Midlife Spirituality Project: Guiding 40+ women toward Connection, Inner Peace & Purpose

Katie Farinas
  • 5.0 (28)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Midlife Purpose Project is a podcast for spiritually seeking midlife women who are ready to come home to themselves. If you are navigating midlife anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, disconnection, perimenopause, menopause, body changes after 40, and the deeper questions of purpose, identity, and what comes next - welcome to the community. I’m Katie Farinas — yoga teacher, former nurse, and midlife clarity and purpose coach helping women reconnect with themselves and move through midlife with more peace, self-trust, and purpose. Each week, we explore how to move through midlife with more intention and less overwhelm by blending yoga philosophy, meditation, breathwork, nervous system regulation, emotional regulation, and modern therapeutic tools. Through honest solo reflections, inspiring interviews, and practical conversations, we talk about midlife purpose, emotional healing, self-compassion, people pleasing, relationships, motherhood, intuition, inner peace, self-discovery, and coming home to yourself. You’ll also hear expert conversations on perimenopause and menopause, hormone therapy, healthy aging, longevity, movement, nutrition, career transitions, financial stress, body image, and how to care for your changing body and mind with more awareness and compassion. You’ll also hear expert conversations on perimenopause and menopause, hormone therapy, healthy aging, longevity, movement, nutrition, career transitions, financial stress, and how to care for your changing body and mind. If you’ve been asking: Why do I feel so disconnected from myself, and how do I reconnect with who I really am? How do I manage strong emotions in midlife? How do I regulate my nervous system and feel more grounded? How do I learn to listen to my intuition and trust myself? I’m not religious, but I long for a deeper spiritual connection — how do I find that? How do I stop judging, comparing, and criticizing myself and others? How do I let go of fear and move forward with more alignment? What is happening in my body after 40? How do I connect with this new body and honor what it needs? How can I shift my mindset to embrace this season of life? How do I navigate perimenopause and menopause with more clarity? Can I reinvent myself at 40, 50, and beyond? How do I stop people pleasing and start honoring my own needs? How do I get unstuck? What spiritual practices actually help in midlife? I’ve been through hard things — how do I make sense of them, heal, and move forward? How do I find more meaning, alignment, and purpose in midlife? This podcast is for you. The Midlife Purpose Project is your sanctuary for healing, clarity, connection, and reconnecting with yourself — so you can live with more peace, purpose, alignment, and joy. This podcast is for you. The Midlife Purpose Project is your sanctuary for clarity, healing, connection, and coming home to yourself — so you can live with more purpose, peace, and joy.

  1. 3d ago

    166: Loving When It Feels Hard, Part 2: Boundaries, Forgiveness, and Choosing Peace

    How yoga philosophy helps us love difficult people without abandoning ourselves. How do we keep our hearts open when someone has hurt us? And how do we practice love without pretending something is okay when it is not? In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project, we continue the conversation from Part 1 of Loving When It Feels Hard and go deeper into what happens when difficult relationships become truly hurtful. This episode is not about spiritual bypassing. It is not about pretending you are not angry, hurt, resentful, or grieving. And it is not about abandoning yourself in the name of being loving or spiritual. Instead, this episode explores how yoga philosophy can help us stay connected to love while also honoring our truth, setting boundaries, feeling our emotions, and protecting our peace. We talk about ahimsa, or non-harming, and why non-harming must include yourself. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is set a clear boundary, create distance, speak the truth, or even release a relationship that continues to cause harm. We also explore viveka, or discernment, as the practice of seeing clearly what a moment requires. Love does not always look soft from the outside. Sometimes love looks like firmness. Sometimes it looks like a boundary. Sometimes it looks like refusing to participate in a harmful pattern. This episode also moves into vairagya, or non-attachment, especially when we want someone else to change. We can love someone, hope for their healing, and model another way of being without attaching our peace to whether or not they are willing to evolve. And finally, we explore forgiveness, anger, grief, and upeksha, or equanimity. Forgiveness is not excusing what happened. It is not rushing past pain. It is not saying something was okay when it was not. Forgiveness is a process of telling the truth, feeling what is underneath the anger, and eventually releasing the hope that the past could have been different. This is deep spiritual work. It asks us to practice svadhyaya, or self-study, by looking honestly at our own reactions, triggers, wounds, patterns, and responsibilities. Even when someone else is wrong, our healing still belongs to us. If you are navigating a painful or complicated relationship, this episode is an invitation to return to your center, tell the truth, set the boundary, feel what is real, and reach for the highest branch of loving-kindness available to you. Not perfect love. Not forced forgiveness. Not self-abandonment. But the kind of love that keeps your heart open without letting harm continue. In This Episode, We ExploreWhy loving someone does not mean abandoning yourselfThe difference between spirituality and spiritual bypassingWhy pretending you are not hurt or angry can become a form of self-harmHow ahimsa, or non-harming, must include yourselfWhy boundaries can be an expression of loveHow love does not always look gentle from the outsideWhat viveka, or discernment, teaches us about taking right actionWhy we cannot force another person to changeHow vairagya, or non-attachment, helps us release our grip on someone else’s evolutionWhy forgiveness should never be rushedHow anger can point us toward grief, hurt, shame, fear, or sadness underneathWhy forgiveness is not excusing harm or letting someone off the hookHow svadhyaya, or self-study, helps us see our wounds and triggers clearlyWhat it means to reach for the highest branch of loving-kindnessHow upeksha, or equanimity, helps us choose peace without denying pain Yoga Philosophy Concepts in This EpisodeAhimsaAhimsa means non-harming. In this episode, we explore why non-harming must include yourself. Staying in harmful patterns, denying your emotions, or pretending something is okay when it is not can become a form of self-harm. VivekaViveka means discernment or clear seeing. It is the ability to pause, return to your center, and see what the moment actually requires. Sometimes the loving response is softness. Sometimes it is truth. Sometimes it is a firm boundary. VairagyaVairagya means non-attachment. In difficult relationships, this can mean loving someone, hoping for their healing, and modeling another way without attaching your peace to whether or not they choose to change. SvadhyayaSvadhyaya means self-study. It is the practice of honestly observing your thoughts, reactions, wounds, patterns, and triggers so you can see where healing is needed and return to greater freedom. UpekshaUpeksha means equanimity. It is the ability to remain steady, grounded, and clear even in the presence of pain, complexity, or difficult emotions. Equanimity allows us to choose peace without denying what happened. Reflection Questions From This EpisodeWhere am I confusing love with self-abandonment?What emotions have I been pretending are not there?Is there a boundary I need to set in order to practice non-harming toward myself?Am I hoping someone else will change before I allow myself to feel peace?What am I still attached to that is keeping me on an emotional rollercoaster?What is underneath my anger?Is there grief, hurt, sadness, fear, or shame asking to be seen?What wound in me may have been touched by this relationship?What is my responsibility in my own healing?What is the highest branch of loving-kindness I can reach for right now?What would help me return to equanimity? Gentle Practice From This EpisodeThe next time you feel anger, resentment, or hurt rising in a difficult relationship, pause before reacting. Take a few slow breaths. Place one hand over your heart if that feels supportive. Then ask yourself: What am I really feeling beneath the anger? What boundary would protect my peace? What is mine to heal? What is not mine to carry? What would love look like here if love included me too? You do not have to force forgiveness. You do not have to pretend you are okay. Just begin with honesty. That is svadhyaya. That is self-study. That is the beginning of freedom. About Katie FarinasKatie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. ✨ Ways To Go Deeper: If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here. Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Join the Monthly SatsangVisit Katie’s websiteJoin the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practicesRead and watch on SubstackBook a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coachingSchedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you. 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube:

  2. Jul 13

    165: Loving When It Feels Hard: How to Stay Open Without Abandoning Yourself

    How do we love people who are difficult to love? This is one of the hardest spiritual practices. Across many wisdom traditions, we are taught that we are not separate from one another. Beneath our personalities, opinions, wounds, beliefs, and stories, there is a shared essence moving through all of us. But that can be very hard to remember when someone is being hurtful, angry, unfair, frustrating, selfish, or difficult. In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project, we explore what it means to love when it feels hard — not in a way that asks you to abandon yourself, excuse harmful behavior, or stay in situations that are not safe, but in a way that helps you protect your own heart from closing completely. This episode looks at the difference between love and self-abandonment, compassion and enabling, boundaries and resentment. Through the lens of yoga philosophy, we explore ahimsa, or non-harming, and why loving others must also include not harming yourself. We also talk about triggers, ego responses, resentment, anger, and the spiritual freedom that becomes possible when we learn to pause before reacting. When someone activates something painful in us, it can feel automatic to respond from anger, defensiveness, judgment, or resentment. But the real practice is learning to pause, breathe, return to center, and choose a response that does not rob us of our peace. This episode also explores the idea that difficult people can show us where we are not yet free. Our triggers can reveal the wounds that still need our attention. And while that does not make someone else’s behavior acceptable, it can help us see our own inner work more clearly. You’ll also hear about the practice of not taking things personally, the wisdom of seeing someone’s behavior as a reflection of their own internal experience, and the yoga practice of pratipaksha bhavana — cultivating the opposite perspective. This does not mean pretending harm did not happen. It means learning to see the whole person without denying the harm. It means choosing where you place your attention. It means keeping your heart open without removing your boundaries. And it means remembering that love is not weakness. Sometimes love is the most courageous spiritual practice there is. In This Episode, We ExploreWhy loving difficult people is one of the hardest spiritual practicesHow many wisdom traditions point toward our shared essenceWhy people’s wounds, stories, and beliefs can hide the truth of who they areWhy closing your heart may protect you from pain, but can also block love and healingWhat yoga philosophy teaches through ahimsa, or non-harmingWhy love does not mean abandoning yourself or ignoring harmful behaviorHow anger and resentment can keep us trapped in sufferingWhy the pause between stimulus and response is where freedom beginsHow triggers can reveal the wounds that still need healingWhy other people’s behavior is often about their own internal experienceWhat it means to not take things personallyHow to see the good in someone without denying the harm they have causedHow pratipaksha bhavana helps us shift our perspectiveWhy choosing love is not the same as excusing bad behaviorHow to respond from your higher self instead of your wounded ego Yoga Philosophy Concepts in This EpisodeAhimsaAhimsa means non-harming. In this episode, we explore how non-harming applies not only to others, but also to ourselves. Loving someone does not mean allowing them to harm you. Boundaries can be an expression of love and non-harming. SvadhyayaSvadhyaya is a sanskrit term for self study. In yoga philosophy, it means the practice of honestly observing yourself — your thoughts, patterns, beliefs, reactions, habits, wounds, desires, and inner truth — so you can begin to see yourself more clearly. It is not self-analysis in a harsh or judgmental way. It is compassionate awareness. Pratipaksha BhavanaPratipaksha bhavana is the practice of cultivating the opposite perspective. When the mind becomes caught in anger, judgment, or aversion, this practice invites us to consciously turn toward a different way of seeing. It does not require us to deny harm, but it helps us remember that people are complex and rarely only one thing. Reflection Questions From This EpisodeWho in my life feels difficult to love right now?What happens inside my body when I think about this person?What wound might be getting touched in me?Am I responding from my center, or from protection?What boundary would help me practice love without abandoning myself?What am I taking personally that may actually be about the other person’s inner world?Can I see any good in this person without denying the harm?What response would allow me to keep my peace?Where am I being invited into more freedom? Practice From This EpisodeThe next time someone triggers anger, resentment, or defensiveness in you, pause before responding. Take a few slow breaths. Feel your feet on the ground. Place a hand over your heart if that feels supportive. Then ask yourself: What is happening inside me right now? What wound might be getting touched? What response would protect my peace? What response would come from love without abandoning myself? You do not have to respond immediately. Sometimes the most powerful spiritual practice is creating enough space to choose.

  3. Jul 6

    164: Balance Is a Myth: What Yoga Teaches Us About Wobbling Through Life

    Feeling like you can’t balance it all? This episode explores why balance is a myth and how yoga teaches us to wobble, readjust, and return to center. What if balance is not something we are supposed to finally achieve? What if balance is not standing perfectly still, holding everything together, or giving equal energy to every part of your life? In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project, we explore the myth of balance and what yoga can teach us about the real practice of staying centered in everyday life. So many of us have been taught that we should be able to balance it all: family, work, friendships, health, home, spiritual growth, parenting, rest, and all the endless responsibilities of being an adult. And when we cannot do it all perfectly, we assume we are failing. But balance, as we often imagine it, does not really exist. In yoga, balancing postures like Tree Pose or Warrior III are not still and perfect. They are full of tiny movements, adjustments, wiggles, wobbles, and moments of falling out and beginning again. The body is constantly sensing, shifting, and returning to center. Life is the same way. This episode is an invitation to stop chasing the impossible version of balance and begin practicing a more compassionate, honest, and seasonal version of it instead. You’ll be invited to ask: What matters most in this season? What is my edge right now? What can I release without guilt? What would help me stay present, peaceful, and connected to what matters? If you have been feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like you are failing at balancing it all, this episode will help you see balance in a new way. You are not failing. You are practicing. In This Episode, We ExploreWhy balance, as we usually define it, is a mythHow the pressure to “balance it all” makes women feel like they are failingWhat yoga balancing postures teach us about real lifeWhy wiggles, wobbles, and falling out are part of the practiceHow to think about balance as constant readjustment instead of perfectionWhy different seasons of life require different prioritiesHow to recognize your personal edge before you become overwhelmedWhy intentional choices help us step out of autopilotHow the idea of “enough” can help us release unrealistic expectationsWhat it means to return to center with compassion Journal Prompts From This EpisodeWhat does balance look like for me in this season of life?What matters most to me over the next three months?What would make this season feel meaningful, connected, or well-lived?What am I carrying because I think I “should”?What can I release without guilt?Where have I overshot my edge?What would help me feel more present, peaceful, and grounded right now?When I look back on this season, what will I be glad I made space for?What will I be glad I let go of? Practice From This EpisodeThe next time you feel like you are failing at balance, picture yourself in Tree Pose. Notice the foot and ankle making tiny adjustments. Notice the body swaying. Notice how balance is not stillness. It is movement. It is sensing. It is readjusting. It is falling out and choosing to return. Then ask yourself: What adjustment do I need to make today? Not forever. Not for everyone. Just today. About Katie FarinasKatie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. ✨ Ways To Go Deeper: If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here. Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Join the Monthly SatsangVisit Katie’s websiteJoin the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practicesRead and watch on SubstackBook a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coachingSchedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you. 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube:

  4. Jun 29

    163: Transitions in Midlife: Finding Peace in the In-Between with Bardo

    In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project, I’m joined by author Ann Tashi Slater for a beautiful conversation about bardo, a Tibetan Buddhist concept often translated as an “in-between state.” Ann is the author of Traveling in Bardo, a book about how we move through uncertainty, change, transition, loss, illness, identity shifts, and all the spaces where life no longer looks the way it once did — but the next chapter has not fully arrived. And isn’t that so much of midlife? Our bodies change. Our roles change. Our relationships change. Our children grow. Our identities shift. The world around us can feel uncertain and unstable. So often, we want to rush through the discomfort and get to the place where everything finally feels settled. But what if the in-between is not something to escape? What if it is actually a sacred place of possibility, insight, and transformation? In this conversation, Ann and I explore how bardo can help us understand the human experience of impermanence, why our resistance to change often creates more suffering than the change itself, and how we can begin to meet the uncertainty of life with more presence, compassion, and inner steadiness. We also talk about the connection between Tibetan Buddhist wisdom and yoga philosophy, especially around acceptance, karma, action, alignment, and the importance of living in a way that reflects what truly matters to us. This episode is for you if you are in a season of transition, questioning what comes next, grieving a life that no longer exists, or learning how to stop fighting reality and begin listening for the wisdom that can only arrive in the quiet. In This Episode, We Talk AboutWhat bardo means in Tibetan Buddhism and how it applies to everyday lifeWhy midlife can feel like a powerful “in-between” stateHow resistance to change increases sufferingWhy acceptance is not the same as giving upThe relationship between karma, action, and personal agencyHow our thoughts, words, and actions shape the experience of our livesWhy distraction keeps us from seeing clearlyHow to align your time and energy with what matters mostThe importance of listening to your true self beneath conditioning, people-pleasing, and old rolesWhy mortality can help us live with more clarity, courage, and intentionThe possibility hidden inside both voluntary and involuntary transitions Ann Tashi Slater has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Paris Review, and many others. In her Darjeeling Journal column for Catapult, she writes about her Tibetan family history and bardo, and she blogged for HuffPost on similar topics. She presents and teaches workshops at Princeton, Columbia, Oxford, Asia Society, and The American University of Paris, among others. Her new book, Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World (Balance/Hachette), has been named a Next Big Idea Club “Must-Read.” Learn more at anntashislater.com.SOCIAL MEDIA:https://www.facebook.com/ann.tashi.slaterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-tashi-slater-977b21b/https://x.com/anntashislaterhttps://www.instagram.com/anntashislater/If this conversation resonated with you, I would love to invite you to continue the journey with me on Substack, where I share reflections, practices, and resources for midlife women who are seeking peace, clarity, purpose, and a way back home to themselves. And if you are in your own in-between season and would like support reconnecting with yourself and creating a more aligned life, you can visit my website or book a discovery call using the links in the show notes. About Katie FarinasKatie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. ✨ Ways To Go Deeper: If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here. Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Join the Monthly SatsangVisit Katie’s websiteJoin the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practicesRead and watch on SubstackBook a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coachingSchedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you. 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube:

  5. Jun 22

    162: Ujjayi Breath Practice: A Simple Way to Calm Your Nervous System

    In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project, I’m sharing one of the practices from my Returning Home to Yourself series — a collection of short, supportive practices I offer to my Substack readers a few times each month. These practices may include breathwork, meditation, reflection, journal prompts, somatic practices, and other simple ways to reconnect with yourself in the middle of real life. If you’d like to receive more of them, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter on Substack. Today’s practice is all about Ujjayi breath, sometimes called “ocean breath” or “victorious breath” in yoga. Ujjayi is a simple but powerful breathing practice that can help calm the nervous system, steady the mind, support focus, and bring you back into relationship with your body. In this episode, I walk you through what Ujjayi breath is, why it works, how to practice it, and then we breathe together. This is a beautiful practice to return to when you feel scattered, anxious, disconnected, overwhelmed, or caught in the busyness of the mind. It gives the mind something gentle to focus on while helping the body feel more grounded and supported. You do not need any previous yoga or meditation experience to practice with me. Just come as you are. In this episode, we explore:What Ujjayi breath is and why it is used in yogaWhy this breath can feel so calming and groundingHow the gentle sound of the breath helps focus the mindHow Ujjayi breath supports nervous system regulationWhy breathwork can be a doorway back into the bodyHow to practice Ujjayi breath step by stepA guided Ujjayi breath practice you can return to anytime Practice NotesIf you want to come back to this practice and skip the teaching portion: Learning how to gently constrict the throat begins around 11:39The guided Ujjayi breath practice begins around 18:15 Listen if you are feeling:Anxious or overwhelmedDisconnected from your bodyStuck in your headScattered or unfocusedIn need of groundingCurious about breathwork or yoga philosophyReady for a simple practice to help you come home to yourself About Katie FarinasKatie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. ✨ Ways To Go Deeper: If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here. Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Join the Monthly SatsangVisit Katie’s websiteJoin the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practicesRead and watch on SubstackBook a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coachingSchedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you. 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube:

  6. Jun 15

    161: From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust: The Inner Work of Midlife

    A gentle introduction to the heart of my work: helping women move from disconnection and self-doubt to self-trust, purpose, and inner alignment. There often comes a moment in midlife when the life you built no longer feels like it fully fits. Nothing may be obviously wrong. From the outside, everything may look fine. But inside, you may feel restless, anxious, disconnected from yourself, or unsure what comes next. In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project, I’m sharing what my work is really about — not as a sales pitch, but as an invitation. My work is for midlife women who are ready to come home to themselves. Women who want to reconnect with their bodies, listen to their inner wisdom, understand the patterns that keep them stuck, and begin living with more peace, clarity, purpose, and self-trust. This episode explores what it means to move from disconnection and self-doubt to self-trust and inner alignment. We’ll talk about why midlife can feel so unsettling, why that does not mean something is wrong with you, and how yoga philosophy, meditation, breathwork, self-inquiry, and embodied practice can support the journey back to yourself. This is yoga as a way of living — not just something you do on a mat. If you have been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, stuck, or quietly aware that something in your life is asking to shift, this episode will help you understand the deeper invitation of midlife. Midlife is not a crisis to survive. It can be an invitation to come home to yourself. In This Episode, We ExploreWhy midlife can feel unsettling, even when your life looks fine on the outsideWhat it means to come home to yourselfHow women lose touch with their bodies, intuition, desires, and inner wisdomWhy self-trust begins with learning to listen inwardHow yoga philosophy offers a practical map for healing and self-understandingWhy meditation, breathwork, and embodied practice help you reconnect with yourselfThe difference between living from fear and living from inner truthHow small, honest choices become the foundation of inner alignmentWhy midlife can be a doorway into more peace, clarity, purpose, and self-trust Reflection Questions From This EpisodeWhere in my life do I feel disconnected from myself?What part of me is asking to be heard?What no longer feels fully aligned?What have I been overriding, ignoring, or pushing through?What is one small way I can listen inward today? If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to invite you to continue this work with me. You can find my writing, short practices, podcast episodes, coaching, and community offerings through the links below This is the path I walk with women: coming home to yourself in midlife, one honest breath and one aligned step at a time. About Katie FarinasKatie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. ✨ Ways To Go Deeper: If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here. Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Join the Monthly SatsangVisit Katie’s websiteJoin the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practicesRead and watch on SubstackBook a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coachingSchedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you. 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube:

  7. Jun 8

    160: Kula Yoga Fest 2026: Yoga, Community, and Coming Home to Yourself with Laura Erickson

    A conversation with Kula Yoga Fest founder Laura Erickson about yoga, community, nature, and the retreat-style experience of Camp Kula 2026. In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project, I’m joined by Laura Erickson, founder of Kula Yoga Fest, for a conversation about yoga, community, nature, and the power of gathering in person. Kula Yoga Fest 2026 is becoming Camp Kula — an all-inclusive, retreat-style yoga festival taking place July 24–26, 2026 at Ogontz White Mountain Resort in Lyman, New Hampshire. The weekend includes yoga, wellness sessions, nature, community, farm-to-table meals, live music, lake time, hiking, and space to slow down and reconnect. In our conversation, Laura shares the heart behind Kula Yoga Fest and why this gathering is about so much more than yoga classes. It is about belonging. It is about stepping away from the noise of everyday life. It is about being surrounded by teachers, practices, nature, and community that help you remember who you are. We also talk about why in-person experiences matter so much, especially in a world where many of us are craving deeper connection, meaningful conversation, and spaces where we can be fully ourselves. This episode is also special because I’ll be teaching at Kula Yoga Fest this year. I’ll be offering Candlelit Slow Flow Vinyasa and a Discovering Your Dharma workshop — both designed to help you slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with the wisdom already within you. In This Episode, We Talk AboutThe story and heart behind Kula Yoga FestWhat the word “kula” means and why community is central to yogaHow Kula Yoga Fest is becoming a retreat/festival hybrid for 2026Why gathering in person can be so healingWhat makes Camp Kula feel like a wellness summer camp for the soulThe importance of nature, rest, play, and shared practiceWhat attendees can expect from the weekendWhy yoga is not just something we do on the matThe power of slowing down enough to hear yourself againKatie’s offerings at Kula Yoga Fest: Candlelit Slow Flow Vinyasa and Discovering Your Dharma Why This Conversation MattersSo many of us are craving something deeper than another class, another event, or another thing to add to the calendar. We are craving spaces where we can exhale. Spaces where we can reconnect with our bodies, our breath, our inner wisdom, and one another. That is what makes Kula Yoga Fest feel so aligned with the larger conversation we’ve been having here on the podcast about coming home to yourself. Sometimes coming home happens in stillness. Sometimes it happens on the mat. Sometimes it happens in nature. And sometimes it happens when we gather with others who are also seeking more peace, more meaning, more connection, and more truth. Listen If You AreCraving deeper communityInterested in yoga retreats or wellness festivalsCurious about Kula Yoga Fest 2026Looking for a meaningful summer experienceFeeling disconnected from yourself or othersWanting to spend more time in natureLonging for rest, reflection, movement, and connectionInterested in attending a retreat-style yoga festival in New HampshireLooking for spaces that support spiritual growth and self-discovery Resources MentionedLearn more about Kula Yoga Fest: https://www.kulayogafest.com/about Discount Code: UNDERSTARS26 If this conversation speaks to something you have been craving — more connection, more space, more community, more time in nature, or a deeper relationship with yourself — I would love to invite you to learn more about Kula Yoga Fest. And if you’ll be there this July, please come find me. I’ll be teaching Candlelit Slow Flow Vinyasa and Discovering Your Dharma, and I would love to practice with you in person. About Katie FarinasKatie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. ✨ Ways To Go Deeper: If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here. Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Join the Monthly SatsangVisit Katie’s websiteJoin the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practicesRead and watch on SubstackBook a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coachingSchedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you. 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube:

  8. Jun 1

    159: Lacking Sexual Desire in Midlife? How Nervous System Regulation Impacts Sex, Intimacy, and Connection

    A powerful conversation on sexuality, nervous system regulation, somatic healing, and why many midlife women lose connection to desire—not because they are broken, but because their bodies have adapted to stress and survival. In this deeply insightful episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Julie Merriman for a powerful conversation about desire, intimacy, nervous system regulation, and why so many women experience disconnection from sex and pleasure in midlife. Drawing from decades of clinical work with women, Dr. Julie explains that loss of desire is often not simply about hormones, aging, or relationship problems. Instead, it is frequently connected to chronic stress, burnout, nervous system overload, emotional labor, and the body adapting to years of survival mode. Together, Katie and Dr. Julie explore how many women become disconnected from their bodies over time—and how reclaiming desire requires more than mindset or performance-based solutions. This conversation offers a compassionate and deeply healing reframe: You are not broken. Your body adapted to survive. 🌿 In This Episode, Katie and Dr. Julie Explore:why desire and intimacy change in midlifethe connection between stress, burnout, and low libidohow nervous system dysregulation impacts sex and emotional connectionwhy many women experience “erotic shutdown” after years of caregiving and over-functioninghow the body moves into protection and survival stateswhy safety and regulation are essential for desire to return 🧠 Somatic and Chakra PsychologyDr. Julie shares how her work integrates: nervous system sciencesomatic psychologypolyvagal theoryand chakra-based body awareness to help women reconnect with sensation, pleasure, embodiment, and emotional aliveness. Rather than approaching intimacy through pressure, performance, or “fixing” the body, her work focuses on helping women understand how stress and emotional suppression reshape the nervous system over time—and how healing happens through safety, awareness, and reconnection. Katie and Dr. Julie also discuss how emotional numbness, exhaustion, chronic responsibility, and self-abandonment can disconnect women not only from desire, but from themselves. ✨ Important Themes in This ConversationDesire as a Nervous System StateWhy the body cannot access pleasure and connection while operating in chronic stress and survival mode. Burnout, Caregiving, and Over-FunctioningHow years of holding everything together can quietly lead women to disconnect from sensation, play, and intimacy. Erotic Shutdown as ProtectionWhy loss of desire is often an intelligent adaptation—not a personal failure. Reclaiming the Body Through Somatic HealingHow embodiment, nervous system regulation, and chakra psychology create pathways back to aliveness and self-connection. 🌿 This Episode Is Especially Supportive If You:feel disconnected from desire or intimacyexperience low libido or emotional numbnessfeel exhausted, overwhelmed, or burnt outstruggle to feel present in your bodywant a deeper understanding of nervous system healingare seeking a compassionate, embodied approach to sexuality in midlife 💬 Core ReframeDesire does not disappear because women fail. It often disappears because the nervous system no longer feels safe enough to open. 🎧 Related EpisodesE74 Burnout as a Nervous System Breakdown: Understanding the Root Cause and How to Heal 156: Feeling Disconnected From Your Body? How to Come Back Home in Midlife Ways To Go Deeper With JulieBuy The Book: "Are We Going To Have Sex Or What?" Listen To The Podcast: "Sexy After 50" Follow Her On IG or Youtube About Katie FarinasKatie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. ✨ Ways To Go Deeper: If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here. Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Join the Monthly SatsangVisit Katie’s websiteJoin the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practicesRead and watch on SubstackBook a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coachingSchedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you. 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube:

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The Midlife Purpose Project is a podcast for spiritually seeking midlife women who are ready to come home to themselves. If you are navigating midlife anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, disconnection, perimenopause, menopause, body changes after 40, and the deeper questions of purpose, identity, and what comes next - welcome to the community. I’m Katie Farinas — yoga teacher, former nurse, and midlife clarity and purpose coach helping women reconnect with themselves and move through midlife with more peace, self-trust, and purpose. Each week, we explore how to move through midlife with more intention and less overwhelm by blending yoga philosophy, meditation, breathwork, nervous system regulation, emotional regulation, and modern therapeutic tools. Through honest solo reflections, inspiring interviews, and practical conversations, we talk about midlife purpose, emotional healing, self-compassion, people pleasing, relationships, motherhood, intuition, inner peace, self-discovery, and coming home to yourself. You’ll also hear expert conversations on perimenopause and menopause, hormone therapy, healthy aging, longevity, movement, nutrition, career transitions, financial stress, body image, and how to care for your changing body and mind with more awareness and compassion. You’ll also hear expert conversations on perimenopause and menopause, hormone therapy, healthy aging, longevity, movement, nutrition, career transitions, financial stress, and how to care for your changing body and mind. If you’ve been asking: Why do I feel so disconnected from myself, and how do I reconnect with who I really am? How do I manage strong emotions in midlife? How do I regulate my nervous system and feel more grounded? How do I learn to listen to my intuition and trust myself? I’m not religious, but I long for a deeper spiritual connection — how do I find that? How do I stop judging, comparing, and criticizing myself and others? How do I let go of fear and move forward with more alignment? What is happening in my body after 40? How do I connect with this new body and honor what it needs? How can I shift my mindset to embrace this season of life? How do I navigate perimenopause and menopause with more clarity? Can I reinvent myself at 40, 50, and beyond? How do I stop people pleasing and start honoring my own needs? How do I get unstuck? What spiritual practices actually help in midlife? I’ve been through hard things — how do I make sense of them, heal, and move forward? How do I find more meaning, alignment, and purpose in midlife? This podcast is for you. The Midlife Purpose Project is your sanctuary for healing, clarity, connection, and reconnecting with yourself — so you can live with more peace, purpose, alignment, and joy. This podcast is for you. The Midlife Purpose Project is your sanctuary for clarity, healing, connection, and coming home to yourself — so you can live with more purpose, peace, and joy.

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