For Thought's Sake

Do you find it difficult when in a relationship to practice your own self-care for fear of seeming selfish or inconsiderate for not meeting your partner's needs first? In this episode, Alex and AJ discuss all things codependency. They go through clinical and "buzzword" definitions of codependency, signs to tell if you are in a codependent relationship, and what is needed in order to be okay with filling your bucket first. Hint: it involves honest communication, intention, and navigating your own headspace. 

Kevin Meehan calls himself a corporate dropout. He left the tech world six months ago and is in the process of figuring out what he wants to do next. In this episode, Kevin opens up about his current journey where people are questioning his choices and he feels like he's trekking through an existential wilderness. We discuss consciously choosing what makes you happy, how to handle the opinions of others with grace, ways to combat fear of the unknown, and following your internal compass.  

When we are anxious, stressed, or experience trauma, our bodies are often the first thing to alert us to something being wrong. Sometimes the aches and pains in our bodies are really a manifestation of what is going on subconsciously in our minds. In this episode, Alex shares the story of how she discovered an early childhood trauma that disguised itself as undiagnosable leg pains. With time and patience Alex was able to rid herself of the mysterious pain that plagued her for twenty years. 

Kelsie Koziol is a professional dancer, aerialist, fire performer, and acrobat who knows that her outward sexiness stems from her internal honesty and vulnerability. In this episode, Kelsie shares her journey from depression and substance abuse to actively choosing the life she wants. We discuss embracing your sexuality and your body, rewiring thought patterns, and being your most authentic self despite how others may perceive you. 

Alex Cantone is the creator of The Conscious Parent Guide (@theconsciousparentguide), where she helps parents navigate the world of parenting with ease through a more conscious lens. She is a developmental specialist, inclusive education advocate, intuitive healer, and human design chart reader. In this episode, Alex and Alex discuss what conscious parenting is, how settling for trying to parent just a little bit better than our parents did isn't going to cut it, and how our aversion to a child's behavior is often a reflection of something we need to address within ourselves. You'll definitely want a pen and paper to write down the many nuggets of wisdom in this episode! 

What happens when Alex and AJ don't talk for a month? This episode is what happens! We aren't your typical peeps catching up on what's been going on in our day to day lives. Instead, we bounce around thoughts and ideas. In this episode we discuss: body image, monogamy and polygamy in the animal kingdom, the Five Love Languages, martyrdom in relationships, Alex's body shaming experience, and using television as a coping mechanism. 

In the first ever episode with a guest, Alex interviews Taylor Marsden! Taylor (aka @copywritertay) is a freelance copywriter who has been living the boss babe life since 2014. She is the OG when it comes to being a digital nomad and knows a thing or two about how to keep yourself motivated when you are your own boss. In this episode, Alex and Taylor discuss the struggles that come along with being a freelancer including: how to maintain your own health and wellbeing, how to find connection with others, and how to motivate yourself to be the female entrepreneur you always dreamed you’d be.

What do you do when your head is spinning? After the turmoil of that Mercury Retrograde season, Alex now feels like her life is a bit out of sorts. AJ comes to the rescue to help her process through what to do when you feel like you are drowning and don't know how to keep your head above water. They discuss their respective experiences throughout March (when Mercury was in retrograde), how to calm your nervous system, anxiety and depression in relation to motivation, how "should" is a bullsh*t word, how we need to be wary of the ways we use social media, and the importance of having a support system in place when you are in the thick of it. 

High school sweethearts. Married at 20. Divorced at 27. Reunited. Separated. Reunited. . . The story of this Twin Flame journey is a doozy! Tune in as Alex embarks on her first solo episode to share the story of her journey with the love of her life. 

In this episode, Alex and AJ discuss the ways we experience anxiety when it comes to friendship. In deeper relationships that you care about. how do you interact with someone when you have your own life circumstances going on that hinder you from being the friend you think you are expected to be? How do you handle the anxiety that may result from asking those questions? Alex and AJ open up about the ways they handle friendship which includes boundary setting, what it means to have expectations, reciprocity in friendships, and the role of fate, synchronicity, and the universe when it comes to friendship. They also discuss anxiety in relation to how we interpret text messages and social media responses from friends, which can actually be similar to the anxiety we may feel when face to face with friends. At the end of the episode they go through a checklist of questions you can ask yourself to help make decisions in regards to participating in social events with friends when you are experiencing anxiety surround

Some people use Mercury Retrograde as a scapegoat for bad things going on or to justify behaviors. Blaming the planets can be a slippery slope related to self-fulfilling prophecies. Our take on Mercury Retrogade? We believe in feeling empowered by having information about what may be going on around you and then using that information to help you make decisions. You gotta go back and check in with how you’ve educated yourself, what you’re interested in, why it is of value to you, and finding what really resonates with you. This episode is kinda like a pretzel. Join us through its twists and turns! Maybe Mercury Retrograde is to blame. . . 

What are you suppressing within you that needs to be unleashed? It is probably something that makes you feel alive, that allows you to release emotion, and feels good in your soul. In this episode, Alex and AJ unravel the ways in which they are not fully doing that which makes their soul happy. They discuss various components of this including physiological aspects (such as sensory integration), lack of access to the activities that light them up, and how our sense of identity can be wrapped up in that which makes our soul feel alive. 

Alex experienced her first ever acupuncture session. AJ, on the other hand, is a seasoned acupuncture junkie and drops some Chinese medicine knowledge like a badass. In this episode, Alex describes her newbie experience and AJ fills in the real scoop on what acupuncture is all about. PS. We are not health professionals and are not giving health advice. Consult your own doctor before trying any new health regimen. . . but acupuncture is pretty rad. 

Alex likes Valentine’s Day. AJ does not. . . So we decided to discuss self love instead. We ask the question, how can I shift the relationship I’m having with myself? It starts with noticing when you feel disconnected, especially in terms of your mind body connection, and then cultivating the "noticing" of the disconnect. AJ talks about how self care and self love are interchangeable. How can you love yourself without being able to first care for yourself? We talk about the ways we both care for ourselves and Alex has a lightbulb moment where she realizes that she's only taking care of herself when she has qualifiers to justify her self care and self love. When it comes to incorporating self care practices into your life, you don't need any qualifiers or justifications for it. You deserve to take care of yourself just because! We hope this episode helps you delve into the relationship you have with yourself and allows you honor your choices surrounding self care practices.

How do you utilize your intuition to help you make big life decisions? February is a big month for big life decisions. Many people are choosing new school programs to attend, whether it's choosing which college to go to for your undergrad, graduate, phd, or any kind of school program. This episode offers some insights on ways to start tapping into your intuitive language. Hint - it begins with the wisdom of the body! 

In this episode we discuss integrity and authenticity when it comes to being around friends and family. We ultimately dissect the question: how do you have complete transparency and authenticity when you are in a group of people who are not going to receive who you truly are with an open mind or an open heart? Integrity is tricky. When we act in alignment with our integrity, it may make it uncomfortable for people around us. Or it may affect them in a way that is not in alignment with our integrity - especially in relation to being with a significant other. How do you know when the juice is worth the squeeze? In this episode, we try to discern just that. Warning: before listening to this podcast, we request that you inhale balance and exhale bullsh*t.