061: [FEMININE FLOW] Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies w/ Amy Natalie

Ever felt like you're constantly running on a treadmill of productivity, yet somehow you're still not getting anywhere? I can definitely relate. As a self-proclaimed Type A - I often found myself in hyperdoing mode (wholly disconnected from my body and any part of my feminine, flowy being). What would this lead to? Burn out, disatisfaction,   and questioning the end I was running towards! Today's episode is a deep dive into this theme as we speak with Amy Natalie; feminine embodiment guide, author, and coach. We delve into Amy's profound shift from a life stifled by anxiety to one flourishing in stability and intuitive living. As she recounts her steps, Amy becomes a beacon for the kind of intentional living that can lead to personal growth and fulfillment, a journey we at Inflow hold close to our hearts.

Striking a balance between the go-getter drive and the intuitive whisper is a dance many of us are still learning. Our discussion turns to the art of embodiment, where as a women's empowerment coach, I emphasize the value of connecting deeply with our bodies as the vessel for our emotions, intuition, and pleasure. We share personal narratives that challenge the 'good girl' persona and societal norms, urging listeners to realign their lives with their soul's essence. The transformation is palpable as we discuss shifting from living 'neck-up' to embracing a life sprouting from authenticity and joy, a path that leads to personal growth and a healthier society.

This episode is a treasure trove for those seeking harmony in their personal and professional spheres. Amy's battle with endometriosis, which led to the creation of Inflow, exemplifies the perfect marriage of structure and flow, and it's a resource you won't want to miss. We offer you tangible steps to start practicing embodiment and give a glimpse into resources for those ready to journey deeper into this transformative work. If you're ready for a significant change or yearning for balance, this conversation is an open invitation to nurture a connection with your inner self and step into a more empowered, integrated life.

 To connect with Amy:
 
IG: amynatalieco 

amynatalieco.com

Free embodiment class  🎉

Transcript

Kasia: 0:01

Hello and welcome to the Other Way, a lifestyle podcast exploring uncommon, unconventional or otherwise alternative approaches to life, business and health. I'm your host, Kasia. I'm the founder of Inflow, a woman's wellness brand that designs intentional products to help women reconnect to their unique cyclical rhythm and find a balance between being and doing. This podcast is an extension of my mission within Flow. Here we provide intentional interviews with inspiring humans, trailblazers, researchers, spiritual teachers and more on the journey of doing things the Other Way. All right, Back from Bali, looking like quite the vibe, Amy. Welcome to the podcast.

Amy Natalie: 0:53

Thank you. I'm excited to be back here in my hometown in Asheville. I love it here and I also love to travel and adventure. So yeah, liking the mix of both.

Kasia: 1:08

That is the dream. I love it. Well, I'm so happy to have you here. Welcome. We have a lot to cover and, as we were just discussing before we started this recording, there are a lot of women out there who listen to this podcast who are going to resonate with what you have to talk about around kind of balancing masculine, feminine energetics. We're going to talk about that whole journey of the type A woman and navigating things like burnout and kind of diving deep into that. But before we do a question, I love to ask every guest what are three words that you would use to describe yourself?

Amy Natalie: 1:44

Oh, OK, three words. It's hard to describe yourself in like a bio and in like even like an Instagram bio or on your LinkedIn, or even just like three words. But if I were to really tune into, yeah, my essence, I would say grounded, sensual and intuitive.

Kasia: 2:05

I love that. Well, I mean, I'm not surprised by any of those following you on Instagram. Like, I feel like your podcasts and your Instagram kind of come across that way, so it's always so fascinating though, because it you know, sometimes you get like a sneak peek into things you weren't expecting from guests and I just want to like share that. You know those words definitely resonate.

Amy Natalie: 2:27

Definitely Amazing. I'm glad that they're they're coming through online as well. Oh yeah.

Kasia: 2:34

You know, before we dive actually into the first question, I want to ask about the kind of term grounded. Right, because I don't know about you, but a lot of the women that I am around, myself included, actually struggle with that word like kind of feeling more of that like anxious energy, overwhelmed energy, like every single woman that I've talked to in the past week is kind of vibing with that, and so I'm curious, like that term grounded is that one that you would kind of describe yourself as like in this present moment, or is that something that you feel pretty accurately describes you like as a being or like the being that you've evolved to become?

Amy Natalie: 3:17

Yeah, I definitely feel like it has been an evolution to be able to really embody that energy and to be able to, for the most part, be able to stay in that energy, and it's something that I've intentionally cultivated over time because, similar to you and many of your listeners, I've struggled with a lot of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed and feeling the opposite, which is ungrounded, for a long time.

Amy Natalie: 3:45

And it is through my own spiritual journey and the embodiment work that I've done which I know we'll talk more about today that has allowed me to cultivate that inner sense of feeling grounded, like, even if, circumstantially, there's a lot going on in my business or in my relationship, or if I'm traveling, like one of the yeah, the beautiful spaces that I can come back to through my daily practices and the tools that I've uncovered over time, I'm able to create that sense of groundedness. So I think, just the nature of the world that we live in today, we often feel ungrounded because of all of the different things that are pulling at our energy and our attention, and so it does take that intentionality to be able to cultivate that and to come back to that I love that and I'm so glad we're actually kicking off with this because I think for anyone listening like, one of the reasons why I was so excited to have you on is because you definitely embody that energy.

Kasia: 4:49

And I think that for a lot of women that feels like the kind of energy that they can only tap into on the weekends or when they're on like a woman's retreat. I'm speaking about myself here, for sure, but so many of the women that I'm friends with it's like, oh you know, if I'm on a girls weekend, I can feel that way, but I can't feel that way day to day, Like my life is too hectic, too crazy, too overwhelming. And so I love kicking off with that because I feel like that's really what we're going to journey through today. It's like exploring how to tap into that within yourself and have that be the well that is present, which I know you talk a lot on your podcast.

Kasia: 5:25

So, with that kind of intro, you are a women's empowerment coach, feminine embodiment guide and author, and I love your book, the Feminine Way, and I'll give a shout out that one of the things you shared at the very beginning of the book resonated so deeply. You were like don't plow through this book like you would any other, and I think that's so important because it's about shifting not just the energy within us but like the actions of how we do things, and so I so appreciated you calling that out Before we dive into some of that content. I'm curious for those who don't know what is embodiment, Because I think a lot of people are not familiar with that term at all like a feminine embodiment guide. A lot of ladies are like what, yeah?

Amy Natalie: 6:11

So it's a great question, because there's so many different definitions of what embodiment means, and it might mean different things to different people. The simplest terms is being connected to your body. Most of us live from our neck up, meaning that most of our energy and attention is in our thoughts, in our mind, and we become so disconnected from what's happening in our bodies. Our bodies are what hold our intuition, they are what hold our emotions, it's what holds our sensuality and our pleasure, and when we are disconnected from our body, we miss out on some of those feminine superpowers is what I like to call them.

Amy Natalie: 7:01

And another definition that I really love, when I think about being an embodied woman, is being in alignment with who you truly are on a soul level. So we all have a deep knowing of who we are, and we can sometimes operate against that because we're trying to fit into society and I call this the good girl persona that many of us wear where we're being people pleasers, perfectionists, we are overachievers and we try and look a certain way to fit in, and so we kind of start to make choices that are out of alignment with who we truly are. When you're fully embodied, you are making decisions and you are living in alignment with what's true for you, with what brings you joy, with what feels right for you, not based on what you think is going to impress other people or not based on getting validation externally. So, in simple terms, it's like walking your talk. It's being who you truly are, at your soul essence.

Kasia: 8:14

I love that kind of visual of living from the neck up versus full body because I think for a lot of people who perhaps struggle with anxiety or overwhelm, those are one of the symptoms. It's a racing mind that's just going and going and going. So before we dive into kind of some of the practices and tools and the personas, I'd love for you to share your personal story, which you definitely go into in the book. But you've been shared at the very beginning that this isn't the way you always operated. Like how did you kind of tap into that? Like what did that look like for you?

Amy Natalie: 8:51

Yeah, I think what really led me down this path of even discovering like what is feminine energy and why do I need more of that in my life, is because I was living from a very disembodied place, very unconsciously, in that path, so kind of rewinding back to my early 20s. I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue. I was having significant digestive issues. I had autoimmune symptoms, so my body was really acting up and trying to get my attention. Now that I look back, I realized like those were all signs that my body was asking me to pay attention. Right, I was also struggling with my mental health. I had chronic depression, was diagnosed with depression in my just before I turned 20 and was on antidepressants and had anxiety most of the time for over a decade. And so I got to this point where I had everything externally Like my life looked pretty picture perfect on the outside. I got married when I was 25. We bought a house together. I was running my own nutrition and health coaching business at the time. But internally I was really struggling. I was feeling really empty, I was feeling disconnected, I was feeling depleted and I was like there's no way that this is how life is supposed to be. And I had, like this, almost envy of other people who did seem happier and who seemed healthier and were enjoying their lives right. And so this led me onto my spiritual path and into the personal development world, and I had already done a lot of therapy, but I was like there's something else that's here that's trying to get my attention. And so I got my yoga teacher certification. I started doing meditation and it kind of felt like I didn't really have a choice, because I was waking up at 4am with tons of anxiety and I just didn't know where to turn and the only option I had was to turn within.

Amy Natalie: 10:58

At that point, and that was really when I hit my rock bottom and I was just like I can't keep going like this anymore. I can't keep trying to be who everyone else wants me to be. I can't keep making decisions to try and keep other people happy. Like I really have to get to the root of what is making me so unhappy and what's making me sick, essentially mentally and physically. And so it was through this exploration that I eventually learned about masculine and feminine energy, and this philosophy and this modality really helped me to see how I was operating out of alignment with my soul, with my body and with who I truly was, and what it showed me was that I was in my masculine energy, which there's nothing wrong with being in your masculine energy. It's just when there is an imbalance.

Amy Natalie: 11:49

So when you go into masculine overdrive, which I was doing in my exercise, I was over-exercising, I was very regimented with my food. I had restricted so many different foods to try and help my health journey, but in that process it was really limiting. I was in my masculine energy in my marriage. I was in my masculine energy in my business and there really wasn't a lot of space for my feminine to thrive and to provide that nourishment that I needed. So that really turned the corner for me in a big way, and it was interesting as I started teaching the same methods to my clients that I was working with at the time. They started to feel way more connected to themselves. Not only were they getting better results with the nutrition and health coaching, but they were starting to feel happier and their relationships were improving and I could see such a big difference in them and I was like OK, this is one of the tools that is needed right now, and clearly it is because so many women since then come to me for this specific type of support.

Kasia: 12:58

Oh my gosh, so much there. I mean, first of all, what a powerful shift to be making when this isn't something that at the time was really even being talked about. When you kind of reflect to, I think we're probably about the same age. But when you go into, when you reflect on our teens and our 20s, so much of what was considered appropriate and diet, culture, behavioral norms, don't do this, do this dress that way that still exists today. But it can be so scary to be like whoa, this just truly isn't resonating with me and then to trust that. I mean, that is so huge and terrifying at the same time, so powerful.

Amy Natalie: 13:44

Yeah, it was terrifying and to really close that loop.

Amy Natalie: 13:48

For those who haven't read my book, this journey took me down a really unconventional path and it really did bring me to my knees of coming to the place of something has to change and in my world what that looked like was ending my marriage and really shifting the focus completely of my career and my business and creating new friendships.

Amy Natalie: 14:14

And following this kind of like unconventional path and it doesn't have to be that extreme for everyone and it doesn't mean that you have to take these like massive leaps right away.

Amy Natalie: 14:26

This is more about learning how to listen to that inner voice, listen to your intuition, and having that courage and cultivating that confidence to take action in that direction, which doesn't happen overnight. Like it took me about three years in the process of contemplating my marriage to finally get to a place where I was like, okay, I'm ready to do this and this is for sure the right path that I'm meant to go down. And for other people it might look like actually deepening their intimacy with their partner. Like it doesn't have to look the same as my path, but for I find that for most of the women who are really in that place of struggling and feeling stuck, that there are some pieces that have to change, like there are some things that are out of alignment, whether it's the way that you're working, whether it's certain relationships, friendships, family dynamics that are not working for you, like something usually has to shift because that's what's causing the underlying imbalance.

Kasia: 15:25

So powerful and I will say thank you to you for having this rock bottom in your marriage, in your career, because I think for a lot of women listening to this, like there's this perception that being in your feminine is just like all of the sudden I'm in my feminine and I'm wearing a dress and I feel great and I feel like not as stressed, but like the reality is that in order to get to a place where you can kind of feel that way, forget about what you're wearing it's actually not about that at all but to get to that place it kind of requires some very terrifying shifts and like to trust those gut instincts.

Kasia: 16:04

And some of the time it could be a small shift, like, as you mentioned, deepening intimacy within your relationship and shifting some of the dynamics there, but in other cases it could be a complete overhaul. And so I think it's so amazing to get to speak to somebody like you, who you have made those shifts and you're on the other side and like still going through it, but kind of, you know, through some of what a lot of people would consider the more terrifying changes in your lives, like we're talking. So I mean that's a really good sign, yeah.

Amy Natalie: 16:37

It is a good sign. And your mind and your ego because it's so afraid of the unknown, especially when it comes to really big changes in your life like it does have the perception or the fear that you won't survive. You know, these big changes do bring you to a place of oh my God, like I don't know what's next because it's not predictable. But when you trust yourself and when you come to that place of deep, deep listening, like the answers are there and you don't have to know exactly how it's going to turn out, you just have to start following the breadcrumbs and start taking those steps forward.

Kasia: 17:16

So true, so true. So I do want to circle back to this like masculine and feminine dynamic, because I have some questions about the point of transition. But before I do, I want to define masculine and feminine energy, because I think that there are a lot of misconceptions for people as to, like, well, are we referring to gender norms here? So you do talk about it in the book, so could you define it for the audience so that it provides a framework for the conversation?

Amy Natalie: 17:45

Yeah, this is important, so that we're all on the same page. So some of you may be familiar with these terms. This might be new for some of you, and the terms can get confused with male and female, right masculine and feminine. But these words masculine and feminine what we're referring to is energy, and these two terms have been around since really ancient traditions, throughout time, and so we're looking back at the ancient yogic traditions, we're looking back at the tantric traditions and in even Chinese traditions as well, we see this duality of the yin and the yang, the shiva, the shakti. We see the light and the dark. So this is the natural duality that exists in all of life, and without masculine and feminine energy we wouldn't have any life like. It wouldn't exist. So, to really break this down, we all have masculine and feminine energy within us. Whether you're male, female, transgender, it doesn't matter what your anatomy is. It is really about your essence and the way of being. So we need both of these energies. They're both equally as important. There's not one that's better or worse.

Amy Natalie: 19:06

The problem is that for the last few centuries, we have been living primarily in masculine overdrive, which has led to things like burnout and overwhelm and infertility issues and feeling disconnected in our marriages. There's so many places where this shows up. So masculine energy, at its foundation, you can think of it as doing energy or linear energy. Masculine energy is when you're in the planning mode, the thinking mode, you're connecting with your goals, and it is more structured, more rigid it can be. Feminine energy is more flowy. It's more about being, it's about feeling, it's about really connecting to like.

Amy Natalie: 20:00

We've been talking about your intuition. It's that nourishment that we're all missing. So it's those two energies that need to work together. Now, a really easy analogy that I like to use that can help people to contextualize this is that the masculine energy can be thought of as the river bed, so it's the outline of the river that creates that structure that's needed. And the feminine can be thought of the water that flows through the river. If we don't have the river bed, then it's going to overflow, right, or if we don't have the water and it's going to be dried up and parched. So that can sometimes be helpful to just start to feel the essence of the importance of why we need both of them.

Kasia: 20:48

No, that's such a good kind of visual to imagine and I love that you brought up kind of some of the ways that this energetic shows up throughout history. I studied Chinese medicine and I remember seeing the Taiji I think it's Taiji, oh my God, I'm mispronouncing it right now but the Yin and Yang symbol and balance, and you could see that something that's really beautiful is that within Yin there is Yang, within Yang there is Yin, and they need to flow together and the symbolism actually represents the two of them melding together and actually being in balance in a way indistinguishable between one and the other. It's not like switching on and off, and that is just such a beautiful metaphor for kind of those two in harmony versus just focusing on predominantly kind of Yang doing productive energy, which is really what's celebrated in our culture 100%.

Amy Natalie: 21:46

Yeah, we have so much focus on feeling like our value and our worthiness is based on how much we do and how much we accomplish. And if you look at Eastern cultures, it's not like that and that's not what people are valued for. And so it does take a lot of deconditioning and unlearning to reconnect with your feminine energy. And this isn't about being in your feminine all the time, which I call feminine overflow. When we're just in that floaty mode, we're not getting anything done, we're just kind of in that creative kind of fairy, mystical land. It's not the real world, and especially for someone who comes from more of like a corporate background or a business owner like that's kind of too far on the other side, right. So, yeah, I think it's important to be able to learn how to integrate both of these and create an inner harmony between these two energies.

Kasia: 22:47

Hi everyone. I wanted to pause this episode to tell you a bit about today's sponsor, my Company, enflow. Please, if you suffer from PMS and feel like your monthly cycle is brutal, I feel you. As someone who suffers from endometriosis, I understand what debilitating pain and fatigue around your cycle feel like, and after years of fighting against my body and my symptoms, burnout inspired me to see things. You guessed it the other way. I found myself wanting to align my schedule with my body instead of against it, and this is why I designed Enflow, the first of its kind planner and journal in one, where you can merge goal setting with over a hundred daily diet, movement and mindfulness tips for living in harmony with your cycle. Our planner is personalized and it is designed in collaboration with an OBGYN to merge science with wellness. If this interests you, you can head over to infloplannercom to check it out, and if you want to make a purchase, please use code podcast10 for 10% off.

Kasia: 23:57

All right, now back to the episode. I think that's a really good segue to the question that I had around. As you are in your case, let's say, making these massive shifts in your life changing your business, leaving your marriage those are experiences that very much touch on that primal security that we need in our lives. I want to come back to this because I think for a lot of women who perhaps the changes are not as drastic but they're inner knowing as pulling them towards something different that these fears come up that are usually pretty primal around security and safety and belonging.

Kasia: 24:40

I'm curious, as you kind of went through these, it seems like and correct me if I'm wrong your feminine was in a way guiding the change that needed to happen, but there was still some structure that had to have been created. I mean, you went from there to create a thriving business, write a book like move to Asheville. You're in a new partnership. Can you talk a bit about the balance between the two and how perhaps leaning into your feminine can also help you find balance with your masculine and how that practically looks like for you on this journey?

Amy Natalie: 25:15

Yeah, so important to bring this into real, tangible examples. When I think about connecting my feminine energy, I think about letting my heart lead the way. It's first about tuning in and learning how to listen to what is my heart and soul calling me to do, and then using the masculine energy and structure to take inspired action. If I just had all of these creative ideas in my business and I was like, oh, I feel so inspired and excited but I didn't ever write an email to my email list, or I didn't ever start my podcast, or I never took action to create a scheduling link for my clients to book sessions, I wouldn't have gotten very far. What I would say is that it is more of a dance. As I was learning to integrate more of my feminine energy, there were times where I went too far into my feminine and I was like, ooh, that doesn't feel good. I wasn't as productive as I wanted to be. I felt like I was spinning in circles. Being in that place taught me okay, that's too far. To the other end of the spectrum.

Amy Natalie: 26:36

Where can I use some of my masculine energy, which is having a schedule? You can use your masculine energy in this way to create space for the feminine flow, for example, having a morning ritual where you set aside time, you set your alarm and you have time in the morning starting with 10 to 15 minutes. During those 10 to 15 minutes you can do whatever your body and your heart want to do. Maybe some days you might meditate, some days you might journal, some days you might go for a walk in nature and leave your phone behind. It's really that intuitive flow that gets to happen there. Same thing throughout your day, especially as a business owner. There's going to be more creative tasks or tasks that require you to be more quiet, and still that's where the best ideas are going to come through. You can put a creative block in your calendar to create space for that. Similarly, you can put an administrative block in your calendar to have that more focused time to focus on your business.

Amy Natalie: 27:44

Some other feminine aspects that I like to infuse into my day is to have some type of movement practice where I'm getting into my body intentionally. Again, that could be walking in nature, but one of the practices that I teach is feminine embodiment work, which is turning on some music and closing your eyes and connecting with the sensations in your body as you're moving your body. You could be on the ground on all fours, you could be standing up. There's so many different ways that we can explore this practice, but it's really about coming into the body. There are a lot of people who use yoga. It's the first embodiment practice that they do. Even yoga can become very hyper-masculine when you go to these hot sculpt classes. On the other end, the most feminine version of yoga would probably be a Yan Yoga class. You've got some stuff in between there to play with.

Kasia: 28:41

So good, so good.

Kasia: 28:43

I think that's such a good example, with yoga inherently being a means to feel embodied, but often the goal-setting mind can pull us in or you can skew in the other direction and just be in that flowy Yan state.

Kasia: 28:59

I'm curious for women who are deconditioning this actively, where their goal-oriented mind is coming into things and mess it, but I guess, yeah, kind of making it a struggle to tap into that feminine essence. What would you recommend and maybe we can use a couple of practical examples? So one of the things that, for example, I've been exploring is more intuitive movement and listening to my body and where I am in my cycle and you talk about cyclical living in the book as well to kind of adjust my workouts right and I can feel that like the mind pulling me in, like okay, this isn't really a workout if I'm not sweating my butt off or whatever. What are some of the ways that women can start to deconstruct that? We can start with workouts, and then I'm sure it'll apply to other things like how they work, whether it be in their business or a corporate environment too.

Amy Natalie: 29:57

Yeah, this is where the juicy stuff is. I love this question because on the surface, you can say, okay, well, now, conceptually, I'm starting to understand. What does feminine mean? What does masculine mean? What might that look like for me?

Amy Natalie: 30:10

But when we really look at it the deeper layers there's a lot of conditioning, like you mentioned, that has caused you to behave and to work out and to work a certain way. This isn't just a surface level conversation, which is why I have an entire coaching practice based around this, where we're really looking at okay, what are some of these deeper childhood wounds or some of these shadow aspects that are driving you to over exercise? For a lot of women, it's about maybe feeling unworthy or unlovable and feeling like they need to change their appearance or have the perfect body in order to feel like they can be chosen by someone. It goes that deep. It's not just about not listening to your body. And then, on top of that, we have conditioning of what we were taught growing up in diet culture and that ignore the signs of your body, just push through the pain. We've so been taught that the beautiful thing is that and this is unique for everyone, so it's a little bit hard to say okay, here's where we would go with each of these, but it is about getting deep, deep, deep into these subconscious places and starting to reprogram them.

Amy Natalie: 31:24

But the beautiful thing, as we do this, is that you'll start to see the more that you actually honor your body, the better results you're going to get and the more you're going to enjoy your workout.

Amy Natalie: 31:37

So it's more focusing on like huh, like what feels best for me today. And, like you said, at different times in your cycle, you're going to be like, okay, I'm in, let's say, luteal phase, like the weeks leading up to starting your period, and you're going to be like, maybe I don't have as much energy right now, so you're going to honor that, but then you're going to get after your period and you're going to be in follicular and ovulation and you're going to have more energy and you're going to be like, oh, wow, I feel like I can really push myself today and what you find is that you can trust your body. Well, you'll start to see, as you decondition and you start to really apply this, that your body knows exactly what to do. It's just, it takes practice and it takes learning how to listen to her and how to trust your body.

Kasia: 32:24

Oh, so good, so good. I love, love, love the kind of intuitive side and the trust that comes out, because I remember, for example, healing from like a massive ankle injury and surgery. Like your body, it knows what it needs, it knows like when it's tired, but we're just constantly overriding it, like drinking caffeine when we haven't slept enough, you know, like starving our bodies in order to kind of adhere to whatever diet. And I just think it's so scary, yet validating, to hear like, hey, it can be okay to actually listen to your cues and trust that that's right and you'll be okay. I mean it's scary, but I think that's one of the most powerful things as a woman to hear, frankly, yeah.

Amy Natalie: 33:13

I can so relate to that. Where it does does feel scary to listen to your body, especially when you've been taught to ignore it and you're like, am I going to do it right? Like, is this going to make me gain weight? Or, you know, am I going to get the results that I want? And it does take some practice to build that trust and it's not going to be like a picture perfect journey to get there.

Amy Natalie: 33:37

There might be times where you override your body symptoms and that will give you information that will say, oh, that was too much. Like now, instead of listening to my body, I overwrote it and now I have to take a step back for the next few days because I feel sick or because I got injured. Like this is what happens when we don't listen to our body and then we end up not being able to work out consistently. So for me, what I've learned and what I've come to is finding that, you know, the more I listen to my intuition, the more consistent I can be with my exercise, and that's the same thing with my work. You know, if I just keep burning myself out and then I need to take a week off because I feel so exhausted, that's not really sustainable.

Kasia: 34:21

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. I love that you mentioned that, because this is, I think, a very common pitfall for entrepreneurs, women working in the corporate space, men and women I think of all genders like the symptom of burnout it truly is. It starts from overriding your body's innate cues of what is enough, and I think when we're so focused on what we should be delivering or what we're expected to, because of layers of conditioning, subconscious, that's what kind of gets you to that, that point where you've actually overdone it and the recovery period is just so much longer. But at that point you need it and I love that you mentioned that, because that is something that, as a society, I think a lot of people are struggling with right now.

Amy Natalie: 35:11

Yeah, something that I like to remind people of is that the quality of your work is so much more important than the quantity of hours that you're putting in, and we're so ingrained that you need to work nine to five and, let's face it, like people are working way more than that because we have our cell phones and can check our emails, and like we're not really fully unplugged right.

Amy Natalie: 35:33

So it's like we have this idea that you have to work harder and you have to work more hours.

Amy Natalie: 35:38

But if we were working more in alignment with our energy and we were taking care of our bodies and showing up with a clear mind and showing up with, like, the creativity that comes through and feeling more calm, so we could respond to challenges that come up along the way, like this is totally possible and you're going to be far more effective and efficient, versus showing up with your tank half empty or all the way empty and then we can't really give or show up in the ways that we want to.

Amy Natalie: 36:10

And I just really want to acknowledge because, intuitively, what I'm feeling right now is like there's some people listening, being like this is so far away from how I'm currently operating right now and like this feels so challenging to think about doing things differently, but I want you to know that it doesn't have to happen overnight, and I have worked with women who have been deep in burnout and who have been deep in corporate world or deep in their CEO role, and we've really taken the steps to really meet them where they're at. And this is a journey, this is a process and it is possible, no matter like how stuck you feel in your current ways of being, like if you know that that's not serving you anymore and you know that you can't keep going like that forever. There's a path forward, that is a more integrated way which, as you know, my book is called the Feminine Way, and it's not again about just being in your feminine energy. It's about cultivating this inner harmony within you.

Kasia: 37:12

I'm so glad you mentioned that because I remember reflecting on, you know, a couple of years ago, when I was leaving Microsoft at the time so deeply burned out, I you know. It's funny that at the time you know now, kind of like reflecting on it I remember just how exhausted and fed up I was. I was like at my tipping point. There was no coming back. Like I had been offered some incredible offers around, like taking time off and like all these things, and I turned down quite a bit of money just to cut ties because I could not trust myself that I would be able to come back and like come back with like balance, to come back and do things differently, and it felt like an all or nothing decision at the time. And, of course, like I was starting grad school, I made some other life choices that ultimately were the right direction for me, I think like a long overdue pivot. But I reflect on just the state that I was at when that happened and how many women I know that I'm still friends with that I know listen to this podcast and women who I don't know personally who are in that state, who are just like you know. I feel like I want something to be different, but it just feels so unrealistic Like what they're saying, it's just so far away, like the consequences and all that stuff, and so I love that you mentioned that it's. It is a journey like it took you, however number of years to get to this state. To change, that is something that's going to take time, so I so appreciate you calling that out.

Amy Natalie: 38:51

Mm, hmm, yeah. And I would say like, with the right tools, like I wouldn't have been able to get there without the guidance and mentorship that I received, and like, yes, it does take a lot, it can take time, but it doesn't have to take as long as you think it does. And like an example of that, I have a client who was working in a nine to five job and really wanted to start her own business. And she was like, yeah, maybe like a year and a half from now, I'll do that. And she was so out of alignment with the work that she was doing initially and was so ready for a change. And I was like I feel like we can make that happen sooner. And she was like I really want that. And so we really worked and within eight months she had made that transition from her corporate job.

Amy Natalie: 39:38

She actually ended up doing consulting work and making really good money while she was building her business. So sometimes there's like you know, you don't know exactly what it's going to look like and you don't know how it's going to work out. But there are creative ways to transition if that's a place that you're in and things that maybe you haven't thought of before. But it does start with taking some steps forward and taking some action instead of just like kind of stewing in that same reality. Yeah.

Kasia: 40:11

So before, because I know we're running up on time so I could just keep chatting with you for hours.

Kasia: 40:17

But I do want to throw in one additional kind of question that I know has come up from this audience, because the woman who actually introduced me to you and your podcast had shared this with me that it can be very uncomfortable practicing, like embodiment practices, right Like taking the time with music on to listen to your body, maybe move with your body, you know, forget about just like deciding which yoga class feels right for you today. That's like one level of discomfort with programming. But when it's unstructured, kind of taking that time to feel into your body, can be really uncomfortable for a lot of women. I'm curious what would you say to the woman that is like, okay, this all makes sense, like in my head. And now you know, later this evening I'm trying to practice some of this and just sit with my body and feel what's coming up, and I'm just overcome with discomfort, like I've never even done this. Like what would you recommend for someone who's in that place?

Amy Natalie: 41:21

Yeah, I would say, first, what you're feeling is valid and it makes sense because this is new. And if you are feeling overwhelmed on where to start, I definitely recommend to take an embodiment class and do one of my embodiment sessions. So if you are curious to try embodiment sessions, I would love to offer a free class to your listeners because you know, this is new, this is a whole new paradigm, this is a new exploration. But if you are like, okay, I want to, you know, do a small practice today. I would say, like, set your environment where you feel comfortable. No one's going to be there, no one's going to see you.

Amy Natalie: 42:04

You can even turn down the lighting a little bit and create a ritual space for yourself.

Amy Natalie: 42:09

You can light a candle, do what you need to do to make a relaxing environment and then pick a song that you want to move, to Close your eyes Again. You can be on a yoga mat, you can be on the floor and if, as you're moving, like letting your body move to the music, if you notice that you feel anxiety or like, oh my God, this is so weird, what if someone sees me? Or what would other people think about how I'm moving? That's a signal that you're stuck in your mind, which is okay. So the guidance would be similar to a meditation is come back to your breath, come back to the sensations in your body, bring your awareness to your feet and bring yourself back into your body. And it's going to take practice to keep doing that, because we're so conditioned to be in the mind. So that's what I would recommend to reconnect with the sensations of the music, of how your body is feeling, and keep practicing that coming back into your body.

Kasia: 43:09

So good, so good. So I could speak with you for hours, but we are coming up on time. So, for those out there who are very eager to now find you, where can people find you, where can they find your book and what are some cool things that you might want to share with our audience, that you might have coming up, and I'm going to deep link everything below in the show notes too.

Amy Natalie: 43:30

Perfect, yeah, thank you so much, and I'm really looking forward to connecting with your listeners after this. So you can find me in a couple of different places. You can find my podcast, the feminine frequency podcast, on Apple, spotify, itunes anywhere that you can listen to podcasts, you can find it there. You can also find me on Instagram. My handle is at Amy Natalie Co and you're welcome to send me a direct message. Let me know that you listened to this episode and if you have any questions for me, you can ask them there. And, lastly, I have a signature group mentorship in which we cover pretty much everything that we talked about today Really teaching you about embodiment work, connecting to your feminine energy and getting out of that space of burnout and that program is called the multi-dimensional woman and I offer it a few times a year. So if you're curious to learn more about that again, you can send me a message on Instagram or you can visit my website, which is

Kasia: 44:30

Amy, thank you so much for joining us today.

Amy Natalie: 44:34

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It has been such a pleasure and I'm really grateful to be able to share this wisdom with you.

Kasia: 44:42

All Pleasure is all ours. Thanks everyone for tuning in and see you next time. Thank you so much for tuning into the Other Way. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a five star review. It really helps the podcast grow and I'm ever so grateful. If you want to stay connected, you can find information on how in our show notes. And finally, if you're curious about Inflow and want free resources around cyclical living or moon cycles, check out infloplanorcom. And, of course, for all my listeners, you can use the code podcast10 and that's all lowercase podcast10 for 10% off any purchase. All right, that's all for today. See you next time.