The Vitalist

Dr. Keiko Finnegan & Dr. Sera Sheppard
  • 5.0 (7)
  • ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to The Vitalist Podcast, where we take a vitalistic-powered approach to optimal living. This is your space to gain transformative knowledge, deepen your mind-body connection, and awaken your human spirit. Join us as we explore the art and science of healing through thought-provoking conversations with practitioners, scientists, creatives, and visionaries. Driven by awe and wonder, we deepen the conversation around health and healing. Here, we believe human beings are healable, thrivable, and adaptable. Our mission is to provide a vitalistic framework to help you reconnect with your innate healing potential, embrace the wisdom of your body, and trust the process of life's challenges. Whether you're seeking to enhance your well-being, or embrace a deeper perspective on healing, our mission is to help you experience moments of profound discovery that change how you see yourself and the world. The Vitalist Podcast invites you to slow down, be moved by beautiful questions, and live like a true vitalist.

  1. FEB 4

    Why Plants Change How You Think and Feel with Spiritual Herbalist Tracy James

    What if your body already knows how to communicate with plants? In this episode of The Vitalist, Dr. Sera sits down with spiritual herbalist Tracy James to explore the living intelligence of plants, the five elements, and our innate ability to reconnect with nature as a source of healing, regulation, and wisdom. We dive into how the earth, water, fire, air, and ether elements shape the way plants communicate through the body, emotions, mind, and spirit. Tracy shares her journey into plant communication, her time learning from Shipibo shamans in Peru, and how practices like plant bathing, meditation, and sensory attunement can restore our sense of belonging to the natural world. This conversation explores modern disconnection from nature, the nerve system impact of land dislocation, and practical ways to rebuild relationships with the plants already around you, whether through tea, supplements, rituals, or simply sitting with a tree. If you're curious about plant intelligence, phytosomatics, nerve system healing, or how nature supports emotional regulation, grief, boundaries, and purpose, this episode offers both ancient wisdom and grounded, actionable insight. BIO: Tracy James is a spiritual herbalist and coach whose work explores the intersection of shamanism, leadership, eco-sentience, and embodiment. Over the past 25 years, she has developed Elemental Energetics™, a somatic coaching methodology that weaves ancient and modern approaches to personal growth and embodied leadership. Her years apprenticing with indigenous healers in the Peruvian Amazon and studying with mystics in India and Nepal inform her Regenerative Leadership methodology and her teaching on Phytosomatics, the practice of listening to how plants communicate through the body. She facilitates Reverence, a community for building relationship with the intelligence of plant spirits and the living world. HIGHLIGHTS: How the 5 elements relate to our ability to communicate with plants. Beginning with the earth element and what Tracy defines as phytosomatics. (0:54) Water element: emotional intelligence, adaptability, and how plants support fluid emotional regulation. (2:35) Fire element: passion, purpose, compassion, and the felt warmth of plant connection. (3:17) Air element: plants influencing thought, vision, inspiration, and mental clarity. (4:16) Ether element: space, unity, and the experience of oneness with all of life. (5:00) Tracy James shares how attuning her senses and sitting with trees transformed her health and awareness as a child. (6:39) Tracy's first journey to Peru and learning from Shipibo shamans who speak the language of plants and the body. (8:54) How the industrial age fractured our relationship with nature and why fear of nature limits our healing. (10:40) A simple question to deepen your relationship with nature right now: Where is nature already present in your life? (12:34) Working with Rose: heart-opening compassion paired with boundaries and resilience. (15:30) Forming a relationship with the plants in your supplements. (18:22) How Amazonian shamans know which plant to use and why lineage and deep listening are essential. (20:30) The foundational teaching Tracy received from the shamans: listening begins with faith. (21:50) Plant bathing as a ritual for communication, regulation, and embodied wisdom. (23:03) A story of grief, plant baths, and releasing loss through the intelligence of nature. (24:16) Where to begin if you feel disconnected from plants and learning to trust that nature communication is hardwired into your biology. (25:24) The unique personalities of plants; why a rose, a tree, and a cactus each teach something different. (27:06) Tracy shares a guided meditation to connect with the ancient spirit of the rose. (27:49) How plants sense us and why their relationship to humans is fundamentally benevolent. (29:42) Dr. Sera shares a practice for building relational "threads" with all living beings around your home. (31:31) Exploring land dislocation and how being removed from place impacts the nervous system and identity. (32:47) How displacement from place impacts the body and how intentional relationship with new land restores belonging. (35:00) How learning the plants native to your area restores belonging and feeling at home. (36:05) Using the PictureThis app to identify plants and deepen everyday plant awareness. (37:14) Tracy shares details about her monthly coaching and plant-based programs. (37:28) Tracy's 7-day guided plant meditation journey; one plant relationship per day. (38:32) RESOURCES: Connect with Tracy https://www.livingelemental.com/ https://www.instagram.com/coachtracyjames 7 day Guided Plant Spirit Meditation Journey https://www.livingelemental.com/7day Picture This Plant Identifier App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/picturethis-plant-identifier/id1252497129 The work of Philip Shepherd: https://embodiedpresent.com/ Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast www.TheVitalistPodcast.com Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving www.KinfolkOptimalLiving.com

    41 min

  2. JAN 7

    What's Really in Your Wine? Regenerative Farming, Biodynamics & the Intelligence of Nature with Alice Anderson

    What if wine could be more than a beverage? What if it was a living expression of soil health, intuition, and care? In this episode of The Vitalist, Dr. Keiko sits down with Alice Anderson, founder and winemaker of Amevive, to explore the intersection of regenerative agriculture, biodynamic farming, and embodied winemaking. Alice shares her journey from growing up around wine labels to falling in love with animals, farming, and the intelligence of land, eventually founding Amevive in 2019 with a commitment to growing and producing wine that feels as good in the body as it tastes. Together, they unpack what biodynamic and regenerative farming actually mean, how celestial rhythms influence wine, and why small-scale, intuitive practices matter more than ever. This conversation dives into the unseen side of wine production: from additives and undisclosed processing aids to the sensory, tactile decisions that shape fermentation. Alice explains why many people feel better drinking additive-free wines, how she senses when a wine is ready, and why some of her most beautiful wines were born from accident. At its heart, this episode is about trust: trusting nature, trusting timing, and remembering that vitality comes from systems designed to work together. Whether you love wine, care about your nerve system, or feel called to more intentional ways of living and consuming, this episode invites you to slow down and taste what's possible. Connect with Alice & Amevive Website: https://amevivewine.com/ Find locally: Ask your local wine shop for Amevive Instagram: @amevive.wine HIGHLIGHTS: From horses and animals to Cal Poly: how studying general agriculture led Alice into viticulture and winemaking through hands-on curiosity. (1:43) Why Alice founded Amevive in 2019 and how it has grown into 21 acres of vineyards rooted in regenerative practices. (3:29) Living on the land you farm: how Alice experiences work–life balance when your home, vineyard, animals, and creativity are all one ecosystem. (4:29) What biodynamic wine really means and how the sun, moon, and stars influence the rhythms of farming and fermentation. (5:40) The role of biodynamic composts: how herbs are used intentionally to amplify soil vitality and microbial intelligence. (6:34) Regenerative agriculture explained as a closed-loop system where soil, plants, animals, microbes, and humans work in mutual relationship. (7:18) When and why American farming shifted away from regenerative systems toward monocrops, subsidies, and industrial agriculture. (8:37) Why intuitive farming matters: learning to observe, listen, and respond rather than impose rigid prescriptions on the land. (10:40) How to choose wine that's grown with integrity; what to ask for at your local wine shop to avoid greenwashing and monocropped vineyards. (12:34) Can you taste the difference between biodynamic/regenerative wine and conventional wine? Alice explains why it's more about energy than flavor. (15:14) Why many people get headaches or stomach aches from wine and why additive-free wines like Amevive feel radically different in the body. (17:00) A side-by-side look at small-scale, hands-on winemaking versus corporate wine production from harvest to bottle. (19:24) What is Velcorin, why large wineries use it, and why it's both toxic and legally undisclosed on U.S. wine labels. (22:48) How Alice knows when wine is ready; reading temperature, texture, tannins, and sensation through each phase of fermentation. (25:19) The most important decision in red winemaking: when to press and how Alice waits for tannins to soften into sweetness. (27:27) The art of restraint in farming and winemaking: learning when to intervene and when to trust nature's timing and resilience. (28:48) How one "mistake" in 2021 led to Alice's favorite Marsanne to date and reshaped her approach to letting wine evolve naturally. (29:26) Why winemaker-owned wineries often produce the most profound wines, free from external pressure, timelines, and marketing demands. (30:55) A lesson passed down from another natural winemaker: "If it tastes bad, just wait." Why patience is a creative force. (32:15) The true intention behind Alice's wine: not perfection, but joy, aliveness, and genuine pleasure. (33:17) Trusted regenerative wine producers to look for when Amevive is sold out: Scar of the Sea, Lady of the Sunshine, and Tablas Creek. (34:27) The future of regenerative farming and why Alice believes soil health is the foundation of human and planetary vitality. (35:08) Where to connect with Alice, experience the wines, and learn directly from the land. (37:53) Connect with Alice & Amevive Website: https://amevivewine.com/ Find locally: Ask your local wine shop for Amevive Instagram: @amevive.wine Scar of the Sea: https://www.scaroftheseawines.com/ Lady of the Sunshine: https://www.ladyofthesunshinewines.com/ Tablas Creek: https://tablascreek.com/   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us https://www.instagram.com/thevitalistpodcast/ https://thevitalistpodcast.com/ Visit us https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving/# https://www.kinfolkoptimalliving.com/

    41 min

  3. 12/17/2025

    Why Symptoms Come Last: How Acupuncture Reveals the Body's Innate Intelligence with Dr. Alan Chang

    In this episode of The Vitalist, Dr. Sera sits down with Dr. Alan Chang to discuss how acupuncture really works. Drawing from Chinese medicine, embryology, and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Alan shares how the body organizes itself long before symptoms appear. Together, they explore the meridian system as an energetic landscape, the five elements as living relationships within the body, and how modern metaphors like cellphones can help us understand invisible pathways of information and energy. This conversation also moves into the emotional terrain of healing, unpacking how stress and unprocessed emotion can shape the body over time, why physical symptoms are often downstream of deeper patterns, and how practices like walking in morning light, visualization, and gentle awareness can help restore balance. If you're curious about healing that feels grounded, human, and deeply respectful of the body's intelligence, this episode is for you. BIO: Dr. Alan Chang, L.Ac is a second generation acupuncturist, having taken over his father's practice 20 years ago in California.  Dr. Alan is gentle & intuitive; he quietly tunes in to what people need, picking up emotional causes behind what's causing physical symptoms. He can also identify daily lifestyle habits that greatly improve your vitality & wellbeing. Certified in the art of LOTUSWEI flower essences, Dr. Alan incorporates the bioenergetics of flowers into every single one of his treatments. HIGHLIGHTS: Dr. Alan shares what he learned from his father in practice. (2:06) Dr. Alan explains acupuncture meridians by comparing the body to nature, where the five elements move like living systems rather than fixed parts. (4:41) Using cellphones as a metaphor, Dr. Alan helps us understand how massive amounts of information can travel through pathways we can't see. (6:50) The very first meridian to appear in the embryo, the Chong meridian, acts like a central organizing line for life as it begins to form. (9:30) We explore what actually shapes the meridian system, from electromagnetic forces to the idea that the body has its own toroidal energy field. (10:42) Our bodies are constantly exchanging energy with the world around us and health is really about learning how to stay in balance. (12:05) Dr. Alan breaks down the five elements of Chinese medicine in a way that feels intuitive, grounded, and surprisingly practical. (13:44) He explains how the earth element connects to the stomach and spleen. (14:34) Worry and overthinking aren't just mental habits; they're deeply connected to the earth element and how the body processes stress. (16:25) One of his most recommended practices for balance is refreshingly simple: go outside and take a walk, especially in the morning light. (18:47) In Chinese medicine, the heart isn't just a pump, it's the center of an electromagnetic field that influences the entire body. (20:28) Dr. Alan reflects on how unprocessed emotional stress, particularly in men, can quietly show up later as serious illness. (22:18) Physical symptoms often come last; they're the body's way of signaling long-standing emotional or mental suppression. (24:36) When people can't remember parts of their childhood, it can be a sign of how the nervous system learned to protect itself. (25:19) He guides clients through a simple visualization, standing under a warm waterfall, to help the body feel safe enough to let go of stagnant energy. (26:34) A gentle body scan becomes a way to notice what's being held, without forcing anything to change. (27:44) Some of the most important information in healing never shows up on lab tests. (29:24) Even a needle placed far from an organ can create change, because the body works as one connected system. (31:05) Our energy fields are constantly overlapping with the people and environments around us; nothing about healing happens in isolation. (32:13) Dr. Alan shares where to find him, his practice, and the community classes he offers. (33:17) RESOURCES: Work with Dr. Alan: https://sancenterphx.com/pages/alanchang Learn more about Flower Essences: https://www.lotuswei.com/thevitalist (use code: thevitalist for 10% off) Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us https://www.instagram.com/thevitalistpodcast/ https://thevitalistpodcast.com/ Visit us https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving/# https://www.kinfolkoptimalliving.com/

    34 min

  4. 12/03/2025

    Beyond Fight-or-Flight: A Full Nervous System Map for Modern Stress with Gabriel Kram

    Your nervous system is always working in the background, shaping your perceptions, your mood, your reactions, and even your chronic symptoms. Yet most of us were never taught how it actually works. In this episode of The Vitalist, Dr. Sera talks with author and autonomic expert Gabriel Kram about the real biology behind stress and human behavior. Together they break down why the nervous system, not just the brain, drives your moment-to-moment experience, and how its early wiring determines what feels safe, overwhelming, or threatening. They explore the map to your nervous system: Connection, Movement, and Grounding systems. These states influence your physiology, and they discuss how your body can hold onto long-term patterns that affect your daily life. Inside the episode: How your body evaluates risk beneath awareness Why anxiety is often a mobilized response with nowhere to go How shutdown protects the system and why it feels like numbness, fatigue, or collapse The developmental window (womb to 18 months) that sets the foundation for lifelong patterns Why chronic conditions often reflect accumulated allostatic load, not isolated events How attention, behavior, and even identity emerge from repeated autonomic states BIO:  Gabriel Kram is an ancestral neuroscience pioneer, author, inventor and entrepreneur. For 30 years he has studied the intersections of neurophysiology, mindful awareness, and Indigenous Lifeways, mentored by world leading experts in the art and science of connection and wellbeing, and Indigenous Elders from many lineages and cultures. In the summer of 2024 his company, Hearth Science, rewrote the neural cartography of the living autonomic nervous system, the biological system that has the deepest shaping force on our moment to moment experience of wellbeing.  HIGHLIGHTS: Why does your nervous system and not your brain set the template for how you process energy, handle stress, and stay in balance? (3:43) Neuroscientists are now saying the nervous system isn't centered in the brain at all but operates as a whole body network with dozens of distributed "brains"? (6:06) How does your nervous system react to the world seconds before you consciously register what's happening? (7:26) What if the fight–flight–freeze model is only a fraction of the story and your nervous system is actually a dynamic, mixed-response system adjusting to the entire experience. (12:25) How does your body evaluate safety and danger beneath awareness through a built in surveillance system called neuroception? (12:51) Gabriel introduces the three nerve system phases; connection, movement, and grounding which create your everyday behaviors, emotions, and choices? (14:06) How to identify what state you are in using cues to locate yourself on the nervous system map? (16:22) Anxiety is often the residue of survival energy your body never got to fully move and process? (21:26) Why we feel anxious when there is no current threat? (23:48) Unlike animals, humans can override the stress response to maintain social connection? (24:40) How do your earliest experiences from the womb to 18 months lay the foundation for how you perceive safety in your life? (26:36) There are no 'bad' autonomic states, it's when we get stuck in one state and can't make our way back to safety and connection. (30:42) How does your nervous system store patterned responses from early life, creating predictable reactions decades later? (32:54) Why do chronic symptoms often reflect years of accumulated load your nervous system couldn't fully process and discharge. (39:51) "Allopathic medicine has never diagnosed or treated a stress related disorder successfully, it is fundamentally incapable of this." (45:39) How people pleasing and appeasing patterns create autoimmune conditions. (49:16) How to help people using the autonomic compass so they can orient and become aware of their autonomic states. (50:06) How Gabriel works with people in his current clinic and works with people with years of stress accumulation. (51:16) How someone with Chronic Pain Syndrome presents and how to understand it. (54:05) Try this proprioceptive activity to feel how the whole body responds. (55:26) Gabriel closes with how widespread dysregulation is not just a personal burden but a deeper breakdown in community, belonging, and shared safety? (57:56) A simple book for finding home in your nervous system book to help people understand how they live in their body. (61:37) RESOURCES: https://www.hearthscience.io/ Autonomics Tool: https://www.autonomics.health/ https://www.neurobiologyofconnection.com/ Explore Gabriel's Books: https://restorativepractices.com/product-catalog/ https://www.naturezagabriel.com/ White Paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395656181_Towards_an_Accurate_In_Vivo_Reconceptualizing_of_Autonomic_State Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us https://www.instagram.com/thevitalistpodcast/ https://thevitalistpodcast.com/ Visit us https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving/# https://www.kinfolkoptimalliving.com/

    1h 9m

  5. 11/26/2025

    Cracked Open: How Yoga Reveals Who You Really Are with Jenn Chiarelli

    In this episode of The Vitalist, Dr. Keiko sits down with yoga and spiritual teacher Jenn Chiarelli to explore the quiet intelligence that lives in the body. Jenn shares her early years as a professional ballerina and the moment yoga cracked something open in her, shifting her from perfection to presence. She reflects on the practices that helped her reconnect to her essence: breathwork, subtle movement, mantra, meditation, and the lifelong inquiry that continues to guide her: Who am I? Together, Dr. Keiko and Jenn explore what it means to soften, to listen, and to trust the messages that arise in your body, especially when life feels buzzy, overwhelming, or demanding. They talk about injuries as wake-up calls, the art of holding space, and why even five minutes of stillness can change the direction of your day. BIO: Jenn Chiarelli is a lifelong yogi, E-RYT 500, and founder of Anahata Soul with over 10,000 hours of teaching experience. A former professional ballerina with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet, she performed principal roles in works by Balanchine, Martha Graham, and more. Jenn's spiritual practice is rooted in Kundalini Meditation under the guidance of Swami Khecaranatha. She teaches internationally, leading trainings, retreats, and workshops known for their grounding, heart-opening approach to movement and meditation. HIGHLIGHTS: Jenn shares her path from second-grade ballet class to a professional career, and how movement became her first language of self-expression. (2:05) Realizing ballet wouldn't last forever, Jenn turns to Ashtanga and is humbled by how much strength she still had to build. (3:55) A spiritual center leads her to a nurturing hatha teacher, helping her balance intensity with softness. (4:30) Jenn recalls her transformative teacher training at the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica. (5:29) Her advice for beginners: don't stop after one teacher. Find the style of yoga your body and spirit resonate with. (5:59) How yoga offered what ballet couldn't: presence without criticism, and space to feel instead of perform. (6:45) Jenn remembers the first moment she touched her essence during subtle "movement inquiries" in an open-air shala in Costa Rica. (7:49) She explains how to process what arises in yoga: through breath, posture, chanting, and the cleansing support of the ocean. (10:19) For those new to spiritual practice, Jenn emphasizes safety: you don't need a teacher in your face, you need one who holds space. (11:41) How beginners can connect more deeply to breath: start by noticing you're breathing; slow it down with Durga pranayama. (14:11) Understanding Ujjayi (fog breath), the warming, oceanic breath that reconnects you to your body. (15:25) Meditation begins simply: follow your breath and let it lead you inward. (17:05) Jenn reflects on a childhood shaped by Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer, candle gazing, and early metaphysical teachings. (18:28) The book that changed everything: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, heard on an eight-hour drive. (20:07) On the unseen forces that guide us, and the power of asking "Who am I?" again and again. (21:01) Why meditation is essential if we're practicing yoga as union. (23:05) Jenn shares the moment injuries made her question her trust in her body and how they act as wake-up calls. (24:29) Navigating the buzziness of the mind while honoring the stillness beneath it. (27:11) Tools to connect with your energetic essence: mantra, mala beads, chanting, and years of training that help you drop in quickly. (30:40) The simplest practice: give yourself five minutes of stillness each day to meet yourself again. (33:32) The hardest part of teaching spiritually: being the mirror, and not taking others' projection personally. (34:45) The one-word teaching she received from her teacher: "Surrender." (35:36) The one thing she wishes all students embodied: the reminder to continually turn inward. (38:35) Where to connect with Jenn and explore her offerings. (39:47) RESOURCES: Visit Jenn's Website: https://www.anahatasoul.com/ Follow Jenn: https://www.instagram.com/jennigirlyoga/ Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us https://www.instagram.com/thevitalistpodcast/ https://thevitalistpodcast.com/ Visit us https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving/# https://www.kinfolkoptimalliving.com/

    41 min

  6. 11/19/2025

    Prolapse, Pee Leaks & Core Weakness: The Truth About Your Pelvic Floor with Dr. Jocelyn Connolly

    This week on The Vitalist, I sat down with Dr. Jocelyn Connolly, Co-founder of The Vagina Doc to talk about the part of our body we've been taught to whisper about, ignore, and tighten. The pelvis is a place where we hold our stories, our stress, our pleasure, our fear… and our power. Dr. Jocelyn is bold, brilliant, and refreshingly honest about pelvic health and she's on a mission to help women understand that their pelvic floor is not meant to be "tight." It's meant to be responsive, alive, and in relationship with your breath. In this conversation, she shares the moment everything changed for her, an emotional first pelvic exam with her mentor that helped her release years of shame and finally reconnect with her body. It's the kind of story that makes you realize why so many women struggle with this area of their body. Here's what we talked about: Why stress is the #1 reason pelvic floors go out of balance The difference between a "deep core" and the six-pack culture we grew up with How birth, posture, breath, and even personality types shape pelvic tone Why so many women who look "strong" on the outside feel weak on the inside How sensation training can actually enhance orgasms If you've ever dealt with leaking, pain with sex, disconnect, shame, birth trauma, or just the quiet belief that "something is off," this episode goes right to the truth. BIO: Our guest is Dr. Jocelyn Connolly, PT, DPT, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Pelvic Health Specialist, and Co-Founder of The Vagina Docs, a bold, feminist-forward practice redefining how we talk about and treat pelvic health. Her mission is to help people reconnect with their bodies through education, movement, and honest conversation. Known for her "Own It" approach, she blends science, storytelling, and humor to make pelvic health accessible, empowering, and deeply human. HIGHLIGHTS: Dr. Jocelyn shares her experience with being active, peeing her pants and pain with sex that led her to pursue a pelvic floor physical therapy. (2:08) How she connected the dots from her past symptoms to her pelvic floor while enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis. (4:08) Her fear and shame around having her pelvic floor examined until she met her mentor Katie, a pelvic floor PT. (5:13) Her fear of a pelvic exam and how meeting her mentor, Katie, changed everything. Their first exam together became the emotional turning point that put her on this path. (6:08) The role of the pelvic floor: from holding organs, movement, sex, lymphatic and brain (7:58) How the pelvic floor and core are connected to our breath. (9:30) The deep core explained: The diaphragm as the roof, the core muscles as the walls, and the pelvic floor as the foundation. (10:08) Stress is the most common cause of an imbalance of the pelvic floor because we breathe with the wrong muscles. (11:38) The common reasons people seek pelvic floor therapy… and the subtle dysfunctions most women ignore. (13:38) Pelvic floor therapists can catch things before a gynecologist, and provide alternatives to pelvic floor health that are more natural. (15:08) The culture of "tightness," the Kegel-only misconception, and why so many women are actually over-tightened, not weak. (16:08) Her cue for "taking up the slack," evaluating movement patterns, and identifying the pattern of being strong on the outside but weak in the deep core. (18:08) What "strong on the outside and weak on the inside" looks and feels like and how to check your deep core activation. (20:38) How vaginal vs. c-section births impact the pelvic system, and how labor positions change pelvic dynamics. (24:17) Male vs. female pelvic floors; the two layers of the pelvic floor and what each one does for sexual function and support. (27:33) How the pelvic floor changes over time especially with hormonal changes. (31:23) How to prime your body for a sneeze or cough to optimize pelvic floor engagement. Called the "knack" which prevents leakage. (33:28) How males can engage the pelvic floor with penis and s*****m cues. (35:18) How increasing sensation of the pelvic floor, enhances orgasms. (36:17) Dr. Jocelyn's DIY pelvic floor exam you can do on yourself. (38:38) What "owning it" means in terms of our life in relationships and boundaries. (39:48) A cue for type A personalities, and Type B personalities for their pelvic floor. (41:20) LINKS: Vagina Docs https://www.vaginadocs.com/ DIY Pelvic Floor Exam https://www.vaginadocs.com/pelvicfloor-diy-exam Instagram: Vagina Docs https://www.instagram.com/vaginadocs/ YouTube: Vagina Docs https://www.youtube.com/@vaginadocs TikTok: Vagina Docs https://www.tiktok.com/@thevaginadocs   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us https://www.instagram.com/thevitalistpodcast/ https://thevitalistpodcast.com/ Visit us https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving/# https://www.kinfolkoptimalliving.com/

    44 min

  7. 11/12/2025

    Inside the Intelligence of the Body: What Fascia and Embryology Reveal with Rev. Dr. Joanne Avison

    In this episode, Dr. Sera sits down with Rev. Doctor Joanne Avison, author, body worker and fascia whisperer, to explore the living architecture of the human body.  They discuss what happens when we move from seeing the body as parts to understanding the body as as a continuous network that communicates through light, sound, and movement. Joanne shares how embryology reveals the intelligence guiding our development, and why fascia is the substrate of our becoming. Together, they dive into the hidden continuity between the heart and tongue, what it really means to "speak from the heart," and why there's no such thing as one perfect yoga pose. They explore biotensegrity, how the body balances tension and compression, and how fascia stores memory. This episode challenges everything you thought you knew about anatomy. Joanne brings fascia, movement, and embryology together to show that the body isn't mechanical; the body is alive, intelligent, and continuously becoming. HIGHLIGHTS: The story of conception fascinates Joanne from every angle: physiological, anatomical, embryological, and spiritual. (1:45) "There ain't no muscle connected to no bone nowhere in nobody." — how one sentence from Tom Myers rewired everything Joanne knew about anatomy. (2:21) She went on to train with Tom, learned manual therapy, and helped proofread the first edition of Anatomy Trains. (3:40) Joanne uses Christine Wushke's "museum floors" analogy to describe different ways we understand anatomy, from naming parts to seeing the whole picture. (4:18) The second floor is Anatomy Trains, moving from separate bits to interconnected bands. (5:07) As a yoga teacher, she realized no two bodies move the same. There's no such thing as the pose, there's your version of it. (5:40) Anatomy trains were carved, not discovered. The body has always been one continuous whole. (8:45) Fascia isn't something that appears on day 18 of development, it's the foundation of how we become. (9:40) Joanne tells the story of dissecting the heart and discovering it's literally continuous with the tongue. We really do "speak from the heart." (10:51) The embryo teaches us: there is nothing mechanical about the human body. (12:33) Traditional biomechanics is based on levers and pulleys, but the human body doesn't actually work that way. (13:07) Every cell begins in the round, we are patterned in wholeness from the start. (13:26) The heart first forms in the crown before descending into the torso. (15:15) The egg and sperm represent archetypal opposites, largest and smallest, slowest and fastest. coming together to create life. (16:40) The first "cell division" is not division at all, it's cellular multiplication, an expansion of becoming. (19:19) Biotensegrity explains the intelligence of our developing limbs; a living balance of tension and compression. (25:17) Genes don't move. Motion and light do. The body organizes itself through energy and movement. (26:30) Fascia transmits light; a liquid crystalline medium of perception and communication.  (28:10) In the womb, we start learning through gravity and touch, through our mother's skin. (30:13) The body is like an orchestra. Each one of us needs different tension and tuning to play in harmony. (32:59) Fascia is the body's largest sensory organ; it is an organ of love, light, and sound. (34:53) Fascia isn't a system — it's the architecture of every system. (36:56) The fascial network changes how we understand the nervous system. They're deeply connected. (37:13) Fascia holds memory and shape; this is how "the body keeps the score." (40:48) The real spell in medicine is the language that divides us from our wholeness. (42:54) Joanne shares the story of a client who released a deep experience tied to being told his body was "deformed." (44:16) Connect with Joanne. (51:58) RESOURCES: Follow @JoanneAvison https://www.instagram.com/joanneavison/?hl=en Visit https://www.joanneavison.com/ The Joanne Avison Podcast https://joanneavison.buzzsprout.com/ Learn about Myofascial Magic in Action https://www.myofascialmagic.com/ Read Joanne's Books https://www.joanneavison.com/books ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Tom Myer's and Anatomy Trains https://www.anatomytrains.com/ John Sharkey https://www.johnsharkeyevents.com/ Jill Bolte Taylor My Stroke of Insight http://mystrokeofinsight.com/ Iain McGilchrist The Master and his Emissary https://channelmcgilchrist.com/master-and-his-emissary/ Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us https://www.instagram.com/thevitalistpodcast/ https://thevitalistpodcast.com/ Visit us https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving/# https://www.kinfolkoptimalliving.com/

    54 min

  8. 11/05/2025

    Ayurveda Made Simple: Discover Your Dosha and Unlock the Science of Life with Dr. Meghana Thanki

    In this episode of The Vitalist Podcast, Dr. Keiko sits down with Dr. Meghana Thanki, an Ayurvedic and naturopathic doctor, to explore the deep intelligence of Ayurveda, the original science of life. Together they unpack what it truly means to live in alignment with nature's rhythms and the body's innate wisdom. Dr. Thanki shares how she was called to Ayurveda while studying naturopathic medicine, and how the sister sciences of yoga and Ayurveda form a complete lifestyle system for healing. You'll learn about ojas (vital life force), the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), and how everyday rituals, from tongue scraping and oil massage to mindful eating, can restore balance and longevity. They dive into practical tools for living Ayurveda in the modern world: how to nourish the seven tissue layers, feed your ojas, understand your constitution, and apply these timeless principles without overhauling your life. With warmth and clarity, Dr. Thanki bridges ancient medicine with contemporary wellness, showing that vitality isn't about perfection—it's about rhythm, awareness, and self-understanding. BIO: Dr. Meghana Thanki is a Naturopathic Doctor based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializing in Ayurvedic medicine and holistic lifestyle healing. Her work blends the deep wisdom of Ayurveda with modern naturopathic principles to address not only symptoms, but the root causes of imbalance. Guided by the timeless philosophy that the body is designed to heal when in rhythm with nature, Dr. Thanki helps patients reconnect with their innate intelligence through personalized Ayurvedic care, ritual, and education.  HIGHLIGHTS: What led Dr. Thanki from naturopathic school to studying Ayurveda, yoga's sister science. (01:36) How Ayurveda complements rather than contradicts what's taught in naturopathic schools. (02:50) Why Dr. Thanki chose naturopathic medicine despite coming from a family of MDs. (03:20) How Dr. Thanki integrates traditional Ayurvedic practices into modern clinical care. (05:12) What Ayurveda really means, the science of life, and how it teaches us to live in rhythm with nature beyond the yoga mat. (06:38) Dr. Thanki explains "ojas," Ayurveda's concept of vital life force, and how to preserve it through daily rituals. (08:11) The seven tissue layers of the body. (10:12) How to directly feed your ojas with Ayurvedic superfoods like ghee, nuts, and spiced ojas balls. (11:00) Why skin conditions often reflect blocked nourishment in the blood tissue layer, especially in pitta climates like Arizona. (12:12) Why Ayurveda's power lies in simplicity, and how to begin without overwhelm. (13:35) Understanding the three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and how they shape your body and mind. (15:35) The role of Vata, the air element that governs all movement in the body. (16:15) Pitta as the fire element and why balanced digestion applies to food, emotions, and even information. (17:07) Kapha, the earth element that provides structure, strength, and grounded stability. (18:00) How Ayurvedic constitutions are formed and why we are all born Kapha. (19:07) Traits of the Vata constitution: creative, talkative, and energetic yet easily depleted. (20:18) Traits of the Pitta constitution: organized, driven, and fiery in both body and mind. (20:55) Traits of the Kapha constitution: steady, nurturing, graceful, and deeply reliable. (21:12) How doshic balance is inherited at conception and why preconception cleansing matters. (22:10) The doshas through life's stages: from Kapha in childhood to Vata in elderhood. (23:11) The ancient art of Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis to assess Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. (24:17) Ayurvedic tongue analysis: how your tongue mirrors your digestion and toxicity. (25:04) The benefits of traditional tongue scraping for digestion and detoxification. (25:31) Using abdominal percussion to locate where each dosha resides in the body. (26:58) What marma points are and how they serve as gateways of healing in Ayurveda. (28:50) How oil therapy for the ears treats tinnitus, travel fatigue, and jet lag. (29:07) Why we live in a Vata-toxic world and how regularizing Vata can prevent disease. (30:18) Applying Ayurvedic eating principles without cooking Indian food. (31:01) The top three Ayurvedic kitchen spices: cumin, coriander, and turmeric. (33:20) How to bloom mustard and cumin seeds in oil to enhance digestion and flavor. (34:15) The hidden gem spice asafetida and why it's a must for bloating relief. (35:02) How pressure cooking aligns with Ayurvedic digestion and the Plant Paradox principles. (35:43) Dr. Thanki's go-to teas and her caution around potent herbs like ashwagandha. (36:38) How Ayurveda views the emotional roots of disease through spiritual psychology. (37:23) Integrating Gene Keys and the work of Richard Rudd into Ayurveda. (38:02) Dr. Thanki's daily Ayurvedic practices and seasonal cleansing rituals. (39:12) Her take on the modern longevity movement through an Ayurvedic lens. (40:44) Inside Dr. Thanki's Royal Retreats: immersive experiences in Ayurvedic living. (41:31) Her Ayurvedic Supper Club: learning to eat for your dosha in community. (43:31) About her book The Ayurvedic Lens: an educational memoir written at a Tom Bird retreat. (45:32) Where to connect with Dr. Thanki online and in person. (46:35) RESOURCES: Follow @SecondNatureClinic: https://www.instagram.com/secondnatureclinic/?hl=en Visit Second Nature Clinic: https://secondnatureclinic.com/ Buy Dr. Thanki's Book The Ayurvedic Lens: https://amzn.to/4qFOqKY Copper Tongue Scraper: https://amzn.to/4nBEsY8 Book: Gene Keys by RIchard Rudd: https://amzn.to/4nBEsY8 Book: Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry: https://amzn.to/493fCNp Spice Asafoetida Powder: https://amzn.to/4oyeaYf   Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next. Follow us https://www.instagram.com/thevitalistpodcast/ https://thevitalistpodcast.com/ Visit us https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving/# https://www.kinfolkoptimalliving.com/

    48 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Vitalist Podcast, where we take a vitalistic-powered approach to optimal living. This is your space to gain transformative knowledge, deepen your mind-body connection, and awaken your human spirit. Join us as we explore the art and science of healing through thought-provoking conversations with practitioners, scientists, creatives, and visionaries. Driven by awe and wonder, we deepen the conversation around health and healing. Here, we believe human beings are healable, thrivable, and adaptable. Our mission is to provide a vitalistic framework to help you reconnect with your innate healing potential, embrace the wisdom of your body, and trust the process of life's challenges. Whether you're seeking to enhance your well-being, or embrace a deeper perspective on healing, our mission is to help you experience moments of profound discovery that change how you see yourself and the world. The Vitalist Podcast invites you to slow down, be moved by beautiful questions, and live like a true vitalist.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Keiko Finnegan & Dr. Sera Sheppard
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    The Vitalist