<![CDATA[When We Are Healed]]>https://whenwearehealed.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8BEn!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3630d482-a753-40d2-9607-81f200f59594_500x500.pngWhen We Are Healedhttps://whenwearehealed.comSubstackFri, 24 Apr 2026 17:43:42 GMT<![CDATA[031. Making decisions with love and ease]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/031-making-decisions-with-love-and-easehttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/031-making-decisions-with-love-and-easeWed, 15 Apr 2026 18:12:04 GMT

Your choices and actions shape your reality.

Let your heart guide you to your highest timeline.

These are supposed to be empowering thoughts, right? But for the longest time, they’ve had the opposite effect on me. The more I thought my choices shaped my life, the more I found myself fretting and stressing over even the smallest decisions (like “What should I eat for lunch?”)!

I was so afraid of getting it wrong, that every choice point felt like a fork in the road: one path leading to heaven and the other to hell and total destruction. Consequently, I had a really hard time tuning into what I even wanted, let alone what my “inner guidance” was saying.

In this episode, I’m sharing 3 ways that have helped me reframe decision making to release that paralyzing pressure and move into safety, clarity, and trust.

What I’ve found is that as long as I put pressure on myself to get it “right,” I can never be free. It’s only in letting that go and giving myself full permission to get it “wrong” that I’m safe to choose what I’m feeling called to.

You’ll learn…

  • How to calm the nervous system when in decision stress

  • Turning the decision over to a higher power

  • Letting decisions unfold naturally

  • The Truth about decision making that sets you free

  • How self-love allows you to make expansive choices

You may also enjoy…

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[What if you’re already there?]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/what-if-youre-already-therehttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/what-if-youre-already-thereWed, 01 Apr 2026 03:44:50 GMT

Hello Beautiful Soul,

Have you had any of these thoughts come up lately?

When We Are Healed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

“I’m still not there yet. When will this ever end?”

“I thought I had healed this. Why is this coming up again?”

“I’ve tried everything, and nothing has changed. There must be something wrong with me.”

There’s a part of us that is always looking to change—to feel better, to become someone better, to get somewhere better. And there’s nothing wrong with that in and of itself… after all, it’s in our nature to keep growing and expanding. We dream. We set goals. We envision the life and the world we’d like to create.

Where this gets us in trouble, however, is when we let the mind convince us that we’re not okay until the circumstances change. That we are not worthy until we are completely healed.

“I’ll be free when I can walk again.”

“I’ll accept myself when my skin has finally cleared.”

“I’ll feel secure when I’m making $100,000 a year.”

“I’ll be happy when I meet the love of my life and have 3 kids.”

Again, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting these things. But as soon as we become attached to the outcome, we’ve made our happiness conditional. In fact, we’re actively pushing happiness away by saying “I can’t be happy until this happens.” It’s like we’re waiting for our life to start.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself slipping into this over the course of my journey. Then one day it finally dawned on me that I’ll never arrive, and I’ll never be good enough. Not in the way the mind thinks I need to, anyway.

And the funny thing is, this liberated me—to finally see the game that my sweet mind has been playing with me this whole time, dangling that carrot in front of me. Because now I could make a choice to stop chasing that carrot—to get off that hamster wheel of never-ending self-improvement.

So the next time those thoughts of “I’m not good enough” and “I’m not there yet” come up again, I invite you to try this with me:

Just put a hand on your heart and breathe.

Soften and feel your body.

In this moment, you have already arrived.

You are already here, now.

There’s nowhere else to be, because you are the center of your Universe.

Now is the only moment there is.

So would you be willing to be happy NOW, instead of waiting for things to change?

Would you be willing to love and accept yourself fully, just the way you are NOW?

Would you be willing to welcome everything that’s here now, including these thoughts of unworthiness and how painful they feel?

And what if that’s the only reason why these thoughts and feelings come up—to be seen, heard, and accepted by the love that you are?

What if healing really isn’t a destination, but a moment-by-moment choice to embrace what is?

Here’s to your rising.

xox

When We Are Healed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[Meditation: Aligning with Your Soul Purpose]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/meditation-for-aligning-with-yourhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/meditation-for-aligning-with-yourSun, 01 Feb 2026 22:12:13 GMT

Hello beautiful soul,

Several years ago, I was meditating on my birthday and found myself traveling back in time to the moment just before I was born. I was floating in space, looking at planet Earth and taking in its breathtaking beauty. And what really struck me in an unforgettable way was the fiery passion and sincerity with which my soul wanted to be born as me, exactly as I was.

It took me by surprise, because back then I honestly thought I was failing at this whole life thing. Somewhere in the back of my mind I believed certain people had worthy missions and purposes, but definitely not me.

But in that moment, I knew that each and every one of us really are here on purpose, and there’s not a single moment in anyone’s life that isn’t by divine design.

Even if the mind has all these ideas about how things should have gone or how they should go, all of it—down to the tiniest detail—is somehow a perfect thread being weaved into the great cosmic tapestry.

This 15-minute meditation is for connecting with that part of you who remembers why you came.

You can do this anytime you’d like to tune into your soul purpose or give yourself a divine hug. It can also be particularly powerful to do this on or around your birthday 🎉.

Enjoy! And let me know how the experience was for you.

**

Credits

Music by Chris Collins

]]><![CDATA[030. How to release fear and resistance in the new year]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/030-how-to-release-fear-and-resistance-in-the-new-yearhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/030-how-to-release-fear-and-resistance-in-the-new-yearThu, 22 Jan 2026 11:33:30 GMT

You’ve set a big intention for the new year—and now you’re finding yourself in intense fear, overwhelm, or old patterns of self-sabotage. Does this mean you’re failing? I’m here to tell you, absolutely not!

In this episode, I’m sharing how to reframe your relationship to fear so that you can release it more easily and quickly. Instead of seeing fear as an adversary or sign of spiritual failure, you can welcome it as a sacred messenger, here to support your expansion.

Once you learn to meet your own fear with love, you are unstoppable!

You’ll learn:

  • Why fear can come up in all forms, especially in the new year

  • The power of reframing fear as a sacred messenger

  • The physiology of fear (false) vs. love (true)

  • Why it’s NOT necessary to eliminate fear or resistance

  • How to let go of fear with a simple somatic practice

Free Gift for You

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[Meditation for Releasing Fear]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/meditation-for-releasing-fearhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/meditation-for-releasing-fearFri, 16 Jan 2026 11:33:25 GMT

Hello beautiful souls,

Whoa! Is the energy of 2026 already kicking our butts or what?

At this point it seems redundant to say “things are really intense right now,” because I’ve probably been saying that for at least a decade now.

As you know, we as a collective have been going through a dark night of the soul. Human beings have lived in fear and survival mode since the dawn of time, and as more and more of us are awakening to our divine nature, all of the old belief systems and structures are falling away. And it ain’t pretty.

This is happening in our individual lives as well as the collective. That’s why more and more crazy stuff has been hitting the fan for many of us, triggering suppressed emotions with unprecedented intensity.

Fear. Anxiety. Overwhelm. Rage. Grief. Depression. Shame. Hopelessness.

No matter what comes up, though, there’s only one thing to do:

Feel it.

I myself have been breathing into a ton of fear, and so I felt inspired to share my process in this 10-minute guided meditation.

Fear can feel so overwhelming, even paralyzing, but it is simply energy that’s ready to move.

We don’t release fear by pushing it away. Instead, we welcome the fear and meet it with love and compassion.

This meditation can be used to release not only fear but any other challenging emotion – the process is essentially the same.

Hope you enjoy it! And let me know what your experience was like in the comments below (or reply to the email).

**

Credits

Music by Chris Collins

]]><![CDATA[029. Awakening through the dark night of the soul – with Corey Marsh]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/029-awakening-through-the-dark-night-of-the-soulhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/029-awakening-through-the-dark-night-of-the-soulWed, 07 Jan 2026 11:33:15 GMTWhat if the most painful experience of your life is actually preparing you for something far greater than you’ve ever imagined?

Today’s guest is someone whose incredible journey reminds us that there is a divine purpose to everything, even in long periods of darkness and turmoil.

Please welcome my dear friend and co-founder of In Light of the Course, Corey Marsh!

Corey Marsh is an entrepreneur, spiritual teacher and guide, energy and sound healer, and spiritual aspirant. He resides in Sandy, Utah with his wife and four kids. A profound spiritual awakening experience occurred on August 8, 2019 that shifted everything and put Corey on the path of self realization. Guided by divine inspiration, Corey aims to serve others with what he’s found, and play his part in this great awakening. He has been a student and teacher of A Course in Miracles.

In this episode, Corey shares the raw, honest story of his early struggles with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and a divorce that brought him down to his knees—and the moment of full surrender that led to a powerful, spontaneous spiritual awakening and realization of oneness.

We also talk about the ongoing support for ACIM students that we offer through our online community In Light of the Course (ILC). We highlight the men’s group within ILC as a safe space for vulnerability, dismantling “man‑up” conditioning, and embodying the divine masculine.

You will learn:

  • Shifting your experience of any situation through the power of surrender and gratitude

  • Making spiritual practice a daily habit through the workbook lessons of A Course In Miracles

  • How to create lifelines for yourself as you move through tough times

  • Trusting the process and seeing your challenges as a gift

  • How vulnerability and emotional honesty can accelerate healing, especially for men

… and more!

Are you an ACIM student looking for a supportive community?

In Light of the Course is an online community of lightworkers who are passionate about spiritual growth and living the teachings of ACIM. Each week we host live virtual gatherings including The Way of Mastery study groups, men’s group, community circle, and more!

Join us now for a free 2-week trial →

Connect with Corey

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Mentioned

*Affiliate link – Purchasing a copy of the book through this link on Bookshop.org is a way to support independent bookstores as well as this podcast.

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[028. Jennifer Hadley: How to live a miraculous life through forgiveness]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/028-jennifer-hadley-how-to-live-ahttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/028-jennifer-hadley-how-to-live-aWed, 10 Dec 2025 11:33:32 GMTNine years ago, I was in a really dark place – struggling for years with depression, eating disorders, and chronic health challenges. I had studied A Course In Miracles and other spiritual pathways for over a decade, but I was still feeling very unhappy, insecure, and disconnected from my purpose.

Thankfully I found my teacher Jennifer Hadley, who ended up changing my life by showing me how to actually forgive myself and let love lead the way.

Jennifer Hadley, founder of the Power of Love Ministry, is a spiritual writer, speaker, teacher, minister and counselor that has led over 60,000 spiritual students to discover the Power and Beauty within by supporting them to get out of their heads and into their loving hearts so they can be of greater service in the world.

Jennifer offers daily inspiration and prayer, as well as workshops, classes and professional training programs for spiritual students and professionals. She is the host of A Course in Miracles podcast since 2011. The podcast focuses on a practical understanding and application of A Course in Miracles so the listeners can truly walk the talk and live the Love, leading a happy and prosperous life that brings benefit themselves, their family, friends, co-workers and all they come into contact with.

Jennifer has a deep commitment to inspire more than 1 billion people to practice forgiveness in ways that result in miraculous, demonstrable results that inspires many more.

And as a graduate of Jennifer’s signature programs Masterful Living* and Spiritual Counseling Certification (now called Quantum Counseling Certification), I’m a living proof that when you put her teachings into practice, it really does create miraculous results.

Within just a few months of studying with Jennifer, I began to experience a fundamental, permanent shift in how I experience life. For the first time in my life, I didn’t hate myself anymore. All of my relationships began to heal in tangible ways, and life started to bring me opportunities and blessings that I couldn’t have imagined (more about this in episode 001).

I’m forever grateful to Jennifer and her Power of Love Ministry community, and couldn’t be more excited and honored to welcome her to our show today!

We talk about:

  • What true forgiveness is, and how it’s not what most people think

  • Jennifer’s personal healing journey from self-hatred to self-love

  • Relatable, real life examples of practicing true forgiveness

  • Why self-forgiveness is more challenging than forgiving others

  • Jennifer’s signature program Masterful Living and how it changed my life

… and more!

✨ Ready for your biggest spiritual breakthrough in 2026?

Masterful Living* is Jennifer’s signature 1-year program that transformed my life more quickly than decades of therapy or studying spirituality.

It has an incredible supportive community led by my fellow certified spiritual counselors, and I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Learn more about Masterful Living here*

Connect with Jennifer

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Mentioned

*Affiliate link

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[027. Creating safety for the body and soul – with Marielle School]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/027-creating-safety-for-the-bodyhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/027-creating-safety-for-the-bodyWed, 12 Nov 2025 11:33:24 GMTHow do we find safety in our body, especially as empaths and sensitive types?

Today’s guest is someone who has helped me see the body and the cycle of life and death in a completely new light. Please welcome my dear teacher, mentor, and friend, Marielle School!

Marielle School is a light worker, a yoga instructor, a craniosacral therapist, a peer specialist in eating disorders, an artist, and a children’s book illustrator. She’s the author of It Matters Totally: Healing Food Addiction with A Course In Miracles which was a collaboration with Lisa Natoli. Through her work Marielle facilitates opportunities for healing, self care/self love practices and connection to our intuition.

In this powerful episode Marielle shares about her personal healing journey, of recovering from a life-threatening eating disorder, immersing herself in yoga and ACIM, and guiding others as a healer and teacher. We also go into her mystical experiences of communicating with angels and beings in the afterworld, as well as holding space for her loved ones as they were passing over.

This interview is jam-packed with profound insights about that can help shift our perspectives on the biggest challenges of life, particularly around eating disorders, addictions, sickness, and death. While there’s so much fear and judgment wrapped up around these subjects in our society, Marielle reminds us that everything is a part of our soul’s sacred journey, and that beyond the veil there are countless loving beings watching over us every step of the way.

We talk about:

  • Yoga as a practice of creating a safe place for the soul to land and connecting with the Earth

  • Marielle’s journey with anorexia and the visitation from an angel that saved her life

  • The world you see is an out-picturing of an inward condition: How ACIM helped Marielle experience miracles with her raging alcoholic neighbor

  • Death as a sacred portal: Holding a frequency of love for the dying and communicating with souls in the afterworld

  • The surprising truth about eating disorders and Marielle’s unique approach to healing

… and more!

Connect with Marielle

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[026. Neda Boin: Liberating your voice & soul with ACIM]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/026-neda-boin-liberating-your-voice-and-soul-with-acimhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/026-neda-boin-liberating-your-voice-and-soul-with-acimWed, 29 Oct 2025 10:33:30 GMTWhen is the last time you sang your heart out?

When did you first learn to suppress your voice, to hold yourself back?

Today, I sat with my dear friend Neda Boin to talk about the power of using the voice for emotional release and healing.

Neda Boin is an award winning singer songwriter and voice liberator who uses music to remember and extend the love we truly are. Neda travels all around the globe to give retreats, workshops and healing concerts. Her work is deeply rooted in the non-dual teachings of A Course in Miracles.

In this episode, Neda shares about her personal journey from a rising pop star to discovering ACIM and giving over her voice to Spirit. We go into the importance of giving space to your emotions, and how you can honor and release them through your voice. We also talked about her new album “Winds of Change” and the incredible transformations she’s been witnessing in her voice liberation workshops and retreats all over the world.

I first met Neda several years ago at her concert in NYC. And I was blown away not only by her gorgeous voice but also the way she was really embodying the teachings of ACIM. Both her music and voice liberation workshops have been truly helpful to me in experiencing the Truth through the heart instead of the head, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this interview with you!

We talk about:

  • From pop singer to healer: How ACIM transformed Neda’s music career

  • Voice liberation: releasing grievances and emotional blockages through your voice

  • Learning to put Spirit in charge and trusting your inner voice

  • A 3-second vocal practice that has been shown to reduce stress more effectively than meditation

  • Neda’s latest album “Winds of Change,” upcoming retreats, and the transformative power of group healing

… and more!

Connect with Neda

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Mentioned

Credits

  • “Let Love Lead” written and performed by Neda Boin, copyright ©2025 by Neda Boin, used with permission.

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[025. Reawakening your senses through art and nature – with Ulli Ulrike Gruenberg]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/025-reawakening-your-senses-through-art-and-naturehttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/025-reawakening-your-senses-through-art-and-natureWed, 15 Oct 2025 10:33:33 GMTIn a society where our sense of worth has long been tied to achievement and productivity, there’s now a collective longing to let go of the busy doing and simply be. The question is—how do we get there?

Our guest today is here to guide us in making that shift with love and ease. Please welcome my dear friend Ulli Ulrike Gruenberg!

Ulli Ulrike Gruenberg is an Artist, Psychologist, and women-centered Coach with expertise in trauma awareness, addiction recovery, and healing through art and nature. She teaches people how to invigorate their love for life and embody a deeper sense of being and emotional richness.

In this episode, Ulli shares about her epic healing journey that took her through art school and psychology, through Europe and across the Atlantic, through parenthood and the “spiritual,” through developmental trauma recovery to the deeper knowing.

She talks about how reawakening our senses and taking the time to commune with our surroundings can really help us develop a deeper sense of well-being and appreciation for the magic of life.

This conversation really inspired me to take more pauses throughout my day and to really take in the beauty that’s all around me. If you, like me, have been feeling a longing for a deeper sense of connection to the world around you, this episode is for you!

✨ Longing to “just be,” but wondering how to get there?

Join Ulli for her live online course See Beyond: A six-week journey from doing towards being – starts October 21

We talk about:

  • Ulli’s personal journey of growing up in Germany and finding healing in art, nature, trauma recovery, and the spiritual

  • How ACIM helped Ulli let go of guilt and embrace her innocence

  • Getting out of the “wellness trap” and finding space and stillness within

  • How aesthetic contemplation can help us let go of doing and step into being

  • Reawakening your senses and embracing the magic of being alive

… and more!

Connect with Ulli

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Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[024. How to step into power when stuff hits the fan]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/024-how-to-step-into-power-when-stuff-hits-the-fanhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/024-how-to-step-into-power-when-stuff-hits-the-fanWed, 08 Oct 2025 10:33:20 GMT

There’s a lot coming up right now in the collective – and for many of us, our personal lives. And it’s those times when sh*t hits the fan that it’s extra tempting to make it wrong and try to fight it, or to spiral into fear and powerlessness.

In this episode, I talk about how to shift out of that victim mindset and open up to higher possibilities and solutions – even when things get really rough.

The Truth is: you are actually more powerful than anything appears to be happening. Who you truly are is limitless and infinitely resourced. You’re already and forever one with Source. Life is happening for you, not to you.

These are not just some inspiring quotes on a greeting card – they’re actually true! So what becomes possible when we start really living as if they’re true and stop making exceptions?

I talk about:

  • Remembering your infinite nature no matter what the circumstance

  • Interrupting the fear loop with the sacred pause and breath

  • Asking expansive questions to shift out of victim mentality

  • How to consciously choose love, joy, and abundance even when it feels impossible

  • Prayer for reclaiming our true power and abundance

… and more!

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[You are worthy, no matter what]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/you-are-worthy-no-matter-whathttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/you-are-worthy-no-matter-whatThu, 11 Sep 2025 10:37:57 GMT

Hi, it’s Rieko.

This week I’m taking a break from the podcast to try something new. There’s a message that’s been coming through, another Letter from Love, that I’d like to share with you in a more compact format.

You can read it below, or listen to the audio version above.

Here’s to your healing and expansion!

xox

You are worthy, no matter what.

Period. The end.

You are worthy, with or without a purpose.

You are worthy, with or without money.

You are worthy, with or without a work you love.

You are worthy, with or without a partner or family.

You are worthy, with or without inspiration.

You are worthy, whether your body is healthy or sick and tired.

You are worthy, whether you’re being productive or not so productive.

You are worthy, whether you’re lit up or completely unmotivated.

You are worthy, whether you’re in total trust or panicking in fear.

You are worthy, whether you’re being loving or mean to yourself or others.

You are worthy, whether you’re put together or falling apart.

You are worthy, whether you know what you’re doing or have no effing clue.

You are worthy, no matter what your body looks or feels like.

You are worthy, no matter what or how you eat.

You are worthy, no matter how you dress.

You are worthy, no matter where you live.

You are worthy, no matter what others think or say.

You are worthy, no matter what’s happening in your life or the world.

You are worthy, whether you’re playing big or small.

You are worthy, whether you make the “right” or “wrong” choice.

You are worthy, whether you’re in the flow or the space of total lack.

You are worthy, whether you’re thinking negative or positive thoughts.

You are worthy, whether you’re in a high or low vibration.

You are worthy, whether you believe it or not.

You are worthy, whether you accept it or not.

Nothing can ever change your worthiness.

Your worth is infinite and unconditional.

No exceptions.

And there’s nothing you can do about it.

Your existence is a complete sentence.

Your living, breathing, feeling presence is the gift to all.

Who you truly are is beyond any ideas about worth.

Who you truly are can’t be measured.

Because you are worthiness itself.

The mind can’t wrap its head around it.

So don’t try to understand it.

Just soften and breathe into it.

Open your heart and receive it.

Let everything go and relax into it.

You are worthy, no matter what.

Period. The end.

When We Are Healed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[023. Light up your day with the power of your intentions]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/light-up-your-day-with-the-power-of-your-intentionshttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/light-up-your-day-with-the-power-of-your-intentionsWed, 20 Aug 2025 10:33:20 GMT

“We have the power to choose love, beauty, and joy in any given moment—even though the mind might complain.”

Confession: There are times when I catch myself feeling pretty uninspired in my daily life, thinking things are “just OK.” The mind is constantly looking for something outside of me to bring excitement and fulfillment—a person, an opportunity, a vacation, etc.—and I’d find myself feeling empty again as soon as that thing comes and goes. Sound familiar?

Today I’m sharing a powerful practice that can turn your day around from “blah” to “Wow!”—no matter what’s going on. And it’s as simple as setting an intention about what you’d like to receive.

You can do this throughout the day, as you enter a space, meet someone, or begin an activity. And the best part is, it’s never too late: you always have the power to set a new intention and change your experience at any given moment. The more you play with this, the more it becomes a fun game!

I talk about:

  • How the matrix of your life dynamically responds to your intentions

  • Real-life examples of how I turned around situations using my intentions

  • What you focus on expands: How your judgments and expectations limit what you receive

  • Softening the resistance to setting intentions and making conscious choices

  • Prayer for opening up to receive

… and more!

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

When We Are Healed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[022. What if depression isn’t wrong?]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/what-if-depression-isnt-wronghttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/what-if-depression-isnt-wrongThu, 24 Jul 2025 10:33:59 GMT

If you’ve been feeling some density and heaviness lately, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong!

When we experience depression, anxiety, or any emotional state that feel uncomfortable, there’s a tendency to judge it, resist it, and try to make it go away – which actually leads to prolonging the suffering.

This episode is about seeing “negative” emotions in a completely different light than what society has taught us. I talk about my own experience hitting rock bottom with a debilitating depression many years ago, and how I’ve since learned to surf the waves of these periods of heaviness with acceptance and compassion.

What if these emotions are sacred messengers trying to get your attention? What opens up, what becomes possible, when you embrace it instead of pushing it away?

I talk about:

  • How our emotional state is inextricably tied to the energy in the collective

  • Dispelling common myths about negative emotions

  • My darkest days with depression and how I moved through it

  • Seeing the entire human experience as a gift

  • Beyond the negative and positive: the power of feeling what you feel

… and more!

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

Recommended Resource

Dr. Kim D’Eramo’s FREE EFT Tapping Course – This is one of the most powerful tools I’ve found in moving through depression, anxiety, fatigue, and pain! The first time I did her tapping session on depression I cried a river.

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

When We Are Healed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[021. Psilocybin therapy: A sacred journey within – with Aphyna Zoe]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/021-psilocybin-therapy-a-sacred-journey-withinhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/021-psilocybin-therapy-a-sacred-journey-withinWed, 02 Jul 2025 10:33:15 GMTSeveral months ago, I had a life-changing experience with psychedelic-assisted therapy using psilocybin, a.k.a. “magic” mushrooms. It was the most powerful, emotional catharsis that cracked me open – and I’m deeply grateful for my amazing facilitator Aphyna Zoe, who is here with us today!

Aphyna Zoe is a licensed facilitator for psychedelic-assisted therapy, a sound healer, astrologer, and ceremonial guide called to support those on the precipice of change. Aphyna weaves sound healing into her work, using vibration and frequency to guide others into deep states of relaxation, soothing the nervous system and creating space for the body’s innate healing wisdom to emerge. Through her empathic presence, she offers a safe, loving, and transformative space for those seeking deep healing and personal growth with psilocybin-assisted therapy.

In this episode, Aphyna talks about what psilocybin is, the science behind its powerful healing effects, and how it transformed her own life. We go into detail about Aphyna’s work as a licensed facilitator and the full arc of the journey that she guides her clients through. She also provides key insights on the astrology of the upcoming months and what’s happening in the collective.

As someone who’s experienced Aphyna’s work first hand, I am so deeply grateful for this incredible gift that she’s offering the world. She creates this beautiful sacred ritual and container around the whole experience and holds space for you with the compassion and patience of an angel. So if you’ve ever been curious about psilocybin therapy, I cannot recommend Aphyna highly enough as a facilitator!

🌹✨ Join Aphyna for a sacred women’s retreat with a group medicine journey in October 2025! More info here.

We talk about:

  • What psilocybin is, who it’s for, and how it rewires your brain to break free from limiting thought patterns and beliefs

  • Life before and after mushrooms: how psilocybin transformed Aphyna’s life and my life

  • What you can expect in a psilocybin journey, and Aphyna’s unique process for guiding her clients

  • Ayahuasca vs. psilocybin: Different ways plant medicine can help us heal

  • Astrology of 2025: What is happening in the collective and what we can expect in the coming months

… and more!

Connect with Aphyna

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

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Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[020. Rewriting the story of your life and career – with Nicole Witt]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/rewriting-the-story-of-your-life-and-careerhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/rewriting-the-story-of-your-life-and-careerWed, 18 Jun 2025 10:33:12 GMTIf you’ve ever felt stuck in a job that you’re doing mostly for the money, or felt lost or frustrated that you don’t know what you want to do with your life, this episode is for you! Please welcome my dear friend Nicole Witt!

Nicole Witt is a spiritual teacher, mentor, and coach. Using the principles and practices of A Course in Miracles, she helps women redefine their life and their story so that they can truly embody a life they love. After a 30 year corporate career, Nicole became an Ordained Ministerial Counselor through Pathways of Light in order to light the way for others to truly discover their connection to their True Identity and Love within so that they experience more joy, more love, and more peace in their lives.

In this episode, Nicole shares about how she spent a lifetime searching for her purpose and passion, and how everything started to shift when she discovered ACIM and began to connect to her inner wisdom. Her story is a testament to the miracles that unfolds when you begin to observe your own thoughts and make a commitment to see your life differently.

As we become aware of the limiting stories we have been telling ourselves, and consciously choose happiness over suffering, the light inside of us starts to naturally shine and guide our way.

We talk about:

  • Nicole’s early years of searching for purpose and feeling stuck in a corporate job she took right out of college

  • How ACIM helped Nicole shift from victim mentality and people-pleasing to empowerment and authentic expression

  • Spirit’s got your back: Developing a relationship with your inner guidance

  • Healing the inner child: letting go of the stories we tell ourselves with compassion

  • How to turn a “soul-sucking” job into an opportunity for awakening

… and more!

💝 Nicole has a very special gift for you – Click here to get 50% off her Accessing Inner Wisdom 1-on-1 Counseling Session!

Connect with Nicole

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

When We Are Healed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[019. Free up your voice by embracing fear]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/019-free-up-your-voice-by-embracinghttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/019-free-up-your-voice-by-embracingWed, 04 Jun 2025 10:33:13 GMT

This is a no-holds-barred, honest talk about the fear, resistance, and creative block that I’ve struggled with as a podcaster.

I take you behind the scenes of podcasting and share everything about how I’ve been writing and recording my solo episodes, and the various ways fear pops up for me in the creative process as perfectionism, procrastination, comparison, overthinking, self-censorship, or imposter syndrome.

All of these were coming up particularly strongly in making this episode. After many days of writing and editing, I wasn’t making much progress and even wondered if I should quit.

It was when I decided to let go of making myself wrong and and open up to you about this whole thing, that I was finally able to throw away the script, hit record, and just start talking. We overcome fear not by resisting it—but by embracing it.

I talk about:

  • My process for writing and recording my solo podcast episodes

  • How fear and self-imposed pressure have been stifling my creativity

  • Letting go of resistance: feeling the fear and breathing into it

  • How I grew up suppressing my voice and expression as an introvert

  • Prayer for freeing up our expression and letting creativity flow

… and more!

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Book Recommendations for Creative Recovery

**Affiliate link – Purchasing a copy of the book through this link on Bookshop.org is a way to support independent bookstores as well as this podcast.

Credits

Original Music: Jeff Shreve

Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[018. Dr. Mario Torres-León: The power of gratitude and your feeling body ]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/018-the-power-of-gratitude-and-your-feeling-bodyhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/018-the-power-of-gratitude-and-your-feeling-bodyWed, 14 May 2025 10:33:16 GMT

Just being human is the biggest gift. We came to feel.

—Dr. Mario Torres-León

Earlier in 2025, I stumbled across a program called the 28-day Gratitude Launchpad with Dr. Mario Torres-León, which blew my mind and cracked my heart open. Even though I had practiced gratitude for many years, it wasn’t until I learned to actually feel the energy of gratitude in my body as Dr. Mario teaches, that I began to experience true healing. I’m feeling more consistently happy than ever before, and opportunities are coming into my life in a way that I never thought was possible. I’m deeply grateful for Dr. Mario and couldn’t be more honored to welcome him to our show!

Dr. Mario Torres-León, a native of Puerto Rico, is a Harvard Medical School, Yale University and Columbia University College of Physician & Surgeons educated radiologist, and Founder and CEO of Alive Partner. As an international personal development and health coach, speaker and author, he has reached and impacted the lives of millions of people through his work on TV, radio and multimedia platforms.

In this episode, Dr. Mario talks about his journey of discovering healing gifts at a young age, working as a physician for over 30 years, and growing through relationship challenges as a married man and a father. He also shares powerful insights about the gift of being human, and how the practice of gratitude combined with feeling, has transformed not only his life but also the lives of countless people in his community.

At one point in the interview, I was practically sobbing as he told me the story of successfully operating on a patient who was severely allergic to anesthesia, by guiding him to tap into the power of love within him. It gives me so much hope for humanity to see more and more doctors like Dr. Mario empowering people to tune into their innate healing abilities!

We talk about:

  • Dr. Mario’s journey working as a physician for over 30 years, and what his patients taught him about the gift of being human and feeling it fully

  • Marriage and relationships as a cauldron for transformation

  • Why gratitude combined with feeling is the most powerful tool for healing

  • Why your SOMAp (a unique physical map of emotions in your body) is the key to developing emotional awareness and freedom

  • True stories of miracles experienced by participants in Dr. Mario’s 28-day Gratitude Launchpad program, including a complete resolution of decades of chronic pain

… and more!

Connect with Dr. Mario

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

**Affiliate link – Purchasing a copy of the book through this link on Bookshop.org is a way to support independent bookstores as well as this podcast.

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[017. Conscious wellness: Nurturing ourselves to true health – with Valerie Robinson]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/017-conscious-wellness-nurturing-ourselves-to-true-healthhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/017-conscious-wellness-nurturing-ourselves-to-true-healthWed, 30 Apr 2025 10:33:15 GMT

True health is this deep, spiritual understanding that we are not the victims of the world that we’re in.

—Valerie Robinson

There’s a very exciting movement taking root in the health & wellness space – one that’s guided by the energy and wisdom of the divine feminine. It’s a call to soften, listen, and flow with natural rhythms instead of pushing ourselves harder. To love and nourish ourselves instead of whipping ourselves into shape. To become quiet and turn within for guidance instead of inundating ourselves with external information.

Today’s guest is someone who not only leads this movement but really lives it. Please welcome my dear friend Valerie Robinson!

Valerie Robinson is a holistic wellness coach, homeschooling mother of two, and founder of Wild Hope Botanicals, a small-batch skincare business. Her work is guided by deep trust in the body’s wisdom, the cycles of nature, and the divine support always available to us.

In this episode, Valerie shares about her journey from victimhood to freedom as she navigated through allopathic and holistic medicine, and how she found her own gentle, loving approach to health by reconnecting to nature and her true self. We dive into subjects that are seldom talked about in the health & wellness space, and offer insights that higher spiritual perspectives can bring to the challenges on our healing journey.

We talk about:

  • From victimhood to freedom: Valerie’s journey from a traumatic experience with dermatological treatments to discovering holistic health

  • How fear can hijack the pursuit of health, including attachment to control, obsession, loss of freedom, and even eating disorders like orthorexia.

  • Honoring the cycles and rhythms of nature in our bodies

  • The dance between spiritual and practical: knowing we are not the body yet having a body

  • The challenges of learning to love and nurture ourselves first instead of over-giving

… and more!

Connect with Valerie

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

**Affiliate link – Purchasing a copy of the book through this link on Bookshop.org is a way to support independent bookstores as well as this podcast.

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

]]><![CDATA[016. How do I release chronic pain?]]>https://whenwearehealed.com/p/016-how-do-i-release-chronic-painhttps://whenwearehealed.com/p/016-how-do-i-release-chronic-painWed, 16 Apr 2025 10:33:45 GMT

Chronic pain – physical and emotional – has been hands down one of the most grueling things I’ve worked with on my healing journey. But it’s also been my greatest teacher of self-love and compassion.

In this episode, I share the insights and tools that have helped me see and experience pain differently. Through ongoing practice, my relationship to my body and to the sensations we call pain, has been shifting from fear, resentment, and guilt – to presence, compassion, and harmony.

I also introduce 3 powerhouse teachers who have changed my life through their mind-body approach to healing and releasing pain. Countless people around the world have defied medical conventions and experienced profound healing through their work!

Pain is not what’s wrong about us – it’s what’s right about us, sounding an alarm that we’ve been ignoring a part of us that’s asking to be seen and heard. What becomes possible when we welcome it instead of pushing it away?

I talk about:

  • My personal experience with chronic pain, and how it’s shifted through ongoing practice

  • What pain really is, and what actually causes the suffering

  • 3 perspectives that have completely changed the way I experience pain

  • A simple yet powerful practice to surrender pain

  • 3 amazing teachers and resources to help you release chronic pain through a mind-body approach

… and more!

Connect with Rieko & When We Are Healed

Mentioned

**Affiliate link – Purchasing a copy of the book through this link on Bookshop.org is a way to support independent bookstores as well as this podcast.

Credits

  • Original Music: Jeff Shreve

  • Editor: Sonic Highlark

When We Are Healed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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