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THE SJ CHILDS SHOW
Are you looking for an engaging podcast that will help you stay informed and inspired on the topics of education and parenting? Look no further than The SJ Childs Show! This podcast is ranked in the top 10% of all podcasts globally and covers a wide range of topics, from neurodiversity and inclusion to parenting and education. Featuring interviews with top experts and inspiring discussions, this show offers unique insights and perspectives on the world of education and parenting. Join us on an enlightening journey that will challenge your beliefs and help you become a better parent, educator, and global citizen. Tune in now to The SJ Childs Show!
THE SJ CHILDS SHOW
Episode 278-Empowering Parenting: Navigating Motherhood, Authenticity, and Community Support with Alena Turley
Join us as Alena, a resilient mother of three, shares her remarkable journey of navigating life's transformations with authenticity and grace. We journey through the lush beauty of Sydney's Northern Beaches, drawing parallels between these scenic treasures and other iconic beaches worldwide. Alena's story is a testament to the power of showing up authentically and finding the right support systems to thrive as parents.
Motherhood is a delicate balance of fostering independence while providing unwavering support. We explore the unique developmental needs of boys and girls and delve into the specific circumstances of raising children. Reflecting on our past and future selves helps us address unresolved issues and fears with a fresh perspective, transforming our day-to-day experiences. Discover simple yet impactful tools that can help you create a nurturing environment for your children while also reparenting yourself.
As we wrap up, we emphasize the importance of community and support for women, especially mothers. Learn about the "Unboxable" podcast and other supportive communities designed to offer guidance and tools for personal growth and resilience. Celebrating the power of connection, we stress the significance of asking for and accepting help, fostering an environment where women uplift and inspire each other. Tune in for an enriching discussion on motherhood, authenticity, and the strength of community.
Welcome to the SJ Child Show, where a little bit of knowledge can turn fear into understanding. Enjoy the show. Thank you so much for joining the SJ Child Show today. I am really excited to have me joined by this guest who is coming from around the world, which is so endearing to my heart. I love that we can make these types of connections from so far away, and it's just fascinating to know that. How would we have ever met otherwise? And here we are, so I so agree with you, sarah?
Speaker 1:hello, yeah, and you know I should have asked as well, elena, is that correct pronunciation? Perfect? Um, it's so nice to have you on the show today and we are just getting into springtime, is it fall?
Speaker 2:for you now. Yeah, we don't call it fall, but yes, it's autumn. I think the reason we don't call it fall is that we don't have trees that lose all their leaves here. We have different kinds of trees, right? The only trees that do that are the ones that were brought over by the people from overseas oh my gosh, it's fascinating.
Speaker 1:I love geography actually, so I could talk about that all day. Yeah, that's really interesting. Have of been to America and I would really love to go again.
Speaker 2:And I'm planning to go next year actually.
Speaker 1:Oh, wonderful, I've always loved and the thought of going to Australia. So you know, bucket list for us, all right To travel and I just really want to walk on all the beaches everywhere.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you'll like these ones.
Speaker 1:Even the cold ones, in Iceland and places. So, yeah, I think it just feels so neat.
Speaker 2:I live in a part of Sydney which is called the Northern Beaches because it's north of Sydney Harbour. So we're quite close to Sydney Harbour but we're just a bit north of it, and the famous ones like Bondi Beach, that's south of Sydney Harbour, in the eastern suburbs and don't ask me why it's the eastern suburbs or the northern, it's not the southern. It's hilarious, but the northern beaches are some of the world's best. In fact, the one really close to us, manly Beach, just got voted by some random, I don't know some random poll that it was the best beach in the world, by some random, I don't know some random poll that it was the best beach in the world. I think that's arguable, but it really is beautiful here, incredible, incredible beaches, and I feel very fortunate to be so close to them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so amazing. Well, let's get to know you a little bit better. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you. Know why you're here today, and we'll continue this discussion.
Speaker 2:I mean, the main reason I'm here is I just really really love exploring ideas that empower women and empower parents that are maybe a little bit not mainstream or maybe are looking for something a little different or more on the kind of energetic side or on the somatic side, like a little bit less about talking about how we think and a little bit more about talking about how we feel, you know, through this life and remembering our power.
Speaker 2:And the main reason that I guess I'm called to have those conversations is that I'm a mother of three. I have a little bit of a blended family in a way. I had a child when I wasn't in a great time in my life and I went through a huge transformation through the first seven years of my son's life he's now 20. And through that transformation I became ready to meet my now husband and have a couple more kids. So I have children of many different ages and that's my main job really is being their mom and really just showing up. I'm all about how do we show up, you know, how do we show up in life in the way that is most authentic and most aligned with our values, and there's lots of different ways. I think we can do that, but that's why I really love having these conversations with people like you all over the world, you know.
Speaker 1:It is children. Our intent behind them can either be meaningful or we can just be in it for the shuffle. Right, it's just happened and it's going on, and those are, maybe, you know, parents that don't know how or weren't ready or were, you know, caught off guard by what they were getting themselves into by decisions, right.
Speaker 1:And I think that honoring everyone in their space in the journey and being able to kind of help show well, hey, we found success with our kids. And success doesn't mean like oh, nothing ever goes wrong, we don't ever have challenges, like that's an accurate version and vision of that right. Success means you get through each struggle and challenge and things. Sometimes you have to make it up as you go, especially when you're honoring each individual child for who they are as a human being.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not about showing up as the best mom, it's about showing up as the best mom possible, you know, with what you have at hand and what's available to you on any given day. And often, I really like to remind I mostly work with women I really like to remind women that if you're struggling, if you're having a hard time connecting with your kids or managing the day-to-day, or managing your energy or just emotionally, mental health wise, it's not that you're broken, it's that you haven't found the right support. Yet. You know, and that's certainly what it was for me, I searched and searched and searched and tried a lot of different things and, you know, eventually made a kind of hybrid of them all and then felt really called to share that and it's been a huge. You know, it's years in the making. I mean, I'm 52. It's taken me a really long time to even feel slightly like I know anything about this stuff, you know.
Speaker 1:I couldn't agree more. I also. I have a stepdaughter that's 24. We had spoken a little bit earlier. I had told you about the 12 and 14, but our 24 year old she's kind of I feel the same way is that you put what you have into parenting and sometimes, thank goodness and I'm sorry, but the child that you start with, you know, takes that journey with you and has some collateral damage sometimes.
Speaker 1:I think that being able to now her being an adult, being able to say, hey, like we, you know, see where we could have done things differently and wish we would have had that knowledge back then. But now here we are, decade later, with these other, and we're going to make different decisions now and you know, and I think that it took a little bit of time to maybe not feel upset about that, but also I think it will be in her own journey of motherhood, which will be happening in a month, thank you.
Speaker 1:In that journey, that will be where a lot of the understanding right and the compassion and the empathy for the journey has will be and maybe we'll have those conversations and maybe we won't as a beautiful um. Go on sorry yeah, no, I think it's just so important that we embrace both sides of those things that it could be.
Speaker 2:It could turn out amazing, and if it doesn't, then that's the journey for that oh look, it's really such a huge personal development opportunity being a mother, being a woman in our society. We have the opportunity to take our own childhood hurts, our own childhood traumas. You know it's often not called that. Sometimes we carry hurt, we carry unresolved emotion and that plays out, you know, that plays out on our kids and the more aware of that we can become and the more available we are to work on that and acknowledge that and transform it into wisdom, into experience, into gratitude for those experiences, making us richer and deeper and more available for our kids when they experience difficulty, you know we can't be there for others if we haven't to some degree gained the empathy and understanding and become a container for that for others, you know.
Speaker 2:So I do really believe that ultimately, you know, as human beings we're here in service of a higher purpose and the purpose actually is service.
Speaker 2:You know, the vision, like how you carry out that purpose, is very personal and unique to you, but the purpose is the same, you know, and so I think the more that we understand that and allow ourselves to explore it, become curious about it, put tools in the toolkit to bring that into our lives, the better off we are as parents, as humans, as women, as partners, and that's kind of been my experience anyway, and, like my son, he's 20 and similar age gap to you, actually to the next child I had, and he's about to go overseas and leave home for a time, go into a ski season in New Zealand, and it's really exciting, you know, and part of that is so much about letting go.
Speaker 2:You know, every stage of our children's development, like we have to enter a new stage of, we're here for you, but also I need you to do this yourself, like with my seven-year-old son. That looks like okay, this morning you're putting your own shoes on. I'm going to be over here doing something else. I'm here if you need me. Go get dressed, you know, because otherwise I'll just keep dressing him and then I'll be annoyed that he can't dress himself right.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So it's kind of this thing of like a dance, we've got to step back and we've got to step in, and we've got to step back and we've got to step in, and we've got to continually do that dance and like allow them to experience difficulty, but in a safe way, in a way that we're there for them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, I miss seven yeah, I know, right, it was such a lovely age. It's great, yeah, and it's so also.
Speaker 1:You know, not only are every child so very different but boys and girls are so very different from the way that they require support and the way they require independence and skill shaping and you know all of the the supports and socializations and, um, you know, my son is, is semi-verbal, he is a profoundly gifted autistic and he's 14 and isn't like other 14 year olds in my neighborhood. You know, it's a blessing and sometimes, but at the same time, I, I it also, you know, pulls at your heartstrings when you feel as I think, as a mother, just in general my husband calls it windshielding that I often see through other people's windshield or empathize. You know, kind of in a way that, oh, I, you know, I hope he's not lonely, I hope he's not wishing he could have friends, but when I ask him those things it's not the case and that's not something he's missing out on and and so I okay Causes a little bit more relief and everything, but then every child just is needing so many different ways of support.
Speaker 1:So I love that you're teaching how to number one. Look at yourself.
Speaker 2:A lot of self-reflection is needed and is kind of maybe the root of often sometimes parenting. In general, yes, and having spaces in which we can have those reflections with others. You know, getting the take of another woman, another mother, another person who is a professional. Whatever you need, you know.
Speaker 1:That little, just that little push, or that little understanding that there is more to it that you can be curious about. Like you said, I love that word curiosity. There's so much like meaning, like emotion to it too. Like, what are you curious about for your children? What are you curious about in your own self, for learning more about yourself?
Speaker 2:and it's expansive, you know like means that you can go from. I'm afraid that my son doesn't have any friends too. I wonder if my son has any friends. You know the way you asked that question. So we can get stuck in our fears so easily as parents, I know.
Speaker 2:I do that too, I play out my unresolved hurts on my life in the present. You know, so much of that is about understanding that there was a little you in the past who felt alone. And there's that kind of idea of reparenting. You know, like if you were having a conversation with seven-year-old you, with 14-year-old you that felt alone, what would you say now? What would you say as the you in the present? You could say I know you were hurting and I'm sorry. No one saw that and I want you to know that things are going to turn out okay.
Speaker 2:And I heard this beautiful concept recently that you never know when. There's this concept that time is concurrent, that the present, the past and the future are all happening at the same time. And this is a quantum physics concept. It's not completely woo-woo, it's something that Einstein talked about, it's actually a theory, and it's a theory that has some weight behind it scientifically. And the idea that we might be able to speak into the past and that maybe the 14 year old self that you were in some sense feels that or hears that, you know, and it helps them, whether it be now or then or whenever.
Speaker 2:That's a beautiful concept, right, that we can actually transform or transmute. I mean, I know myself, I do sometimes get a sense of, oh, I'm really stuck in something, but if I think about who I'm going to be in 10 years time, what would that person say to me? Now, you know, that's almost like a way that we cross the timelines and we support the different versions of ourselves so we can re-parent ourselves, we can future parent ourselves, we can parent ourselves in all different ways. You know and I think that's such a great idea that we are able to actually tune into the parts of ourselves that were not heard or that are feeling fearful, and we can change that. We can transform that in quite simple ways. They're quite simple practices and we can change that. We can transform that in quite simple ways.
Speaker 1:They're quite simple practices, just tools in the toolkit, you know. Yeah, let's talk. I was going to say that and I'm excited that you brought that back up, because what are your kind of top three, if you will, favorite ideas of you know, tools that can help bring this journey to fruition and help foster and nurture it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, look, I often say this. I really believe that there are two main things Well, there's three, but I'm going to say two first that really keep us from enjoying our day-to-day as mothers and as women. When we're under the pump, when we're juggling, when we've got the thoughts that are critical on the inside, when we're feeling doubtful of ourselves, doubtful of our ability to navigate all the challenges of a day-to-day load of motherhood right. This is a common experience and those two things that stop us from really finding joy through that challenge are depletion and disconnection. Depletion is very much something that can start when we have children, and physiological, mental, emotional, spiritual we have this huge thing that happens. It's actually called matrescence. I don't know if you've heard that word, but adolescence is something that we often talk about being this multi-system change for our young adults as they enter adulthood. But women also go through a similar, if not greater change physiologically, hormonally, mentally, emotionally and in an identity sense when they become mothers, and that can take between two and 10 or 15 years to adjust to. This is not something that is quick. Just like an adolescent enters adulthood but may not feel like themselves till they're 30. We enter motherhood and we may not feel like ourselves for quite some time as well. So this is often overlooked, and part of being a mother is we become depleted, you know, creating a human life inside our bodies and then caring for that human life. I mean, if you think of it, we made us more human, not on our own, admittedly. We may care for them on our own I've had that experience but you know, it's huge, it's massive. You can barely put it into words. It's books and books and books about it, and we don't really have a lot of words or frameworks for it in our culture.
Speaker 2:That word, matrescence, is an important one because it acknowledges this transition and through that transition we give ourselves, we pour ourselves out. We pour it out because that's what we're trained to do, that's what we're expected to do, that's what we want to do because we feel great love. You know, even if it's hard, we feel great love for our children and so we give it our all, and that can leave us really severely depleted on a lot of levels, nutritionally. You know, just starting out, think of all the times you give yourself a really crappy breakfast when you give your kids a great one. You know, just starting out. Think of all the times you give yourself a really crappy breakfast, when you give your kids a great one, you know, like that sort of thing. So that's the depletion element. It can go on. It really needs to be addressed.
Speaker 2:Then there's a disconnection that happens because we disconnect from our previous selves, we disconnect from our previous role, we disconnect from our social circles. We in so many ways we experience disconnection deeply and often, you know, that can happen in relationships too. We can become disconnected from our partners or our support systems or our communities that previously supported us and we find ourselves in a different position. You know, we also can disconnect from the things that we did previously to feel good. Maybe we went to the movies, maybe whatever we did crocheted in front of the TV. Those things may not be available to us when we're in early motherhood or even middle motherhood, and so there's all these levels of disconnection.
Speaker 2:And most of all, I think we feel disconnected from ourselves and our soul's purpose. Sometimes, you know, we realize we're made for more than just motherhood. I mean, it's not just motherhood, but you're allowed to want more for yourself, you know. So that's really important. And then the third level of it is just unconditional love. You know, I have a program which is called soul, mama, and soul stands for simple, ongoing, unconditional love.
Speaker 2:It's a really hard thing to do for ourselves or for our children, or you know, just to sort of lean towards on in an ongoing, consistent way. Unconditional love such a simple concept, but so powerful.
Speaker 1:It really is. I think we've been practicing a little bit. We've been my husband and I have been speaking about it a lot, about how we show our kids. You know our unconditional love and in that. Yeah, you know, I love that. I'm very lucky to have just a best best friend and a spouse and um 20 years, this year, it will be that we've you know been congratulations, having coffee with each other every morning, thank you, that's how it started out.
Speaker 1:We started as friends, sitting at a coffee table having coffee with one another, just getting goosebumps fascinating how these things happen right in our lives.
Speaker 1:Like I, was saying serendipity oh yeah, and in that unconditional love we you know we're speaking about the occurrence of the way maybe someone is speaking to you and not taking it personally at that moment and realizing number one it's a child that doesn't have very much experience in relationships and or relationship building for that matter and also not not shaming or punishing, but really just saying you know, and later on, not in that moment I forgive you for the things that you say, when you say them. I'm not going to hold those things against you, like it's. Of course there's ways to teach respect and boundaries and I'm not saying that you should not do those, but I just find that it was, it was and he actually was the one who said that to me is that we just really need to enforce that and show unconditional love by trying to get past these our own hurt feelings sometimes in these situations and it couldn't be more true because in those moments is when you want to shut down and you want to do that disconnect and everything.
Speaker 1:But when you hold fast to those connections and that meaningfulness of being this person's mom, then I want them to know, like, no matter what the situation, I'll be there for you, and there's nothing that you know could stop that from happening.
Speaker 2:So I don't want you to ever question it. It's that I'm here and I'm listening, and I will point out. One thing you said is to move past the feelings of hurt, and I would say move through, because I think those feelings of hurt have a place in this conversation right, but if you are having that moment.
Speaker 2:You have a child who is experiencing something and it's triggering you, it's bringing something up in you. It is okay, as long as they're safe and not hurting themselves or others, to take a beat and to own what's going on for you. Now, it depends on the age of the child. You may not be able to own it with them, but you can, in that moment, allow yourself to feel whatever it is you need to feel. You can say I need a minute. If they're old enough, you can go and call a friend. You can go and journal. You can go and take two minutes to cry. I'm not saying you fall down a heap on the floor in front of your child, necessarily, but if you need time to feel something, give yourself that time or bookmark it, Go. Oh, I've uncovered a little nugget of something, unexpressed or unfelt, that needs expression and needs feeling and feel all your feelings, and by doing so you give your children permission to do the same. And there's a couple of things I was just thinking when you were speaking.
Speaker 2:We talk about discipline being a bad thing and I think when we talk about discipline we often forget disciple. To be a disciple is to be a learner is to learn, and discipline is really about teaching. It's actually about it's not about punishment, it's about it's a situation where you're lacking a particular understanding and I'm going to help you get that understanding. And sometimes that looks like holding space. Holding space means I'm going to sit here while you rage. I'm going to give you a piece of cardboard to stab with a pencil and throw around the room. I'm going to let you punch a pillow. I'm going to let you scream. I'm going to let you do what you need to do. As long as I'm not getting triggered, as long as I'm okay, I'm going to let you do all that, and then we're going to show you how to move through that feeling and come out the other side without hurting anyone, without blaming anyone. You know those skills are deep and long lasting and powerful skills of resilience.
Speaker 1:I love that and it's so important that we can gain this kind of like tips and advice from people who have gone through these experiences and want to share them, like yourself, and and see the value and the the need in society for women to feel, um, not like an Island, but really empowered, especially by other women, and I I love that quote. You know we rise by lifting others, and I think that it's so true, just like you had said with service that you know, extending that hand to a mom that's struggling can be so life changing for each of us when we are in our moments, it can be life saving actually, in my experience, life-changing for each of us when we are in our moments of it can be life-saving actually in my experience, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:What um do you do, like groups or, or therapy or anything like that? In particularly Um and I want to talk about your podcast and and how that also fulfills its place in in your um you know life and what that means.
Speaker 2:I love talking about this stuff. I mean, I do. I have a monthly program which is a group program and we have a beautiful. It's quite small and I really like it actually being quite small, but I also have a free community which I invite women into to come and participate in these kinds of conversations. I've just taken it off social media so it's now private. There's no ads, you know, it's just a a space for women to come and be authentically themselves and get the kind of support we're talking about in that non-judgy, very supportive kind of space. You know, it's really important and it's slowly growing. It's quite new, so that I'm so excited about it's funny. You mentioned groups.
Speaker 2:I really want to run a regular support group for women. I haven't quite worked out where or in person. You know I'd love to do that. The moment the program I run is online and it's been running for three years and it's really about the combination of putting the tools in the toolkit so we get experts coming in to speak with us and share all different things from, like, natural skincare right up to yin yoga and, you know, doing a meditation, and then right through to spiritual support for your children. How do you create, you know, a safe place for your children to navigate challenge.
Speaker 2:So it's a real mix of things and I love that. I love that it's a whole bunch of stuff. It's actually loosely based on an idea that there's a roadmap. You know, there's a roadmap that goes through five stages and I put all these expert workshops into categories and take women through these five stages so they can go from that sort of I'm overwhelmed, I'm burnt out, I don't know who I am anymore, to I'm aligned, I'm on purpose, I'm showing up in the way I want to show up, and it's really beautiful to watch how that evolves. It's so different for each woman that comes in. It's just gorgeous.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it's a woman who runs a business and she has an employee, you know, and that gives her time to spend with her kids and how to maintain that priority. You know that she had lost and for another one, it's what's her next career move? She doesn't know who she wants to be or what her next career will look like. She just knows she wants it to be different, you know. So it's really interesting. It's a really interesting process. I'm fascinated.
Speaker 1:I love it and I really agree and think that, going back to one, and I think that that is one that comes in and and you don't always focus well, unless you do that for a living you don't always focus on it every single day, you know. But you know my husband, when he was growing up he was a lot involved, unfortunately was going in his body and learning how to kind of trap it, or you know if you will or maybe just be in it so that you could it's taught me so much, and through that we've been able to not only work on our own selves.
Speaker 1:I think that he, you know, goes through things and he gives me these ideas, and then we're all neurodiverse, so we think of all these other outside the box innovative things, and it just turns out to be such a wonderful mix of skill you know skill building and, if you will, yeah, the somatic responses.
Speaker 1:I think that there's so much to do with understanding that, and it took me a while to kind of start to focus more on that to be able to oh yeah, I've done a black belt in the last couple of years in play. So I was a massage therapist at one time.
Speaker 2:So oh, right, and that's, and we learn right.
Speaker 1:So I've had so we kind of both understand that body.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've had so many experiences that have brought me back to the body. So becoming a black belt at 50 was a big one. And then also I had PTSD and I had some trauma that for many years was causing some really serious mental health and relationship problems and so many issues that I had not addressed. And the only way I ended up finding my way through was with somatic processes. So that means through the body, you know, not just talk therapy, but talking and focusing on ways that we can clear energy from the body, maybe through group work, maybe through energy work, maybe through experiences where you're operating on multi levels, you know, mind, body, spirit. And it sounds woo-woo, it's not really. There's a lot of practices that do that, but it's led me to be a somatic practitioner myself. So I also see one-on-one clients doing that work and it's absolutely transformational.
Speaker 1:I agree. I couldn't agree more. You know I'm going to share something very crazy, personal and but that's okay, cause you know how will other people learn about who I really am on this journey. I share, um, and that is that lately I've been challenging myself with my new kind of how. The new way I want to show up as my best version of myself is no conversations in my head. No, those conversations that you play out, that don't go anywhere with someone you're never going to see or something that happened or anything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I've been. Just every time I'm trying to. Okay, now you have to sing a song in your head, or now it's 10 things you're grateful for, instead of, you know, finishing that conversation. And that's so good because like a song can be like an affirmation.
Speaker 2:You know, an affirmation just means a series of words that makes you present or focuses you on something intentionally. A series of words that makes you present or focuses you on something intentionally, right. So I used to have my son going to his father and his father's family when he was very young and it was terrifying, even though they were fine, I was so scared of letting my son go anywhere without me when he was tiny and I used to imagine horrible things happening car accidents, whatever, just random, and it was awful, it was unbearable.
Speaker 2:And then I learned a practice of just imagining that he was covered in white light, coming from the sky and surrounded in like a gold parachute, like gold filigree, this beautiful gold bubble. So every time I would have one of these terrible thoughts, I would go white light, gold bubble, white, go white light, go bubble, white light, go bubble, white light, go bubble. That's an affirmation. You know, when I couldn't sleep because I was recovering from really serious things, you know, and I couldn't sleep, I would just do gratitude. Like I have a roof, I'm breathing. You know, like if you're in gratitude, you're not in shame. If you're in gratitude, you're not in shame. If you're in gratitude, you're not in terror. If you're in gratitude, you're not criticizing yourself or judging someone. So those mental habits are absolute game changers.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Tools in the toolkit, wonderful, just tips and advice for everyone on their journey, right, you know just tips and advice for everyone on their journey, right, to help kind of further anybody's meaningful journey with their children, with themselves, because it really does start with yourself. And I think that you know we all have kind of our why and our purpose of why we're doing it and how we're showing up. So thank you so much for you know the meaningfulness of what you're bringing and everything. Talk about the podcast and what you do on that and what that's about, thank you.
Speaker 2:Sarah, what you do on that and what that's about. Thank you, sarah. Look, I call it unboxable because I feel like it's really important for us to allow ourselves to live outside the boxes we often find ourselves in. So it's called Unboxable Self-Development for Midlife Mothers and all I do is I interview people and sometimes I do solo episodes, but I interview people a bit like this and we just explore the stories and the experience of women who've walked a path. You know, and it doesn't have to be anything massive, like it can just be a woman telling their story. Some men come on as well. Anything that's a little bit inspiring, that holds a little bit like you.
Speaker 2:Relatability gives people a sense that you know it's normal, it's okay, like the abnormal is normal. You know everything is okay. Whatever you are experiencing, I give you permission to accept it and surrender to it and let's talk about it. You know whatever it is and I really love it and I really enjoy it and much like working one-on-one with women in my practice, it's also just a way to serve, to support and to be there for this kind of growth and this kind of transformation. I just really believe that everyone has a right to access this. It's every woman's right to enjoy their life and to live their life to the full, and I don't believe that every woman realizes that that's true or maybe feels powerful enough to do that, you know. So I just really want to remind all your listeners, all the listeners of my podcast, that you do have that innate wisdom, you do have that gentle power within you, and you know, power is not a dirty word. It's something we're all worthy of experiencing and remembering.
Speaker 1:And deserving of. I love that. You said that because I think that's a big, especially for our females, or? You know that, self-love, that self-confidence, that self-love, that self-confidence, that self-expression.
Speaker 2:I don't know about you, but I thought I had that when I really didn't. And sometimes these things are lurkers, like we might think that we have pretty good self-esteem or self-worth until something happens and then we go oh my goodness, there's this huge thing that I was living in my body, in my subconscious, and I wasn't even aware of and it was stopping me from really stepping into my power and my fullest and most enjoyable life. You know, that's the bit that is fascinating.
Speaker 1:I love that and I think anecdotal stories we learn so much through people's experiences, so my favorite, obviously podcasters, obviously. We're doing the right thing. Oh wow. Well, before we go, share with us your website and where we can go to support you and follow you on social medias. Thank you, sarah.
Speaker 2:I would love to hear from anyone who's listened to this. If any of it has set off a little like spidey sense or a little tingle of recognition, please let me know. It's what I'm all about and I'm on social media as my name, alena Turley, a-l-e-n-a-t-u-r-l-e-y, and my website's the same, just alaynaturleycom, and that's where you can find access to the free community and a 30 minute chat just to have a talk and see where you're at.
Speaker 1:It's not a sales call, it's just let's connect and I absolutely love speaking to women on this level, and so I'm always up for it and you can book that there as well.
Speaker 2:I love that and you can check out that support group or the that you said you had there in that community. So that's very, very, very special. Very special and unboxable is the podcast, if you're a podcast lady.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm so, so glad that we were able to connect and I could learn more about you and learn about the amazing mission that you're on to help women feel like better people, as moms, as women and really just accept themselves. And it's okay if we're at a stage where we need a little bit of help, like it's okay to ask for help. It's certainly okay to be open to receiving it. Please practice that.
Speaker 2:Isn't that the truth? Yeah, if you're able to accept help and receive help you are in a good place.
Speaker 1:So please reach out to myself or Elena anytime that you feel like you need an extra nudge, a little shoulder to cry on happy with celebrate, whatever it is, yeah just connect me to resources.
Speaker 2:You know, I got so many things on hand I can share and I love to share.
Speaker 1:Yeah I love that. Uh, it's been so nice to get to know you today. Thank you so much for your time and I really look forward to staying in contact me too.
Speaker 2:Thanks for hanging out everyone and sorry, it's such a pleasure I could just talk to you for hours. Thanks for having me right?
Speaker 1:well, we'll definitely do this again. I think that'll be the best thing to that'd be great to continue right and see what's happening in the future, oh thank you so much right.
