Freedom at The Mat | A Women's Wellness Sanctuary

Freedom At The Mat
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Freedom at The Mat Podcast is a destination for women seeking for health and wellness education & enlightenment from leading practitioners in mental health, spirituality, fitness and overall physical health & wellbeing. Hosted by NYC and New Orleans-based Marketer, Writer, Yoga Instructor & Writer Olivia F. Scott, this podcast is an accompaniment to the Freedom at The Mat YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/freedomatthemat) which features these conversations, yoga tutorials, meditations, readings & more.

  1. 4d ago

    Beyond The Scars | Life After Breast Cancer, Dr. Shawn McKinney, LCMC Health

    What does it mean to feel at home in your body after breast cancer? After diagnosis, surgery, and treatment, healing can involve more than what’s visible. It can mean navigating scars, changes in sensation, intimacy, fear, and a relationship with your body that feels unfamiliar. In this episode of Well Chat from Freedom at The Mat, presented by LCMC Health, Olivia sits down with breast surgical oncologist Dr. Shawn McKinney for an honest, compassionate conversation about reclaiming our bodies after breast cancer—and making room for healing without the pressure to “bounce back.” Together, they explore the physical and emotional realities of survivorship, the importance of being heard by your care team, and the deeply personal process of reconnecting with yourself. In this conversation: Navigating body image and finding a new sense of self after treatmentHow 3D areola tattooing can support a sense of ownership and reconnectionOpening conversations about intimacy, touch, and partnershipMaking space for mental health, support, and asking for helpUnderstanding breast cancer risk assessments and individualized careAdvocating for yourself, asking questions, and choosing a care team you trustAt the heart of this episode is autonomy: your right to ask questions, express your needs, and participate in decisions about your body and your care. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, navigating life after treatment, or supporting someone you love, this conversation makes space for the questions that don’t always get asked—and the experiences that deserve to be heard. This episode is dedicated to those we have lost to breast cancer, those living with it, and the families and communities who love them. Presented by LCMC Health. Subscribe to Freedom at The Mat for more honest conversations about wellness, healing, and honoring ourselves. Share this episode with someone who may need it. Medical disclaimer: This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only and does not replace personalized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Speak with your healthcare team about your individual needs. #BreastCancer #BreastCancerSurvivorship #BodyAutonomy #FreedomAtTheMat #LCMCHealth

  2. Oct 10

    Why Black Women Struggle to Choose Themselves - And How to Start | Oludara Adeeyo

    Self-care for Black women is more than a ritual—it’s permission to choose yourself. In this Well Chat, Psychotherapist and author Oludara Adeeyo, LCSW joins Freedom at The Mat Founder Olivia F. Scott to discuss her book, Self-Care for Black Women: 150 Ways to Radically Accept & Prioritize Your Mind, Body, and Soul, and how to begin putting yourself first. If you’re always caring for everyone else, struggle to set boundaries, or feel guilty asking for help, this conversation is an invitation to make space for your own needs. Olivia and Oludara explore how childhood conditioning and generational patterns can shape caregiving—and what it looks like to build a relationship with yourself through small, intentional acts of self-care. In this episode, we discuss: Why Black women often struggle to prioritize themselvesHow to set boundaries and give yourself permission to say noSimple self-care practices you can start todayJournaling, self-trust, and reconnecting with what brings you joyAsking for help and building a supportive communityWhy rest and self-care do not have to be earnedYou don’t have to figure everything out at once. Start small, honor your needs, and return to something that brings you joy. What is one way you’ll choose yourself this week? Share in the comments. Subscribe for more Well Chat conversations with Olivia Scott on wellness, self-discovery, and intentional living. #OludaraAdeeyo #BlackWomenWellness #SelfCare #WellChat #FreedomAtTheMat Purchase Self Care for Black Women,  the book, workbook, cards and other books by Oludara Adeeyo below! https://www.simonandschuster.net/authors/Oludara-Adeeyo/186232633 https://www.simonandschuster.com/search/books/Author-Oludara-Adeeyo/Available-For-Sale-Now/_/N-1z0x51zZpgz https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=oludara+adeeyo&bkshp-astro=t

    Why Black Women Struggle to Choose Themselves - And How to Start | Oludara Adeeyo

  3. Sep 27

    Grow Your Own Food: How Urban Farming Supports Wellness & Freedom with Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott

    Can growing your own food become a path to better health, deeper wellness, financial resilience, and freedom? In this powerful episode of Freedom at the Mat: Well Chat, Olivia Scott sits down with Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott—urban farmer, entrepreneur, founder of Footprint Farms, and USA Today Woman of the Year—to explore the life-changing power of urban agriculture, food sovereignty, and reconnecting communities to the land. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott has helped build Footprint Farms into a community-centered farming and education initiative working across 11 states. She shares why access to healthy, local, affordable food matters; how farming can support healing and self-sufficiency; and why women have an essential role in creating healthier, more resilient communities. Whether you live in an apartment, condo, high-rise, or home with a backyard, this conversation offers encouraging, practical ways to begin growing food where you are. Dr. Cindy explains how beginners can start with herbs, greens, seeds, repurposed containers, raised beds, and tower gardens—without needing a large budget, land, or complicated equipment. In this episode, we discuss: Urban farming and food sovereignty in Black communitiesThe connection between food, wellness, healing, and spiritual groundingHow Footprint Farms is creating access to fresh food and agricultural educationGrowing food in small spaces, balconies, stoops, and indoorsTower gardens, raised beds, herbs, greens, and beginner-friendly gardeningFood deserts, healthy-food access, and community empowermentBuilding health, wealth, and self-reliance through growing your own foodWomen’s leadership in creating sustainable, thriving communitiesReducing food waste through juicing, preserving, canning, and value-added productsDr. Cindy’s message is simple: you do not need acres of land to begin. You can start with one seed, one container, one raised bed, or one small growing space—and grow from there. Connect with Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott and Footprint Farms: Website: https://footprintfarms.com Podcast: AG + Culture on YouTube Instagram/Facebook: Search Footprint Farms Learn more about TIME (To Improve Mississippi Economics): https://toimprovemississippieconomics.org If this conversation inspired you, please like, subscribe, and share it with a friend who is ready to grow more wellness, nourishment, and freedom at home. #UrbanFarming #GrowYourOwnFood #FoodSovereignty #BlackWellness #BlackWomenWellness #GardeningForBeginners #SmallSpaceGardening #TowerGarden #FoodDesert #HealthyEating #SustainableLiving #CommunityWellness #FootprintFarms #FreedomAtTheMat #WellnessPodcast

  4. Sep 13

    Get in Position to Win: Know Your Role, Build Your Team To Scale | Tamika Tyson

    Are you trying to build or scale a business, lead a team, manage a household, or pursue a big vision—but doing too much alone? In this Well Chat episode, Tamika Tyson, Global Risk Executive & Author of Win or Win: Your Playbook for the Starting Five speaks with Freedom at The Mat’s Olivia F. Scott for a candid conversation about business growth, leadership, team building, financial wellness, and burnout. Founder of Scale Advisory, and Co-Founder of TGC Impact —Tamika draws on more than 25 years of experience in risk management, investing, and global business leadership to explain why the teams that win are not always the most talented—they are the best configured. Together, Olivia and Tamika explore how entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, corporate professionals, and leaders can identify the role they are best suited to play, stop confusing perceived success with real value, and build the right support system to scale sustainably. In this conversation, you’ll learn: Why founders should not automatically assume they must also be the CEOThe five essential roles in Tamika’s “Starting Five” framework: founder, CEO, operator, marketer, and finance leadHow ego can create misalignment, parallel play, and stalled growthWhy doing everything yourself may be costing you time, health, relationships, and revenueHow to recognize whether you lead with mission, systems, or speedWhat to consider before hiring a fractional CFO, CMO, CEO, or other strategic supportWhy your definition of “winning” should be personal—not based on social media, comparison, or someone else’s blueprintHow to determine where you add the most value in your business, career, household, or communityWhether you are running a startup, growing a consultancy, leading inside a company, or rethinking your next professional move, this episode will help you answer an essential question: What is your real position—and what do you need around you to win? Connect with Tamika TysonLearn more about Tamika Tyson, get Win or Win: Your Playbook for the Starting Five, and take the free Game Plan Assessment at https://tamikatyson.com Stay Connected with Freedom at The MatSubscribe for more WellChat conversations on wellness, leadership, entrepreneurship, purpose, and living a truly well life. Share this episode with a founder, business owner, professional, or friend who needs permission to stop doing everything alone—and start building in the right position. #FreedomAtTheMat #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #Leadership #TeamBuilding #SmallBusiness #FounderLife #BusinessStrategy #BurnoutPrevention #FinancialWellness #OccupationalWellness #WellChat #TamikaTyson

  5. Sep 5

    Building While Becoming: Navigating Faith, Legacy & Business in the Messy Middle | Daniella Coffey

    What do you do when your vision is bigger than your current capacity—and life gets messy in the middle? In this powerful episode of Well Chat, Olivia F. Scott sits down with Chicago entrepreneur, leadership success coach, empowerment speaker, and Women of Faith Entrepreneurs Network founder Daniella Coffey for an honest conversation about faith, legacy, entrepreneurship, emotional wellness, grief, healing, and becoming the woman who can carry the vision on her life. Daniella shares her journey of stepping into her family’s business legacy after the unexpected loss of her father—while navigating more than $600,000 in debt, foreclosure, uncertainty, and the internal work required to lead through it all. She opens up about the “messy middle”: the space between the woman you have been and the woman you are becoming. This conversation is for the woman building a business, rebuilding her life, carrying a family legacy, healing through grief, or trying to move forward before she feels fully ready. In this episode, we explore: What it means to build while becomingThe emotional and spiritual realities of entrepreneurshipLegacy, grief, purpose, and stepping into a family businessWhy prayer is a tool—and why action must followHow community, therapy, movement, and accountability can support wellnessThe connection between physical, emotional, spiritual, and occupational wellnessMoving from self-doubt and overthinking into intentional actionWhy “deciding” can be the first internal shift toward changeHow to ask for the support, wisdom, and community you needBuilding wealth, capacity, clarity, and alignment as a woman entrepreneur Daniella’s reminder is simple but powerful: you do not have to have everything figured out to move forward. You can be unclear, healing, learning, grieving, growing—and still be becoming. Connect with Daniella Coffey Website: https://daniellacoffey.com Learn more about The Pivot: The Wealthy Woman Building in the Messy Middle at https://pivot.daniellacoffey.com. Visit her Chicago Restaurant. St. Rest #2 Country Kitchen: 727 E. 87th Street, Chicago, IL Restaurant hours: Friday–Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. What are you building while becoming? Connect with Freedom at The Mat Subscribe for more conversations on wellness, purpose, entrepreneurship, healing, and living a truly well life. If this conversation encouraged you, please like, subscribe, share, and leave a comment. #WellChat #WomenEntrepreneurs #FaithAndBusiness #EmotionalWellness #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #FaithJourney #LegacyBuilding #WomenAndWealth #MiddleAge #PersonalGrowth #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #WellnessPodcast #BuildingWhileBecoming #MessyMiddle

    Building While Becoming: Navigating Faith, Legacy & Business in the Messy Middle | Daniella Coffey

  6. Aug 30

    Bet on Yourself: Financial Wellness, Wealth & Legacy with KC Copeland

    What does it really mean to have enough—and how can we build financial wellness without sacrificing our peace, purpose, health, or self-worth? In this powerful Well Chat conversation, Freedom at The Mat Founder Olivia F. Scott sits down with KC Copeland—financial consultant, investor, entrepreneur, and CEO of Shiloh Horizons—to talk honestly about money, wealth-building, consumerism, workplace stress, healing, and legacy. Together, Olivia and KC unpack the pressure to hustle, “get the bag,” and keep up with what we see online. KC shares why financial wellness is not just about earning more money; it is about learning to make money serve the life you want to live. In this episode, we discuss: How to start building wealth at any income levelWhy controlling spending matters more than appearancesMoving from scarcity and survival thinking toward intentional choicesThe emotional, spiritual, and relational costs of toxic or misaligned work environmentsUsing a job strategically while preparing for your next chapterBuilding wealth through investing, real estate, business ownership, and income-producing assetsThe difference between self-worth and net worthHow consumer habits can quietly limit your financial goalsWhy Black women’s generosity is a form of philanthropy and powerHow to define “enough” through your time, talent, treasure, and freedom KC’s message is clear: start where you are, seek knowledge, stop allowing consumption to consume you, and place your resources where they can serve your future. Small, consistent decisions can build into a life of greater freedom, wellbeing, and legacy over time. If you are navigating financial stress, career uncertainty, a transition out of corporate life, a desire to invest, or simply a new commitment to your own future, this conversation is for you. Who is going to place the bet on you? Bet on yourself. Connect and supportLearn more about KC Copeland and her work through Shiloh Horizons and KC Horizon Homes at shilohorizons.com. Support future Well Chat conversations by visiting FreedomAtTheMat.com to explore the organization’s wellness offerings. Freedom at the Mat is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of women globally through wellness education. #FinancialWellness #BlackWomenAndWealth #WealthBuilding #FinancialFreedom #LegacyBuilding #MoneyMindset #WomenAndMoney #BlackWomenWellness #SelfWorth #WellChat #FreedomAtTheMat #BetOnYourself

    Bet on Yourself: Financial Wellness, Wealth & Legacy with KC Copeland

  7. Aug 21

    From Coping to Healing: How to Quit Survival Mode with Ce Anderson

    Are you truly healing—or have you simply learned how to survive? In this powerful episode of Well Chat, Olivia Scott sits down with Ce Anderson, LPCS, CCH—licensed therapist, certified hypnotherapist, executive coach, and holistic healing expert—for an honest conversation about emotional wellness, self-awareness, fear, triggers, relationships, and the journey from coping to true healing. Ce shares why emotional health is a vital sign of your life, how triggers can reveal places that still need attention, and why we must create safety before we can be fully honest with ourselves. She also demystifies hypnotherapy, explains the role of the subconscious mind in our habits and beliefs, and offers wisdom for anyone ready to stop numbing, stop settling, and begin becoming a healthier version of themselves. If you are ready to quit survival mode and reclaim your emotional freedom, this conversation is for you. Follow Ce Anderson on Instagram: @ceandersonlive Explore her work and one-to-one services through the link in her Instagram bio. This episode is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical, mental-health, or therapeutic care. If you need support, please contact a licensed mental-health professional or local emergency resources. #WellChat #EmotionalHealing #MentalHealth #HealingJourney #Hypnotherapy #TraumaRecovery #SelfAwareness #EmotionalWellness #Therapy #QuitSurvivalMode

    From Coping to Healing: How to Quit Survival Mode with Ce Anderson

  8. Aug 14

    Black Women, Belonging & Yoga Beyond the Pose | Donna Noble

    Author and Master Yoga Teacher Donna Noble is a UK-based speaker, well-being educator, and long-time yoga teacher whose work centers body positivity, accessibility, and creating space for Black women in yoga. Celebrating the publication of Donna's new book, Demystifying Yoga, Donna sits with Olivia F. Scott in this empowering Well Chat episode. Together, they explore what yoga really means beyond the physical practice, how yoga helped Donna leave corporate life after Bell’s palsy, and why representation, language, and body autonomy matter in every class. In this episode, Donna shares how yoga became a path back to herself, how she teaches for different body sizes and abilities, and why she believes the function of a pose matters more than how it looks. They also discuss her books, including Teaching Body Positive Yoga, Demystifying Yoga, and her contribution to Black Girls Om 2. #BlackWomenInYoga #InclusiveYoga #BodyPositiveYoga #WellnessForBlackWomen #YogaHealing Key Themes Explored: Donna describes how her practice began with the physical side of yoga, but evolved into a holistic path focused on mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.Donna describes what yoga feels like in her body: free, light, at home, and more connected to her body’s signals and sensations.Donna breaks down how she makes yoga accessible through chairs, walls, variations, clear language, and teaching to the room rather than enforcing one ideal body shape.She explains how representation matters and how simply being visible as a Black yoga teacher can shift what others believe is possible.Donna discusses honoring yoga’s roots while adapting language and teaching style to serve Black communities without alienating people.She explains that everyone is already doing yoga in daily life when they reach, fold, breathe, or connect with their heart.Donna recommends focusing on the function of a pose, not the aesthetic, and using breath and body awareness as the real entry point to practice.• She outlines ways beginners can start with yoga at home or in community spaces, including affordable classes, free options, and beginner-friendly books. Visit https://thenobleartofyoga.co.uk/ to learn more about Donna Noble and to get her newest book, Demystifying Yoga. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Yoga as a Path to Healing  00:52 Welcome to Well Chat + Meet Donna Noble  03:11 What Yoga Means: Community, Connection & Healing  05:33 Bell’s Palsy, Corporate Life & Finding a New Path  07:51 From Hot Yoga to Becoming a Yoga Teacher  10:11 How Yoga Feels in the Body: Freedom, Grief & Presence  12:32 Finding Freedom at the Mat  14:48 Black Girls On Om & the Beginning of Curvesome Yoga  16:57 Yoga Is for Every Body  19:21 Honoring Yoga’s Roots & Serving Black Communities  21:41 Why Representation in Yoga Matters  24:07 Inclusive Yoga for Different Bodies and Abilities  26:28 Teaching with Agency, Adaptations & Body Positivity  28:45 The Purpose of the Pose: Practice for Your Body  30:56 How Studios and Brands Can Create Inclusive Spaces  33:08 Function Over Form: Trusting Your Body  35:16 Beginner-Friendly and Affordable Ways to Start Yoga  37:38 Donna Noble’s Books: Teaching Body Positive Yoga & Demystifying Yoga  40:03 Healing Through Rest, Listening & Inner Wisdom

    Black Women, Belonging & Yoga Beyond the Pose | Donna Noble
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5
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About

The Freedom at The Mat Podcast is a destination for women seeking for health and wellness education & enlightenment from leading practitioners in mental health, spirituality, fitness and overall physical health & wellbeing. Hosted by NYC and New Orleans-based Marketer, Writer, Yoga Instructor & Writer Olivia F. Scott, this podcast is an accompaniment to the Freedom at The Mat YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/freedomatthemat) which features these conversations, yoga tutorials, meditations, readings & more.

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