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Nonviolent Communication (NVC) has helped me communicate with clarity and compassion (even when emotions are high). It’s transformed how I speak to myself, how I speak to the people I love, and how I handle conflict. My first teacher in it was Judith Hanson Lasater, so having her on the show is incredibly special. Judith has taught yoga since 1971, studied with B.K.S. Iyengar and trained for years with NVC founder Marshall Rosenberg.  In this conversation she walks us through the four steps of NVC: observations, feelings, needs and requests. She does it through stories from her own life. We talk about self-empathy, saying no with respect, and how conflict can keep a relationship healthy. We also talk about the three words I now say to myself ALL the time…”how human of me”.  In this episode: Judith's definition of empathy "How human of me" as a daily self-empathy practiceSaying yes on the outside and no on the insideThe difference between complaining and asking for what you wantObservation vs judgement, and why "you always" starts a fightThere's no such thing as a wrong feelingFinding your core needs, and why having needs isn't being needyMaking clear, specific requestsHow empathy leads to compassion, and compassion to gratitude “May we live like the lotus, at home in the muddy waters”.  Resources:  What We Say Matters by Judith Hanson Lasater - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62232936-what-we-say-matters Feelings and needs lists, Center for Nonviolent Communication: https://www.cnvc.org/images/pdf/Feelings-Needs-CNVC.pdf Judith's website - https://www.judithhansonlasater.com/  About Judith: Judith Hanson Lasater has taught yoga since 1971 and is a leading voice in bringing yoga to the West. She trained with Marshall Rosenberg, founder of Nonviolent Communication, and now weaves NVC into her yoga teaching. She is the author of What We Say Matters and several other books. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

7 Steps to Unlocking Your Limit with Poppy Delbridge In this episode we walk through Poppy's seven-step system for creating change that lasts. We get into what she calls IMPs (Invisible Mind Patterns), why "I'm fine" can be the most limiting sentence you say to yourself, and why hitting a limit isn't a sign to stop, it's just information. We cover: The difference between pushing to succeed and creating from a regulated nervous systemWhat IMPs are, and how naming a pattern separates it from your identityFive common IMPs: the Prover, the Pleaser, the Doubter, the Controller, the DiminisherThe "toleration test" — what you're quietly putting up with, and how that becomes the reality you're livingPoppy's frequency scale, from despair to bliss, and why the flat "fine" middle is the sneakiest place to get stuck Links & Resources:  Unlock Your Power Poppy's website Unlock Your Power Live, Royal Academy of Music, 11 October — https://app.poppydelbridge.com/high-frequency-live  Loved this episode? Please rate and/or leave a review, it helps more people discover the show.  -------------------------------------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Expanding Inward wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my Substack, also known as Expanding Inwa Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We spend so much energy holding pain at arm's length distance. So many of us do all we can to numb it, avoid it & distract ourselves from it. In this episode I'm exploring what happens when we do the opposite and move toward what hurts instead of away from it. We look at the following through the contemplative and somatic lenses:  The difference between pain and sufferingTurning bad circumstances into the pathResourcing, the window of tolerance, and titrationWhy co-regulation mattersPractical tools for people pleasers and empaths Doors are now open for Reclaiming You, my 28-day group program, to reclaim your clarity, focus and personal power. Learn more and register here.  Use code EXPANDING for 15% off ----------------------------------------------- Loved this episode? Please rate and/or leave a review, it helps more people discover the show.  If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Expanding Inward wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my Substack, also known as Expanding Inward. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Maureen Walsh joins me in the studio (all the way from Hawaii!) to break down energetic boundaries. What they actually are, how to feel them in your body, and how to hand back what isn't yours.  We talk about: energetic boundariessensitivity as a strength rather than a flawthe clairs (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance)how intuition shows up differently for everyonewhy grounding has to come before any of the more expansive spiritual workand why intuition is more important than ever Maureen will be guiding in-person, 1:1 sessions at The Space in London from August 11-13th. You can learn more and book your session here. Resources & Links: Maureen's website Maureen's instagram Loved this episode? Please rate and/or leave a review, it helps more people discover the show.  -------------------------------------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Expanding Inward wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my Substack, also known as Expanding Inward. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you’re feeling stuck (with work, with your health, with a relationship, with anything) this episode is for you. I’m walking through ten mental reframes that have helped me find my way back to myself, again and again. Some of these come from my meditation practice, one comes from my dad, and all of them are ones I still use today. -------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Expanding Inward wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my Substack, also known as Expanding Inward. Loved this episode? Please leave a review, it helps more seekers find the show.  Lastly, I'd love for you to help me shape Expanding Inward. Follow this link and tell me what you want to explore, who you want to hear from, ask me anything. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode I sit down with Tracee Stanley to talk about the what, why and how of rituals. We explore how rituals help unearth our most sacred selves and connect us to a sense of wholeness and belonging. This episode is great for those who are looking for a way to bring the sacred back into their busy lives. In this episode we talk about: True nature as something we uncover rather than build, the work as undoing, not addingWhy ritual asks a willingness to changeThe difference between a habit and a ritual Earth mapping, moon cycles and three simple pauses a day to connect with natureConnecting to ancestral roots through food, seeds, music and the dream spaceBuilding and tending an ancestral altar, and why a new moon is a lovely place to beginReframing discipline as devotion, and devoting yourself to one thing rather than everything Tracee's book, Living Ritual, offers micro rituals, larger rituals, and self-inquiry prompts to weave into the day, growing the divine fabric of our lives and creating a shawl that nurtures, protects, and heals - not only ourselves but the collective.  Resources & links: Tracee's new book, Living RitualTracee's Substack post on The Enlightened Water Bottle Tracee's website Loved this episode? Please rate and/or leave a review, it helps more people discover the show.  -------------------------------------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Expanding Inward wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my Substack, also known as Expanding Inward. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Capacity is how much you can stay with (feeling, sensation, life) without getting overwhelmed or shutting down. In today's episode we cover what capacity is, how we can widen it and why it may be small. You might find this useful if: You tend to flood easily or go numb and flat when things get hardYou brace against the good stuff too like joy, love, being seenYou're in a caregiving role, holding a lot for other peopleYou've tried to push through hard feelings and it hasn't workedYou want to feel more without being swept away by it -------------------------------------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Expanding Inward wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my Substack, also known as Expanding Inward. Loved this episode? Please leave a review, it helps more seekers find the show.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you're a nature lover, this one's for you. I'm joined by Wendy and John Steward, the co-founders of Wild Tomorrow, a nonprofit that protects and restores wildlife habitat for threatened species while building a more hopeful future for nature and people.  After successful corporate careers (John as a creative director at leading New York advertising agencies, Wendy as a Director of FX Sales for international banks) they left traditional paths behind to devote themselves fully to wildlife conservation, founding Wild Tomorrow in 2015. In today’s conversation, we get into rewilding (both the inner and outer landscapes), how the window of tolerance relates to compassion, the nervous system and why the change we want to see outside us begins by expanding inward first. Books & resources mentioned Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World — Jason Hickel Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy — Matthew Scully Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet — Thich Nhat Hanh Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel — Carl Safina We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate — Michael Grunwald Learn more about Wild Tomorrow here.  Join us in London! On Saturday, June 20th we'll be hosting a Wild Tomorrow event at The Space in South London. It's a donation-based gathering where we'll explore rewilding our inner landscape while learning about rewilding out on the land. Learn more here. Saturday, June 20th from 3-5pm at The Space in SW4. Loved this episode? Please leave a review, it helps more seekers find the show.  -------------------------------------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Expanding Inward wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my Substack, also known as Expanding Inward. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

After six years this is the final episode of The Morning Ritual. BUT I'm not going anywhere. At the start of June this show transforms into 'Expanding Inward' A deeper, wider, and a lot more honest about where I actually am in my own practice and inner life. If you've been here for any part of this journey, thank you. I'd love for you to help me shape Expanding Inward. Follow this link and tell me what you want to explore, who you want to hear from, ask me anything. X ----------------------------------- Resources: Skymind- https://skymind.us/book/ Subscribe to The Morning Ritual wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my The Morning Ritual on Substack. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Barrie is back! MY BFF Katrina and I sit with *our* astrologer to about the astrological shifts shaping this moment in time. As we approach the Spring Equinox, this is the beginning of a major new cycle.  In today's episode, we explore what this shift might mean for the collective and how each of us can participate in shaping what comes next. This conversation weaves together astrology, spirituality, and personal empowerment, offering a hopeful perspective during a time that often feels chaotic. We also explore:  Why the Spring Equinox is considered the true energetic beginning of the yearThe possible return of feminine values. Think community, nurturing, collaboration, and collective careWhy joy and creativity may be the most powerful forces we have right nowHow to navigate uncertainty while trusting your own intuitionWhy your job is not your identity & how to reconnect with your deeper purposeThe role of community and collective intention in shaping the futureA simple Spring Equinox ritual to help you set intentions for this new cycle You can find Barrie's books here: Simple Spells for Love Simple Spells for Success  You can connect with and learn more about Katrina here. ---------------------------------------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to The Morning Ritual wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my The Morning Ritual on Substack. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A meditation practice to move from urgency to ease. Get comfortable and carve out 10 minutes to explore how to set an intention for ease without forcing yourself to relax. Your shoulders know how to drop when you stop holding them up. Your jaw knows how to soften when you stop clenching it. Gravity is already doing its job. You’re just getting in the way. This practice is just helping you step aside. Learn more about this concept of direction here. For more meditations visit my substack. You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Transformation doesn't happen in a single moment - it happens through the choices we make every day. Eric Zimmer, host of The One You Feed podcast and author of the new book ‘How a Little Becomes a Lot’, joins me for a conversation about what actually creates lasting change. Eric shares his recovery journey from addiction and how acceptance became the foundation for real transformation. Not because he approved of where he was, but because he stopped fighting reality long enough to respond to it clearly. This conversation is for anyone who's tried to change and felt stuck, who's wondering where to focus when everything feels urgent, or who's loving someone who won't change. We explore the difference between your circle of concern and circle of influence, how to work with resistance instead of eliminating it, and why starting matters more than feeling ready. Pre-order How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life ---------------------------------------------------------- If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to The Morning Ritual wherever you listen to podcasts. For more on meditation, nervous system work, and practical spirituality, check out my The Morning Ritual on Substack. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we take a grounded look at where our money stories come from, why success can still feel unsafe, and how to redefine financial wellbeing from the inside out. Money is not just about numbers. It lives in the body, the nervous system, and the stories we absorbed long before we had language for them. I’m joined by Maud Eeckman, founder of Homy, for an honest, embodied conversation about money mindset, financial wellbeing, and the beliefs we inherit around worth, safety, and success. We explore how money can look “secure” on paper while the body is still in survival mode, how burnout is often misread as failure, and why slowing down can actually create more clarity, trust, and abundance. This is an invitation to meet your own money stories with curiosity — and to begin relating to money from a place of regulation, enoughness, and self-trust. Join Maud in London for her upcoming workshop, The Art of Receiving | Money, Worth + Wealth, on February 8th at The Space.  Learn more and connect with Maud here. --------------------------------------------------------- For (free!) meditations visit my substack. Loving the podcast? Leaving a rating or review helps more than you know—it truly makes our day. You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube. The Morning Ritual is produced by The Space (London) with end to end video production by Charlene Huskinson. ----------------------------------------- TMR is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Head to www.cozyearth.com and use my code RITUAL for up to 20% off! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, we’re exploring creativity and how it intertwines with healing. I’m joined by Molly Goddard, the co-founder and Creative Director of the luxury pyjama and sleepwear brand, Desmond & Dempsey. Together, we unpack what it means to bring imagination into form, to balance intuition with structure, and to stay connected to your creative spirit amidst the realities of running a business. We also explore how the creative process itself can be a path to self-discovery and healing. This conversation is a gentle reminder that creativity lives within all of us — and when we nurture it, we reconnect with our most authentic selves. ------------------------------------ For (free!) meditations visit my substack. Loving the podcast? Leaving a rating or review helps more than you know—it truly makes our day. You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube. The Morning Ritual is produced by The Space (London) with end to end video production by Charlene Huskinson. ----------------------------------------- TMR is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Head to www.cozyearth.com and use my code RITUAL for up to 20% off! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today’s episode, I sit down with the founders of Before the Lights, a London-based gym that specializes in preparing people for high-performance creative work, from TV and film to live performance — and life itself. We explore how meditation can help you reconnect with your inner energy and show up fully in your life. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How meditation helps reclaim your energy and presence.The concept of the Capital S Self — connecting with your true essence.The benefits of yoga nidra, breathwork, and sound healing.How daily meditation can translate to better focus, calm, and creativity in your everyday life. I If you loved this episode, check out Before the Lights Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and consider leaving a review :)  ------------------------------------ For (free!) meditations visit my substack. Loving the podcast? Leaving a rating or review helps more than you know—it truly makes our day. You can also find TMR on Instagram, TikTok, & Youtube. The Morning Ritual is produced by The Space (London) with end to end video production by Charlene Huskinson. ----------------------------------------- TMR is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Head to www.cozyearth.com and use my code RITUAL for up to 20% off! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy