Hey friend — in this episode Bryan and I sit down to unpack the word connection. We talk about what it means to be linked — emotionally, spiritually, physically — and why those overlaps matter for meaning and belonging.

We dig into the small, everyday ways we find connection (the Venn diagram of shared books, hometowns, or hobbies), and the larger, deeper ties — family, land, nature, the divine, and even an idea or outcome you’re attached to.

We get curious about mutuality: can connection be one-sided? Does the land feel it? Is it a chemical thing (hello oxytocin and dopamine) or an energy exchange? Bryan brings a yogic lens — that everything comes from the same source — so connection can be both an inherent truth and something we cultivate.

Safety, trust, curiosity, and vulnerability keep coming up as prerequisites for connection. We talk about how attachment styles from childhood shape our ability to open up, and why courage is often the price of connection. If you’ve ever felt protective or defensive, you’re not alone — that’s a human response, and it can be healed.

Intimacy and connection are cousins: intimacy is the practice of sharing parts of ourselves, and that sharing deepens connection. But connection shows up in lots of ways — intellectual, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual — and sometimes baby steps are all we need to begin.

We also talk outcomes and attachment: how to show up fully and practice without getting crushed by one specific result. There’s a tension between taking action and holding results lightly, and we reflect on how fear of failure can keep us from trying the things that matter most.

Play and nature get a big spotlight. Bryan shares a sweet moment playing in the woods with his son — balance beams, streams, and total presence — and we agree that play plus nature is a magical doorway to connection because it lowers defenses and invites joy.

We touch on tools that help people feel connected, from somatic therapy to plant experiences that can open the heart and perspective. And while we don’t pretend there’s a one-size-fits-all fix, we celebrate glimpses of oneness — those moments when everything feels aligned.

If this episode landed for you and you want to practice connection in person, join us for our Love in Practice Relationship Day Retreat — a full day with Bryan and me digging into tools for intimacy, repair, and self-relationship. Visit radintimacy.com or email sarah@radintimacy.com for details.

"Connection is why we're here: it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives." — Brené Brown

Connect with Us:

• Sarah Koch: @radintimacy | radintimacy.com
• Bryan Russell: @sadhanayogaschool | sadhanayoga.com
• Suggest a topic: DM us or email podcast@radintimacy.com

Subscribe & Share: If this episode moved you, subscribe wherever you listen and share it with someone who might love it too. Let’s grow this beautiful, curious, intimate community—together. 💛

Welcome to That's So Intimate — a warm, curious space where Sarah and Bryan invite you into conversation about purpose, dharma, and what it means to live a life that actually feels like yours. Together they unpack how to tell the difference between social expectations and your inner callings, why choice can sometimes be more paralyzing than necessity, and how fear often tags along when we step into what truly lights us up.

They explore practical ways to get clearer: waking up earlier to a favorite practice, carving out quiet time to tune into your intuition, trying small experiments to feel how things land in your body, and leaning on trusted people who’ve walked the path you’re curious about. They also get honest about the real-life stuff — money constraints, parenting responsibilities, and the messy middle of transitions — and offer gentle permission to sit with the discomfort and keep trying.

If you’ve ever felt hollow in your day-to-day or been stuck wondering what your gifts are for, this episode is a friendly guide to noticing the signals: joy, energy, and aliveness when you’re on purpose — or lethargy, distraction, and doubt when you’re not.

Resources:

Bhagavad Gita - many English translations of this Sacred Sanskrit text

Discover Your Dharma by Sahara Rose

Offerings:

Sadhana Yoga School's Teacher Trainings with Bryan

Transform your practice. Transform your life.

"Taking this training is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself."

• In-person 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (located in Keene, NH)
• Online 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
• Hybrid (Online & In-Person) 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

'Relationship like a PRO' Workshop Series with Sarah & Bryan

Because love is something we do, not just something we feel.

Relationships don’t run on autopilot. They grow stronger when we practice how we connect, communicate, and care for each other.

In this workshop series, you’ll learn how to relationship like a PRO—with intention, skill, and heart. We’ll practice tools to help you find common ground, hear each other fully, and navigate challenges without losing connection.

You’ll walk away with the your very own Relationship PRO Toolbox, packed with skills you can use right away like Mindful Communication, Boundary Setting, Repair After Rupture, Rebuilding Connection, Reigniting Passion, and more.

Message Sarah to join! sarah@radintimacy.com

Connect with Us:

• Sarah Koch: @radintimacy | radintimacy.com
• Bryan Russell: @sadhanayogaschool | sadhanayoga.com
• Suggest a topic: DM us or email podcast@radintimacy.com

Subscribe & Share: If this episode moved you, subscribe wherever you listen and share it with someone who might love it too. Let’s grow this beautiful, curious, intimate community—together. 💛

Welcome back loves! Today we’re talking about repair, not the home-repair kind but the way we mend hurts or missteps with the people we love. Think of it like kintsugi: the cracks don’t ruin the pot, they become the gold. This episode walks through why repair matters, how it actually works, and how repair attempts can make relationships deeper and more beautiful.

We break repair down into practical steps you can try right away using the Relationship Repair Ladder.

Repair Ladder Steps:

1. Pause and regulate
2. Acknowledge impact
3. Take responsibility
4. Express care and commitment
5. Collaborative repair
6. Reconnect

Some fixes are 30 seconds (a quick apology and a hug), and some take months of intentional work. Both are repair. Both matter.

We also dig into why “sweeping things under the rug” sometimes seems to work, why timing and nervous-system regulation are real and necessary, and how patterns of small un-repaired slights can grow into walls and estrangement. Boundaries vs. walls, resentment vs. protection — we talk about those differences and how to keep love and self-respect in balance.

If you want a real-life model, we share a careful, staged reconciliation process (think reading a book together, listening without interruption, and giving everyone time to sit with what they heard).

These are the tools Bryan used with his parents -

Book: It Didn't Start With You by Mark Wolynn

Desmond Tutu's Four-Part Reconciliation Process:

1. Tell the story (an uninterrupted recount of your experience)
2. Name the hurt (give voice to the feelings that arose)
3. Grant forgiveness (release anger and resentment toward the other)
4. Renew or release the relationship (decide on the future of the relationship)

So if a relationship in your life feels strained, this episode is your friendly, practical guide to trying again. Reach out, take one small rung on the repair ladder, and remember: repair is hard, but it’s also how we make love stronger. Try it with someone you care about and see what gold appears.

Connect with Us:

• Sarah Koch: @radintimacy | radintimacy.com
• Bryan Russell: @sadhanayogaschool | sadhanayoga.com
• Suggest a topic: DM us or email podcast@radintimacy.com

Subscribe & Share: If this episode moved you, subscribe wherever you listen and share it with someone who might love it too. Let’s grow this beautiful, curious, intimate community—together. 💛