The Calm Collective - a wellness podcast for women

AshLiving
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Co-hosted by Ashlee Livingstone and Colleen Kurtz, experts in wellness, stress management, and finding your calm. Stress is a normal part of life, but the chronic effects don’t have to be. Join us for raw, relatable conversations as we explore how everything is connected—mind, body, and even the powerful mind-gut connection. We’ll share simple, practical tools to help you move out of survival mode and transform your wellness. The Calm Collective is your space to pause, breathe, and realign. Ready to feel more calm and in control? Tune in weekly for your wellness.

  1. 4d ago

    What Does It Really Mean to Nourish Yourself?

    What does it really mean to nourish yourself? If your first thought was food, you're not wrong—but nourishment is so much bigger than what's on your plate. In this solo episode, Colleen shares her personal health journey from being a chronically sick child with frequent infections and antibiotic use to struggling with endometriosis, severe digestive issues, eczema, cystic acne, PMDD, brain fog, and debilitating fatigue in early adulthood. After being told time and time again that her labs were "normal" and leaving appointments with more prescriptions than answers, she discovered something that changed everything: true healing starts with nourishment. But nourishment isn't just about eating healthy. Join Colleen as she explores the difference between dieting and nourishing, the obsession and fear often created by the wellness industry, and why functional nutrition looks beyond food to address the whole person. In this episode, you'll learn: ✨ Why nourishment is about more than calories and macros ✨ The difference between restriction and true nourishment ✨ How stress and nervous system dysregulation impact digestion ✨ Why sleep is one of the most overlooked healing tools ✨ How functional nutrition connects food, lifestyle, digestion, hormones, and energy ✨ Why healing isn't about finding the perfect supplement or diet ✨ How functional lab testing can help uncover the "why" behind your symptoms If you've ever felt exhausted, bloated, overwhelmed, frustrated by "normal" lab results, or stuck wondering why you don't feel like yourself, this episode is for you. Resources Mentioned: ✨ HTMA + Single Session Package with FREE HTMA test!  Your minerals tell the story your blood work often misses. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) helps uncover how your body is handling stress, producing energy, and utilizing nutrients. Podcast listeners can receive a special discount on an HTMA + Single Session package, which includes: • HTMA test kit shipped directly to your home • 90-minute in-depth consultation • Personalized recommendations based on your results Use code PODCAST at checkout. Grab it Here

    16 min

  2. Jun 11

    The Joy Deficit: Why Checking Wellness Boxes is Leaving Your Body Depleted

    How is it possible to have a perfectly healthy diet on paper, yet still struggle with brutal sleep issues, hormonal imbalances, chronic anxiety, and digestive problems? This week on The Calm Collective, Colleen and Ashlee dive into a massive missing piece in the wellness world: you cannot eat your way out of a dysregulated life. When life is stuck in a state of constant stress and survival mode, your body literally cannot absorb the benefits of your healthy habits. Colleen shares a heartbreaking pattern she sees in her practice—clients who are so profoundly depleted they can no longer even answer the question, "What brings you joy?" Colleen and Ashlee break down why true self-nourishment isn’t another task for your to-do list; it’s a lifestyle built on emotional safety, rest, and presence. If you’ve been checking all the wellness boxes but still feel like you're running on fumes, this conversation will help you shift from just "going through the motions" to actually filling your cup. Colleen and Ashlee discuss: The Clean Eating Trap: Why eating well while eating in a state of high stress prevents your body from actually resting and digesting. The Joy Deficit: What happens to your nervous system when life becomes entirely about obligation and checking requirements, leaving zero room for pleasure. The Power of Micro-Moments: Practical ways Ashlee uses and teaches "attention breaks" and unblocked meal times to anchor the nervous system during a hectic workday. Active vs. Passive Participation: Why showing up to the gym or doing breathwork while completely distracted yields "junk output"—and how to cultivate true presence. The Self-Nourishment Audit: A simple, real-world self-assessment to grade your nourishment across relationships, sleep, and boundaries, plus how to accept help so you can finally prioritize yourself Connect with us on Instagram - we love to hear your feedback: ⁠Ashlee⁠ & ⁠Colleen⁠ And we encourage you to share this with one person you know who could benefit from this conversation.

    26 min

  3. Jun 4

    Redefining Success: Healing My Inner Child and Saying Yes to My Dreams

    When you think of the word "nourishment," what comes to mind? Is it the food you eat, the rest you get, or the way you move your body? This month on the podcast, Colleen and Ashlee are diving deep into what it truly means to nourish ourselves. In this special solo episode, Ashlee shares a deeply personal, beautifully unexpected way she recently chose to nourish her own nervous system: by finally saying yes to a dream she’s carried for decades. This episode drops a week before the official launch day of Success Redefined, a co-authored book featuring a chapter written by Ashlee alongside 10 other incredible women. Ashlee pulls back the curtain on the real, raw journey of writing this chapter. From the initial instinct to downplay her achievement and let her inner critic take the wheel, to the profound moment she realized this wasn't just a project—it was an act of profound inner child healing. Ashlee opens up about growing up feeling unsafe around other girls, always choosing to do things entirely alone, and how this book allowed her to finally heal that programming by trusting, sharing, and being cheered on by a community of safe women. In this intimate solo episode, Ashlee shares: The 30-Year-Old Journal Entry: Looking back at the moment she first admitted she wanted to write a book, and how life and additional responsibilities almost made her bury the dream entirely. Overcoming the Inner Critic: How she stopped downplaying her success ("it's just a chapter") and shifted her mindset from comparison to pure self-celebration. Healing Through Sisterhood: Releasing the old programming that women aren't safe, and leaning into the deeply regulating power of female community. A Sneak Peek Inside: Ashlee reads a few short passages straight from her chapter, sharing the exact ways breathwork changed—and saved—her life from chronic survival mode. Your dreams aren't a burden, and they aren't something to put off until life is "perfect." This episode is your warm invitation to look at what you’ve been denying yourself for decades and finally claim it. If you are ready to stop letting your inner critic run your life, peel back the layers of your own programming, and see what is possible when women lock arms to redefine what success looks like, we want you to read this book. Purchase Your Copy Today: Support Ashlee and the other incredible co-authors by grabbing your copy right now! [ Purchase Success Redefined Here] Join the Launch Celebration: If you're listening to this before June 11th, Ashlee is stepping onto the stage to celebrate this milestone live. Grab your copy, join the energy, and let's honor our dreams together! [Join Here] Connect with us on Instagram - we love to hear your feedback: ⁠Ashlee⁠ & ⁠Colleen⁠ And we encourage you to share this with one person you know who could benefit from this conversation.

    28 min

  4. May 28

    Conflict is inevitable but arguing is optional, a conversation with marriage coach, Michelle Purta

    We’ve all been there: a minor comment from your partner triggers an immediate, defensive spike in your chest, and before you know it, you're locked in a screaming match. But what if the issue isn’t your partner's behavior, but your own dysregulated response to it? This week on The Calm Collective, Colleen and Ashlee are joined by Michelle Purta, marriage coach and host of The Marriage & Motherhood Podcast. Together, they pull back the curtain on how childhood programming and pride show up in our marriages today, and why trying to "win" an argument is the fastest way to lose connection. Colleen, Ashlee, and Michelle break down: "What Side of the Street Can I Own?": Shifting away from blame and defensiveness by identifying your own loops and triggers in real-time. The PEACE Method: Michelle’s structured communication framework for choosing logic over raw emotion when things get heated. The Power of the Pause: Why forcing an immediate resolution usually backfires, and how to stay grounded when a conversation feels uncomfortable. The Hardest Apology: Ashlee gets vulnerable about her own struggle with apologizing and how different "versions" of our past selves show up in our current relationships. Your marriage doesn't need less conflict; it needs more regulation. If you’re ready to trade the repetitive cycles of keeping score for a relationship built on true co-regulation, this episode is a must-listen. Connect with Michell here: www.michellepurta.com/pg/confidence  Marriage & Motherhood - How To Reconnect With Your Spouse After Kids Listen to it on Apple Connect with us on Instagram - we love to hear your feedback: ⁠Ashlee⁠ & ⁠Colleen⁠ And we encourage you to share this with one person you know who could benefit from this conversation.

    48 min

  5. May 21

    Your Health Goals Keep Getting Pushed Aside for Everyone Else

    If you keep starting and stopping diet changes or a new workout plan because there’s just too much on your plate, grab a cup of coffee and listen in. Colleen is calling out a pattern so many women get stuck in—putting their own health last to keep everything else running smoothly. Over time, that shows up in the body as bloating, fatigue, crashes, and feeling like you’re constantly running on empty. Here’s the shift: your health doesn’t need permission. In this episode, Colleen breaks down how to actually create change without overwhelming your family or yourself—small, realistic steps that stick. She also shares simple communication strategies, boundary-setting tools, and flexible food ideas that support your goals without adding stress at home. If you’ve been stuck in the “I’ll start when life calms down” cycle, this is your reminder—it doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Just one change that finally includes you. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start getting answers: Colleen is offering a 90-Minute Gut Strategy Session where you’ll walk away with a personalized plan, clear next steps, and real direction for your healing. 👉 Grab your session here: https://l.bttr.to/KApiu Connect with us on Instagram - we love to hear your feedback: ⁠Ashlee⁠ & ⁠Colleen⁠ And we encourage you to share this with one person you know who could benefit from this conversation.

    24 min

  6. May 14

    Your People-Pleasing is a Dysregulation Response

    We often label ourselves as "nice" or "helpful," but what if those behaviors are actually signs that your nervous system is stuck in a dysregulated state? This week on The Calm Collective, Colleen and Ashlee are pulling back the curtain on the "Fawn" response, the survival mechanism that forces us to prioritize everyone else’s regulation over our own. We explore how childhood environments often "program" us to monitor the moods of others just to feel safe, and how that chronic scanning leads to a life of exhaustion, resentment, and emotional burnout.  If you find it impossible to stay regulated when someone else is upset, this episode will help you understand why and how to find your way back to center. We’re digging into: The Fawn Response: Why people-pleasing is actually a high-alert survival state, not a personality trait. The Dysregulation Loop: How we "leak" our energy trying to regulate others so that we can finally feel calm. The Physical Toll: Why a lifetime of choosing others' peace over your own leads to physiological "alarms" like anxiety and sleep disruption. From Co-dependence to Co-regulation: How to hold your own regulated state even when the person across from you is spiraling. You cannot find peace by becoming a human buffer for everyone else's stress. Join us as we discuss how to stop the cycle of fixing and start the work of inner regulation.  Connect with us on Instagram - we love to hear your feedback: ⁠Ashlee⁠ & ⁠Colleen⁠

    30 min

  7. May 7

    Why You're Regulated in Your Office But Dysregulated in the World

    It’s easy to be "zen" when you are in your own quiet space, practicing what you preach. But what happens to that regulation when you’re stuck in traffic, navigating awkward family dynamics, or listening to your teenager clap beats while you’re trying to cook dinner? In this solo episode, Ashlee is getting real about the gap between our "nook of the world" and the chaotic reality of day-to-day life. She's pulling back the curtain on her own struggles with dysregulation—where she loses her cool, how she tried to fake it (and why she's stopped), and the specific moments that trigger the fight-or-flight response. We’re diving into: Connection: Why Ashlee's energy spikes (and eventually crashes) when she's in loud, surface-level environments. The Multitasking Myth: Why being "half-in" on everything is actually destroying your nervous system’s ability to stay present. The Mirror Effect: Why seeing your own frustrated reactions reflected in your child’s behavior is the ultimate and most humbling wake-up call. Practical Regulation: The tools I: use music, humming, and specific breathwork patterns to pull out of the "rage-spiral" before the lash out. Regulation isn't about being perfectly calm 24/7; it’s about having a toolbox you can actually reach for when someone else’s chaos starts leaking into your space. If you’re tired of "spewing" your stress onto the people you love, this episode is your permission slip to stop reacting and start choosing your response. Find your calm with my Take a breath audio - a 10 minute practice to help you get regulated. Learn more about my 6-week program: REGULATE here General close: Connect with us on Instagram - we love to hear your feedback: ⁠Ashlee⁠ & ⁠Colleen⁠ And we encourage you to share this with one person you know who could benefit from this conversation.

    35 min

  8. Apr 30

    Are you Regulated or just Numbing out?

    Ever feel like you’re doing all the "right" things: yoga, wine at 5:00 PM, and Netflix…. but you’re still snapping at your kids and waking up exhausted? This week, Colleen and Ashlee are getting into the real science of dysregulation. We’re moving past the "all-or-nothing" mindset and talking about why your nervous system isn't a light switch that needs to stay "off." Instead, we’re exploring how to build a system that can handle stress without spiraling. We’re breaking down: Vitamins vs. Painkillers: Why your vacation is just a temporary fix (a "painkiller") and what daily habits act as the "vitamins" that actually build resilience. The Morning Spiral: How dysregulation often starts before your feet even hit the floor—and how to catch it early. Contagious Stress: Why your "vibe" might be triggering everyone else in the house and how to stay anchored when the world is chaotic. Small Shifts, Big Gains: Why we start with regulation before we ever touch your diet or your to-do list. Life isn't about being perfectly calm; it’s about being flexible enough to bounce back. Let’s talk about how to stop numbing the stress and start building a system that can actually handle it. Connect with us on Instagram - we love to hear your feedback: ⁠Ashlee⁠ & ⁠Colleen⁠ And we encourage you to share this with one person you know who could benefit from this conversation.

    39 min
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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Co-hosted by Ashlee Livingstone and Colleen Kurtz, experts in wellness, stress management, and finding your calm. Stress is a normal part of life, but the chronic effects don’t have to be. Join us for raw, relatable conversations as we explore how everything is connected—mind, body, and even the powerful mind-gut connection. We’ll share simple, practical tools to help you move out of survival mode and transform your wellness. The Calm Collective is your space to pause, breathe, and realign. Ready to feel more calm and in control? Tune in weekly for your wellness.

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