Conversation Changers

Debbie Miller-Wright is a personal trainer on a mission to support women going through the menopause. Debbie found the support out there for perimenopausal women incredibly lacking - especially for women who wanted to keep physically active during this time so she began researching what she could do to move through menopause. We talk all things nutrition, exercise, supplements and mindfulness. For anyone approaching menopause - it really is worth a listen!Talking points include:Debbie's journey through menopause as a personal trainerExplanation of perimenopause and menopauseLack of research and understanding of menopauseThe importance of talking about the menopauseWhat you can do to alleviate symptomsStarting with the basics, being kind to yourselfBenefits of menopause support groupsImportance of finding exercise that motivates youGetting to know yourself again and finding excitement in life

A beautiful conversation with fertility awareness educator, menstrual cycle mentor and birth story listener Hayley Anderson. Hayley offers insights into the role periods play in our lives and we continue our conversation by discussing birth story listening, post-birth experiences and motherhood. Hayley’s cycle and fertility education is steeped in holistic awareness of our bodies and minds and the understanding of our hormones. We talk through many aspects of periods and how we can embrace the different changes and cycles - I have a totally different view of periods after my conversation with Hayley!Talking points include: Listening to our bodies as we move through different cycles of menstruationPatriarchal views of periods Getting rid of the patriarchal PMS story - angry, discerning women are neededFilling a gap in society of really seeing and hearing womenOvulatory power and embracing powerful energyExploring ambiguous loss and the menstrual cycleCycle trackingBringing your hormones with you in what you’re doingHow each part of the cycle bleeds into anotherThe need to be witnessed and received post birthNot losing yourself in motherhood and holding boundariesCultivating motherhood/parenthoodLack of centring the mother’s experience in society and what we can do about it Finding your villageYou can find Hayley at https://pellarandpollen.com/ or on Instagram @_hayley__anderson_.

This week, I spoke to Theresa Ribeiro, a non-traditional, feminist celebrant based in the UK. She performs and officiates ceremonies, whether that’s weddings or partnership ceremonies, funerals or naming ceremonies. Humans love ceremony and ritual, we come together to mark occasions and we’ve done this for thousands of years. We need these spaces to celebrate, commiserate, grieve and mark them out, to connect with others as we change, as we move through our lives. I really think celebrating these moments are transformative and that’s why I wanted to find out more from Theresa what celebrants do and how we can mark these changes in our lives.I talk to Theresa about life as a celebrant, what moments in our lives she officiates and the major changes in her life and ones she thinks we could mark out in different ways, for instance, divorce. When a relationship ends, how do we serve it, how do we commemorate it? Such an interesting conversation!

I love it when I come away from a conversation viewing a part of my life very differently and this happened when I spoke to Relationship Coach Linda Lazzaroni. This conversation is all about being intentional in our relationships. Do you set goals in your relationships? Do you ever identify blocks but you’re not sure how to overcome them? Do you celebrate the successes with your partner? There are so many insights packed into this episode - we talk romantic relationships, friendships, family relationships as well as how we relate to work colleagues.We also talk about our relationship with ourselves, with our work and we explore grief and loss as well as what happens to relationships when we change our environment such as moving countries or changing jobs.It is an incredibly varied conversation and one that will certainly improve your relationships across the board.You can contact Linda at: https://www.humankind.lu/ and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindahumankind/ Follow Karla and the Conversation Changers podcast:Sign up to the Newsletter: https://conversationchangers.co.uk/#newsletterFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conversationchangerspodVisit the website: https://conversationchangers.co.uk/

In this episode I speak with photographer, yoga teacher and writer Eva Kulovits on the absolute joys of wild swimming. We recorded this on the beach in The Hague and then jumped in the sea afterwards!Eva speaks of the joy of wild swimming, the freedoms it can bestow on your mind and body, connection and community and how you can feel more present and tuned into the world through wild swimming.You can follow Eva at: https://www.instagram.com/evamariakulovits/ and https://www.instagram.com/yogaevita/?hl=enFollow Karla and the Conversation Changers podcast:Sign up to the Newsletter: https://conversationchangers.co.uk/#newsletterFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conversationchangerspodVisit the website: https://conversationchangers.co.uk/

Have you ever taken a dip in a river? Do you long to swim in the sea but don't know if you could handle the cold water? Or do you love wild swimming, in rivers, lakes, locks or outdoor pools? Either way, this episode is for you.Leilia Dore is a writer who loves to swim in cold water, she brings her two loves together on her Instagram account, @swimmingthroughtheseasons, where she documents a year of 100 swims.We talk all things wild swimming, from the mental health benefits of swimming outdoors, to body image and the community it brings. This conversation has reignited my love of wild swimming and of dipping into cold water, I hope it does the same for you too.Please note: We speak of depression and thoughts of suicide in this episode.Follow Leilia’s Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/swimmingthroughtheseasons/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D Follow Karla and Conversation Changers at:Newsletter: https://conversationchangers.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conversationchangerspodWebsite: https://conversationchangers.co.uk/ 

Vedangi Kulkarni circumnavigated the world by bike. At the age of 19, she rode 29,000km in 160 days around the globe. An incredible ride, and even more remarkable when you hear what happened along the way - an encounter with a grizzly bear family, being held at knifepoint and discovering the kindness of strangers.  You can find Vedangi on Instagram and her business the Adventure Shed is all about making adventure accessible.Note: Conversation Changers used to be called The Women's Edition (TWE).

As it comes to the end of Birth Trauma Awareness week, I wanted to share a conversation I had with Gill Castle, or as she’s known on her blog ‘Stoma Chameleon’. Gill gave birth to her son at 34 weeks, her birth experience was traumatic and changed the course of her life forever. It resulted in Gill having a permanent stoma, PTSD and postnatal depression.We hear Gill’s birth story and we also talk about what she has achieved since her birth experience, life with a stoma and her adventures. Gill has completed a half ironman, she’s been skydiving, scuba diving and she overcame her fear of swimming in open water to become a self-confessed cold-water swimming addict!Talking points include:·        Gill’s traumatic birth story·        Birth trauma awareness including details about different degrees of tear·        Talking about miscarriage and shared experiences being comforting·        Recovery after trauma·        Looking to the future after recovery·        Gill's adventures·        Swimming with a stoma·        Cold water benefits for mental health·        Breaking down stigmas·        Accepting and overcoming fear·        Prepping for swimming the English ChannelNote: Conversation Changers used to be called The Women's Edition (TWE).