276 Mental Health and Personal Freedom with Kristina Sarhadi

Kristina Sarhadi is a holistic therapist, Reiki Master, writer, and “recovering social worker.” A Hudson Valley native, she is the founder of Kingston Reiki + Holistic Therapy in Downtown Kingston, where she also runs The New Leaf Holistic Health Clinic with Dr. Ileana Tecchio and Dr. Glenn Finley. Kristina studied at Vassar College, UC Berkeley, the University of Southern California, The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and the Soma Healing Center, and received the International Health Leadership Award in 2011. Since 2012 she has lived in Kingston, where she is an ongoing Clinic Provider at The O+ Festival, an active member of several mutual aid and wellness circles, an enthusiastic punk show attendee and a published poet. She has received several awards for her writing and multiple Chronogrammies for her work with clients. Most recently, she was voted Best Mental Health Counselor in 2023. Prior to opening her private practice, Kristina spent a decade in social services as a domestic violence counselor, foster care case manager, teen mentor, women’s legal advocate, Early Intervention specialist, youth arts group director, and crisis counselor for victims of abuse, neglect and sexual assault. Because she has always been obsessed with balancing pain and joy, she has also taught preschool, run a cupcake shop, managed local bands, and written for several punk music publications.

Currently, Kristina works with clients to integrate deep trauma exploration with energy work and narrative reframing—helping folks of all ages become more mindful, empowered and joyful in their daily lives. An Iranian-Italian-American, Kristina’s philosophy centers around self-empowerment, mindfulness techniques, and consciousness engineering—a combination of ancient Eastern practices and modern Human Potential modalities. On rare days off she can be found reading in a sunspot with her tiny cat, Button, or laughing till her stomach hurts with her three sisters, two nieces, and one nephew.

Today Kristina shares how and why she works to support other’s mental health. We talk about the difficulties people may experience on Memorial Day mourning the loss of family members/friends while others protest the day for its perceived pro-military agenda or bypass the grief with barbecues. Kristina shares some thoughts on how to navigate the days’ heaviness.

She opens up about her own process of grief and loss related to a long term relationship/friendship and how it has taught her the power of making hard decisions when they are the ones that will open you up to living authentically in your personal freedom. This wasn’t her first challenging transition in life. You can read more about the serious accident that caused the pivot in her career leading her to where she is today.

Because of her personal experiences in cutting cords that don’t serve you, Kristina supports her clients in doing the same, often helping them release and repair when needed.

I loved this conversation and related to so much of Kristina’s lived experience. She’s such an inspiration! She can be found on Instagram, Facebook or reached via phone/text (845-383-0137) for anyone interested in connecting with her and her work.

Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radiokingston.org.

Our show music is from Shana Falana!

Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org

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275 “The Goddess Party”

Today is about The Goddess Party, a new project spearheaded from long time Hudson Valley musician Shana Falana in collaboration with Erica Quitzow and Sarah Perrotta. Featuring a choir of 30+ local singers, a rock band, and a willingness to interpret the likes of Kate Bush, Panda Bear, and PJ Harvey. “A cult worth joining.”

I am joined by Beth Carestia a member of the Choir like myself, and we hear from several of our co-creators by way of voice memo describing in some way what The Goddess Party means to them… magic, mystery, heart healing, collaboration, trust, creation, fun, true-self, singing, connection, the feminine, The Goddess…

We’re performing Friday at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:30pm and the movie Midsommer will follow our performance. You can get tickets ($12-$15) via Opus 40.

The Goddess Party band is Erica Quitzow, Sarah Perrotta, Betsy Wright, Sarah Carlson, Shana Falana, Lysa Opfer and Jenn Anderson.

Here’s a link to the Rosendale Ukulele Group that Beth and I gush about. Another mental health activity for us.

Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radiokingston.org.

Our show music is from Shana Falana!

Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org

** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IT

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274 Kristin Kessler “Working Motherhood”

Today on the show I am joined by Kristin Kessler, a registered dietitian, yoga teacher, and advocate for equitable access to nutritious food and opportunities to live a healthful lifestyle. She has worked across multiple sectors of the field of nutrition for the past 12 years, including at PR agencies and in community nutrition, like at Food Bank For New York City. She also has a long-held passion for women’s rights and equitable opportunities in all aspects of life, particularly the workforce, something she credits to watching her mom work hard and excel in her career while raising her as a single mother after her parents divorced. Herself a new mother of an infant who works outside of the home, she is seeing the world through new eyes and experiencing how much of it isn’t set up for the success of birthing people, from prenatal to perinatal to postnatal and beyond.

Originally from New Orleans with a good, long stint in Dallas and Austin, Texas before making her way up to Brooklyn, she now resides in Woodstock, where she lives with her husband, infant son, and dog. She works for the City of Kingston’s Health and Wellness Department, where she creates policy, system, and environmental changes to help make healthy choices an easier choice in Kingston for everyone.

How do we move from surviving to thriving in motherhood? Today is an honest conversation on the practical challenges of motherhood from navigating the emotions and personal and public expectations on returning to work to the practical aspects of juggling nursing, pumping, childcare and costs with a work schedule. Kristin shares personal stories that perfectly illustrate why we need better systems in place to support working mothers and parents. So much of this comes down to our value system which practically speaking is largely based upon productivity and finance in a patriarchal system. It’s time for a change!

Here is the article I mentioned related to expenditure for child care in the US compared with other wealthy countries, and here’s the previous episode where I discussed child care operations with a former daycare provider.

Ahhhh, and then I end the show with a little moon reporting from Tanaaz in honor of Friday’s New Moon!

You can get your tickets to The Goddess Party here!

Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radiokingston.org.

Our show music is from Shana Falana!

Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org

** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IT

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273 “Until Justice Just Is” with Isis Benitez and Marielena Ferrer

This month on Spirituality and Politics, Marielena and I are joined by Isis Benitez, Lead Director of Communications, Advocacy and Outreach at the YWCA Ulster County. Isis shares the details behind the “Until Justice Just Is” campaign that is underway this week in Kingston and Poughkeepsie featuring film screenings and rallies with speakers all intended to help folks understand the impacts of racism and what we can do to put an end to it. Not only is this campaign creating a safe space for people to talk about racism and its painful effects, but it is also a place to learn more about what you can do to help combat it. Isis is also interested in understanding where the community is as it relates to racism and how we can work together to ends its insidious nature. Because it’s mental health awareness month, we spend some time talking about the impacts racism and bullying have on mental health. You can reach Isis at ibenitez@ywcaulstercounty.org.

Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radiokingston.org.

Our show music is from Shana Falana!

Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org

** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IT

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272 Kristin Moshonas “Mindfulness and Mental Health”

Today’s guest is Kristin Moshonas. A yogi for most of her adult life, Kristin embraced a lifestyle of wellness, mindfulness and spirit with the birth of her children, becoming a yoga teacher, then therapist (IAYT 1,000 – HR), and finally adding a more strategic role as Director of Programming, NY for non-profit, Kula for Karma (2017). It is here that she began to delve more deeply into the space of trauma-based healing practices and work with underserved populations. She has co-created, directed and taught in therapeutic programs across the city from The Doe Fund to Covenant House, The Hope Program to Bellevue Hospital and NYC’s Dept. of Education, in the process realizing that helping those who are struggling to find moments of peace and pathways to self-empowerment and growth are what truly give the practice and her teaching purpose. Kristin calls upon previous career experience as a creative marketing executive (Conde Nast, Hearst, Time Inc.) to develop special brand initiatives for Kula, such as the currently running conversation series, Begin Again, and Sam Waterston hosted documentary series, Visionaries (PBS), featuring her work at The Hope Program.

Most recently, she joined the team at Access Mindfulness as Executive Director. AM was born
through an open-hearted vision to help make the transformative power of mindful awareness
accessible to all, working with children, adolescents, full school communities and other non-
profits. In this new role, Kristin adds teaching certifications in MBSR and Inner Strength
Foundation and looks forward to growing the awareness of AM in both NYC and The Hudson
Valley.

Deeply committed to supporting mindful community, she launched Ten of Zen at the start of the
pandemic shutdown, a free daily guided meditation. Over two years later, this remains a Friday
morning offering via her personal social channels, open to any and all who wish to participate.
 

Kristin is a graduate of The University of Vermont and The Sorbonne and finds great joy as a ski instructor, hiker, world explorer and mom to two teenage boys to men.

kristin@kulaforkarma.org
IG: @kristinmosh | FB: @kristinmoshonas

Today Kristin and I talk about mental health, how it impacts our overall health and relates to so many aspects of living a rich life, and how to tend to it. We learn about Kristin’s path to mindfulness, what that looks like for her, and the work she does at Kula and Access Mindfulness. We hope our conversation inspires you to nurture your mental health daily!

Here’s the Full Moon Report!

Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radiokingston.org.

Our show music is from Shana Falana!

Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org

** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IT

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