The Flow Spiral

In this episode, Esther, Leslie, and Allison introduce themselves and tell their stories of how they went from feeling stuck in their lives to finding what they really love. They talk about the purpose of Flow Into Authenticity and how intuition, flow and creativity can help you get unstuck and find a gratifying life. Over the course of the next several episodes, listeners will learn why tapping into their authenticity is actually the key to unlocking their purpose, and they’ll discover how the creative process can lead them to fulfillment.Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

In this episode, Esther, Leslie, and Allison talk about what we can do when we feel stuck in our life and how to move to the next phase in our lives through intuition, creativity and flow.⭐️ What causes us to get stuck?⭐️ How to reframe FEELINGS.⭐️ Why do we abandon ourselves?⭐️ Why getting stuck is ACTUALLY a good thing⭐️ What is the key to moving forward from a stuck place using our intuition?⭐️ What curiosity has to do with it.Mentioned in the show: Find Lidia Yuknavitch's TED talk at https://bit.ly/3IxQRYLFind out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

Play can be a powerful antidote to being stuck. In this episode, we talk about:⭐️ How do you get unstuck or start something new?⭐️ How do you find inspiration and what is calling you?⭐️ Why creating a 10 step plan is not going to get you unstuck⭐️ How to give yourself permission to play & follow your passion⭐️ Trusting that your joy will lead you where you need to go⭐️ Why making mistakes is so important in finding the next step⭐️ How to follow your curiosityFind out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

When you're feeling stuck in your life the FIRST THING to do is MAKE TIME to play and explore what COULD BE. But ain't nobody got time for that! In this episode, we talk about how to find time to pursue what you love.Topics we discuss in this episode:⭐️ Giving ourselves permission to make time ⭐️ How to use neuroscience to find time for yourself ⭐️ How to say NO in order to make time⭐️ Prioritizing yourself and your boundaries⭐️ How and why to prioritize your own time as a parent⭐️ How life supports you when you say YESDuring the episode, we reference a number of resources, including:🟠 Esther's video on finding time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgfuFfkmSG0🟠 Esther's video on manifesting her studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGm1OQ6gLLo🟠 Allison's blog post on creating space for creativity: https://www.mathvalues.org/masterblog/creating-space-for-creativityFind out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/

In this episode, we chat with our first guest, the amazing and fabulous Bryn Gribben. Bryn Gribben is a poet and essayist living in Seattle, Washington. She was an assistant professor of British literature at Northwest Missouri State and the co-editor of fiction for the Laurel Review before returning to Seattle to teach the last several years at Seattle University. She left her senior lecturer position in December of 2021 to explore the world of antiques and to launch her first book, a memoir about music and intimacy entitled Amplified Heart: An Emotional Discography.Bryn shares her journey of listening to her intuition as she transitioned careers and talks about how she lives authentically.We talk about:⭐️ Trusting yourself and listening to intuition⭐️ Work and values alignment⭐️ Letting go of assumptions⭐️ Taking leaps without a clear destination⭐️ Why it's important to stay open to possibilities⭐️ How to ask for help⭐️ Trusting that life will support you⭐️ Allowing for restorative timeFind Bryn's book here! https://www.bryngribben.org_____________Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

We know a lot more than we think we do. Many people struggle with trusting their intuition because it might feel unpractical, confusing, or just woo. But our intuition is the GPS that can guide us to the next step in our most authentic life path. How can we use intuition in our life in a practical way?Topics we discuss in this episode:⭐️ What is intuition? ⭐️ Why we need intuition in our lives⭐️ How to know if you should say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to opportunities⭐️ The difference between fear, instinct, and intuition ⭐️ How do you sense intuition in your body?⭐️ Full body ‘yes’⭐️ How to learn how to trust yourself⭐️ When intuition doesn’t feel good⭐️ Tips for growing your connection to your intuitionAlso, check out Esther's YouTube video on how to tell the difference between INTUITION and FEAR: https://youtu.be/BL8j7w8CKJs_____________Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

😜 A note to our regular listeners: A previously released version of this episode contained editing errors. If you have automatic downloads of Flow into Authenticity, you may have received this unpolished version of the show. We apologize for the mistake.In this episode, we give an overview of the FLOW framework, and how you can use it to get unstuck and create a meaningful, authentic life. In this episode we talk about:⭐️ Using the FLOW framework to find focus and joy in your life⭐️ How to go from being a beginner to finding your flow⭐️ Why 'think positive' or spiritual bypassing is not the answer⭐️ How our brain has evolved to keep us safe⭐️ How to stay open, even when facing challenges⭐️ Why making authentic connections is so important in this journey⭐️ Accepting your own timingThe Art of the Impossible - Steven Kotlerhttps://tinyurl.com/2u5ntmhb_____________Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

We all have assumptions about what we can and can't do. This can hold us back from dreaming bigger or opening up to what is possible in our life. We are aware of some of these, while others are so deeply embedded that they're like the air we breathe. In this episode, we explore why we have assumptions and the benefits of letting go of some of them.⭐️ How our bias helps and hurts us⭐️ Identify limiting beliefs and assumptions–what’s the story you tell yourself?⭐️ Interrogation of your fears ⭐️ Binary thinking traps–leave room for the magic!⭐️ How to stop comparison⭐️ How to shift your beliefs to reach your goals⭐️ Why it's important to find role models__________________________________Resources: Byron Katie- 4 questionshttps://thework.com/2017/10/four-liberating-questions/Free ‘Get Unstuck Challenge’ https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/unstuck-creativity-challenge________________________________Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

Are you procrastinating on something in your life? Feeling guilty about it? Maybe you shouldn't. In this episode, we'll be talking about why we procrastinate, what we can learn about ourselves from noticing our behavior, and what we can do to move forward.In this episode we talk about:⭐️ Why procrastination could be a good thing⭐️ The deeper meaning of procrastination⭐️ Why pushing through doesn’t always work ⭐️ Building in time for procrastination⭐️ How to work with the seasons of life and your creative process⭐️ How productivity culture contributes to procrastination⭐️ How listening to your body helps you to get out of the procrastination cycle⭐️ Why fear and trauma keep us procrastinating⭐️ Creating a support system to help⭐️ How do we do things we don’t want to doJay Shetty’s 4 Steps to Break Procrastination Patterns https://jayshetty.me/blog/jay-shettys-4-steps-to-break-procrastination-patterns-2/

Everyone needs to take a little mental health break sometimes, including your Flow into Authenticity hosts. In this episode, we hit pause and talk about anxiety, depression, chronic illness, parenthood, grief, and more. What happens when "life gets too life-y"? How do we keep moving forward when we're struggling? How can we reconnect with our creativity, our passions, and our values? (Hint: Find the F!)In this episode we talk about:⭐️ How to achieve your goals when you have chronic illness⭐️ Depression, anxiety, neurodivergence, and hard times⭐️ How do we keep moving forward when we are struggling? ⭐️ How to re-think working in a traditional way⭐️ Seeing creativity as a process⭐️ Leaning into the thing that’s blocking you ⭐️ How your values can get you through hard times ⭐️ Why quiet and meditation help creativity⭐️ How to use ‘curiosity questions’ to find solutions_____________Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

Getting to a better place in your life might not look like how you imagined it. Sometimes, when we open up to new possibilities, we find authentic ways of pursuing our passions that we had never dreamed of before. In this episode, we talk about the importance of opening up, expanding our ideas about what is possible. In this episode we talk about:⭐️ How to transition to living a more authentic life using the FLOW process⭐️ How opening up to possibilities helps you find focus in your life⭐️ Allowing life to support you in the phase of your life⭐️ How knowing your values helps you find your next step⭐️ Creating community to support us during this transition⭐️ How not get stuck in overwhelm ⭐️ Listening to your intuition to what’s next⭐️ Doing the prep work to know what you want so that the universe can help bring it to you

Once you’ve gotten clarity about what you need and have explored your options, done your research, and made connections with people who can help you start to see what your next step looks like, there’s only one thing left to do: Work it! In this episode, we talk about:⭐️Moving from dreaming and learning to taking the first concrete step on your new path⭐️Building capacity for taking bigger risks⭐️Letting go of the idea of achieving a specific outcome⭐️The importance of learning from failure

As we head into the winter season (in the northern hemisphere) we wanted to talk about how to navigate the dark seasons in our life. Are you going through a difficult time right now? If we think of our lives as seasons of growth and expansion, in winter, it’s normal to feel depressed, unmotivated, confused, frustrated, or like nothing is ‘happening’ but actually, this season is the very first step in creating something new in your life!In this first episode of Season 2, we talk about:- What feeling stuck is trying to tell you- How our culture shies away from talking about darkness- Reimagining our 'dark' times as the winter season - What wants to bloom next from you? - What to do and not do in these frustrating times- How curiosity and exploration can be the first step- How each one of us has used meditation and other resources during our dark timesSuicide and crisis lifeline: 988_____________Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

In this episode, we talk about Core Values and how they guide us on our path to getting unstuck and creating a life we love.We discuss:- How to identify core values- Why our values help us- Examples of our values and how they help us navigate life- How Covid helped us recognize our core values- How we can pivot when we realize our values- Our values can help us make time for what's important in our life“I’m a much better version of myself when I have less on my plate” — Leslie BlumensteinLinks:learn what your values are with this FREE WORKSHOP - https://flowintoauthenticity.teachable.com/p/valuesCrisis suicide life line - 988Find out more:https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/https://www.instagram.com/estherloopstraart/https://www.youtube.com/estherloopstra

“Crushing it” is overrated - Creating your personal mission statement The old model of goal-setting teaches us to look outside ourselves and set goals based on what others have done. Having a personal mission statement can help us to decide what we want and intuitively move toward our intentions.In this episode, we talk about:Why the old model of goal setting doesn't work for many peopleWhy personal mission statements matterWhy setting intentions helps us to guide decision makingHow to intuitively create goalsHow to discover your personal mission statementWhy connecting with your values mattersShow notes links:Mission Statement https://blogs.ams.org/mathmentoringnetwork/2020/04/23/a-mathematicians-mission-statement/Intuitive Goal Setting Workshop - https://www.flowintoauthenticity.com/intuitive-goal-setting

In this episode, we interview Tara Clark, creative entrepreneur and founder of Tara Shakti, a company that creates stunning ski suits with the purpose of building confidence, connection, and community. Tara is an incredible inspiration, we talk about:How Tara navigated her atypical creative and entrepreneurial journeyHow to discover and follow your uniquenessWhy sitting in the unknown is important to the journeyHow we can stand firm in our truth when others around us doubt usWhy getting out of our comfort zone is so importantLinksTara Shakti website www.tarashakti.comTara's IG TaraShakti (@tarashaktiski)Intuitive goal-setting workshop - www.flowintoauthenticity.com/coursesEsther's IG - instagram.com/estherloopstraart/Esther's YouTube Channel youtube.com/estherloopstraLeslie's website www.leslieblu.comAllison's website www.allisonhenrich.comEditing by James Whetzel

In this episode, Esther and Allison talk about how you can find more time and energy for the things you love and how that can contribute to joy and fulfillment in your life.How getting into a flow state can give you more energyFinding what brings you energy or what depletes your energyThe neuroscience of focus and joyHow to retrain your brain to focus on what you valueHow to find time and energy for your own creative venturesFiguring out what time of day you have the most energyHow to allow your brain to find solutions for youReprogramming old conditioning for your happinessLINKS:Video - how to find more timeVideo - how to find more energyIntuitive goal-setting workshop - www.flowintoauthenticity.com/coursesEsther's IG - instagram.com/estherloopstraart/Leslie's website - www.leslieblu.comAllison's website www.allisonhenrich.comThanks to James Whetzel for editing and sound design!www.jameswhetzel.com

In this episode, Allison and Esther talk about creating big dreams in our life, why they're important and how they've changed throughout our life.Show notes:Why it's so difficult to dream bigThe scientific benefits of being intentionalWhat it looks like to go with the flow in our lifeHow dreaming and goals may look different as we get olderHow can you really figure out what you want in life?What kinds of dreams are helpful?Intuitive goal-setting workshop - www.flowintoauthenticity.com/coursesEsther's IG - instagram.com/estherloopstraart/Esther's YouTube Channelyoutube.com/estherloopstraLeslie's websitewww.leslieblu.comAllison's website www.allisonhenrich.comThanks to James Whetzel for editing and sound design! www.jameswhetzel.com

In this episode, we talk with Zach Smith, creator of Creative Enso, the Zen art of creative living. Zach shares with us how small changes in our life can impact and enhance our creativity. Join us as we discuss:How meditation expand your creativityWhat to do when you’re in a creative crisisHow you can be more creative in your everyday lifeHow running can enhance your creativityApplying creativity to small areas in your lifeLeaning into boredom to find genuine motivationActivities that can help you practice letting goHow different types of meditation can help your creative practiceLinks:Creative Enso – The Zen Art Of Creative LivingCreative Enso IG (@creativeenso) Creative Enso IG (@creativeenso.travel) Intuitive goal-setting workshop - www.flowintoauthenticity.com/coursesEsther's IG - instagram.com/estherloopstraart/Esther's YouTube Channelyoutube.com/estherloopstraLeslie's websitewww.leslieblu.comAllison's website www.allisonhenrich.comThanks to James Whetzel for editing and sound design! www.jameswhetzel.com

Consistency. Do we need it? Do we want it? Consistency is something that many of us struggle with so we decided to have a candid conversation about it in this first episode of Season 3.What does our culture tell us consistency is?What the natural world shows us about consistencyListening to your intuition to guide you to the right seasonConsistency vs. rigidityThe benefits of consistencyHow do you find what motivates you?LinksEsther's IG - instagram.com/estherloopstraart/Esther's Website - Flow into Authenticity Allison's website www.allisonhenrich.comThanks to James Whetzel for editing and sound design! www.jameswhetzel.com