I sat down with Mackenna Mastrud, owner of Inner Loop Acupuncture and what emerged was a deep conversation about authenticity - not just who we love, but what happens when we finally stop editing ourselves to fit into the expectations of everyone else.

Mackenna shares, perhaps more publicly than she has before, about being queer, pansexual, and polyamorous. Rather than rushing into those labels, we gave the conversation room to breathe. We explored what safety feels like, why authentic expression matters for our wellbeing, and how healing often begins when someone simply gives us permission to exist as we are.

Whether or not you share Mackenna’s experiences, I think you’ll find something familiar here. At its heart, this is a conversation about being human.

In this episode we explore...

🌿 Why authenticity is a form of wellness. What happens in our bodies, relationships, and lives when we no longer have to hide parts of ourselves.

🏳️‍🌈 The difference between acceptance and agreement. How we can hold space for one another without needing everyone to think or live the same way.

💬 Communication as a healing practice. Why honest conversations, clear boundaries, and learning to express our needs might be some of the most underrated wellness tools we have.

🤝 What inclusion actually feels like. The subtle difference between being tolerated and walking into a space where your shoulders finally relax because you know you belong.

❤️ Polyamory through the lens of relationships - not stereotypes. Mackenna offers a thoughtful perspective on communication, boundaries, community, and why she experiences polyamory as part of her queer identity.

🪞 The stories we inherit. How family, culture, religion, and society shape the way we understand ourselves, and what it looks like to gently question those narratives.

✨ Holding space instead of making people wrong. Again and again, we returned to one simple idea: healing often begins when someone says, “You don’t have to become someone else to belong here.”

One moment that stayed with me was when Mackenna said that all most people are really asking for is the space to exist without being made wrong for who they are.

I don’t think that’s just true for the queer community.

I think it’s true for all of us.

I’d love to hear what resonated with you after you listen. As always, thank you for spending part of your day with us and for being here.

— Karen

We also mentioned Mic.hael Gurian’s work around the 5 chambers of gender/identify - learn more here

In honor of Pride Month, I sat down with yoga teacher and community builder Kayla Egresi to talk about the intersection of queerness and wellness.

What unfolded was a thoughtful conversation about identity, belonging, accessibility, and what it means to create spaces where people don’t have to explain themselves to feel welcome.

Kayla shares her journey from college rugby player to yoga teacher, how an ACL injury unexpectedly opened the door to deeper healing, and the lessons she’s learned about authenticity, community, and showing up fully as herself.

In this episode, we explore:

🌈 Why representation in wellness spaces matters more than many people realize

🧘 How trauma-informed teaching is about creating choice and autonomy

🏉 The surprising similarities between rugby and yoga - and what both taught Kayla about belonging

💭 The pressure to be “palatable” and the freedom that comes from realizing you’re not meant for everyone

🏳️‍🌈 What it feels like to move through the world wondering whether a space is truly safe, and the small signals that can make all the difference

🤝 How businesses and community spaces can move beyond performative inclusion and embody their values in practice

If you’re a wellness practitioner, community builder, business owner, or anyone navigating the journey of becoming more fully yourself, you’ll love this one.

Listen in for a heartfelt conversation about identity, healing, courage, and creating spaces where people can finally take a deep breath.

Follow Kayla @intentionyoga -

https://www.intentionyogallc.com/

Thanks for reading Finding My Frequency by Frequency Wellness Space! This post is public so feel free to share it.

There’s something really powerful about sitting with someone who doesn’t pretend to have all the answers.

That’s what stood out to me most in my conversation with Dr. Katie Barbaccia.

Katie is a naturopathic doctor here in Rochester, and throughout this conversation we talk about medicine, chronic illness, burnout, body literacy, nervous system healing, and the complicated relationship so many of us have with productivity and wellness. But underneath all of those topics was something even bigger: the idea that healing often begins when we finally slow down enough to actually listen to ourselves.

What I appreciated so much about Katie is that she doesn’t position herself as someone standing outside the experience of struggle. Her own journey with autoimmune disease shaped the way she approaches care and the way she supports others. There’s so much honesty in the way she talks about navigating symptoms, trying to understand her body, and eventually finding a path toward medicine that felt more human, collaborative, and rooted in trust.

One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when we talked about how uncomfortable it can feel to do less.

To rest, to stop adding, to not constantly optimize yourself all the time. Sometimes the best medicine is actually NOT to add anything new in.

We talked about how deeply conditioned so many of us are to believe that healing must look productive. That if we’re not fixing, building, improving, or pushing, then somehow we’re failing. And yet sometimes the most supportive thing for our bodies is quiet. Space. Sleep. Simplicity.

Katie also shares the idea of “body literacy”, where she helps people better understand their own bodies instead of feeling disconnected from them or intimidated by medical systems. It’s not just about treatment. It’s about helping people feel informed, empowered, and included in their own care.

This episode was a reminder that wellness isn’t about perfection.It’s not about having everything figured out.And sometimes the people guiding others through healing are still actively walking their own path too.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from your body…Overwhelmed by health information…Burnt out from constantly trying to “fix” yourself…Or simply craving a gentler conversation around wellness and healing…

I think this episode will really resonate with you.

Thanks for reading Finding My Frequency by Frequency Wellness Space! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Finding My Frequency by Frequency Wellness Space is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

There are some conversations where I walk in with a roadmap.A list of questions.A sense of where we’re headed.

And then there are conversations like this one.

My conversation with Caren Calamita unfolded in real time, full of unexpected turns, stories, laughter, honesty, and moments that made me stop and think long after we wrapped recording.

Caren’s path has taken her from Washington D.C. to China, from refugee resettlement work to public education, from burnout and heartbreak to tarot, Reiki, and coaching neurodivergent adults. What struck me most was how none of those experiences felt disconnected from one another. Listening to her speak, you can hear how every chapter built toward the work she does now.

At one point in the episode, Caren describes her coaching work by saying:“I write IEPs for grownups.”

That felt like such a clear way to understand what she’s doing now!

We talk about the realities of education systems, advocacy, neurodivergence, creativity, and the ways so many adults are left trying to figure themselves out without real support. We also talk about tarot- not as something mystical and untouchable - but as a tool for reflection, healing, and understanding yourself differently.

This episode also became something else entirely: a conversation about reinvention. About what happens when the life you built no longer fits. About learning to trust yourself enough to start over. About giving yourself permission to explore what feels aligned, even when it doesn’t make sense to everyone else.

There’s so much openness in the way Caren moves through the world. A willingness to stay curious. To try things. To keep evolving.

And I think you’ll feel that throughout this conversation.

If you’ve ever felt pulled in many directions…If you’ve ever questioned whether your different interests could actually belong together…If you’ve ever had to rebuild your life after burnout, grief, or change…This episode is for you.

I’m so grateful we get to witness and support people like Karen inside the Frequency community.

Listen to the full episode of Finding My Frequency wherever you tune in.

Thanks for reading Finding My Frequency by Frequency Wellness Space! This post is public so feel free to share it.

There are some conversations that gently rearrange the way you see the world.

This was one of them.

In this episode of Finding My Frequency, I sat down with Rachel Crawford - an astrologer, a storyteller, and a new member of our community at Frequency Wellness Space - who is reimagining her work through Nova House Astrology.

What unfolded wasn’t just a conversation about astrology.

It was a conversation about perspective.About relationship.About the quiet ways we’ve always been guided, whether we realize it or not.

Looking Up Before Looking Within

Rachel’s relationship with astrology didn’t begin with charts.

It began with the sky.

As a fisherman’s daughter growing up on the Jersey Shore, the stars weren’t abstract—they were practical. They shaped decisions. They influenced tides. They determined where and when life happened.

The moon wasn’t symbolic, it moved water.The stars weren’t decorative, they were directional.

And that grounding is what makes Rachel’s approach so compelling.

She doesn’t treat astrology as something that tells you who you are.

She treats it as something that helps you notice.

Patterns.Timing.Relationship.

Astrology as Relationship, Not Definition

One of the most powerful reframes Rachel offered is this:

Your chart isn’t just about you.

It holds your relationships: your parents, your children, your coworkers, your past, your environment. Everyone who shapes your story lives there, too.

Astrology, in her lens, is relational.

It’s not:

“This is who you are.”

It’s:

“This is how you relate.”

To yourself.To others.To the world moving around you.

And that shift matters.

Because instead of boxing you in, it opens you up.

The Space Between Science and Story

There’s a moment in the conversation where we sit in something I’ve been feeling more and more lately:

The line between science and what we often call “woo” isn’t as clear as we think.

We know the moon affects tides.We know gravitational pull changes water levels.We know planetary cycles repeat over time.

And yet…

We hesitate to explore what meaning might live inside those patterns.

Rachel doesn’t ask you to believe anything blindly.

She invites curiosity.

To notice that Venus shines brighter than any star in the sky—and ask why we’ve always associated it with beauty.

To look at Mars: red, intense, unmistakable—and understand why it’s been linked to aggression and action.

A Living, Moving System

Another thing that struck me:

Astrology isn’t fixed.

It’s in motion.

Your birth chart is a starting point—but everything continues to shift. Planets move. Angles change. Relationships evolve.

Even something like “retrograde”, which so many of us have heard about - is simply about perspective.

From where we stand on Earth, it looks like a planet is moving backward.

But it isn’t.

Which begs the question:

How much of what we experience is shaped by where we’re standing?

The Story We’re Always Inside Of

If there’s one thing I took from this conversation, it’s this:

We are always inside a story.

A story shaped by time, by relationship, by movement - both ours and everything around us.

Astrology, at its best, doesn’t define that story.

It helps us see it more clearly.

And maybe, if we’re paying attention, It helps us choose how we want to move within it.

If this conversation sparked something in you—curiosity, skepticism, wonder, or even resistance—I think that’s exactly the point.

You don’t have to believe in the stars to look up.

But you might find something meaningful if you do.

—Listen to the full episode of Finding My Frequency wherever you tune in.

Thanks for reading Finding My Frequency by Frequency Wellness Space! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Finding My Frequency by Frequency Wellness Space is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

For Eli Harrigon, after just one session of guided breathwork, he was all in. He found the sessions profound and left him with a sense of both profound calm, and also a connection to things deep within himself.

That initial session sparked a passion that has led him to offer the practice to others.

As profound and deep as Eli has found the work for himself, you’ll hear, he struggles a bit to find a comfortable way to find his place as the facilitator of the work. Always careful not to let his ego take over - something he seems acutely aware of after working around actors and photographers most of his life - he is ever careful of not centering himself too much.

Eli comes slowly and timidly into the spotlight to talk about how is, what he does and how he got here. I let this conversation wander and to be honest I took up a lot more space in the dialogue than normal. It was a fun detour and I’m happy for you to hear two people working in wellness going a bit meta and talking about the meaning of it all.

Sometime working in wellness is all about admitting what you don’t know, and being open to just talking things out and seeing where they lead.

Take a minute, take a few deep breaths and settle in for a wonderful conversation this week.

Owning a business is the greatest self-development program - full stop.

Raeanne Lacatena has spent most of her career supporting other business owners through business coaching - while she herself was building a business. Starting from a mental health counseling background, she takes a deeply personal approach to supporting others. Along the way she realized she herself was pretty astute at business strategy - allowing her to help her clients understand how to drive toward their goals - all while encouraging them to do it authentically

As a Holistic Business and Mindset Coach, Raeanne Lacatena serves as a guide and a coach to help busy, successful people integrate their entire being – their body, mind, spirit, families, businesses and communities.

She also went on a journey to become an author - when the world wanted her to share her wisdom more broadly. A process that cracker her open in many ways. She herself had to open up and share vulnerable pieces of her life to a wider audience. It helped them connect to her and her work in a deeper way. It also led to some unexpected outcomes that she’s still learning how to adapt to.

And when your work speaks for itself, what does it feel like to have an impact that doesn’t require you to be in the room anymore.

I love getting a chance to have this discussion. I have such respect for Raeanne, the work she does and how she navigates in the world.

I hope you enjoy!

Creativity.

Even if you don’t realize it - you are creative. Working in wellness means creating all the time. Class sequences, healing sessions, conversations and experiences for others. You chose the music, the words you use, the tone, the rhythm, the flow that other experience when you’re with you.

That’s creative.

Don’t fall for the trap that you have to ‘do creative work’. Just by living your life you gain a mosaic of experiences that will influence your work and inspire you to grow and change your practice. That’s the real creativity.

In this 3rd part of my solo series I’m talking about Consistency. Once you have clarity about what you offer, who you are, and you get comfortable and have found your preferred way to communicate, how can you do it consistently?

Consistency - The practice of doing things over and over again. It can seem boring, it can seem sometimes pointless, it can seem difficult to maintain.

I truly believe that being able to hold consistency as a wellness practitioner is so important. In the beginning consistency is the thing that allows you to practice and master your craft. I also believe that consistency generates energy - and that energy helps you and your work build on itself. And that energy and momentum is what I think many practicing in wellness are striving for - what eventually feels like success.

And I also recognize that to maintain consistency can feel very different for every person. I think the human design framework is helpful to know what type of person you are, how you use and manage energy - because that can be key to creating the conditions to actually be consistent.

And sometimes life happens and consistency wanes - give yourself grace - just like I did releasing this episode 2 weeks later than planner!

In this solo episode I talk about what can be difficult for some wellness professionals - talking about yourself and what you do!

Truth is, you have to find some way to communicate so people know what you offer and who you are.

I offer the following insights I’ve been over the last three years watching others work through this process

* Clear is better than clever every time - even if you think it sounds boring, you’re better off being simple and clear instead of creative and clever

* Separate communicating what you offer from who you are and why like to offer it

* Find a way that feels compatible with who you are to communicate (it does not have to be social media!)

* Never underestimate the power of a personal invitation

* Don’t worry about repeating yourself - it takes at least 7 times for someone to see something and commit it to memory

* Find what feels good and authentic to you - that’s always the best way!

I had the idea of doing a series to sum up some of the key lessons I’ve seen for wellness practitioners as they try and find their way as they take a leap of faith and start an independent practice away from a traditional yoga studio or care space.

It takes a lot of guts to go it solo - but you don’t have to do it alone.

I’ve seen over 100 different practitioners take this journey - all at varying stages of growth and maturity - and I’ve been able to glean some key insights into some foundations that make the work and the transition easier.

The first is Clarity.

Do you know what you do, why you do it and who you are serving? And if you answer ‘everyone’ - then I’m going to challenge you to go back to the drawing board. It’s a trap that’s easy to fall into, but by not wanting to exclude anyone who could ‘potentially’ benefit from your work, you end up not being clear enough on who MOST benefits from what you do - and then they don’t find you!

This is my first episode recorded solo - it rambles a little bit, but we get there. This will be the first in a series of 4 and I’m excited to practice the art of speaking to you directly.

I hope this is helpful and I’d love to know - are you clear on who you serve? What' was the hardest part about figuring that out? Let me know in the comments!

Until next week!

Karen

Dru Ryan brings his love of culture, music and cycling together in his own unique way.

You can find him teaching spin classes in the Washington DC area. His classes are a blend of endurance, speed, form and are rooted in the principles of outdoor cycling. That means you won’t find tap backs or the more usual choreography based elements when you ride with him.

Dru is an outdoor cyclist himself. He rides everywhere - all over the US and internationally - and even cross town on his way to teach classes. He is a lover of the sport and incorporates elements of major races and courses into his classes. You might find yourself riding through a portion of the Tour de France, or a stage of the Giro d’Italia. Dru always paints the picture for you of the ride and you’re transported for a ride that serves as an awesome workout.

Dru got the nudge from someone that he might like teaching indoor classes. He would find time in open studios and just ride. He’d craft playlists and sequences and try it all out in a room by himself. And then one day he ended up sharing what he’d been building with others - and guess what - people loved it.

You have to listen to the rest of the conversation to hear the full story.

More than anything Dru is an example of what it looks like to bring your whole self into your work in wellness. The playlists, the culture and art references, the outdoor cycling enthusiasm - it’s all uniquely him.

If you’re looking for some inspiration of how to let your whole self shine in your wellness practices and classes - this episode is for you.

There is no mistaking that the worlds of design and wellness have become closely intertwined, especially in our world of social media and online presence where people are trying to figure out how to best communicate who they are to the world online.

Enter Laura Olverd, owner and founder of Wild Urban Studio. Laura studied graphic design and has a keen eye for branding, content and design. Out of college she worked for larger design houses and creative agencies - but as time went on, she was feeling boxed in, and there was so much more she wanted to do.

Laura has also always been a fitness lover - a high school athlete who found different ways to stay active as time moved on. On the invitation from a friend, Laura went to a spin class at Spoke Cycle + Fitness in Rochester, NY. She fell in love with the workout and the community and she quickly became a regular. Eventually one day, an instructor complimented her riding and asked if she’d ever thought about teaching (she hadn’t) - but that seed was planted and eventually she studied and found herself up on the podium leading others through high energy fun rides.

And then one day, the studio asked if she could help with social media - and she said yes. That’s where she first started blending her personal and professional skills and passions.

Over time, when corporate work had her feeling boxed in, she started to take on more side projects until she got brave enough to launch her own branding, website design and social media company - Wild Urban Studio.

We talk about social media - and how numbers and followers are not actually the most important thing - but finding the right people, connecting with them and serving them is actually where it’s at. She believes having a more narrow, well thought through plan for social media with intention is more important than being on every platform, doing every thing and chasing every number.

Laura took a big leap on herself, and she’s built a strong following of customers, friends and believers in her work and her skill in the last few years.

We love celebrating people who strike out on their own, ,chase their passion and show up authentically and Laura certainly checks all those boxes!

Check out her studio and work here -

https://www.wildurbanstudio.com/

Thanks for reading Frequency Wellness Space! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Follow her on social media at @wildurbanstudio

Luca Natale is young and hungry and ready to make his mark in the wellness world. He’s only in high school and is already 3 years into founding a company and brand - 25/8 Possibilities - and launched his first supplement - an electrolyte and creatine supplement

At the age of 7 years old, riding in the back of the car with his mom, thinking out loud he said “if you’re not working 24 hours a day 8 days a week you’re not working hard enough”.

He’s a soul mature beyond his years as you’ll hear in this conversation.

Growing up with his parents in the gym, Luca started working out early, and often. It’s become a core part of his life, now spending 5 days in the gym now training Cross Fit. He trains to compete, ranking #2 in the US and placed 15th overall in the world in the 2025 Cross Fit Games in his age group. Check out his stats!

Luca wants to leave his mark on this world. He wants to help other people be their best, all while he’s chasing his best in and out of the gym every day.

After launching 25/8 and selling apparel to match his motto, he wanted something more. With some guidance from people around him, he landed on launching a supplement. He knew electrolytes were popular, but he didn’t just want to add something to the market, he wanted to provide something different and valuable. When a coach mentioned creatine, Luca knew that sounded unique - and he went to work finding a manufacturer who lined up with his vision and values - to provide a quality product with clean ingredients.

The 25/8 Electrolyte + Creatine was born. A supplement that hydrates and supports your muscles. You can find it here - https://258possibilities.com/

Luca is an inspiration - he’s so young - but he’s focused and he’s hungry and he wants to make a difference - and he’s not afraid of the hard work.

As he says at the end of the episode, wellness to him, means - health. And that’s something we all value - no matter how young or old we are.

As adults, it can sometimes feel awkward to try new things. And as adults we feel like awkward is for the young - not for us. But at Jen Shellard explains, the benefits mentally and emotionally (and chemically) for adults who try and pursue new things, are significant.

One of the new things she took on as an adult was journaling. Specifically gratitude journaling. She amassed quite the collection of journals. She tried them all and found what she liked, and what wasn’t so great. She searched high and low looking for a journal that had all the things she wanted - but it didn’t exist. So, Sarah got to work and decided to create her own gratitude journal, and so the Daily Glimmers Gratitude Journal was born.

It’s a journal that gives small prompts to help you think about small things throughout your day that evoke gratitude. We talk about how this kind of daily practice can seem daunting sometimes. Sarah wanted to take the pressure off - so the journal is undated, meaning the pages don’t have a date on them. Miss a few days? No worries, just pick up where you left off, no pressure.

Having a super tough day that feels like nothing went right? Sarah provides prompts to help you find ‘glimmers’ - small details throughout a day that may otherwise go unnoticed that are worthy of thanks (think ‘breath in my lungs’, ‘sunshine through a window’). Sarah wanted to provide a way for a gratitude practice to be accessible.

And she wants you to write it down. She shares how her own ADHD brain will wander when she tries to just think through the list in her head. Stopping to write her thoughts down pauses the rest of her thoughts and activity and gives just a few minutes of focus to find what’s worth being thankful for. That process of slowing down is important - and the body/brain connection of taking a thought and writing it down, pen to paper, leaves a powerful imprint on you. Sarah and I both talk about how we both experience better sleep when we write our gratitude down before sleep.

But we also talk about the fact that it can feel hard for a lot of people. They like the idea but often say ‘I could never do that’ - and we talk about why that might be and some strategies to potentially overcome it.

For some people sitting down to put your thoughts on paper may be something they aren’t used to - and for some adults picking up something new can feel tough. Sarah and I talk about some of the new things we’ve picked up as adults and how the brain is wired to give an extra push of dopamine when you’re grown and trying new things.

Gratitude seems so simple. Find something you’re thankful for and acknowledge that you’re thankful for it. But life can be messy and busy and taking even a few moments to think through our day and find things - even small little glimmers - can sometimes just seem like ‘one more thing to do’. But Sarah is convinced that could be the most important moment of your day.

Do you have a gratitude practice? Do you journal or write your gratitudes down? Do you ever focus on glimmers?

Find the Daily Glimmer’s Gratitude Journal Here

I have wanted to do this for over a year. I’ve also felt a special connection with my sister and in recent years as I’ve learned more about astrology I’ve wanted to have our charts read together, as sisters, to see how our astrology speaks to our sibling dynamic.

And what better way to give one our members a chance to do their work and give you a behind the scenes look at their work first hand then this. Teagan is the first person I ever had read my chart - which doesn’t mean telling my fortune. It means explaining my chart to me and exploring the context of my life that I may be experiencing the chart and world with. So there was no one else I would look to for this kind of session.

The Body is an Altar.

Healing, an Act of Worship.

Our Life is the Ceremony.

Each day, an opportunity. To bring forth Healing.

To honor ourselves, our bodies, and the Earth.

To build a bridge of connection with our ancestors.

To engage with the Sacred

These are the headlines on Teagan West’s (AP) website. She walks through this world trying to find all the ways that we are connected, while also noticing all the ways we have created barriers, disconnection and harm. Her work is centered on helping us individually and collectively recenter ourselves and find a knowing in who we are and where we come from - so that we may build something stronger in the here and now together.

It’s not the path you might expect from an art student who set their sites on New York City at an early age. While living life in the big city, she began to find refuge from the hustle burying herself in her tiny apartment in deep study.

Fast forward to today and she lives in a cabin in the woods surrounded by nature - and work that is centered around deep ancient wisdom, collective healing and connection to our ancestors.

We have a great discussion about the intersection of science and this work - about how connection to ancestors is as much about connection to what’s inside of you - what’s literally in your bones, your cells, your DNA - as it is about understanding what comes before us.

Any somatic practitioner will tell you that your body ‘keeps the score’ and within you, you hold the emotions and memories of your life experiences. We talk about how our genes carry the lessons from one life to another - and so even if you can’t locate on a map where your people came from - you can tap into the wisdom of your own body to find clues and answers about the lessons they passed on to you.

Teagan’s work comes from a wealth of study. She is vigilant in her study and is someone who does not claim to be an expert. Her work spans Ayurveda, energy healing, somatics, astrology, and much more. Each area she dedicates both her life and time to be immersed in.

Astrology in particular we talk about - because there is so much around it in pop culture today. She believes it’s a tool for self reflection - and even after several years of study she finds herself feeling like a beginner.

Her work has touched my life in so many ways and I am so incredibly happy to get the chance to introduce both her and her work to you.

If you want to learn more about her offerings, head to her website - The Altar, Healing & Ceremony

She also shares and incredible amount of her work and wisdom on Substack at the Altar of Stars ✧ Altar of Stars ✧ Teagan West where she does weekly astrology readings and much more.

And if you want to follow her on social media - find her @altar.ritual.west

He cares deeply about others - and he’s not afraid to help motivate and guide them to be their best. But getting there doesn’t mean you will always see him smile. He’s learned that part of his role in leadership is modeling what he preaches to others “show up as you are" - which means some days you will see him without a smile - getting his workout in, getting it done - because he learned it’s always best to lead by example.

Linden owns Getting it Daily, a space that focuses on fitness through resistance training, dance and stretching.

After time in the military he found himself back home dealing with PTSD and trying to recent and find his way - and then came a serious injury that left him with a shattered forearm and the prospect of losing all feeling in his arm forever.

And then he got to work, going through rehab, working to strengthen his body, telling himself over and over that he would regain feeling. Working on trusting himself and trusting the plan and sticking to it. Day by day he worked at it, until after a year, he had full feeling back.

His military service may have given him the grit to see it through, but his spirit is what guided him to believe healing was possible.

That’s maybe the magic of Linden - he’s pragmatic and focused and he can cut through the noise of the world - but his spirit has depth, and he’s learned to dive deep and get curious with people and about people who on the surface may seem nothing like him at all.

That’s what’s been so powerful about the community built at Getting It Daily. It’s diverse, it’s inclusive and it’s not what Linden expected - but he’s incredibly thoughtful in what he does to foster the community, connection within it and ensuring that people know his space is a BRAVE space where you can not only show up as you are, but you know those around you will be brave in the way they seek understanding, ask questions and hold each other accountable.

Sitting down with another business owner who holds space for those that on the surface may not look like you was a gift I didn’t know I needed. There is so much to be said for the good that can be done in the world when you act from a place of love and service. Where you want to help people, no matter who they are, because you can connect with and see the humanity within them.

I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed recording it.

If you want to learn more about Linden and his space check it out here.

www.gettingitdaily.com

Emily June Wilcox would like to disrupt those patterns and beliefs that might be holding you back or keeping you stuck financially. She blends energetics and business strategy, and she’s obsessed with helping heart-centered, powerhouse entrepreneurs build a life full of abundance and impact, all while (truly) enjoying the journey.

Just like any pattern or belief we have, it’s stored in our subconscious, subtly directing us in ways we may not be aware of. Emily believes in working with people to discover these subconscious beliefs and work through them - moving them out of the mind and body, to reshape the way we think and act around money.

Although Emily has been at this work for a little while, she started on a more conventional path - working in corporate America, trying to navigate it all between work and a growing family. Eventually she took a big leap, starting an Amazon agency with her husband Jeff. As she went through the roller coaster of emotions that comes with running your own business, she took notice of her own reactions to different situations around money. And one day, she got a ping from the universe, in a surprising way, that asked her to slow down and take some time off.

That time off gave her lots of new ideas that drove her life and career forward in new ways. She decided to get into coaching and to center her work around helping others with money - even though she was nervous and uncertain, she listened to the nudges she was getting and took a leap of faith.

Ever the practical and organized thinker, Emily started to see patterns around the way she and others reacted around money, and it reminder her a lot of the Enneagram system. She began to structure them into a framework that she now calls The Money Wounds. To test her theory she created a quiz to not only help people identify these patterns within themselves, but also to help her validate her thinking - and so the Money Wound Medicine quiz was born.

And then eventually, the quiz led to a course. The Money Wounds Medicine course was meant, not only help you understand each of the money wounds and how they might show up in your life, but also how to heal them.

And Emily is here for the healing. She doesn’t just want you to take the quiz to label your wounds and give yourself new identity around money. She’s since written a book that introduces these concepts in an easy to follow format. She doesn’t want you to listen to the audio book and just get some new nuggets of information in your brain. She wants you to use the journal prompts. She wants you to sit with the meditations. She wants her work make an impact.

Even though most people don’t think about money and wellness as being compatible - Emily finds a soulful way to blend the two - and to ask some really simple, but thought provoking questions to help you figure out where your beliefs on money come from in the first place.

And even though all of this work is focused on ‘money’ - like we talk about in this conversation, it’s never REALLY about the money. As Emily points out, money is something we are in constant relationship with. And relationships take on many dynamics and can bring up and bring out many facets of ourselves. Any relationship can be examined, reflected on and improved and shifted over time.

There is so much packed into this episode. Take a listen and let me know, what’s your relationship to money? Where do you struggle with money? What’s something you wish you could change about money in your life or business? What’s your take on money in wellness?

If you’re feeling curious, and want to get closer to Emily’s work here are a few ways to dive in:

* take the free quiz and see which Money Wounds showed up for you? Did any of the results surprise you?

* Learn more about Emily and all the ways she offers support - including the Money Wound Medicine Course

* And if you’re interested in her book, check that out here.

You can also follow along and find her on Instagram ‘@emmakesmoney

Erin Joy spent a lot of time moving really fast through life. She’s the kind of person who just wanted do do it all. Ride motorcycles, dance, move her body, climb mountains and just generally ‘go for it’.

There wasn’t one big moment, one radical shift, but through ordinary moments out in the world, in nature, Erin Joy found her way to yoga and fell in love with the way it made her stop and take notice of all the small wonderful things around her.

Some of those everyday moments led her to want to go deeper. She’s in the midst of yoga therapy training, which she’s excited to find a deeper way to bring the heart of yoga into people’s every day lives for support and healing.

We talk about the koshas - the layers of our body and human experience. And Erin in her wisdom reminds me that we each have our own story and experience, and they are all wonderful and full of our own personal truth.

Erin then takes us all through an easy everyday mindfulness practice that you can do anywhere. It’s called Stoplight Breath™ — turning an ordinary stoplight into a mindfulness reminder.

* 3. The practice itself

* 🔴 Red → Reflect (check in with breath + thoughts).

* 🟡 Yellow → Slow down (invite lightness, notice clouds, sunlight, moonlight, water).

* 🟢 Green → Smile + gratitude (recall someone/something you love, or just smile anyway).

I felt so relaxed after just a minute or two doing it. And we talk about easy ways out in the world to use real traffic lights to remind us to stop and pause and connect back to ourselves in any moment.

Take a listen and give the Stoplight Breath practice a try - what do you think? Can you find it useful in your every day life?

What ordinary things do you connect with in deeper ways?

Find Erin on social media on instagram @yoga_with_erinjoy

Nicole Lueschow is someone who thinks about life, and her clients deeply. It’s no surprise she ended up at a salon whose station cabinet drawers for styling tools (and a wide array of lip glass as you’ll hear) are fashioned from old library card catalog drawers - the old school Dewey Decimal system kind.

Beauty and Wellness are thought of as opposing forces. Beauty can be seen as superficial, shallow and surface level kind of ‘care’. Nicole thinks about this differently and sees the two and intertwined and believes in a much deeper connection to the way we approach simple beauty as a way of practicing self devotion.

We talk about some of the hidden pitfalls of being a stylist - like being in front of mirrors all day every day, hair splinters (you have to hear about those, I thought she was pranking me years ago when she first mentioned them). She shares how the work of self awareness and presence helps balance the constant of flow of other people’s energy coming at you every day.

At the salon A Takoma Park Maryland native, Nicole specializes in lifestyle suitability cuts and low maintenance styles at the wonderful Scissor and Comb Salon. She’s been there since it opened 10 years ago - though she’s been cutting and styling hair for two decades in total.

Nicole loves it when people sit down in her chair and she gets to ask all the questions and hear all about their lives and dreams and struggles and joys. Getting the chance to have her sit down '(virtually) in our chair and ask her questions and pick her brain on beauty and wellness and hear how she came to want to be a stylist was so much fun.

She is someone who cares deeply both about the people in her care and the world around her. And as you will hear towards the end of the episode, someone who is dedicated to tearing down the structures and deep seeded patterns of both white supremacy and the patriarchy. (not always two things you hear when talking to your hairdresser).

I was so lucky to sit in her chair for so many years and I miss her - I hope you enjoy this time to sit with her as much as I did.

And I wonder - do you think about beauty and wellness as being things that can co-exist and are related - or do you find them to be at odds with one another?

Also - did you know about hair splinters?!

Enjoy

Mackenzie Piccaretto blends her upbringing in a health conscious household with learned knowledge from her studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) into beautiful and delicious offerings as a private chef.

But what she learned wasn’t a formula for health or cooking - instead she learned how to follow your intuition and allow your life and body to be your guide.

She went from a PR job in the fashion world of NYC to real estate to cooking in her home kitchen and posting recipes online, to pop up dinners and eventually being a personal chef and opening her own virtual storefront where people could order ahead and pick up delicious desserts and bites every week. But when the things shifted a bit she leaned into her intuition and closed that business. A decision that was so aligned within her that she sometimes forgets it even happened (even thought it was just a few short years ago).

Mackenzie wants people to enjoy food, and she wants people to know that you can eat delicious food that’s good for you - it’s not one or the other.

As someone who is a self taught chef she also takes a really accessible approach to the kitchen. Her recipes (and there are so many on her website!). You won’t find obscure ingredients, you won’t find complex and difficult cooking technique - her hope is that you find things that you can make and enjoy.

And she wants you to trust yourself in the kitchen. Swap out a shallot for an onion if that’s all you have. Don’t let the process of nourishing yourself create stress. Let your intuition and your body be your guide.

For a look into all the recipes she offers - or to schedule a private dinner (which if you listen to the episode you will hear may not be around too much longer) - find it all on her website: https://mackenziestable.com

Give one of her recipes a try and let us know how it went!

Exercise is always a hot topic in wellness. What’s the best way to move your body? How often should you do it? Weights or cardio? Pilates or Yoga? Running or Walking?

There are a lot of people with opinions who suggest different routines to follow all referencing a lot of different information and theories.

Dr. Nick Broskey is a translational scientist at Eastern Carolina University focusing on skeletal muscle physiology. In his current position as Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Performance, Dr. Broskey is interested in the role of mitochondria in health and disease and how exercise can help improve conditions of metabolic disease.

He started studying an older population to see how different types of exercise and routines could impact health and overall wellbeing. This isn’t just watching for people’s muscles to grow or waistlines to shrink - it was deep study into the cells of the participants to see if their cells actually started to become more healthy and efficient in managing energy.

Dr. Broskey is the kind of person who can both be with patients as they walk on a treadmill and then head to the lab, study their cells and use advanced scientific methods to understand how those cells are functioning.

If you’ve heard the buzz around the mitochondria - the powerhouse engine of our cells - he studies them and how well they perform under all sorts of conditions.

After seeing how exercise improved the health and cell function in older populations, he got curious - if diseases like type 2 diabetes improved or showed signs on clearing in the older population - why weren’t they studying people when they were younger to understand if they could prevent or avoid those diseases all together?

Eventually this curiosity led him all the way to birth and pregnancy. He learned of another researcher who wanted to study the impact on babies and their eventual overall health depending on the mother’s exercise habits while pregnant.

That’s his passion and area of study right now.

We talk about his journey to get into this work and what he’s come to learn across age groups - some truths that seem to be universal about the role exercise plays in the body. And we talk about what we don’t know and what’s still needs to be studied more to be more deeply understood.

And in his work he’s also come to find credibility in things some may consider a bit ‘woo’ - the life force energy and ‘signal’ that we all carry and how he sees this show up in our cells every day in the lab.

Dr. Nick Broskey is great to breaking down complex scientific concepts into easily to understand terms. He’s taking all of this knowledge and currently working on putting it into a book - so everyone stay tuned for that.

If you want to learn more about him and his work you can find him here - https://scholars.ecu.edu/display/F96995729

Listen to this episode and let me know - does this change the way you think about exercise? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Jen Mimkha is a Projector - and through her experience as a Dietician, Yoga Instructor and explorer in this world she’s noticed that things are shifting and changing - and what people need now, more than ever is away to come home to themselves.

Jen shares about her own personal history that got her into meditation and yoga - and unlikely comment from her mother throwing suggestions around to her anxious daughter.

Jen reaches deep, but keeps things simple.

Deep and simple - that’s how you can think of her current online studio OM-Alchemy. It’s her dream to move from the virtual space to the physical space in Ashville, NC. And in our discussion we got into some deep talk about the shifts in the yoga studio world happening right now. We got deep and were really pushing on the ideas of the conventional model for a studio has looked liked so far - and mid conversation the recording studio software crashed and wouldn’t let us back in for about 5 minutes. AS we regrouped we laughed that maybe the world wasn’t ready for our discussion - so we pulled it back up a bit and finished up. One day I hope we come back to it.

You can find Jen online at www.omalchemy.co

Follow along on instagram at @om_alchemy or @jen_mimkha

When you give to others what you yourself need the most - you give the greatest gift.

Hannah McMullen - co-owner of The Reformery Pilates studio - continues to give to her students and community what she once needed most - movement in a supportive environment to support and strengthen her mental health and overall wellbeing.

As someone who didn’t like working out, it came as somewhat of a surprise that a pilates class became a welcome sanctuary when life got tough. What started as an outing with a friend, became a lifeline to quiet her mind and bring peace to her body.

And then she was hooked. Hannah went from class attendee, to student, to teacher to now studio owner and community builder.

Pilates is HOT right now. It’s one of the trendiest workouts out there. But Hannah doesn’t rely on trend. This is a movement style she is committed to and believes deeply in.

And don’t even think about coming at her with ‘summer body’ talk. In her classes, and in her studio, language like that isn’t the vibe (it’s written into the studio values and teacher standards). Staying true to her experience Hannah (and her partners) want to create an environment where you can focus on clearing your mind, moving your body and being healthy in the way that feel good to you.

In our conversation you will hear her give an fantastic history of pilates and how we’ve come to this particular point in time with so many variations and styles being offered.

Follow Hannah and get to know her here: @hannahm.pilates

Check out The Reformery: www.thereformerynewyork.com

Hannah’s journey is very personal - but also so reminds me that so often the things we need most, are also the things that others are in need of too - and what you discover for yourself, is such a gift to share with everyone else.

So tell me - have you taken a pilates class? Mat or reformer?

What do you think?

Pure determination.

In everything she does Stacie Colaprete brings a tenacity to get to the root of an issue. She won’t rest until she’s found it. She will research and dig until she is able to come to information or a conclusion that satisfies her. She won’t be deterred, and she won’t settle for anything less than what she feels is right.

When life handed her some heartbreaking losses, like for so many, it impacted her health and wellbeing. Stacie wasn’t ready to take a pill and call anyone back in the morning. She hit the books, did her research and found her own way out back to health.

Her personal experience, as well watching those around her struggle with health and lifestyle choices, drove her to go the unconventional route.

When she wanted pasture raised organic chicken 20 years ago and it was no where to be found, she started raising her own. When she needed organic vegetables, she planted them. When doctor’s tests didn’t reveal the real root cause of her health issues, she directed them on which ones to do.

I joke in this episode about Stacie going down rabbit holes - but the truth is, she always digs until she finds the root - and then she knows exactly how to fix it.

Stacie got certified in kiniseology - and beyond what traditional ‘muscle testing’ can show her about someone’s health and body - Stacie always goes one step further, doing research and ensuring she’s getting to the real cause of a health issue for her clients.

She found that many practicing the same modality would come to a conclusion and then suggest a supplement routine as the fix. Stacie doesn’t embrace that approach. She sees supplements as a support tool for a short time while you’re system regulates - but her goal is always to help people feel better - to address the real root issue and move on with their lives in health and happiness. Something I get the sense Stacie herself has been crafting and chasing for herself for many years as well.

I’d never heard of applied kiniseology before, and wasn’t super familiar with muscle testing and how it worked. The basics is that your body can’t lie - and you can test different muscles in the body and ask questions in some interesting ways to help the body express and give answers.

Stacie does a much better job of explaining it in the episode, I’m going to leave that to her.

I’m curious if you’ve ever heard of this modality before? What are your thoughts on muscle testing?

I’d love to hear you take in the comments.

Oliviah Shaffer of Soothe Wellness shares her powerful journey of living with undiagnosed chronic illness throughout her adolescence, and how it led her to explore alternative healing, nervous system regulation, and eventually, her own wellness practice.

From blacking out in high school hallways to navigating misdiagnoses and a global pandemic, Oliviah’s story is one of quiet determination. Her path toward healing was anything but linear — winding through crisis counseling, nannying, and eventually discovering Spinal Energetics and energy work.

This is a conversation about what happens when medicine doesn’t have answers, and how trusting your own body can lead you to your purpose.

🔗 Show Notes:

In this episode, we explore:

* Oliviah’s early health challenges, including nervous system dysregulation and undiagnosed chronic illness symptoms

* The emotional impact of searching for answers in a medical system that often dismissed or missed the full picture

* How caregiving roles and trauma-informed work shaped her perspective

* The intuitive nudges and algorithmic coincidences that led her to Spinal Energetics and somatic healing

* What it means to hold space for others when you’ve been through deep dysregulation yourself

Follow Oliviah at @soothe_wellnessBook a session or learn more: soothewellness.comConnect with Frequency: @frequencywellspace

Subscribe to Finding My Frequency for more intimate stories of healing, becoming, and redefining the path forward.

After 13 years in a busy family medicine clinic, Megan found herself facing a breaking point — both professionally and personally. The demands of a traditional healthcare model clashed with her values, and a health crisis in her own family forced a reckoning.

Now, Megan is practicing in alignment with the kind of care she always believed was possible: longer visits, real conversations, and a focus on root causes, especially around gut and hormone health. Her story is one of integrity, courage, and a deep belief that patients deserve better.

In this episode, we explore:

* Megan’s early career as an ICU nurse and then a primary care nurse practitioner

* The emotional and logistical limitations of insurance-based care — even with strong patient relationships

* Why so many patients are dismissed when they ask for hormone testing, and how Megan’s work aims to change that

* Her vision of what healthcare should look like: slower, personalized, and focused on prevention

* The moment a family health crisis forced her to make a life-altering choice — and how she knew it was time to walk away

Learn more about Megan’s work at www.meganrhopp.comFollow her on Instagram: @meganrhoppConnect with Frequency: @frequencywellnessspace

Subscribe to Finding My Frequency for weekly stories of bold decisions, big shifts, and what it means to create space for your own path and wellness.

A Syracuse NY native with a well established bodywork and massage business - Samantha relocated to Rochester NY thinking it might take her a year or more to build up her solo practice again after moving from another city. Before she knew it in a fast 4 months, she found her way in a new community and her own two feet with enough business to strike out on her own again.

Beyond massage, Samantha followed her curiosity - and her clients needs - to deeper knowledge on women’s pelvic health and pre and postnatal yoga.

Her own struggles, growing up with mental health and disordered eating, give her a deep well to draw from when holding space for others today. She’s learned to give each of her clients what she herself always needed - compassion.

You can find more about her and her work here:

https://www.awavebodywork.com/

Or follow her online at @awavebodywork

Paola shares how decades of trying every diet, cleanse, and quick fix led her not to a solution—but to a calling: to deeply understand herself through the lens of nourishment, healing, and embodied self-inquiry. What began with food became a much more expansive journey of self-realization.

We talk about the different stages of personal growth, how our beliefs around “good” and “bad” often block true healing, and Paola’s lifelong process of taking in knowledge, breaking it down, living it fully—and then teaching from the inside out.

Her story is an inspiring reminder that we often become the teachers we once needed, and that healing isn't about fixing—it's about remembering.

You can learn more about Paola and her work at www.paolaatlason.com

Phoenix shares how she’s always followed the quiet (and sometimes wild) calls of spirit—from walking into Playboy magazine with a portfolio and walking out with a job, to building an empire in the California estate industry, to her artistry making powerful crystal-infused leather pieces, to now leading people as a guide on their spiritual journeys.

Before we ever met in person, Phoenix created a moonstone cuff for me—crafted simply from a photo of my face. It fit like it had always been mine. That’s the level of intuitive precision and heart she brings to everything she does.

Tune in as we explore the fearless path of a woman who trusts her gifts, defies the expected, and shows up fully in service to spirit and others - and who believes that it ALL belongs in this life. The light, dark and everything in between.

You can find Phoenix’s artistry here - https://www.sacredhealingjewellery.com/gallery.html

And if you feel called to explore working with her as a guide reach out to her at phoenixtwomoons@gmail.com

We talk about Stephanie’s first yoga experience (hint: it was a wild ride through traditional Kundalini that left her and a fellow aerobics instructor whispering “What the f*ck is going on?”), her evolution as a teacher, and her mission to make yoga fun, approachable, and deeply healing. Stephanie shares how she combines joy with discipline and how embracing the more “strange” or unconventional sides of yoga brought her lasting peace.

This conversation is filled with honesty, light, and insight—and reminds us all not to take ourselves too seriously on the mat or in life.

About Stephanie: Stephanie Campanelli is a yoga teacher known as The Laughing Yogi. With a deep commitment to helping people feel good in their bodies, Stephanie combines her years of movement experience with a playful, welcoming spirit. Her classes invite people to explore the nuances of yoga while tapping into joy, strength, and a sense of ease.

Find here here - The Laughing Yogi

In This Episode:

* Stephanie’s unforgettable first Kundalini class

* The difference between aerobic fitness and yogic presence

* Embracing weirdness and finding freedom in the unfamiliar

* Making yoga more fun, accessible, and sustainable

* How joy became a core part of Stephanie’s practice

Tune in if you’re ready to:

* Laugh out loud

* Remember that yoga doesn’t have to be so serious

* Reconnect with joy and presence

* Hear from a passionate teacher who brings light to every space

But this conversation goes far beyond credentials. Mackenna opens up about a major health crisis that left her unable to sit up or walk, with no answers from conventional medicine. At the time, she was a fitness instructor and personal trainer—deeply in tune with her body—and suddenly found herself navigating the medical system with more questions than clarity. That experience shaped her path toward a more integrative, compassionate model of care.

What You’ll Hear About:

* What it really takes to become a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist

* Why acupuncture needles aren’t as scary as they sound (they’re more like hairs than straws!)

* Mackenna’s personal health crisis and how it shifted her view of healing

* The limits of conventional medicine—and how integrative approaches can fill in the gaps

* How movement, self-trust, and Eastern medicine reshaped her relationship with her body

Quote to Remember:"Here I was, a personal trainer…—and I couldn’t even sit up. No one could explain it. That’s when I knew I had to look beyond the usual answers."

Connect with Mackenna: InnerLoopAcuROCInstagram @innerloopacu.pllc

www.sonicinstitute.com

https://adriandimatteo.com/