MYA ~ My Yoga Audio

This interview features Tamara Knox, who after surviving from domestic violence years ago, is now accomplishing her goals and dreams. Tamara identifies as a thriver in her community. In addition to being a Masters of Social Work graduate, Tamara (she/her) is an award-winning photographer, photojournalist, mother, published author, business owner, and public speaker. Tamara was significantly influenced by the late American photographer, composer, author, poet, and film director, Gordon Parks, particularly his statement, "my camera is my weapon for social justice.” It's with this spirit that Tamara chose photography and clinical social work to uplift her community. This shows up best through her upcoming book that shows the process of going from surviving to thriving for community members. Tamara uses trauma-informed photography and ethical storytelling to record, preserve, and share these thrivers’ stories. The book will be accompanied by an exhibit at the Russ Solomon Gallery, showcasing portraits of community thrivers and their accounts of changing their narratives. Follow her on instagram @focusedtmk

National Domestic Violence Hotline: * 800-799-7233 *

Hours: 24/7 Languages: English, Spanish and 200+ more through interpretation service Learn more.

Domestic Violence Resources Available in Sacramento County: https://www.saccourt.ca.gov/restraining-orders/docs/domestic-violence-resources.pdf

City of Sacramento Resources: https://www.cityofsacramento.org/Community-Response/DVresources

WEAVE Inc: https://www.weaveinc.org/

In today's episode, we meet and talk with Maureen Paley, who is a Financial, Life and Career Coach, the author of the “Financial Autonomy for Women: 30-Day Workbook” and the host of the “Financial Autonomy for Women” podcast. We met through Tami Hackbarth's bookclub for Rachel Rodgers book: We Should All Be Millionaires. She is passionate about supporting self-identified women find more clarity, confidence, and peace of mind in their lives. She practices strengths-based, trauma-aware coaching with no shaming, ever. She believes in and has benefited from the power of women supporting each other to Level Up their lives, finances and careers. Maureen is a Certified Professional Coach and an Accredited Financial Counselor®. She calls Sacramento home and, she is the human to the world’s best rescue doggo, Mabel. You can find ways to work with Maureen, including free downloadable resources, on her website at maureenpaley.podia.com and her Instagram: @maureenpaleycoach

Rhydell Paynter is our guest today on MYA and he’s the Chief Network Engineer for the government of Bermuda, but more importantly he’s also a cancer survivor, a proud father, husband and my big brother! He’s a community activist making a difference as a speaker, volunteer and mentor for the Bermuda Diabetes Association and a Prostate Awareness Group called The Daily Male, that provides support for men and their families by promoting men's health initiatives and helping those that are under insured or without insurance to receive screening and assistance with treatment.

 Yes, I’m continuing the family conversations this month friends, last month you met our sister Cecelia, and today you have the honor of meeting Rhydell. You’ll note already if you listened to the other interview, that running sophisticated networks and IT operations is a skill and a gift that both my siblings have – and I alas, do not. But today, the conversation with Rhydell and I are going to have will revolve more around our personal connection and relationship and his journey through being diagnosed and surviving prostate cancer, than the work listed on our resumes or Linked In, and he’ll be sharing more about his life journey thus far and how he’s helping to make a difference not just in our family’s lives, but in the lives of many others too.

Today, Cesar is the owner of Ceez Your Life, whose mission and purpose is to improve humanity by inspiring others to CEEZ their lives and dictate the outcomes of their own thoughts, actions, and reactions with the implementation of healthy habits.  He believes in a holistic approach to living a healthy lifestyle and specializes in empowering clients in all aspects of health and wellness which includes the social, emotional, spiritual, and occupational dimensions of life. He envisions one day being able to travel to other countries to conduct wellness workshops and inspiring change that lasts for generations.

You can follow Cesar on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/ceezyourlife/?hl=en or

Here: https://www.instagram.com/ceez08vf/

You can visit his website here: https://www.ceezyourlife.net/ or

Here: https://www.rep1well.com/

My big sister is amazingly accomplished, holding an E-MBA from Notre Dame, and working as the Chief Experience Officer for an Information Technology company in the metro Chicago area. In addition to being an executive business strategist, who was recently interviewed on another show about supplier diversity and cultivating community and generational wealth, she's also a client relationship expert, community volunteer and mentor, a DEIA advocate, and keynote speaker. She's also a proud Mom of two with her partner of 30+ years!

In this episode, I interview her to draw out some of her personal and professional stories, and we focus on what Cecelia does best, and that is, helping others. Whether it is in the c-suite, at home, in school, as a volunteer or as a Mom, she wears all the hats, and believes her ultimate purpose is to be in service to humankind.

James Kapicka is our episode 60 guest and he's a 21st century yogi who lives and works as a movement facilitator, yoga ambassador and Thai bodyworker with a passion for bringing people together to celebrate, learn and connect. He offers somatic based ceremonies, leads embodiment retreats and teaches yin yoga trainings to inspire personal freedom and support community connection. Through sincere and heartfelt guidance, James creates an environment that empowers students to trust their intuition and listen to their heart. This approach promotes curiosity, creative play and authentic expression, and allows for a deeply resonant relationship with self, others and our planet. You can follow along with James' adventures and events on Instagram, learn from his teaching videos on You Tube and explore his website, yogajames.com to see all his wonderful offerings.

Katie Blomberg is the Owner, Entrepreneur, Personal Trainer and Elevation Coach at her beautiful, sun-filled space called, her Elevated, in Sacramento, CA. A 40-under-40 Business Journal Honoree in 2021, Katie opened her Elevated to create a fitness studio for women that was welcoming, peaceful, aesthetically pleasing, and full of energy. A studio where clients wanted to be, that made them feel good, that didn’t feel like a gym, and created a community of wellness, support, and love. her Elevated, bloomed into so much more than just fitness, she's everything that wellness entails: mind, spirituality, healing, community, life celebrations, and more.  In this episode, learn about the journey Katie took to create this space of bliss, and personal vision of Shangri-la that she is happy to share with all of you. Follow her in Instagram for the latest events and updates, and visit her website herelevated.co for class details, registration and to learn more about everything her Elevated offers the community including, rental information.

Porter Singer is a musician, formerly known as Sirgun Kaur. We became known to one another through a mutual friend, musician Joshua Stoddard, who was also a guest on this podcast in March of 2021. In addition to being a phenomenal singer, Porter is an emotional guide, and the host of the Inspired Artist Podcast where she interviews spiritual creatives, and she is the founder of the Body Cello Method. This episode features her singing LIVE for us, and a beautiful conversation about finding our way home to ourselves through personal body practices and the human-to-human connections we all need to thrive. Find and follow her on Instagram, subscribe and listen to her music on YouTube or stream it on Spotify as Sirgun Kaur or as Porter Singer.

Mike Sagun helps men feel. He's a certified professional men's coach who also spent a decade as a teaching artist, working with young people going through different social and emotional challenges. He's a TEDX speaker, who has spoken about living in authenticity, and has spoken about the need for young people to have trusted adults in their lives. He's realized that we need more healed adults to help heal young people - and his purpose is to create safe spaces for men to think deeply about themselves, develop emotional awareness, and heal.

To learn more about Mike's work, upcoming retreats and speaking opportunities, visit www.MikeSagun.com or follow him on Instagram.

The audio for this episode was recorded on September 19, 2022 on what was still technically a summer night with surprise and rare rain in the dry region where I live. I rushed out to record what I could, because it was so glorious. For this episode, the rain audio tracks I recorded are paired with gentle music. Today, December 3, 2022, months later, it is suddenly pouring raining again! What timing. For those who need something visual to look at while meditating sometimes, or all the time head over to the MYA You Tube Channel to watch and listen to this episode. The video or the podcast itself can serve as a background of peace and calm while you are reading or want to relax. Rain simultaneously has a cooling effect, but also, brings feelings of coziness if you are warm and dry inside. I hope you will enjoy it in the way that you need it. Be sure to follow MYA on Instagram and TikTok for unique and engaging content with our guests and from our episodes.

If you’re a person with curly hair, and particularly if you’re also a person of color, this is your lucky day. Camille is a hair care professional, educator and a specialist who teaches clients and other salon stylists all over the country, how to properly and simply take care of their curls. Her salon is called Mahogany and Rose and I’ve been going to see her since 2019 after I first met her at an Afro Yoga "Gatherings" event, hosted by Angie Franklin. The amazing news is, we just met up again at the fifth annual Afro Yoga "Gatherings" event a couple of weeks ago and just before that, Camille did my hair for a stylist class she hosted in Berkeley, and we’ve had some time to reflect on how far we’ve both come and how healing it can be to learn to take care of our hair properly and with love. We are today to share Camille’s journey and curly and kinky hair tips with all of you. You can follow her on Instagram and see why her nearly 15K followers love the valuable content that she shares. To find out more about booking an in-person appointment with her, or joining an upcoming virtual hair coaching class visit her Linktree or her website, mahogonyandrose.com.

JESSE BLISS is our guest in this episode, and she is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Roots and Wings Project, a politically charged, socially transformative, project-based theatre company with a mission to provide stage and space for voices of the unnamed, unknown and misunderstood. She is also the author of the chapbook and companion manual I LOVE MYSELF GOLDEN, originally written for incarcerated young women and core curriculum at Occidental College. The list of Jesse’s accomplishments and work is impressive – she’s an international playwright, director, producer, actress, poet and veteran arts educator. Also, she is a ground-breaking storyteller who experienced art as life-saving and in turn has dedicated her life's work to offering art to others of all ages, backgrounds and socio-economic standings. She attributes art as core to her own healing and wellness, knowing the power of what it can do to reshape lives, resist oppression and help raise awareness on matters of civil and human rights. Join us for this moving episode where she shares her journey as an artist, educator, community activist and mother, and stay till the end where she'll read us a powerful portion of her book I Love Myself Golden.

Gricelda Ocegueda is a film producer, mom, wife, first generation Mexican American, and a survivor of childhood sexual, emotional and physical abuse. Growing up in poverty, but determined to get out of it, she embraced her education and the teachers and mentors who came her way, many of whom noticed her gift for writing, art and producing at an early age when she created worlds where she was in control of the narrative and provided a much-needed outlet for the trauma she was dealing with in her domestic life. In 2017 she financed and produced her first major project, and from there, she has been passionately working towards furthering her producing credentials, starting a company called Frijoles Entertainment, giving back to others in need through volunteering with at-risk youth, and telling her personal story. She has gone on to produce ten (10) short films and we first met a few months ago while collaborating on a short film together. Tune in to hear her inspiring story, her plans for the future and how she not only survived, but thrived into the amazing woman, producer, mom, wife and mentor she is today. 

Janice Angela Burt is a court certified Spanish interpreter, voiceover artist and actor, speaker and author, yoga instructor, a lover of peace, and a proponent of love. She's been seen and heard on the TEDx stage, in movies and commercials. As a recovering people pleaser, and in her latest book, Kicking the People-Pleasing Habit, Janice lays out a 6-step approach that she used in her own life to gain freedom from this disease to please. (Fun fact: MYA Host, Megan, also makes a short appearance in Janice's book!) In this episode Janice talks to us about her own life challenges, and how she made it through. She also speaks about how to move through these steps, and experience your life without the masks, the burnout, and the stress that is so common to people pleasers. She also reveals details about yoga teaching opportunities and travel, family relationship building, entering into her first body-building and beauty pageant competitions after the age of 40 - and much more. Join us to be delighted, inspired and to learn more about how to truly explore and live the amazing adventure that your own life can be. 

Regardless of how old you are, or what size you are, your ability to walk briskly, and your ability to balance – for at least 10 seconds on one leg, and your ability to rise from a seated to standing position, is a huge predictor of not only where your overall fitness levels are, but is also directly linked to mortality, in other words, how long you live. To be able to achieve and maintain balance, you need to also have the muscles and a cardiovascular system to support that goal. Reflecting upon three peer reviewed medical journal studies, in the British Medical Journal, the Mayo Clinic and the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, host and teacher, Megan Morgan, guides people of all ages and most abilities through some basic balancing exercises in this episode to improve their range of motion and ability to balance. All but one exercise can be done with a chair as a standing support, and two take place on the floor. Before you start the episode, get walking so you're warmed up and ready to go! Visit us on Instagram and on the website blog for some visual aids to compliment the audio in this session. *Note that similar to all MYA practice episodes, this episode is gentle and presented with modifications to basic balancing poses and is recommended for most people of any age who can sit, stand and walk. Please consult with your healthcare practitioner if you are recovering from surgery, have experienced a recent serious injury, or have major issues with dizziness or balance due to a diagnosed medical condition. 

In this short and sweet 20 minute episode, MYA host, Megan Morgan goes on a journey exploring the origins of some of the United States' most favorite soul foods including collard greens, corn bread, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and more. Former MYA guest, Kirsten Johnson, shares her recipe for ancestral infused collard greens at the very start! Most of the foods covered in this episode are linked back to a time period when Black Americans were enslaved. But, even though so much of these foods' culinary deep roots originated far away from the American south, their popularity eventually spread far and wide. Lucky for us to be alive today to be able to experience them, learn more about their origins, and try new twists on these much-loved dishes for ourselves. Follow us on social media, to see recipes from teachers Kirsten Johnson and Melody Johnson (no relation), writer Lawrence Hill, and more. Submit some of your own at: myyogaaudio@gmail.com to be featured!

An interview with Moriah Myles, yoga teacher, counselor and co-founder of +Life Juice Market. We've been real-life friends for years, and she is here to share more about her inspirational and helpful personal and professional developments in therapy, teaching, nutrition and ministry over the last few years. This includes launching her new business with her partner, which is a black-owned small family juice bar concept that offers cold pressed juice, smoothies, bowls, and healthy food that is lovingly made from fresh, local ingredients and sourced from sustainable farmers. I've tried the juices and can vouch for them 1000%! She's fundraising to find the capital to be able to open a brick-and-mortar site that will also be a wellness space with community in mind. Follow her on instagram personally, or find out more about her brand - we hope you'll enjoy this episode and finish it feeling refreshed and inspired, from the inside-out.

Holly Holt is our guest for this episode, and she is a writer and storyteller with a deep devotion to practices that heal the body and wake up the mind. For most of the early 2000s, she was a performing singer/songwriter who recorded a well received CD of original music. Currently, she is working on a novel, teaches yoga, blogs, and leads Word Gathering Writing Circles in Sacramento, and refers to herself as a Story Tender who provides support and community for sublimely sensitive women writers to dive into longing, sweet melancholy, and the source of their own voices. Also in this episode, host Megan Morgan announces her recent invitation to be an online mentor on the joinWISDOM app. The guided Morning Meditation which formed episode 44 was actually recorded on the joinWISDOM app, and you can listen to it raw and live on the app, or listen to it on MYA with minimal edits and a subtle musical background track. Anyone can listen in on WISDOM, and we hope you'll try it out! 

Looking for a way to start off your morning with a gently awakening, simple guided meditation? It's here and it's less than 15 minutes in length, so you can wake up, breathe deeply, and get on with a lovely day. Thanks to being invited to be a mentor on the WISDOM app, I recorded my first live talk on the platform as a guided morning meditation. This version here on MYA has gentle music added to it, but the one on WISDOM is the live recording, as is, with no music, if you prefer that. Try both and let me know what you think and which you prefer. I'll be adding more talks and guided meditations in the coming days and weeks, and you can listen anytime, even if you're not "on" the platform with my unique link. It's free, it's fun and I'd love to have some live conversations with you on there too. Follow and like my profile if you're a mentor on there, and let me know you'd like to live chat, you can always message me on instagram too, or at myyogaaudio@gmail.com. I can't wait to see where we'll go in our conversations together.

This is Part II of two episodes featuring a fascinating interview with Jasper James. As the co-founder of Activism Articulated, a crisis communications firm she co-owns with her wife Darcy, Jasper James is located in Sacramento, CA where they are one of the only advocacy communications firms that are run by queer, mixed-race women of color, that provides media training and crisis consulting for organizations and community groups nationwide.

Jasper is a multifaceted diversity trained entrepreneur who leads through service. From their past as a Billboard Recording Artist, multi-instrumentalist/ writer, and event producer to their most recent status as an inventor and Regional Organizer Director for the 2020 Michael Bloomberg Campaign, Jasper is also an artist and digital strategist. They lead creative on all projects, incorporating strong public relations and project management skills. With over 15 years of experience in solving big problems, and creating systems that help businesses run more efficiently, Jasper has the ability to lead, activate, and amplify important messages through an equitable, creative, and necessary lens.

During their tenure as one of only five Black sitting female Presidents in the nation for the Women’s March Sacramento Chapter, Jasper also Co-founded Women’s March Blac, an all-Black branch of Women’s March National Leadership. Jasper is an active member of the ACLU Sacramento Chapter Board, the Sacramento Stonewall Democratic Club (PAC), March On, and belongs to the ACLU Speakers Bureau and the newly formed AB392 Oversight Committee.

Jasper holds a Degree in Audio Engineering and has significant education in Holistic Theology.

This is Part I of two episodes featuring a fascinating interview with Jasper James. As the co-founder of Activism Articulated, a crisis communications firm she co-owns with her wife Darcy, Jasper James is located in Sacramento, CA where they are one of the only advocacy communications firms that are run by queer, mixed-race women of color, that provides media training and crisis consulting for organizations and community groups nationwide.

Jasper is a multifaceted diversity trained entrepreneur who leads through service. From their past as a Billboard Recording Artist, multi-instrumentalist/ writer, and event producer to their most recent status as an inventor and Regional Organizer Director for the 2020 Michael Bloomberg Campaign, Jasper is also an artist and digital strategist. They lead creative on all projects, incorporating strong public relations and project management skills. With over 15 years of experience in solving big problems, and creating systems that help businesses run more efficiently, Jasper has the ability to lead, activate, and amplify important messages through an equitable, creative, and necessary lens.

During their tenure as one of only five Black sitting female Presidents in the nation for the Women’s March Sacramento Chapter, Jasper also Co-founded Women’s March Blac, an all-Black branch of Women’s March National Leadership. Jasper is an active member of the ACLU Sacramento Chapter Board, the Sacramento Stonewall Democratic Club (PAC), March On, and belongs to the ACLU Speakers Bureau and the newly formed AB392 Oversight Committee.

Jasper holds a Degree in Audio Engineering and has significant education in Holistic Theology. 

In this special quick bonus episode, MYA host Megan Morgan shares an article she wrote several years ago on Thrive Global, and came across by chance recently. She discovered that someone had left a wonderful comment, praising the post, more than two years earlier, that she had never seen. While she no longer has to survive on $20 a week, in the article and this episode, she highlights some of the ways we can get by (and even thrive!) with less money than we think, while also helping ourselves to approach short and long-term savings and financial goals, without feeling like we're missing out on life. 

In the summer of 2020, MYA Host Megan Morgan wrote an article on Linked In about the Future of Race in the Workplace that went a little bit viral. With over 150 reads, many shares, nearly 30 comments and dozens of reactions, it ended up generating a lot of real-life conversation personally and professionally too. So much so, that it ended up being separately published on the Thrive Global website too! This February, for Black History Month, let's revisit this written piece in audio format, a special *bonus episode for My Yoga Audio listeners who might not yet have read this piece, and might appreciate the viewpoints Megan shared and so many others resonated with. In it she offers personal experience, statistical research and also, suggestions for solutions as we all move forward in the workplace, and beyond. She believes that ultimately we all want to do the right thing, so let's start from there, together. If you appreciate this episode, please share it with others, or the articles themselves, which are also linked in the text above where they are mentioned. 

MYA host Megan Morgan starts off 2022 with a new episode (and new intro music!) exploring our emotional connections to food and the ways that listeners can look at their own lives to see what literally and figuratively, makes them tick. There are opportunities for listeners to pause and think about their answers to questions in a journal-type format if they wish. This episode is based on a MYA blog post that several listeners stated they would like to listen to, rather than read, so Megan did so, including descriptions of the accompanying photographs to the story. The blog post itself, if you prefer to read it, can be found here. In this episode, Megan also mentions a recent instagram live, 60 minute, free yoga class that she recorded on the MYA instagram page. You can practice along and watch it here. 

Carly Adams is a home organizer and owner of Tidy Revival, based in Sacramento, CA. She helps her clients and students get organized at home, virtually. Carly is a self-proclaimed “organizational nerd” that loves to geek out on the topic regularly on the Tidy Revival Blog. When she’s not working, she can be found relaxing at home, collecting houseplants, and enjoying takeout with her husband Corey. 

Jessica Bruny is a pure of heart mindfulness coach, artist, the program director at Music Changing Lives, host of the Podcast “Are You Being Gentle With Your Mental”, and so much more. We met through previous MYA guest, teacher and friend, Jill Weston of Breathing Space. Last year, Jessica invited me to lead a yoga session as part of an ongoing web series that she hosts called “A Day of Healing”, done in partnership with the NAACP, among other major sponsors. The kind of person Jessica is and the kind of work she does is exactly the kind of world-changing person I love to host on the My Yoga Audio Podcast, and I can’t wait for you all to get to know her too. As a young woman, Jessica is making huge strides and isn’t letting anything hold her back. She works closely with her large family and is a firm believer in community, connection and healing.

Kirsten Johnson is a yoga teacher, founder of the In Her Voices Podcast, current President of Yoga Moves Us, collaborator with Free Day of Yoga and Free Yoga Sacramento, a mom, a recent retiree, and so much more.

Kirsten’s mission is centered around community and she believes that every voice should be heard and that our work is to make yoga and wellness practices accessible for all ages and abilities. She promotes body positivity and mindfulness tools to connect the body, heal trauma and create healthy habits for lasting physical and mental well-being.  She works to provide inclusive experiences and resources for practitioners, studios and teachers on improving yoga accessibility to marginalized populations, encouraging all to listen and speak from your inner voices.

Episode 32 brings us the distinct pleasure of welcoming Julia Washington, a California based writer, producer, podcast host, and social media manager. She is a biracial, solo-mom who loves to read, watch television and movies, has a subscription to the New Yorker, and will give you unsolicited book/movie/tv recommendations. Also she’s been known to give tips and tricks in social media strategy to help folks get over that creator's block slump. 

Pop Culture Makes Me Jealous, her podcast, examines the impact pop culture has on her life as a biracial woman past and present. She was once told not everything is about race or gender...but this show begs to differ, especially when it comes to pop culture. Julia and host Megan Morgan met in the Future Thought Leader program led by Femily, (also a previous guest on MYA) and clicked almost instantly. Tune in to hear their biracial, pop culture laden interview. 

Episode 31 brings us the truly amazing Tami Hackbarth. She helps women get their time and energy back so they can go after their big life goals. She’s a coach, podcast host and mama and she believes that self-care is the answer to creating your dream life. She started coaching other women because self-care changed her life so much, and she’s now ready to help you change yours. In my opinion, Tami is also one of the funniest and realest people I've ever had the pleasure to know, and I am 100% confident that listeners are going to enjoy this episode with her immensely. We talk about all the things, no really, ALL THE THINGS. Self-care, great reads, life-shifting moments, motherhood, the 100 women project, launching a business, being a teacher, activism...you name it. This is the MYA Podcast's longest episode to date, but I promise, it's more than worth the listen and share. So saddle up your bike, head for a long walk, or listen in on a beautiful car ride somewhere, because this woman is a game-changer. After listening, to learn more about working with Tami, head over here and enter code MYA for a special discount  - just for listeners! Also, link up with Tami on Instagram to keep the connection going.

Podcast produced, written and hosted by Megan Morgan. Podcast edited by Wanda Abney. Podcast intro and outro sounds provided by Freesound.org

In Episode 30 we meet with Riva Jean-Paul, who specializes in helping free-spirited women find health, harmony and heart-centered living. She does health and fitness coaching, is a hoop and dance movement expert and is a very connected and intuitive woman who advocates for self-care and connecting in community. Riva and host Megan Morgan host monthly outdoor wellness classes and mini-retreats in their local Sacramento community. In this conversation we talk about how we can all find the magic of our lives through MORE than just movement. We also talk about being mixed-race, navigating the entrepreneurial hustle, connecting to your intuition and life's purpose. Additionally we talk about how to move beyond body image and restrictive definitions of beauty. You can learn more about Riva on her website, or follow along on Instagram. Keep an eye on the MYA Instagram page to learn how to join local in-person events with both Megan and Riva.

In Episode 29 we welcome M.E. Evans, an award-winning humor writer known for her dark humor and keen observations of the human condition. She shares personal stories about family, travel, and her struggle with anxiety and depression on her blog, me-evans.com: A Funny Blog About Terrible Things. She’s the author of the fantastic book about her grad school experience called Naked, In Italy – A memoir on the Pitfalls of la Dolce Vita and she’s also published essays on life abroad, loss, cross-cultural relationships, and friendship in both Italy and the United States. You can follow her on Instagram or Twitter for her almost daily humorous and real-life quips and updates, or sign up for her newsletter and get notified when new blog posts are ready to roll.

In 2020, she started the You’re Gonna Be Great Self-Care Podcast Series, and the Mamma M’s Movie Club – films to see twice a month, followed by zoom discussions. One of her most recent blog posts is called: A Beginner’s Guide to Mental Health and Healing: What I’ve Learned After Five Years in Therapy (And How it Might Help You) and, she’s also a mama herself, currently parenting a toddler, while writing the next, great American novel and screenplay. Join us as we dive into all things writing, humor, family and therapy - it's a wonderful ride. 

In Episode 28 we talk with Michaela Daystar, a Reiki teacher and practitioner who meets us all at the intersection of Self-Reflection, Spiritual Practice & Social Action, helping us be deeply provisioned for our life's journey. Founder of Heartscapes, Michaela joins the MYA Podcast for an insightful interview exploring her work as an environmental and equity advocate, mom to multi-racial children and energy worker. Michaela also has an educational background in art and art history, and is certified to teach powerful Soul Collage courses. Tune in to learn more about how she helps lead us all towards living a purposeful, energetically aligned and provisioned life. 

South African based "Love Activist" Chule Gobodo is the host of the popular web series: Conversations with a Love Activist. In Episode 27 we dive into her own path towards healing and the teamwork involved on her heroine's journey. She shares valuable tips and insight on approaching your own personal healing and mental health struggles, as well as suggestions for addressing bigger community-based trauma, influenced by her experience living under the former apartheid regime in South Africa. Chule is also a doula and the co-founder of Brainbow, a Conscious Creative Agency in South Africa. Other topics we explore include healing the mother wound, as well as the mind and the body after surviving sexual assault. Additionally, we talk about some really BIG news on a major project that Chule has worked on recently in collaboration with Disney - a worldwide globally recognized brand. Join us for an enlightening, fun and nurturing conversation with the Love Activist, Chule Gobodo. 

In this episode, we meet musical artist Giovanni Morant, who has released several singles on the MYA podcast before. But this time, we get to know the man behind the music who is also a father of four, a husband, teacher and lover of life. At the end of the interview, treat yourself to the mini-concert provided, with a handful of his songs you can listen to all in a row. Giovanni has had a long and prolific career including working with popular 90's bands like the Backstreet Boys and Ginuwine, in addition to being in his own band, Redbone, among others. Currently, Giovanni is part of a group called LoVeSeXy - a tribute band performing the music of Prince, and he's got an upcoming live performance in the Boston area in June. You can also keep up with Giovanni on Instagram and You Tube and multiple listening channels.

Lucky you because Corri Chadwick joins the MYA Podcast in this episode! Corri is a social justice advocate committed to raising consciousness around ways that one's own power and privilege can be used for good. She works as a mental health therapist in the education system and is dedicated to empowering youth through self-awareness. Corri is a Lululemon Ambassador and has taught yoga within the Sacramento community for over a decade. She believes in the power of recognizing and healing our own trauma, so that we may be of maximum service to others. In this episode, she talks with host Megan Morgan about pulling back the curtain on her relationship to yoga right now, some famous family history, lineage and identity, sobriety, mental health awareness, social justice and much more. After listening to the episode, you can keep up with Corri on her website, and on social media. 

In Episode 24 join host Megan Morgan as she interviews yoga teacher, coach and jewelry entrepreneur, Deena Shuttleworth. Deena was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and raised in the small farm town of Harrow. She spent her post-secondary education studying law and security as well as courses for industrial fire fighting. After working in the industry for over a decade, she left her profession to raise her family and do personal training. In 2017 she made the decision to take her love of crystals and creating jewelry to the next level and Deevine Intentions was born. Today you will find Dee running her business, teaching yoga as a Lululemon ambassador and guiding live intention settings and meditations in the community. Her passion is to help others live a more mindful and intentional life. She believes we all have the ability to step into and remain in alignment with our best selves through meditation, yoga, sweat and a solid practice of personal development.

In this episode, join host Megan Morgan to meet and talk with Wanda Abney (Ms. Wanda), the host of Full Circle, a weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to empowering black women through conversation. Each week she hosts lively dialogue hoping to inspire women to achieve their desired vision for their lives. Wanda is a radio broadcast veteran who, as a young girl, dreamed of working in the music/radio industry. In 2019, Wanda was recognized as an Exceptional Woman of Color in the field of Communications and Public Affairs, by the Sac Cultural Hub Media Foundation. When not on the air, Wanda develops and delivers leadership training courses to State of California managers and supervisors.

Ms. Wanda has a heart for seeing people thrive in every situation. In 2015, she received her life coaching certification through the UC Davis Coaching program and subsequently launched SpeakHER Consulting a coaching, training and speaking firm. Through this endeavor, Wanda hopes to walk alongside people seeking to navigate changes in their lives. A 30-year cancer survivor, Wanda certainly has had her share of life changing events. She readily shares her story of overcoming difficult circumstances on air, stage and in the compilation book “She Believed, Vol. II”. In her chapter, “Freedom by G.R.A.C.E.”, Wanda recounts the steps she took to heal after a painful divorce.

Follow Full Circle on Instagram and Facebook @Full Circle 97.5 and you can Subscribe to the Podcast “Ms. Wanda’s Full Circle” on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, Sound Cloud, Spotify and more.

In this special release episode, MYA Host, Megan Morgan, shares an audio workshop for listeners which can be completed alone, or in group settings. Following closely on last week's episode with guest Shannon Thompson, the content of this one formed the framework for a professional development webinar for rising leaders in the non-profit organization, Shakti Rising, called: Tending the Wings of Your Temple: Nurturing Your Soulful Self. The professional development series that Shakti Rising works on seeks to encourage us to fill our wells, feed culture, root into in resilience, skill building and foster knowledge sharing. Feedback from the webinar was positive, and several participants asked if there was a recorded version that they could return to at another time. My Yoga Audio seemed like the perfect opportunity to make that happen, and also allow others to tap in to something that could be beneficial. In the webinar, you will be guided through a series of prompts and exercises based primarily on bird wisdom. Yes, bird wisdom! Come, take flight and meet your curiosity on your very own personal journey in this special episode. *Bonus* a new musical release from musician Giovanni Morant is played in this episode as well as additional new sounds from Music of Wisdom.

Episode 21 features a conversation with Shannon Thompson, the Founder and Visionary Director of the non-profit, Shakti Rising. Shakti Rising is a social change organization transforming the lives of women, girls and the larger community. Shannon is a truth-teller, life-long learner, organizational consultant and leadership coach. She pulls from her certifications as a yoga instructor, massage therapist, flower essence practitioner, ordained minister and her training in herbalism, nutrition, energy psychology, aromatherapy and expressive arts therapy. She lives life with a juicy, fierce, tender and fiery passion. Her superpowers are loving the unlovable, and using her powers for GOOD. Shakti Rising is her destiny, her dharma and her daily choice.

Episode 20 welcomes Joshua Stoddard, a sound healer and musician based in Portland, Oregon. He has performed live all over the country, including at TEDx in Salem, at countless sound baths and yoga events, and his recordings on the Insight Timer app since 2015 have reach over 250,000 plays. He did a wonderful collaboration with Porter Singer, another musician formerly known as Sirgun Kaur and you can subscribe to and follow his sounds on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon where he already has thousands of enthusiastic followers.

Joshua is conscientious, thoughtful and humble, and the beauty and power of what he brings to listeners is actually I believe of incredible impact and value. In our conversation we talk about his musical journey from rock and roll bands to the more soothing sounds that he embraces today. We also talk about the health journey he's been on and how he coped with the passing of his Father last year. Currently, Joshua is working on releasing a new album, while temporarily stationed in Martha's Vineyard, where he runs the beach everyday in the snow before heading into the studio to record. At the end of the episode, we play nearly 20 minutes of some of Joshua's most recent recordings, so be sure to listen right to the end.

Photo of Joshua by Shayne Berry.

In this episode we meet and talk with Roshaun Davis, aka The Spiritual Homie, co-founder of Unseen Heroes and recently named one of the top 100 Business Leaders in the Sacramento Region. Roshaun speaks primarily from a place of deep introspection and talks about living a life that embraces flow, while readily admitting that flow doesn't necessarily mean easy. He shares insights on his business approach, how he incorporates yogic principles into his everyday life, and how he and his family of five are coping through the ongoing pandemic. We also talk about his recent involvement in the launches of the Build Black App and the Made with Melanin Clothing Line available at Display California, as well as new ventures supporting local Farmer's Markets. There is so much he brought to this interview, including, how to learn to love and "date" your own city, no matter where you live. Tune in to listen, learn and be inspired to make a difference in your community and open up your perspective on what it means to flow. 

Photo of Roshaun Davis by Ryan Angel Meza.

There are so many reasons that you want to talk to, listen to and learn from Femily, aka Silicon Valley’s Gender/Equity Advisor. While she is known for so many things, primarily we talk about how she’s the founder of the groundbreaking and often waitlisted program, Future Thought Leader, and how she specializes in teaching womxn to overcome the dreaded "imposter syndrome" as well as how to succeed in technology careers. We talk about everything from embracing fun fashion when you’re 6’1, to real talk about inclusivity in the boardroom and how she coaches individuals, small groups and even big-name corporations into being more knowledgable and progressive. Femily shares personal examples of her road to awareness about gender and racial inequity as a white womxn and how she’s passionate about also meeting people wherever they are on their awareness path too. We dip into the notion of being “too much” (there’s no such thing!) and she shares how she got her start as the fun, fierce and rebel boss lady that she is today. Hint: she’s an introvert at heart, but went for it anyway! We all can discover so much about how we can change our personal and professional path, as well as put her list of extensive reading and other resources and offerings to good use. This is a don’t miss, electrifying episode!