years ago  and how she thinks of her role now in holding space for whatever wants to be felt/seen/expressed now Sarah uses a beautiful metaphor of embracing the tidal rhythms of life through grief and other complex emotions  How culture doesn’t teach self-trust, how early on we are told to trust authorities and this can lead to disembodiment and lack of inner knowing and trust How attunement is a muscle we must deepen for our relationships, and how it begins with our bodies and going slower than we think we need to  Elisa and Sarah discuss that even leaders feel fear and disempowerment and the sooner we can develop empathy for their experience, the closer we get to a more connected workforce To learn more about sarah and her podcast, books and offerings, visit www.drsarahcoxon.com and follow her at www.instagram.com/drsarahcoxon  Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to shift the way people relate and collaborate through radical responsibility, curiosity and emotional intelligence. You can follow her work HERE and follow her on social at www.instagram.com/elisamaryhaggarty and www.instagram.com/thesoulpodcast

In episode 55 on The School of Unlearning podcast, the theme of relationships is explored as it relates to rituals and physical spaces in nature. This conversation builds on a five part relationship focus and grounds us back in our bodies and in to the natural world around us as we find our center and slow our pace down, all in the effort to be more attuned to our needs and those around us. Our guest is Functional Medicine Practitioner and Clinical Herbalist Educator and Practitioner, Megan Liebmann-Gudat. Megan specializes in helping women in the peri-menopause and menopause stages of life and health through dietary, lifestyle and mindset approaches.  In this podcast, we discuss:  How to zoom out of the singular obsession of romantic relationships and move into a broader view of how to manifest love in life.  Elisa and Megan discuss why the “eradicate” approach with chronic health conditions isn’t working or healing.  Megan shares how our dialogue with our symptoms and ailments is foundational and the most powerful way to embark on a healing path. Megan asks us to invite a conversation with our symptoms to the table?  How we can match our environment with our biology and what this does for our health.  Relationship to space: Megan highlights how we can cultivate trust to a space, which she says is often one of our first relationships.   Megan introduces a “sits spot” which is a space she brings her children to a few times a year to notice seasonal changes and shifts in the terrain.  We cover what an “access point” is in healthcare and how knowing where to begin is maybe the most important thing.  Pacing and our relationship to slowness help improve our ability to be present and notice what is arising.  Top 10 Takeaways:  When dealing with chronic health conditions, move beyond “eradication” and dip into curiosity and conversation with the condition and it’s symptoms.  Being in relationship to the healing is more important than the protocol itself.  Our first relationship to trust is often our relationship with a physical space, a home.  A powerful way to be in relationship with physical spaces is to do what Megan calls a “sits spot” is an activity of mindfulness and noticing. Find one spot in nature and sit with it as the seasons change, draw and document what changes. One way to mitigate the feeling of loneliness is to integrate other ways of bringing spiritual practices in, starting with nature or outdoor spaces. Realizing that we are not in fact alone.  Megan reminds us that we can’t speed up nature, so making a practice of keeping seasonal journal for your surrounding environment is a powerful way to bring presence into your life. This practice slows us down.  Take what you think you can do and divide it in two and take what you think you need and times it by 3.  Megan on embracing slowness: a major theme from all of the relationship podcasts so far has been pacing. And, Megan doubles down on how our pacing impacts our ability to connection.  Attunement matters when we consider how to shift our relationship to health, and this begins with a slowing down.  Access point is everything for practitioners of health and change. And, the access point is figuring out where the person is willing to shift, and that begins the great conversation and practice of healing.  Follow Megan on Instagram at @meganliebmann_ and for more on her body of work, visit www.amethystandrose.com Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to shift the way people relate and collaborate through radical responsibility, curiosity and emotional intelligence. You can follow her work HERE and follow her on social at www.instagram.com/elisamaryhaggarty and www.instagram.com/thesoulpodcast

Today’s episode is the second in a five part series on relationships. Our guest and thought partner in this conversation is Kristen Lisanti who coaches and trains transformational leaders. After 20 years of cultivating healthy, high-performing cultures in organizations around the world, she now builds the capabilities of her clients to do the same. Kristen hosts Radiant Leader, a community of practice for transformational leaders, and immersive leadership development retreats and programs, including her mindful leadership cohort, Momentum. She lives outside New York City. This is one of my favorite conversations on the podcast yet - and it’s an exploration of the human experience and the beauty of how our work can be fuel for our growth - and that in seeing work and career evolution as a pathway towards personal ascension and radical acceptance, we are never not in learning mode. Kristen walks us through her new framework for the 3 traps that keep leaders stuck in transitional leadership and how we use attunement and self-awareness to avoid these traps and step into the dynamic conversation of transformational leadership.  Top 10 Take aways:  We exist in relationship to one another  - we are always interbeing and interbecoming.  We do not change other people. The only thing we can do is work on and within ourselves.  The 3 traps of transactional leadership are 1. The Compliant Trap. 2. The Controlling Trap and 3. The Knowing Trap.  Transformational leadership has nothing to do with your role or seniority and everything to do with relating to a purposeful vision and creating conditions for the team to achieve that vision.  Attuning ourselves and the people around us is essential for transformational leadership.  Change is not a sprint. Change is not a marathon. Change is infinite.  The case for efficiency and effectiveness is slowing down.   “Perfectionism is not perfection. Perfect is not a thing. Completeness is not a thing. Everything is always iterating and evolving forever.” STOP, a classic mindfulness practice helps us move away from reactivity and creates space - in turn, opening us up the option of choice.  Check in with yourself - are you in a story that you didn’t write?  Follow Kristen at @kristenlisanti and @radiantleader.co and for more on her body of work, visit www.kristenlisanti.com Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to shift the way people relate and collaborate through radical responsibility, curiosity and emotional intelligence. You can follow her work at www.instagram.com/elisamaryhaggarty and www.instagram.com/thesoulpodcast

This is a special tribute to my late father, Jim Haggarty. Dad passed away on November 2nd 2022 after a valiant battle with Benson’s Syndrome, a visual variant of Dementia.  Tune into to hear Elisa celebrate her father and learn more about the man who left quite the mark on the people around him.  ”Dad was one of one, a singular force of love and I’m so grateful to have been his daughter.”  Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to shift the way people relate and collaborate through radical responsibility, curiosity and emotional intelligence. You can follow her work at www.instagram.com/elisamaryhaggarty and www.instagram.com/thesoulpodcast

This is the first episode in a five part series on relationships and we begin with an in depth look at relational rupture & repair with Somatic Therapist and Relational Psychotherapist, Jordan Dann.  ”The best thing we get to do on this planet is be in relationship. And it’s the only thing we aren’t taught how to do.” Jordan Dann Covering a wide array of topics and tools within rupture & repair, Jordan Dann provides insight into attainment, slowing down, the role of a therapist and client - and how we can begin to reimagine conflict as not a barrier, but as a bridge to connection.  Here are the top 10 take aways from this beautifully insightful conversation:  Attunement begins with being present.  Most people’s idea of slow is still really fast. Half speed is still so fast. Going slower, at quarter speed at any activity, opens up the landscape of choice.  A bid is a reach for connection. When we miss bids of attention, this is when ruptures occur. The Gottmans say that couples who are masterful at rupture and repair cycles, have 80% satisfaction and wellbeing in their relationships.  You have to allow the repair to be a singular event, and not another log on the bonfire of resentment. Your reception and “thank you” and being able to fully let it go and move forward is as important as saying, “I’m sorry.” Our attachment system is really forgiving. Ed Tronick cites in his research that we only need to be in attunement 20-30% of the time. Our attachment system is really forgiving in that respect.  All conflict is in essence, an objection over difference. ”Until you understand what’s running the show, you aren’t running the show, your unconscious is. Explore the enmeshment of your origin family and how a lack of differentiation is impacting your ruptures.” Jordan Dann BRING play and laughter more into the rupture and repair cycle: couples lay down on the ground while arguing, it helps de escalate the issue. When repairs go well, we can celebrate with each other. This is how you create a story about how you fight, if you celebrate and review the success of it.  We need models of health relationships, of ones who have ruptures and repair. We spend far too much time commiserating vs seeking out and being with others who repair well.  Specific appreciation is essential. And in order to be specific, we must be present and attuned.  For more on Jordan’s work, follow her on Instagram www.instagram.com/jordandann and check out her offerings at www.jordandann.com  References:  Ed Tronick research: ”The Still Face Experiment”  The Gottman Institute Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to shift the way people relate and collaborate through radical responsibility, curiosity and emotional intelligence. You can follow her work at www.instagram.com/elisamaryhaggarty and www.instagram.com/thesoulpodcast

A solo episode with Elisa who shares her insights and own unlearning about running a podcast.  You’ll hear a review of top quotes from guests and also a preview of what is to come with a new series on Relationships coming soon.  “I am unlearning that I always know in the moment what is good or bad. The present is always changing our stories about the past. We have the ability to change the past because we have a different relationship with it, based on our present day.” Connor Carrick, Episode 1  “Unlearning is the ultimate act of humility for me. It is the surrender to the fact that everything and everyone is a teacher, and everyone and everything is a student.” Claude Silver, Episode 15  ”What I feel when I hear the word unlearning, I feel a relief, a softening, a permission. And, what I think about it is that if we have some intact culture and some experience at all with elder-hood, and what it may be to be near someone who are true elders, or many people or who are true elders, there wouldn’t be so much we have to unlearn, we could trust the learning that we did.” Kimberly Ann Johnson, Episode 22 ”Unlearning in degrees matters.” Kate Fagan And, Elisa previews an upcoming episode with Jordan Dann which will be released on June 13th.  Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with executives and teams to create more collaborative and radical responsible leaders in the workplace. Follow her podcast at @thesoulpodcast and @elisamaryhaggarty  www.elisamaryhaggarty.com

In our first ever podcast swap, I sit down with Ed Haynes, a Crossfit and Performance Coach based in Hong Kong. Ed interviews me and I interview him in this candid conversation where we discuss unlearning some of our biggest roadblocks around people pleasing, growth mindset and how to better connect with people.  In this episode, we cover:  - Elisa’s origin story of unlearning - How this podcast came to be - What Ed is currently unlearning about people pleasing and boundaries  - The important of learning to sit with silence and space within conversations  - How Ed uses growth mindset - Can growth come within our comfort zone? - Why being calm isn’t necessarily the goal or a sign of a regulated nervous system - How to work with stress  - How to help clients work through emotions and glean the insights they bring  - How Ed has used mindset and fitness to grow  - How defensiveness is the first sign of war - How to know what a full body yes and full body no sounds like  - How much do we really need to work within a given week? What comes up when we have easier/lighter workload days? To learn more about Ed, visit his website at www.theprocessprogramming.com Subscribe to Ed’s podcast, ”The Process Podcast” on Apple and Spotify. Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who helps leaders and team break drama patterns and form a more emotionally attuned world that leads to connection and innovation. To learn more about her, visit www.elisamaryhaggarty.com

What is life anyway? What makes life good? What brings us alive? Who said we need a 5 year plan anyway?  Today, I press record in a spontaneous moment of breaking patterns, unlearning perfection and tackle what’s top of mind for me.  Join me in this 7 minute podcast! Take aways:  - How the pressure we put on ourselves to create a meaningful/perfect life suffocates us and robs us of what life is here to show us - It’s a big deal to be alive on this planet  - How our phones take us elsewhere, never fully here in the moment - Be more awkward - Compliment people more - Pet more dogs who seem eager  - Relax into your life instead of trying to build an ideal life - Spark conversation with strangers in life  - When you can, make eye contact with strangers - it makes a big difference  - In a society that stresses autonomy and control, we may not have as much control as we think - Following the breadcrumbs help heighten attention to your needs and what the world is giving you Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach and a cat mom who finds joy in noticing what’s beautiful and sharing it. You can learn more about her work here.

It turns our breathing isn’t just about staying alive - it is a state/energy management tool that helps us regulate, get grounded, get fired up and recover. For episode 48 on The School of Unlearning, Avid Greenberg joins us to discuss his path to becoming a Wim Hoff Certified Breathwork Instructor. Avi spent years in the corporate world feeling less than optimal and fulfilled and finally followed his intuition to make the jump into becoming an entrepreneur and we are so glad he did. Avi has led thousands of people and groups through hot/cold contrast therapy and breath-work exercises and in this episode he walks us through the benefits for embracing the breath consciously - and why humans of all kind would benefit by embracing this tool. Avi and I also discuss how breathwork has been used in the NBA and professional sports worlds so that athletes can regulate themselves in order to gain a competitive advantage. We jam on the Knicks - his favorite team - and what parallels we both see in the corporate world and sports organizations as leadership principles evolve and become more human centric.  In this episode we cover:  Avi’s entrance to hot/cold contract and breath-work The benefits of embracing breath-work consciously  Why long slow exhales help us regulate and feel more grounded  What NBA superstars like Steph Curry and Lebron James are using the breath to level up their performance during timeouts  What overlap we see in the corporate world and sports organizations in leadership To learn more about Avi, visit his site at www.avigreenberg.com and follow him on IG @avilu  Elisa Haggarty is a Conscious Leadership Coach who helps leaders and teams break relational drama patters through play and curiosity.  To learn more about her work, visit www.elisamaryhaggarty.com

How is emotional literacy different than emotional intelligence? Why do we need both? Have you ever had the inkling that you may play some part in the relational drama you see unfolding at work or in relationships? Today on the podcast, we welcome Conscious Leadership and Executive Coach, Justin Mulvaney. Justin shares his origin story into coaching and the deep work he is doing on his end to play with the principles of Conscious Leadership. This episode is for anyone looking to better understand emotional intelligence and how to take radical responsibility for their lives. Today we cover:  Justin’s early influences in nature and key influences The journey from tech industry to coaching  Why Justin chose The Conscious Leadership Group as the method he wanted to embrace and learn  What has changed Justin the most throughout his training with CLG and coaching clients over the past few years How Justin defines emotional intelligence  How and why the journey of embracing consciousness is messy and scary at times  How to examine reactive patterns and beliefs  How to feel your feelings to completion

In this episode, Gay Hendrick brings his life and professional wisdom to the podcast and shows us how we can turn criticism into creativity. In one of the more powerful podcast episodes I’ve ever recorded, Gay helps empower us to understand that beyond name, form, career - we are pure consciousness and helps us understand how taking responsibility for our thoughts and habits can change our lives. Gay shares his breakthroughs early on in life and helps us connect the dots between generational trauma - and, what we can do about creating new generational patterns.  Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., has been a leader in the fields of relationship transformation and bodymind therapies for more than 45 years. After earning his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Stanford, Gay served as professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Colorado for 21 years. He has written more than 40 books, including bestsellers such as Five Wishes, The Big Leap and Conscious Loving (co-authored with his co-author and mate for more than 35 years, Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks), both used as a primary text in universities around the world. His latest book, The Genius Zones and explores his breakthrough process to end negative thinking and live in true creativity. Today we cover:  Gay’s early life influences, including his grandparents and how the months prior to his birth influenced his relationship to emotions, food and self.  Gay’s encounter with Ram Das in his early 20’s and how this planted seeds for continued growth  How Gay defines enlightenment  Gay shares why recommitment needs more press  The role of self-blame and criticism and how they color and block creativity  How we can nurture ourselves into creativity and expansion Why taking radical responsibility for your life isn’t about blame How taking responsibly is both invigorating and creative!  How do view each decade in clinical psychology  The role of our family’s generational trauma and experiences in our current lives  What congruence is and why it’s so important for aliveness Why emotions are essential for us to embrace who we really are Gay offers news ways to view emotions like anger and fear  What Gay is currently unlearning  To learn more about Gay and Katie Hendricks, visit: https://hendricks.com

Dr. Joan Rosenberg, the author of ”90 Seconds to a Life You Love” joins us for episode 45 and shares part of her personal journey from childhood that inspired her to pursue emotional mastery. The desire for confidence, authenticity and belonging lies within our capacity to sit with both pleasant and unpleasant emotions and Joan Rosenberg PhD teaches us how to do that in this episode.  We review the Rosenberg Reset which lays out the steps towards emotional confidence and why congruence is so essential to our wellbeing. This podcast episode is ripe with insight, moments you won’t want to miss and will leave you feeling more empowered to live life more fully.

If you are confused about women’s hormone health or what foods fuel inflammation, this podcast episode is for you. Dr. Soyona Rafatjah, a board certified Family Physician and the Founder of Prime Health in Denver, CO. joins us for episode 44 on The School of Unlearning podcast. We discuss her origin story and what fueled her to embrace the tenets of Functional and Integrative Medicine and why women’s thyroid health is so importance for metabolic and immune function. Dr. Rafatjah helps us understand the power and importance of informed consent and how most medical science and pharmaceuticals are designed for men. Women’s health involving stress management, toxins and dietary modifications are baseline for Dr. Rafatjah and this episode is filled with clinical gems.

If you’ve ever been told you are too sensitive or struggle to work with highly sensitive people - this podcast is for you. Kelsey and I explore the wisdom of our emotions and how we can work with them vs react blindly to them. Kelsey Fox Bennett Boyd is an Educator, Brain Gym Consultant and Author. Kelsey has been working with kids and adults, with a specialization in supporting the highly sensitive, for over a decade. In this podcast episode we introduce concepts like emotional regulation, bi-lateral stimulation and help make a case for highly sensitive people. Kelsey has written a book called, Arya & Everyone Else’s Feelings, which celebrates sensitivity and empowers readers to release the weight of other people’s feelings and feel safe and protected as they support those they care about most. Information on the kickstarter to support this invaluable book is below!  On this episode we cover: Kelseys childhood and how it shaped her inner world What being a brain gym consultant is and why we all need one Kelseys health and life challenges early on that led her to embrace the mind/body connection What it means to be highly sensitive and how to work with it  The power and meaning of emotions  How to create new neural pathways  What emotional regulation is  What Kelsey is unlearning

On episode 42 for The School of Unlearning I welcome with my twin sister, Catherine Haggarty. Catherine is a Brooklyn based artist, teacher, curator and co-founder of the NYC Crit Club.Catherine walks us through her days in childhood where she learned to make things from what she found and by embracing her imagination. We reminisce on our early memories together and the influence that our Mom and Dad had on us as found solace in art and in sports. It’s a sweet episode that gets fiery at times as we discuss and challenge the narratives around art, education and entrepreneurship.  This episode is dedicated to our late father, Jim Haggarty who lead with love and curiosity throughout our entire lives and to our Mom, who showed us what perseverance and enduring love looks like.  We cover: Catherine’s early influences growing up How Mom and Dad shaped and nudged each of us How language and words can shape and influence a young child  Unlearning how we box ourselves into identities too quickly and too soon in life  Why we should ditch the pursuit of ”being good at things”  How Catherine found her voice in college and decided to pursue art school abroad in Rome, Italy.  The benefits for Catherine in not necessarily having a lot of models in the art world early on. Why making art will always be #1 for Catherine  What Catherine is actively unlearning these days To learn more about Catherine’s work, visit her site at www.catherinehaggarty.com

Lauren Fleshman joins us today and it’s rich and warm conversation - filled with an enduring message of hope for the future of sports. Lauren has coined the phrase, “the performance wave” which helps young women going through their menstrual cycle and normal hormonal changes to understand and even embrace the ebbs and flows of their performance. Lauren encourages her readers through her book to understand that if they stay the course and listen to their bodies needs, the best is yet to come. Lauren Fleshman shares what she Is actively unlearning and highlights her first book, which is a NY Times best seller, “Good for A Girl: A Woman running in a Man’s World.”  Show notes:  How Lauren’s childhood in LA influenced her life  The most influential people in Lauren’s life and how they shaped her sense of self  What finding your “race weight” meant for young athletes and how the “diet culture” shaped hormone health, mental health and performance  What pisses Lauren off about the sports culture and women’s health  Lauren presents the notion of “the performance wave” as it relates to younger women going through natural processes such as menstruation Why reclaiming your body and running for one’s self is so important to Lauren  How the “athlete mindset” can both help and hider people post career as they find ways The role that capitalism plays in repressing feelings Lauren’s advice to women How Lauren defines unlearning