The Marcella Principle Podcast

Marcella Friel

Hosted by transformational mentor Marcella Friel, The Marcella Principle podcast offers soulful conversations and honest reflections on choosing inner wisdom over outer conformity and finding spiritual clarity in the creative chaos of worldly transformation. Topics include menopause and midlife awakening, addiction recovery, feminine spirituality, body love, and self-forgiveness. Expect interviews with embodied healers as well as intimate solo episodes drawn from Marcella’s live talks and teachings. themarcellaprinciple.substack.com

  1. May 6

    🎙️For mothers whose babies never took a breath

    While Mother’s Day is conventionally wrapped in flowers and brunches, there are many women who spend this high holy day of motherhood in the shadows of a story that’s seldom brought into the open. That is the story of the mothers whose babies never took a breath or opened their eyes to the light of day. Today’s guest is Katy Cook, an alumna of my Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy who suffered a series of miscarriages that tragically culminated in the loss of her daughter Harper at 24 weeks—and propelled her into a dark night of the soul that forced her to confront her deepest grief and unresolved rage. Today, Katy is the proud mama of three living children and a passionate advocate of children everywhere blossoming into the full expression of their natural gifts and talents. This fall, Katy will open the doors to Acton Academy Davidson—a model of education rooted in self-direction, responsibility, and the belief that every child has a unique purpose. Acton Academy Davidson is opening its doors in the Charlotte, North Carolina area to children ages 5 to 7 this fall. To learn more and apply, visit actonacademydavidson.com. Are you ready to release decades of body shame, reconcile with your past, and reclaim the dignity that will allow you to live peacefully in your body? If so, I invite you to explore if my Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy is a fit for you. This 12-month online program draws on spiritual practices from contemplative traditions, along with embodiment practices such as EFT Tapping, to help guide your soul back home to your body, so that you can stop eating your emotions and start setting them free. Let’s just say … this is not your mother’s weight-loss group or typical diet program. Doors are open now, and we welcome you with open arms. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themarcellaprinciple.substack.com

  2. Mar 18

    🎙️Aging is not a personal failure

    Next week I turn 64. Which means, like all of us, I’m the oldest I’ve ever been. When I recorded the masterclass you’re about to hear, at the spritely age of 62, I thought I had a handle on the terrain of “aging gracefully”: Stay fit. Eat well. Tend to your spiritual life. Nurture your close relationships. And indeed I do feel I’m fulfilling those directives. Even so, something undeniably shifts as the years pass. Death gets closer. The body, however strong, feels a little more gossamer each day. There’s much more past and much less future—much less matter and much more spirit. Part of me digs it—part of me is terrified by it—and part of me remains fascinated by the passage of time as it manifests in our bodies and our souls. If you, dear lady, find yourself recoiling from the woman you see in the mirror, even as you long to make friends with her, this episode will guide you through contemplative journaling and EFT Tapping so that you can face the reality of aging with the dignity and tenderness it deserves. Give yourself a half-hour or so in Marcella’s classroom and walk away feeling rejuvenated by the unique gifts that only Father Time can give: Would you like to learn more about how EFT Tapping can help you forgive yourself as you age? Claim your copy of my free PDF download, “Tapping for Self-Forgiveness.” You’ll find this especially helpful if you turn to sweets and treats to avoid feeling the difficult feels—but the basic technique you’ll find in these pages universally applies to just about anything you’re struggling with. I use it all the time whenever an issue feels tough to resolve, and I always feel better after I’m done. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themarcellaprinciple.substack.com

    🎙️Aging is not a personal failure
  3. Jan 7

    🎙️Create the life you want in the first hour of your day

    Now that the wave of New Year’s resolutions is on the wane, let’s talk about what really creates sustainable positive change, one day at a time. According to one of his devotees, the late sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi reportedly said, “Well begun is half-done.” In today’s Marcella Principle podcast I break down for you why the first hour of your day determines the direction of your entire life and why, when it comes to new habits, well begun really is half-done. Beyond white-knuckling it with will power, this masterclass from my archives explores the tension between your sincere desire to create a meaningful morning routine and your habitual resistance that pulls you into distraction. About halfway through we jump into some guided EFT Tapping practice to help you relax that resistance and kindle your desire to start your day on terms that nourish you. Here’s to beginning your day in a way that feeds the life you want to live. Are you seeking to eat joyfully and love your body in 2026? Consider joining my Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy, a 12-month spiritual odyssey that will help you lose emotional and physical weight, transform breakdown into breakthrough, and become the Heroine you are meant to be. You can learn more at my website, womenfoodandforgiveness.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themarcellaprinciple.substack.com

    🎙️Create the life you want in the first hour of your day

About

Hosted by transformational mentor Marcella Friel, The Marcella Principle podcast offers soulful conversations and honest reflections on choosing inner wisdom over outer conformity and finding spiritual clarity in the creative chaos of worldly transformation. Topics include menopause and midlife awakening, addiction recovery, feminine spirituality, body love, and self-forgiveness. Expect interviews with embodied healers as well as intimate solo episodes drawn from Marcella’s live talks and teachings. themarcellaprinciple.substack.com