On Monday I told a group of women I'm guiding through group somatic yoga therapy that we were diving into "past self work."

And that this work the yoga, healing, all of it it's not just about feeling better or dredging up the past.
It's for your liberation, wholeness, freedom.

It's about reconnecting with yourSelf in a way that life...trauma...expectations slowly pulled you away from. 

And honestly, it's so you can have way more fun in this life.

If you've been around a while, you know that I rebranded to The Nourished Woman about a year ago. And if you don't know, The Nourished Woman isn't me...she's you, me and the vision you and I hold in our hearts of the women we already are and are undeniably becoming. 

After sharing this, the EMBODY ladies and I practiced.
Slow, intentional movement. 
Grounding into their feet, hips and bodies.

Feeling their strength, stability and power.
We worked with the root chakra, with safety and taking up space.

I guided them to use their voice, to make sound and let themselves be heard. 

There was laughter...real laughter the kind that feels unexpected in a room where you've also cried.  Even Snoop Dogg came up, because apparently he has a children's album now - my clients tell me, haha. 

And then we softened
Moved into stillness, bodies laid out loosely in the way that only do after a great yoga practice 
They breathed slow and all was quiet

Then into writing
About meeting parts of themselves that still carry things
The younger parts, the protective parts, the ones that learned how to survive

And then we shared. 
And this is the part that always get's me.
Because of the range...the depth...the humanity in the room.

One woman spoke about recovering from medical trauma.
Another about growing up with an addict mom who saw too much too early.
One shared the quiet excitement of apartment shopping for her very first place. 
Another spoke of the ache of wanting deeper friendships.
There were stories of sexual and emotional abuse. 
Of staying with the scared, lonely parts of yourself instead of abandoning them.
Of hitting your 40's and realizing...you don't know yourself anymore. 
Of seeing, in real time, just how deeply you love and cherish someone you lost. 

There were tears
And soft breaths
And long pauses
There were smiles too. 
And something you could feel shifting in the room...like weights being set down...one by one. 

And then they walked out.
Lighter, clearer, more connected.
With real grounded ways to move forward. 

That's the real magic of this work.
Not surface level.
Not aesthetic.
But women...coming home to themselves
Together. 

PS If you're interested in being part of this 6 week women's empowerment yoga program called EMBODY, I run it a couple of times per year. Sign up for emails with me to be notified of the next time it's offered. Sign up and get a free "Meditation for Women Who Think You're Bad at Meditation Guide," here: ​kerimarino.eo.page/meditationguide

There’s a certain kind of exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix.
The kind where your body feels tight, your mind won’t stop, and even when you finally sit down… you can’t fully relax.

You might be doing all the “right” things.
Working, caring for others, keeping up with life.
Maybe you’ve practiced yoga, meditation, or done therapy.

And still… there’s this underlying feeling of being on.
This is where a different kind of practice becomes essential.

Candlelight Restorative Yoga is a gentle, nervous system–based practice designed to help your body actually settle down.
Not through effort.
Not through pushing.
But through support.

In these sessions, you’ll be guided through slow, intentional movement to soothe anxiety and reduce stress, followed by fully supported restorative postures using pillows and blankets, breathwork, and meditation.

It’s simple.
And that’s what makes it so powerful.

So many women live in a constant state of stress and dysregulation.
Even when life looks “fine” on the outside, the body stays activated.

This is why:
• it’s hard to relax at night
• your mind keeps racing
• you feel wired and tired at the same time

Restorative yoga works because it meets the body where it is.
Instead of asking you to do more, it creates the conditions for your nervous system to soften.

Over time, this is what builds:
• emotional steadiness
• deeper sleep
• a sense of safety in your body

One of the biggest barriers to self-care is time and energy.
Candlelight Restorative Yoga on Zoom is designed for real life.
You don’t need to leave your house.
You don’t need special clothes.
You don’t need to feel motivated.
You just need a quiet space, a few pillows, and a willingness to show up as you are.

Most women leave feeling:
• calmer and more grounded
• more spacious in their body
• clearer in their mind
• like a weight has been lifted
• more like themselves again

It’s not dramatic.
It’s subtle, steady, and real...something you can count on again and again. 

Join Me for Candlelight Restorative Yoga
We meet twice each month on Zoom:
First Tuesday + Third Saturday
7:00–8:15pm EST

Each session is $20, with a replay available for 3 days.

You can join from home, in your pajamas, with your camera on or off.
No pressure. No performance.
Just space to soften and exhale.

Want Ongoing Support?
Candlelight Restorative Yoga is also included inside The Nourished Woman Sanctuary.
Inside, you’ll have access to:
• two live classes each month
• a full library of 15–30 minute practices
• ongoing support for your nervous system and emotional well-being
For $33/month.

A Final Thought
You don’t need to wait until things slow down to take care of yourself.
You don’t need more discipline or willpower.
Sometimes what you actually need…
is a place to put everything down.

I was in the car line the other day when a fellow mom passed with windows down, Tina Turner blaring loudly and started singing like from her heart. 

Hair wild, voice cracking and full on enjoying herself. 
She wasn't trying to look "put together."
She didn't care what any of us thought of her - no need to perform calm. 
She was just - free. 

And it warmed my heart listening to her belt out the songs. 
Because there was a time when I couldn't do that. 
I longed for that kind of freedom in my body, but it always felt just out of reach. 

My throat would tighten. 
My body would freeze. 
Like someone had screwed the lid on too tight - I could feel the joy underneath, but I couldn't access it. 

Maybe you know that feeling, too. 
You're all the right things - the yoga, therapy (now or in the past), journaling - but you still find yourself in bed at night, overthinking everything. 
You crave peace, but your body can't seem to settle. 

What I've learned is this: peace built on self-abandonment isn't peace at all. It's tension in a pretty dress. 

Letting emotions move through your body instead of bottling them up.
Letting your breath lead you home.
Letting yourself be messy, real and fully alive. 

Now, I sing loud and free.
I dance like a total weirdo in my kitchen. 
And I feel more connected to myself - and to my husband - than I ever thought was possible. 

That's the magic that happens when you release what you've been holding. And that's exactly what this month's offerings are designed to help you do. 

November Events: A Month to Let it Go

• Mini Workshop: How to Process Emotion Through Your Body
  • ​Friday 11/14 from 10-10:30am EST inside The Nourished Woman Sanctuary

A casual, conversation about how to feel what's really there - without getting stuck in your head. Learn how emotion moves through the body and how to use that wisdom to feel more light, free and confident. 

• Virtual Candlelight Restorative Yoga - Let it Go
  • ​Saturday 11/22 from 7-8:15pm EST inside The Nourished Woman Sanctuary

A 75 minutes restorative yoga experience to unwind before the holidays. Soften into a deep state of rest and release the emotional weight you've been carrying - a sacred pause to let it all go and fully exhale. 

• Black Friday Candlelight Restorative at Greenville Yoga
  • ​Friday 11/29 from 4-6pm at Greenville Yoga in San Souci area

For my local loves: an evening of rest, relaxation and soothing breathwork by candlelight. A time to come home to your body, ease and your Self. Register through Greenville Yoga's website -> https://greenvilleyoga.com/calendar

Join us Inside The Nourished Woman Sanctuary

Two of these events - the mini workshop and the Virtual Candlelight Restorative - are happening inside The Nourished Woman Sanctuary a membership for women who want to feel more emotionally steady, spiritually connected and at home in your body. 

​Through somatic yoga, meditation, breathwork and restorative practice, you'll learn how to return to yourself again and again.
Not by forcing discipline, but through devotion. 

Earlier this week, I sat across from a woman in a small, modern coffee shop — leather-backed chairs, blue walls, chai a little too hot to sip.

As she told me her story, I could feel the weight and the lift of it all at once. She talked about the years she spent fighting her body — the frustration, the confusion, the exhaustion.

But mostly, she talked about the moment she stopped waiting.

That sacred, gritty moment when she decided to seek answers.
To do the work.
To find her way home to herself — even when it was messy and inconvenient.

Now sitting there, she glowed.
Still human, still healing, but undeniably freer.

You could feel it — that space inside a woman who’s no longer at war with herself.

We laughed about how most people have no idea how good they could actually feel in their bodies.
How much peace, energy, and ease are possible when you stop trying to think your way into healing and start letting your body lead.

But if you’re reading this… you’re not the average woman.

You’re the woman who knows there’s more available.
You’ve already done so much inner work — therapy, yoga, meditation, the whole thing.
And yet, something in you still whispers: There’s more.

That whisper — that’s The Nourished Woman speaking.

She isn’t me. She’s all of us.

She’s the version of you who’s remembering her wholeness.
She’s grounded, radiant, wildly herself.
She knows how to hold both power and softness.
She’s breaking cycles, loving deeply, resting often, and creating beauty from the truth of who she is.

She’s the woman who’s done hiding.

The Archetype of The Nourished Woman

This archetype — The Nourished Woman — is the heartbeat of my work.

It’s the vision I hold for every woman who enters my world:
to come home to your body, your rhythm, and your inner knowing.

To remember that healing isn’t linear — it’s cyclical, just like you.
To stand barefoot in your life with both feet on the ground and your heart wide open.

So before you move on with your day, take a breath with me.
Place a hand on your heart.
Whisper:

 “I am already becoming her.”

Let that truth soften your shoulders and settle into your bones.
Because this is where it starts — in the quiet remembering, in the small moments, in the choosing to tend to yourself again and again.

 Listen Next: From Body Shame to Sacred Home

If this speaks to you, you’ll love this week’s The Nourished Woman Podcast episode --
“From Body Shame to Sacred Home.”

It’s for the woman ready to feel at home in her skin, move beyond the spirals, and step into joy, aliveness, and deep embodiment.

 Listen on all major platforms.

Explore The Nourished Woman Sanctuary

If you’re craving a space to practice this way of being -
to tend to your nervous system, your body, and your wholeness - through 15 minute devotional yoga practices join us inside The Nourished Woman Sanctuary.

It’s a monthly membership for women who want to feel more emotionally steady, spiritually connected and at home in your body. 

The other day I stopped to get gas, and before I could even open the car door, an advertisement started blaring from the pump. Screens shouting for my attention, voices selling me something I didn’t need. It struck me in that moment just how rare silence has become.

We live in a world where our attention is treated like currency. Everywhere we turn—scrolling, driving, working, even filling up the tank—someone is vying for our focus. And I don’t know about you, but when life feels this loud, I notice how much harder it is to hear myself.

I even made a podcast episode on this on The Nourished Woman Podcast about this, you can listen anywhere you get your podcasts. 

A Simple Practice That Wasn’t So Simple

Years ago, after finishing a weekend of yoga therapy training in Asheville, I decided to try something radical: I drove the entire way home in silence. No music. No phone calls. Just me and myself.

What should have been simple quickly became a challenge. My hand kept drifting toward the radio dial. I caught myself thinking of all the calls I could make during that time—checking in on a friend, catching up on to-dos. Each time, I had to consciously recommit: No. Just silence.

At first, it felt uncomfortable, even boring. But then…something shifted. In that quiet space, little threads of clarity started weaving themselves together. Thoughts I’d been too busy to notice floated up. My body softened. My breath slowed. I could feel myself coming back home.

That drive home revealed something I think we all know but rarely admit: in today’s world, silence takes real effort. But the effort is worth it.

Why Silence Feels So Revolutionary

When we’re constantly plugged into podcasts, social media, conversations, or even background music, there’s little space for our own wisdom to surface. The noise drowns out our intuition.

And I’ve seen it over and over again with the women I work with in my community: when we disconnect from ourselves, uncertainty and anxiety grow louder. We second-guess. We feel less rooted in who we are.

But when we create intentional silence—even if just for a few minutes—we open the door to clarity. That’s where our deepest knowing whispers. That’s where we meet the parts of ourselves we’ve been too busy to notice.

Rethinking Meditation

One of the most common pathways into this kind of silence is meditation. And yet, it’s also one of the most intimidating practices for many women I know.

We think we’re failing if our mind wanders. We think we’re “bad” at it if we can’t focus for long. But here’s the thing: even Ram Dass once said that holding your attention on a single thing for ten seconds is nearly impossible. The monkey mind isn’t the enemy—it’s just human nature.

Meditation isn’t about how long you can hold perfect focus. It’s about your willingness to return. Again and again. With gentleness. With devotion.

When you stop treating your wandering mind as failure, and start seeing each redirection as an act of love, the whole practice changes. Meditation becomes less about performance and more about relationship—building trust with your own consciousness, one breath at a time.

A Devotional Practice

If you’re craving a deeper connection to yourself, I always recommend choosing one meditation practice and sticking with it for a season, rather than hopping between techniques. This consistency lets you move beyond the surface layer of distraction and into the deeper waters where intuition and peace live.

And please—bring playfulness with you. Let self-compassion guide you. This isn’t about being perfect; it’s about creating a sacred little pocket of stillness in your life where transformation naturally unfolds.

Coming Back Home

In a hyperconnected world, silence might feel radical. But it’s also medicine. 

And my invitation for you is simple: try it. Maybe it’s ten minutes without your phone. Maybe it’s a car ride with nothing but your breath. Notice what rises when the noise falls away.

Because when you give yourself the gift of silence, you’re not just finding peace—you’re finding yourself again.

✨ I’d love to know: where do you carve out silence in your life? Or, where do you most long for it?

Written by Keri Marino. 

Breaking generational patterns isn’t easy, especially when those patterns are disguised as virtue.

For centuries, women have been told that our worth is measured in sacrifice. That a good mother, partner, daughter, or leader is the one who gives until she’s empty. That the more we abandon ourselves for the sake of others, the more lovable we become.

But here’s the truth: that story isn’t just exhausting—it’s disconnecting us from our own souls.

The Martyr Complex

We InheritedWe've all grown up watching women around me carry it all. They were praised for selflessness, for putting everyone’s needs above their own. The world called it noble, but I could feel the undercurrent: depletion, resentment, a quiet ache that no one named out loud.

This is the martyr complex we’ve inherited, and it runs deep. It’s the voice that whispers “You're not allowed to rest, there's too much to do” or “Don't burden others with what you can do yourself.”

It’s the pattern that keeps us locked in cycles of overgiving and underliving.

A Radical Reframe

What if the most revolutionary act of love isn’t putting yourself last—but first?

Not from selfishness, but from the profound knowing that you cannot pour from an empty cup. That your nervous system—the rhythm at which you breathe, move, and respond—sets the tone for the people around you.

When you live from depletion, that energy radiates outward. But when you live from wholeness, that becomes medicine.

What Self-Nourishment Really Means

Let me be clear: true self-nourishment isn’t about bubble baths, wine nights, or manicures (though those can be sweet extras).

I’m talking about soul work.

Practices that root you back into yourself: yoga, meditation, somatics, chanting, time in nature, journaling, prayer. These are not luxuries—they’re lifelines.

And they don’t have to take hours.

Sometimes, two minutes of intentional breathwork can shift everything. Sometimes, it’s allowing yourself to move your body freely instead of pushing through the to-do list. Sometimes, it’s choosing to say no—even when it feels uncomfortable—because your body is begging you to rest.

Each small act of devotion to yourself is a thread that breaks the generational curse of self-abandonment.

Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

We’re living in a time of collective upheaval—political unrest, environmental crises, division everywhere we look. The world doesn’t need more women running on fumes.

It needs women who are resourced, centered, and alive in their bodies.
Women who know how to reset their nervous systems and listen to their souls.
Women who show up whole, because wholeness has a ripple effect.

Your self-devotion isn’t just for you—it’s for everyone whose life you touch.

An Invitation

If this conversation stirs something in you, I want to invite you deeper into this work through my new 6-week audio course: The Sacred F*ck Its.

Sometimes the most soul-honoring thing you can do... is get a case of the f*ck it's. Not the reckless kind, the sacred kind.

The kind where you stop scattering your energy, chasing the should and stop being all the things to all the people. And instead, you choose you. Your nervous system. Your peace. Your joy. 

A few weeks ago I shared a podcast with you, "Get a Case of the F*ck Its: The Soul Honoring Kind."

When women step onto the path of growth and healing, they rarely realize just how much it will ripple into their relationships.

Yoga, nervous system work, and inner healing don’t just change how you feel inside — they change how you show up with your partner, your children, your friends, your parents.
And here’s the thing most of us aren’t told: that shift can feel both liberating and messy.

The truth is growth isn’t always comfortable for the people around you. You may hear things like:
“Why are you bringing this up again?” or
“If you’ve done all this inner work, why are you still so emotional?”

The people in your life may not understand why you're doing this work or even want to consider doing it for themselves. 

But here’s what I’ve witnessed again and again: once a woman decides she’s no longer available for the old way, she never wants to go back.

Because while relationships may shift, your health, joy, and sense of self expand in ways that touch everyone around you. Your kids, your clients, your friendships, even the women who came before you and the ones who will come after — they all benefit from the ripples of your healing.

✨ If this resonates, you’ll love this week’s episode of The Nourished Woman Podcast:

Not everyone will understand your journey. And that’s okay.

Your healing isn’t about convincing others — it’s about reclaiming yourself.

And once you taste that kind of freedom, there’s no going back. Only forward, into more wholeness, authenticity, and peace.
​
And if you’re in a season where you’re ready to feel supported as you navigate these shifts, my Self-Rooted Woman Mentorship is open right now for two women. A 3-month container for nervous system healing, deep embodiment, and walking this messy, holy path of becoming with steady support.

If you’ve ever rolled up your mat after practice and wondered how that peace, clarity, and body-connectedness could follow you into the rest of your life — this episode is for you. In this week’s conversation on The Nourished Woman Podcast, I’m sharing how yoga isn’t just movement or breath… it’s a way of being. You’ll hear how these practices can ripple into your relationships, your nervous system, your joy, and the way you show up in your everyday choices.

Highlights You’ll Love:

• How yoga opens the door to nervous system healing and soulful embodiment
  
• Why slowing down on your mat helps you move through life with more clarity + ease
  
• Real-world examples of translating yoga practice into daily living
  
• My own journey of taking yoga “off the mat” and into parenting, relationships, and work​

“Your yoga practice isn’t just a stretch or a breath — it’s devotional work. It funnels out into your children, your ancestors, the women who came before us, and the ones who will come after. This isn’t a three-dimensional thing you do on the mat. It’s a cosmic thing you weave into your life, in ways that fit your real world, your motherhood, your body, your truth.” - Keri Marino

We live in a world that worships more. More doing. More pushing. More proving.

But what if the thing you need most right now isn’t more… it’s less?

Sometimes the most aligned thing you can do is to let something go. To get a case of the “f*ck-it’s.” Not the reckless, throw-it-all-away kind… but the quiet, soul-protecting kind.

Because here’s the truth: the version of you who already has the beautiful relationship, the sturdy sense of self, the ease, the clarity, the money, the purpose… she isn’t scattering her energy in a hundred directions. She’s deliberate. She chooses what gets her attention.

So here’s a question: If you were her today, how would you move? How would you eat? What would your schedule look like? What would you stop doing?

One of my clients came to me thinking yoga was just “one more thing” on her list. Instead, it became the thing that gave her more. More clarity. More permission to edit her life. More presence in her actual days.

Kate Northrup says it best:

“When you do less, you have more energy, time, and enthusiasm for the things that matter the most to you… You simply do less – but more of what matters.”

This is what cyclical living is.

This is the heartbeat of my work — the reason my podcast (launching later this month) exists. It’s why I created The Nourished Woman Sanctuary. Because you need support that meets you where you are, 2am meditation when you can't sleep or while sitting in the carline.