Embodied

WUNC
  • 4.7 (196)
  • SEXUALITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Embodied

Sex and relationships are intimate — and sometimes intimidating to talk about. In this weekly podcast from North Carolina Public Radio WUNC, host Anita Rao guides us on an exploration of our brains and our bodies that touches down in taboo territory. Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter @embodiedwunc. You can find Anita on Twitter @anisrao.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    One Woman's Guide To Divorcing America

    In the hours and days following President Donald Trump’s re-election, online searches about leaving the U.S. surged. Historically, most folks who have considered a move haven’t taken action, but Tina Strawn is an exception. Anita talks to her about why, as a queer Black woman, she left America in 2020 in search of freedom. Tina answers listener's questions about expat life and shares why she encourages everyone to ask themselves: what would it feel like to be free? Meet the guest: - Tina Strawn, the author of “Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America” Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied

    49 min

  2. JAN 30

    (Self) Helped: Inside The Industry That Wants To Change Your Life

    Anita is committed to self-improvement but skeptical of self-help. She brings her qualms and questions to the experts: Kristen Meinzer, a podcaster who has lived by the rules of more than 50 self-help books, and Beth Blum, a scholar who's traced the genre back to its roots. Plus Sondra Rose Marie, a former self-help fan, shares how the industry has failed her as a woman of color. Meet the guests: - Kristen Meinzer, pop culture commentator and podcast host, shares what she learned from following the rules of over 50 self-help books - Beth Blum, Harvard humanities professor and author, talks about the long history of the self-help industry, and how it's changed over the decades - Sondra Rose Marie, writer, talks about why she started following a self-help guru...and what events made her leave Dig Deeper: Kristen's podcasts How To Be Fine and Daily Fail Beth's book "The Self-Help Compulsion" Sondra's Medium article on self-help Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on TikTok and Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied Please note: This episode originally aired January 5, 2024. Updates: The latest season of Kristen Meinzer’s podcast “How To Be Fine” is all about the loneliness epidemic and friendship quandaries. Sondra Rose Marie is now the editor and owner of the digital magazine for LGBTQ+ women called Tagg Magazine.

    35 min

  3. JAN 23

    Tingled: Your Brain And Heart On ASMR

    Anita finds a lot of ASMR videos to be deeply relaxing, but she doesn't get the well-hyped/well-documented 'brain tingles.' Why? She puts the question to a physiologist who's been exploring the science of ASMR for the past decade. Plus, she meets an ASMR artist who's entranced hundreds of thousands of people with her medical role play videos and a woman who turned to the world of Boyfriend ASMR to heal her broken heart. Meet the guests: - Craig Harris Richard, ASMR researcher and professor of biopharmaceutical sciences at Shenandoah University, digs into the data on what we know about ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response - Semide, an ASMR artist, talks about the emotional work in her content creation and the parasocial relationships she forms with viewers - Laura Nagy, filmmaker, writer and podcaster behind the 2021 Audible Original podcast “Pillow Talk,” shares how ASMR content helped her to open up to being vulnerable again  Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Check out Craig's ASMR podcasts: “Sleep Whispers” and “Calm History” Follow Embodied on TikTok and Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied Please note: This episode originally published March 15, 2024. Update: Dr. Craig Richard is a co-author of a new seminal paper highlighting the research agenda for ASMR.

    36 min

  4. JAN 16

    Offline Lives of Online Sex Workers

    How does selling sexy online affect your offline relationship with sex and your body? Anita poses that question to two creators: Paris Bush, who in four years on Only Fans has become one of the site’s top earners, and Maxim Lupin, who says that online sex work is the profession that best supports his mental and physical health.  Meet the guests: - Paris Bush creates content that runs the gamut from nude and spicy to spoofy and comical - Maxim Lupin creates content that focuses on kink and sex ed Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on TikTok and Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied

    49 min
  5. Boomers On Psychedelics

    JAN 9

    Boomers On Psychedelics

    It's been half a century since the psychedelic era, but some baby boomers are returning to the drugs of their youth — not for rock and roll, but to confront aging. Writer Abbie Rosner re-experienced mushrooms in her 60s, and she tells Anita about her subsequent investigation into why other boomers are taking psychedelics to grapple with aging. Plus, a medical professional shares what it’s like to facilitate these experiences for her peers. Meet the guests: - Abbie Rosner is a writer who shares her own experience and the stories of other baby boomers, which she plans to publish in a book called “ELDEREVOLUTION: Psychedelics and the New Counterculture of Aging” - Dr. Crystal Dawn is a physician who's board-certified in family medicine and provides ketamine-assisted therapy Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on TikTok and Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied

    49 min
  6. The Art of Giving Good Advice

    JAN 2

    The Art of Giving Good Advice

    There are few things that are certain about 2025, but one of them is that at some point, you’ll be called upon for advice. Anita talks to Meghan Keane, the founder of NPR's Life Kit and author of “Party of One,” about how to give good advice. Meghan shares her personal journey to striking the balance between overthinking, venting and actually getting to the root of a problem. Plus, she sits in the hot seat to answer some big questions from our listeners. Meet the guest: - Meghan Keane is the author of "Party of One: Be Your Own Best Life Partner" and the founder and managing editor of NPR's Life Kit Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on TikTok and Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied

    49 min
  7. Traveled: The Lives Of Third Culture Kids

    12/26/2024

    Traveled: The Lives Of Third Culture Kids

    As a child of two immigrants, Anita has a tumultuous relationship with the question: "Where are you from?" So, too, do many third culture kids — people who spend a significant number of their developmental years living in places that are not their parents' homelands. She talks with two third culture kids — one 35 and one 12 — and their moms about growing up between cultures and how they’ve built identity and relationships along the way. Meet the Guests: - Rayla Heide, a senior narrative designer at Blizzard Entertainment, talks about establishing cultural identity as a third culture kid and the grief and joy involved in moving around in childhood - Madeleine Maceda Heide, an international school leader and modern elder as well as Rayla's mother, shares the advantages of being a third culture kid and the ways she helped their family feel at home wherever they lived - Phuong Tran, and international journalist and communications consultant for overseas non-profit organizations, talks about her and her son's recent move from Thailand to North Carolina, and what they gained and lost in making that transition - Kaden Tran, a middle school student, talks about why moving to the US didn't meet up with his expectations and how its impacted his friendships Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on TikTok and Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied Please note: This episode originally published November 10, 2023. Update: Rayla Heide is now the Franchise Narrative Director on a new game in development at Scopely.

    31 min

  8. 12/23/2024

    BONUS: Food, Friends and Cultural Roots

    Anita hands over the mic to Embodied’s intern, Nina Scott. After listening to our episode about food and cultural identity from a couple of weeks ago, Nina started talking to her friends about how their family recipes help them feel connected to their heritage. She shares some of those conversations and reflections.  Meet the guests: - Sari Ghirmay-Morgan, Nina’s friend who is of Ethiopian and Eritrean heritage - Rebecca Wu, Nina’s friend who is of Chinese and Taiwanese heritage - Britney Watson, Nina’s friend who is Caribbean heritage Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on TikTok and Instagram  Leave a message for Embodied

    19 min
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4.7
out of 5
196 Ratings

About

Sex and relationships are intimate — and sometimes intimidating to talk about. In this weekly podcast from North Carolina Public Radio WUNC, host Anita Rao guides us on an exploration of our brains and our bodies that touches down in taboo territory. Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter @embodiedwunc. You can find Anita on Twitter @anisrao.

Information

  • Channel
    WUNC
  • Creator
    WUNC
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    207
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2022 WUNC Podcasts
  • Show Website
    Embodied

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