Creating Space With Christine Kathryn

This week we are in for a real treat as I welcome back Nancy J. Hill to chat about long-term romantic relationships, marriage and divorce. Nancy and her husband are 54 years married and 58 years together which means she has a lot of personal experience and wisdom to share with us along with her clinical experience and years of interpersonal work with both men and women. We touch on kids and their effect on couples, the dangers of projecting, divorce and 2nd and 3rd marriages, marriage as spiritual journey, the importance of changing the marriage along with the changing individuals, and the factors Nancy believes has kept their marriage together through so many seasons of life. Honestly, we cover so many aspects of long-term relationship and there are SO many profound nuggets of wisdom I had a hard time summarizing it for you. You really just need to listen in for yourself! Whether you are considering entering into a long-term relationship or have been married many years or anywhere in between, I promise you t

In this episode, we start our series on Spacious Relationships and today I have the privilege of talking with Kari Kwinn, life-long yogi, medical anthropologist and yoga teacher of teachers with extensive experience in relationships from all facets of life. We spend most of our time together, delving into all things codependency. Kari shares from both professional expertise as well as personal experience and starts off with her definition of codependency and then explains the origin of the concept. I found it fascinating as she brought up something that’s rarely done by highlighting the beneficial aspects of codependent behaviors. Kari also shares the subtle process we can use to change a habit or behavior, how to get our power back if we are stuck in codependent behaviors, and the red flags we can look for that help distinguish between controlling, manipulative behaviors vs. healthy nurturing, caring behaviors. We touch on how codependency presents as it relates to self-worth, the difference between secrecy

In this episode, we revisit the topic of meditation as I introduce the practice of Japa Meditation. Japa is an ancient form of meditation that uses the repetition of mantras to quiet the mind, offer focus and facilitate shifts in thinking or behavior just to name a few purposes. I offer some simple direction on getting started and encourage you to give it a try yourself. It’s a powerful practice where you can realize tremendous benefits without needing a deep understanding of its origins or learn to speak another language. Join me now as we begin to create space...   Important links from the show: Browse and download FREE 10-minute Guided Meditations  Join the conversation over on our private FaceBook group - Creating Space - Conversation & Connection Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute session and see if you are a fit for each other!

In this episode, I share my musings on our June book-of-the-month: "Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice”. Listen in to hear a bit of a summary of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, some of my favorite quotes and how I’m incorporating the insights and practicals I got from the book - the second time around! I’m hoping you will hear something that inspires you and that it will help you make your decision wether this book is for you. Join me now as we begin to create space... Important links from the show: Download and try this Loving Kindness Meditation Download and try this Gratitude Body Scan Meditation Download and try this Body Scan Guided Meditation Purchase your copy of our June 'Book of the Month' - Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice by Thich Nhat Hanh Join the conversation over on our private FaceBook group - Creating Space - Conversation & Connection Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute session and see if you are a fit for each other!

In this podcast, I welcome Lauren Brooks, wife and mom of 4, successful entrepreneur and Kettlebell Queen who’s living a spacious life in southern California. Lauren shares with us that   after finding what she knew to be her calling in kettle bells, she also found her self in a male-dominated organization and culture that just didn’t feel right to her.  After repeatedly being told she was ‘too nice’ and 'not manly enough’ she decided to step away from the safety of the organization that had taught her her craft, take a leap of faith and start her own thing where she’s been able to successfully build her brand her own way! Lauren shares that public speaking used to be her greatest fear, how she conquered that fear and how that victory has empowered her to do what she knows she’s meant to do.  She then shares some recent breakthroughs in vulnerability on social media as she has peeled off layers and revealed more of her humanness both as a woman and a mom and how she’s been able to slay a few demons from her y

In this episode, I return from a month-long hiatus from podcasting and digital detox to talk about the benefits and reasons for going on a yearly personal retreat. After just returning from my own solo retreat for the third year in a row, I share what I love about taking this time to reset, regroup, restore and remember. I give you some tips on how to make it happen for yourself and how to make the most of your time before, during and after your personal time of pulling back. My times on retreat for myself have been essential to my well-being and transformative in my journey toward a more spacious life. Join me now as we begin to create space, Important links from the show: Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute session and see if you are a fit for each other! Sign up to receive your COMPLIMENTARY copy of Christine’s ebook “Releasing Stress, Anxiety and Worry” and stay in touch with what she’s offering!

In this episode, I decided I'd get a little silly and see what it would be like if I were interviewed by Oprah! I had a blast answering questions that Oprah asked in one of her interviews on Super Soul Sunday. Listen in to hear how I answer!  Important links from the show: Purchase your copy of our June 'Book of the Month' - Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice by Thich Nhat Hanh Join the conversation over on our private FaceBook group - Creating Space - Conversation & Connection Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute session and see if you are a fit for each other!

In this episode, I share more deeply on what it means to live a spacious life. I attempt to paint a picture of how it feels to have more space internally and externally as well as how it feels to live a life that is NOT spacious and then ask you to see where you currently fit on that continuum. I share some examples of what living spaciously looks like in my life and how I arrived there. Lastly, I give you some thoughtful questions to help you as you reflect on where you are at with spaciousness and challenge you to consciously create more space in one aspect of your life. Join me now as we begin to create space… Important links from the show: Purchase your copy of our June 'Book of the Month' - Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice by Thich Nhat Hanh Join the conversation over on our private FaceBook group - Creating Space - Conversation & Connection Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute session and see if you are a fit for each other!

In today’s episode, I wrap up our community ‘book of the month’ reading of Brene’ Brown’s book titled “The Gifts of Imperfection”. I share some things that jumped out at me, pushed me, stretched me and drew me deeper into my own truth. I was surprised and encouraged to find that much of what she covers in her book on learning to live wholeheartedly runs parallel to what I talk about when I suggest living a more spacious life. I found this book to be a perfect companion to what I am striving for in my life and at the end I share with you the action steps I am taking as a result of what I learned from the research and stories she shares between the covers of this book. I also challenge you to take action and make a shift in one thing in your life as a result of reading it. Join me now as we begin to create space... Important links from the show: Purchase your copy of our June 'Book of the Month' - Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice by Thich Nhat Hanh Join the conversation over on our private Fac

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Dan Libby, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of the Veterans Yoga Project, a non-profit dedicated to providing mind-body practices to facilitate recovery and resilience among veterans, their families, and communities. In our time together, we talk about the exciting developments in the use of yoga practices in a therapeutic environment and specifically in the military community. We discuss the 5 tools their mindful resilience program teaches to maximize the ability to undo the nervous system dysfunctions that underlie symptoms of stress-related conditions. We also talk about how the practices they teach are easily accessible and relevant for every one of us as we navigate the stressful, fast-paced lives we lead. Join us now as we begin to create space... Important links from the show: Learn more about the work Dr. Dan Libby's organization is doing at the Veteran's Yoga Project's website Take part in the upcoming Light A Candle Memorial Day Fu

This week’s episode is a celebration and a great big thank you to all of you listeners for joining me on this journey toward a more spacious and joy-filled life! Listen in as we do a bit of reflecting on the past year and as I share some changes to our format going forward including some experimentation with reading a ‘Book of the month’ together and learning and growing from what we read. Join me now as we begin to create space...   Important links from the show: Purchase your copy of our first 'Book of the Month' - The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are Join the conversation over on our private FaceBook group - Creating Space Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute session and see if you are a fit for each other!  Download this episode's Guided Meditation

In this episode, we acknowledge that May is National Mental Health Awareness month and discuss the importance of removing the stigma associated with mental illness and work toward treating it with the same diligence as other health crises. I share some of my own mental health struggles as well as some staggering statistics in an attempt to drive home the magnitude of the issue. I then pose a challenge to you to increase your understanding of the illnesses & their treatments, and to then equip yourself with the tools you need to support the mental health of your family, friends and community. As a bonus, I also share a great incentive for you to take my challenge in the form of a contest offered by Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. This may be one of my most important episodes in terms of the resources I share. Please listen in and share with your loved ones and friends. Join me now as we begin to create space... Important links from the Show: Access Mental health statistics here and here Take the 

In this episode, we revisit the topic of mindfulness. If you remember in EP32 last December, I strongly suggested that you set an intention to live more mindfully in 2018. Since we are a third of the way through the year, I thought it would be helpful to check-in and see how it’s going. Listen in as I provide you with a list of thought-provoking questions to ask yourself to help you assess where you are at in your shift from living mindlessly to living mindfully. You can then use the questions in my simple 5-step process to self-check. My intent with this episode is to help you realize and celebrate your successes, acknowledge areas for improvement, and create the space for continued growth. If you are looking to live a more calm, joyful and spacious life, living mindfully is the most effective practice to get you there. Join me now as we begin to create space. Important links from the Show: Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute Hello! session and see if you are a fit for each o

In this episode, I encourage you to get curious about your relationship to a word that is often overused and can be a hindrance to living a spacious life and that word is “SHOULD". When the word ‘should’ comes up there is always a reason you haven’t already engaged in the activity but rather are just thinking or talking about it. That reason may be that it is not in alignment for you and I share a practice you can use to come to healthier decisions on what you will or won't do, so you can commit and follow through. Learning to release the heaviness of the language of "should" and stop living out of obligation will allow you to live a more spacious, joyful life. Join me now as we begin to create space… Important links from the Show: Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute Hello! session to see if we are a fit for each other! Download this episode’s Guided Meditation

In this Episode, I share about some major happenings going on in my life over the past few weeks and the lessons I’ve been learning with regards to living spaciously. Then I share some real life examples of what happens when we don’t live a spacious life, when we don’t live mindfully, when we don’t slow down and pay attention in our daily life or in our workplace. My hope in sharing this is that you will be able to examine your own life and see if you are experiencing similar and we can both learn from it. I also share an analogy that helps me stay in the creator’s seat more often than the reactor’s seat. Join me now as we begin to create space... Important links from the Show: Work with Christine one-on-one. Set up a complimentary 20-minute Hello! session and see if you are a fit for each other! Download this episode’s Guided Meditation

In this episode, I welcome Nancy Tilton, educator and co-founder of ALC Mosaic, a small, independent school located in Charlotte, NC, that is paving the way for a much needed shift in our educational system.  Nancy shares the pivotal moment where she realized she wasn’t going to have the impact on the world she had hope to when she chose to be a teacher in the public school system and how that moment prompted her to find a different way to work with young people. She talks about her exploration into self-directed learning systems and how she has became a driving force in the growing movement toward alternative learning environments.   Nancy tackles some of the fears parents may have in moving from traditional schooling to a more alternative school environment and the skills the young people in her school are being asked to learn everyday that are a complete break from our traditional world of academia and, arguably, tremendously more important to living a successful, joyful life.   With a focus on learning

In this episode, I welcome back one of my regular guests to the show, Nancy Hill, to share her wisdom on the importance of bringing back ceremony to our modern day culture and just how easy it is or us to do that. She shares with us the three types of ceremony and how the practice brings us into the present, creates an awareness and acknowledgment to what is happening in our inner life while we are in the midst of a transition in our outer life. She talks about how we can tend to get so busy in our day-to-day pursuits that we run the risk of missing out on the meaningful soul connection that is made when we create ceremony and move consciously from one stage of life to another.   Nancy shares how ceremony can help us take back our own ability to be in touch with the divine and remind us that we are a part of something much bigger than just ourselves.   We explore some of the most important elements of ceremony including the honoring of those who have been a part of our journey and the healing balm of story te

In this episode, we continue our series on Spacious Parenting. For the month of March I’m talking with inspiring Mamas who are creating safe spaces for their kids as they navigate challenges they feel they either weren’t prepared for or chart courses they didn’t necessarily expect to take and have since ended up paving the way for others in similar situations.  Today I welcome Alexandra Kogen, wife, Mom to Aiden, founder of Mountain Tots, Tinkergarten leader and Marine biologist turned mountain lover. Alexandra shares how she and her husband decided to move from the west coast to Colorado specifically so they could parent their son in the environment they felt was most conducive to the rewilding parenting style.  Alexandra shared that play is the #1 way kids 0-8 learn. She talked about some of her core beliefs in how kids learn and grow best such as the importance of finding and delighting in the child’s strengths, allowing the child to learn at the pace they choose, and celebrating their learning style and c

In this episode, we continue our series around the theme of Spacious Parenting. For the month of March I’m talking with inspiring Mamas who are creating safe spaces for their kids as they navigate challenges they feel they weren’t prepared for or chart courses they didn’t necessarily expect to take and have since ended up paving the way for others.  Today I welcome back a past guest of mine, Amanda Hodge. Amanda is a wife, mom of three, and spiritual mentor. She shares her journey to and through motherhood and how she has made a radical shift in her parenting style over the past 6 years toward a more spacious approach to include an unschooling lifestyle. She shares how she came about making the shift and the various styles of alternative schooling styles she tried before landing on unschooling. Amanda shares a very simple definition of unschooling that really makes sense to even the most skeptical sorts.  Unschooling has a lot of moving parts and a great deal of variability and looseness associated with it, b

In this episode, we continue our series around the theme of Spacious Parenting. For the month of March I’m talking with inspiring Mamas who are creating safe spaces for their kids as they navigate challenges they feel they weren’t prepared for or chart courses they didn’t necessarily expect to take and have since ended up paving the way for others in similar situations.  Today I welcome Heather Nardi, wife, Mom of two, author, speaker, and Intuitive Parenting Coach as she shares her journey to and through motherhood. Heather shares how she knew her daughter, from a very early age, was going to require her to re-think parenting. She talks about how they came about getting an initial diagnosis of anxiety for her daughter and how that eventually led her family down the path of what she calls the ‘mental health cycle’ and how it was the combination of Heather's intentionality of caring for herself and her daughter’s courage to speak her truth that provided them with a way to step out of the cycle and into a new s