Alive & Kicking: Stories of Waking Up with Kay Eck

An existential crisis can throw the average adult into a state of uncertainty at best and inner turmoil at worst. Kay's next guest, John Schieke, was just six years old when he started to ponder the deepest questions. As a child, he was mentally and emotionally ill-equipped to handle these queries and barely had the vocabulary to describe what he was experiencing to others. The resulting alienation and stress made him vulnerab...

In episode 41, Sarah Lindgren talks with Kay about how early trauma influenced so many of the decisions she made throughout her life. Until, that is, she became conscious of how healing can soothe the grooved patterns, opening her up to a life of greater freedom, self-compassion and wisdom. Now, she shares all that with others as a guide, teacher and leader.

Sarah is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (200 E-RYT) worki...

Please note: This episode contains descriptions of violence, sexual abuse, alcoholism and drug use.

In this episode of the podcast, Columbia native Catalina Osorio describes how her early life forged in her an "eat or be eaten" ethos that nearly destroyed her. She shares her journey out of the despair caused by a life of extreme violence and into the immediacy that grace grants everyone no matter what their circu...

In this episode of Alive & Kicking, Lisa Stokke talks with Kay about being parented, parenting adults and the unique challenges of mothering in the age of awakening.

As founder and Executive Director of Next 7, an organization that advocates for healthy food systems, Lisa has been working to bring awareness to the importance of organic and regenerative agriculture. Previously, inspired by the lack of clean food choices for her f...

Born in Memphis Tennessee to a navy captain father, Valerie Iron's early life was rich with travel, culture and experience. But despite her joy for that life, a journey into the dark night of the soul brought her to the brink of despair. Throughout, her core wound of unrequited love presented itself again and again leaving her feeling utterly alone in the world. Eventually, Valerie gave herself over to healing through art and ...

Despite growing up in the suburbs, Sarah Richelle Starnes describes her formative years as wild, feral and imbued with nature. Her immersive relationship with the natural world expresses itself in myriad ways from her approach to her own education, the wisdom of the body, the power of animals to heal, an all-encompassing curiosity, a compassion for all life and the beat of her own drum. 

Sarah has been offering yoga, soun...

In celebration of the release of her second book Dear Human (available now) , Kay invites Ashley Livingston to ask her the questions she's been asking the Alive & Kicking guests.

Kay Eck is the author of Dear Human and Divorce: A Love Story. For more info, please visit kayeck.com

Buy Dear Human here: 
https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Human-Kay-Eck/dp/1736583123/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Dear+Human+K...

Growing up poor but delightfully untethered, Todd Fink's most memorable educational and spiritual experiences happened in nature. It was there, in nature, that the seeds were planted for his unique approach to inquiry and understanding which views every issue and idea through three lenses -- the artistic, the scientific and the mythological. In his work, including the Kind Mind Podcast and a new book, he draws from a deep well...

Growing up on an enlivened farm with her grandparents as guardians, no set religion other than cycles of nature, Taylor Godfrey's life was unconventional from the start. An early connection to her surroundings helped form an acute awareness of life itself.  When intuition implored her to process her earlier years of sexual abuse, she had no other choice but to be with her trauma and catalyze her journey into one of healing and...

Dack Quigley had an unconventional, some would say near perfect, upbringing. His parents urged him to do whatever he wanted to do, celebrated his every choice and loved him unconditionally. As a result, success came easily to him -- lucrative career, committed relationship, home on the beach in Hawaii and plenty of friends. He had "won the game".  But the question that gnawed at him -- Is this all there is? -- propelled h...

Sue Gaskell was born on the living room floor as the 10th of 11 children in Derbyshire, UK in 1946, and her life did not necessarily get less dramatic or difficult.  She endured tragedies, breakdowns, and plenty of painful endings before realizing that the only one she could not find compassion for was herself. She committed to connecting with her angry, frustrated and abandoned inner child which created the healing that would beco...

Born at four pounds and addicted to cocaine to a teen mother in trouble, Carmen Santiago-Keenon suffered a childhood filled with abandonment, danger and abuse. After being removed from her home, bouncing between foster care and facing potential placement in a group home, she was adopted into a faith-filled family that saw a small spark in need of kindling. Often challenged by ingrained generational trauma, Carmen set about on a que...

Having graduated from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, Max Friedstein believed his career as a professional dancer was about to begin. But a mysterious and debilitating medical condition created a detour that dramatically shifted his lifestream. Without a career, a relationship or a plan, the only way out was in.

Learn more about Max at maxfriedstein.com.

Find Max and his team at The White Rabbit R...

Growing up with immigrant parents in a small, homogenous midwestern town bonded sisters Tasha Gomes and Lisa Scott together in more ways than one. But it wasn't until Lisa left home to experience the wider world of college that they started to grow toward one another as both biological and soul sisters. One is mystical; one is pragmatic but their shared spiritual journey is in divine harmony.

As a Nurse Case Manager a...

Though his childhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil was rich in culture, art and community connection, Zon Carvalho felt called to a deeper spiritual experience. After years of chasing redemption from external sources, he found reclamation and his true power in self-love. 

Zon is a graphic and visual artist, passionate advocate for self-exploration and self-expression and a pioneer of new creative paradigms. 

Connect with Z...

Despite great loss and grief throughout her life, Amy Merritt chooses to lead with empathy, love, and deep compassion for others.  Cultivating goodness out of a garden of challenge is her superpower.

As a 500E-RYT yoga instructor, teacher, and mindfulness blogger, Amy specializes in gentle yoga, meditation, and yoga for Cancer Thrivers. She is available for group and private instruction via Zoom. Connect with Amy via emai...

 High vibrational conscious artist Be Bradley has learned to speak only from what he knows. His honesty and openness regarding the dark aspects of human nature and the truth of the spiritual path have created an online support system for thousands. In this episode, Be shares his story of childhood abuse, adult responsibility, and how he has created a life of art.  Please note that this episode contains explicit content regarding ch...

Kirsten Barfoot arrived knowing she had a mission but felt held back, treated as an outsider as she moved as a child from South Africa to New Zealand to Australia. Throughout her life, the lens, or evidence procedure as she calls it, of unworthiness reappeared until she felt she had lost everything. At that moment, Kirsten realized she had everything, and she was everything. This became Kirsten's message and her purpose.
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