Adversity is a Sneaky Bitch with Lisa Keefauver →

📌Check out the book ‘Grief is a Sneaky Bitch’

Don't get it twisted - Lisa is a GRIEF ACTIVIST...but she's also an Adversity Champion. I told her she's right up there with Elizabeth Taylor...if you know the Steel Magnolias quote, ya know. Assault, becoming a widow at 40, cancer, and more...Lisa did not come to this life on the easy train. I am thrilled to have Lisa on the show to talk about adversity, humor, feeling alive, and her new book, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch. Get yourself a copy, pop on this interview, and take in the energy of someone who has been THROUGH IT but has figured out how to survive and thrive.

As a survivor of multiple traumas, Lisa's reflections provide a compassionate and empowering perspective on navigating life's challenges and embracing aliveness. She emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and metabolizing suffering, building resilience, and allowing oneself to receive help, which is something that can be healing not just for the person receiving the support, but also the person that is able to give it.

🌐Follow Lisa Instagram, Website

YouTube    / @lisakeefauvermsw  

👉Key points
(00:00) Welcome and Introduction

(01:42) Lisa Keefauver's Journey with Grief

(02:20) Celebrating Life's Milestones

(04:00) Facing Trauma and Finding Meaning

(06:50) The Concept of AFGO

(09:07) Navigating the Dark Night of the Soul

(20:40) The Role of Suffering in Life

(29:38) Finding Aliveness Amidst Grief

(32:38) A Year of Challenges and Diagnosis

(34:37) The Importance of Accepting Help

(35:43) The Power of Vulnerability and Connection

(37:39) Reflections on Aliveness and Mindfulness

(39:39) The Journey of Writing and Sharing

(46:24) The Courage to Be Provocative

(49:19) Embracing Full Humanity in Grief Activism

(57:47) The Process of Self-Expression and Growth

(01:01:42) Celebrating Life and Community

(01:03:54) Closing Thoughts and Gratitude

👉Lisa Keefauver BIO

Lisa Keefauver

Lisa Keefauver is a grief activist. Her wisdom on the topic of grief and loss are rooted in the decades she spent as a social worker, narrative therapist, non-profit co-founder, and clinical supervisor. Her insights on grief are also embodied from personal losses, including the death of her husband when she was 40 years old. Lisa is host of the top-rated podcast, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch; adjunct professor of Loss and Grief at the University of Texas at Austin; facilitates grief-smart organizations; and a keynote speaker.

👉To connect with Kate Manser on Instagram Visit Kate’s website⁠ Get Kate’s free textspirations: Text ALIVE to 512-898-7850

Thank you for being alive with me!

Liz Cortez: Shamanism & Animal Medicine →

👉Liz Cortez will help you open your aperture to see life paths you may have never considered. You may not have become a shaman on your life bingo card...but neither did Liz. Watch this episode to learn how to soften into what the Universe is whispering to you, even when it sounds insane. Your life path might be in that message.

Liz, a shamanistic practitioner and yoga instructor, shares about her transformative journey and unique approach to blending Peruvian shamanism with yoga.

She shares her experiences of overcoming personal struggles, studying shamanism in Costa Rica, and eventually opening her studio, Heart and Soul Yoga, in Rancho Mirage, California.

Throughout the discussion, Liz leads a grounding exercise, talks about the significance of animal energies in her practice, and emphasizes the importance of curiosity, imagination, and following one's bliss.

Both Liz and Kate reflect on their personal challenges and the profound impact of connecting with spirituality and nature. The episode underscores themes of learning, presence, and the courage to live authentically.

👉ABOUT Liz Cortez

Liz Cortez is a yoga teacher, sound healer, Reiki practitioner, holistic health coach, and Peruvian Shaman. Her journey began as a personal quest for healing from childhood trauma, divorce, and reproductive health challenges, leading her to study Peruvian Shamanism, where she received her rites as a Pompamesayoq and later advanced to an Alto Mesayoq Shaman. Committed to sharing her knowledge and healing practices, she is the founder of Heart and Sol Yoga Studio in Rancho Mirage, CA, where she offers transformative experiences to her community.

🌐Follow Liz: Instagram Website

📌Make sure to check out Heart & Sol Yoga

👉Key points

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:31 Meet Liz Cortez: Shaman and Yoga Instructor

01:45 Grounding Exercise with Liz

03:58 Kate's Personal Journey

05:08 Liz's Dark Night of the Soul

07:17 Guiding Clients Through Suffering

12:09 Embracing Imagination and Animal Spirits

20:21 The Meaning of Life and Continuous Learning

24:49 Exploring New Paths: From Yoga to Sound Healing

25:45 Embracing Shamanic Practices

27:25 Breaking Free from the Golden Cage

30:07 Celebrating One Year of the Studio

31:52 The Birth of Shamanic Yoga

35:32 Animal Energies and Their Meanings

40:27 Lessons from Squirrels

43:03 Living with Purpose and Joy

45:27 Connecting with Liz and Her Studio

47:10 Gratitude and Community

Connect with Kate Manser on Instagram Visit Kate’s website⁠ Get Kate’s free textspirations: Text ALIVE to 512-898-7850

Thank you for being alive with me!

Liz Cortez

If you’re addicted to anything, watch this. →

If you or someone you love is addicted to something, watch this video. It contains a perspective on getting high that is rarely discussed, a tactic to break your addictions, and 2 concrete ways to help someone you love who is struggling with addiction.

The book I mentioned is called The Natural Mind by Andrew Weil. I came across it writing a paper for my transpersonal psychology Masters program I’m currently in…which is the study of states of being and consciousness beyond the material self. I could talk about this for hours! Let’s continue the conversation in the comments.

Do you believe the desire to get high is innate in humans? Why? (or why not)

Thank you for watching Be Alive with Kate Manser. Share this episode with a friend who might also want to work on their vices, too. It’s so human of us!

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Thanks for being alive with me. xo