Living the Questions with Courtney Koester

How might we be reinforcing the very wound we’re trying to heal without even realizing it? In this episode, I’m reflecting on a deep realization that recently clicked into place for me: that some of our most painful beliefs may be reinforced not only by what we’ve lived through, but by the subtle, unconscious ways we continue abandoning ourselves. I explore what it means to get honest about the wo...

How do we live the questions when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this one-year reflection on Living the Questions , I’m sharing what this podcast has taught me about creativity, trust, visibility, and the deeply relational nature of being alive. Over this past year, I’ve found myself returning again and again to the tension between making plans and allowing life to unfold. Between wanting d...

I’m living into the question of what happens when we stop letting urgency run the show, especially when urgency is shaped by survival instructions we didn’t realize we were still following. This episode came from a week that left me totally run down. Not because I didn’t get everything done, but because I did, and instead of feeling proud, I felt depleted. I’m reflecting on the moments where I ove...

Have you ever felt like asking for help meant you were somehow falling short? In this week’s solo episode, I share a dream that opened up a deeper layer of my relationship with support, avoidance, and shame. What began as a simple image of not wanting to drive in the rain turned into a powerful reflection on nervous system regulation, internalized pressure to “just push through,” and the quiet bra...

Wow, this episode felt like an exhale to record. It’s an honest reflection on where I am right now: a season of integration, self-trust, and embodied alignment after a long, messy, beautiful descent. I talk about the relationships I’ve rebuilt with parts of myself, especially the anxious, younger part that used to run the show, and how somatic work has helped me create real groundedness. We explor...

What if remembering who we are isn’t about striving or fixing, but about softening into the truth that’s already there? In this episode, I have the honor of welcoming my dear friend + beautifully-hearted human, Kylie McBeath, for a conversation that feels like a true remembering. We explore the beauty and challenge of weaving our soul work into our lives, especially when we’ve walked through initi...

I’m so thrilled to share this first guest conversation of Season Two with my dear friend, James-Olivia Chu Hillman. Our relationship has been a constant source of depth, curiosity, and sweetness in my life and this episode is an invitation to sit at the table with us as we move through big questions about devotion, attention, regard, belonging, and the everyday practices that root us in who we are...

Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I doing this for me or because I don’t want to upset someone else?” In this episode, I talk about what it’s been like to move from old patterns of people-pleasing into deeper self-trust, and how murky that process can be. We talk about internal safety, the tension of not knowing yet, and why it’s okay if things aren’t clear right away. If you’re learning how to ta...

As the seasons shift, I’ve been thinking a lot about time -- not just the kind that lives on a clock, but the kind that moves through the body, the heart, the soul. This past year has been one of deep undoing and even deeper remembering. In this first episode of season two, I’m sharing some honest reflections on what it’s looked like to live inside grief and transformation, to walk the lonely road...

Ah, we're here — the final episode of season one of Living the Questions ! It's wild to think this podcast began as a simple idea and a brave invitation to self — no clear roadmap, just a willingness to take it one step, one episode at a time and let it become what it wanted to be. And now, looking back on this full season, I’m deeply proud of what we’ve co-created here. In this episode, I...

What does it mean to share vulnerably without oversharing? In this solo episode, I explore the tender discernment between fear-based withholding and wise self-protection. After scrapping a previous recording, I sit down in real time to reflect on what it means to live the questions when some of them still feel too raw to name aloud. With gentle honesty, I unpack the difference between boundaries t...

What does it mean to be with yourself so fully that it opens a door to something greater? In this final guest episode of Season One, I share a deeply personal and expansive conversation with my somatic coach, Holly Lowery-Davis. Together, we explore how cultivating a relationship with the Self — through the body, through presence, through emotion — can become the very pathway back to something bey...

Some experiences are deeply personal, yet not meant to be carried in isolation. In this episode, I explore the tender space between needing others and recognizing that some emotional journeys can only be walked from within. This conversation wrestles with the complexity of grief, overwhelm, and self-protection, while gently inviting compassionate curiosity as a pathway back to connection. Through...

Spaciousness has long been a guiding word in my life — but I’ve come to realize that truly living it is different from simply offering it to others. In this solo reflection, I explore what it means to create space in our lives — not as avoidance or burnout-fueled withdrawal, but as a life-giving, grounding practice of rehumanization. Together, we explore the difference between spaciousness that re...

What does it really mean to be in right relationship with your power? In this expansive and heartfelt conversation, Althea Seloover invites us into the depths of that question, offering wisdom rooted in lived experience, recovery, and deep care for humanity. We explore how power can be reclaimed through rest, how self-care becomes a radical act of resistance, and what it means to move at a human p...

Some conversations meander in the most magical ways, and this one is a celebration of cosmic timing, personal joy, and the sacredness of embracing what makes us feel most alive. I reflect on the significance of things like numbers — not just as dates or symbols, but as threads of connection woven through family, memory, and meaning. From repeating numbers to astrology, from childhood delight to sp...

What if taking good care of yourself isn’t selfish — but the very foundation of how you care for others? This episode explores the tender, tangled process of shifting out of over-functioning, especially when people-pleasing patterns run deep. I reflect on the internal tug-of-war between the fear of being “too much” or “not enough” and the slow, sacred work of learning what true boundaries, congrue...

What if your personal wellness is intertwined with the well-being of the world around you? Nisha Mody joins for a thought-provoking conversation on the complexities of personal wellness, self-trust, and the interconnectedness of individual and collective care. Nisha reflects on the tension between privilege and responsibility, questioning how her own well-being can exist in a world filled with inj...

The beauty and challenge of nuance is that it offers both freedom and overwhelm — especially for those prone to overthinking. In this episode, I explore how my deep love for perspectives, meaning-making, and endless exploration sometimes becomes a source of anxiety rather than clarity. What happens when nuance feels more constricting than expansive? How do we honor where we truly are instead of wh...

What if the way you hear yourself isn’t the truth, but a distortion shaped by old insecurities? Editing the first few episodes of this podcast invited me to listen to my own voice over and over again and what I noticed was a familiar yet eye-opening pattern — the initial playback was clouded by self-criticism, a harsh internal voice telling me I didn’t make sense. But something shifted on the seco...

What if the questions you’re avoiding are the ones that hold the most meaning? Chad Brown joins the podcast for an honest, unfiltered conversation about purpose, grief, and self-trust — sharing raw reflections that offer a refreshing perspective on navigating uncertainty and building relationships rooted in truth. He explores the weight of small decisions, the paradox of wanting clarity while resi...

Overview: Navigating the complexity of boundaries and the courage to say "no" is a profound journey of self-connection. In this episode, I share my personal reflections on the difficulty of recognizing and honoring the boundaries of my body, particularly when external pressures or past conditioning make it challenging to assert them. I explore the emotional and somatic processes that acc...

Overview: How do we honor both our needs and the needs of those we love? In this inaugural solo episode, I dive into the complexities of balancing care for ourselves while showing up fully in our relationships. Exploring the tension between people-pleasing, self-sacrifice, and genuine love, I unpack the journey of learning to hold space for both. How do we navigate the discomfort of growth, the mu...

Welcome to Living the Questions , a podcast where we embrace the messy middle of life — the space between questions and answers. Hosted by Courtney Koester, this show invites you to explore what it means to live in the unknown and navigate the questions that shape our lives. Each episode dives into the beauty of being present, showing up as you are, and allowing life to unfold without the fear of...