Wellness Matters

Welcome back to the Wellness Matters Podcast with Hope Zionts! This week's guest is Jessica Chasnoff, phycologist and personal coach. In this episode, Jessica and I talk about the culture around New Year's resolutions, and how "New Year, New Me" is just another slogan to make us feel worse about ourselves. Listen in to hear how Jessica approaches resolutions, rather than "Goals for 2022" let's explore what we long for. Find out more about Jessica through her website.And make sure to check out her podcast!

Whether you're a hard core drama kid or a hesitant participant, you can benefit from the healing powers of drama class.  A graduate from both Prep and Scripps, Keila Fisher,  joins us on this episode of the Wellness Matters podcast with Hope Zionts. Keila studied the intersection of psychology and theatre, with a career in drama therapy ahead. Keila and Hope discuss how drama class has shaped their lives and students everywhere. From the importance of the golden rules "make each other look good" and "YES AND" to "I got your back" traditions- Theatre builds a strong community we should incorporate into our daily lives. Shout out Jen Bascom and Danté Carr!Instagram: wellness.matters.pod

TW: Sarit and I have an open conversation about abuse, PTSD, and gaslighting. If you are triggered by these topics please be wary before listening.Sarit Z Rogers is a Trauma-informed yoga teacher, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Author, and photographer. Welcome back to the Wellness Matters Podcast by Hope Zionts! In this episode, I talk with Sarit Z Rogers about using somatic experiencing as a lens to understand trauma and gaslighting.  We also talk about superheros representing parts of ourselves, it's a fun episode! Find out more about Sarit: ig: @saritzrogers visit her website: https://linktr.ee/somaticwellnessyoga

TW: De Jur and I have an open conversation about abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and PTSD. If you are triggered by these topics please be wary before listening.  Tune in to hear Hope and De Jur explore the benefits of yoga in underserved, under-resourced, and marginalized communities. Please let our listeners know that I am always available for specialized, customized private classes as well as group classes. Virtually for now.Let's be social:FB: De JurIg: @mzdejurW: idreaminyoga.comE: idreaminyoga@gmail.com

Yoga and meditation can seem daunting when imagining sitting cross-legged for an hour thinking about nothing or trying to do a handstand in front of a room of strangers, but that's not what it's really about. Your yoga practice can start with just 5 minutes of stretching or a 5-minute breathing exercise! Zara Bennett (PhD, RYT) has been teaching youth yoga and mindfulness in schools since 2015. She is a certified yoga instructor and seasoned educator who focuses on youth yoga and volunteering. Zara joins Hope for a discussion about the barriers and benefits of youth mindfullness and yoga. 

Tune in to hear Hope and Patille talk radical self-love and the freedom that comes with authenticity. Patille VioletaAs a highly intuitive child, Patille turned to a yoga mat, meditation cushion, and paint brushes to explore her imagination and to cope with anxiety. Discovering Reiki in her 20’s was like discovering the language of her soul. She’s honored to share the Art of healing with fellow seekers on the path of Wellness.  In 2010, Patille traveled to Nepal as a Volunteer Yoga Teacher. Since then, she’s been teaching Yoga, Meditation, Art, and Dance to children, youth, and adults in a variety of settings – schools,  studios, homes, and recreational centers locally and internationally. In 2016, Patille began a movement called Emerging Girl to empower girls to love themselves and nurture their mind, body, and soul. She’s also a Teaching Artist for Critical Mass Dance Company and the founder of Violeta Healing Arts. Patille believes Reiki has a significant role in healing our society, empowering individuals for self-healing, and contributing to global peace.

On this episode of the Wellness Matters podcast, we are honored to have a discussion with Mindfulness-based Teacher and Nonviolent Parent Educator- Laurie Cousins! Her very extensive bio can be found on her website, some excerpts from that bio is also found further down in this description.Hope and Laurie discuss the difference between toxic stress vs challenging stress, what trauma is and does to the brain, and how grounding and perspective can affect all of the above.Laurie has a B.A. in Psychology, is a Certified Mindfulness Facilitator through UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, a trained Mindfulness-based Interventionist of Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention, and a Mindful Self-Compassion teacher through UCSD’s Center for Mindfulness. Laurie specializes in trauma and has completed levels 1 & 2 through the Trauma Resource Institute, and has certification for Advanced Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness by Dr. David Treleaven, and is a Certified Echo Trauma-Informed Nonviolent Parent Educator.For several years she worked as a research associate at UCLA’s Child & Adolescent Mood Disorders Program facilitating Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy groups for research studies with teens and college students. Laurie is the co-creator and facilitator, along with Dr. Danielle Denenny, of the Mindful Parenting Support Study program that offers psycho-educational resources and mindfulness-based practices for parents of children with mood disorders.Since 2015, Laurie has the honor of being the in house Mindful Parenting Facilitator for Campbell Hall School in Studio City, where she leads a weekly mindful parenting group for their families throughout the school year.Thank you for listening! – Hope Zionts @wellness.matters.pod

Listen to this episode of the Wellness Matters podcast with Abby Wills,  MA, E-RYT! Hope and Abby discuss how mindfulness helps us pivot in response to change and more! Check out shantigeneration.comand FREE YOGA FOR KIDS, TEENS & CLASSROOMS:https://www.youtube.com/user/ShantiGeneration/featuredAbby Wills, MA, E-RYT has dedicated over twenty years to integrating mindful practices for embodied social emotional health into a wide diversity of school settings, including public, private, and charter schools, through direct service to learners and educators throughout Los Angeles and internationally. She brings her expertise in developmental education as well as extensive studies in yoga and mindfulness (since 1994) to her work as a writer; teacher of PreK-12 mindfulness, meditation, and yoga; and professional development provider PreK-12 in Social Emotional Learning. She holds a BA in Human Development with a specialization in Developmental Education (2005) and an MA in Human Development with a specialization in Social Change (2009).

Listen in for a conversation about everything mental illness, from tackling the stigma to the power of owning your diagnosis. Pt 2 out of 2.Bree Barton is the author of Heart of Thorns, a fierce YA fantasy trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “an epic ode to feminism, magic, and the power of fairytales.” You can find Bree on YouTubeand Instagram, where she posts writing tips, book giveaways, and “real talk” about mental health. When she isn’t hunched over her laptop with a posture pillow taped to her back, she teaches Rock ’n’ Write, a free dance-and-writing class she created for women. Bree’s books have been published in seven countries and four languages, three of which she cannot speak.Thanks for listening! – Hope Zionts @wellness.matters.pod

Listen in for a conversation about everything mental illness, from tackling the stigma to the power of owning your diagnosis. Pt 1 out of 2.Bree Barton is the author of Heart of Thorns, a fierce YA fantasy trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “an epic ode to feminism, magic, and the power of fairytales.” You can find Bree on YouTube and Instagram, where she posts writing tips, book giveaways, and “real talk” about mental health. When she isn’t hunched over her laptop with a posture pillow taped to her back, she teaches Rock ’n’ Write, a free dance-and-writing class she created for women. Bree’s books have been published in seven countries and four languages, three of which she cannot speak.Thanks for listening! – Hope Zionts @wellness.matters.pod

An episode about self-discovery, feminism, and healthy relationships. Anea Bogue (B. Ed., M.A.), is the Director of REALgirl, REALboy, & REALyou Empowerment Programs/Sexual Health Educator/Author/Speaker.Anea and I sit down to have a talk about how REALgirl affects women and teenagers everywhere. The episode includes a closer look into what it means to be in a healthy relationship and how to find your voice and power by taking responsibility for yourself.Visit Anea Bogue’s website to learn more about all of her impactful endeavors: http://www.aneabogue.com/Thank you for listening – Hope Zionts @wellness.matters.pod

Ever wondered how needles could help with your stress, back pain, and emotional pain all in one acupuncture visit? Tune in to learn more about this non-western medicine with the founder of Elements Acupuncture, Beverly Bragg-Ware.  

Find yourself elbow deep in your second bag of potato chips you don’t remember grabbing? Don’t worry as Elizabeth Besch is here to ease your guilt and make you feel better about your Quarantine diet. Elizabeth Besch is an expert in Culinary Nutrition and founder of Elizabeth Besch nutrition + cooking, tune in as we will be talking about nutrition and mindful eating during this crazy time. Also included (as I can never help myself) is a conversation about the food industry, body image, and the social contradictions of the two. Thank you for listening! 

Having trouble sleeping? Let’s not kid ourselves, we are all having to train our bodies to get used to our Quarantine routine. Join Niki and Hope as they talk about sleep hygiene and Yoga Nidra (we also get into much, much, more!)Niki’s bio:Niki Saccareccia is a Los Angeles based yoga teacher and wellness entrepreneur. Over the last 12 years, she has helped thousands of people worldwide to reduce the effects of stress and tension in their lives. Her background as a Clinical Behavioral Therapist informs her teachings which are grounding, practical, and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.Instagram @ lightinsideyoga , website: www.lightinsideyoga.com, FB: facebook.com/yogawithniki “I teach 4 classes for a virtual yoga studio called Ompractice. Students can attend each class once as my guest using code NIKI20 at checkout. Ompractice.com for all of the information about how to register and the full schedule of classes. I teach 3 classes in the evenings along with my weekly Yoga Nidra Workshop on Wednesday afternoons at 3:45p to promote high-quality sleep and relaxation through One Down Dog, a female-run L.A. based yoga studio. OneDownDog.com”