Self Exploration, Healing Trauma & The Importance Of Community with Keiko El

In this episode of Deep Dive, Dana discusses the continued process of unlearning the narrative society holds around pleasure and releasing shame in order to live the life that serves you as you grow. Change is inevitable and it is ok to have new desires, new standards, and new perspectives. Dana also talks about where her journey and focus has led her in the past months by sharing about her new endeavors in  sensual photography and plus size vintage clothing.

Content Warning:  Weight (including the mention of numbers), Kink/Bdsm Practices.  Potentially triggering for those recovering from body related complexities and/or sexual trauma.  The stigma around vocalizing needs makes speaking up for pleasure difficult, especially for those who are marginalized. But the same conversation translates across different communities: while there are exclusionary spaces and people, there are others who will care and who will always make space for you - and that can be your standard. In this episode of Deep Dive, Dana chats with Cynna Rae about her journey with rope bondage & the kink community. Dana and Cynna discuss that while rope play can be a cathartic experience, it requires deep trust and safety to open yourself up and allow yourself to be vulnerable. Cynna has found a voice and presence through her journey with rope and navigating the kink community in a fat body, and she shares how she now uses that voice to hold space where others with less privileged bodies can speak up for their pleasure and be seen.

We deserve more than we often allow into our lives and far more than many of us are offered. But there are ways we can all deconstruct mindsets to expand how we much we feel and experience. In this episode of Deep Dive, Dana chats with friend, Keiko El, about her passions and business while also tackling topics of self awareness, sexual exploration, vulnerability and the importance of safety, trust and community. Keiko shares her personal experience with sexuality and body acceptance as a queer Black femme, and her current journey with finding liberation beyond past trauma.

Content Warning: Weight Loss Surgery So much of how we exist in this world is informed by our experiences as children. When we experience trauma, healing is a lifelong process. In this episode of Deep Dive, Dana chats with Sonalee Rashatwar about growing up fat, fat trauma, food morality, healthism, and how fat liberation also intersects with other topics such as anti-capitalism and white supremacy (amongst others). Dana and Sonalee emphasize the need to continue working to dismantle all forms of systemic oppression starting from the most marginalized and not stopping at what only affects us. 

In this episode, Dana shares her thoughts on what it is like to be consumed but not truly seen or understood. What happens when we want people for personal gain without making space for their pain or understanding our own role? Dana discusses her rise to public visibility and it being symptomatic of problematic thought. She talks about her own growth & the many boundaries she is setting to honor the person she is now - even though the process is painful (and maybe not just for her).

In this episode of Deep Dive, Dana shares her reasoning for leaving the Instagram account she’s grown for the past five years, @nolatrees. Dana discusses why she started her Instagram account five years ago and how that decision parallels her decision to leave now: self preservation & the need to re-spark the faith in herself that she can do all the things that feel right to her while setting boundaries. If you’re struggling with the desire for radical change but haven't made a move due to fear, this may inspire you to trust what you know and what you need.

Have you ever woken up one day to realize something that’s become your ‘normal’ is not longer working for you? In this roadside, Dana chats with friend & colleague, Racheal Weathers, about her recent shifts towards living a life filled with intention & balance. They touch on mental health, the importance of asking for help, letting go of what doesn’t serve, and living life at one’s own pace — not society’s ‘traditional’ timeline or path to success.

As empathetic humans, we need to release judgment and show compassion for the experiences of others, whether their actions seem to serve them or not. In this episode, Dana shares her experience with an eating disorder and calls for giving others the space to work through what have been demonized as “unhealthy” outlets and to experience joy free of judgement. There is no linear path to healing and we don’t need to compare. In a world ruled by systems of oppression, we can all stand to be a little kinder to ourselves and others in the human experience.

In this episode, Dana catches up with friend and colleague, Jessamyn Stanley, as they chat about their growth for the past four years. They discuss how their yoga practice has evolved, the importance of being present in the moment, prioritizing the things that light you up over the need to make money, and how life is so much more than the glossy moments shown on social media.

Although change can be frightening and even perceived negatively, there is value in remaining true to the person we’ve become. In this season opener, Dana shares a recap of the past months and sheds light on recent changes: her hiatus from social media and break from teaching yoga asana workshops. Dana discusses the part social media plays in her identity, the anxieties that come with shifting patterns, her experience with starting therapy, and her excitement for growth.