Positively Anti-Inflammatory

246. This week I’m joined by my friend, burlesque artist and performance scholar Alyssa Kitt Hanley, who shares her long, painful, and extraordinary journey from misdiagnosis of Bell's Palsy to discovering stage 4 cancer in her facial nerve in 2023. Alyssa opens up about conquering cancer, living with facial disability, and the profound impact this had on her body, identity, and artistry. We...

245. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of September as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar.  AND..... If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support.  "Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here . ​ As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bring...

244. Tune in this week as I revisit one of the most practical and foundational episodes from the Positively Anti-Inflammatory Podcast vault: macronutrients! We’re talking protein, carbohydrates, and fat: what they are, how they support your health, and what’s really going on in your body when you eat them. I also dig into the question: should you track your macros? I share my perspective to help y...

243. This week I’m bringing back an episode from 2022 that’s well worth an encore, because the way we nourish ourselves still matters every single day. Micronutrients may be small, but their impact on your health is anything but. In this episode, I break down what they are, why they matter, and the consequences of deficiencies. While there are dozens of vitamins and minerals our bodies need regula...

242. What if joy isn’t just a feeling, but your body’s most underrated anti-inflammatory? Tune in this week as I explore how joy, from everyday pleasures to extraordinary moments, can calm your nervous system, lower stress hormones, and support your body’s natural resilience. From laughter with friends to a moment of morning light, joy has the power to shift us from sympathetic fight-or-flight int...

241. This week I introduce you to my friend Cindy Im, a New York–based actor who, after decades of navigating the ups and downs of a performing career, made the courageous decision to pivot into becoming a Pilates instructor. In our conversation, Cindy shares what initially drew her to acting, how she discovered a love for fitness and movement, and how Pilates not only eliminated her chronic back...

240. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of August as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar.  AND..... If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support.  "Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here . ​ As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing...

239. Join me this week as I reflect on a powerful affirmation from Louise Hay: “It is natural for me to be healthy. It is my birthright to feel good.” But do we truly believe that? What does it mean to feel good, in our bodies, minds, and spirits, especially in a world where many people don’t? And how do we reclaim health as something natural and innate? This episode is a gentle invitation to reco...

238. Tune in this week as I share my heartfelt reflections from a transformative and life-affirming weekend: my trip to Davenport, Iowa, to perform at the grand opening of the Ecdysiast Art Museum, a one of a kind burlesque museum and performance venue. From reconnecting with old friends to meeting new ones, performing, and teaching, it was a weekend where I felt nourished, connected, and truly al...

237. This week, I’m reflecting on two powerful affirmations from Louise Hay—one centered on connection with others, and the other on the beauty of being your own best friend. We often think of friendship as something external, but true connection begins within. In this episode, I explore how nourishing solitude can inspire a deeper relationship with yourself—and in turn, allow you to show up more...

236. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of July as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar.  AND..... If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support.  "Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here . ​ As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing p...

235. Who do you consider a lifelong friend? Someone you’ve known for decades? A newer friend you feel deeply bonded to? In the final episode of The Heart of Friendship series—celebrating connection, sisterhood, and shared growth—I chat with my dear friend Michelle, who I’ve been friends with since we were 16, for a heartfelt, funny, and honest conversation about what it means to grow up and older...

234. I’m honored to welcome back my dear friend Laura Libby (aka Ophelia Flame) for part three of my four-part series The Heart of Friendship, where we explore how connection, sisterhood, and friendship evolve through life’s big transitions. Last week, we shared the story of our friendship — from burlesque to beyond the stage. This week, Laura opens up about her journey through perimenopause and m...

233. Welcome to week two in my four-part series The Heart of Friendship, where we explore how connection, sisterhood, and shared growth shape our lives and become essential parts of living a meaningful, wholehearted life. This week I introduce you to my amazing friend Ophelia Flame, also known as Laura Libby, who I met through burlesque, but our friendship has deepened far beyond the stage. Listen...

232. Tune in this week for the first interview in my four-part series The Heart of Friendship, where we explore how connection, sisterhood, and shared growth shape our lives and become essential parts of living a meaningful, wholehearted life. This episode features my dear friend and burlesque dance partner of 21 years, Darlinda Just Darlinda (yes, that’s her name!). We dive into the story of how...

231. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of June as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar.  AND..... If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support.  "Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here . ​ As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing p...

230. Join me this week as I share my off-the-cuff reflections on Louise Hay’s affirmation, “I choose forms of exercise that keep my body strong and healthy. My body responds positively to movement of all kinds.” ~ ~ > A new way to work with me! The 5 Session Focus Series . ~ ~ <  Email info@thewellnessheadquarters.com with "Tell me more" and I'll send you the details. AND........

229. Healing can be a complex, lonely, non-linear journey, and healing can mean many different things. But what if healing isn’t the ultimate goal? What if healing is the side effect of connecting? Join me this week as I explore how to shift our focus from “healing” to connecting—with ourselves, our bodies, our thoughts, our needs, patterns, environments, and others. I ask the question, what if in...

228. What expectations do you have of yourself? Others? Do you think expectations are helpful or unhealthy? Join me this week as I explore the concept of releasing expectations and how that can lead to a more supportive life.  ~ ~ > A new way to work with me! The 5 Session Focus Series . ~ ~ <  Email info@thewellnessheadquarters.com with "Tell me more" and I'll send you the de...

227. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of May as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar.  AND..... If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support.  "Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here . ​ As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing po...

226. It’s human to want to change things about your body. Everyone has imperfections and flaws. Everyone has parts of themselves that they are working on or trying to embrace or change. When you think about your relationship with your body, what are you resisting? Instead of resistance, what if you got curious instead and began to practice self-compassion? Might  self-compassion bring about transf...

225. Tune in this week I share a personal experience of participating as a patient model at an NYU Rheumatology musculoskeletal ultrasound workshop. I reveal how this unexpected experience presented an opportunity to explore both my complex relationship with my rheumatoid arthritis affected hands as well as the challenges of body acceptance. Join me as I consider and discuss our ever evolving rela...

224. Of course we all want peace but how do we get there? And why is it important for our health and wellbeing? Join me this week as I answer these questions by taking the word PEACE and assigning individual words to each letter. I chose these words to help inspire and invite more peace into our daily lives. The words are: P - Patience, E - Education, A - Acceptance, C - Connection, E - Ease. www....

223. Tune in this week for my off-the-cuff reflections on the affirmation of the month of April as offered by Louise Hay's 2025 "I Can Do It" daily calendar.  AND..... If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcome your support.  "Buy me a coffee" and make a contribution here . ​ As little as $5 helps nourish the podcast of bringing...

222. Join me this week as I take you on a visual, emotional, and spiritual  journey of letting go. With a focus on love, compassion and forgiveness, I guide you through simple breathing techniques, a body relaxation scan and an energetic cord cutting with a person or thing that is no longer serving you.  AND..... If this podcast has inspired you, informed you, or spoken to you in any way, I welcom...