When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck — What to Do Next

The Gentle Yoga Warrior
  • 5.0 (13)
  • ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Feeling stuck despite doing “the work”? This is the only podcast for spiritual, self-help-curious midlifers where you can explore hidden blocks, soulful practices, and actionable tools to find clarity, calm, and progress. We interview inspiring guests who share insights to help you move forward, and your host, The Gentle Yoga Warrior, knows what it’s like to be stuck for years — offering guidance, meditations, and practical practices to support your growth. Many episodes include a bonus optional meditation! Formerly Awakened Conscious Conversations, we’ve rebranded with a new title: When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck — What to Do Next. This updated name more fully reflects the heart of our work, and we’re deeply grateful to our longtime listeners for growing with us—and to our new listeners for joining us on the journey. We’re so glad you’re here!

  1. Stay Curious, Kind And Orientate Your Life To Better Than Normal

    4D AGO

    Stay Curious, Kind And Orientate Your Life To Better Than Normal

    What if the problem isn’t people who don’t fit, but the idea of “normal” itself? We sit down with Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana—pastor, coach, author, and parent—to rethink how we measure worth, design community, and navigate seasons of change. With warmth and candor, MaryAnn shares how her family’s journey with anxiety, depression, and neurodivergence reframed success from fitting in to living fully. Instead of treating difference as defect, she invites us to widen our shared spaces so diverse minds and tender hearts can belong without shrinking. We unpack the subtle pressures of productivity culture and why constant output erodes mental health, relationships, and joy. MaryAnn offers a humane antidote: start from the premise that people are inherently creative, resourceful, and whole. From there, curiosity becomes an act of care. One practical move—ask a question before giving your view—can turn argument into understanding, even when values differ. We also explore life’s rhythm of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation, trading the fantasy of “back to normal” for the wiser work of building what’s next. MaryAnn's contact details https://www.maryannmckibbendana.net https://maryannmckibbendana.substack.com If you’re hungry for kinder communities, practical mental health tools, and a fresh path beyond conformity, this episode offers clarity and heart. Listen, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find the show. Subscribe for more grounded conversations on curiosity, courage, and living better than normal. Send us a message Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    48 min
  2. The Emotional Wounds We Carry From Lives We Don't Remember

    FEB 18

    The Emotional Wounds We Carry From Lives We Don't Remember

    Some patterns feel older than our memories. When recurring symptoms, looping breakups, and nameless dread don’t match our life story, we start asking different questions. I sit down with author Chris Nielsen to trace a decade-long journey from chronic, unexplained illness to holistic healing and past-life regression—and why the most powerful answers arrived when she stopped chasing labels and listened for origins. Chris Nielsen's website Chris opens up about early health struggles that defied clean diagnoses, the teacher who first linked body, energy, and emotion. We explore how a session actually works, why it isn’t about celebrity pasts but about unfinished emotions, and the “inner equation” that moves healing from insight to embodiment: understand, discover the why, accept, and forgive. Along the way, we unpack practical signs you might be carrying older wounds—phobias with no cause, pains medicine can’t explain, nightmares, and relationship patterns that refuse to shift—and how multiple roots across time and childhood can stack to keep you stuck. Chris also shares why she wrote about the inner life of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, not to glamorise a genius but to spotlight universal human lessons: the inner child and fear of abandonment, purpose and free will, the weight of family beliefs, depression, love and its limits, and how sudden, traumatic endings can echo forward until they’re seen and resolved.  We close with a gentle guided meditation by our host The Gentle Yoga Warrior to gather wisdom, integrate it like stardust, and return to the present with steadier breath and a softer heart. If you’re curious about the deeper story behind your patterns—or simply want a grounded, compassionate take on memory, karma, and change—press play. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Send us a message Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    38 min
  3. My Laptop Died: You Are Not Late To Your Life

    FEB 8

    My Laptop Died: You Are Not Late To Your Life

    Ever feel like you have to apologise for slowing down? After an unexpected laptop failure forced time away from screens, I found an unexpected gift: presence. That pause became a teacher, revealing how attention returns when noise falls away and how rest can be a strategy, not a setback.  We open the door to a softer way of living through February’s in-between space. To ground this shift, we guide a short, accessible meditation. Sit tall on a cushion or chair, breathe slowly, and say: I trust the timing of my life.   If you’re ready to swap rush for quiet confidence, this gentle practice can help you root now so you can rise cleanly when spring calls. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs permission to pause, and leave a quick review telling us: what does your energy need today? Send us a message Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    15 min
  4. February’s Quiet Power: You Don't Need To Force What is Still Forming

    JAN 28

    February’s Quiet Power: You Don't Need To Force What is Still Forming

    February offers a different path: quiet power. We lean into the month’s subtle energy and unpack how to stop forcing outcomes and start trusting what’s forming beneath the surface. Instead of chasing momentum, we build it by stabilising our bodies, our routines, and our nervous systems. We walk through the shift from January’s idea storm to February’s integration phase.  Since February often is associated with the heart, we explore self love as fertile soil for all relationships.  To anchor it all, we guide a three minute grounding meditation with breath, visualisation, and a calming affirmation. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs gentle momentum, and leave a quick review so others can find this grounding guide. Your support helps this community keep growing—slowly, steadily, and sustainably. Send us a message Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    13 min
  5. Why We Stop Trusting Ourselves—and How to Reclaim Inner Authority

    JAN 18

    Why We Stop Trusting Ourselves—and How to Reclaim Inner Authority

    What if the voice you keep sidelining is the one built to lead you? We sit down with Dr. Toni LaMotta to trace a brave arc from a vow of obedience to a life rooted in discernment, self-trust, and inner authority. Through lived experience and gentle, repeatable practices, Toni shows how to hear the guidance that’s already there—and how to act on it with courage. We unpack fear as information, not a flaw, and explore a playful model where your “barking dog” (anxious mind) and your spirit (calm knowing) both speak—but only one deserves the final say. You’ll learn the seven-minute presence practice that brings body, heart, and head online in the right order, turning mental chatter into quiet clarity. We talk dragonfly wisdom and why slow unfolding isn’t a defect; it’s how deep change locks in. Toni guides us to treat life as teacher, not enemy: finding the gift in setbacks, reframing “failure” as feedback, and using neuroplasticity to change the meaning of old memories without denying what happened. She shares how to stop asking “What should I do?” and replace it with “What does my heart want next?”—a small shift that simplifies decisions and eases chronic anxiety.  Ready to make guidance tangible? Tune in, try the seven-minute practice, and tell us the name of your barking dog. If this resonated, follow the show, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners reclaim their inner authority. Toni's contact details: https://tonilamotta.com/ Send us a message Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    50 min
  6. January Blues To Everyday Abundance: You Bank Account Might Be Cold But Your Bubble Bath Isn't!

    JAN 7 · BONUS

    January Blues To Everyday Abundance: You Bank Account Might Be Cold But Your Bubble Bath Isn't!

    January can feel heavy after Christmas: routines resume, bills arrive, and the cold bites harder than we remember. We wanted to offer something warmer than a pep talk—a mix of practical money calming and sensory richness that helps you feel abundant even when funds run low. Together we unpack why the post-holiday dip hits so hard and how to replace panic with a plan you can actually follow, then layer in small rituals that make ordinary days feel spacious and kind. We guide you into a forest meditation recorded with birdsong and the hush of water nearby. Step by slow step, the practice invites you to notice breath, ground, and the truth that change is made of small moves taken often. You’ll choose one next step that sits just outside your comfort zone—calling a support service, setting a walk on your calendar, or planning that shared meal—and leave with a felt sense of ease. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s momentum. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a gentler January, and leave a quick review so others can find it. What’s the small step you’ll take today? Send us a message Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    12 min
  7. From Hibernation To Habits: A Gentle New Year Plan

    JAN 1

    From Hibernation To Habits: A Gentle New Year Plan

    We start by reframing January from a sprint to a season of setup. You’ll hear how a playful mood board clarifies what you want to invite this year without turning goals into punishment. From there, we outline a one-habit-per-month strategy that keeps focus sharp and progress steady—think fewer grand gestures, more consistent steps. If the gym is on your list, we map out how to start small, observe your energy and schedule, and only then add intensity. The same approach applies to reducing sugar, drinking more water, reading more, or exploring a job change. Along the way, we look at the hidden gifts of this month: quiet mornings, reflective evenings, and the chance to recover from holiday strain. You’ll get practical ways to cut screen time and return to the real world so your attention can actually fuel your goals. To close, we guide a short, soothing breathing meditation—simple posture cues, nasal breathing, and an ocean-wave rhythm—to help you build a calm baseline for better choices all week. If you’re ready for a reset that lasts longer than a week, this conversation offers a clear map and a kinder tempo. Subscribe for more grounded practices, share this with a friend who’s tired of all-or-nothing resolutions, and leave a review to tell us the one habit you’ll focus on first. Send us a message Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    10 min
  8. We Rebrand To Help You Move From Stuck To Steady Progress

    SEASON 19, EPISODE 14 TRAILER

    We Rebrand To Help You Move From Stuck To Steady Progress

    We've rebranded and this message to explain why! Previously we were called: Awakened Consicous Conversations Podcast but we have rebranded to: When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck- What To Do next. Feeling spiritually stuck can feel lonely, confusing, and strangely noisy—like you’re trying every practice you know but none of it lands. We’re changing that. Our newly named show, When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck, What to Do Next, zeroes in on the exact moments where growth plateaus and offers clear, compassionate steps to regain traction without burning out or overthinking. We walk you through why we shifted the title and focus, what that means for long-time listeners, and how this new direction brings more value to self-help curious seekers.  We also want to hear from you. Tell us where you’re stalled and what topics would help most as we build out new content and launch our updated website in the new year. Subscribe, leave a review to help others find the show, and share this episode with a friend who could use a calm, practical guide when their spiritual work feels stuck. Send us a message Support the show A note for every episode: we do not necessary agree with all the views on our podcast and leave listeners to make their own mind up with what they do or don't agree with. Want to be a guest? Send The Gentle Yoga Warrior a message on PodMatch, here:

    2 min
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About

Feeling stuck despite doing “the work”? This is the only podcast for spiritual, self-help-curious midlifers where you can explore hidden blocks, soulful practices, and actionable tools to find clarity, calm, and progress. We interview inspiring guests who share insights to help you move forward, and your host, The Gentle Yoga Warrior, knows what it’s like to be stuck for years — offering guidance, meditations, and practical practices to support your growth. Many episodes include a bonus optional meditation! Formerly Awakened Conscious Conversations, we’ve rebranded with a new title: When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck — What to Do Next. This updated name more fully reflects the heart of our work, and we’re deeply grateful to our longtime listeners for growing with us—and to our new listeners for joining us on the journey. We’re so glad you’re here!

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