Circle This

EPISODE 9: Embodied Stories: Healing Through Writing and Yoga with Sherry Sidoti In this episode, award-winning author, yoga teacher, and steward of memoir writing + healing experiences, Sherry Sidoti, shares how writing your story is not only an act of self-expression but a powerful tool for deep healing and overall health. With over 20 years of experience teaching healing arts and mysticism, Sherry weaves together yoga and embodied writing to help us unlock transformation, bridging the physical and emotional layers of our lives. Sherry also opens up about her relationship to grief, offering helpful reflections on how embracing loss can guide us to growth, resilience, and renewed connection. As the author of A Smoke and a Song—a gold medal-winning inspirational memoir—and the founder of the Embodied Memoir Writing Series, Sherry’s work reminds us that sharing our stories is a sacred practice. It heals us and sends ripples of healing out into the collective. This conversation is for anyone seeking to connect to their story, their body, and their ability to transform life’s challenges into beauty. Website: https://www.sherrysidoti.com/ Amazon link to her book: https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Song-Daughters-Memoir-Living/dp/1647425093/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1675254548&sr=1-1 Yoga Retreat with Sherry and Dre El Cuyo, Mexico: https://yogaadventuresworldwide.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Dre welcomes Dr. Amy J. Smith, Dual Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner and Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner, specializing in emergency medicine.  Amy shares her extraordinary story, from dropping out of high school and becoming a single mother to earning her doctorate and serving as the Director of Family Nurse Practitioners at Hofstra University. Her work bridges her love of medicine with her passion for humanity. Amy uses her sharp wit, talent, humor, and compassion to teach her students, doctors, nurses, and EMTs how to better treat and care for survivors of sexual assault. She shines a critical light on the pervasive issue of “intimate partner violence” challenging us to address the crisis that impacts us all either personally or through someone we know Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode best selling author Lisa Lister, one of my favorite teachers,  breaks down the “witch wound” and the inherited traumas carried by modern women, and how gathering serves as a powerful act of remembrance—one that reclaims our power and defies the status quo. She delves into the deep connection between our bodies natural cycles and how they are linked to the cycles of nature, the transformative value of rituals, and the importance of rewriting to reclaim our stories around our bodies. She shares how to honor and understand the different phases of womanhood, including the “charmed and dangerous” era surrounding menopause, and how to infuse the process of creation with pleasure through ritual and opening your psychic channels. Check out Lisa Lister’s best selling books and upcoming events at https://www.lisalister.com/ Instagram @sassylisalister Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, hosts Dre and Em share insights on approaching the holiday season with clarity, intention, and a playful spirit. Learn how to break free from old patterns and intentionally shape how you want to feel as the New Year unfolds. Tune in for practical tips and fresh perspectives to transform your holiday experience! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dre welcomes Julie-Anne Lee, CEC Certified Spiritual-Based Life & Business Coach. They discuss how to find your purpose, address self-doubt, the benefits of self-Inquiry, balancing roles as a single parent and entrepreneur, overcoming excuses, and the practical practices she uses to help individuals examine and challenge the beliefs that hold them back. Julie-Anne’s offerings. 1:1 Coaching: Personal coaching sessions for individualized support. Allow Coaching Membership/App: A resource for ongoing guidance and motivation. Vision Journals: Available on Amazon to facilitate personal reflection and goal setting. Daily Love Nudge: A service to provide consistent encouragement. Visit Julie-Anne's website or follow her on Instagram at @Julieanne.lee. Sign up for her Daily Love Nudge here. This conversation inspires us to take actionable steps toward overcoming obstacles and embracing our true purpose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elise Loehnen, NY Times Best Selling Author of On Our Best Behavior, Podcast Host of Pulling The Thread and Revolutionary Trailblazer, shares her eye opening data on how we perceive men as experts, how this bias gets perpetuated, and how to examine our unconscious participation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Election Day. If you’re in the U.S. I hope you voted! In honor of today Em and I share an episode where we circle around the idea of “curiosity as an act of peace”. And how the art of listening builds empathy. We also talk about the simple steps to create your own circle of connection at your next gathering We hope you enjoy it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carrie-Anne is many things, a beautiful human, mother, daughter, wife, soul sister, friend, internationally acclaimed actress, and founder of Anna Purna Living and Fierce Grace, an online platform designed to uplift and inspire women through soulful, and meaningful offerings. She’s a living, breathing, real world spiritual ninja. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leigh Kilton-Smith is a creative dynamo, a sought after private acting coach and acting teacher for over 35 years and has worked on numerous award winning movies, TV shows, and plays with an endless roster of industry professionals.  Leigh is Dre’s inspiring soul sister, mentor, teacher, and one of her best friends.  She took Dre to one of her very first circles 30 years ago and was the obvious choice as her first podcast guest. In this episode Dre talks with Leigh about how her creative freedom was born out of a childhood of limitations, leading her on a wild journey from actor in Texas and New York, to successful acting coach in Los Angeles. Leigh’s uncensored humor, incredible wit and deep insights carry us through an unforgettable conversation about creative freedom and how to live your life as a blank canvas.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sneak peak! Meet Dre and Em, the co-creators of the Circle This Podcast.  They share their creative connection and how Em listening to Dre on a podcast during the pandemic led to the inspiration and collaboration on this one.  Em will join Dre for a “post pod” debrief after each episode to discuss and process insights and takeaways. Their dynamic connection and unique friendship wrap up each episode with real world reflection inspiring listeners to continue the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CIRCLE THIS, The Anti-Small Talk Podcast. Deep, playful, and intimate conversations shedding light on how to create magic and meaning in our everyday lives. Andrea Bendewald invites her circle of friends which include innovators, authors, entrepreneurs, healers, and artists, to share their stories and practices for building and nurturing authentic relationships. These discussions, like circles, are an antidote to the loneliness epidemic, providing tangible evidence of our shared humanity, and guidance for cultivating deeper connections. Thank you for listening, sharing, and being a part of our expanding circle.  Circle This is executive produced by Andrea Bendewald, and Emily Kratter. Edited, produced and distributed by Tracey Thomas and Talk with Trace Media. Photography by Cathrine White Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices