The Calming Ground Podcast

Elizabeth Mintun
  • 4.9 (17)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Daily

This podcast offers a space for busy people to go to for inspiration, wisdom, to learn from one another's struggles and transformations, as well as to receive actionable steps to relax, gain confidence, and move forward with the life they long to experience.

  1. 5d ago

    145 - The Hidden Exhaustion of Always Trying to Heal: My Journey from Self-Improvement to Wholeness

    What if you are already whole, just as you are?  In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun shares a very personal story of her painful divorce, navigating the complexities of a blended family, and spending years immersed in self-development. She talks about how nature, forest bathing, qigong, and simple mindfulness practices helped me move from striving toward wholeness to recognize that wholeness was already present.  Key Takeaways Insight alone isn’t enough. Understanding your patterns can be transformative and yet, intellectual awareness is different from embodying compassion, presence, and self-acceptance in everyday life. Consistent practices that reconnect us with our breath, our bodies, and the present moment are so simple and yet powerfully transformative. Nature invites presence. The natural world invites us into relationship, rhythm and connection with the present moment. Wholeness doesn’t mean perfection. Recognizing your wholeness doesn’t deny pain, wounds, or growth. Recognizing your wholeness means that you already have value and beauty, just as you are.  Resources  The Sacred Pause Half-Day Retreat in Clintonville (Columbus, OH):  📅 Saturday July 18th | 9:30 AM –2:30 PM EST  👉 Register for here  Free Guided Meditation: https://thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation Email Elizabeth at elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend

    14 min

  2. May 27

    144 - Gentle Reminders for When You’re Overwhelmed: How to Return to Presence, Purpose & Nourishing Practices

    What if the most powerful thing we can offer each other isn't a strategy, but actually just a kind reminder? In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun addresses what it really means to return to presence, to yourself, and to what sustains you. She covers Harvard research on mind-wandering and why it matters for your wellbeing, the Sanskrit concept of smriti (mindfulness as remembrance), why our nourishing practices fall away and how to return without shame, and why the most radical thing someone can offer us is often the simplest: come back. Key Takeaways Your body is always in the present tense. When your mind wanders, sensation and breath are some of your fastest anchors back.Losing yourself rarely happens in one moment - it happens in a thousand small ones. Coming back is the same: one small, honest act at a time..When a nourishing practice falls away, start smaller than you think you should - the goal is to re-establish contact, not to immediately return to full capacity.Smriti, the Sanskrit root of mindfulness, literally means remembrance.  Resources  The Sacred Pause Half-Day Retreat in Clintonville (Columbus, OH):  📅 Saturday July 18th | 9:30 AM –2:30 PM EST  👉 Register for here  Email Elizabeth at elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend

    26 min

  3. May 20

    143 - Flowing with Grief: Meeting Loss Through Movement and Ritual

    What happens when grief feels too heavy to hold with words alone?  In this moving conversation, host Elizabeth Mintun sits down with Kelsey Moro, dance movement & creative arts therapist and founder of Riverbend Grief. Kelsey explores how grief lives in the body - and how movement, breath, ritual, and community can help us reconnect to ourselves after loss.  In this conversation, Kelsey shared her personal journey into grief work after the tragic loss of a friend in high school transformed her relationship with dance and ultimately led her to become a grief therapist. Together, Elizabeth and Kelsey explore the ways grief can leave us feeling frozen, disconnected, or afraid to fully feel - and how gentle movement practices can help us safely meet our grief rather than avoid it. Whether you’re navigating loss yourself or supporting.c someone who is grieving, this conversation offers compassionate insight into the healing power of embodiment, ritual, and community.  Key Takeaways You do not need to be a dancer to benefit from movement-based healing. Breath itself is a form of movement and can be a powerful starting point. Small daily grief rituals can help grief feel less overwhelming.  Resources  Kelsey’s upcoming retreats:  Conscious Grieving Retreat in Mill Valley, CA Creative Grief Tending Retreat at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY Kelsey’s Website: www.riverbendgrief.com Kelsey’s Email: riverbendgrief@gmail.com Kelsey’s Instagram: riverbend_grief Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Contact Elizabeth: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend

    31 min

  4. May 13

    142 - From Public Shame to Personal Freedom with Melissa Petro

    What happens when the thing you’ve spent years trying to hide becomes the very thing that sets you free? In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun sits down with author and writing coach Melissa Petro for an honest conversation about shame, storytelling, identity, and the courage to be seen. Together, Elizabeth and Melissa explore the healing power of writing, the difference between secrecy and privacy, and how telling the truth about our lives can help loosen shame’s grip.  This conversation is compassionate, nuanced, and full of insight for anyone who has ever felt afraid that parts of themselves were “too much,” “unacceptable,” or unworthy of being seen. Key Takeaways You become the narrator. When you write about your past, you create distance from the person you were. The "older, wiser narrator" can make meaning without being the shame. You are no longer your shameful path - it's past tense.Move at the speed of trust. Melissa is clear that radical honesty is a privilege not everyone has - there are real consequences to revealing stigmatized parts of yourself. Her advice: start in safe containers. A journal. A trusted friend. A small workshop. Shame resilience is a muscle - and it can become a superpower. The more you practice telling your truth in safe spaces and being met with kindness, the more resilient you become when you're not. You stop internalizing what doesn't belong to you.When you tell your truth, you give others permission. The ripple effect is real. Melissa hears it constantly: I've had that experience too. Thank you for saying it out loud. One honest story makes room for a hundred more. Resources  Melissa’s upcoming workshop at the Omega Institute: https://www.eomega.org/workshops/writing-shame-resilience Melissa’s website: melissa-petro.com Melissa’s book: Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification - available wherever books are sold Melissa’s free monthly workshop: Write It Anyway meets the last Wednesday of every month, 6–8pm EST. Email melissa.petro@gmail.com to get the link. Instagram: @melissa.petro Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Contact Elizabeth: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend

    32 min

  5. May 6

    141 - Why Taking Care of Yourself Might Feel Harder Right Now - And Why It Matters

    Is it okay to invest in your own steadiness and self-care when we’re in these tumultuous, uncertain times?  In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun addresses several reasons why self-care might feel almost impossible to justify right now - the economic pressure, the relentless news cycle, the guilt of slowing down when the world feels like it's shaking. Rather than brushing those objections off, she sits with each one and offers a real, grounded response, bringing us back to why mindful self-care especially matters when we’re in uncertain and unsteady times and why a guided experience might be particularly beneficial.  Key Takeaways Many of us believe we have a time and energy issue, when it’s actually most likely a prioritization struggle. Self-care is often misunderstood as self-indulgence, when actually true self-care offers on-going maintenance by giving your system a reference point for calm. A stressed system has difficulty designing its own recovery, which is why guided and held programs (like group coaching, therapy, retreats, etc.) can be so useful.  Resources  Your Calming Ground Virtual Retreat:  📅 Friday May 15th | 7–9 PM EST (Replay available if you can't join live.)       & Saturday, May 16th | 10–12 AM EST (Replay available if you can't join live.) 👉 you can find more information about the virtual retreat here Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Contact Elizabeth: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend

    18 min

  6. Apr 29

    140 - Why Thinking Your Way Through Stress Doesn't Work - And What to Try Instead

    Most of us try to think our way through hard seasons. We analyze, prepare, and mentally rehearse until we feel ready for whatever comes next. But what if calm isn't something the mind can manufacture?  It's something the body has to experience.  In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun explores two archetypes from the natural world - the river and the roots - and how returning to these ancient patterns can help your nervous system find its footing, even when life doesn't feel steady. We are living through a lot right now. The advice we're most often given - reframe it, focus on what you can control, think positively - asks the mind to do something it genuinely can't do alone: create safety. Elizabeth addresses why calm is less about thinking and more about experience, and how two archetypes from the natural world can help your nervous system find its way back to steadiness, even in the middle of uncertainty. Key Takeaways Thinking has limits when it comes to creating calm. When life feels uncertain, the mind reaches for predictability. If it can't find any, it often generates anxiety as a substitute. Understanding this pattern is the first step toward something different.Nature archetypes work because they're felt, not just understood. When you vividly imagine something like a river or a root system, your brain responds as if it's a real experience - the same neural pathways that process sensation and emotion begin to activate. This is why these images can shift something in the body, not just the mind.remembering who you already are. Resources  Rooted & Resilient Free Workshop: a free, live one-hour workshop where we work directly with the River and Roots archetypes through guided meditation and reflective practice. You'll leave with something you can feel in your body, not just understand in your head. 📅 Tuesday, May 5th | 12–1 PM EST (Replay available if you can't join live.) 👉 https://go.thecalmingground.com/quarterly-workshop Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Contact Elizabeth: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend

    17 min

  7. Apr 22

    139 - The Science of Nature & the Nervous System: How the Outdoors Restores Your Mind and Body

    There’s a reason your shoulders may drop when you step outside… A reason your breath may deepens near water… A reason something in you may relax a little when you pause beneath a tree. In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun explores what’s actually happening in your body and nervous system when you spend time in nature, and why something so simple can feel so profoundly restorative. Blending personal story, science, and soulful reflection, she shares a moment from my forest bathing training that changed how she understands presence, support, and what it means to be in relationship with the natural world. In addition, she dives into some of the research behind nature’s impact on stress, attention, and emotional regulation and, more importantly, what the natural world can teach us about rhythm, rest, and reclaiming a more human pace of living. This is an invitation to step out of constant doing… And remember how to simply be. Key Takeaways Nature regulates your nervous system. Even brief time outdoors can lower cortisol, reduce anxiety, and shift your body into a state of rest and repair.Attention matters. Nature restores your mental energy by engaging effortless attention and curiosity, allowing your overworked brain to replenish.You belong to the natural world. Reconnecting with nature is, in many ways, remembering who you already are. Resources  Previous episodes on forest bathing and nature to check out:  #9 - Forest Bathing for Replenished Energy #36 - Living Your Wild Soul Story: A Journey with Mary Reynolds Thompson Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Contact Elizabeth: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend

    18 min

  8. Apr 15

    138 - Why Slowing Down Feels So Hard: The Nervous System Science Behind Rest

    When was the last time you did absolutely nothing? Not scrolling. Not multitasking. Not “resting” while mentally running through your to-do list…. If that question makes you feel a little uneasy, you’re not alone. In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun explores why slowing down can feel uncomfortable, restless, or even threatening. Beneath the surface, this isn’t about discipline or willpower; it’s about your nervous system doing its job to keep you safe. Elizabeth unpacks the deeper reasons rest can feel so hard, what it’s actually costing you to stay in constant motion, and how to begin gently retraining your system to experience stillness as safe and full of ease again. Key Takeaways Your drive to stay busy is a deeply wired survival response shaped by evolution and reinforced by modern culture.Busyness often acts as a buffer against uncomfortable emotions like grief, uncertainty, or loneliness.Slowing down is a skill that can be practiced in small, accessible ways. It’s not an all-or-nothing lifestyle change.Even brief pauses (2–5 minutes) can begin to retrain your nervous system over time.Gentle, rhythmic movement (like walking or qigong) can be a powerful bridge into stillness for those who struggle to stop completely. Resources  Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here  Contact Elizabeth: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com Find Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalmingground Subscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend!

    17 min
See All (145)

4.9
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

This podcast offers a space for busy people to go to for inspiration, wisdom, to learn from one another's struggles and transformations, as well as to receive actionable steps to relax, gain confidence, and move forward with the life they long to experience.

Information

  • Creator
    Elizabeth Mintun
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Calming Ground All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Calming Ground Podcast

You Might Also Like