Zen(ish) Mommy

Speaking up about the imperfect reality of motherhood is important to dispel the guilt and shame surrounding this topic. It’s okay to say that you need time away from your child for self-care! It’s okay not to “bounce back” after having a baby! Motherhood is an incredible thing, and we are blessed to have that experience, but it’s certainly not all perfect and wonderful. It’s a gamut of emotions, but no one talks about it. Adopting a both-and mentality is important – it’s both beautiful and difficult – as is finding the support you need and making sure not to compare yourself with others. Today we are joined by Jaya, a Healthcare Project Manager, mom of two boys, fashionista who loves yoga, spirituality, and who believes in all the connections of people through the heart and soul. Tune into this episode to hear Jaya share her experience of motherhood, both the ups and the downs, as she talks about dealing with family pressure, discovering there is no “normal”, the need for external support, and taking time for yourself. Find out what she learned between baby one to baby two, including accepting her changed body, taking the pressure off of herself to create aspirational content about motherhood for social media, and taking “perfect” representations on Instagram with a pinch of salt. Tuen in to find out more! 

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Jaya talks about the night she had her first son and the disconnect she felt with motherhood.

•    Learning to deal with family pressure to have kids and sticking to your own timeline.

•    Jaya explains that she wished she knew what she was signing up for – the imperfect reality.

•    Learning that there is no “normal”, as Jaya learned with sleep patterns or breastfeeding.

•    The shame and guilt around breastfeeding (or being unable to breastfeed).

•    It takes a village to raise a child: Jaya talks about the need for external support.

•    The issue with the lack of honest feedback and support for postpartum depression.

•    Why Jaya believes having freedom of choice is crucial – it’s okay to need time to yourself!

•    Accepting changes in your body post-pregnancy and not comparing yourself to others.

•    There is only so much you can do as a mother – to be there, you need time for yourself.

•    The value of potentially taking a break from social media as a new mom.

•    How the tides are changing on social media, with messy, imperfect representations of motherhood overtaking the curated ones.

•    Jaya has taken the pressure off of herself to create aspirational content for social media.

•    Taking what works for you from influencer’s content and leaving the rest.

•    Jaya asks Jessica what inspired her to start her organization.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 

Jaya

Jaya’s Website

Jaya on Instagram

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

 

 

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

How Nourishing Your Body Can Be a Form of Self-Love with Tara Rochford, RDN

Self-love means taking care of yourself in the best way possible, so that you can show up as the best version of you. It makes sense then that a good, wholesome, and nutritious diet would form a part of your self-love practice. Today’s guest is on a mission to share with the world that nourishing foods are delicious and comforting for the soul and should never be tasteless or bland! Tara Rochford, RDN, is a registered dietitian, recipe developer, and healthy living blogger. She writes on her website, Tara Rochford Nutrition, where she shares simple and delicious recipes, science-backed nutrition information, and tips for helping individuals find their version of healthy. Tuning in, you’ll hear from Tara as she explains why nourishing your body can be a form of self-love and she shares some of her secret mom hacks for getting your family fed and feeding yourself a little bit better. From mental health to pain management, Tara believes that nutrition can help us in so many ways, so make sure to tune in to find out more!

 Key Points From This Episode:

 •    Hear about the differences between a dietician and a nutritionist.

•    What led Tara to becoming a registered dietician, starting with a school project.

•    Tara talks about her experience of family dinner; how it sets the foundation for healthy habits.

•    The value of encouraging discussion about how food tastes, smells, and makes you feel.

•    How being a new mom has altered Tara’s perspective, including being more forgiving.

•    How constant exposure can help foods become more palatable for kids with food aversions.

•    Why adult nutrition has to be individualized based on unique goals, preferences, and cultures.

•    Just eat the vegetables; it doesn’t matter if they are pre-cut, frozen, or whole.

•    Why you should curate what works for you from general dietary guidelines.

•    From mental health to pain management, Tara believes nutrition can help with everything.

•    The importance of being mindful and present.

•    While self-love and self-care are depicted as bubble baths, for Tara it’s also prepping food for herself or her daughter.

•    Why prepping ahead is key for lunchtime meals especially.

•    What Tara’s self-love routine looks like, from prioritizing sleep to writing an hourly to-do list.

•    How Tara stays inspired in the kitchen by trying new things from cookbooks.

•    How Tara’s business has been impacted by the pandemic, when people are cooking at home more than ever.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tara Rochford on LinkedIn

Tara Rochford on Instagram

Tara Rochford on Facebook

Tara Rochford on YouTube

Tara Rochford Nutrition

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

eatright.org

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

Self-Love Collective Waitlist

 

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

How Nourishing Your Body Can Be a Form of Self-Love with Tara Rochford, RDN

Self-love means taking care of yourself in the best way possible, so that you can show up as the best version of you. It makes sense then that a good, wholesome, and nutritious diet would form a part of your self-love practice. Today’s guest is on a mission to share with the world that nourishing foods are delicious and comforting for the soul and should never be tasteless or bland! Tara Rochford, RDN, is a registered dietitian, recipe developer, and healthy living blogger. She writes on her website, Tara Rochford Nutrition, where she shares simple and delicious recipes, science-backed nutrition information, and tips for helping individuals find their version of healthy. Tuning in, you’ll hear from Tara as she explains why nourishing your body can be a form of self-love and she shares some of her secret mom hacks for getting your family fed and feeding yourself a little bit better. From mental health to pain management, Tara believes that nutrition can help us in so many ways, so make sure to tune in to find out more!

 Key Points From This Episode:

 •    Hear about the differences between a dietician and a nutritionist.

•    What led Tara to becoming a registered dietician, starting with a school project.

•    Tara talks about her experience of family dinner; how it sets the foundation for healthy habits.

•    The value of encouraging discussion about how food tastes, smells, and makes you feel.

•    How being a new mom has altered Tara’s perspective, including being more forgiving.

•    How constant exposure can help foods become more palatable for kids with food aversions.

•    Why adult nutrition has to be individualized based on unique goals, preferences, and cultures.

•    Just eat the vegetables; it doesn’t matter if they are pre-cut, frozen, or whole.

•    Why you should curate what works for you from general dietary guidelines.

•    From mental health to pain management, Tara believes nutrition can help with everything.

•    The importance of being mindful and present.

•    While self-love and self-care are depicted as bubble baths, for Tara it’s also prepping food for herself or her daughter.

•    Why prepping ahead is key for lunchtime meals especially.

•    What Tara’s self-love routine looks like, from prioritizing sleep to writing an hourly to-do list.

•    How Tara stays inspired in the kitchen by trying new things from cookbooks.

•    How Tara’s business has been impacted by the pandemic, when people are cooking at home more than ever.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tara Rochford on LinkedIn

Tara Rochford on Instagram

Tara Rochford on Facebook

Tara Rochford on YouTube

Tara Rochford Nutrition

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

eatright.org

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

Self-Love Collective Waitlist

 

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Creating Your Own Recipe for Healing with Samantha Simpson

 

Episode S2E1: Show Notes.

 

Healing does not look the same for everyone. Something that works for you, might be totally unhealthy for another person. This is why it is important to find practices that allow your body to heal itself. Today's guest, Samantha Simpson, is a posture and yoga coach and a health speaker based in Indianapolis and has gone on her own incredible healing journey that she wants to share with others. In this episode, Samantha dives into the radical paradigm of alignment she practices and teaches, called bowspring. We hear about how it differs from modern yoga and why it is so beneficial. Samantha then opens up about her health struggles and the different modalities she used to ultimately heal herself and find happiness once more. When your physical health suffers, it impacts every aspect of your life. We also talk about the importance of removing the stigma around conversations about pelvic floor and elimination problems, gut health and some of the emerging findings, and different types of stress and how we can deal with them. Our bodies are truly incredible in all that they can do and their capacity to heal. If we know how to tap into this innate bodily wisdom, the possibilities are infinite.

 

Key Points From This Episode:

 

•    Get to know Samantha and the radical style of alignment she teaches called Bowspring.

•    The differences between Bowspring and modern postural yoga.

•    Common pelvic floor problems that many of us suffer from due to poor posture.

•    Samantha’s inspiring story of healing and the different modalities she used.

•    How Samantha learned about neurofeedback from her cat.

•    Pelvic floor tightness is veiled in shame, so we need to have open discussions about it.

•    Hear about the workshops Samantha runs and how she has helped others heal.

•    The importance of treating the root cause of illness rather than just the symptoms.

•    Emerging research around gut health and how it affects our overall health.

•    Work Samantha has done with people on the autism spectrum and those with ADHD.

•    Different types of stress and the range of triggers Samantha has seen.

•    How to tune into your triggers and the way that your body responds.

•    Samantha’s self-care practices and things she does every day to care for herself.

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

Self-Love Collective Waitlist

Samantha Simpson

Samantha Simpson on Facebook

'What Is Bowspring?'

Global Bowspring

Maya Massage

Neurofeedback

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First with Emily Nichols

Women and mothers are conditioned into believing that being exhausted and constantly busy is part of the deal. Yes, life has inevitable demands. But if you do not care for yourself, you cannot look after others. Emily Nichols is on a mission to show women how to put their own oxygen masks on first. As a self-care coach and host of the wildly successful Self Care Isn’t Selfish podcast, Emily inspires women to create habits where they prioritize their well-being once more. In today’s episode, Emily opens up about her own self-care journey that she and her husband embarked on in 2015. We hear about how the Whole30 program helped her break both physical and mental habits that were holding her back. After working on her nutrition, Emily then turned her attention to fitness and mindset. This three-tiered approach of nutrition, fitness, and mindset is the framework Emily now uses to help her clients establish their self-care routines. We also hear about her podcast and what her goals for this platform are. Taking care of ourselves helps us show up better in all that we do, so tune in today to get some inspiration from Emily’s story. 

Key Points From This Episode:

•   What Emily means when she says she wants to help women ‘put their oxygen mask on first.’

•   The reason that moms often wear exhaustion and busyness as a badge of honor.

•   Emily’s self-care journey, which started in 2015, and how she finds balance now.

•   Details about Whole30, the elimination protocol that kickstarted Emily’s health journey.

•   Food is part of so many of our experiences, so restriction is not sustainable.

•   The physical and mental benefits Emily experienced doing Whole30. 

•   What Emily’s work as a Whole30 coach entails.

•   Why Emily decided to call her podcast Self Care Isn’t Selfish.

•   Find out what Emily’s self-care routine looks like at the moment.

•   How Emily’s faith has grown over time and how it ties into her taking care of herself.

•   Emily’s approach to balance and how she finds flow in her life.

•   What Emily hopes her podcast will achieve and the message she wants to leave women with.

•   Emily’s favorite way to move her body; she loves burpees!

•   Obstacles Emily sees her clients facing when it comes to establishing a self-care routine.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

Self-Love Collective Waitlist

Emily Nichols

Emily Nichols on Instagram

Emily Nichols on Twitter

Self Care Isn’t Selfish

The Whole30

From Coffee to Wine 

Jacqueline Martinez

Orange Theory

 

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Creating Your Own Recipe for Healing with Samantha Simpson

 

Episode S2E1: Show Notes.

 

Healing does not look the same for everyone. Something that works for you, might be totally unhealthy for another person. This is why it is important to find practices that allow your body to heal itself. Today's guest, Samantha Simpson, is a posture and yoga coach and a health speaker based in Indianapolis and has gone on her own incredible healing journey that she wants to share with others. In this episode, Samantha dives into the radical paradigm of alignment she practices and teaches, called bowspring. We hear about how it differs from modern yoga and why it is so beneficial. Samantha then opens up about her health struggles and the different modalities she used to ultimately heal herself and find happiness once more. When your physical health suffers, it impacts every aspect of your life. We also talk about the importance of removing the stigma around conversations about pelvic floor and elimination problems, gut health and some of the emerging findings, and different types of stress and how we can deal with them. Our bodies are truly incredible in all that they can do and their capacity to heal. If we know how to tap into this innate bodily wisdom, the possibilities are infinite.

 

Key Points From This Episode:

 

•    Get to know Samantha and the radical style of alignment she teaches called Bowspring.

•    The differences between Bowspring and modern postural yoga.

•    Common pelvic floor problems that many of us suffer from due to poor posture.

•    Samantha’s inspiring story of healing and the different modalities she used.

•    How Samantha learned about neurofeedback from her cat.

•    Pelvic floor tightness is veiled in shame, so we need to have open discussions about it.

•    Hear about the workshops Samantha runs and how she has helped others heal.

•    The importance of treating the root cause of illness rather than just the symptoms.

•    Emerging research around gut health and how it affects our overall health.

•    Work Samantha has done with people on the autism spectrum and those with ADHD.

•    Different types of stress and the range of triggers Samantha has seen.

•    How to tune into your triggers and the way that your body responds.

•    Samantha’s self-care practices and things she does every day to care for herself.

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

Self-Love Collective Waitlist

Samantha Simpson

Samantha Simpson on Facebook

'What Is Bowspring?'

Global Bowspring

Maya Massage

Neurofeedback

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Speaking up about the imperfect reality of motherhood is important to dispel the guilt and shame surrounding this topic. It’s okay to say that you need time away from your child for self-care! It’s okay not to “bounce back” after having a baby! Motherhood is an incredible thing, and we are blessed to have that experience, but it’s certainly not all perfect and wonderful. It’s a gamut of emotions, but no one talks about it. Adopting a both-and mentality is important – it’s both beautiful and difficult – as is finding the support you need and making sure not to compare yourself with others. Today we are joined by Jaya, a Healthcare Project Manager, mom of two boys, fashionista who loves yoga, spirituality, and who believes in all the connections of people through the heart and soul. Tune into this episode to hear Jaya share her experience of motherhood, both the ups and the downs, as she talks about dealing with family pressure, discovering there is no “normal”, the need for external support, and taking time for yourself. Find out what she learned between baby one to baby two, including accepting her changed body, taking the pressure off of herself to create aspirational content about motherhood for social media, and taking “perfect” representations on Instagram with a pinch of salt. Tuen in to find out more! 

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Jaya talks about the night she had her first son and the disconnect she felt with motherhood.

•    Learning to deal with family pressure to have kids and sticking to your own timeline.

•    Jaya explains that she wished she knew what she was signing up for – the imperfect reality.

•    Learning that there is no “normal”, as Jaya learned with sleep patterns or breastfeeding.

•    The shame and guilt around breastfeeding (or being unable to breastfeed).

•    It takes a village to raise a child: Jaya talks about the need for external support.

•    The issue with the lack of honest feedback and support for postpartum depression.

•    Why Jaya believes having freedom of choice is crucial – it’s okay to need time to yourself!

•    Accepting changes in your body post-pregnancy and not comparing yourself to others.

•    There is only so much you can do as a mother – to be there, you need time for yourself.

•    The value of potentially taking a break from social media as a new mom.

•    How the tides are changing on social media, with messy, imperfect representations of motherhood overtaking the curated ones.

•    Jaya has taken the pressure off of herself to create aspirational content for social media.

•    Taking what works for you from influencer’s content and leaving the rest.

•    Jaya asks Jessica what inspired her to start her organization.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 

Jaya

Jaya’s Website

Jaya on Instagram

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

 

 

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

In the age of highly-curated social media, where so many people are hellbent on showing perfection rather than reality, someone who is unafraid to speak their truth is refreshing. Dana Rebecca Gordon of Dana Rebecca Designs is known for keeping it honest on social media. Her hundreds of thousands of followers agree that showing up and sharing the small moments in life is appreciated. Dana is not only an entrepreneur; she is also a mom and all-around badass. In this episode, we talk about the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur. While it is great to be your own boss, it can often be a thankless job, and this aspect is often not openly discussed. Dana highlights the similarities between being a business owner and a mother and she shares why she thinks that the mainstream idea of balance does not actually exist. We also talk about the importance of modeling self-love for your children, given the pressures that come with social media. Dana grew up with a mother who loved her body and she acknowledges the impact it had on her. Naturally, we touch on the pandemic, and Dana talks about how, despite how difficult it has been, it has given her perspective both with her family and her business. She has shared special moments with her children and established connections with her community by talking about things that are usually off-limits. There is so much power in speaking your truth, and if you feel afraid to use your voice, our conversation with Dana will inspire you to move past that fear.  

Key Points From This Episode:

 

•   Get to know Dana, her background, and how she became a jewelry designer.

•   The emphasis Dana’s father placed on education despite not going to school himself.

•   Not enough people talk about the obstacles that come with being an entrepreneur.

•   There is no such thing as balance; you have to accept that something will always give.

•   The importance of taking things day-by-day rather than trying to do it all always.

•   A big lesson that Dana learned from 2020; you have to learn to let it go!

•   Similarities between being an entrepreneur and being a mom.

•   Why Dana prefers to take things one day at a time rather than looking at the big picture.

•   The thankless work of raising your teams and your children.

•   Our actions leave such a big impression on our children.

•   There are so many challenges that come with raising children in the age of social media.

•   Ways the pandemic helped Dana to reset and think differently about her family and business.

•   Why Dana has fallen in and out of love with her career multiple times.

•   What Dana has learned from being real and speaking her truth on social media.

•   Social media can distort our reality and disconnect us from the world around us.

•   Dana Rebecca’s mission to make women feel special no matter their budget.

•   What jewelry means to Dana; it’s not just the piece, it’s about the moment attached to it.

•   Coming in at price point first: how this approach is shifting jewelry purchasing.

•   What Dana would say to her daughters if they wanted to start their own business one day.

 

Mom, Slow Down!

Jessica Nicole on Instagram

Self-Love Collective Waitlist

Dana Rebecca Designs

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

I feel so honored to have connected with Yoga Alliance and their Unity in Yoga Podcast.  Here a little sneak peek at what Season 2 will look like! Calling out to mom's everywhere to unite and connect through experience, love, and growth.  Follow me on social 

Facebook: 

Instagram

--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jessica-gershman/supportSupport the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

One of our basic necessities is food, and today we’re diving into this topic with our guest, KateFisch, who is a licensed social worker, practicing psychotherapist, and eating disorderspecialist. Many of us have some quantifiable eating disorder pattern, whether it is binge eating,restricting, or starting to label food as “good” or “bad”. Kate has dedicated her career to eatingdisorders and helping women everywhere overcome patterns of disordered eating. In thisepisode, Jessica and Kate talk about how our relationship with food tends to overflow to allother areas of our lives and how, as women, our conversations often center around what we eatand what we do to lose weight. After touching on the difference between anorexia and bulimiaand when these disorders are more likely to show up, Kate explains why distinguishing between“sometimes” and “all the time” foods is a helpful way to encourage healthy eating while alsoavoiding turning it into an obsession. After all, all foods should be permitted! Tuning in, listenerswill also hear about modeling a healthy relationship with food as a parent, what we can do tohelp our kids build a positive body and self-image, the need for more education and support forpatients and their families, and Kate’s Eating Recovery Academy.Key Points From This Episode:• Understanding that, while food is a source of pleasure, it cannot be your only source.• How our relationship with food tends to spill over into other areas of our lives.• The biological and genetic differences between anorexia and bulimia.• The times in a person’s life when they are most prone to developing an eating disorder.• Jessica talks about her response when her daughter recently said she was on a diet.• The problem with labeling food as “good” and “bad” and feeling guilt around it.• Why it is helpful to think instead about “sometimes” foods and “all the time” foods.• Educating children about a healthy relationship with food by explaining its different purposes.• The shocking prevalence of disordered eating and people’s obsession with food.• How the patriarchy is perpetuated when women fight amongst each other.• Remembering that there is no perfect parent – strive for being a good enough parent.• Learn about Kate’s platform for educating other therapists about treating eating disorders.• The lack of support and education for people with eating disorders and their families.• Advice for how parents can model a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jessica-gershman/supportSupport the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy