Laughter is powerful. It can be a sign of deep comfort and intimacy, or a weapon used to reject and humiliate. Some of us grew up in homes where jokes were plentiful but tears weren’t allowed; others may have felt that silliness or goofiness was frowned upon. For some, relationship anxiety attaches itself to questions like What if my partner isn’t funny enough? Or, Is my partner too silly? In today's episode, we’re talking about the importance of keeping a sense of humor when doing inner work, w...
Oct 22, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 13
After a short break, Gathering Gold is back with an episode about burnout and rest. We name just some of the many reasons why humans are tired right now, from navigating an ongoing global pandemic, to managing expectations around productivity and achievement. We land on a conversation about the unrelenting demands of technology that lead us to constant checking, producing, and multitasking, and exiting the present moment. We discuss some of the fears underneath resistance to rest, and Sheryl sha...
Oct 08, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 12
What does it mean to live up to our potential, to fully experience life and to feel our lives are enough? Are we stuck choosing between constant striving for bigger and better or settling for boredom and apathy? In today’s episode, Sheryl shares memories of her grandparents that continue to inspire and inform her view of what it means to live a beautiful, simple, good life. Victoria unpacks some of her fear and shame around what it means to do and be “enough,” and asks Sheryl what has helped her...
Sep 10, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In Part 2 of our episode about school anxiety, we dive more deeply into how school can impact our identity and sense of self, for better and for worse. Sheryl shares some perspective on different types of schooling, having homeschooled her children in the past and now sending them into their second year of school outside the home. We discuss the parts of our school years that we are most grateful for, and how school can help us build resilience. Sheryl shares rituals that parents and kids can do...
Aug 22, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In today’s episode, we’re talking about school anxiety, and how feelings of dread or grief may arise as summer ends and the beginning of the school year lies right around the corner. We discuss why many highly sensitive people don’t like change, and the trick that Victoria used to get through the first few uncomfortable weeks of adjusting to a new school year. We also talk about some of the painful and even traumatic experiences that can color our school years or linger long after they’ve ended,...
Aug 22, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In Episode 8, we’re talking about travel anxiety. Sheryl breaks down some of the reasons that travel can be so activating for highly sensitive people and reminds us of the importance of naming and honoring our temperament and needs, even when they don't conform with the "extrovert ideal." We discuss discerning how much we want to push ourselves out of our comfort zone without getting too overwhelmed, and share some of the spiritual practices that help us stay grounded as we stretch ourselves. An...
Aug 08, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In today's episode, we're talking about the green-eyed monster: jealousy. Where does this monster come from, and what does it feed on? What do we do when we feel it's taken over us? Sheryl and Victoria pull this emotion out of the shadows and talk about their own jealous streaks. Sheryl shares experiences with jealousy in friendship, and painful betrayals in her earliest romantic relationships. Victoria shares a poem about her own imagined "monsters" under the bed, and the ways that jealousy fee...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In today's episode, we're talking about birthdays and all that comes along with them: fear of loss and aging, questions about purpose and timelines, and recognition of gold gathered and wisdom gained through another year of living. We talk about our bodies changing, and what it means to age in a culture that worships youth. And we discuss taking time to reflect and ritualize, to make space for whatever we are feeling so we can welcome in joy as we mark time, grieve, celebrate, and set intentions...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In today's episode, we're talking about summer, the season of "nothing lasts forever." Sheryl and Victoria talk about the gifts and opportunities that lie waiting in this season, which is both teeming with abundance and hinting at the colder, darker months to come. We discuss nostalgia and grief around childhood summers (longing for what was and what wasn't), the adolescent nature of summer in all its blooming, creative and wild glory, and how to attend to expectations and overwhelm that often a...
Jun 25, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 5
In Episode 4, we're talking about another liminal time that serves as a potent opportunity for meeting our inner worlds: morning. We discuss feelings that can arise when we first open our eyes, from dread to joy, and Sheryl shares ways to turn inward without getting stuck or engulfed by big feelings at the start of the day. We talk about "co-sleeping" with our phones and share gentle strategies for working with the habit of checking them first thing in the morning. We also discuss morning ritual...
Jun 11, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 4
