Wholē Temple

In today’s episode,Kristin chats with her mother, Beverly Mitchell, and god-mother, Adrainne Thompson, on the keys to a lasting friendship. Adrainne and Beverly became best friends in college and have grown and sustained a healthy friendship that’s now going on 40 years.

And like any relationship, their friendship has experienced some epic highs and some nasty lows, but they’ve learned what it takes to support a healthy friendship and have ensured they stay dedicated to it...contracts and all.

Beverly is a supervisor for Child Protective Services, an amazing vocalist at her church and in a gospel recording group, a DIY-savvy lady who loves making updates to her home and spending quality time outside on her deck.

Adrainne is the owner of Priceless Thrift, a store with discounted clothing and household supplies to support disadvantaged families with rent and utility support, clothing for job interviews, and workshops on self sufficiency and job readiness skills. She’s also a writer and poet and has authored several books on love, relationships, and the adventures that life brings.

In this episode, the ladies share the story of their friendship over the years, and give their perspectives on the ins and outs of friendship–like having tiers, navigating rough patches and reconciling after disagreements, and the ideal number of friends one should have.

Beverly’s mantra: I am only responsible and accountable for what I do. I let the other stuff go. Grown folk gonna do what grown folk wanna do.

Adrainne’s mantra: Never underestimate the power of God's love, a hug, and a smile.

With the holiday season comes opinionated relatives commenting on others’ weight, eating habits, and body shape. As soon as that passes you face the “new year, new me” quotes and ads from gyms and medical spas urging you to achieve your “ideal” body goals. Feeling the pressure yet? Today’s guest says there’s a way to avoid that burden—by dismantling diet culture and embracing body positivity.

Kelsey Ellis is an, award-winning, body-positive fitness trainer and holistic nutritionist based in Vancouver, Canada. She offers private and group coaching programs that help chronic dieters dismantle the diet culture narrative and transition from struggling with low self-esteem to having a thriving, shame-free relationship with their body. She also teaches body-positive fitness classes through her on demand fitness studio that promotes physical movement from a wellness-centered approach. You won’t find any Kelsey saying "tone this, sculpt that" in her classes.  Her members enjoy 100% judgment-free fitness that encourages them to move their bodies in a way that feels safe, inclusive and uplifting!

Kelsey’s on a mission to help people feel empowered and love the skin they’re in, so get ready for some powerful motivational gems and coaching to walk your own coming home journey and embrace your unique body.

Connect and work with Kelsey:

Meet the microbiome, millions of microorganisms living in and on our bodies designed to work for our benefit. We have more DNA on our bodies than our own…so who's hosting who? And what can we do to make sure this community supports our health?

In this episode, Kristin chats with Suzie Galbraith about the best tips for nourishing and restoring the gut microbiome.

Suzie is a wife, mom, RN, and holistic wellness coach specializing in helping others achieve optimal health and wellness through integrative health foundations. Her focus is on rebalancing the body by removing toxins, replacing deficiencies, and improving gut health so you can feel energetic, vibrant, and empowered!

After years of working in various hospital settings, she knew there was more to health than symptom management. She turned her focus to holistic and integrative practices that look at root causes and optimize gut health.

Suzie's Gut Health Tips

• Practice good eating hygiene
• Eliminate/manage stress
• Consume more plant-based, nutrient-dense, natural foods than processed, prepackaged foods
• Consume supplements and digestive enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics

Suzie’s mantra: My mind and body are healing every day and in every way.

Connect and work with Suzie:

“Please put on your air mask before assisting others with theirs.” We’re told to prioritize ourselves, but how do we actually achieve it? Rachel Hatteberg Walt says it’s through self-compassion and kindness.

Rachel is a mom of 3 kids, a speech-language pathologist, a holistic health coach, a reiki healer, a community organizer, and a lifelong learner. She applies all her experiences and skills in her business, Crafting Good, where she offers holistic wellness services and provides products and kits to help caregivers and their families develop sustainable, compassionate lifestyles. The result is individuals showing care and compassion to themselves, their families, their local communities, and the world.

In this episode, Rachel shares her personal experience with self-compassion and how modeling kindness and compassion to her kids has created a home filled with people ready and capable of serving others from a place of overflow–because they took care of themselves first.

Rachel’s mantra: I’m doing the best I can.

Connect with Rachel and shop her quarterly kindness craft kits and holistic services

• www.craftingood.com
• Use code, WHOLETEMPLE, to get 15% off your first purchase!

Stay connected with us!

Houseplants are the new pets! In this episode, Veronica Leon shares the benefits of houseplants, plant care basics, and her go-to indoor plants for new plant parents.

Veronica is the owner of Verde Tribe, a plant shop aiming to bring a bit of green joy into everyone’s life. Verde Tribe is located in the 7th Street Public Market in Uptown Charlotte and is available for online purchases. Veronica offers houseplants, local, handmade planters, local soil, and plant installations and consultations.

Veronica’s houseplant tips

• Study up on your plant’s needs
• Most plants prefer bright indirect light
• Water once per week; use the finger test
• Use good quality soil
• Fertilize monthly
• Treat for pests with neem oil

Veronica’s word of affirmation: Joy

Connect with Veronica and shop her line of houseplants and accessories

If you’re on a faith journey right now, this episode is the encouragement you need to keep persevering.

Jonatta Harmon shares her current experience of trusting God’s direction and timing in every area of her life. She is a follower of Christ who knows and embraces her life’s purpose of worshiping God through creative design. Over the years, Jonatta has learned (and is still learning) that the only way to attain real success is by trusting God’s plan while walking in obedience to Him. They go hand in hand.

Jonatta loves empowering other women to recognize this truth and embrace the plans God has for their lives as well. Aside from being the owner of a creative brand and design agency, Jonatta is also a mom to a sweet little girl, an ordained prophet, and author.

Jonatta’s tips to stay encouraged during your faith walk or challenging times:

• Build a strong relationship with God
• Study the Word
• Find your community
• Get a spiritual mentor

Jonatta’s mantra: God is my PR.

Connect with Jonatta and purchase her new book:

Cheri Granillo shares how true the statement “let thy food be thy medicine” really is. With simple, non-processed foods, anyone can positively shift their level of wellness.

How? Through phytochemicals, microscopic chemical structures in certain foods that research has shown can treat and even heal diseases. Nutrition researchers have labeled these food chemicals as phytomedicines.

Cheri Granillo. Cheri is a nurse practitioner at a private primary care clinic and a Translational Nutrition Program Manager at the Plants for Human Health Institute at NC State University. In this role, Cheri is responsible for developing and sharing programs on the research of edible plants being used for medicinal purposes. In this episode, she shares handy tips for the Wholē Temple Podcast audience to begin including these vital nutrients in their diets.

The three main phytochemicals Cheri mentions during this episode

• carotenoids: boost eye, skin, and immune health
• anthocyanins: anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
• isothiocyanates: help rid the body of carcinogens

Cheri’s mantra: Focus on you.

Learn more about phytomedicine and eat your way to better health:

In this episode, Erin Hostetler teaches us beginner-friendly tips to start an edible garden.

Erin is the owner of the Patio Farmer, and helps people empower their inner green thumb . She lives on an acre of land with dogs, goats, chickens, bees, composting worms, 6 raised bed, backyard greenhouse and saltwater aquarium She lives on a one-acre homestead with her partner, three dogs, goats, chickens, bees, composting worms, 6 raised garden beds, a bunch of plants, a backyard greenhouse and even saltwater aquarium. If you’ve been interested in starting a homestead, Erin’s your girl.

Erin’s a firm believer that no matter what size space you have, you can grow food at home! Erin has worked on farms of all sizes and shapes to learn the in's and out's of food production. Her passion is teaching others how to grow food to feed themselves and their families, and she started a business The Patio Farmer! With her business, she does consultations and provides assistance to help you start your edible garden journey.

Beginner-friendly ways to set up your edible garden

• sunlight: at least 6 hours a day
• space: the bigger the plant, the more space and soil volume it needs
• soil: nutrient-rich; splurge on your soil!
• season: know which crops prefer hot or cool weather
• maintenance: water often, deter pests

Erin’s mantra: Grow.

Save $10 off your first order or garden consultation by mentioning the Wholē Temple Podcast. Also join the Plant Club and receive monthly tips and workshops on growing your own food.

If it’s not fostering your growth or disrupting your peace…Let that sh*t go.

In this solo episode, Kristin shares 3 ways to tell it’s time to let go of the things, situations, and people who are no longer serving your greater good. With her personal experience in tow, Kristin walks us through the steps she took to willfully let go of a family home and begin her healing process.

3 questions to ask yourself:

• Does this thing benefit my growth and vitality?
• What is my reasoning to keep this in my life?
• Is this disrupting my peace?

3 ways to patch up energy leaks and actually let go of what’s harming you:

• Forgive
• Set boundaries
• Seek professional counseling and support

Kristin’s mantra: I am willing and ready to experience the next best thing God has in store for me.

Stay connected with us!

We’ve officially made it to the midway point of 2022, and it’s been rough trying to prioritize our wellness, thrive in our careers, and navigate the chaos from this year. We could all use a bit of motivation and encouragement from Martha Cooper-Hudson to keep prioritizing ourselves and pressing on our self-discovery journey.

Martha  is a published author, financial adviser, motivational speaker, and founder of RediscoverHER 2.0, where she focuses on inspiring, equipping, motivating, and empowering women to live fully and unapologetically. With an emphasis on faith, family, and business, Martha’s authenticity and transparency help women and female business owners BOSS UP in their purpose.

Martha’s mantras

• If better is possible, then good is not enough.
• Protect your peace, and do it unapologetically.

Get ready for an algae masterclass with the Algae Guru, Catharine Arnston.

Spirulina and chlorella are two types of freshwater algae that fall into the superfood category due to their numerous health and nourishing benefits. Both spirulina and chlorella feature an array of nutrients including amino acids, phytonutrients, like chlorophyll, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, NASA considers chlorella to be the most nutrient dense food in the world, and the United Nations views spirulina as a solution to world hunger due to its high protein levels and sustainability.

Catharine has spent the last decade researching spirulina and chlorella and became an integrative nutrition health coach to educate others on the benefits of green nutrition. She’s also the founder of Energybits, a company providing high-quality spirulina and chlorella tablets that are grown in safe, environmentally friendly conditions and third-party tested for potency and safety.

In this episode, Catharine shares her knowledge about how spirulina and chlorella work to provide energy, detox the body on a cellular level, and provide the body much needed nourishment to heal itself and thrive.

Today’s episode is a quick chat with Lindsey Walker about prioritizing your self care and your wellbeing. Lindsey is a holistic health and fitness coach who gives career-driven women the tools and education to transform their bodies, minds, and overall health.

As a mother, nurse, and entrepreneur Lindsey understands how limited time can feel when it comes to practicing self care. But she’s an advocate of starting small--with even 60 seconds--to pause, breathe and focus on your needs.  

Lindsey’s learned that the more she pours into herself, the more she can pour into others. And she’s on a mission to help other women learn this invaluable lesson.

Lindsey’s mantra: I love the person that I am but also the person that I’m becoming.

Connect with Lindsey

Welcome back to the Wholē Temple Podcast! In this premiere episode, Kristin shares the reason behind the abrupt ending of Season 1 and discusses 5 must-have activities in her wellness toolkit.

5 Activities to Include in Your Wellness Toolkit

• Therapy
• Self-Awareness
• Grounding Tools
• Mindful Movement
• Me Time

Stay connected with us!

Grief is unfortunately a part of the life experience. In this episode, Kristin and her husband, Earl, talk about how they dealt with losing loved ones early in their marriage and how it has shaped them today.

* Please be advised. This episode talks about pregnancy loss and self-harm.*

Advice for couples going through grief

      · Seek counseling as soon as possible.

      · Don’t turn against each other or turn away from each other.

      · Your level of grief matches your partner’s level of grief. It may be expressed differently.

      · Don’t suppress your emotions.

      · Communicate with each other.

Earl’s mantra: I expand in abundance, success, and love every day as I inspire those around me to do the same.

In this episode, Tatyana Reisini shares her knowledge of sustainability and helpful tips for reducing our use of single-use plastic and items that end up in landfills.

Tatyana is the owner of Good Earth Essentials, Charlotte’s first zero-waste shop. Being unfulfilled in her career as a teacher, Tatyana took her passion for sustainable living and stepped away from her teaching position to open Good Earth Essentials. Her shop is located at the 7th Street Public Market and offers bulk refill options and zero waste products for household items and personal care products.

Visit Good Earth Essentials and save 10% when you mention the Wholē Temple Podcast (not valid on bulk refill products).

Tatyana’s mantra: I am capable.

Helpful documentaries on sustainability:

   · Minimalism

   · Before the Flood

   · Tomorrow

   · Down to Earth

Today’s episode is about the importance of reconnecting with our bodies, tuning into their wisdom, and learning how to best support it. As a body wisdom expert and self-proclaimed body geek, Lisa Medley defines body wisdom as the inner guidance deep within us that tells us how to experience life and thrive in wellness. It’s a holistic approach to answering the question of: “Is this good for me or not?”.

Lisa has a Master's degree in Expressive Therapy and 20+ years of experience in the healing arts working as a life coach, massage therapist, conscious dance and movement instructor, and lifelong student of holistic approaches. She’s passionate about teaching others to treat their bodies as beloved, harness their energy, and align their physical experience with the divine essence lying within them.

Lisa believes as we create more love in the body, we create more love in the world. She serves as a Body Wisdom Expert and specializes in helping spiritual seekers, sensitives, and empaths overwhelmed by the world get back together with their bodies, take charge of their wellness, and give their souls a comfortable place to live.

Memorable Moments:

• 2 mindfulness techniques:

         -Check your breathing: exhale

         -How’s your muscle tension

• “Your body wants you to return to a state of ease...your body wants you to feel good.”
• “Your body speaks in the language of sensation. Be open to how your wisdom comes to you.”
• “The language of the body is not complicated, it’s just that we haven’t been supported how to decode it. Anybody can learn it.”

Lisa’s mantra: I am being a made of light.

Adversity is a part of the human experience. How you develop your resilience is entirely up to you. In this episode, Jessica Brown shares her story of overcoming adversity in her life and finding a new sense of purpose.

Jessica is a US Powerlifting Association athlete and state referee for the sport. She currently holds the New Jersey state record in squat, bench, and deadlift. Jessica is the owner of Find HER Strength, a brand that inspires women to find the strength within themselves to overcome any obstacles they face in life. The brand features testimonies from women discovering their strength.

Jessica’s mantra: Never doubt her strength.

In this episode, I speak with Moniqué Danaê about holistic nutrition tips to heal the body and thrive in wellness.

Moniqué is a Holistic Nutrition Specialist, Plant-Based Advocate, Wellness Educator & Mentor, and owner of Moda Wellness. She helps young adults transition to holistic lifestyles, enjoy plant-based eating, break cycles of unhealthy habits, and ultimately live well! Her clients are guided through a transformative wellness journey that enables them to reach their wellness goals and empowers them to live their best life.

Exclusive Deal!

Moniqué is also offering an exclusive deal to the Wholē Temple audience. When you book your wellness journey with Moda Wellness, mention the Wholē Temple podcast in the referral section to receive 25% off your program!

Moniqué’s mantra: I am God’s masterpiece created to do good works which He has already prepared me for.

-based on Ephesians 2:10

Here’s your reminder to hold on to your pockets of joy. In this episode, I was really excited to speak with Grace Cantrell, author and owner of Deserved Happiness about the importance of experiencing and acknowledging happiness and expressing gratitude in your life.

Grace Cantrell, MBA, is an author and the creator of Deserves Happiness. She has written several books that focus on self-love, self-worth, and daily happiness. Grace founded Deserved Happiness in 2017 with the goal of creating a brand that helps women to shift their mindset and write their own happy ending through transformational journaling.

Memorable Quotes & Moments:

• 7:30- “Sometimes it’s not change it; it’s change you.”
• 8:00- Definition of happiness and gratitude
• Happiness is pockets of joy..a state of being content and blissful
• Gratitude is being thankful for what you have
• 12:15- How to hold onto pockets of joy
• 19:20- "I stop saying negative thoughts aloud. As soon as they enter my head I try to stop them."

Grace’s mantra: I’m on the right path.

Visit deservedhappiness.com and save 20% on your purchase with code: TEMPLE

We’re spiritual beings having natural/physical experience. As spiritual beings, it’s vital for us to stay connected to our Source—God.

In this episode, Yolanda Mukombe shares with us the importance of spirituality and having an unique relationship with God.

Yolanda is a wife, mother, community leader, and CEO-that’s chief empowerment officer! She serves others by helping them embrace their power and experience life on their terms. And she’s living this out too. By day, Yolanda is a financial consultant who recently entered full-time entrepreneurship, and recently published her first book: Don’t Forget Who God Is, a 52-week devotional. Yolanda has a heart for God and is passionate about encouraging others to develop and strengthen their own relationships with God.

This episode is a mix of conversation between girlfriends and a testimony at Bible study! Yolanda shares her experience with becoming disconnected with God and how she mended that relationship and talks about her work to encourage others to incorporate spirituality into their wellness practice.

Yolanda’s mantra: Don’t forget who God is.

Grab your notebook, your pen, your bank statements, and get ready for this financial wellness masterclass! In this episode, I speak with Diana Morris, a financial wellness advocate, and Founder and CEO of Ladybug Collaborative. Diana has a career spanning 20+ years in financial services, and it’s across the board. She’s worked in banking as a manager and mortgage consultant, within insurance as an agent, and she’s been an investment advisor.

And from her diverse career, Diana has learned that personal finances are confusing and fragmented across each section and she decided to change the narrative. In 2017, she launched Ladybug Collaborative Inc., a platform providing comprehensive education and resources for managing personal finances. She and her diverse team use their skills in personal finance, personal development and behavior-driven solutions to provide real-time data to help their clients make better financial decisions. Diana and Ladybug Collaborative are on a mission to eliminate barriers, myths, and shame around personal finance and infuse financial wellness into your personal journey.

Get ready to gain a new perspective on finances and learn how they reflect your values and priorities. Diana shares some amazing acronyms and steps for you to get a better handle over your finances, stop living paycheck to paycheck and lengthen your financial runway so you can achieve financial independence. She also gives some amazing advice on handling differing financial behaviors as a couple or family.

Memorable Quotes:

8:15 Financial wellness=living in such a way that your personal values and priorities are being fully realized at the same time as you’re optimizing all of the resources available to you to take care of your own ongoing needs and future needs

13:15 How to begin your financial wellness journey

• SPICE: Skills. Priorities. Interests. Community. Experiences.

16:15: Own your numbers

• Living expense ratio: income to expenses; keep it below 70%

23:45: Own your numbers

• Debt to income ratio: how much debt you’re carrying on a monthly basis; goal is less than 30%
• Personal financial runway: how much runway you have to be independent of an income

26:00 Some creative assets to acquire: owning vs. borrowing

30:00: how to stop living paycheck to paycheck and experience financial zen

36:12: how to manage financial wellness as a couple or a family

Diana’s mantras

• To thine own self, be true.
• What do you want?

Sticking to a skincare regimen can be a sure-fire way to practice self care. This is a lesson our host, Kristin, learned as she approached her late twenties, entered motherhood and struggled with a healthy work-life balance. Ironically, her full-time business was running a skincare company. She was constantly teaching others on the importance of clean products and practicing self care, but wasn’t applying her advice to her own situation. After experiencing a painful skin condition, Kristin knew she needed to take better care of herself and put a greater focus on her skincare regimen. In this solo episode, Kristin shares her body care routine and how she reverences her whole temple.

May in Mental Health Awareness Month, and during the month mental health advocates strive to shine light on the importance of mental health, provide support to those who are impacted, and break down the stigma around mental health.

Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental illness that affects almost 7 million adults in the US every year. The ways the disorder displays itself vary among individuals, but it is certainly an illness that can take control of your life if you allow it.

In this episode, I speak with Leslie Stevens-Tavera, a licensed clinical mental health counselor on generalized anxiety disorder. We chat about the differences between generalized anxiety disorder and feeling anxious, ways to manage the illness, and how to support loved ones who battle this illness.

Leslie Stevens-Tavera is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, life strategist, spiritual coach, and writer. She is licensed to practice therapy in both North Carolina and Virginia. Leslie co-founded The Congruence Counseling Group PLLC, a private practice in Carrboro, NC, to help meet the growing mental health needs of individuals in her community. She is a believer, and trusts in the infinite and limitless possibilities of God’s love.

By nature, Leslie is an empathic, intuitive helper. She shows up in life ready to serve and willing to provide support. She is a direct impact person. The clients that she serves come away from their sessions feeling heard, validated, and supported. With that, they are able to make healthy changes that impact all spheres of life. She is also a motivating public speaker, equipped to inform and enlighten others on the benefits of good mental health practices. Her passion in life is to help people understand their own thoughts, feelings and patterns, and to promote the healing process through that work. She is skilled in dismantling faulty belief systems, reframing maladaptive thinking patterns, and processing human emotions.

Leslie is also on her own journey towards living with intention. She shares how she recognized her life was out of balance and talks about her new priority for rest and loving herself first.

Memorable Quotes:

15:10: “Create safe space for people who are struggling…Open one’s heart and mind to let someone have their experience…let them label it as they desire to…don’t project and try to change or fix. Give them space to work out whatever issues they may be having, and give them safe space to do that with you…or allow them to find safe spaces with someone who will support them.”

20:15 “We can’t move them any more than they’re willing to be moved and will move on their own. All you can do is be the light. Live in your own authenticity and truth. Even if we don’t reach that person, we can still model and be the light for someone else.”

27:30: “People have to be taught how to love themselves before they can be taught how to love somebody else…because the paradigm of loving somebody else first and loving yourself last doesn’t serve and doesn’t make for sustainability.”

31:45 “A mantra needs to be beneficial, believable, and true.”

Leslie’s mantra: “If it’s not born out of rest, I don’t want it.”

Let’s talk about sex, baby! It’s often seen as a taboo subject, but sexuality plays a part in our lives from birth to death. We need to address it throughout our lives and recognize that it is a part of our overall wellness. The Southern Sexologist™, Dr. Tanya Bass chats about the importance of having sexual health education beyond high school sex education class. She uses a brain-based approach to sex education that is holistic and ties in sensuality, intimacy, and identity. Dr. Bass also shares how our sexual needs change throughout life.

Dr. Tanya Bass, MS, MEd, CHES®, CSE is the founder of the North Carolina Sexual Health Conference (NCSEXCON). She previously served as Program Supervisor managing the Cultural and Community Initiatives in the NC Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities. She is a member of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WoCSHN), the Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians (ABSC), and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator (CSE). She is a current member of the editorial board for the American Journal of Sexuality Education. Tanya is an alumna of North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) Department of Public Health Education, where she has served as an adjunct instructor for several years and is currently the lead instructor for Human Sexuality. She recently completed her PhD in Education at Widener University in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies.

Memorable Quotes:

7:46: “In school [sex education classes], they’re so focused on the genitals, that they don’t focus on the brain. The brain is the biggest sex organ…my approach is brain based.”

9:00 “from a wellness perspective, I think it’s just about being able to have a positive and having a good quality of life.”

20:45 “[in adulthood], now we’re trying to shove consent conversations when we should have kept talking about it. Just because I’m older, I still need to protect my body and tell someone ‘no’ confidently.”

26:40 “We are trying to protect our children to help them be able to say an affirmative ‘no’. It instills in them sexual esteem and confidence to assert themselves, so they can continue to do that throughout life.”

Tanya’s mantra: “I’m giving myself grace. I’m giving you grace. Grace all the way around. I need it from you. I will extend it to you. And I will give and receive it from myself."

What do you do when your child is allergic to over 10 different foods? You embrace the change, learn as much as you can, and face the opportunity together.

In this solo episode, Kristin shares her family of three’s experience with their son’s 13 different food allergies. She also gives 4 tips to manage food allergies as a household. While it may get difficult at times, her confidence never wavers because she knows the three of them are in this journey together.

4 tips to manage food allergies as a household:

1. Shift your thinking
2. Do your research
3. Plan it out
4. Do it together

Memorable quote: “Just because the reality is different than you planned or expected doesn’t make it any less beautiful.”

Helpful resources

• Kidswithfoodallergies.org
• Superhealthykids.com
• MadeGood
• Hippeas

Check out what meals we’re making: https://www.pinterest.com/kpridgen13/food/

Do you fall into the perfectionism trap? When does your desire to do good work and perform well become a problematic stumbling block? According to this week’s host, the answer is when we’re doing hard work to matter, rather than doing hard work that matters. Emotional wellness coach, Erika Shepard comes to the show to talk about the dangers of perfectionism and how to stop falling into its trap.

Erika believes in a world where people don’t just know that they’re good enough, they actually feel that they’re good enough. She is an international speaker, coach and healer where she empowers perfectionists to use their innate abilities to restore consistent peace, calm and joy. She lives by the mantra: love can’t be known, it needs to be experienced. When you spend time with Erika, you’ll go on a powerful journey of self-discovery and self-love.

Some Memorable Quotes:

13:45- “Perfectionism gives us the validation that we seek and then we confuse it with love. Then love becomes performance based and conditional.”

14:20- “At the end of the day, perfectionism is about not getting enough love.”

17:00- “Through listening to our emotions, we can get more aligned on our path, especially the emotion of joy. Joy is our compass North. We are here to experience love and joy.”

20:20- “It’s not that you’re not doing enough. It’s that you aren’t leaning into you already being enough. You already are enough.”

3 steps to get the love you need without falling into the perfectionism trap:

1-Build a relationship with yourself for self-love and self-validation

2-Listen to your emotions and embrace all of them

3-Build a bridge from where you are to where you’re going and how you want to feel

Erika’s mantra: “Love can’t be known. It needs to be experienced.”

On today's episode, I speak with Raven Gibbs about mental health stigma, dance therapy, body image, and the need for self care.

Raven Gibbs is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and Sociology with a concentration in Law and Cognitive Science. She recently completed her degree in MS Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Over the years, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that the young women she encountered were supported, loved and encouraged. Raven had a vision and executed a plan to address mental health challenges via dance to young ladies that were not open to traditional therapeutic techniques and interventions. She founded Mindfulness Movement to provide dance therapy to communities that are plagued by mental health stigma and limited healthcare resources.

Raven's mantra: (Say it while smiling.) "I know who I am, and I know whose I am. Because of that, I can rest in confidence that I can change the world. I am purposeful. I am powerful. I am impactful."

Ever felt that you were mindlessly going with the motions? You may have been lost within your temple. In this episode, Kristin shares how she lost her identity after having her son and becoming solely focused on following her daily routine. After being unable to answer a silly personality question, Kristin realized it was time for her to rediscover herself, outside of her roles of wife, mom, and entrepreneur. 

Tips to rediscover yourself:

• Disrupt your daily routine (dress up instead of wearing another pair of leggings and a t-shirt)
• Return to your former hobbies to see if they spark any joy within your life
• Move your body
• Try new things
• Set limits and say no!
• Reconnect to community

Welcome to Wholē Temple! In this opening episode, Kristin explains her reason behind the podcast's name, a bit about herself and how she’s been navigating the journey of living with intention.