The Out of the Cave Podcast

In this solo episode, Lisa explores authenticity and safety while sharing her personal story as part of the podcast, addresses privilege and fragmented consciousness with concrete examples, and offers mindfulness, breathing, visualization, and mind-muscle practices for workouts and daily life. She reflects on social capital tied to weight loss, how to care selectively about others’ opinions using values-based filters, and how judgments reveal inner states. Lisa shares how she overcame chronic left-sided hip/lower-back pain through interoception, emotional processing, and tension release. Topics Include:Privilege AwarenessOvercoming DistractionsSelf RegulationMindfulness as a Practice[0:33] Lisa begins this episode with a few announcements. She announces the opening of registration for the retreat on July 12-17, 2026, at the Omega Institute. Lisa shares that as she continues to record the solo series episodes, she feels pulled to share more of her personal story. While feeling nervous about sharing more personal stories in an open forum, she has made the decision to start a Patreon account as a place to share them. [5:45] Lisa talks about the distraction she feels as she records video episodes but feels committed to continue to do so. As a way to support herself through this discomfort, she shares the items and clothing she has as a way to support herself in her discomfort and authenticity.  [11:19] Lisa discusses privilege as the experience of not having to think about certain things. She explains that privilege can mean moving through the world without constantly scanning the social environment for judgment or safety, and she connects that to both race and body size. Lisa shares a simple example of white privilege such as being able to easily find a bandage that matches her skin tone, and then names the thin privilege she noticed after weight loss like wearing a hair tie on her wrist and eating without people making assumptions.[17:49] Lisa discusses Brene Brown’s idea around how to stop caring what people think about you and how you just get to be intentional about how much you care and who you give your attention to. She uses this as a filter for feedback and judgment through her own values. Lisa points out that caring is human and wired into us, but discernment is a skill that can be practiced.[27:59] Lisa discusses different breathing tools she’s been using to stay present during workouts when it would be easy to get distracted. She talks about breathing only through her nose, even during cardio, and noticing that it turns into a mindfulness practice because she has to stay so focused and feels less stressed. She then highlights the power of the exhale because she can feel her nervous system regulate in real time when she stops holding her breath or trying to be “quiet.” Lisa frames breathing as a simple, body-based way to communicate safety to the system while doing something intense or vulnerable. [1:01:58] Lisa wraps up the episode by discussing mindfulness as a practical, moment-to-moment skill of bringing your attention back to what’s happening inside you—your breath, your body, and your direct experience. Lisa also highlights that mindfulness isn’t just meditation—it’s learning to notice where you unconsciously hold tension (shoulders, grip, toes, hip, etc.) and practicing releasing it, which can become a lifestyle of interoception and self-regulation. Join us on Patreon!Embody Peace With Food: A Revolutionary Holistic Approach - Omega Institute: July 12-17, 2026LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo episode, Lisa weaves together ideas from recent episodes around the internalized male gaze, social identity, privilege and oppression, and the “animal brain” to explore why we feel so self‑conscious and how to feel safer in our bodies. She explains why this inner work is essential for intentional weight loss. Drawing on personal stories from the gym, yoga class, and a crowded airport, Lisa shares a practical, mindfulness‑based way to work through the fear of being judged. At the heart of the practice is learning to treat focus like a muscle that can be strengthened over time. Lisa offers simple tools like closing her eyes, imagining a protective bubble, and intentionally putting herself in visible situations to retrain her brain. The bigger goal is reclaiming your power by prioritizing how you feel over what others think—because their opinions are truly none of your business. Topics Include:Self‑consciousnessInternalized gazeNervous system regulationReclaiming personal power[1:29] Lisa explains that the goal of this episode is to share methods for managing the "animal brain" in social contexts to feel safe in one's body, which is presented as the foundation for intentional weight loss. She clarifies that preoccupation with others' perceptions is not about weight but about an innate "animal brain" response to navigate social hierarchies and feel safe. She explains that one must take responsibility for managing this part of the brain to avoid a life of distraction and disconnection from self.[3:20] Lisa talks about how she previously rejected internalized norms tied to the “curriculum of girlhood” and now lives more consciously within the social context she once denied. She emphasizes returning attention to self rather than remaining lost in others’ judgments. Lisa recounts returning to New York gyms after weight loss and preoccupation with others’ perceptions, including from former schoolmates and a past crush. She notes how she had to keep redirecting her attention from external gaze to her body and workout to maintain presence and safety. Lisa encourages a gentle, loving return to the present whenever distraction occurs.[21:52] Lisa explains that the gym is a controlled social container for practicing returning attention to the body and that any exercise can be a mind–body practice with mindful awareness. She talks about how distraction undermines performance and increases injury risk, especially under heavy loads. [26:37] Lisa talks about how yoga’s purpose is presence; ego and self-conscious thoughts disrupt balance and focus. She explains how movement serves as gradual, trauma-informed exposure to tolerating discomfort and returning attention to the body. Lisa explains that exercise is a practical mindfulness and exposure tool to reclaim presence and bodily safety in social contexts.[33:13] Lisa describes how she focuses on muscles, breath, sweat, and internal cues to heal disconnection and dissociation. Lisa shares how she uses an indestructible bubble visualization to feel safe during workouts and stressful situations in life. [1:18:49] She wraps up the episode by explaining that these are the tools she used and continues to use to stay mindful and present in her body and are necessary for the foundation of safety needed to successfully engage in intentional weight loss. Embody Peace With Food: A Revolutionary Holistic Approach - Omega Institute: July 12-17, 2026LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo episode, Lisa reflects on the complex relationship between identity, body image, and authenticity as she reads her essay about developing humor and personality as a survival strategy. Lisa explores how weight loss, shifting social responses, and global awakening experiences sparked an identity crisis that expanded into a deeper understanding of privilege, oppression, and the social context that shapes how bodies are perceived. Lisa examines the intoxicating pull of external validation, the grief of benefiting from appearance, and the lifelong practice of returning to embodied safety and self‑connection.Topics Include:Persona vs. Authentic SelfPrivilege and OppressionExternal ValidationSelf Connection[6:29] Lisa shares her Common App essay which focuses on her weight and personality. She describes her weight as her only flaw and the source of disrespect and impatience with herself. To compensate for not physically fitting in, Lisa cultivated a personality, using humor as her confidence. She reflects that her struggles with weight forced her to develop her inner self. Lisa recalls reading the essay years ago and viewing it through the lens of codependency and people-pleasing, a kind of persona created from a feeling of being unsafe. She used humor as a performance because she felt she couldn't be her authentic self due to her body. She concludes the essay with her valuing the person she became.[15:37] Lisa describes her time on Semester at Sea as the first time she entered a new social environment as a "thin person” and she wasn't receiving the same constant praise she previously had on campus for losing weight. She describes this confusing experience where her role in society felt like it was changing, but she couldn't articulate what was happening.[20:26] Lisa now understands this confusion was due to the world responding to her differently and her responding to the world differently. Lisa explains how her eyes were opening to the social context in general, leading to a crisis about how the world works. Her inability to process this existential crisis manifested physically as the origin of her IBS symptoms. [25:43] Lisa describes this period in her life where she became acutely aware of societal issues like racism, sexism, and poverty for the first time. She emphasized how her perception of the world had changed. Sociology 101 introduced her to the concepts of privilege and oppression. She noted that while the class discussed race, gender, and sexual orientation, the lens of body size was her own connection, allowing her to put the dots together.[43:51] Lisa shared a memory of walking down the street and being ignored by a man passing by and she began reflecting on when she began defining herself by how others saw her. She explained that the goal is not to swing the pendulum from being negatively judged to being positively judged but to be seen for who you truly are.[52:13] Lisa explains that to feel safe in one's body as it is, one must be connected to that body and spiritual being. Lisa issued an invitation for listeners to self-reflect on how much mental "real estate" the preoccupation with others' thoughts takes up in their daily lives.[59:46] She wraps up the episode with an invitation to let the current discussion "settle and marinate" and consider their own position as a person with an "animal brain in a social context," living within constructs of privilege and oppression.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.Embody Peace With Food: A Revolutionary Holistic Approach - Omega Institute: July 12-17, 2026LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo episode, Lisa takes a deeper, more personal look at the internalized male gaze, embodied safety, and what intentional weight loss can mean through a trauma‑informed lens. She starts with a gentle check‑in about having too much coffee and uses that moment to explore the feelings she pushed aside and how choosing connection helped her regulate instead of leaning on old coping habits. From there, she talks about how denial, dissociation, and building her self‑worth outside of appearance shaped the way she handled body‑based judgments, while also being honest about the real social changes she noticed after losing weight. She reads from a 2014 essay that traces her shift from denial to hyper‑awareness, the cultural experiences that challenged Western beauty standards, and the toll perfectionism took on her. To wrap up, Lisa introduces the ideas of egosyntonic and egodystonic thoughts to help listeners understand those inner conflicts around body‑focused thinking, highlighting awareness, space, and embodied safety as key parts of healing.Topics Include:Internalized Male GazeEmbodied SafetySocial DynamicsEgosyntonic vs. Egodystonic Thoughts[0:32] Lisa begins by noticing she crossed her personal limit on coffee, practicing non-judgmental, compassionate curiosity about the behavior. She connects over-caffeination to an anxiety-provoking event she suppressed due to context, illustrating how coping can mask root emotions. She identifies her need for connection and support rather than substances and texts her best friend to schedule a call to process the event together.[10:50] Lisa introduces the concept "trauma work is slow," explaining that healing from chronic societal trauma is a gradual process unlike a diet. She clarifies her stance on others' judgment of her body, explaining that she built her self-worth on character, not appearance, as a defense mechanism when she was in a larger body. She acknowledges that losing weight made it safer to engage with social constructs.[37:35] Lisa reads an essay she wrote in 2014 during Semester at Sea, a period that served as intense exposure therapy for her eating disorder following her significant weight loss and tummy tuck. The essay details her 150-pound weight loss journey, which was initially prompted by physical pain and practical difficulties.[1:07:50] Post-weight loss, Lisa realized her happiness stemmed from societal validation, not self-acceptance, leading to an obsessive cycle of never feeling good enough. After reading the essay, Lisa explains the weight loss journey woke her up from a state of being disconnected from her body, a profound psychological shift that is the origin of Out of the Cave.[1:11:56] Lisa introduces the psychological concepts of egosyntonic (behaviors in harmony with one's self-image) and egodystonic (behaviors conflicting with one's self-concept). She explains that her own compulsive thoughts about bodies post-weight loss felt intensely egodystonic, which was a positive factor in her healing as it allowed her to separate herself from those thoughts. [1:20:22] Lisa wraps this episode by encouraging listeners to examine if their body image thoughts are egosyntonic or egodystonic, noting that recognizing these thoughts as conditioned can create distance and aid healing. She notes this is the second episode on the topic and a third will follow to bring all the concepts together.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.Embody Peace With Food: A Revolutionary Holistic Approach - Omega Institute: July 12-17, 2026LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this chapter, Lisa explores how body image, trauma, and the internalized outsider gaze pull us out of our bodies and into self‑objectification. She unpacks how fat phobia, the male gaze, and chronic shallow breathing keep the nervous system in fight‑or‑flight, blocking sustainable change. Drawing on somatic research and her own history of dissociation as protection, Lisa shows why healing begins with coming back inside through breath and interoceptive awareness. The episode closes with a grounding practice to shift from “How do I look” to “How do I feel,” the first step toward embodied change. Topics Include:Nervous System SafetyBreathwork for SafetyInternalized Outsider GazeComing Home to the Body[0:20] Lisa begins the episode by announcing that registration for the next OOTC Retreat at the Omega Institute scheduled for July 12–17, 2026 is open. Lisa apologizes for the potentially lower sound quality as she is traveling and recording without her microphone. She frames this as a deliberate choice to prioritize "messy action" and consistency over perfection. [4:50] Revisiting the “Devil’s Snare” metaphor, Lisa emphasizes that healing isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about learning how to breathe and soften back into the body. She introduces a quote taught by Caroline Lee Dewey: "We don't learn how to push. We learn how to breathe." Highlighting that healing and coming back into one's body is about breathing and release, not pushing and control.[8:08] Lisa examines how internalized fear of fatness often shows up as shallow breathing, especially discomfort with the belly expanding during a deep, diaphragmatic inhale. She explains that feeling safe in one's body is presented as a necessary prerequisite for intentional and sustainable weight loss. If a person's breathing pattern is constantly signaling danger, it undermines the foundation required for healthy, lasting change.[18:42] Citing somatic therapist Ailey Jolie from Instagram, Lisa explains the internalized male gaze and that internalized objectification lives in the nervous system, manifesting in micro-adjustments the body makes before conscious awareness. Referencing Iris Marion Young's essay "Throwing Like a Girl," Lisa describes how women learn to move with "inhibited intentionality," taking up less space and moving tentatively, as if always being watched. Lisa also discusses research by Barbara Fredrickson and Tommy-Ann Roberts on "self-objectification," where girls adopt an observer's perspective on their bodies, measurably impairing the ability to feel internal bodily states like hunger or heartbeat.[45:24] Lisa shares her disconnection to the trauma of her younger sister's death when she was five and how she coped with using food. She explains that denial, disconnection, and dissociation became her primary defense mechanisms and sent her the message that the world was safe despite her weight. [1:09:09] Lisa wraps this episode up by inviting listeners to practice re‑centering through two anchors: deep breathing and replacing “How do I look?” with “How do I feel?” She emphasizes that mindful breathing is a skill that must be practiced to come back inside the body and become aware of what is happening within oneself.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.Embody Peace With Food: A Revolutionary Holistic Approach - Omega Institute: July 12-17, 2026LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this episode, Lisa opens with the reminder that real, sustainable change begins not in urgency, panic, or the frantic rush to “fix” your body, but in the quiet, embodied willingness to be exactly where you are. She invites listeners to step out of the urgency of weight‑loss pressure and into the felt safety that makes transformation possible—safety in your breath, in your body, and in the present moment. Lisa unpacks why panic tightens the system, why urgency blocks clarity, and why the path forward only reveals itself when you stop fighting the moment you’re in. Drawing on lived experience, nervous‑system science, and a three‑level coaching framework, she guides listeners toward releasing the fear‑driven chase for change so one can finally see the exit, the path, and the next right step from a grounded, regulated place. Topics Include:Releasing PanicEmotional SafetyFramework for SuccessCommunity[1:55] Lisa shifts the conversation from theoretical groundwork to the "core conversation" of intentional weight loss, specifically focusing on the physiological components of radical acceptance and non-attachment. Lisa emphasizes moving beyond intellectual understanding. The goal is to "embody it until you habituate to it." Lisa explains that safety and acceptance must be felt physiologically to be effective.[3:50] Lisa uses the Harry Potter scene involving Devil's Snare to illustrate the body's response to discomfort.Panic: Struggling and fighting (like Ron) causes the plant to constrict tighter, meeting fear with fear causes physiological contraction and worsens symptoms.Relaxation: Relaxing and "trying on the energy of relaxation" (like Hermione and Harry) causes the plant to release, helping the body to feel safe.[8:35] Lisa applies this to her experience with IBS and chronic pain. Realizing that panic was fueling her physical contraction, she utilized the mantra: "You are uncomfortable, you are not unsafe." The urgency to lose weight is compared to being trapped in a burning room. Panicking and screaming "I have to get out" only adds fuel to the fire and blocks the exit. [25:52] Lisa outlines the three levels required for success:Emotional Sobriety: Learning to feel feelings without using food as a drug.Mind-Body Connection: Connecting with food and the body intuitively.Intentional Weight Loss: This step should only be pursued after the groundwork of levels 1 and 2 is complete. Attempting Level 3 prematurely leads to the cycle of failure.[37:25] For those who react to their reflection as if they are a "predator," Lisa recommends her Mirror Work Challenge to build the capacity to bear witness to one's own body. Lisa addresses facing fears (like wearing a swimsuit in public), one should not throw themselves into the deep end and dissociate. Instead, she urges taking fetus steps to stay in a learning zone rather than a danger zone. She encourages to imagine how one would move, breathe, and exist if they already felt safe, and to start embodying those physical behaviors now. [1:06:06] Lisa argues that individual work is not enough because humans have an "animal brain in a social context."- Quoting "grief cannot be metabolized in isolation," she emphasizes that healing requires safe relationships and the brain needs to learn there are people who can see, love, and accept you without judgment.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this week’s episode, Lisa reflects on her creative process — openly naming her impatience while choosing messy action over perfectionism — and shares the three question framework she uses for personal transformation. She explores why meaningful change requires a slower, more mindful pace to protect the nervous system from chronic fight-or-flight, and how balancing external guidance with personal authority creates space for intuition to emerge. Lisa then describes non-attachment as the future-oriented partner to radical acceptance, shifting from needing outcomes to simply wanting them in order to feel safe in the present. Lisa models how meeting fear with self-compassion and internal validation allows one to act bravely without clinging to results — a practice she frames as foundational for lasting change, from intentional weight loss to healing chronic pain. Topics Include:Brave BecomingMessy CourageInner SafetyLoving Non-Attachment[1:37] Lisa begins by acknowledging her own frustration in not reaching her intended topics yet, modeling how to tolerate the discomfort of a non-linear process. She encourages "messy action," urging action before feeling "ready," inspired by feedback that her own process has helped others let go of perfectionism.[5:34] Lisa shares her "Living As If" method for personal transformation. This framework helps create a blueprint for becoming one's "higher self" by focusing on how one wants to be in relation to their life and pain, rather than immediate comfort. By asking these three questions:"Who is the person that I want to be?""What would she do?""What does that look like for me right now?[10:48] Lisa stresses that time is a critical component of change, highlighting the difference between simply getting a task done and doing it without overwhelming one's nervous system. She contrasts her past "fight or flight" lifestyle of rushing with her current, more mindful pace. She explains that rushing perpetuates a physiological state of fear.[15:17] Lisa examines how seeking help is valuable, it's crucial to avoid giving away personal power to external authorities and the goal is self-reliance, not dependency. Lisa then looks at how creative solutions and intuitive guidance require a "marination stage," which is often blocked by constant distractions.[20:57] Lisa circles back to the non-attachment part of High Involvement, Low Attachment. Lisa frames it as the future-oriented version of radical acceptance; radical acceptance is for the present, while non-attachment is for a future outcome. She discusses the difference between wanting a certain outcome and needing a certain outcome and the signals of fear or safety that are sent to the brain. [53:22] Lisa closes out this episode by explaining the importance of meeting fear with love as a foundational skill for personal evolution. She explains that change is inherently uncomfortable and the key is how you treat yourself during the process. She explains that being present with fear, validating it as a normal human response, and meeting it with love and acceptance is key and the goal is to act while feeling uncomfortable, not unsafe.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo episode, Lisa reflects on reaching episode ten of the solo series and the shift from self-doubt to claiming the podcast as her art — a space of joyful, honest self-expression rather than performance. She shares a compassionate, staged approach to behavior change that begins with non-judgmental awareness and an intentional “marination” phase before navigating the other stages, emphasizing the importance of regulating fear, distinguishing it from truth, honoring not knowing, and prioritizing learning before leaping. Throughout the episode, she explores strengthening mind-body connection, embracing beginnerhood and trial-and-error, and applying professional tools to personal recovery, while introducing High Involvement, Low Attachment (HILA) as an energetic framework for pairing full effort with non-attachment to outcomes, creating change that feels safer, steadier, and sustainable. Topics Include:Artful ExpressionFear vs TruthCompassionate ChangeHILA Framework[0:57] Lisa begins with a celebration of reaching ten solo episodes. She compares this achievement to the childhood joy of turning five years old—celebrating "two whole hands." She shares a personal "check-in" regarding her internal journey with the podcast; the fear, doubt, and anxiety regarding how her content would be received. Her view has shifted to see the podcast as a necessary form of "art" and self-expression.. [8:28] Lisa argues that believing one should intuitively know how to exercise is a limiting belief. Lisa shares her personal journey to debunk the idea that she "just knew" how to exercise. She details the specific, and sometimes unconventional, steps she took to educate herself after realizing she didn't know how to strength train properly or avoid injury. [15:52] Lisa discusses the common feeling of being stuck or fearful when facing uncertainty, particularly in areas like self-care, exercise, and nutrition. She shares that this feeling often manifests physically (tingling, tightness, holding breath) and is driven by an underlying fear of not having the right answers. Lisa shares that the first step is to acknowledge and process the fear associated with not knowing, without letting it control actions. [25:17] Lisa shares an anecdote about observing a certified personal trainer encountering a new piece of gym equipment. This experience provided insight into the learning process. The key to learning is not having all the answers but having the confidence to experiment, engage in trial and error, and be willing to be a beginner. [36:34] Lisa shares that a client shared a metaphor that likens the process of personal change to planning a trip. It involves distinct, sequential phases: looking at a travel brochure, going to a travel agent, booking the travel, packing, and then finally going on the trip. Lisa introduces a step between Contemplation and Preparation called "Marination." She urges listeners not to rush from awareness to action but to allow new realizations to "marinate" without judgment so that solutions can emerge from a place of calm rather than urgency.[57:02] Lisa wraps up this episode with an introduction to HILA. She shares that practicing High Involvement means actively taking all necessary steps within one's control to work towards a goal. Low Attachment is practiced by accepting that the outcome is not in your control, feeling the associated discomfort without letting it take over, and returning your focus to living in the present moment which is crucial for maintaining safety and sustainability.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo series episode, Lisa invites listeners to rethink change beyond “fixing what’s wrong,” and into a more humane, nervous-system–smart way of becoming. She critiques pathology-first mental health models, centers a trauma-informed, strengths-based lens, and names the difference between compassionate, intentional change and fear-driven extremes. Moving through the six stages of change, Lisa reminds us that real progress is often quiet and internal and shows, through relatable examples, how small, steady steps can create lasting, sustainable change. Topics Include:Person-Centered DiagnosisJudgementStages of ChangeProcessing Emotions[2:17] Lisa begins this episode by revisiting a topic from a previous conversation. She clarified that her position is not to dismiss the reality of mental illness or to discard the DSM entirely. By labeling conditions as "disorders," the system inherently frames them as something wrong or broken within a person. Lisa argues for a shift in perspective, suggesting that these behaviors could instead be viewed as adaptive, wise, or even brilliant coping mechanisms developed in response to difficult circumstances.[11:26] Lisa explores the social-psychological concept of judgment. In our social context, we often believe we want to be judged positively and avoid negative judgment. Using body size as an example, she notes that someone who has experienced shame for being in a larger body might believe that changing their body to receive positive judgment will bring them happiness. The core human longing, she argued, is not to be judged, but to be seen. The goal is to understand that intentional change can be beneficial, if paired with the internal work of self-love and acceptance. [21:19] Lisa focuses on the "Stages of Change" model, a therapeutic framework for understanding how people change behavior. Lisa emphasizes that this model reveals change as a process, not a single event, and explains why simply deciding to change often fails. She outlines the six stages of change:Pre-contemplation: The person is not considering changing their behavior.Contemplation: The individual becomes aware of the issue but has not committed to action.Preparation: The person starts to plan, gather information, and make small, experimental changes.Action: The individual actively implements their plan and modifies their behavior.Maintenance: The focus shifts to sustaining the new behavior long-term and developing coping strategies for temptations.Recurrence/Relapse: Presented not as a failure but as an integral part of the process but an opportunity to learn about triggers, practice self-compassion, and restart the process with new knowledge.[29:53] Lisa points out that three stages occur before any concrete action is taken. She talks about how people often fail to make lasting changes because they try to jump directly from thinking about a problem to the "action" stage which is unrealistic and sets them up for failure.[59:54] Lisa discusses how the real work of change begins internally and invisibly. Lisa reiterates that traditional diets fail because they force individuals to jump from "pre-contemplation" directly to "action," ignoring the nervous system and emotional safety. Lisa revisits the concept of baby steps as the key to any sustainable change.  [1:07:17] Lisa emphasized that our actions are often attempts to solve emotional problems with physical solutions. The answer to "not feeling enough" is not to do more, but to sit with the feeling itself. *The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo episode, Lisa takes a step back and asks a different question about “disorders”—especially eating disorders—not as something broken or pathological, but as ways the nervous system learned to survive. Lisa's discussion centers on healing through safety, trust, and behavior-first change—embodying new patterns until the nervous system habituates—through tender and fierce self-compassion, balanced integration, and very small, sustainable steps. Along the way, Lisa offers practical examples that apply to intuitive eating, weight loss, and everyday habits, inviting listeners into a more human, aligned, and compassionate way of changing.Topics Include:Survival StrategiesSelf-CompassionEmbodied ChangeHumanized Healing[0:55] Lisa welcomes listeners and encourages listeners to catch up for the full context of this episode. This chapter marks a transition toward topics she has long been eager to address more directly.[2:45] Lisa discusses graduate social work training where the DSM is treated as authoritative. Lisa discusses how eating disorder categories have expanded over time due to observed patterns, not necessarily because human behavior fundamentally changed.[7:58] Lisa contrasts dissociative identity disorder with Internal Family Systems (IFS), which validates natural inner parts or sub-personalities. She talks about how clients doing the work notice conflicting inner parts; she normalizes this as human, not psychosis..[10:45] Lisa challenges reframing things as not an eating disorder but a strategy to regulate the energetic mind-body-soul system involving food. Similarly, Lisa points out that it’s not about the substance or behavior but the function it serves and how it regulates the nervous system. [16:02] Lisa talks about how some addictions like overworking are socially rewarded; while others are condemned. She talks about how a person in a larger body overeating and a person in a smaller body undereating may be driven by comparable nervous-system conditions. Despite opposite behaviors, both can produce similar nervous-system sensations, reinforcing familiar physiology and cycles.[20:42] Lisa talks about not being impressed by things such as weight loss if they cost health, relationships, and well-being. She values outcomes integrated into a balanced, joyful life—sustainable, gradual changes with work-life balance, fulfillment, family time, and hobbies.  [27:18] Lisa shares her thoughts on how it's more that we accept the love we feel safe to receive, not necessarily the love we think we deserve. She discusses how many are conditioned through diet culture, hustle culture, family dynamics, social systems, into self-objectification and suppression of feelings, relating to themselves as bodies to control rather than whole beings. [31:09] Lisa discusses acting as if you are worthy and safe to receive care, even if feelings lag behind. She suggests one does not need to feel worthy to receive care but be willing to receive it and do the caring behaviors anyway. She states the method for this is baby steps to honor the nervous system; progress paced to sensitivity and regulation rather than idealized timelines.[56:04] Lisa closes the episode with a discussion of the growth zones, embraces the learning zone; avoids overshooting into danger and how discomfort is necessary for learning. She states to integrate action and acceptance across behaviors for sustainable change, one must pair outer steps with inner care.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this episode, Lisa explores how addiction and compulsion extend far beyond substances to include any behavior that offers short-term relief at the cost of long-term freedom. Drawing on Gabor Maté’s framework and her own lived experience, she unpacks how dieting, restriction, productivity, and people-pleasing can quietly become addictive coping strategies that create an illusion of safety and control. Lisa introduces the concept of “dieting addiction” and addiction transfer, explaining how food restriction can be just as reinforcing as overeating, and why these patterns can live in the brain as learned responses to stress. With raw honesty, she shares her own breakdown and eating disorder diagnosis, and broadens the lens to include socially rewarded addictions like caffeine use and workaholism. Topics Include:Compulsion and AddictionDieting and RestrictionAddiction TransferGrief, Slowing Down, and Support[0:56] Lisa begins this episode by checking in with herself the way she does with all of her guests. She shares her feeling of nervousness and excitement about recording the solo episode. Lisa realized she has approached her solo podcast series with a habitual sense of urgency to get to the end of her notes and finish the chapter. She describes the urgency as similar to the pressure one might feel to lose weight quickly, even when there’s no real timeframe.[8:05] Lisa explains that her current intentional weight loss experience has triggered memories and trauma from her previous extreme weight loss. For Lisa to properly convey the depth and gravity of her current experience, she feels it's essential to first provide the context of her past struggles with dieting addiction.[14:41] Lisa presents a model comparing the physical actions of dieting with the psychological rewards. Lisa explains that on the surface, it looks like discipline and willpower, but psychologically, it can be an addiction where the person feels they can't not engage in the behavior out of fear. Lisa talks about how this demonstrates how the brain can equate not eating with stress relief and safety, making it difficult to stop dieting even when consciously desired.[29:48] Lisa explains that proponents of intuitive eating argue that food addiction isn't real, as addictive-like behaviors are often a direct result of either physical or mental restriction. Lisa partially agrees but maintains that for some, including herself, the behavior is a byproduct of the hippocampus storing the memory that food alleviates stress, making it a "drug of choice" independent of dieting. [50:31] Lisa discusses  that one doesn't need to have a formal diagnosis to address addictive behaviors and reclaim personal power. The key is to pay attention to the relationship with a behavior, not the behavior itself. Lisa explains that addiction is present when you feel you can't not do something, rather than choosing to do it freely.[54:48] Lisa talks about how society rewards other addictive behaviors, such as extreme weight loss and workaholism, creating "high-functioning" addicts who appear successful but are internally struggling. Lisa explains that creating safety often requires slowing down, which may mean accomplishing less. [1:12:18] Lisa closes this episode by discussing grief in the process and how one may need to grieve the identity of being a person who "does it all" to prioritize well-being. She compares the process to sitting shiva and when grieving old habits or identities, it is valid to allow oneself to be supported and cared for by others.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this episode of her solo series, Lisa examines addiction dynamics in food and eating, integrating neurobiology, trauma, and behavioral psychology with personal narrative. She distinguishes substance vs. behavior addictions and reframes the “food addiction” debate as a semantic distraction, emphasizing why behaviors become compulsive. The discussion links binge eating and self-harm through positive and negative reinforcement, underscores capitalist food industry influence, and advocates grief, radical acceptance, and surrender as foundations for change. A personal story traces undereating/overexercise, malnourishment, cognitive impairment, medical oversight, and eventual surrender from rigid weight control to health-centric practices, leading to weight stabilization and improved well-being.Topics Include:Addiction ModelFood and Eating BehaviorsGrief, Acceptance, and SurrenderDisordered Eating[1:08] Lisa begins by acknowledging her own perfectionistic impulse and the importance of taking "messy action" to overcome it, revisiting the topic of addiction from the previous episode to clarify her stance on food addiction. [4:03] Lisa argues that the debate over whether food addiction is real misses the point; the conversation should focus on understanding and effectively treating the issue, acknowledging that it is both similar to and different from other addictions. She presents the addiction model distinguishing between substance addictions (e.g., drugs) and behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling). She explains that the relationship with food is unique because it involves both a substance (food) and a behavior (eating).[6:12] Lisa discusses how on the substance side, hyper-palatable, high-fat, high-sugar foods trigger a strong reward reaction (dopamine, serotonin) in the brain. On the behavior side, eating-related behaviors like overeating, undereating, and binging can become addictive. Lisa introduces Dr. Gabor Maté's definition of addiction. It shows that any behavior can provide temporary relief/pleasure and craving, but causes long-term negative consequences, with an inability to stop. This model applies to both overeating and undereating. Lisa clarifies she is not saying "food is a drug," but that "some people can use food like a drug" for emotional coping.[34:14] Lisa discusses radical acceptance of one's current reality as the first step toward transformation, which involves grieving the relationship with food one wishes they had.[51:43] Lisa shares a personal story about her weight loss journey. After losing about 80 pounds around December 2012, she experienced severe physical symptoms like lightheadedness, hair loss, and cognitive impairment due to malnourishment, even though multiple doctors offered no clear answers. Lisa’s personal research into the ACE study and the National Weight Control Registry revealed that both childhood trauma and the habits of successful dieters (low-calorie diet, daily exercise) were linked to her struggles.[1:00:20] Lisa’s big surrender moment when she chose to stop dieting, facing an unknown outcome, rather than continue a cycle she knew would lead to more weight gain. She stopped weighing herself, shifted her focus from weight-centric to health-centric goals, prioritized food quality over quantity, and incorporated practices like meditation. Surrender, though frightening and uncomfortable, is a crucial step.[1:19:46] Lisa closes this episode by sharing what topics are to come and inviting listeners to email her with any questions at lisaschlosberg@gmail.com⁠. *The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In Chapter 5 of this ongoing series, Lisa slows things down to focus on the groundwork that must come before true integration and lasting change. She explores radical acceptance, surrender, grief, and self-compassion as essential prerequisites for sustainable healing and intentional weight loss. She unpacks why integration and even fear of self-compassion demand a foundational understanding of our internal systems, challenges narratives of powerlessness around food and the body, and offers a more honest, collaborative view of agency—where tender and fierce self-compassion work together to restore connection, power, and trust.Topics Include:AuthenticityRadical Acceptance & GriefLearned HelplessnessPower & Trust[1:05] Lisa begins by emphasizing the importance of showing up imperfectly and authentically. Recording while exhausted, Lisa models imperfect, “messy action” guided by intrinsic motivation and a felt life force, showing how movement forward doesn’t require perfection or certainty. She argues that filtering oneself to please others prevents genuine, resonant expression. True transformation, particularly in contexts like weight loss, starts with radical acceptance of one's current reality. [4:39] Lisa reflects on authenticity, including her frequent use of strong language. She does not apologize for it, framing it as an aligned and sincere teaching style. She references public reactions to swearing and uses Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) as an example. He is polarizing for his intense and abrasive delivery, yet he often communicates empathy, love, and compassion. Lisa highlights the paradox that style and substance can coexist, which is about balancing masculine and feminine energy in communication and leadership.[14:30] Lisa emphasizes that acceptance typically comes as the final stage of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance). If acceptance feels elusive, it may be because grief has not been allowed or processed. Grieving the gap between hope and reality enables genuine acceptance and the inner peace that follows. Lisa shares that her pivotal moment for weight loss was a raw reckoning where she moved through anger and fear to a state of acceptance, realizing she was solely responsible for her situation and the only one who could change it. [20:03] Lisa explains how during the process of acceptance, an inner child may emerge, feeling that a situation is unfair. The correct response is not dismissal but tender self-compassion: validating these feelings by acknowledging the pain and perceived unfairness. This act of consciously seeing and accepting one's own state is a form of reparenting, ensuring one is no longer alone in their suffering.[54:13] Lisa discusses the "I am powerless" principle found in 12-step programs like Overeaters Anonymous (OA), arguing it is misaligned with a healthy relationship with food, from which one cannot abstain. This belief can lead to learned helplessness. Lisa’s critique targets ideology and its impact on beliefs and behavior, not individual outcomes. She explains a more effective framework is to understand that one has "total responsibility but only partial control." Not having total control doesn't mean having zero control. [40:28] Lisa explores creating a daily check-in routine to validate emotions and assess physical and emotional needs; schedule care actions as non-negotiables. She encourages listeners to map areas of power vs lack of control; practice fierce self-compassion and audit self-talk to replace disempowering beliefs.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo episode, Lisa explores the spiritual and psychological practice of “following the call”—learning to live, decide, and heal without needing full certainty. She unpacks how fear-driven control blocks co-creation with life, the body, and spirit, and why true change begins with radical acceptance and self-compassion rather than force. Through tender and fierce self-compassion, embodied emotional processing, and humility about what we can and cannot control, Lisa shows how guidance reveals itself one step at a time. Drawing from personal transitions, nervous system wisdom, and lived spiritual trust, the episode invites listeners to practice surrender as an active, courageous relationship—one that builds safety, clarity, and faith by moving forward even when the path ahead isn’t fully visible. Topics Include:Spiritual TrustConscious Co-CreationSelf-CompassionEmotional Integration[1:08] Lisa starts by thanking her listeners for their engagement, feedback, and for creating a sense of community around the podcast.[2:11] Lisa shares that understanding concepts like tender and fierce self-compassion requires acknowledging one's spiritual nature, as emotional healing is inherently a spiritual process. Lisa explains that she has been contemplating the idea of "following the call," which refers to heeding one's inner knowledge or intuition about necessary life changes. She discusses how receiving guidance forces a confrontation with one's relationship with uncertainty and control, which often stems from fear.[17:31] Lisa explains the universe typically provides the "next right step" rather than a complete plan, requiring a step of faith into the unknown. Lisa talks about how living in the illusion of total control prevents co-creation with the universe, as it requires accepting that one is not in full command. She discusses how the experience of feeling fear and acting anyway is a practical way to build faith and experience co-creation.[23:52] Lisa explains how the relationship with control and surrender in life is mirrored in one's relationship with their body and food and that true health requires surrendering the illusion of total control over the body. Lisa discusses that the relationship with one's body should be a partnership, not a system to be commanded and that healing begins when one stops treating the body as a problem to solve.[40:28] Lisa explores how expressing difficult feelings, such as through journaling, is a powerful tool to move emotional energy and gain clarity, often revealing that no action is needed. She explains that to achieve clarity, it's necessary to feel and release your emotions and sometimes this clarity reveals that a life change is necessary. She further explains that the concept of surrender can provoke fear and physical tension and the practice is to notice this, breathe, and associate surrender with safety.[1:02:48] Lisa wraps up this episode by discussing how these foundational concepts discussed (self-compassion, acceptance, and surrender) are necessary building blocks for the future discussion on intentional weight loss.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this solo episode, Lisa examines radical acceptance as the foundation for change: acceptance is not approval, agreement, or resignation, but the willingness to be fully with “what is” without fighting reality. Drawing on Danielle LaPorte’s quote and the paradoxical theory of change—transformation begins by fully being where you are—Lisa emphasizes that acceptance reduces suffering and grounds orderly behavioral change. Integrating tender and fierce self-compassion, she outlines physiological safety as a prerequisite for action, practical somatic tools to embody acceptance, and a middle-path approach to food and body that avoids the extremes of diet culture and anti-diet complacency. Topics Include:Radical AcceptanceParadoxical Theory of ChangePhysiological SafetyIntentional Weight Loss[4:28] Lisa clarifies the concept of radical acceptance, a foundational idea often misunderstood as approval, agreement, or resignation. She explains that it is presented as the paradoxical first step required for any meaningful personal change. Lisa explains that to achieve transformation, one must first fully accept their current reality, behaviors, and position without trying to force a change. This acceptance is not approval but the act of ceasing to fight against what is.[13:49] Lisa explains that understanding acceptance conceptually is not enough; it must be an embodied practice. Lisa discusses that resistance to one's current situation often manifests physically as a fight-or-flight response which signals danger to the brain preventing healthy change and the key is to shift this physiological state.[37:39] Lisa explains that it is possible to hold the duality of accepting the reality of a behavior's occurrence or a body's current state while simultaneously wanting to change it. The key is the order of operations: first, accept the reality without resistance to remove the internal conflict. Then, from that place of embodied safety, take intentional action toward change.[57:50] Lisa challenges labeling the part of oneself that resists food rules as an "inner rebel." It reframes this energy as a protective instinct and distinguishes between productive and unproductive uses of anger. Lisa explains that  recognizing that your behaviors aren't working is a moment of telling the truth and this act of taking ownership is a form of fierce self-compassion that motivates you to show up differently.  [1:04:14] Lisa explores Dr. Kristin Neff's concepts of tender self-compassion and fierce self-compassion, emphasizing that both are necessary for genuine change. Lisa talks about how diet culture exemplifies fierceness without tenderness, making it aggressive and disconnecting people from their bodies. The anti-diet movement can become tenderness without fierceness, leading to complacency and self-neglect. Lisa explains how a balanced, middle path is needed.[1:14:17] Lisa wraps up this episode with a summary of what is coming next: stages of change, how to actually move through some changes, how this relates to intentional weight loss, and what it looks like to really, again, integrate not just the energies of tender and fear self-compassion, but the behaviors, the changes, and all of the other follow-up thoughts that she might have on this episode.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this episode, Lisa offers a deep dive into intuitive living and the practice of self-compassion. Beginning with intuitive living as an everyday spiritual practice, Lisa explores how learning to recognize and trust intuitive “hits” naturally extends into intuitive eating as a form of soul-level guidance, not just hunger management. At the heart of this practice is the balance of tender and fierce self-compassion. By distinguishing healthy guilt from paralyzing shame, Lisa shows how we can accept ourselves unconditionally without excusing behaviors that no longer serve us. The result is a grounded, integrated approach of equal parts “do no harm” and “take no shit” designed to foster deep healing, embodied self-trust, and lasting transformation.Topics Include:Mind-Body-Soul ConnectionFierce Self-CompassionOvercoming GuiltLasting Behavior Changes[1:07] Lisa begins by setting an intention to slow down and provide more detailed, nuanced content, recognizing the importance of the topics. She frames the episode as an ongoing conversation, with each new episode building upon the last.[05:37] Lisa clarifies that intuitive living isn't just for major life decisions but is found in mundane, everyday moments. She shares her realization that life itself is a spiritual experience if one remains open and connected. Lisa introduces the "clair senses" (e.g., clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience) to explain the different ways people receive this information. Lisa identifies her primary mode as "claircognizance", a clear knowing. She shares personal examples that highlight the importance of honoring intuition even when it conflicts with personal desires.[18:09] Lisa introduces a model of the self consisting of the conscious adult, the inner child, and the Higher Self. When the Higher Self provides guidance that the conscious self resists, it creates an opportunity to practice self-compassion, similar to a parent lovingly managing a child's resistance.[23:55] Lisa recaps the practice of tender self-compassion which involves three steps: being mindful of one's pain, remembering shared humanity, and practicing kindness towards oneself. Lisa explains that tender self-compassion is about being present with the discomfort without judgment, which alleviates the second wound and allows for healing. It is a prerequisite for changing behavior.[43:17] Lisa explains the difference between tender and fierce self-compassion and that authentic living requires embracing both energies. Lisa discusses the difference between guilt (about a behavior) and shame (about oneself) when reflecting on actions. Lisa examines the need to hold yourself accountable and feel shame then looks at the proper response of meeting that painful emotion with tender self-compassion. She encourages listeners to visit her website for her virtual workshops on tender and fierce self-compassion. [1:31:00] Lisa explains that an integrated model balances "Do no harm" (tenderness) and "Take no shit" (fierceness); and that true wholeness comes from embodying both energies to achieve both inner healing and effective outer change.  *The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this series opener, Lisa shares a pivotal shift in her work and identity—from offering high-level insights to teaching the deeper foundations behind why her approach creates lasting change. Drawing from her doctoral studies and lived experience, Lisa introduces this new series that explores self-compassion (both tender and fierce), discipline through doing less, intentional weight loss, intuitive living, and spiritual intelligence. Lisa weaves her personal journey from depression and hopelessness to resilience, energy, and gratitude, while reframing diet culture as a disconnection from the mind-body-soul relationship that fuels self-neglect and struggle. This episode lays the foundation for understanding intuitive eating as a byproduct of intuitive living and self-trust as the key to sustainable transformation.Topics Include:Intuitive LivingEmotional Resilience Self-CompassionReparenting[0:32] Lisa announces that the podcast will now be released weekly on Mondays instead of every other week, driven by inspiration and positive listener feedback. She explains that future episodes will expand on topics like discipline, self-compassion, intentional weight loss, and psychic abilities.[05:31] Lisa reflects on a past period of deep depression, contrasting it with her current state of energy and happiness. - She now experiences a genuine gratitude for life that she previously couldn't connect with, offering hope to listeners who may be struggling. [10:11] Lisa talks about how the most harmful impact of diet culture is not just its effect on our relationship with food, but the severing of the connection between mind, body, and soul. Lisa talks about how diet culture teaches people to ignore their body's signals, leading to a habitual disconnection from the self. She discusses that it conditions individuals to see themselves merely as a physical body, ignoring their spiritual dimension. Lisa explains that true healing requires reconnecting the mind and body to allow the soul's intuition to emerge and intuitive eating is a result of intuitive living.[32:39] Lisa theorizes that people who use food to cope are often highly empathic and energetically sensitive. She talks about how food serves as a numbing agent for overwhelming internal and external energy. Lisa shares her personal experience of feeling naked and extremely vulnerable after losing 150 pounds. She describes a visceral feeling of self-trust and the ability to protect oneself energetically, which made her realize she no longer needed excess body weight as a shield.[45:40] Lisa reframes intentional weight loss as a spiritual journey and how the commitment to this process builds self-trust. She identifies self-compassion as the secret sauce for her newfound sense of safety and strength. Lisa discusses the three step self-compassion practice as explained by Kristen Neff: mindfulness, shared humanity, and kindness. She encourages listeners to visit her website for resources as well as the Out of the Cave website for meditations. [1:00:46] Lisa explains that the purpose is not to eliminate pain but to sit with it without making it worse through self-criticism. Lisa offers an optional homework assignment of practicing the three steps on a minor issue that is a 3 or 4 out of 10 on an emotional discomfort scale. [1:25:19] Lisa closes this episode by explaining that if this resonated with anyone, they can contact her to explore working together one-on-one with her. *The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In this second series episode, Lisa continues to discuss her personal transformation, attributing her positive state to a consistent spiritual practice, including meditation and mindful exercise. She explores the importance of connecting with one's "higher self" to overcome social pressures and make authentic life choices. She addresses listeners who feel they lack time for self-care due to demanding schedules, urging them to audit their time and start with small, consistent steps. Lisa also announces a virtual mini-retreat and a significant shift in her business model.Topics Include:Self CareTime ManagementSpirituality Personal Growth[0:32] Lisa has an exciting announcement, especially for those who have never worked with her before, at the end of the episode. Lisa also announces that she is hosting a virtual mini-retreat, Befriending Your Body, on Wednesday, December 10,2026, at 6:00 p.m. for two hours for $10. She explains the format will be examining and re-writing foundational belief systems about the body that shape thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to food and body; cultivating harmony, peace, and cooperation with the body.[05:07] Lisa jumps into the second half of this series by explaining that she attributes her current positive state to her "non-negotiable, unfuckwithable" meditation practice. She explains that connecting with her "higher self" through meditation helps her disregard others' opinions and makes the social context of life feel less threatening. Lisa introduces a quote: "Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open." Lisa discusses how any exercise can become a mind-body practice if one intentionally connects the mind to the body and views exercise as a spiritual experience that opens the soul, noting her best ideas and epiphanies come during these moments of connection.[19:40] Lisa addresses listeners with kids and 9-to-5 jobs who feel they lack time for morning rituals, acknowledging her own privilege in creating a lifestyle with more free time. She shares an example of a friend with a full-time job and two kids who wakes up at 4 or 5 a.m. for her own sacred ritual. Lisa urges everyone to conduct an "honest inventory" of their time, questioning hours spent on passive activities like scrolling or watching TV. She stresses that a good morning starts the night before and that the key is to start with small "baby steps," like five minutes of meditation. Lisa emphasizes a commitment to self-care, which creates internal feelings of safety, worthiness, and acceptance.[29:25] Lisa discusses how by focusing on the mind-body connection, one can enter a "flow state" where the "higher self" receives guidance and clarity, unconcerned with external opinions. Lisa notes that clients who heal their relationship with food often develop stronger intuition, which is a natural result of reconnecting the mind and body and returning to one's "factory settings" of instinct and intuition.[41:40] Lisa wraps up the episode by announcing the upcoming changes to the Out of the Cave business model. She explains that the group coaching program is being discontinued to make space for a new one-on-one coaching offering. This change is driven by her desire to provide more individualized support for what is fundamentally a deep, spiritual healing journey. Lisa also teases that the next retreat at the Omega Institute will be offered in July 2026 with details to come later. *The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.LISA IS NOW ACCEPTING: One-on-One Clients!⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠

In the first episode of this series, Lisa shares her journey from skepticism to a deep spiritual awakening that transformed every part of her life. Rooted in childhood trauma and years of using food for comfort, Lisa’s story unfolds into one of healing, discipline, and self-trust; culminating in a five-hour morning ritual fueled not by obligation, but genuine inspiration. She bridges science and spirituality to explore what it means to be “a spiritual being made of energy,” weaving in lessons from meditation retreats, loss, and her evolution as a coach. Topics Include:Spiritual Transformation and HealingTrauma, Loss, and Emotional CopingIntegration of Masculine and Feminine Energy Practical Pathways to Transformation[0:32] Lisa introduces this new episode as the first installment of a multi-part series. She explains that the topic grew too large for a single episode, leading to a series that could extend to four, five, six, or more parts. [04:29] Lisa describes her current state as "phenomenal," attributing it to a new, extensive morning routine and a profound spiritual awakening. This transformation was not sudden but the culmination of a lifelong journey of healing and personal development, which began with her birth in 1993. Lisa discusses significant personal traumas like how the death of her younger sister when she was five caused her to disconnect from spirituality, which was a deeper layer to her using food to cope. Lisa’s spiritual awakening began in 2016 during a guided meditation where she connected with her "higher self" and had a profound realization that her past struggles with weight were a form of self-protection. Lisa talks about how father's death in 2018 and receiving a message from him through Caroline Lee Dewey accelerated her spiritual development, marking a clear "before and after" in her life. [33:54] Lisa discusses how her move from New York to California helped her to begin the balance of her masculine and feminine energies and become more spiritual. Lisa explains how her journey to become a yoga instructor helped on this journey to connect the two and how this journey has helped her in her move back to New York where she learned through her ancestry work is part of her heritage.[1:01:39] Lisa talks about how her epic morning ritual can last up to six hours. A cornerstone of this routine is meditation, which she describes as a non-negotiable practice for rewiring the brain. Lisa acknowledges that the initial experience can be extremely uncomfortable and emphasizes that consistent practice transformed it into a deeply grounding and essential experience. Lisa describes that the transformation went from intolerable to a cherished practice after months of daily effort. She advises that integrating such practices into a busy life is possible through intentional time management, such as waking up earlier and reducing time on distractions, starting with small, manageable steps. *The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠Embracing Our Spiritual Journey: Insights on Morning Rituals and Self-Discovery

In this episode, Lisa sits down with Offie, an alum of the Out of the Cave (OOTC) group coaching program, to explore her powerful, trauma-informed journey of healing. As the conversation unfolds, Lisa and Offie reflect on her adolescence marked by shame, peer pressure, and disconnection — and how sobriety in her twenties transformed coping into control. Through the challenges of marriage, secrecy, and self-judgment, Offie’s path eventually led her to the Out of the Cave podcast — and then into the coaching program, where she began to understand her patterns through the lens of trauma, brain science, and compassion. Topics Include:Childhood LonelinessCoping MechanismsSelf-Compassion and Reparenting Trauma-Informed Recovery[3:09] Lisa introduces her former client, Offie, an artist with food, who decorates cakes and cookies, a hobby farmer who  has a couple of horses, chickens, dogs, cats, and a donkey. [06:24] Lisa and Offie discuss how her childhood was shaped by her father’s alcoholism, illness (cirrhosis), and death shortly after she turned 8. Offie talks about her experiences of frequent loneliness, being left alone, and household stress amid limited resources. Office shares how she dissociated emotionally following her father’s death and began using sugar and food for comfort, gaining weight around ages 10–11.[20:20] Offie shares with Lisa how working through modules 3–4 of the ACE during the group program brought up  memories of multiple abandonment-like episodes forward, linking trauma to food coping. Offie recounts multiple abandonment-like episodes: alone under her father’s care, babysitting far from town while adults stayed out after bars closed, and her mother going out while her sister isolated in her bedroom.[26:47] Offie talks with Lisa about becoming promiscuous and how she was sexually victimized by a teacher, how she carried candy to gain popularity, and struggled with romantic acceptance due to body image, expanding her coping mechanisms from food to sexual behaviors while her dissociation persisted. [36:48] Lisa and Offie discuss how she believed she was “just like her dad,” rationalizing cheating, heavy blackout drinking, and academic avoidance due to low self-esteem and fear. Offie shares with Lisa how traumatic events affecting someone close to her, led her to seek treatment. Sobriety shifted coping to control—restrictive eating, intense exercise, quitting smoking, and career/education gains—while her core wounds remained.[44:12] Lisa and Offie talk about how in an unhappy marriage, she resumed having affairs, began binge eating, alternated starving/eating, and used horse riding as a distraction and that she dissociated to avoid sadness and fear. Offie shares how therapy facilitated insight and separation from an unhealthy marriage and how her new romantic partnership enhanced her satisfaction and stability.[1:01:35] Offie shares with Lisa that on a road trip to visit her ill sister led to discovering the OOTC podcast and resonating with safety themes and familial alcoholism, prompting her participation in the mirror challenge and finally the group coaching program.[1:05:25] Offie shares that during the group she learned brain science, reframed narratives , and developed regulation tools. Lisa and Offie discuss how the group program differs by addressing the whole person, providing a safe group environment, reparenting practices, and boundaries. They wrap up the episode with Offie dedicating the episode to her sister, Ruth, who passed away last year.*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.⁠Purchase the OOTC book of 50 Journal Prompts⁠⁠Leave Questions and Feedback for Lisa via OOTC Pod Feedback Form ⁠Email Lisa: ⁠lisa@lisaschlosberg.com⁠⁠Out of the Cave Merch⁠ - For 10% off use code SCHLOS10Lisa’s Socials: Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠