HIListically Speaking with Hilary Russo

In life, we are constantly in motion. But what happens when you lack a sense of calm even in stillness? Not because your mind won't settle, but because a neurological disorder is steering the wheel.  That's how filmmaker Kimberly Warner lives her life everyday. A vestibular disorder called Mal de Debarquement changed her life in 2015. And now she lives with constant rocking, bobbing and swaying th...

If you're sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, you're not alone. In fact, less than 1% of American adults are truly healthy, happy, and on track to stay that way. ONE percent . Yikes.   So, how does one live healthy in an unhealthy world that is riddled with chronic illness, pharmaceutical drug use and struggling to be physically and emotionally fit and balanced? Pilar Gerasimo may have a sol...

Let's face it. Being a teen ager isn't easy. We've all been there. But imagine facing the unthinkable at such an early age. A deadly accident that leaves you blaming yourself and receiving little to no support in order to heal and grow. That was Lis Cashin's story. An early childhood sporting event turned tragic and left her with feelings that no child should ever face. And the road to recovery wa...

What does it mean to be strong? When you hear that word, does it mean physical? Mental? Both? For Jill May, it means a number of things. As the first ever winner of the reality show NBC's Strong, she put her mind, body and spirt through the wringer. But what she learned during her two months on the show changed her life forever. I met Jill when her trainer Bennie Wylie led us in a workout on Daily...

It may shock you to learn that in traditional medical schools, nutrition education is almost non-existent during the entire four years of schooling.  Yet, you see your doctor yearly for about 10-15 minutes. And if something is off, you are generally told to start by making changes to your diet. But, where do you go for support?  Good news. That's where a health coach steps in. When people ask me w...

Break the cycle. We hear that term a lot lately when it comes to generational trauma. The thought of raising a child can be overwhelming enough. But when trauma exists in our family history, parenting fears can creep in like wild fire. Am I doing this right? How do I avoid creating the toxic environment that existed before me? Can I even break this pattern or is it just genetics? What if I just ca...

"Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about". There are so many variations of this quote. Dating back a hundreds of years. It seems as though bullying has become both an inside and outside job. So much so, that we've gotten into the habit of perfecting it. All of us. This is not exactly a skill set you add proudly to the resume.  But whatever version you resonate with, the overall messag...

What does it mean to have a "good death"? Have you given much thought to what you'd want your transition to be like? This isn't just about the funeral and what people say in your memory.  Instead, the focus is on the time leading up to exiting this world, the moments "in between" and the legacy you leave behind?  On this episode of HIListically Speaking , uncover the the truth behind "dying well"...

Destroy the idea that you have to be constantly working or grinding to be successful. Read that again. On this episode of HIListically Speaking , Hilary opens up about her recent struggles with burn-out lead to the wake-up call she needed. Join Hilary as she gets personal about why taking time off to embrace the concept that rest, recovery and reflection is an essential part of harmonious and holi...

Nurturing. Healing. Love. Those three words were written on the kitchen chalkboard by 6 year old Jesse Lewis before he left for school in December of 2012. Those three words were also his last. Jesse was one of the 20 first graders and 6 educators killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. For Scarlett Lewis, the only single mother that lost her child that day, the pain and grief may never fade...

Sixty years sounds like a long time. Well, unless you are Mother Earth. Because sixty is how many years of farmable soil we have left on this planet.  That dirt you're standing on has purpose.   It improves water cycles, protect farmers, prevents toxic pollution, increases nutrient density, enhances human health resilience, and balances atmospheric carbon. But if you're stepping all over it rather...

"Surround yourself with people who will massage your neurons". My father said those words to me when I was a child... encouraging me to spark new conversations outside my comfort zone.  40 something years later, I'm still at it. And we've reached a milestone on the  HIListically Speaking Podcast.  One year.  One year of empowering conversations of transformational journeys. One year of trauma to t...

What does pride mean to you?  For Dawn Ennis , it means finally being herself. She'll be the first to tell you that her transgender journey hasn't been easy. Let alone private. Dawn was the first transgender journalist to come out in network TV news. And that was one top story that brought mixed emotions and reception. Add both personal and professional loss to the national media attention and sud...

Healing is an inside job. With Havening Techniques—a neuroscience-based, gentle touch-based approach—you can rapidly shift thoughts, moods, and even release deep-rooted trauma. As a Certified Practitioner and Trainer, I use Havening daily with clients and in my own life because, simply put, it works. On this episode of  HIListically Speaking , my mentor and Co-Developer Dr. Steve Ruden shares how...

Did you know the number one profession for suicide rates is Veterinary Medicine? In fact, according to the American Medical Veterinary Association, one in six vets have considered suicide at some point in their career. The Essential Oil Vet, Dr. Janet Roark is one of them. Thankfully Dr. Roark's story is one that ends in semicolon and not a period. Essential oils helped her heal. Now, she devotes...

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."  Confucius said that. Of course, Confucius never dealt with writing a resume, scouring the internet for jobs, or wondering how many of the 750 million other people on LinkedIn applied. Add social media to that equation (just to kill your ego a little bit more) and you've got a nice little recipe for "I'm not good enough"....

"I was just a heart beat pulse on a monitor". Those were the words Brian Wall used to describe his past. He was a collegiate swimmer who found himself racing in the wrong lane. His battle with addiction was coupled by intimate loss, unexpected devastation and near death experience. But through it all, Brian managed to gain advanced clinical knowledge, becoming a dually licensed mental health and a...

You know we have two brains, right? The one where your thoughts and intuition comes from and then there is your digestive system. Your micro biome. And when one is out of sync, the other makes sure you're fully aware that something is up.   So, trusting your gut is really two fold. And the link between our physical health and mental health should be no surprise. Gut Health Expert and Functional Me...

How well are you communicating with others? For Michelle Mills-Porter, she was already an expert in communication, specializing in non-visual and non-verbal communication. But when she found herself in the middle of one of the biggest natural disasters in history, the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004, with little time to think, it opened her eyes to discover the magnificence in humanity. She witnessed t...

For years, Eric Rogell traveled the world covering stories and living the good life as a men's lifestyle journalist.  He had a pretty cool gig and even wrote a best selling book, "Art of War on Dating". Say what?! But even with an active social life, invites to killer events, and playing with gadgets that would make any guy drool, something was missing deep down to his core.  And then he woke up. ...

Imagine being told "you've lost your crown and glory" because you're losing your hair.   Ouch! Talk about insensitive! Well, those were the words Dominique Claire heard from a hairdresser when she was just 16 years old. Dominique has alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that impacts the hair follicles. But, hair loss can happen to anyone at any time, for many reasons…sometimes as early as our te...

If you've ever wondered why wind chimes are calming or the music played during a meditation relaxes you, it's not by accident. The healing power of sound dates back thousands of years. It's why sonotherapist and holistic health coach Leslie McDonald does what she does. In 2016, her health was suffering mentally and physically. And it only took one sound meditation to change the rest of her life. S...

When you think of the words appreciation and accountability, what comes to mind? For Blake Fly, these words are the rocket fuel for how he lives his life. Personally and professionally. As a kid who faced awkwardness and bullying, feeling like you don't matter seems like the easiest road to take. But the one thing he never lost was his own determination to thrive and a sense of empathy and connect...

News flash: Divorce sucks. And it's not uncommon for men and women to experience this life changing event differently. But one thing is the same, divorce can be exhausting on many levels. Emotionally, physically and of course, financially. For Brian Kelsey, a dad of two boys, his biggest fear was being that divorced guy renting a one bedroom apartment over some bar in his hometown. So, finding a n...

Do you remember what happened the last time you went against a gut feeling? I imagine you were not too happy with the outcome. Our intuition isn't messing around when it comes to the messages we receive. It just knows. And yet, all too often we love to put up a good fight thinking we know better. Vincent Genna fought it for years. Thinking he had all the answers about what his life was meant to be...