Episode 5 - Embracing the Body Healing Itself with Heather Dillard
By Jessica Garrison
This week, Heather Dillard joins Melissa in talking about her journey, particularly with her body. She shares her experiences with holistic wellness practices as well as owning a bakery that specializes in gluten-free and dairy-free products. She has seen the effects of her actions and wants to spread the wealth of knowledge she has learned along the way.
Being a holistic coach, Heather is very aware of her body and enjoys participating in physical self-care. She was given false information when she was younger about her body, and it took a toll on her. Not taking care of her body had consequences that changed Heather’s life, and two years passed before she could feel at home in her body again.
A lot of Heather’s boundaries come from her dietary restrictions, and although people are more open about gluten-free and vegan diets in today’s world, there are still times she has to stand up for herself and set a firm boundary. I’ve seen it myself with people who are gluten-free, and there can be a lot of peer pressure when it comes to a person’s diet. However, seeing the benefits of sticking to her boundaries with both her mind and body has made it easier over the years.
While discussing her mental and physical health, Heather shared how she was a foster mom of 3 children. She discovered just how necessary it is to listen to your body, which essentially is the boss of all else. She also worked in a school system and was able to understand the children on a different level because she understood the connection between the body and the mind.
When asked how she supports women in living unapologetically, Heather showcased just how compassionate and understanding she is. Everyone has a story, and being gentle with one another is sometimes all you need. I appreciate the kindness that she displays; the world would be a much better place if more people like Heather existed.
Heather’s current values include her physical health being a priority and making it a point to keep herself recharged. She says that when you know what your values are, it makes decision-making a lot easier, and I agree with her completely. Living out of her own expectations is a difficult process for Heather, but she credits her values with helping her move in the right direction. This ties into her boundaries since she’s a people pleaser, and defying people’s expectations of you can be demanding but also quite rewarding.
Over the years, Heather has learned to accept her body’s capacity and create a balance between her body and spirit. Heather offers great advice that helped her accept the layered aspects of herself, and I think everyone has something to learn from this segment of the podcast.
We get energy from those around us, and Heather speaks to how F.E.E.L affects the relationships she has. During this segment, Heather shares her many talents, and she offers many ways that people can heal themselves, both physically and mentally. When others see her doing these and putting in the effort, they want to as well.
Heather’s resources will be listed on our website at embracinglayers.com if you’re interested in learning more about her, booking an appointment with her for holistic coaching, or if you’re hungry for a sweet treat from her bakery. Let us know what you thought of Heather’s episode and if you loved it as much as I did!
Ways to Engage: Have you seen the effects that food has, not only on your body, but on your mental health as well? What are some patterns you see? Do you keep track of what you eat and the ingredients in the food? Why or why not? After listening to Heather’s episode, it might be helpful to reevaluate your diet to see what is working and what is not for all aspects of your health.
Episode 4 - Learning to Love Your Layers with Jasmine Rice
By Jessica Garrison
Trigger warning: suicide
Although the conversation this week contains some heavy topics, they are also very important to bring to the forefront. I thank our guest, Jasmine Rice, for her vulnerability, honesty, and good spirit as she shares her life with us this week, and I’m so excited for everyone to listen!
Self-care wasn’t in Jasmine’s vocabulary until about five years ago, but she began her self-care journey cognitively after going through a divorce. Her self-care evolves every day, but in the beginning, even taking a shower was nourishing for Jasmine. I’m glad she mentioned this (along with so many other helpful tips) because showering can become quite laborious if you’re depressed. If you understand this feeling, instead of thinking of showering as a chore, you can start to think of it as a form of self-care.
As a people pleaser, setting boundaries is challenging for Jasmine. She doesn’t want to rub people the wrong way by setting a boundary and sticking to it, but sometimes it’s necessary. She shared an example about her dad during this segment that proves she’s better at setting boundaries than she thought. Even if setting a boundary is difficult, if it’s important to you, then it’s worth it in the end, and you can expect to see the benefits of that decision.
Jasmine has been in and out of therapy since she was 13 after a suicide attempt, and even though she didn’t want to go at first, she’s realized the advantages of seeing a therapist. She describes her connection with her physical body and how much healthier it is to have a balance now that she is properly taking care of her mental health.
In supporting women, Jasmine joined a women’s networking group and has learned it’s important to stay true to who you are. Comparison is something we all do (and are taught to do as women), but not everything is what it seems, and Jasmine speaks to this so strongly throughout her episode.
Although our purpose and why are always evolving, Jasmine’s current why is helping people. She describes some hardships she experienced that helped to shape her why, and I love how encouraging she is with her purpose. It’s easy to become bitter when bad things happen to us, but Jasmine doesn’t want others to go through what she did and is spreading some positivity.
Jasmine shares the experience of her first job that had no boundaries when talking about living out of her own expectations versus others’. She and Melissa agreed that it starts young, when people put expectations on their children that they should be living up to. Some of them have good intentions, but sometimes it’s too much pressure to live your life for someone else because there’s no way to make everyone happy.
My favorite segment from this episode was probably accepting the layered aspects of yourself, as Jasmine shares her history in more detail. There are so many factors that led her to become who she is today, just as we all find ourselves along the way.
Now that Jasmine has been embracing her layers, taking care of herself, and setting necessary boundaries, she’s become more comfortable and confident with herself: “I love myself, and I don’t think I would’ve said that five years ago.” We want everyone to not only cultivate healthy relationships through F.E.E.L., but to also fall in love with themselves; it’s one of the most rewarding and special experiences there is.
Feel free to visit the Resources page on the Embracing Layers website for some of Jasmine’s brilliant recommendations and join the conversation on our Substack!
Ways to Engage: Self-love can be a fleeting emotion, but ask yourself if you truly love who you are. What emotions does this bring up for you? Why do you think you feel that way? Even if it’s uncomfortable, you owe yourself the opportunity to begin a journey towards self-love and self-acceptance.
Episode 3 - Empowerment and Purpose with Pat Rullo
By Jessica Garrison
Our tenacious guest this week is Pat Rullo, who has accomplished so much in her lifetime. Apart from her professional accomplishments, Pat is a dependable, impatient, and creative woman. She found herself being an advocate for her mother in the healthcare system while also writing multiple books to help others who may be in a similar situation. Pat was such a joy to listen to, describing her history as well as how she plans to move forward in her journey.
Self-care and boundaries go hand in hand for Pat, and she’s learned that sometimes it’s the simplest acts that can help nourish your body. She talks about her process in deciding what’s best for her in both cases, and I think everyone has something to learn from Pat when it comes to consistency and knowing your worth.
Emotional health wasn’t a conversation Pat had growing up, although she was thoughtful of her physical health. Usually growing up, everyone focuses on your physical health: if you’re the right weight, if you’re as tall as you should be, if you’re exerting the energy you need to. However, your emotional health catches up eventually, and Pat has seen the after-effects of this. It’s refreshing to hear her talk about what she does to take care of her mental health and how that can sometimes coincide with her physical health. It’s all part of a bigger conversation we need to be having, even from a young age.
Supporting women is in Pat’s everyday life, and she consciously takes advantage of that. She believes the women she meets are brought into her life for a reason, and it’s important to take care of those relationships. Pat also shares a story of how she supports soldiers overseas by making them feel a little more at home, and I love the importance she puts on listening and spreading positivity.
Pat is attracted to teaching, and the journey she experienced with her mother made her want to share her story and educate others on the ambiguity of the medical system. Just like most of us, Pat has high expectations for herself, and this has shaped her journey along the way. If she says she’ll do something, not only will it get done, but it will be done to the best of her ability.
Layers can change and evolve, but that’s okay; it isn’t normal for things to stay the same all the time, especially when it comes to people. Seeing growth within ourselves and others makes space for even more development. With F.E.E.L., Pat loves herself more and has learned it’s okay to be yourself. Even if you don’t know it yet, you can define your empowerment, find it, and embrace it.
To learn more about the impressive life and accomplishments of Pat Rullo, visit our website! There will also be a list of Pat’s resources that she’s come across on her journey thus far, and we can further spread the wealth of knowledge.
Ways to Engage: Pat mentions simple acts being part of her self-care routine, proving that it’s different for everyone and can be found in even the busiest parts of our day. What are some examples of simple self-care steps you can implement into your life, and how does completing these everyday make you feel? We love to hear people’s journeys with self-care, so please feel free to share any tips or tricks that have helped you along the way.
Episode 2 - Empowerment Through Tracking Your Self Care with Dr. Jennifer Harrison
By Jessica Garrison
We are continuing the open to our 6th season strong with Dr. Jennifer Harrison as our guest this week. She is an intelligent and patient individual, a combination that changes the world for the better. Between the effortless conversation and Jennifer’s clever insight, this episode is full of gems you’ll want to pay attention to.
Jennifer described variations of rest during the self-care discussion, such as physical, emotional, creative, and spiritual. An exercise that works one day may not work the next because the type of rest we need can be so complex. However, listening to Jennifer share how she’s come to discover what fits best for her routine serves as a reminder not to give up.
When dealing with boundaries, the key is remembering your worth and your priorities. This segment was my favorite during the episode because of Jennifer's realistic consideration; even though we may have a plan in our heads, things don’t always go according to plan. I’m interested in hearing what listeners have to say about boundaries after hearing this necessary conversation with Jennifer.
Coming from a family of academics, mental health wasn’t always made a priority in Jennifer’s life. There’s a general stigma against therapy in society, but having a trained, objective third party can help you work through any situation. Along with taking care of her mental health as much as her physical health, Jennifer’s “why” also ties into looking inward at who she is authentically.
This reigns true when it comes to other people’s expectations as well. It’s important to look inward at ourselves and decide what it is we truly want. Is it worth letting go to appease someone else’s dreams? Why are you trying to meet their expectations rather than your own? We tend to hold ourselves to higher standards than others, but either way, we work towards exceeding people’s expectations. At the end of the day, it’s impossible to make everyone happy.
Jennifer is constantly uplifting, encouraging, and supporting women as a dissertation coach, but she hasn’t always been doing what she loves in a healthy environment. She shares her journey of leaving a toxic workplace and finding a position where not only she belongs, but she can help others feel like they belong, too. Everyone needs a person like Jennifer, who can read and appreciate their work while helping them learn to be better. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially in the academic field, and I love that Jennifer can create a positive space for people to share their work without fear of rejection.
Jennifer says it’s never too late to start uncovering your layers. You are not the same person now as you were 5 years ago, just like you are not the same person now as you will be in 10 years. People are fluid and forever changing, which makes the lifelong journey of embracing your layers so beautiful. Jennifer shares a lot of great information regarding self-compassion and kindness, which everyone needs more of.
Jennifer shared so many wonderful anecdotes and such brilliance throughout this episode. Let us know what your favorite part of the episode was, and hopefully, we will hear more from Dr. Jennifer Harrison in the future!
Ways to Engage: What are some techniques you use to track your self-care, if any at all? After listening to the episode, what are some techniques you’d like to implement or get rid of when tracking self-care? How is your practice affected by what Jennifer said, and or what are your thoughts on tracking your self-care?
Episode 1 - Finding Value in Your Purpose with Carenda Deonne
By Jessica Garrison
Welcome back to the F.E.E.L Podcast! It seems crazy that we’re already launching the 6th season of our podcast, and we have so many stories to share with you this season. Our guest this week wants to be known and remembered as a woman of wisdom, and I think everyone will agree that Carenda Deonne is just that by the end of this episode.
Carenda shared that she had not always been proactive with her self-care, and she, unfortunately, had to learn to work it into her schedule more after experiencing pain: emotional and physical. During this talking point, she shares the incredible distinction between purpose and value, which has made all the difference in her life.
A giver and lover by nature, boundaries did not come easy for Carenda, and she continues to work through them with great effort. There’s a fear of disappointing people when it comes to boundaries, and I think Carenda perfectly explains how she’s been able to continue with her boundaries and how her perfectionism was hindering them at first.
Carenda is very passionate about the connection to physical and emotional health, which is always refreshing to hear from people. The connection is not always taken seriously and sometimes it takes a major event to get people to understand how important it is. Throughout the episode, Carenda shares her tactics of emotional detox and how this has been able to help her in this journey.
As important as it is to pour into other people as well as to pour into ourselves, it’s equally as important to surround yourself with others who do the same and pour into you as well. By loving our true selves, we’re able to love others for living their truths, genuinely creating a better space to live in. Carenda does a wonderful job in this episode explaining how her “why” continues to grow and develop, leaving behind a legacy that is positive, compassionate, and healing.
It’s unfulfilling to live your life through someone else’s expectations, and Carenda revealed how she was a pastor’s wife. It isn’t the easiest position to have, especially when your actions are constantly being watched by the community. We’ve actually had another guest, Stephanie Hunter, share a similar experience on being a pastor’s wife, and all of the expectations that come with that.
Living out F.E.E.L has affected many areas of Carenda’s life, such as her mindset, her nature, and her abilities. She wants people to know her as authentically and genuinely as they can, which shines through when you listen to her episode. Seeds will come to harvest, so it’s important to stay true to who you are, and it has positively impacted Carenda’s relationship with others as well as herself.
Make sure to check out the resources she provided on our website, as well as Carenda’s website, so everyone can dive deeper into Carenda’s story!
Ways to Engage: Carenda opened up about feelings of guilt that have caused bumps in her boundaries journey. What feelings, guilt included, have come up for you when discussing, establishing, and actively setting your boundaries? Sometimes the emotions we see come up through expressing boundaries for the first time can reveal a new layer to your character and how best to continue moving forward.