Midlife Spirituality Project: Helping Midlife Women Come Home To Themselves Through The Science & System of Yoga

A conversation with Human Design coach Erica Voell about energy, decision-making, relationships, purpose, and learning to trust the way you were designed. In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project , I’m joined by Erica Voell , a Human Design coach for midlife women, for a fascinating conversation about self-understanding, energy, decision-making, relationships, and purpose. So many women arrive in midlife feeling like there is something wrong with them. They wonder why they do things the way they do. Why they need more time to make decisions. Why they feel drained by certain responsibilities but lit up by others. Why their partner, children, or loved ones seem to move through the world so differently. Why they feel pulled toward a deeper understanding of themselves but do not always know where to begin. Human Design offers one lens for understanding these questions. In this conversation, Erica shares how discovering Human Design helped her heal from burnout, change the way she approached her work, and see herself with more compassion. She describes Human Design as a way of connecting the dots so women can begin to see the whole picture of themselves, their relationships, and their families. We talk about the relief that can come when you realize, “There is nothing wrong with me.” Not every part of you needs to be fixed. Not every pattern is a flaw. Sometimes what you have judged in yourself is simply part of how you are designed to move through the world. We also explore Human Design types, authority, decision-making, emotional authority, family dynamics, self-trust, purpose, and the second half of life. From a yoga philosophy perspective, this conversation connects beautifully to svadhyaya , the practice of self-study. The more deeply we understand ourselves, the more freedom we have to live with clarity, compassion, and alignment. Human Design and the Relief of Self-Understanding One of the most powerful themes in this conversation is the relief that comes from understanding yourself more deeply. Many women spend years trying to become more acceptable, more productive, more energetic, more decisive, more peaceful, more easygoing, or more like the people around them. But what if some of the things you have been judging are not flaws? What if your need for time, solitude, rest, clarity, or a different rhythm is not a problem? What if your energy works differently for a reason? Human Design does not remove the need for growth, healing, or self-responsibility. But it can help us distinguish between the patterns that truly need our attention and the parts of ourselves we have been unnecessarily criticizing. Human Design, Decision-Making, and Self-Trust Erica and I also talk about decision-making, especially the way so many women second-guess themselves. Some people are designed to make quick decisions from an intuitive knowing. Others need to talk things out. Some need the right environment. Some need to feel whether their heart is truly in it. And some, like those with emotional authority, need time and space before clarity arrives. This part of the conversation is especially helpful for midlife women who are learning to trust their inner wisdom again. Because so often, we were taught to make decisions the way our families, cultures, workplaces, or partners made decisions. Human Design can offer permission to honor your own process instead. Human Design, Relationships, and Family Another beautiful part of this episode is the conversation around relationships. When we understand that the people we love may have a completely different design from our own, we can begin to relate to them with more compassion and less judgment. This can be especially helpful in marriage, parenting, family dynamics, and work relationships. Instead of assuming someone is being difficult, lazy, impulsive, slow, needy, avoidant, or too intense, we can begin to ask: How does this person’s energy work? How do they make decisions? What do they need in order to feel supported? That understanding can soften so much. Human Design, Purpose, and Dharma Toward the end of the conversation, Erica and I talk about purpose. Purpose can feel like a loaded word, especially in midlife. We often think our purpose has to be one specific job, role, identity, or calling. But from a yoga philosophy perspective, purpose is more closely connected to our essence — the truth of who we are and how that essence wants to be expressed in the world. Human Design can offer another map for understanding that essence. It may not tell you one exact thing you are supposed to do forever, but it can help you understand your gifts, your energy, your decision-making process, your relationships, and the way you are here to contribute. Listen If You Are Curious about Human Design In midlife and wanting to understand yourself more deeply Feeling like there is something wrong with the way you move through the world Tired of forcing yourself into roles, rhythms, or expectations that do not fit Learning to trust your intuition Questioning your purpose or dharma Trying to make decisions with more clarity Wanting to understand your partner, children, or family dynamics better Healing from burnout or years of over-functioning Ready to stop abandoning yourself and start honoring how you are designed Resources Mentioned Learn more about Erica Voell and her work at: http://ericavoell.com/connect Follow Erica on Substack or Instagram About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A short guided practice for midlife women using sound, stillness, pratyahara, and inner listening. Note: Practice begins at minute 18 In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project, I’m guiding you through a simple listening practice designed to help you slow down, turn inward, and come home to yourself. This practice invites you to close your eyes and listen — first to the sounds around you, both near and far, and then to the quieter inner landscape of your body, breath, and heart. Practices do not have to be complicated to be powerful. Sometimes the simplest practices are the ones that create the most space. Through the yoga practices of pratyahara , or turning inward, and dharana , or focused attention, listening becomes a doorway back to presence. For midlife women, this kind of practice can be especially supportive. So many of us are surrounded by noise, responsibility, expectations, and constant input. We may become so used to listening outward — to what everyone else needs, thinks, wants, or expects — that we forget how to listen to ourselves. This episode is an invitation to pause, soften, and remember that your inner wisdom is still there. You simply need a little quiet, a little space, and a willingness to listen. In This Episode, We Talk About Why simple practices can be deeply powerful Listening as a doorway into presence How sound can help anchor the mind Listening to sounds both near and far The yoga practice of pratyahara, or turning inward Why midlife women need space to hear themselves again Using outer listening as a pathway to inner listening Trusting the wisdom that arises when we get quiet Practice From the Episode Find a comfortable seat or place to rest. Close your eyes, or soften your gaze. Begin by listening to the sounds closest to you. Maybe you hear your breath, your body, the hum of the room, or a small sound nearby. Then allow your awareness to expand outward. Listen for sounds farther away — outside the room, outside the house, in the distance. Let yourself receive the sounds without needing to name them, judge them, or push them away. Then slowly begin to turn your attention inward. Notice your breath. Notice your body. Notice what is present in your heart. There is nothing to fix and nothing to force. Just listen. Reflection Questions After the practice, you may want to journal on these questions: What did I notice when I became still? Was it easier for me to listen outward or inward? What sounds helped me feel grounded? What happened in my body as I listened? Did anything soften, settle, or shift? What did I notice beneath the noise? What might my body, heart, or inner wisdom be trying to tell me? Where in my life am I listening too much to the outside world? Where am I being invited to listen more deeply to myself? What would change if I trusted what I heard within? Episode 169: Daily Spiritual Practice: What Sadhana Teachers Us About Coming Home To Ourselves About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A soulful and practical episode on dharma, self-discovery, and six ways to uncover your purpose and live with more meaning, connection, and fulfillment in midlife. In this episode, Katie guides you on a journey to discover your dharma—your true purpose—and live a life of greater meaning, connection, and fulfillment. Drawing from yoga philosophy, spiritual teachings, and timeless wisdom, she explores why midlife can be such a powerful season for self-discovery, reflection, and alignment. Katie shares personal insights as a teacher, coach, and guide, explaining how life experiences, challenges, and periods of deep reflection can all help refine your sense of purpose. She also offers six practical tools to help you uncover your dharma and live more authentically, even in the midst of life’s noise, responsibilities, and distractions. In this episode, Katie explores how to identify your natural strengths, reconnect with what you love, notice what continues to fascinate and energize you, and reflect on the impact you feel called to make. She also introduces the role of archetypes, body awareness, and interoception in helping you listen more deeply to your inner guidance and unique design. Along the way, Katie discusses the arrival fallacy, the difference between the horizontal and vertical planes of life, and why living in alignment with your dharma can create more resilience, fulfillment, and even a sense of magic. Whether you are navigating a transition in midlife, seeking deeper meaning, or feeling called to reconnect with yourself, this episode offers grounded tools and spiritual insight to help you live with more authenticity and purpose. In this episode, you’ll hear: how to discover your dharma in midlife why midlife can be a powerful season for self-discovery and alignment how to identify your strengths and natural gifts why what you love and what fascinates you matter how serving others can point you toward your purpose how archetypes and body awareness can support self-trust why reflecting on your legacy can bring clarity how living in alignment with your dharma creates meaning, resilience, and fulfillment Related Episodes: E 89: Interoception: Learning To Use Your Body As A Guide E76: Aligning With Your Soul's Purpose Using Body Wisdom 138: Listening To Soul Desire E82: How Service LEads To Living Your Dharma About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A yoga philosophy episode on anger as a messenger, the practice of the pause, and how to move from reactivity to aligned action. In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project, we are talking about anger — an emotion many of us were taught to fear, suppress, judge, or spiritualize away. But anger is not a spiritual failure. From the perspective of yoga, anger can become part of our practice when we meet it with awareness instead of shame. Anger can show us where a boundary has been crossed, where a truth has been silenced, where a need has gone unmet, where injustice has occurred, or where we have abandoned ourselves for the sake of keeping the peace. The goal is not to let anger control our words or actions. It is also not to pretend we are too spiritual to feel it. The practice is learning how to pause, listen, and respond from the seat of the Self — the wiser, steadier part of us — rather than from the part of us that wants to defend, attack, collapse, punish, or run away. Through the lens of yoga philosophy, we explore anger as a messenger, satya as truthfulness, svadhyaya as self-study, ahimsa as non-harm toward both ourselves and others, and the sacred space between trigger and response where real transformation becomes possible. In This Episode, We Talk About Whether anger and spirituality can coexist Why anger is not automatically unspiritual Anger as a messenger of truth, boundaries, and unmet needs Why suppressing anger can turn into resentment, anxiety, or emotional shutdown The difference between feeling anger and becoming anger How yoga philosophy helps us pause before reacting Satya, or truthfulness, and how anger points us toward our truth Ahimsa, or non-harm, as a practice that includes ourselves Svadhyaya, or self-study, as a way to understand what anger is revealing Pratipaksha bhavana, or shifting perspective when caught in anger or aversion How to see the good without denying the harm Why boundaries can be an expression of love and truth Moving from anger to aligned action Steps for Working With Anger 1. Notice & Pauce Begin by noticing that anger is present. You might feel heat, tightness, pressure, clenching, irritation, resentment, or the urge to react. Instead of judging yourself, simply name what is happening without identifying with it: Anger is here. Before reacting, pause. Take a few deep breaths. Feel your feet. Place a hand on your heart or body. Ask for support from your higher self, God, the Divine, or whatever language feels true for you. This is the sacred space between stimulus and response. 2. Fully Feel It in the Body With Compassion Anger is not just a thought. It lives in the body. Notice where you feel it. Is it in your jaw, throat, chest, belly, hands, shoulders, or back? Let yourself feel the sensation without needing to act it out or push it away. You are not trying to become the anger. You are learning to be present with it. 3. Give The Body What It Needs Before trying to understand the anger, give your body what it needs to move, soften, or discharge the intensity. That may look like taking a walk, shaking out your hands, unclenching your jaw, stretching, crying, breathing deeply, pushing your hands into a wall, journaling, resting, stepping outside, or placing a hand on your heart and saying, I am safe to feel this. Anger carries energy. Sometimes the body needs support before the mind can access clarity. This step is not about suppressing anger. It is about helping your nervous system feel safe enough to listen. 4. Listen for the Message Ask the anger what it wants you to know. Anger may be pointing to a boundary, an unmet need, a truth you have not spoken, a place where you feel powerless, or an old wound that has been touched. The question is not only: Why am I angry? It is also: What is this anger protecting? What is this anger trying to show me? Is this mine to carry? This is the practice of svadhyaya, or self-study. Ask yourself what is really happening beneath the reaction. Is this moment only about what just happened, or is it touching something older? Seeing clearly does not mean excusing harmful behavior. It means understanding what is being activated within you so you can respond with wisdom instead of reactivity. 5. Discern What Is Needed Once you have listened, discern what action is needed. Do you need rest? A boundary? A hard conversation? Space? Repair? Honesty? Support? Grief? A change in the relationship? To let go of what isn't yours? Yoga does not ask us to bypass reality. It asks us to see clearly and act from truth. 6. Choose Aligned Action The practice is not to deny anger. The practice is to choose a response that comes from your highest self rather than from the part of you that wants to wound, defend, punish, collapse, or explode. Aligned action may look like speaking the truth, setting a boundary, walking away, asking for repair, or choosing not to engage. You can refuse to hate someone and still refuse to be harmed by them. Reflection Questions: Your Relationship With Anger Use these questions for journaling or quiet reflection: What was I taught about anger growing up? Was anger allowed in my family, or was it punished, shamed, ignored, or feared? Who was allowed to be angry? Who was not allowed to be angry? How do I usually respond when anger arises in me? Do I express it, suppress it, intellectualize it, spiritualize it, or turn it inward? Do I trust my anger? What scares me about feeling or expressing anger? Where do I feel anger in my body? What would a healthy relationship with anger look like for me? How might my anger be asking me to stop abandoning myself? Reflection Questions: What Is Under the Anger? When anger feels strong, ask: What boundary may have been crossed? What need is not being met? What truth have I been afraid to speak? Where do I feel unseen, unheard, dismissed, or disrespected? Where do I feel powerless, trapped, or controlled? Is there a younger part of me that feels unsafe, unseen, or not enough? What would this anger say if it knew I would listen without judgment? What action would honor both my anger and my highest self? Connect With Katie If this conversation resonated with you, I would love to invite you to continue this work with me. You can join me on Substack, where I share reflections, practices, and resources for midlife women who are ready to come home to themselves, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and move through this season with more peace, clarity, purpose, and self-trust. And if you are in your own season of transition, emotional healing, or spiritual growth and would like support reconnecting with your body, your intuition, and the deeper truth of who you are, you can visit my website or book a discovery call using the links below. Substack Instagram Website Book A Clarity Call

A conversation on spiritual awakening, svadharma, character strengths, service, and why yoga is so much more than movement. What if yoga was never meant to be something we only do on a mat? In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project, I’m joined by yoga teacher, writer, and spiritual seeker Marissa Guerra for a beautiful conversation about yoga philosophy, purpose, spiritual awakening, and what it means to live the practice beyond the mat. Marissa shares how yoga found her during a season of burnout, depression, and identity change. What began as a physical practice during the pandemic eventually led her to yoga teacher training in Sri Lanka, deeper study of the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras, time in India, graduate study in psychology and spirituality at Columbia, and a growing devotion to helping others understand themselves more deeply. Together, we talk about yoga as a path of self-knowledge, service, and transformation. We explore svadharma, character strengths, the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern psychology, and how following what fascinates us can become a way of finding our purpose. We also talk about gratitude, spiritual strength, karma, meaning-making, and why yoga is not just something we do in class. It is a living practice that helps us come back to love, presence, and the truth of who we are. In This Episode, We Talk About Yoga philosophy beyond asana Marissa’s journey from corporate life to yoga and spiritual study Burnout, depression, identity shifts, and spiritual awakening The connection between svadharma, character strengths, and purpose Why self-development is really self-knowledge How ancient wisdom and modern psychology overlap Turning difficult life experiences into meaning and service Gratitude as a daily practice for retraining the mind Yoga as a living practice, not just something we do on the mat Want to see Marissa's gorgeous visuals and join the deeper conversation? Follow her on Instagram! Want to dive into deeper readings? Follow Marissa on a Substack! About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

What yoga teaches us about devotion, discipline, and returning to ourselves through daily practice. What does it really mean to have a spiritual practice? In yoga philosophy, the word sadhana refers to a dedicated spiritual practice — the daily, repeated devotion of returning to yourself, your truth, and something greater than you. But sadhana does not have to be complicated. It does not have to look like a perfect morning routine, an hour-long meditation, or a daily yoga practice on the mat. Sadhana is less about performance and more about relationship. It is the practice of showing up again and again. It is how we remember who we are beneath the noise, roles, expectations, distractions, and patterns that pull us away from ourselves. In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , we explore why sadhana matters, especially in midlife. This is a season when many women begin to question who they are, what matters, what no longer fits, and how they want to live the next chapter of their lives. Sadhana gives us a way to listen inward. It helps us slow down, reconnect with the body, observe the mind, build self-trust, and live with more peace, clarity, purpose, and inner alignment. This episode is also a reminder that yoga is not confined to the mat. Yoga is a living practice. It is how we think, speak, act, choose, respond, and return. Your sadhana may include meditation, breathwork, prayer, journaling, mantra, movement, silence, time in nature, or simply a few intentional breaths before beginning your day. The form matters less than the devotion behind it. Sadhana is the practice that keeps bringing you home. In This Episode, We Explore What sadhana means in yoga philosophy Why daily spiritual practice matters How sadhana helps us come home to ourselves Why yoga is more than movement or something we do on a mat How practice helps us listen inward and reconnect with inner wisdom Why sadhana is not about perfection, performance, or rigid discipline How small daily practices can build self-trust Why midlife is a powerful time to create or return to spiritual practice How breathwork, meditation, journaling, prayer, mantra, and movement can become sadhana Why returning again and again is the real practice Reflection Questions From This Episode What helps me feel connected to myself? What helps me remember what matters? What practices bring me back to my body, breath, and heart? Where am I making spiritual practice too complicated? What would a simple, sustainable sadhana look like in this season of life? What am I devoted to becoming, remembering, or returning to? How can I bring yoga into the way I live, not just what I do on the mat? Simple Sadhana Practice Choose one small practice you can return to daily. It might be three conscious breaths. A hand on your heart. A short meditation. A few lines of journaling. A prayer. A mantra. A walk outside. A moment of silence before you reach for your phone. Let it be simple enough that you can actually return to it. The power of sadhana is not in doing something perfectly. The power is in returning. Again and again. 164: Balance Is a Myth: What Yoga Teaches Us About Wobbling Through Life About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A conversation on deep listening, dukkha, vulnerability, acceptance, and using relationship as spiritual practice. In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project , I’m joined by Devon Hase , co-author of This Messy, Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership . This conversation explores what Buddhist wisdom can teach us about love, marriage, conflict, and the very human messiness of being in close relationship with another person. Devon shares why difficulty in partnership does not mean something is wrong, how the Buddhist concept of dukkha can help us normalize the “bumpy ride” of love, and why our closest relationships often become some of our greatest opportunities for spiritual growth. We also talk about deep listening — to ourselves, to our partner, and to the relationship itself — and how this practice can help us move from projection and criticism toward curiosity, compassion, and connection. Devon and I also discuss vulnerability, codependency, attachment, the middle way, accepting our partners as they are while still honoring our own needs, and the importance of deliberately practicing joy and appreciation in long-term relationships. In This Episode, We Talk About Why relationships can feel especially complicated in midlife The Buddhist concept of dukkha and why love can feel like a “bumpy ride” Deep listening as a practice for ourselves, our partners, and the relationship How meditation helps us see our projections more clearly Relationship as a path of spiritual growth Accepting your partner while still naming your needs Codependency, attachment, autonomy, and connection The Buddhist “middle way” in partnership Vulnerability, boundaries, and “having no skin” with the people closest to us Practicing joy, appreciation, and tech-free connection Connect With Devon & Nico www.devonandnicohase.com IG: @devonandnicohase.com Buy The Book: This Messy, Gorgeous Love About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A guided practice for softening resentment, keeping your heart open, and returning to love without abandoning yourself. After two episodes exploring what it means to love when it feels hard, this episode offers a guided practice to help you bring those teachings into your body and heart. In this loving-kindness meditation, we explore the practice of softening resentment, tending to the heart, and cultivating compassion without excusing harm or abandoning ourselves. In the Buddhist tradition, this practice is often called metta . In yoga philosophy, a similar quality is called maitri . Both point to loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, and an open-hearted wish for well-being — toward yourself and others. Maitri in yoga philosophy is often described as an attitude of friendliness or goodwill that helps calm the mind and keep the heart open. This meditation begins with loving-kindness toward yourself, because we cannot practice love by leaving ourselves out. From there, we gently extend loving-kindness toward someone easy to love, a neutral person, and, only if it feels safe, someone with whom love feels complicated. This practice is not about forcing forgiveness. It is not about denying anger, grief, or pain. It is not about removing boundaries that need to be there. Loving-kindness is not self-abandonment. Instead, this meditation is a way of tending to your own heart so resentment does not become the place where you live. If you are working with anger, hurt, forgiveness, grief, resentment, or a difficult relationship, this practice is an invitation to stay open while staying rooted in yourself. In This Episode, We Practice Loving-kindness toward yourself Softening the heart without forcing forgiveness Offering compassion while honoring boundaries Releasing what is not yours to carry Extending goodwill from a safe distance Returning to your own body and breath Keeping your heart open without abandoning yourself Loving-Kindness Phrases From This Practice May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be free from suffering. May I meet myself with compassion. May I live with an open and protected heart. May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be free from suffering. May you feel loved and supported. May your heart know ease. May you be free from the suffering that causes harm. May you awaken to your own heart. May you be guided toward healing. May I release what is not mine to carry. May I remain connected to love without abandoning myself. If this meditation supported you, you can return to it anytime you are working with resentment, anger, grief, forgiveness, or a difficult relationship. And if you would like more reflections and practices like this, I would love to invite you to join me on Substack, where I share writing, guided practices, and teachings to help you come home to yourself in midlife. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

How yoga philosophy helps us love difficult people without abandoning ourselves. How do we keep our hearts open when someone has hurt us? And how do we practice love without pretending something is okay when it is not? In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , we continue the conversation from Part 1 of Loving When It Feels Hard and go deeper into what happens when difficult relationships become truly hurtful. This episode is not about spiritual bypassing. It is not about pretending you are not angry, hurt, resentful, or grieving. And it is not about abandoning yourself in the name of being loving or spiritual. Instead, this episode explores how yoga philosophy can help us stay connected to love while also honoring our truth, setting boundaries, feeling our emotions, and protecting our peace. We talk about ahimsa , or non-harming, and why non-harming must include yourself. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is set a clear boundary, create distance, speak the truth, or even release a relationship that continues to cause harm. We also explore viveka , or discernment, as the practice of seeing clearly what a moment requires. Love does not always look soft from the outside. Sometimes love looks like firmness. Sometimes it looks like a boundary. Sometimes it looks like refusing to participate in a harmful pattern. This episode also moves into vairagya , or non-attachment, especially when we want someone else to change. We can love someone, hope for their healing, and model another way of being without attaching our peace to whether or not they are willing to evolve. And finally, we explore forgiveness, anger, grief, and upeksha , or equanimity. Forgiveness is not excusing what happened. It is not rushing past pain. It is not saying something was okay when it was not. Forgiveness is a process of telling the truth, feeling what is underneath the anger, and eventually releasing the hope that the past could have been different. This is deep spiritual work. It asks us to practice svadhyaya , or self-study, by looking honestly at our own reactions, triggers, wounds, patterns, and responsibilities. Even when someone else is wrong, our healing still belongs to us. If you are navigating a painful or complicated relationship, this episode is an invitation to return to your center, tell the truth, set the boundary, feel what is real, and reach for the highest branch of loving-kindness available to you. Not perfect love. Not forced forgiveness. Not self-abandonment. But the kind of love that keeps your heart open without letting harm continue. In This Episode, We Explore Why loving someone does not mean abandoning yourself The difference between spirituality and spiritual bypassing Why pretending you are not hurt or angry can become a form of self-harm How ahimsa , or non-harming, must include yourself Why boundaries can be an expression of love How love does not always look gentle from the outside What viveka , or discernment, teaches us about taking right action Why we cannot force another person to change How vairagya , or non-attachment, helps us release our grip on someone else’s evolution Why forgiveness should never be rushed How anger can point us toward grief, hurt, shame, fear, or sadness underneath Why forgiveness is not excusing harm or letting someone off the hook How svadhyaya , or self-study, helps us see our wounds and triggers clearly What it means to reach for the highest branch of loving-kindness How upeksha , or equanimity, helps us choose peace without denying pain Yoga Philosophy Concepts in This Episode Ahimsa Ahimsa means non-harming. In this episode, we explore why non-harming must include yourself. Staying in harmful patterns, denying your emotions, or pretending something is okay when it is not can become a form of self-harm. Viveka Viveka means discernment or clear seeing. It is the ability to pause, return to your center, and see what the moment actually requires. Sometimes the loving response is softness. Sometimes it is truth. Sometimes it is a firm boundary. Vairagya Vairagya means non-attachment. In difficult relationships, this can mean loving someone, hoping for their healing, and modeling another way without attaching your peace to whether or not they choose to change. Svadhyaya Svadhyaya means self-study. It is the practice of honestly observing your thoughts, reactions, wounds, patterns, and triggers so you can see where healing is needed and return to greater freedom. Upeksha Upeksha means equanimity. It is the ability to remain steady, grounded, and clear even in the presence of pain, complexity, or difficult emotions. Equanimity allows us to choose peace without denying what happened. Reflection Questions From This Episode Where am I confusing love with self-abandonment? What emotions have I been pretending are not there? Is there a boundary I need to set in order to practice non-harming toward myself? Am I hoping someone else will change before I allow myself to feel peace? What am I still attached to that is keeping me on an emotional rollercoaster? What is underneath my anger? Is there grief, hurt, sadness, fear, or shame asking to be seen? What wound in me may have been touched by this relationship? What is my responsibility in my own healing? What is the highest branch of loving-kindness I can reach for right now? What would help me return to equanimity? Gentle Practice From This Episode The next time you feel anger, resentment, or hurt rising in a difficult relationship, pause before reacting. Take a few slow breaths. Place one hand over your heart if that feels supportive. Then ask yourself: What am I really feeling beneath the anger? What boundary would protect my peace? What is mine to heal? What is not mine to carry? What would love look like here if love included me too? You do not have to force forgiveness. You do not have to pretend you are okay. Just begin with honesty. That is svadhyaya. That is self-study. That is the beginning of freedom. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

How do we love people who are difficult to love? This is one of the hardest spiritual practices. Across many wisdom traditions, we are taught that we are not separate from one another. Beneath our personalities, opinions, wounds, beliefs, and stories, there is a shared essence moving through all of us. But that can be very hard to remember when someone is being hurtful, angry, unfair, frustrating, selfish, or difficult. In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , we explore what it means to love when it feels hard — not in a way that asks you to abandon yourself, excuse harmful behavior, or stay in situations that are not safe, but in a way that helps you protect your own heart from closing completely. This episode looks at the difference between love and self-abandonment, compassion and enabling, boundaries and resentment. Through the lens of yoga philosophy, we explore ahimsa , or non-harming, and why loving others must also include not harming yourself. We also talk about triggers, ego responses, resentment, anger, and the spiritual freedom that becomes possible when we learn to pause before reacting. When someone activates something painful in us, it can feel automatic to respond from anger, defensiveness, judgment, or resentment. But the real practice is learning to pause, breathe, return to center, and choose a response that does not rob us of our peace. This episode also explores the idea that difficult people can show us where we are not yet free. Our triggers can reveal the wounds that still need our attention. And while that does not make someone else’s behavior acceptable, it can help us see our own inner work more clearly. You’ll also hear about the practice of not taking things personally, the wisdom of seeing someone’s behavior as a reflection of their own internal experience, and the yoga practice of pratipaksha bhavana — cultivating the opposite perspective. This does not mean pretending harm did not happen. It means learning to see the whole person without denying the harm. It means choosing where you place your attention. It means keeping your heart open without removing your boundaries. And it means remembering that love is not weakness. Sometimes love is the most courageous spiritual practice there is. In This Episode, We Explore Why loving difficult people is one of the hardest spiritual practices How many wisdom traditions point toward our shared essence Why people’s wounds, stories, and beliefs can hide the truth of who they are Why closing your heart may protect you from pain, but can also block love and healing What yoga philosophy teaches through ahimsa , or non-harming Why love does not mean abandoning yourself or ignoring harmful behavior How anger and resentment can keep us trapped in suffering Why the pause between stimulus and response is where freedom begins How triggers can reveal the wounds that still need healing Why other people’s behavior is often about their own internal experience What it means to not take things personally How to see the good in someone without denying the harm they have caused How pratipaksha bhavana helps us shift our perspective Why choosing love is not the same as excusing bad behavior How to respond from your higher self instead of your wounded ego Yoga Philosophy Concepts in This Episode Ahimsa Ahimsa means non-harming. In this episode, we explore how non-harming applies not only to others, but also to ourselves. Loving someone does not mean allowing them to harm you. Boundaries can be an expression of love and non-harming. Svadhyaya Svadhyaya is a sanskrit term for self study. In yoga philosophy, it means the practice of honestly observing yourself — your thoughts, patterns, beliefs, reactions, habits, wounds, desires, and inner truth — so you can begin to see yourself more clearly. It is not self-analysis in a harsh or judgmental way. It is compassionate awareness. Pratipaksha Bhavana Pratipaksha bhavana is the practice of cultivating the opposite perspective. When the mind becomes caught in anger, judgment, or aversion, this practice invites us to consciously turn toward a different way of seeing. It does not require us to deny harm, but it helps us remember that people are complex and rarely only one thing. Reflection Questions From This Episode Who in my life feels difficult to love right now? What happens inside my body when I think about this person? What wound might be getting touched in me? Am I responding from my center, or from protection? What boundary would help me practice love without abandoning myself? What am I taking personally that may actually be about the other person’s inner world? Can I see any good in this person without denying the harm? What response would allow me to keep my peace? Where am I being invited into more freedom? Practice From This Episode The next time someone triggers anger, resentment, or defensiveness in you, pause before responding. Take a few slow breaths. Feel your feet on the ground. Place a hand over your heart if that feels supportive. Then ask yourself: What is happening inside me right now? What wound might be getting touched? What response would protect my peace? What response would come from love without abandoning myself? You do not have to respond immediately. Sometimes the most powerful spiritual practice is creating enough space to choose.

Feeling like you can’t balance it all? This episode explores why balance is a myth and how yoga teaches us to wobble, readjust, and return to center. What if balance is not something we are supposed to finally achieve? What if balance is not standing perfectly still, holding everything together, or giving equal energy to every part of your life? In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , we explore the myth of balance and what yoga can teach us about the real practice of staying centered in everyday life. So many of us have been taught that we should be able to balance it all: family, work, friendships, health, home, spiritual growth, parenting, rest, and all the endless responsibilities of being an adult. And when we cannot do it all perfectly, we assume we are failing. But balance, as we often imagine it, does not really exist. In yoga, balancing postures like Tree Pose or Warrior III are not still and perfect. They are full of tiny movements, adjustments, wiggles, wobbles, and moments of falling out and beginning again. The body is constantly sensing, shifting, and returning to center. Life is the same way. This episode is an invitation to stop chasing the impossible version of balance and begin practicing a more compassionate, honest, and seasonal version of it instead. You’ll be invited to ask: What matters most in this season? What is my edge right now? What can I release without guilt? What would help me stay present, peaceful, and connected to what matters? If you have been feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like you are failing at balancing it all, this episode will help you see balance in a new way. You are not failing. You are practicing. In This Episode, We Explore Why balance, as we usually define it, is a myth How the pressure to “balance it all” makes women feel like they are failing What yoga balancing postures teach us about real life Why wiggles, wobbles, and falling out are part of the practice How to think about balance as constant readjustment instead of perfection Why different seasons of life require different priorities How to recognize your personal edge before you become overwhelmed Why intentional choices help us step out of autopilot How the idea of “enough” can help us release unrealistic expectations What it means to return to center with compassion Journal Prompts From This Episode What does balance look like for me in this season of life? What matters most to me over the next three months? What would make this season feel meaningful, connected, or well-lived? What am I carrying because I think I “should”? What can I release without guilt? Where have I overshot my edge? What would help me feel more present, peaceful, and grounded right now? When I look back on this season, what will I be glad I made space for? What will I be glad I let go of? Practice From This Episode The next time you feel like you are failing at balance, picture yourself in Tree Pose. Notice the foot and ankle making tiny adjustments. Notice the body swaying. Notice how balance is not stillness. It is movement. It is sensing. It is readjusting. It is falling out and choosing to return. Then ask yourself: What adjustment do I need to make today? Not forever. Not for everyone. Just today. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , I’m joined by author Ann Tashi Slater for a beautiful conversation about bardo , a Tibetan Buddhist concept often translated as an “in-between state.” Ann is the author of Traveling in Bardo , a book about how we move through uncertainty, change, transition, loss, illness, identity shifts, and all the spaces where life no longer looks the way it once did — but the next chapter has not fully arrived. And isn’t that so much of midlife? Our bodies change. Our roles change. Our relationships change. Our children grow. Our identities shift. The world around us can feel uncertain and unstable. So often, we want to rush through the discomfort and get to the place where everything finally feels settled. But what if the in-between is not something to escape? What if it is actually a sacred place of possibility, insight, and transformation? In this conversation, Ann and I explore how bardo can help us understand the human experience of impermanence, why our resistance to change often creates more suffering than the change itself, and how we can begin to meet the uncertainty of life with more presence, compassion, and inner steadiness. We also talk about the connection between Tibetan Buddhist wisdom and yoga philosophy, especially around acceptance, karma, action, alignment, and the importance of living in a way that reflects what truly matters to us. This episode is for you if you are in a season of transition, questioning what comes next, grieving a life that no longer exists, or learning how to stop fighting reality and begin listening for the wisdom that can only arrive in the quiet. In This Episode, We Talk About What bardo means in Tibetan Buddhism and how it applies to everyday life Why midlife can feel like a powerful “in-between” state How resistance to change increases suffering Why acceptance is not the same as giving up The relationship between karma, action, and personal agency How our thoughts, words, and actions shape the experience of our lives Why distraction keeps us from seeing clearly How to align your time and energy with what matters most The importance of listening to your true self beneath conditioning, people-pleasing, and old roles Why mortality can help us live with more clarity, courage, and intention The possibility hidden inside both voluntary and involuntary transitions Ann Tashi Slater has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Paris Review, and many others. In her Darjeeling Journal column for Catapult , she writes about her Tibetan family history and bardo, and she blogged for HuffPost on similar topics. She presents and teaches workshops at Princeton, Columbia, Oxford, Asia Society, and The American University of Paris, among others. Her new book, Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World (Balance/Hachette), has been named a Next Big Idea Club “Must-Read.” Learn more at anntashislater.com . SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/ann.tashi.slater https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-tashi-slater-977b21b/ https://x.com/anntashislater https://www.instagram.com/anntashislater/ If this conversation resonated with you, I would love to invite you to continue the journey with me on Substack, where I share reflections, practices, and resources for midlife women who are seeking peace, clarity, purpose, and a way back home to themselves. And if you are in your own in-between season and would like support reconnecting with yourself and creating a more aligned life, you can visit my website or book a discovery call using the links in the show notes. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project , I’m sharing one of the practices from my Returning Home to Yourself series — a collection of short, supportive practices I offer to my Substack readers a few times each month. These practices may include breathwork, meditation, reflection, journal prompts, somatic practices, and other simple ways to reconnect with yourself in the middle of real life. If you’d like to receive more of them, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter on Substack. Today’s practice is all about Ujjayi breath , sometimes called “ocean breath” or “victorious breath” in yoga. Ujjayi is a simple but powerful breathing practice that can help calm the nervous system, steady the mind, support focus, and bring you back into relationship with your body. In this episode, I walk you through what Ujjayi breath is, why it works, how to practice it, and then we breathe together. This is a beautiful practice to return to when you feel scattered, anxious, disconnected, overwhelmed, or caught in the busyness of the mind. It gives the mind something gentle to focus on while helping the body feel more grounded and supported. You do not need any previous yoga or meditation experience to practice with me. Just come as you are. In this episode, we explore: What Ujjayi breath is and why it is used in yoga Why this breath can feel so calming and grounding How the gentle sound of the breath helps focus the mind How Ujjayi breath supports nervous system regulation Why breathwork can be a doorway back into the body How to practice Ujjayi breath step by step A guided Ujjayi breath practice you can return to anytime Practice Notes If you want to come back to this practice and skip the teaching portion: Learning how to gently constrict the throat begins around 11 :39 The guided Ujjayi breath practice begins around 18:15 Listen if you are feeling: Anxious or overwhelmed Disconnected from your body Stuck in your head Scattered or unfocused In need of grounding Curious about breathwork or yoga philosophy Ready for a simple practice to help you come home to yourself About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A gentle introduction to the heart of my work: helping women move from disconnection and self-doubt to self-trust, purpose, and inner alignment. There often comes a moment in midlife when the life you built no longer feels like it fully fits. Nothing may be obviously wrong. From the outside, everything may look fine. But inside, you may feel restless, anxious, disconnected from yourself, or unsure what comes next. In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , I’m sharing what my work is really about — not as a sales pitch, but as an invitation. My work is for midlife women who are ready to come home to themselves. Women who want to reconnect with their bodies, listen to their inner wisdom, understand the patterns that keep them stuck, and begin living with more peace, clarity, purpose, and self-trust. This episode explores what it means to move from disconnection and self-doubt to self-trust and inner alignment. We’ll talk about why midlife can feel so unsettling, why that does not mean something is wrong with you, and how yoga philosophy, meditation, breathwork, self-inquiry, and embodied practice can support the journey back to yourself. This is yoga as a way of living — not just something you do on a mat. If you have been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, stuck, or quietly aware that something in your life is asking to shift, this episode will help you understand the deeper invitation of midlife. Midlife is not a crisis to survive. It can be an invitation to come home to yourself. In This Episode, We Explore Why midlife can feel unsettling, even when your life looks fine on the outside What it means to come home to yourself How women lose touch with their bodies, intuition, desires, and inner wisdom Why self-trust begins with learning to listen inward How yoga philosophy offers a practical map for healing and self-understanding Why meditation, breathwork, and embodied practice help you reconnect with yourself The difference between living from fear and living from inner truth How small, honest choices become the foundation of inner alignment Why midlife can be a doorway into more peace, clarity, purpose, and self-trust Reflection Questions From This Episode Where in my life do I feel disconnected from myself? What part of me is asking to be heard? What no longer feels fully aligned? What have I been overriding, ignoring, or pushing through? What is one small way I can listen inward today? If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to invite you to continue this work with me. You can find my writing, short practices, podcast episodes, coaching, and community offerings through the links below This is the path I walk with women: coming home to yourself in midlife, one honest breath and one aligned step at a time. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A conversation with Kula Yoga Fest founder Laura Erickson about yoga, community, nature, and the retreat-style experience of Camp Kula 2026. In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project , I’m joined by Laura Erickson , founder of Kula Yoga Fest , for a conversation about yoga, community, nature, and the power of gathering in person. Kula Yoga Fest 2026 is becoming Camp Kula — an all-inclusive, retreat-style yoga festival taking place July 24–26, 2026 at Ogontz White Mountain Resort in Lyman, New Hampshire. The weekend includes yoga, wellness sessions, nature, community, farm-to-table meals, live music, lake time, hiking, and space to slow down and reconnect. In our conversation, Laura shares the heart behind Kula Yoga Fest and why this gathering is about so much more than yoga classes. It is about belonging. It is about stepping away from the noise of everyday life. It is about being surrounded by teachers, practices, nature, and community that help you remember who you are. We also talk about why in-person experiences matter so much, especially in a world where many of us are craving deeper connection, meaningful conversation, and spaces where we can be fully ourselves. This episode is also special because I’ll be teaching at Kula Yoga Fest this year. I’ll be offering Candlelit Slow Flow Vinyasa and a Discovering Your Dharma workshop — both designed to help you slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with the wisdom already within you. In This Episode, We Talk About The story and heart behind Kula Yoga Fest What the word “kula” means and why community is central to yoga How Kula Yoga Fest is becoming a retreat/festival hybrid for 2026 Why gathering in person can be so healing What makes Camp Kula feel like a wellness summer camp for the soul The importance of nature, rest, play, and shared practice What attendees can expect from the weekend Why yoga is not just something we do on the mat The power of slowing down enough to hear yourself again Katie’s offerings at Kula Yoga Fest: Candlelit Slow Flow Vinyasa and Discovering Your Dharma Why This Conversation Matters So many of us are craving something deeper than another class, another event, or another thing to add to the calendar. We are craving spaces where we can exhale. Spaces where we can reconnect with our bodies, our breath, our inner wisdom, and one another. That is what makes Kula Yoga Fest feel so aligned with the larger conversation we’ve been having here on the podcast about coming home to yourself . Sometimes coming home happens in stillness. Sometimes it happens on the mat. Sometimes it happens in nature. And sometimes it happens when we gather with others who are also seeking more peace, more meaning, more connection, and more truth. Listen If You Are Craving deeper community Interested in yoga retreats or wellness festivals Curious about Kula Yoga Fest 2026 Looking for a meaningful summer experience Feeling disconnected from yourself or others Wanting to spend more time in nature Longing for rest, reflection, movement, and connection Interested in attending a retreat-style yoga festival in New Hampshire Looking for spaces that support spiritual growth and self-discovery Resources Mentioned Learn more about Kula Yoga Fest: https://www.kulayogafest.com/about Discount Code: UNDERSTARS26 If this conversation speaks to something you have been craving — more connection, more space, more community, more time in nature, or a deeper relationship with yourself — I would love to invite you to learn more about Kula Yoga Fest. And if you’ll be there this July, please come find me. I’ll be teaching Candlelit Slow Flow Vinyasa and Discovering Your Dharma , and I would love to practice with you in person. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A powerful conversation on sexuality, nervous system regulation, somatic healing, and why many midlife women lose connection to desire—not because they are broken, but because their bodies have adapted to stress and survival. In this deeply insightful episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Julie Merriman for a powerful conversation about desire, intimacy, nervous system regulation, and why so many women experience disconnection from sex and pleasure in midlife. Drawing from decades of clinical work with women, Dr. Julie explains that loss of desire is often not simply about hormones, aging, or relationship problems. Instead, it is frequently connected to chronic stress, burnout, nervous system overload, emotional labor, and the body adapting to years of survival mode. Together, Katie and Dr. Julie explore how many women become disconnected from their bodies over time—and how reclaiming desire requires more than mindset or performance-based solutions. This conversation offers a compassionate and deeply healing reframe: You are not broken. Your body adapted to survive. 🌿 In This Episode, Katie and Dr. Julie Explore: why desire and intimacy change in midlife the connection between stress, burnout, and low libido how nervous system dysregulation impacts sex and emotional connection why many women experience “erotic shutdown” after years of caregiving and over-functioning how the body moves into protection and survival states why safety and regulation are essential for desire to return 🧠 Somatic and Chakra Psychology Dr. Julie shares how her work integrates: nervous system science somatic psychology polyvagal theory and chakra-based body awareness to help women reconnect with sensation, pleasure, embodiment, and emotional aliveness. Rather than approaching intimacy through pressure, performance, or “fixing” the body, her work focuses on helping women understand how stress and emotional suppression reshape the nervous system over time—and how healing happens through safety, awareness, and reconnection. Katie and Dr. Julie also discuss how emotional numbness, exhaustion, chronic responsibility, and self-abandonment can disconnect women not only from desire, but from themselves. ✨ Important Themes in This Conversation Desire as a Nervous System State Why the body cannot access pleasure and connection while operating in chronic stress and survival mode. Burnout, Caregiving, and Over-Functioning How years of holding everything together can quietly lead women to disconnect from sensation, play, and intimacy. Erotic Shutdown as Protection Why loss of desire is often an intelligent adaptation—not a personal failure. Reclaiming the Body Through Somatic Healing How embodiment, nervous system regulation, and chakra psychology create pathways back to aliveness and self-connection. 🌿 This Episode Is Especially Supportive If You: feel disconnected from desire or intimacy experience low libido or emotional numbness feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or burnt out struggle to feel present in your body want a deeper understanding of nervous system healing are seeking a compassionate, embodied approach to sexuality in midlife 💬 Core Reframe Desire does not disappear because women fail. It often disappears because the nervous system no longer feels safe enough to open. 🎧 Related Episodes E74 Burnout as a Nervous System Breakdown: Understanding the Root Cause and How to Heal 156: Feeling Disconnected From Your Body? How to Come Back Home in Midlife Ways To Go Deeper With Julie Buy The Book: "Are We Going To Have Sex Or What?" Listen To The Podcast: "Sexy After 50" Follow Her On IG or Youtube About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A conversation on embodiment, nervous system healing, and the common mistakes that keep midlife women disconnected from their bodies and themselves. So many women in midlife are trying to reconnect with themselves… but don’t realize they’ve become deeply disconnected from their bodies. In this episode of The Midlife Spirituality Project , Katie explores the 5 biggest mistakes people make when trying to become more embodied, regulate the nervous system, and feel safe in their bodies again. If you’ve been experiencing anxiety, overwhelm, emotional exhaustion, or a sense that you don’t fully feel like yourself anymore, this episode offers an important reframe: Coming home to your body is not about forcing yourself to feel more. It’s about creating enough safety to reconnect gently and honestly. Katie explains how many women unintentionally approach embodiment from the same mindset that created the disconnection in the first place—through pressure, perfectionism, self-judgment, and trying to “fix” themselves. Drawing from yoga philosophy, nervous system work, mindfulness, and her own experience supporting women in midlife, Katie walks through the subtle ways we bypass the body while thinking we’re healing. ⚠️ The 5 Mistakes Covered in This Episode 1. Trying to Force Yourself to Feel Why pushing yourself into emotions or body sensations too quickly can create more overwhelm instead of healing. 2. Thinking the Body Should Always Feel Calm Why embodiment is not about eliminating discomfort—and how the body communicates through many sensations and emotions. 3. Staying in the Head and Analyzing Everything How overthinking disconnects us from direct experience and keeps us from truly feeling and processing what’s happening in the body. 4. Judging the Body Instead of Listening to It Why symptoms, tension, exhaustion, and emotional responses are often messages—not problems to fight against. 5. Turning Embodiment Into Another Thing to Achieve How healing becomes harder when we approach it with perfectionism, pressure, and the need to “do it right.” 🌿 In This Episode, Katie Explores: why so many women become disconnected from their bodies in midlife the relationship between anxiety, trauma, stress, and embodiment how nervous system dysregulation impacts body awareness why healing requires both mind and body awareness how yoga offers a path back to yourself—not just physical exercise 🧘‍♀️ Katie Also Shares: practical ways to begin reconnecting with the body gently how to create more nervous system safety in daily life why slowing down can feel uncomfortable at first the importance of self-compassion and emotional awareness how embodiment supports clarity, intuition, peace, and purpose 🌿 This Episode Is Especially Supportive If You: feel disconnected from your body struggle with anxiety or nervous system overwhelm spend most of your time in your head feel emotionally numb, restless, or exhausted are working on healing trauma or chronic stress want to feel more grounded, peaceful, and aligned in midlife About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A real-life coaching session on anxiety, trauma in the body, and how to reconnect with yourself to find calm, clarity, and emotional safety in midlife. In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , Katie offers a powerful live coaching session with Lynn Smargis, exploring anxiety in midlife, nervous system healing, and what it means to come back home to your body. Lynn shares her experience of living with a baseline level of anxiety following several years of intense life changes, including serious health challenges, recovery from surgery, and becoming an empty nester. While she has physically healed, she finds that anxiety, uncertainty, and disconnection from her body are still present. Through this real-time coaching conversation, Katie helps Lynn uncover a key insight: Anxiety is not just happening in the mind—it is often stored in the body. Together, they explore how trauma and difficult experiences can become held in the body, showing up as physical sensations, tension, or persistent anxiety long after the event has passed. Katie guides Lynn through a gentle, embodied practice to help her reconnect with her body, listen to what it is holding, and begin releasing the emotional tension stored within it. This episode offers a grounded and compassionate look at: why anxiety in midlife often persists even after circumstances improve how trauma and stress are stored in the body the connection between the nervous system and emotional healing why many women become disconnected from their bodies after difficult experiences how to begin rebuilding a sense of safety within yourself the role of self-compassion in healing anxiety 🧘‍♀️ Guided Practice: Coming Back to the Body In this episode, Katie leads Lynn through a simple yet powerful embodied practice where she: brings awareness to the breath notices physical sensations in the body connects to areas holding tension or emotion uses visualization and compassion to begin releasing stored energy asks the body what it needs, rather than forcing answers This practice is a core part of Katie’s approach to helping women move out of anxiety and into a felt sense of calm and safety. 🔁 Key Insight One of the most important takeaways from this episode is this: You cannot think your way out of anxiety alone. Healing requires both: understanding the mind and reconnecting with the body When you begin to listen to your body instead of disconnecting from it, you create the conditions for real, lasting change in the nervous system. 🌿 This Episode Is For You If: you feel a baseline level of anxiety in midlife you’ve been through health challenges, trauma, or major life transitions you feel disconnected from your body you struggle to feel calm, even when life is stable you want to feel safe, grounded, and at home within yourself 💬 Core Reframe Anxiety is not something you need to fight. It may be your body asking to be heard. Join my 4 week coaching program to help you stop living from your mind and return to your body. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas

A grounded, compassionate guide to reconnecting with your body, calming your nervous system, and finding peace and clarity in midlife. In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project , Katie explores what it truly means to come home to your body—and why this is one of the most important steps in reducing anxiety, healing the nervous system, and finding clarity in midlife. If you’ve been feeling disconnected from yourself, stuck in your head, or experiencing anxiety that doesn’t fully resolve, this episode offers a powerful reframe: The issue isn’t that something is wrong with you— it may be that you’ve become disconnected from your body. Katie explains how many women in midlife unintentionally learn to disconnect from their bodies over time—especially after experiences of stress, trauma, illness, or simply years of prioritizing others over themselves. While this disconnection can be protective in the moment, it often leads to: anxiety and nervous system dysregulation difficulty feeling calm or grounded overthinking and mental overwhelm loss of clarity and direction a sense of not feeling like yourself 🧠 The Yoga Perspective Through the lens of yoga philosophy, Katie explores how the body is not separate from the mind—but an essential part of how we understand ourselves. She introduces the idea that true self-awareness comes from integrating all layers of the self—not just thinking, but feeling, sensing, and experiencing. 🌿 Why the Body Matters Katie explains that anxiety cannot be fully resolved through mindset alone. Real, lasting change requires: working with the mind (top-down awareness) working with the body (bottom-up regulation) When you reconnect with your body, you begin to: feel safer in yourself regulate your nervous system more effectively access your intuition and inner guidance move through emotions instead of getting stuck in them 🧘‍♀️ Practices to Come Home to Your Body This episode includes simple, accessible ways to begin reconnecting, including: breath awareness body scanning noticing physical sensations without judgment placing a hand on the body for grounding learning to sit with discomfort instead of avoiding it These practices are designed to help you build trust with your body again—gently and over time. 🔁 A New Way of Relating to Yourself Rather than trying to fix or control your experience, Katie invites you to begin relating to yourself with: curiosity instead of judgment compassion instead of criticism presence instead of avoidance Because healing doesn’t come from forcing change. It comes from learning how to be with yourself differently. 🌿 This Episode Is For You If: you feel disconnected from your body you experience anxiety or overwhelm in midlife you live mostly in your head and struggle to feel grounded you want to feel calm, clear, and more like yourself again you’re ready to reconnect with your body and inner self 💬 Core Reframe Coming home to your body is not about becoming someone new. It’s about returning to who you’ve always been. About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas Avidya and the Path Home: What Yoga Teaches About Knowing Yourself

This episode of The Midlife Purpose Project in part 2 in her series on releasing old patterns. Katie explores one of the most important and often overlooked reasons we feel stuck in midlife: our patterns. In yoga philosophy, these patterns are called samskaras —deeply ingrained impressions on the mind that are formed through repeated, emotionally charged experiences. These patterns shape how we think, feel, and react—often without conscious awareness. Some samskaras serve us. Others keep us stuck. Katie explains how these patterns can show up in everyday life, especially in emotional reactions and relationships—even when we know we want to respond differently. This episode moves beyond awareness and into the next step: How do we actually begin to release these patterns? Katie explores: how samskaras are formed and reinforced over time why patterns feel automatic and out of our control the connection between emotional triggers and conditioned responses why breaking patterns requires awareness, willingness, and repetition how discomfort is part of the process of change the importance of self-compassion instead of shame and blame She also shares a personal example of how quickly an old pattern can take over—and how the real work often happens after the moment, through reflection and repair. 🧘‍♀️ Guided Meditation: Releasing a Pattern This episode includes a guided meditation designed to help you begin shifting a pattern that is keeping you stuck. In this meditation, you will: identify a pattern that is holding you back connect with how that pattern feels in your body explore how it is impacting your life and relationships visualize yourself choosing a new, aligned response begin creating a new internal pathway Through breath, awareness, and visualization, this practice helps you move from automatic reaction to intentional choice. 🔁 Changing Patterns Takes Practice Katie reminds us that change doesn’t happen overnight. Old patterns are deeply ingrained and often override new ones in the beginning. But every time you notice, pause, and choose again—you are building something new. Sometimes the work happens in the moment. Sometimes it happens afterward. Both count. 🎯 This Episode Is For You If: you feel stuck in midlife you’re repeating patterns you want to change you react in ways that don’t feel aligned you’re working on emotional healing or self-discovery you want practical tools to create lasting change 💬 Core Reframe You are not stuck because you are broken. You are stuck because of patterns—and patterns can be changed. 150: Meditation for Identifying Old Patterns and Getting Unstuck (save me and come back often!) 151: Why You Feel Stuck in Midlife and What Yoga Teaches About It About Katie Farinas Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives. 📆 Schedule a Clarity Call to see if my coaching is right for you Other Ways To Connect 🪷 Join the Monthly Satsang . A space to reflect and grow together in community. 🌐 Visit Katie’s website to see all her services. 💌 Join the newsletter for soulful insights and to receive weekly practices ➡ Follow me on Substack 📆 Book a reflective Insight Seat to come on the show and receive live coaching 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube or Substack Have a question you would like answered about coming home to yourself in midlife? Record your question here and I will answer it on the show!! https://www.speakpipe.com/KatieFarinas