Attune + Align

In this episode, Marisa gets honest about navigating a "storm cloud" morning. From here "sleep-in" day interrupted by a 70-lb Doberman mix to heavy family grief and the dread of an upcoming endoscopy, life has a way of throwing us off course. But trying to force "positive thinking" or feeling guilty about negative thoughts often makes it worse.

Instead of chasing toxic positivity or getting stuck in a mental loop, Marisa breaks down what to do instead: practice remembering who you really are.

Key Takeaways & Episode Highlights

• The Trap of "Quantum Physics Parallel Universe" Journaling: Why certain manifest-y or "future self" journal prompts can sometimes leave you focusing on what you lack rather than inspiring action.

• Why "Thinking Positive" Can Backfire: Forcing positive thoughts when you feel down often leads to feeling guilty about your negative emotions.

• The Power of Physical Movement: Whether it's yoga, lifting weights, or walking the dog, physical movement acts as tapas (heat/purification) to clear out stagnant energy and false narratives.

• Small "s" Self vs. Big "S" Self: Understanding the difference between Prakriti (the physical, ever-changing ego and body) and Purusha (the higher, witnessing consciousness).

• The Red-Tailed Hawk Perspective: How stepping into the "blue sky mind" allows you to view your daily struggles from a place of compassion rather than over-identification with life's temporary minutiae.

Quotes & Philosophy Mentioned

"Let go your attachment to the unreal and the real will swiftly and smoothly step into its own... the realization that you are the source and heart of all will dawn upon you."

— Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That

"The supreme self is neither born nor dies... Beyond all attributes, the supreme self is the eternal witness, ever pure, indivisible... In him conflicts and expectations cease."

— Atma Upanishad

Recommended Reading & Resources

• I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

• Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks (Abraham Hicks)

• The Atma Upanishad

• The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali (Chapter 1)

Marissa’s Daily Reminders for the Heavy Days

1. Move your body daily—especially when caught in a repetitive mental loop.

2. Stay hydrated.

3. Curate your circle: Surround yourself with the 5 people who reflect back the highest version of who you are.

4. Remember your true nature: You are the one who sees all things, not the one to whom all things happen.

Go shine your light—because always remember, you're a star!

Marisa shares personal reflections from a 20-hour vacation to Lake Tahoe and introduces her threefold mantra for achieving everyday peace of mind.

Spiritual Mantra
Marisa presents her "threefold magic mantra" derived from aha moments during a recent asana practice in the redwoods. 

1. Find your own flow:

Seek a state of "samadhi" or absorption where time falls away. Marisa suggests that focusing on personal passions and dharma prevents one from meddling in others' affairs.

2. Be a connector

Embody the essence of yoga by bridging gaps and bringing people together rather than creating cliques or scarcity mindsets. She emphasizes accepting invitations and celebrating the successes of others, even competitors.

3. Keep your heart open:

Drawing from Michael Singer’s book, The Untethered Soul, she advises against closing the heart during hardship. Staying open is a continuous practice of letting go and releasing tension to maintain inner joy.

 

Upcoming Events
Marisa outlines several upcoming opportunities for community engagement and retreats:

* September 20th, 2026: A day-long women's retreat for business owners at Kalla in Calistoga.
* October 4th, 2026: A day-long retreat at Paradise Healing Retreat in Lagunitas, focusing on "yogic vitamins" and dharma alignment.
* April 24th, 2027: A seven-night vinyasa yoga retreat at Haramara in Sayulita, Mexico, featuring workshops, community circles, and various outdoor activities.

Marisa is back! After nearly a year away from Attune + Align podcast, she returns with an unfiltered conversation about turning 40, perimenopause, visibility, yoga philosophy, friendship, and the strange beauty of being in a season of life that feels both grotesque and gorgeous. This is a candid reflection on learning to zoom out, see the whole landscape, and remember that we are so much more than the difficult thing we're experiencing in any given moment.

 

Episode 25: Grotesque & Gorgeous — This Is 40

What does it feel like to turn 40 and suddenly not recognize yourself?

In this deeply personal, unfiltered episode of Attune + Align, Marisa returns to the podcast after nearly a year away — not with a teleprompter or polished production, but with a stack of Post-it notes and a lot to say.

Since opening her brick-and-mortar yoga studio, life has become fuller, busier, more demanding, and, in many ways, more beautiful. But turning 40 brought an unexpected reckoning with her body, her identity, and what it means to be seen.

Marisa opens up about the early stages of perimenopause, changing skin, bloating, heartburn, body image, and the strange experience of waking up one day and feeling like you're suddenly living in a different body.

But this episode isn't really about perimenopause.

It's about our relationship to what we're experiencing.

Through yoga philosophy, Marisa explores the difference between being an obstacle and experiencing an obstacle. She shares the metaphor of the red-tailed hawk: when we're caught up in the details of a difficult moment, we can forget that we're capable of zooming out and seeing the entire landscape.

And perhaps that's what turning 40 has taught her most: life can be grotesque and gorgeous at the exact same time.

Along the way, Marisa gives heartfelt thanks to the women who have supported her through this season — from health and Ayurvedic guidance to sound baths, tarot, friendship, community, and personal training.

Because sometimes the most important thing we can do when we're struggling in our bodies is remember that we don't have to do it alone.

In this episode, Marisa talks about:

• Why Attune + Align disappeared for nearly a year
• Opening her yoga studio and the realities of owning a brick-and-mortar business
• Turning 40 and suddenly feeling different in her body
• The early stages of perimenopause
• Body image, visibility, and the complicated desire to be seen
• Her childhood experience of being put on a unicyclist's back — and what it taught her about visibility
• Why you need your “girlies”
• The women who have helped carry her through this season
• Sound baths, tarot, Ayurveda, and personal training
• What 14 years of yoga practice has taught her about suffering and identification
• The yogic concept of stepping back and seeing the bigger picture
• The metaphor of the red-tailed hawk
• Holding the “grotesque” and the “gorgeous” simultaneously
• What it means to be 40, busy, uncomfortable, grateful, and completely alive

The big takeaway

You are not the thing you're experiencing.

You are not your bloating. You are not your heartburn. You are not your changing skin, your difficult season, your business challenges, or the obstacle directly in front of you.

Sometimes we need to step back far enough to see the whole landscape — the hard parts and the beautiful parts — and remember that both can exist at once.

Mentioned in the episode

Marisa gives shout-outs to the women who have supported her during this chapter, including Cianne, Gina, Nimisha, Kimber, Jodi, Sara, and Surbhi, and reflects on the different ways community, wellness practices, friendship, and support have helped her navigate this transition.

She also mentions Glennon Doyle, yoga philosophy, the concept of maya, Ayurveda, tarot, sound healing, and her ongoing yoga practice.

Retreats & what's next

Marisa also shares what's coming up beyond the podcast, including a September 20th Soulpreneur retreat in Calistoga for women business owners, an October 4th day-long yoga retreat in West Marin, and a seven-day retreat at Haramara in Sayulita, Mexico, in April 2027.

A question for you

What's grotesque and gorgeous in your life right now?

Marisa invites listeners to share what's happening on both sides of life's coin—the uncomfortable, messy, difficult pieces alongside the beautiful, expansive, extraordinary ones.

Because maybe the point isn't to choose between grotesque and gorgeous.

Maybe it's learning how to hold both.

Always remember: you're a star. Go shine your light. ✨

GIRL MATH: 7 SOULpreneur Strategies…from 7 Years of Experience

Which of the 7 strategies from my 7 years of experience are GIRL MATH-ing for you? Where do you need some support?

 

SOULpreneur Resources—

 

My free download SOULpreneur Strategic Checklist

Grab my free guide right here.

https://marisalavalette.myflodesk.com/soulpreneur-checklist

 

my free download So You Wanna Start a Podcast?

3 Things You Need…PLUS 3 Things You Don’t

Grab my free guide right here.

https://marisalavalette.myflodesk.com/podcasts

 

Podbean

Host your podcast on Podbean.

https://www.podbean.com/attune

 

Flodesk code

LPYSWI

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk right here.

https://flodesk.com/c/LPYSWI

 

HoneyBook 

Streamline client proposals, contracts, and payments all in one place with HoneyBook right here.

https://share.honeybook.com/marisa564278

 

I earn commissions / referral payouts when you use Podbean, Flodesk, and / or HoneyBook using my links above.

DISCLAIMER:

I share my personal business experience in coaching, content, marketing, personal branding, yoga, meditation, and spiritual teachings on Attune + Align podcast in the hopes of inspiring and sharing the mindsets, tips, and tools that have helped me the most along the way. I cannot guarantee any specific results for your business or for you on your personal SOULpreneur journey. Affiliate links shared to products I use are not necessarily endorsements—I’m sharing what has helped me along the way.

...and it's (partially) my fault.

 

Which of these stinky secrets are you keeping from me? Which of these secrets are you keeping from…yourself?

 

SOULpreneur Resources—

 

my free download So You Wanna Start a Podcast?

3 Things You Need…PLUS 3 Things You Don’t

Grab my free guide right here.

 

https://marisalavalette.myflodesk.com/podcasts

 

Podbean

Host your podcast on Podbean.

https://www.podbean.com/attune

 

Flodesk code

LPYSWI

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk right here.

https://flodesk.com/c/LPYSWI

 

HoneyBook 

Streamline client proposals, contracts, and payments all in one place with HoneyBook right here.

https://share.honeybook.com/marisa564278

 

I earn commissions / referral payouts when you use Podbean, Flodesk, and / or HoneyBook using my links above.

DISCLAIMER:

I share my personal business experience in coaching, content, marketing, personal branding, yoga, meditation, and spiritual teachings on Attune + Align podcast in the hopes of inspiring and sharing the mindsets, tips, and tools that have helped me the most along the way. I cannot guarantee any specific results for your business or for you on your personal SOULpreneur journey. Affiliate links shared to products I use are not necessarily endorsements—I’m sharing what has helped me along the way.

the NUMBER ONE ingredient you need for entrepreneurship

 

the 2 Save Me From Myself moments you come to me with the most

 

a special shoutout to Lisa, Karen, and Martha

 

my Marisa Mantra "DBB"

 

my free download So You Wanna Start a Podcast?

3 Things You Need…PLUS 3 Things You Don’t

Grab my free guide right here.

 

my most brilliant business model of all time Happy Hungry Journey

 

manifest-y girlies will get a lil’ bit upset when I debunk a basic principle of manifestation…because I think you didn’t read about it closely enough

 

Ekagrata x Zone of Excellence x Zone of Genius

 

number 5: it turns out that I don’t want to have a cup of coffee with you

 

my Marisa Mantra: “Send your newsletter every week…________.”

 

Flodesk code

LPYSWI

 

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk right here.

HoneyBook 

Streamline client proposals, contracts, and payments all in one place with HoneyBook right here.

I earn commissions / referral payouts when you use Podbean, Flodesk, and / or HoneyBook using my links above.

Books / References

 

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

 

To learn more about manifestation à la Abraham-Hicks try Ask and It is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks

 

DISCLAIMER:

I share my personal business experience in coaching, content, marketing, personal branding, yoga, meditation, and spiritual teachings on Attune + Align podcast in the hopes of inspiring and sharing the mindsets, tips, and tools that have helped me the most along the way. I cannot guarantee any specific results for your business or for you on your personal SOULpreneur journey. Affiliate links shared to products I use are not necessarily endorsements—I’m sharing what has helped me along the way.

In this episode, I speak with Cecilia Tse, Co-Founder and Chief Financial Operating Officer of hey freya. We discuss Cecilia’s ongoing quest to take women from burned out to blissed out, how hey freya identifies and serves a gap in the market, and the unique opportunity available in supplements made for women by women.

 

Cecilia’s story takes us from Australia to New York, to IVF offices, and to co-founder dates. While working her “successful” corporate job, Cecilia realized she and her team masked the challenges of their daily professional realities by drinking wine together. She became someone she never wanted to be—someone who would work through dinner on client calls when family traveled all the way from Australia to visit her in her studio apartment. On top of it all, she dealt with amenorrhea and never felt “heard” in the doctor’s office. Determined not to continue in this fizzled-out state, she pursued several health and wellness certifications including yoga teacher training. The stars aligned, and she became a well-being strategy leader at her job, eventually moving to California to help build a women’s health brand with a highly-qualified team of stars-aligned women co-founders, now known as hey freya. 

 

Cecilia offers a behind-the-scenes peek at running the business alongside her other co-founders, a tour through the hey freya supplement formulas, and what’s on tap for the next 12 months. As women, we’re marketed so many things of varying quality for so long that we’ve become experts at sniffing out inauthenticity until we get to the real deal—through hey freya’s genuine commitment to showing up authentically by putting their founders front and center, they have built an organic following within their first year. Inspiring women + smartly-formulated products = a business we all could learn from!

 

Thank you for listening! Attune to your heart...align your life. With Marisa LaValette.

 

Topics Covered:

• (2:56) We’re calling in stillness and evolution 🌀
• (10:04) Where there’s still room for improvement in the women’s health experience
• (12:24) Are you experiencing the signs of corporate burnout?—stomach knots, trouble sleeping, avoiding friends, collapsing on the weekends
• (18:06) The 50 Questions to Ask a Potential Co-Founder exercise 
• (25:50) How hey freya embodies the magical rebel inside all women: complex but not complicated 
• (29:30) Why women thrive in community with other women
• (34:44) The power of magnesium bisglycinate for women 
• (45:49) Cecilia’s proven strategy for boosting sales
• (49:14) From Wine Free Mondays, to the patriarchy, to capitalism, and beyond, Marisa puts Cecilia on the spot with pointed questions…and Cecilia hits it out of the park!

 

PLUS:

 

🔥 Feeling burnt out? Most people are. (12:24)

💊 Cecilia’s tips for streamlining your supplement intake (51:58)

 

🦀 ♋️ Listen ‘til the end to find out the astrological sign of a women’s wellness company co-founder.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and keep up to date with new episode drops by subscribing to our newsletter at attuneandalign.com!

 

Resources Mentioned: 

• 50 Questions to Ask a Potential Co-Founder Exercise

 

Guest Info: 

• Follow hey freya on Instagram
• Learn more on hey freya’s website
• Quiz to find your hey freya formula
• Exclusive discount code for listeners: ATTUNEALIGN25

 

Connect with Me: 

• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Follow Marisa on Instagram
• Follow Attune + Align on Instagram

 

Rate, Review & Follow on Apple Podcasts: I’m so grateful for your support! Please consider rating and reviewing Attune + Align on Apple Podcasts. First, open the Apple Podcasts app and search for Attune + Align. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page and rate with 5 stars—please write a brief review as well! I appreciate you. 

 

 💫 Sending love, light, and hugs from,
Marisa

In this episode, I am speaking with my friend Allison Tibbs, the Nourished Life Wellness Coach. We discuss taking action today that our Future Selves will thank us for, blocking off time to do... absolutely nothing, and a potent ego check Allison worked through recently with grace. 

 

Allison shares her favorite mantras and self-care mindset shifts and teaches how to maintain essential boundaries during those tricky times when it feels like our own values are in competition. She reminds us to take breaks from efficiency by proactively scheduling in time for play and imperfection. Allison’s favorite hack for self-spaciousness is to block off time (in PURPLE 💜) on her calendar 🗓 to do… absolutely nothing. She warns us of the dangers of settling for crumbs—those scraps leftover for when we've taken care of everyone else before we take care of ourselves. 

 

Listen until the very end where Allison shares a super recent(!) potent ego check that brought her to her knees…and what she’s learning and wants us to take away as she re-envisions and re-creates her life on her own terms—in alignment with her own values. In our fourth year, we’re humbled and grateful to cultivate a safe and supportive atmosphere at Attune + Align Podcast where our guests show up wholeheartedly to share directly with vulnerability from their biggest life experiences, transitions, and learnings with us and with you.

 

Thanks for listening! Attune to your heart; align your life. With Marisa LaValette.

 

Topics Covered:

• (04:02) Audacious mantra: ✨ Dream big. Start small.   
• (10:25) What would future YOU thank you for? 🔮
• (24:48) When was the last time you allowed yourself to make a mistake or get messy? 
• (30:31) Instead of having all the answers, practice saying “I don’t know.”
• (35:46) Get free: block off time to do nothing in your calendar. ⏳
• (43:39) Ways to be rebellious for all the right reasons
• (55:28) How Allison worked through potent ego checks
• (1:04:54) When everything gets stripped away, you’re forced to sit with yourself 💓
• (1:17:23) Allison’s advice for women

 

PLUS

 

💜 Want more PURPLE in your life? At 37:14, Allison shares her tips for blocking out sacred time on your 🗓 calendar just for YOU.

 

💪 Hear how I urge my clients and my yoga students to rebel against limiting societal and cultural norms at 43:56. 

 

💃 Don’t miss one of Allison’s go-to personal mantras at 1:11:30!

 

💫 Listen to the very end to find out how Allison realized she can do Whatever. She. Wants.

 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and keep up to date with new episode drops by subscribing to our newsletter at marisalavalette.com!

 

Guest Info: 

• Follow Allison on Instagram 
• Check out Allison’s Website

 

Connect with Me: 

• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Have a question? Email Us
• Follow Marisa on Instagram
• Follow Attune + Align on Instagram

 

Rate, Review & Follow on Apple Podcasts: I’m so grateful for your support! Please consider rating and reviewing Attune + Align on Apple Podcasts. First, open the Apple Podcasts app and search for Attune + Align. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page and rate with 5 stars—please write a brief review as well! I appreciate you. 

 

 💫 Sending love, light, and hugs from,
Marisa

In this episode, I am speaking with my friend, Kim Burris, a licensed psychotherapist, author of The First 90 Days After Birth, and founder of The Holistic Counseling Center. Kim offers evidence-based treatment with a heart-centered approach that honors the mind, body, and spirit connection. We discuss Kim’s path toward transpersonal psychology and how Human Design, the Enneagram, the Yoga Sutras, and her perspective on polyvagal theory are woven into her practice for self-awareness and spiritual growth.

 

Thanks for listening! Attune to your heart, align your life. With Marisa LaValette. 

 

Topics Covered:

(2:30) Listen to hear how Kim’s mantra inspired the name of this episode 

 

(5:54) Kim shares about her first interest in transpersonal psychology at age 21

 

(15:05) Kim shares an overview of the difference between traditional psychology and transpersonal psychology 

 

(22:48) Listen as Kim describes the role yoga played in her spiritual awakening

 

(28:00) Kim’s rock polisher moment of seeking the divine in life’s experiences in big cities rather than retreating to a cave

 

(37:46) Hear how Kim uses Human Design, the Enneagram, and astrology with her clients 

 

(47:16) Kim shares her recommended reading booklist 

 

(50:21) Kim talks about her guided journal book, The First 90 Days After Birth

 

(58:44) Kim gives her perspective on New Year’s resolutions and shares directly from the template she uses with her accountability buddy 

PLUS:

Listen at (3:55) to hear the story of how the Universe crossed Kim and Marisa’s paths at yoga…where else?!  🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️

 

Tune in at (10:32) to hear Kim describe why she designed her practice to feel like a retreat center. 

 

Listen at (11:53) when Kim shares why she also considers herself a therapist matchmaker!

 

Don’t miss Kim’s quick overview of polyvagal theory at (32:23)!

 

Listen in at (43:07) when Kim shares tips for attuning to the nervous system and finding ways to regulate it.

 

Tune in at (54:29) where Kim shares her perspective on the creating process and how TikTok helps her inner recovering perfectionist. 📱📱📱

 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and keep up to date with new episode drops by subscribing to our newsletter at attuneandalign.com!

Resources Mentioned: 

• Listen to Episode 16 of Attune + Align with Marisa’s Enneagram coach, Ali Dunn!

 

Guest Info:

• Work with Kim
• Buy Kim's book
• Follow Kim on Instagram 
• Find Kim's recommended reading resources HERE
• Subscribe to Kim’s newsletter

 

Connect with Me:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Have a question? Email Us
• Follow Marisa on Instagram
• Follow Attune + Align on Instagram

 

Rate, Review & Follow on Apple Podcasts:

I’m so grateful for your support! Please consider rating and reviewing Attune + Align on Apple Podcasts. First, open the Apple Podcasts app and search for Attune + Align. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page and rate with 5 stars—please write a brief review as well! I appreciate you. 

 

 💫 Sending love, light, and hugs from,
Marisa

In this episode, I am speaking with my friend, Anna Sheehy, a new mom, avid gardener, food enthusiast, former restaurateur, and the founder of Wild Fennel, a boutique shop in downtown Novato filled with unique finds and heirloom quality pieces. Anna and I discuss her personal and professional journey toward running Wild Fennel, how dreams can (and do!) change, and advice for anyone interested in opening up a brick-and-mortar business. 

 

Anna shares how her pastry and baking background and past restaurant business led her to follow her dreams and become the owner of her own boutique. Then, Anna illustrates how Wild Fennel is a culmination of all the things she’s interested in: plants and flowers, cookware, sustainable products, and small businesses, and gives advice to anyone considering opening up their own space. Plus, Anna shares new projects she’s working on including a flower program, bakery and pastry pop-ups, and her upcoming hopeful manifestation, a trunk show!

 

Thanks for listening! Attune to your heart, align your life. With Marisa LaValette. 

 

Topics Covered:

(3:18) Anna and Marisa discuss living in the same neighborhood 

(7:45) Anna connects the dots between studying pastry and baking, opening up Mas Masa, and now being the owner of her boutique Wild Fennel 

(9:37) Anna explains what a "shrub" is

(11:19) Marisa shares a story featuring Christmas tree ornaments from Wild Fennel

(15:31) Anna shares what she learned from her previous business, Más Masa

(17:37) Anna explains that your dreams CAN change, and that’s okay!

(19:16) Hear what happened when Anna tried to plan every detail about her store Wild Fennel in advance... and what she ended up doing instead

(22:48) Anna explains the “aha” moment that showed her that her dream can change overnight

(24:36) What’s easier to open: a restaurant or a storefront?

(28:45) Anna explains why LOCATION is the most important decision you'll have to make for your brick-and-mortar business

(30:06) Anna details different vendors’ products at Wild Fennel 

(33:02) Anna shares the vision for her flower program 

(38:01) Anna describes the themed baking and pastry pop-ups she’s been hosting 

(43:56) Hear what SURPRISED Anna the most in the first year of owning her own retail boutique

PLUS:

 

Listen at 7:25 to hear Marisa fill up her house with Anna's decor from Wild Fennel.

 

Listen at 27:45 to hear Anna's perspective on trusting your instincts and listening to your gut.

 

For all the plant ladies out there — listen at 36:17 to hear all about Anna's favorite indoor plants and sustainable planter options. 🪴🪴🪴

 

Tune in at 48:11 when Marisa asks Anna how she has such good taste!

 

Stay ‘til the end of the episode at 51:30 to find out what little-known fact about Anna surprises people most.

 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and keep up to date with new episode drops by subscribing to our newsletter at attuneandalign.com!

 

 

Guest Info:

• Wild Fennel’s Website
• Wild Fennel’s Instagram

Connect with Me:

• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Have a question? Email Us
• Follow Marisa on Instagram
• Follow Attune + Align on Instagram

 

Rate, Review & Follow on Apple Podcasts: I’m so grateful for your support! Please consider rating and reviewing Attune + Align on Apple Podcasts. First, open the Apple Podcasts app and search for Attune + Align. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page and rate with 5 stars—please write a brief review as well! I appreciate you. 

 💫 Sending love, light, and hugs from,
Marisa