Backbone with Kendra Elyse

There are things the body remembers— long after the moment has passed. Not in words, but in tension… in silence… in what was never allowed to be said. In this episode of Backbone , I share a spoken word piece titled “The Body Kept It” —inspired by sitting with the feeling of rage and noticing how it lives in the body when it isn’t expressed. This isn’t about the loud, explosive kind of anger. It’s...

This spoken word piece explores the moment of waking up to inherited patterns of obedience—and choosing something different. Through breath, body awareness, and reflection, this episode moves through grief, ancestral memory, and the quiet realization that waiting for permission is often something we were taught… not something we chose. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve been holding back, shrinking,...

This is a spoken word piece about holding too much for too long. It moves through the experience of being the one who carries, fixes, and feels everything… and what happens when the body finally begins to release it. This piece is called Eldest Daughter , but it’s for anyone learning to come back to themselves. Take what you need. Let the rest fall away.

A spoken-word healing for the grief that often goes unnamed — the grief for what never was. This episode explores emotional healing, unmet needs, and how grief lives in the body through longing, exhaustion, and disconnection. If you’ve ever felt lonely in love or like you’ve been waiting to fully live, this is for you. A gentle invitation to release, feel, and come back to yourself.

In “2 Worlds,” I explore the experience of being a living ancestor—where body, breath, and memory meet. This episode moves through the space where present-moment awareness and ancestral echoes exist at the same time, offering a reflection on release, remembrance, and the body as a bridge between worlds.

What does it actually mean to be embodied? In this episode of Backbone , Kendra Elyse explores embodiment not as something to achieve, but something to return to. Through spoken word and reflection, this piece moves through the body as a living compass—guided by breath, rhythm, and the heart’s quiet knowing. This is an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and listen inward. To move at your own pace...

In this integration episode of Backbone , Kendra reflects on the inspiration behind the spoken word piece “To Be Met With Tenderness.” After a meaningful conversation with a mentor who recognized the tenderness she carries, this episode explores the deeper realization that the care and softness we offer others is something we also deserve to receive. Through gentle reflection, Kendra invites liste...

In this episode of Backbone , Kendra shares a spoken word piece titled “To Be Met With Tenderness.” Inspired by a meaningful conversation with a mentor, the poem reflects on the recognition that the softness and care we offer to others is something we also deserve to receive. Through emotional reflection and embodied awareness, the piece explores the importance of gentleness, emotional safety, and...

This piece was created during my cycle — a time where I slowed down and allowed myself to feel everything that was coming up. I sat with grief, ego, loneliness, and patterns of codependency I didn’t realize were still within me. Instead of avoiding it, I stayed and listened. The next day, the light returned — and so did my creativity. This episode is about moving through the phases of shedding, aw...

In this episode of Backbone, Kendra Elyse shares the spoken-word poem “Pearl in the Undertow.” This piece reflects on the vulnerability of opening your heart in relationship sharing your truth and wondering whether it will be met with care or left unanswered. Through poetic reflection, this episode explores the emotional currents that arise when love, longing, and self-respect meet. It speaks to t...

Welcome to Backbone . In this first episode, Kendra Elyse shares the heart behind this evolving body of work. Backbone began as spoken word poetry and is unfolding into a cinematic and somatic storytelling space where emotion, embodiment, and personal transformation meet. Through poetry, reflection, and story, this podcast explores the journey of becoming shedding old layers, reconnecting with the...

In this episode of Backbone , Kendra Elyse shares the spoken word poem “The Skin She Sheds.” This piece reflects the process of letting go of old layers identities, expectations, and stories that no longer belong to us. Through poetic reflection, the poem explores surrender, transformation, and the quiet courage it takes to move through the unknown parts of becoming. Sometimes shedding isn’t loud....

In this reflection episode of Backbone , Kendra Elyse speaks about the deeper meaning behind the poem “The Skin She Sheds.” She explores how the process of shedding can appear in many forms throughout our lives — through relationships, identity shifts, motherhood, grief, and personal growth. Often the layers we release are the ones we once believed we had to carry in order to belong. This conversa...

Backbone is a spoken word poetry and storytelling podcast created by Kendra Elyse. Through poetry, reflections, and evolving stories, this space explores embodiment, emotional depth, love, transformation, and the human journey of becoming. Beginning with spoken word poetry and expanding into short stories and cinematic storytelling, Backbone invites listeners into the inner landscapes of identity,...