Pain, tightness, and fatigue often seem like isolated problems, but what if they’re messages from deeper stories your body is holding? We sit down with somatic therapist and former professional dancer Marcia Ward to explore how fascia, breath, and intention can quietly reshape not only how you move, but how you see, choose, and feel. Marcia traces her journey from rigorous ballet technique—where beauty can mask strain—to structural integration, a method that reorganizes connective tissue so the body aligns with gravity and returns to fluid, effortless motion.

Together we unpack the five bodies—physical, energy, mental, wisdom, and divine—and how change in one layer ripples through the rest. Marcia shares vivid examples of clients who release old wrapping, then rediscover creativity, clarity, or the courage to make life shifts. We talk about aging with curiosity, building strength without re-tightening fascia, and replacing ego-driven goals with a listening practice she calls the “Department of the Interior.” You’ll hear practical ways to begin: somatic movement classes, structural integration (Rolfing, Soma), and simple developmental patterns that reset coordination in minutes.

If you’ve pushed through pain in yoga, sports, or daily life, this conversation offers a gentler path. Learn how intention organizes the nervous system, why hydration and fascial health matter, and how breath anchors the subtle bodies. The result isn’t perfection; it’s a grounded ease that feels like coming home. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review telling us one pattern you’re ready to unwrap.

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Doors don’t open themselves; we open them with the way we arrive. I wanted the New Year to feel less like a sprint and more like a crossing, so I explored the rituals that make time feel sacred and change feel possible—without the pressure cooker of perfect resolutions.

I start with a sensory memory: chili that slow-cooked all night, cornbread stacked high, a fire rumbling while friends drift in from the cold. From there, I name what a ritual really is—purposeful action done with presence—and why it beats a rule-bound resolution every time. You’ll hear from my circle of Wize Women, whose practices range from throwing the I Ching to choosing a word after meditation, from clearing closets and calendars to writing down every win so the mind stops leading with failure. I hold space for humor too: a neighbor who calls the police, a guest in a green silk gown, and a mischievous nun who breaks the tension with a one-liner that sends everyone into laughter.

The throughline is alignment. Most goals start in the head and stall. I explain how to engage the five bodies—physical, energy, emotional, mental, intellectual, and Divine—so intention is grounded, fueled, felt, focused, and meaningful. That’s where real change takes root. You’ll hear practical ways to review your year without shame, release what no longer fits, and step forward with a word, a breath, or a bowl of Hoppin’ John as your quiet ceremony. Along the way, I share how this very podcast grew from a year of steady writing into a home on Substack, and how a single intention to teach again sparked an invite to a live platform within days.

And here's the LINK to the live, free class I'm teaching on January 9, 12:00 PM EST.

Come for the warmth, stay for the tools, and leave with a simple plan to cross your threshold inspired. If this conversation helps you reimagine your New Year, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—then tell me: what ritual will you carry into the year ahead?

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A year of conversations distilled into one clear invitation: choose balance you can feel, not perfection you can’t keep. We look back with our friend and returning voice, Debra Fernandez, to explore the real passage from warrior years into wize woman seasons—and why strength often looks like peace, boundaries, and steady daily rituals rather than constant fight.

We unpack the language that shapes identity. What if “warrior” doesn’t mean conflict, but the courage to live aligned? What if wisdom is action you can sustain? From there, we move into intuition as a first signal—the felt knowing that arrives before analysis—and a minimalist approach to prayer that many of us already practice without naming it: thank you and help. Mindfulness ties it together by training simple awareness of breath, body, and thought, creating space to respond rather than react.

Then we get practical. Food as medicine sits at the center of better energy, clearer mood, and steadier sleep. We trace how meat-heavy, salt-forward, ultra-processed patterns pull us toward extremes, and how macrobiotic balance offers a useful middle path—think whole grains like brown rice, beans, vegetables, minerals, and fewer industrial sugars. We talk menopause numbers, protein needs, gut health, and the sanity of cutting refined sugar and ultra-processed foods first. We widen the lens to chronic disease trends, the “media diet” that trains our nervous system, and the responsibility of personal choice within a community. Compassion becomes the operating system: care for yourself in a way that lightens the load for others.

If you’re ready to feed your body and your brain better, honor intuition, and adopt small practices that actually stick, this conversation gives you a clear starting point. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a steady middle, and leave a review to tell us one change you’ll make this week.

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Menopause isn’t a diagnosis to endure; it’s a transition you can understand and navigate with confidence. We sit down with functional medicine nutritionist Erin Parekh to unpack the real biology behind hot flashes, weight changes, and brain fog—and why replacing guesswork with lab data is the fastest path to relief. From defining perimenopause to clarifying what “menopause is one day” actually means, we connect the measurable shifts in hormones to the lived experience women feel every day.

Erin shares a practical framework that starts with foundations: stabilize blood sugar, build and protect muscle, and support digestion so your body can clear hormones efficiently. We dig into the estrobolome and why constipation, low fiber, and narrow diets can recirculate estrogen and fuel symptoms. You’ll learn how to build plant diversity into your week, leverage fermented foods over one-size probiotic pills, and use component cooking to assemble nourishing meals in minutes. We also talk frankly about alcohol, sugar, and refined carbohydrates, including how a short stint with a continuous glucose monitor can uncover personal triggers that standard advice misses.

When it comes to interventions, we sort signal from noise. Thoughtful HRT—paired estrogen and progesterone, with conservative testosterone when appropriate—can protect bones and brain health when used alongside strong lifestyle habits. For those who prefer alternatives or need added support, we cover herbal options like black cohosh, vitex, and ashwagandha, and evidence-backed supplements such as vitamin D, fish oil, CoQ10, and creatine for muscle and cognition. The theme throughout is clarity: know your numbers, choose targeted tools, and give your body what it needs so midlife feels steadier, stronger, and more you.

If this conversation helped you feel more grounded, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more women can find science-based support through menopause.

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In this episode, we push back on the idea that chronic disease is “normal” and explore how food, movement, and mindset can shift outcomes. Andrea shares healing choices after a thyroid diagnosis, Alex opens up about fibromyalgia and symptom management, and Gina maps a prevention-first approach with nutrition and community.

• the cultural normalization of sickness and the medical revolving door
• sugar-heavy food culture as a driver of inflammation and disease
• Andrea’s non-pharmaceutical path after a thyroid diagnosis
• living with fibromyalgia, flares, and symptom-by-symptom care
• nutrition, goal setting, and functional lab insights with Gina
• group accountability, yoga, meditation, and meal prep routines
• Delia’s injury, arthritis, surgery, and dietary triggers like sugar
• building agency through daily habits and compassionate self-care

Visit deliaquigley.substack.com to discover more.

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Creativity doesn’t begin with applause; it starts with the quiet decision to be honest. Delia sits down again with longtime friend and collaborator Deborah Fernandez to examine the intimate terrain where limits, talent, and truth meet. Through stories from decades in dance, teaching, and visual art, we explore why “good or bad” is the wrong question and how authenticity can turn constraint into fuel.

Deb shares the pivotal moment a student felt truly seen—and how that recognition unlocked an unusual choreographic path. We dig into the tension between audience expectations and artistic courage, teasing apart commerce from compromise without dismissing the value of craft. From Cy Twombly’s polarizing scribbles to Coppola’s self-financed audacity and Fosse’s iconic style forged from physical limits, the conversation maps how boundaries can sharpen voice rather than stifle it.

We also wade into AI as a creative tool: what counts as authorship, why process still matters, and how friction can be part of meaning. Aging and curiosity take center stage too, as we talk about vigilance, practice, and why many people rediscover aliveness through simple making—paint, clay, or song—well beyond their careers. The throughline is clear: intention directs the work, constraints shape it, and honesty gives it life. If you’ve felt stuck at the blank page, this episode offers a way forward—set a small constraint, get present, and ask what wants to emerge through the boundary.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs creative courage, and leave a review to help more listeners find us. Your stories and reflections keep this conversation alive.

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What if creativity isn’t something you have or don’t—but a way you move through the world? We open that door with three artists whose lives stretch from stage and circus to studio and garden, and with stories that show how passion, talent, and skill braid into a durable creative life. You’ll hear how a choreographer treats stuck moments as puzzles to flip and reframe, why a former performer fell in love with pastel during a trance-like afternoon of nine cherries, and how a painter chases beauty, connection, and freedom without letting perfection steal the joy.

Along the way, we step into a vivid Tampa memory where a spontaneous Navy dock photoshoot becomes a lesson in reading the room, working the moment, and capturing the shot without losing the story. We talk about saying no to one dream to build another—from touring with a dance troupe to creating a yoga and cooking school—and how the same creative spark can design classes, gardens, and spaces that change how people feel. Mentorship threads through it all: the kind that names difference as a strength and invites a student to follow a path before it has a name. We honor the elders who built their own studios, learned new crafts, and taught, by example, that a creative life is the biggest canvas you’ll ever work on.

These conversations land on a clear truth: creativity is a mindset you can practice anywhere—art studio, kitchen, classroom, or conversation. Replace “Is it good or bad?” with “Is it authentic?” Trade perfection for persistence. Use curiosity to unstick problems. And remember that voice isn’t found by waiting; it’s grown by making. If this resonates, tap follow, share this with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review—what’s one place you’ll apply creativity today?

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When people rise up in protest, there's always hope the world will shift. Yet change comes slowly and the deeper structures of power often remain unmoved. Women who have stood on the frontlines of protest—from environmental actions to anti-war demonstrations—share their stories of persistence, disappointment, and resilience.

• Virginia Kennedy recounts her arrest at the White House while protesting the Keystone XL pipeline and the unexpected connections formed with other women in jail
• The importance of "building bridges" rather than creating division when communicating about environmental justice
• Sharon Pontier reflects on protesting the neutron bomb outside Jimmy Carter's church in 1978 and how our voices "go through time"
• The 1984 Peace Ribbon project that grew from a small beach gathering into a 15-mile ribbon surrounding the Pentagon and Washington landmarks
• First-hand accounts of the Standing Rock water protector movement and its lasting impact despite the pipeline being built
• Experiences at Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park and the collective response to economic injustice
• Mary Oliver's poem "The Buddha's Last Instruction" and its connection to making ourselves "a light" through activism

"If there's something that's pulling at your heart, join in and find out more about it. Bring your body to the cause. You will be rewarded with the power of the light."

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