“Dance is for everybody. I believe that dance came from the people, and it should always be delivered back to the people.”
~ Alvin Ailey

This powerful quote captures the spirit of this week’s conversation with Jaycee Gossett, a founding teacher and VP of Experience of The Class, a dynamic exercise workout that blends yoga, dance, HIIT, and meditation. Focusing on more than simply getting into physical shape, this program also invigorates your mind and helps you process emotions through a fusion of movement, music, and self-reflection.

On this week's episode of the Cracking Open Podcast, Jaycee shares how movement can release tension and free up stuck energy, creating space for clarity, presence, and reconnection with the self. She also opens up about her own transformative journey with her love of dance, and we even dive into my personal experience of taking her class at The Nantucket Project this past Fall. (Spoiler alert: In just one hour of dancing and sweating—yes, even crying—I felt a deep healing I hadn’t experienced in years!)

Jaycee reminds us that in times of fear, confusion, or loneliness, the best medicine is to move. Movement helps ground us, calms our minds, and keeps us present. It's a reminder that, no matter what, we’re going to be okay. Her teaching embodies The Class’s mantra: “We exercise the body to ground the mind and open the heart.”

Before joining The Class, Jaycee traveled the world studying movement, competed in ballroom dance, and worked in television and film. Her classes are a space to find strength, explore freedom, and reconnect with spirit. Through her passion for music and dance, Jaycee encourages students to move, feel, and live with full expression. The result? Classes that are challenging, soulful, liberating—and most importantly, welcoming.

Be sure to listen to the full episode—at the end, Jaycee leads us through a short class! Plus, as a special treat for Cracking Open Podcast listeners, Jaycee is offering a 30-day free trial (link below!).

Jaycee's overarching message is that dance truly is for everybody. And now more than ever, we need to move, release negative emotions, and invite more joy and love into our lives.

Love,
Molly

*Special gift for Cracking Open listeners*
Click here to get your FREE 30-day trial to The Class!

Learn more about The Class here
Follow The Class on Instagram; Follow Jaycee on Instagram



Special Upcoming 1-Hour Live Workshop with Molly:
Calming Your Nervous System to Be Your Best Self
February 10, 2025
Click here to learn more and register

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Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

I want to begin today by extending my deepest sympathies to the people of Los Angeles. To those who have suffered unimaginable losses due to the California fires, please know that my heart, prayers, and thoughts are with you.

This tragedy is a stark reminder of the power of community—the strength we find in coming together as one. Fire does not discriminate based on our skin color, our workplace position, or the balance in our bank accounts. It impacts us all, underscoring the importance of unity and compassion.

Our guest today, Eboo Patel, is a powerful advocate for building and strengthening communities. He joins us on this week's episode of the Cracking Open podcast to remind us of a profound truth: “We should do social change work because God wants humans to thrive, and it is our job to help that happen.”

Together, we explore his upbringing, the concept of pluralism in today’s divisive political climate, and his refreshing perspective on America’s identity:

“America is not a melting pot, and it’s not a battlefield. It’s a potluck. That means welcoming and being delighted by the distinctive dishes that people bring to the table, finding creative combinations, and engaging in enriching conversations. That’s what America is about.”

Eboo Patel is an author, speaker, educator, and Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization in the United States. He is a civic leader who believes religious diversity is a vital and inspiring aspect of American democracy. Named one of America’s best leaders by U.S. News & World Report, Eboo has worked with governments, universities, corporations, and civic organizations to transform faith into a bridge for cooperation, not division.

Some of Eboo’s notable achievements:

• Served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council
• Delivered hundreds of keynote speeches worldwide
• Authored five books, including We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy
• Ashoka Fellow and Rhodes Scholar with a doctorate in sociology of religion from Oxford University

Eboo’s honesty and vulnerability in this episode will inspire you. He shares powerful stories about how religious and educational institutions can foster unity instead of division. His words ignited a fire in me to embrace the "potluck" concept in my own life, celebrating the diversity of people, traditions, and ideas that bring us all closer together.

Tune in to discover how you too, can create a more inclusive and thriving community.

Love,
Molly


To support the Los Angeles community in healing from the devastation and trauma caused by the Kenneth fire, Molly is offering valuable information sessions on how to start the healing process. These are designed to assist companies, schools, hospitals, and other organizations. For more details, please email Molly at molly.rowen.carroll@gmail.com.


Learn more about Eboo Patel and Interfaith America here
Follow Eboo on X
Purchase We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy here

Follow Molly on Instagram and Facebook
6-Week Coaching Program coming May 14th!
6-Month Coaching Group coming August 13th!
Click here for more details

I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned that New Year’s resolutions don’t work well for me. Eat healthier, exercise more, and have more gratitude—those are the usual go-to's.

Maybe it’s my Midwestern stubbornness that makes me think, “Don’t tell me what to do!” so I end up doing the opposite—eating more sugar, sleeping in instead of going for a run, and complaining more than feeling grateful. It's embarrassing to admit, but it's true.

What I’ve found that works for me is to choose a word for the year, one that will guide me toward more adventure, joy, and truth. This year, my word is love.

Today’s guest on the Cracking Open podcast, Christina Rasmussen, embodies this word beautifully in her work, relationships, and teachings.

Widowed at a young age, Christina was left managing the devastating loss of her partner while also raising their baby and toddler on her own. Initially, all Christina wanted to do was run away from her pain as far as possible, despite her master’s degree in guidance and counseling. Four years after her 35-year-old husband passed away from Stage 4 colon cancer, she finally found the courage to confront her grief and created the Life Reentry process, which launched her on a mission to bring compassion, grace, and validation to thousands, while simultaneously establishing an exit from what she termed the Waiting Room.

Christina has also published three bestselling books: Second Firsts in 2013, Where Did You Go? in 2018, and her most recent book published in 2024 - Invisible Loss.

In this episode, you’ll feel the love and wisdom Christina brings as she discusses the concept of “invisible losses”—experiences that are completely devastating yet often difficult to articulate. These losses can sometimes be more perplexing and challenging to navigate than the overt tragedies we face.

Christina shares how to honor our invisible losses, using writing exercises she calls “cleanses” to move out of the “Waiting Room”—that place of uncertainty where we feel disconnected from our true selves. We also dive into identifying invisible losses and the three inner narratives we create as we process them: the survivor, the watcher, and the thrive.

This episode is full of actionable tips and tools for navigating grief and honoring all the moments that crack us open in life. Christina reminds us that love is the best medicine—not just to heal grief but to embrace any experience that helps us grow.

Christina is currently finishing her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing at the Academy of Art University. Her work on grief has been featured in The Guardian, Oprah Daily, ABC News, Women’s World, The Washington Post, and the White House Blog. Christina lives and works in Austin, Texas, with her husband Eric, and their two dogs.

Love,
Molly

Learn more about Christina Rasmussen and her work here
Follow Christina on Instagram or Facebook
Purchase Invisible Loss here

Follow Molly on Instagram and Facebook
6-Month Coaching Group coming August 2025!
Click here for more details