Awakening Creativity with Carrie Schmitt

carrie schmitt is one of the most devoted humans i know to living with creativity as a living, breathing presence. her entire life is an altar to this relationship. from the way she paints and prays by the sea, to the way she listens for guidance in the smallest moments of her day.she is a painter, teacher, and author of three books, including Awakening Creativity: A Sacred Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Artist. she “began painting in 2009, while bedridden after being diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy to heat. what began as a lifeline has since become a path of devotion. today, carrie paints, writes, teaches online classes, hosts art retreats, and mentors women who long for a joyful, intimate relationship with Creativity.”in this conversation, we explore creativity not as a talent or skill, but as a beloved. a divine, animating force that moves through every aspect of our lives. guided by the “temples” in her book: reverence, beauty, devotion, and more, carrie shares how she relates to creativity as a sacred presence, how she dissolved the idea of the inner critic, and what it means to live a life shaped by signs, synchronicity, and trust in the unseen.may this conversation invite you to rethink what creativity really is, remember your own devotion, and consider the possibility that you, too, are already in a living relationship with something vast, mysterious, and profoundly kind.some things we talk about:letting go of a good, steady offering (and reliable income) to follow a deeper spiritual calling in her workcreativity as a living, breathing presence rather than a skill or talentwhy carrie doesn’t believe in the inner critic and how changing our framework dissolves itthe questions to ask instead of “Is this good or bad?” to discover what’s most alive in your creativitydevotion and reverence as daily practices, including carrie’s painting ritual of bowing, blessing her hands, and promising to love each painting no matter whathow to discover what you are truly devoted to (including the “one word in your journal” practice)living guided by spirit in very ordinary decisions and the question carrie asks each morning.why our culture’s fixation on productivity, numbers, and validation can drown out our creative spiritcarrie’s perspective on AI, creativity, and why no machine can touch the soul of our relationship with the unseenhow devotion “doesn’t just free us from what doesn’t serve our creativity; it also frees us from ourselves”listen to this episode and all past episodes at daphnecohn.com

while we navigate crises like climate, politics, war, technology, poverty and inequality, we need humans who commit themselves fully to a life of presence, compassion and care. humans whose devotion becomes their offering, gifting us a way forward led by fierce love and steadfast courage.mara is one of those people.mara is “a mother, writer, yogi, artist, teacher, mindfulness leader, ceremonialist, and spiritual coach. teaching for over two decades, mara hosts international wellness retreats and corporate mindfulness programs across the globe.she is the author of Ritual As Remedy: Embodied Practices For Soul Care and Sage, Huntress, Lover, Queen: Access Your Power and Creativity through Sacred Female Archetypes. mara is also the creator of the Divine Matrix oracle deck.in this conversation, we explore the true nature of ritual and how intention can turn the ordinary into the sacred, how to meet the inner voice of “not enough,” the truth beneath the noise, midlife as awakening, the dance between freedom and discipline, and the tender strength of innocence returning through wisdom.may this conversation remind you that ritual doesn’t require perfection or performance — only presence. that your body already knows the way. and that beauty, love, and wonder are not luxuries, but ways of staying alive to the soul of this world. some things we talk about: how the tiniest act, done with intention, becomes ritual, and why weaving it into everyday life changes everything.a simple morning anchor (before phone or news) that “activates divine will” and resets the day with one question.a simple, practical way to meet the inner “not enough” voice.the game-changer difference between pushing over yourself (overfunctioning) vs pushing into what matters.holding beauty and suffering at once (non-duality) and why beauty/compassion are fuel for meaningful action.discovering your personal operating system: bridging your gifts with your core teachings (wounds → wisdom).midlife as awakening: elder-sage vision meets maiden-innocence—and what “ultimate truth, love, and joy” point to.what to do when guidance is inconvenient or uncomfortable.a permission slip for daily life that can help you instantly release and begin again. to listen to past episodes go here.  

“the day i gave voice to the scared, shamed, and broken parts of myself,” writes ashley, “and acknowledged, out loud, that i had an alcohol and drug addiction problem was a defining moment in my life, a radical step towards the embodiment i had been running from since childhood… it set me on my path to discovery, and ultimately study and teach, the deeply transformative power of the breath, somatics, and capital “R” Rest, with an important emphasis on community and integration.”ashley is a renowned breathwork teacher, somatic practitioner, host of the deeper call podcast and author of how to breathe and permission to rest.in this conversation, we explore the radical power of rest and embodiment.ashley shares her journey from addiction and recovery to discovering rest as a lifelong, often more difficult, practice than sobriety. we unpack why slowing down is so challenging in a culture addicted to speed and productivity, how rest reveals our deepest exhaustion and aliveness, and why reclaiming rest is both personal medicine and a revolutionary act.this episode is an invitation to soften, to listen more deeply to the body, and to explore rest not as a luxury or escape but as a profound practice of presence, healing, and resistance. Some things we talk about…rest as medicine for burnout – why supplements, diets, and hacks don’t work until you address the body’s real need for slowing down.how rest heals trauma – how gentle, somatic practices can create safety and support nervous system repair.micro-rituals of rest you can use today – simple, doable practices like a hand to heart, three breaths, or savoring a cup of tea.breaking free from “output = worth” – how to reclaim your value beyond productivity and honor hidden forms of labor.why rest feels so hard – cultural conditioning, trauma responses, and the shame that keeps us from slowing down.reclaiming attention in an always-on world – how choosing to pause, single-task, and move slower becomes an act of agency.rest as revolutionary – how your slowing down ripples into family, community, and culture as a radical act of change.how to be gentle with yourself – why rest can’t be forced, and how softness opens more than striving.listen to past episodes at daphnecohn.com

sarah blondin is  a storyteller, author, and meditation guide, who unceasingly ruminates on the complexities and nuances of life and the human heart.she is the author of heart minded: how to hold yourself and others in love, has over 630,000 followers on insight timer where she has been teaching meditation since 2016, iand the creator of several online courses including the deepest self and coming home to yourself. sarah is also the writer for the popular substack publication, sarah blondin: stories and meditations. a place of deep connection and intimate sharing. real words from a real life, from the heart, from the depths.in this tender and soul-stirring conversation, we explore what it means to live a heart-centered life in a world that feels increasingly fast, noisy, and pressurized. through honest reflections, personal stories, and gentle wisdom, sarah illuminates how we can meet life’s intensity without abandoning ourselves, the beauty and complexity of living with an exposed heart, embracing both joy and pain, and finding grace in the willingness to feel deeply.Some things we talk about…the polarity of the heart: how to both brace and bend under life’s pressuresparenthood & tenderness: motherhood as both a practice of protection and letting go while remembering our own vulnerability.the cost of openness: how much of our heart to expose, and the risk and aliveness that come with remaining open.practices of return: sitting under trees, slowing down, journaling, and breathwork as daily ways to come back to heart presence.writing as self-intimacy:  not to transcend life but to be witness to all of it: the chaos, grief, and beauty.resistance & trust: how bracing against life severs trust with the heart, and how forgiveness of life’s demands softens us back into connection.the risk of being seen: why tears, tenderness, and honesty feel vulnerable in public spaces, and how choosing to be visible can be a radical act of leadership.devotion to the heart: living a heart-centered life is not a single choice but a lifelong devotion—a relationship that deepens over time.catch up on past episdoes with extraordinary teachers, guides and artists here.  receive a weekly slow inside ritual here. and follow me on instagram @daphnecohn

such a tender, gorgeous conversation with elena. in her words and in her pauses, you feel the power of presence. you feel how different the world can be, how different the world is, when we arrive here. in this moment. this life.elena brower is a mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author, and host of the Practice You podcast. she’s been teaching asana since 1999, practicing Zen meditation since 2020, and received the Buddhist Precepts from Roshi Joan Halifax at Upaya Zen Center in 2023. now a candidate for Buddhist chaplaincy, elena offers her time in hospice and penitentiary settings.her weekly live yoga practices and meditations are featured on Glo; she offers retreats and workshops a few times a year, and her spoken-word poetry can be heard on Above & Beyond’s Flow State albums—for which she received an RIAA-certified Gold Record for her writing on “Don’t Leave.”elena is the creator of several online courses, including Perceptive Parenting and Simplify, helping us reimagine our priorities so we can experience more meaning each day. her bestselling journals and books explore the seasons of life and the art of deep listening. her next book, Hold Nothing, will be published by Shambhala Publications in late 2025.in this conversation we explore the nature of spiritual practice, love, presence, and self-remembering in challenging times. we talk about the role of respect in practice, the healing power of rewriting past memories, letting go of identity, and the sacredness of preparing for death as a soulful, grounded inquiry into how we live, love, and serve.take your time with this conversation. let elena’s wisdom soak through until it becomes your wisdom.  allow her presence to bring you home. to bring you here.00:00 Introduction and Warm Welcome01:12 Exploring the Concept of Respect05:18 Personal Reflections on Relationships10:15 Rewriting Memories for Healing23:37 The Practice of Zen Meditation28:25 Understanding the Self Through Letting Go34:59 The Softening of the Self36:48 Exploring the Concept of Original Face38:11 Invitation to Love Yourself38:42 The Role of Rigor and Certainty in Self-Love41:08 Loving Oneself to Serve the World45:41 The Power of Presence Over Problem-Solving47:01 The Practice of Being Present50:44 Teaching and Presence in Challenging Contexts54:13 Managing Mental Noise and Allowing the Mind to Rest55:22 Embracing Fear and Trauma01:02:15 Gratitude and Closing Thoughtslisten to past conversations with guests like poet david whyte, activist valarie kaur, author rob bell, artist julia cameron and dozens of others at daphnecohn.com

author of radiant rest and the luminous self and yoga nidra teacher, tracee stanley, explores the profound significance of deep rest and its transformative power on our lives, the differences between sleep and intentional rest, the importance of creating a sanctuary for ourselves, the modern struggles of perpetual exhaustion, the hurdles to genuine relaxation, and how rest can reconnect us with our inner wisdom, support healing, and empower us to show up more fully in our lives. this conversation will change your perception of rest and show how essential rest is not just to nourishing our body but to caring for our world.this is one of those conversations that can alter you forever.in this episode we explore:• the concept of deep, intentional rest beyond mere sleep• the societal perceptions that undermine the value of rest• the notion that many of us are collectively exhausted and often unsure how to genuinely rest  • the challenges of overcoming ingrained feelings of unworthiness, shame, and the pull towards constant productivity• the significance of sacred practices, the wisdom of ancient traditions, and the transformative potential of truly embracing rest.• the importance of stepping into one’s power through rest and• exploring the true teachers of deep rest, the goddess, and the state of consciousness00:00 Introduction and Warm Welcome00:14 Exploring the Power of Deep Rest01:59 The Challenge of Rest and Worthiness02:47 Intentional Rest and Overcoming Shame07:45 Rest as a Path to Clarity and Power11:21 Creating a Rest Practice22:21 The Sacredness of Rest29:09 The Goddess and Deep Rest54:09 The State of Consciousness as a True Teacher55:29 Final Thoughts and Gratitudeyou can learn more about tracee stanley, daphne cohn and listen to all past episodes at daphnecohn.comyou can receive sacred words, living rituals and somatic practices that guide you gently through a fast and fraying world here.

srimati is one of my heroines and i do not use that word lightly. i look to her often as a model of how to live a courageous, honest, spirit-led life. it was a tremendous honor to have this conversation with her.srimati “has spent decades seeking the divine in all of her life experiences. living from a deep place of devotion, srimati is a living spiritual guide devoted to reminding others of their spiritual nature so that they too can experience the full presence of their existence.”srimati is the author of the best-selling cookbooks, this cheese is nuts!, the plantpower way; italia and the plantpower way. she is also host to her own internationally acclaimed podcast, for the life of me with over 1,000,000 downloads in just two years. she is the founder of srimu artisanal not cheese and the spiritual community, water tiger.“srimati is a mystic, mother, musician, artist, author and healer who is a powerful living example of how to love ourselves more so that we can live our unique design in full and expansive self-expression. when we live in this frequency, we bless all life around us.”some things we talk about: how to live from the heart instead of the mindliving as a sovereign beinghow srimati begins and ends each dayour most important role in lifehow to live all of life as a devotional journeya gorgeous guided meditation andour greatest superpowermay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.to listen to past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

nina lombardo is a woman devoted.it’s in the way she speaks and the way she moves, in what she teaches and what she lives. it’s in her body, her heart and her whole being.“nina is a yogic intimacy teacher and wisdom keeper of the sacred feminine arts. she supports women in embodying their most authentic spiritual and sexual expressions so they can experience the soul-ravishing unions they crave with life, with their lovers, and with the divine” through her online programs, her one-on-one client work and in person-retreats.all of her work is “informed through her unwavering devotion to her own inner practice” and her work in the world.you will hear her devotion when you listen. you will feel her devotion in your body. and her devotion will awaken yours.some things we talk aboutthe difference between romantic love and the love of the universeher journey into free, unbridled self expressiondevotion as the main driving force, as the anchorhow to meet the outer world while staying devoted to one’s inner truthwhere physical desire meets spiritual desirehow we bring awareness into the body andthe marriage between discipline and surrendermay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.to listen to past episodes go here.to read my most intimate writings on living a sensual, body-based life go here.to receive weekly embodiment practices go here.  

i first met allana pratt over 13 years ago when i interviewed her for a summit i was hosting on pleasure and sensuality. i loved her candor, kindness and deep devotion to her work.allana is an intimacy expert, the podcast host of intimate conversations, and author of six books. she has interviewed whoopi goldberg and alanis morrisette, coached leeza gibbons on dancing with the stars and been featured on huffington post, people magazine, forbes, CBS, ABC, FOX, TLC, iHeartRadio, the GoodMenProject and more.“for the past 20 yrs, allana’s brave willingness to heal her own heart and come home to herself makes her authentic, relatable and credible in her proven coaching programs and intimacy retreats. her wisdom, exuberance and raw transparency inspire the deep soul work required to create a solid intimate relationship with one’s self first, which naturally attracts and enhances an ideal open-hearted partnership that lasts. she’s a small town canadian girl living in rural wyoming who is honored to love the sh** out of humanity.”some of the things we talk about in this conversation are:creating an intimate relationship with the universehow to choose joy in the face of pain and sufferingthe portal back into the bodyhow allana healed herself after a very painful crisisthe first step to manifestingthe most potent vibration to send out to the universeyou can learn more about alana and her work at allanapratt.com and you can catch up on all past episodes at daphnecohn.com  

when i began reading radical wholeness by philip shepherd i cried. these words, this man. how did he put into words what was lining the insides of my soul? how did he know the answers to questions i’d held on to for years?philip teaches embodiment but “unlike the prevailing view of embodiment which involves sitting in the head and ‘listening to your body,’ philip’s approach helps you listen to the world through the body. what the body most deeply understands is that it belongs to the world. what the body most deeply feels is the present. when we join its intelligence, we discover companionship in the world rather than alienation; we recognize guidance where before we saw only obstacles; and we ground ourselves in the security of being, rather than seeking to build security for ourselves with symbols of external value. ultimately, it’s about coming home to yourself.”philip is the author of three books, new self new, new world, radical wholeness and deep fitness. he is the creator of the embodied present process which he teaches online and in workshops around the world.philip is gently and powerfully shifting the way we are in the world. through practices and processes, he is teaching us how to be radically whole and live free.he is one of the most masterful teachers i’ve encountered and it is a great honor to share my conversation with him.some of the things we talk about how to fill your emptiness foreverthe center of stillness in the bodythe only real security in lifewhat lies at the core of our sufferinghow to know your purpose andan extremely powerful yet simple tool for coming into the body and the presentto learn more about philip go here.to catch up on past episodes of the BEYOND podcast go here.