Let's dive into the essential but often overlooked topic of sleep, exploring what constitutes good sleep, how to identify sleep deprivation, and practical strategies for improving rest quality. The episode provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding sleep's critical role in physical health, mental functioning, and emotional wellbeing.

• An estimated 50-70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders, with many more experiencing sleep issues without recognizing the problem
• Adults need a minimum of seven hours of sleep, with most requiring 8-9 hours for optimal functioning
• The four stages of sleep each serve different purposes—light sleep, deep restorative sleep, and REM for emotional processing and memory consolidation
• Good sleep hygiene includes consistent bedtimes, avoiding screens before bed, keeping your bedroom cool (ideally 67°F), and creating a dedicated sleep sanctuary
• Sleep myths debunked: weekend "catch-up" sleep doesn't work, and brief nighttime awakenings are normal
• Practical sleep supports include binaural beats, yoga nidra, aromatherapy, and foot massage before bed

Resources:

Dr. Andrew Huberman on Sleep

SleepTube

Maharishi AyurVeda Sleep products

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Our energy is limited and distributed across different responsibilities, affecting how we show up for ourselves and others. I explore how understanding someone's full capacity might change how we view their efforts, especially when examining our parents' choices through a more compassionate lens.

• The "energy percentage" metaphor explains how we allocate our finite resources across work, family, and self-care
• Most of us function with our energy spread thin across multiple areas (20% work, 30% kid, 10% marriage, etc.)
• When life becomes unbalanced, certain areas demand more energy, leaving little for other responsibilities
• The way we judge our parents may not account for their limited capacity and different generational context
• Just because someone only gives you 20% doesn't mean they don't care—it might be their full capacity
• Partnership means being aware of each other's battery percentage and adjusting with love
• Compassion for others begins with understanding that most people are doing their best with what they have
• Forgiving doesn't mean excusing harm, but recognizing human limitations

Related Episodes:

Episode 30 - Are you prioritizing your priorities?

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Father's Day can stir up complicated emotions, especially for those whose relationships with their fathers are marked by distance, hurt, or unmet needs. Whether navigating grief, confusion, or seeking clarity about father relationships, it's important to explore why these feelings are valid and how to honor your experience.


• It's okay to feel multiple emotions at once – grief, gratitude, resentment, and joy can coexist
• Don't diminish your pain or judge yourself for setting boundaries with fathers who hurt you
• Our biological need for parental love creates deep-rooted fears when that love seems conditional
• Two things can be true: loving your father as a fallible human AND acknowledging your hurt
• Journal prompts can help navigate complex father relationships: what would you say if you knew it would be heard?
• Consider how you might give yourself what you needed but didn't receive from your father
• Try writing letters – one to your father with unspoken truths, one to your younger self with words you needed
• Ask yourself "dear heart, what do you need today?" and try to provide that care for yourself

Resources

Loving What Is, Revised Edition: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life; The Revolutionary Process Called "The Work" by Byron Katie

Related episodes:

Episode 5 - Journaling

Episode 11 - Forgiveness and one way to get the apology you always wanted

Episode 41 - Answering a Listener Question about Navigating Difficult Relationships with Aging Parents

Episode 67 - Integrating the Essential Truth We Are Both Human and Divine

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In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at how our personal experiences—and cultural narratives—shape the way we view men. While toxic masculinity and male violence are real and must be addressed, there’s another side to the story that’s often overlooked: the presence of good, kind, emotionally available men who are doing the work, showing up, and helping to heal the collective.

You’ll hear about a client’s honest frustration, a simple social interaction with two very different interpretations, and the invitation to explore your own biases and beliefs. This isn’t about denying harm—it’s about widening the lens.

As Father’s Day approaches, let’s challenge ourselves to notice the men who are doing it right. Because healing comes not only from calling out darkness, but from amplifying the light.

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Discover the powerful distinction between requests and demands that can transform your relationships by honoring each other's autonomy and choice.

• Requests honor the possibility of hearing "no" without emotional fallout
• How we respond to someone's "no" reveals whether we're making requests or demands
• True requests are rooted in openness while demands are rooted in control or expectation
• Four key elements to help distinguish between requests and demands
• Ask yourself: "Can I handle a no without punishing them emotionally?"
• When someone asks something of you, explain the need that prevents you from saying yes
• Even in close relationships, we're allowed to ask for anything but aren't entitled to everything
• Dr. Marshall Rosenberg: "Please do as I request only if you do it with the joy of a child feeding ducks"

Resources:

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD

Related Episodes:

Episode 22 - Communicate Without Conflict: Non Violent Communication Basics for Everyday Life

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We all experience moments where we fall back into patterns we thought we'd outgrown, but spiritual growth isn't measured by whether we struggle but by how quickly and gracefully we move through challenges.

• Six powerful questions that can unlock deeper understanding and movement

1. What facet of the heart is needed right now? (acceptance, presence, invincibility, authenticity, gratitude, joy, forgiveness, or compassion)
2. Dear heart, what do you need today? A question that cuts through autopilot mode
3. What's the priority? Am I avoiding something by focusing on this instead? Helps redirect when you're getting sidetracked
4. Is this useful? Helps identify when you're wasting energy on things beyond your control
5. What am I believing or what story am I telling myself? Distinguishes between facts and beliefs
6. What can I learn here? Transforms challenges into opportunities for growth

• Bonus questions include looking for silver linings, identifying true feelings, and aligning actions with the person you want to be
• Remember that sometimes we need others to help us see clearly - reaching out is strength, not weakness

Logistical Note: I am taking a break next week and will be back with new content on June 9th.

Related episodes:

Episode 59 - Discovering the Facets of the Heart and Their Healing Wisdom

Episode 64 - Breaking Free from BS: How Your Belief Systems Keep You Stuck & What to Do About It

Episode 9 - Assumptions

Episode 7 - Heart Based Meditation

Episode 6 - Curiosity Required

Episode 5 - Journaling

Book suggestions:

Loving What Is, Revised Edition: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life; The Revolutionary Process Called "The Work" by Byron Katie

Questions or Comments? Message me!

We explore the profound truth that we are spiritual beings having a spiritual experience in human bodies, and how fully understanding this concept unlocks radical acceptance and forgiveness. This episode unpacks how to hold the paradox between human pain and divine purpose.

• Bad things happen to good people, and even devoted spiritual seekers struggle with acceptance and forgiveness
• The spiritual path isn't about avoiding mistakes but learning to accept our fallibility while striving to improve
• Every one of us is the villain in someone else's story at some point
• We live in two worlds simultaneously: the world of divine truth and the world of humanity
• Life isn't random but provides opportunities for spiritual growth through relationships
• On a human level, no one asks for suffering or pain, and suggesting otherwise is spiritual bypassing
• To transform energies like victimhood, fear or hate, we must first fully experience them
• The integration of human and divine perspectives is a process that requires patience and self-compassion

If you learned something or enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it or leave a review and make sure you're following so you won't miss Friday's episode about my other favorite questions to ask myself when I get stuck or I'm having a tough time.

Related Episodes:

Episode 5 - Journaling

Recommended Reading:

Your Soul's Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born by Robert Schwartz

Radical Forgiveness: A Revolutionary Five-Stage Process to: Heal Relationships, Let Go of Anger and Blame, and Find Peace in Any Situation Paperback by Colin Tipping

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The seventh chakra, located just above the crown of the head, represents our connection to spiritual insight, wisdom, and higher consciousness, governing our right to know and seek both intellectual knowledge and spiritual truth.

• Sahasrara (thousand-fold) is commonly associated with violet or white light and represents transcendence beyond the material world
• Opening the crown chakra means surrendering attachments, rigid belief systems, and the need to control
• Our early experiences with authority figures deeply influence our ability to trust and surrender to something greater
• Consciousness is both our final destination and means of travel—the unified field in which all existence is embedded
• Attachment becomes a major obstacle at the crown chakra level because it prevents us from opening, expanding, and transcending
• Spiritual addiction occurs when we use spirituality to escape the more demanding work of the lower chakras
• Meditation creates space to expand awareness beyond identity, preference, and time
• Finding balance means honoring both our divine nature and human experience without judgment

If you learned something from this episode, please consider sharing it or leaving a review, and make sure you're following the show so you'll be notified when new episodes drop later this week. For questions or thoughts, click the message me button on Spotify or email rootsofarise@gmail.com.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Episode 7 - Heart Based Meditation

Episode 64 - Breaking Free from BS: How Your Belief Systems Keep You Stuck & What to Do About It

Further Resources for Chakra Exploration

Episode 63 - the Sixth Chakra: Seeing Yourself and the World with Clear Vision

Episode 60 - The Fifth Chakra: Unlocking Authentic Communication and Self-Expression

Episode 57 - Fourth Chakra Introduction

Episode 52 - Third Chakra Introduction

Episode 47 - Second Chakra Introduction

Episode 44 - First Chakra Introduction

Episode 43 - Introduction to the Chakras

The Chakras by C. W. Leadbeater

Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith

Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith PhD

Questions or Comments? Message me!