Neighbors, Community and Counterweights with Shannan Martin
We are living in a heavy time. Isolation and loneliness are commonplace. We feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. We long for community yet don't always see a way to find it amidst the hardship and vitriol coming at us from all sides.Today's guest is here to offer us insights, steps and hope when it comes to letting ourselves feel the discomfort of our feelings while also embracing the need for community in our lives. Shannan Martin and Jessica discuss:⚫︎ The importance of feeling awkward when it comes to making connections⚫︎ How to connect to your real life neighbors (even the ones you don't agree with)⚫︎ Why counterweights are vital in order to survive the world right now⚫︎ Holding multiple feelings at once This is a powerful conversation for anyone who desires to feel more grounded and connected wherever they are in the world right now.Shannan Martin, best-selling author of Start with Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and the popular Substack, The Soup, is a voracious reader, a wannabe-gardener, a news-geek, a justice-fighter, and a thrift store-stalker. She and her family live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana, where Shannan is on staff at the local community kitchen. Her forthcoming book, Counterweights: An Essential Practice for Holding Hope in a Heavy World, releases in Spring of 2026.Resources mentioned in this episode:⚫︎ Shannan Martin substack: https://shannanmartin.substack.com/⚫︎ Order Counterweights here⚫︎ Shannan on Instagram: www.instagram.com/shannanwrites⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast ⚫︎ YouTube workouts: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates ⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilatesJessica Valant Pilates app:Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8rGoogle - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fpJessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.
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Making Friends As An Adult
Isolation and loneliness is truly a health epidemic in our society, yet it can feel extremely difficult and intimidating to make friends as an adult. In today's podcast episode, Jessica unpacks the mental shifts that need to occur in order to feel connected to others, as well as practical tips to help keep current friends and make new friends in our adult years.Community and friendship are both vital pieces to our longterm health and emotional vibrancy, and this episode will help both introverts and extroverts discover ways to connect with others through midlife and beyond!Resources mentioned in this episode:⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast ⚫︎ YouTube workouts: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates ⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilatesJessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.
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The Supplements I'm Taking
Supplements can be an important part of a complete healthcare routine, but it can be hard to decide the best vitamins and supplements for yourself when the information available feels overwhelming.In today's episode of Meet Your Body, Jessica explains the supplement regimen she's currently using in her own life. She discusses why she has personally decided to take things such as creatine, Vitamin D and more, as well as the science behind each one. As opposed to getting another checklist of supplements to add to your cabinet, this episode offers a behind the scenes look at why and how Jessica - as a health care professional and also a perimenopausal woman hoping to age well - has chosen the supplements she takes daily.Resources mentioned in this episode:⚫︎ Creatine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013OSNWE/?tag=jessicavala03-20⚫︎ BCAA's: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FHUIPQ8/?tag=jessicavala03-20⚫︎ Night Caps for Sleep (use code JESSICAV for 15% off): https://curednutrition.com/discount/Jessicav?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall ⚫︎ Better Sleep Tips podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000700931343⚫︎ My Experience with Chronic Stress podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000622418858⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast ⚫︎ YouTube workouts: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates ⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilatesJessica Valant Pilates app:Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8rGoogle - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fpJessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.
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How To Support Someone With Breast Cancer
As a breast cancer survivor, Jessica knows firsthand how important the support of community is during the time of diagnosis and treatment. She often gets asked what someone can do to support a loved one who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. In this episode of Meet Your Body, Jessica gives you specific and practical ideas for how to help and show love to someone in your life diagnosed with breast cancer or undergoing a mastectomy.Resources mentioned in this episode:⚫︎ Free Breast Cancer Resource Guide: https://jessicavalant.com/breast-cancer-guide⚫︎ Hope Chest Sweatshirt: https://www.hopechestcharity.org⚫︎ Podcast episode about how to be an advocate for others: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-your-body/id1649561552?i=1000611605444⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast ⚫︎ YouTube workouts: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates ⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilatesJessica Valant Pilates app:Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8rGoogle - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fpJessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.
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Overwhelm and Health Information
We are living in a time of vast amounts of health information, expert opinions and influencer experience. While it's great to have access to so much technology and health information, it can also feel extremely overwhelming. We can easily become confused about what new things to try, how to include them in our own lives and who to trust. In today's episode, Jessica talks about how to deal with the overwhelm you may feel when it comes to making health and wellness choices for yourself. She'll discuss:⚫︎ The two mindset shifts you have to make in order to avoid overwhelm⚫︎ The simple tool to help you move past stress and into action⚫︎ How to prioritize choices in a way that works for you and your bodyThis conversation will help you take the power back when it comes to making the best health choices for you and your body!Resources mentioned in this episode:⚫︎ Jessica’s website, resources, services & more:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com⚫︎ Jessica’s UNLIMITED community and app with daily workouts for muscle strength:http://www.jessicavalantpilates.com/unlimited⚫︎Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@meetyourbodypodcast ⚫︎ YouTube workouts: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaValantPilates ⚫︎ Follow Jessica on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jessicavalantpilatesJessica Valant Pilates app:Apple IOS - https://tinyurl.com/mry5ya8rGoogle - https://tinyurl.com/yh3ty5fpJessica Valant and Jessica Valant Pilates, LLC, recommend you consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program. The information given here is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition.
Join physical therapist, women's health expert, Pilates and movement teacher, mom of two, and coffee lover Jessica Valant, MSPT, as she brings her signature combination of expertise, science based research and compassion to the world of women's health and aging. The Meet Your Body Podcast will cover topics to help women feel strong, safe and secure in their bodies in all seasons of life. Jessica will bring education and knowledge, uplifting stories, actionable strategies, expert guests, personal experiences and hope to address things like perimenopause and menopause, endometriosis, hysterectomy, prolapse, infertility, the aging process, exercise, how to advocate for yourself and more. Join us as Jessica shares her own journey with these issues and ultimately provides a guide for aging and living as an empowered and strong woman.
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