Sometimes you have to say No to something in order to say Yes to something else. At least that's the approach I've taken in my life these past few years. And it's helped me to keep my sanity:-)

In this week's solo episode, I share why I'm taking a break from podcasting for a few months.

**Hint** It's so I can take some time to work on a project that has been on my heart and mind for years. I want to create an online sanctuary space that will help to empower nurturing people to make the care of their body, mind and heart a priority.

I hope to facilitate this through Restorative Care. I’ve talked a bit about Restorative Care in a few of my solo podcast episodes. But if this is a new term for you, it’s my twist on self-care.

The root of Restorative Care is Self-Compassion.

Restorative care helps us reconnect to ourselves. It helps us to return home and allows us to feel grounded and connected to our truth.

It’s offers a holistic approach to our overall well-being that involves Movement, Play + Creativity, Rest + Recovery, Gratitude and Connection. .

My intention is to create a community that will allow us to practice Restorative Care together.

I’m choosing to take a break from the newsletter and the podcast so that I can have time to bring this to life.

But I also want to invite you to share your story with me….

I’d love to hear from you so that I can take your needs into consideration as I begin to put this together. I made this form to make it as easy as possible to share your story.

If you would prefer to just chat with me over the phone, please reach out to me at maureen@maureenryan.co. I’ll schedule a time that works for both of us.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode I talk to Nitika Chopra. She is the founder of Chronicon which is dedicated to elevating the lives of those living with a chronic illness.

In this conversation, we talk about Nitika’s own personal journey and how that helped to shape Chronicon and allowed it to be a space that is real, loving and just incredibly supportive for people who may feel very alone because they may not know other people who are experiencing chronic illness.

You can feel Nitika’s heart in everything she does. And the community members are so supportive and amazing in their own right.

If you know someone or you are someone who has a chronic illness... Or if you’re someone like me who wants to be an ally and support those in her life and her work who have a chronic illness, I would love to encourage you to check out Chronicon. Nitika offers new members a free week so that you can dip your toe in and see what it’s all about.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In my solo podcast episode this week, I talk about how important it is to cultivate a relationship with your feelings. So that you can begin to identify and name your feelings.

This simple step can provide you with so much information that can help you make choices and move forward in a way that addresses your needs and aligns with your values.

This sounds simple…. But it’s not. We’ve been conditioned to not feel our feelings. And because of that...cultivating a relationship with our feelings is a process and a journey for many of us.

Especially for those of us who worry that we’re not "good enough" and wear the armor of people-pleasing and perfectionism to protect ourselves.

When you’re wearing armor that’s designed to hide your insecurities. You not only protect yourself from the judgement of others. You also “protect” yourself from FEELING your true feelings.

And that’s where the real danger lies. When the “should’s” and “expectations” hijack your feelings and keep you caught in your thoughts. You can become disconnected from your feelings and from your sense of self.

In this week’s solo podcast episode, I talk about the ways I use Restorative Care to cultivate a relationship with my feelings and why I think this is so important in today's world.

We’ve been conditioned to believe our feelings are a sign of weakness. Why is that? Who wrote that narrative? And what purpose does it serve?

I’d love to invite you to explore those questions with me in this week's episode.

To be totally honest, I had another episode planned but switched gears after I allowed myself time to write as I processed the news of the past few weeks. In doing so, I discovered what was really on my mind and in my heart.

I hope that you'll allow yourself some time to cultivate and create a safe space for your feelings. If you do, please let me know. I would love to see what you create or allow to come forth.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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