Soul Stories With Jill

Soul Stories With Jill

I LOVE stories! I enjoy listening to & of course, sharing stories. Having been a massage therapist for going on 16 years, I'm sure you can imagine the stories I've heard! The beauty is EVERYBODY has a story! Our story is what makes us who we are & sharing them is what makes us feel connected. In the world today we are bombarded with so much doom & gloom. My intentions on creating this podcast is to share stories that will make us laugh, give us hope, inspire us, & believe in miracles. I can't wait to share some stories with you!

  1. 20h ago

    Breathing Through the Cracks: Creating What’s Next Without Fighting What Is

    What if creating a different life doesn’t require fighting the one you’re leaving behind? In this episode of Soul Stories with Jill, Mena Teijeiro shares the unlikely path that took her from life in Miami to creating The Florrest, a 153-acre leadership sanctuary in rural Georgia and the deeper philosophy that emerged along the way. A hurricane became an unexpected catalyst. Faced with the possibility of losing investment properties she had spent years building, Mena began questioning not only what she owned, but what she actually wanted to create next. She followed that knowing into something she could never have fully planned. What followed wasn’t a clean reinvention story. There were unconventional decisions, resistance, county meetings, attorneys, structures that didn’t know what to do with what she was creating, changes in family life, and plenty of moments when the path she could see seemed to disappear. Rather than making the obstacles the center of the story, Mena learned to look for the opening. She calls it Breathing Through the Cracks: allowing something new to emerge without draining our energy fighting what already exists. That philosophy ultimately shaped far more than a piece of land. Today, Mena is a Leadership Calibrator and founder of The Florrest. Her body of work, Return to Center, explores what happens when we notice where our energy is being drained by what isn’t ours to carry, fix or fight and reclaim that energy for what we actually want to create. Her work with leaders, teams and individuals is rooted in a simple idea: when we return to ourselves, we can discern more clearly what is ours, what isn’t, and where our energy can create the most good. This conversation explores what becomes possible when we stop measuring our lives by the paths already available to us, stop exhausting ourselves fighting what isn’t ours to change, and begin paying attention to where there is still life, possibility and room to create. Sometimes you don’t need to break through the wall. Sometimes you find the crack and breathe life through it. Name: Mena Teijeiro Job title: Leadership Calibrator Email: menafesting@theflorrest.com Social Media Handles: @menafesting @theflorrest

  2. Aug 12

    Be the Light: What Are You Putting Into the World?

    The world can feel incredibly heavy sometimes. We turn on the television, scroll through social media, or read the latest headlines, and it can feel like we are surrounded by division, anger, fear, tragedy, and negativity. We may not be able to control everything happening around us, but we can control what we choose to carry and what we choose to put back into the world. In this episode of Soul Stories with Jill, Jill reflects on a simple reminder hanging in her massage room: Be the Light. Inspired by the words of Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world,” Jill explores what it really means to be a source of light when the world feels dark. It doesn’t mean ignoring what’s happening or pretending everything is okay. It means choosing kindness over cruelty, hope over fear, compassion over judgment, and love over division whenever we have the opportunity. Because sometimes being the light is much simpler than we think. A smile. A phone call. A compliment. Holding a door. Listening to someone who needs to be heard. Checking on a friend. Giving grace. Refusing to participate in negativity. Choosing to leave someone feeling a little better than they did before they encountered you. We may never know how far one small act of light travels. Maybe we can’t change the entire world today. But we can change the energy we bring into our little corner of it. And perhaps if enough of us choose to do that, one small light at a time, the world becomes a little brighter.

  3. Aug 5

    What Are You Carrying… and What Is It Costing You?

    Last week, I shared my struggle with the weight I’ve carried on my body and the decision to stop fighting against myself and start treating my body with more kindness. This week, I want to talk about another kind of weight. The invisible weight. The guilt we can’t seem to let go of. The expectations we place on ourselves. The fear of failure. The need to be perfect. The opinions of other people. The resentment, comparison, worry, and self-doubt that quietly follow us everywhere we go. Those are the things that often become much heavier than anything the scale could ever measure. The truth is, many of us keep postponing our lives while we wait for the “perfect” moment. We tell ourselves we’ll take the trip after we lose the weight. We’ll start the business when we feel more confident. We’ll wear the swimsuit next summer. We’ll pursue the dream when life slows down. But what if that perfect time never comes? What if the life you’ve been waiting for is available right now? In this episode, I invite you to pause and ask yourself two simple questions: What am I carrying? And what is it costing me? Because sometimes the greatest freedom doesn’t come from losing pounds. It comes from laying down the burdens we’ve carried for years and finally choosing to live. If you’ve been thinking about making a change, don’t wait until next Monday, next month, or next year. Begin your own Climb Within today. One small step is all it takes to start becoming the person you were created to be.

  4. Jul 30

    The Climb Within: The Weight I Was Really Carrying

    After celebrating another birthday, I found myself reflecting on the roller coaster I’ve been on for most of my adult life. Like so many women, I’ve spent years chasing a number on the scale, trying diet after diet, believing that happiness or confidence would come when I finally reached my goal. But this year, something shifted. I realized my greatest struggle was never just my weight. It was the emotional weight I had been carrying. The stress. The expectations. The hurts. The habit of putting everyone else before myself. As I’ve entered my fifties and menopause, I’ve become much more intentional about how I want to live the next chapter of my life. I don’t want to spend it fighting my body. I want to care for it. That means listening to my body instead of punishing it. Drinking more water. Eating with intention. Moving because I’m grateful my body can move. Walking. Stretching. Strength training. Resting. Paying attention to whether I’m truly hungry or simply trying to fill an emotional need. If you haven’t listened to my episodes on The Importance of Water, I encourage you to go back and give those a listen. This journey is also why Mount LeConte holds such a special place in my heart. Some of my favorite memories have happened on that mountain, and every time I leave, I come home with a little more perspective than I had before. That’s why this retreat is called The Climb Within. While we’ll be climbing a mountain together, the real transformation happens within us. Whether your mountain is Mount LeConte, one of our August or September day retreats, or simply taking your first walk around the neighborhood, I’d love for you to join me. Our virtual program is available for anyone who wants the three month training plan, encouragement, and community from wherever they live. This isn’t about losing weight. It’s about becoming healthier, stronger, and more intentional. One step at a time. The mountain isn’t the destination. Who you become while climbing it is.

  5. Jul 15

    The Climb Within Returns: Inside Our Second Mt. LeConte Retreat

    The Climb Within is back! In this episode, Averie Thayer, occupational therapist, owner of Living Revived Therapy, and retreat co-host, joins me to share everything you need to know about our second annual Mt. LeConte Women’s Retreat. After an incredible first year, we’re expanding the experience to help you feel even more prepared, supported, and connected before you ever step onto the trail. We talk about our three-month training program designed to help participants build confidence, endurance, and strength leading up to the hike. Averie shares how her background as an occupational therapist will help prepare women physically while we both focus on the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the journey. We also introduce our new VIP experience beginning Thursday, October 29, where participants can gather the evening before the hike to connect, settle in, and begin the retreat together. The adventure officially begins on Friday, October 30, as we hike approximately six miles to LeConte Lodge, spend the night on the mountain, enjoy dinner together at the lodge, and soak in one of the most unforgettable sunsets and sunrises the Smokies have to offer. On Saturday, October 31, we’ll hike back down the mountain and celebrate the completion of our journey with a special Greenhouse Dinner at the Wellness Farmhouse. This retreat is about so much more than reaching the summit. It’s about discovering what you’re capable of, pushing beyond your comfort zone, building meaningful friendships, and realizing that the climb often mirrors life itself. If you’ve been looking for a sign to challenge yourself, reconnect with nature, and experience personal growth in a supportive community, this just might be it. We can’t wait to climb with you! Registration information and retreat details are available through the Wellness Farmhouse. We hope you’ll join us for an unforgettable weekend of adventure, growth, and connection.

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About

I LOVE stories! I enjoy listening to & of course, sharing stories. Having been a massage therapist for going on 16 years, I'm sure you can imagine the stories I've heard! The beauty is EVERYBODY has a story! Our story is what makes us who we are & sharing them is what makes us feel connected. In the world today we are bombarded with so much doom & gloom. My intentions on creating this podcast is to share stories that will make us laugh, give us hope, inspire us, & believe in miracles. I can't wait to share some stories with you!