At the Edge of Light & Shadow: Stories of Awakening + Integration

Leslie
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

At the Edge of Light & Shadow: Stories of Awakening & Integration is a podcast about waking up to the Self beneath old survival strategies, unconscious patterns, and the stories that have shaped who we’ve become. This podcast exists for the in-between places—the moments when life asks us to hold what feels contradictory, uncomfortable, or unclear. The edge of light and shadow is where we meet ourselves most honestly…in the in-between places where life asks us to hold what feels contradictory, uncomfortable, or unclear. Coming in January 2026.

  1. 1d ago

    Independence + Belonging | S2 E4

    S2E4 - You may see yourself as someone who is independent…someone who can handle things on your own. But what if that strength has also been creating distance in your relationships—even if it's hard to recognize? In this episode, we explore the tension between independence and belonging, and what becomes possible when you begin to see what’s been shaping your connections from beneath the surface. To learn more about how to work together, check out: https://www.lesliemcdaniel.com/threads

  2. Jun 29

    Knowing + Questioning | S2 E3

    S2E3 - There are moments when what once felt clear no longer lands the same way. This episode explores what it looks like to stay in that space—between knowing and questioning—without rushing to make a decision. And how clarity can begin to take shape when you’re willing to stay with what’s not yet fully defined.

  3. Jun 15

    Strength + Sensitivity | S2 E2

    S2E2 - What if the part of you that feels deeply and the part of you that knows how to stay strong were never meant to be separate? In this episode, we explore how strength can become a kind of armor, how sensitivity is often misunderstood, and why many of us feel like we have to choose between the two. You’ll be invited to notice your own patterns, your preferences, and your assumptions—and to begin exploring what becomes possible when both are allowed to exist together.

  4. Jun 1

    The Parts You’ve Learned to Push Away | S2 E1

    S2E1 - We all have parts of ourselves that feel easier to accept…and others that don’t. In this episode, we explore how that division begins—how we learn, often without realizing it, which parts of us are “okay” to be and which parts aren’t. Over time, that learning shapes our identity and creates a subtle but powerful split within us. You may recognize this in the moments where you judge your reactions, question yourself, or feel pulled in two different directions at once. This episode introduces the lens for the season: what happens when we stop dividing ourselves in this way and begin to relate to those pushed-aside parts with more awareness and compassion instead.

  5. Season 2 Trailer

    Season 2 Trailer—Where Opposites Meet: The Practice of Integration

    S2 Trailer - xxx

  6. Apr 27

    The Old Story Loses Its Grip | S1 E8

    S1E8 - In this final episode of the season, I share a moment of panic that revealed just how my relationship with myself has changed. Through a somewhat small but emotionally charged experience, I explore what it looks like to stay present with fear and sadness without collapsing into self-blame. This episode isn’t about erasing old wounds or patterns, but about noticing how their grip can soften over time to make space for gentleness, choice, and integration. This is an invitation to sense where your own stories may be loosening, and to consider what becomes possible when you meet yourself differently in the moments that matter most. If you want to explore your own stories, check out Awaken Through Your Story at lesliemcdaniel.com/story-work I'm taking a short break before the next season, but I'll drop a trailer in a few weeks to share what's coming next. See you then!

  7. Apr 13

    When What Irritates You Is Trying to Teach You | S1 E7

    S1E7 - In this episode, I share a seemingly ordinary moment that revealed something profound about my inner world—a flash of irritation that pointed not outward, but inward. Through this story, we explore how our reactions to others can illuminate the parts of ourselves we’ve pushed into the shadows, both the strengths we’ve learned to hide and the impulses we’re afraid to see. I reflect on how projection, withdrawal, and judgment often serve as signals, inviting us to reclaim what we’ve disowned and move toward greater wholeness. This episode is an invitation to pause with your own moments of irritation or reactivity, not to judge them, but to listen. Because sometimes what unsettles us most is trying to guide us back to ourselves.

  8. Mar 30

    When You Stop Looking For Yourself in Others | S1 E6

    S1E6 - In this episode, I share a period of my life when intensity masqueraded as connection, and when being “seen” by others felt like nourishment...that is, until I learned it was actually activating an old wound. Through this story, we explore what happens when we stop searching for ourselves in other people, and instead learn to meet our own longing with compassion, curiosity, and inner tending. You’ll hear how healing shifted the way I connect—moving from hunger to wholeness—and I’ll invite you to reflect on the places where you may be reaching outward for what can only be healed within.

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About

At the Edge of Light & Shadow: Stories of Awakening & Integration is a podcast about waking up to the Self beneath old survival strategies, unconscious patterns, and the stories that have shaped who we’ve become. This podcast exists for the in-between places—the moments when life asks us to hold what feels contradictory, uncomfortable, or unclear. The edge of light and shadow is where we meet ourselves most honestly…in the in-between places where life asks us to hold what feels contradictory, uncomfortable, or unclear. Coming in January 2026.

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