Grace & Grit Podcast - podcast cover

Grace & Grit Podcast

Courtney Townleygraceandgrit.com
The Grace and Grit Podcast takes the health fairy tale you've heard all your life and turns it upside down and inside out, helping women rebuild their relationship with their body once and for all. Placing the focus on love and respect, rather than the aggressive demands and unrealistic expectations that have become the norm, Courtney Townley is determined to help women mend the fabric of what is driving the female health story.

Episodes

Episode 346: Navigating the Ecosystem of Midlife Well-Being

Years ago I watched a documentary called Biggest Little Farm, which tracked the rumbles and rises of a couple who purchased a desolate farm in California and restored it to a thriving ecosystem. The film was such a powerful reminder that nature does not heal by focusing on one thing, but rather by tending to the wellness of MANY things. Midlife wellness is an ecosystem of sorts too, composed of a multitude of ever-changing layers. It is not enough to address one part of this ecosystem to heal. Y...

Nov 03, 202331 minEp. 346

Episode 345: Behind the Scenes: Insights from the Inaugural Grace & Grit Retreat

Truth be told, I was super resistant to hosting a retreat for my clients despite the many requests I had received to organize one over the years. I am SO glad I relented and, in this week’s episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I share some of the biggest revelations that came from bringing 16 clients together for 4 days on a 3000-acre ranch here in Montana. More specifically, in this episode, I share: Why it took me 20 years to finally say YES to hosting a retreat, How I knew it was finally time...

Oct 20, 202340 minEp. 345

Episode 344: Proactive Living: Strategies to Tame Emotional Reactivity

Constantly reacting to your emotional landscape can create a lot of unintended damage in your life. AND… if you have spent a lifetime allowing your emotions to run wild, it can be oh-so-hard to NOT react. In this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, I introduce one of the most powerful exercises I have ever learned to manage my own emotional landscape when I am feeling particularly reactive. I have taught this simple practice to hundreds of clients over the years and it has been equally as power...

Oct 06, 202324 minEp. 344

Episode 343: Midlife Transitions: Navigating the space in between.

In the realm of midlife, we encounter a myriad of transitions. These shifts encompass changes in careers, relationships, living environments, and even our own biology. They present the midlife woman with a unique opportunity to engage in a powerful dance with transformation. In this captivating episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, we unravel the profound potential concealed within the liminal space of midlife. More than just acknowledging its existence, we equip our listeners with invaluable str...

Sep 22, 202337 minEp. 343

Episode 342: Woman Reignited: Restore Your Personal Power In 24 Hours (or less!)

If your confidence is feeling flatter than a pancake on a Sunday morning, DO NOT miss this podcast episode. I work with women every day who are feeling a bit (or very) stagnant in their lives, so I teach them (or sometimes reteach them) 4 key practices to reignite their personal power (aka confidence). Even better, I have created a companion guide that walks you through each practice so you can reignite your own confidence in 24 hours or less. (Check out the podcast so you can find out how to ge...

Sep 08, 202330 minEp. 342

Episode 341: The Interplay Between Nervous System Health & Exercise: A conversation w/ Irene Lyon

The state of your nervous system is a very big deal. Why? Because your nervous system governs literally every system in the human body and massively influences how you show up in the world. More conversations around nervous system health are being had thanks to people like Irene Lyon, my guest in this week’s episode of the Grace & Grit podcast. Irene and I have talked extensively on this show about the workings of the nervous system and even the impact nervous system regulation has on our abilit...

Aug 25, 20231 hr 23 minEp. 341

Episode 340: Summer Remix Series: When “Loving Yourself” Feels Impossible

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! Some health coaches heavily focus on nutrition, others on fitness, and others on mindfulness. While the work that I do as a coach addresses all of these things in depth, the thing I am MOST passionate about teaching clients is self-...

Aug 18, 202326 minEp. 340

Episode 339: Summer Remix Series: The Call to Own Your Worth

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! Most women I work with have spent a lifetime trying to prove or earn their worth, but worthiness is not something you need to hustle for. Worthiness is baked into your humanity. That being said, worth does need to be acknowledged… B...

Aug 11, 202336 minEp. 339

Episode 338: Summer Remix Series: Renovating Your Life to Support Your Health

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! I call the years between 40 and 60 the renovation years. Why? Because of shifting hormones combined with balancing more responsibilities than ever, we are really presented with an opportunity at this age and stage of life to take st...

Aug 04, 202335 minEp. 338

Episode 337: Summer Remix Series: The Stress Habit

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! A lot of women I consult with, who are frustrated with their state of health, often say to me that they don’t feel all that stressed. Which, if you really think about it, isn’t all that surprising considering we have normalized livi...

Jul 28, 202345 minEp. 337

Episode 336: Summer Remix Series: 6 Thoughts Preventing You From Making Progress

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! Health does not grow in negligent, hostile or toxic places, which the mind can certainly become without proper attention and direction. If you aren’t exerting consistent daily effort to keep your mindset in a place that promotes gra...

Jul 21, 202331 minEp. 336

Episode 335: Summer Remix Series: The Dynamic Nature of Health

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! You are a dynamic thing, constantly evolving and forever changing. Which means… Your health is dynamic too. Yet we often refer to health as if it is a binary thing. As if we either have it or we don’t. I would argue that all humans ...

Jul 14, 202346 minEp. 335

Episode 334: Summer Remix Series: Self-care is really just basecamp.

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! YOU are an incredibly unique human expression. YOU are here to cause, contribute and inspire things in the world in a way that only you can. And… It is really freaking hard to be a fully expressed human doing the work she feels call...

Jul 07, 202337 minEp. 334

Episode 333: Summer Remix Series: Menopause: A time to level up not fade out w/ Dr. Stacy Sims

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! LET'S FACE IT THE YEARS SURROUNDING MENOPAUSE CAN BE ROUGH. Stress is elevating, hormones are declining and our body is starting to do things we are struggling to understand. As tempting as it may be, it is NOT time to fade into the...

Jun 30, 20231 hr 8 minEp. 333

Episode 332: Summer Remix Series: The Intro & Outro of Your Day

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! It is downright impossible to create new possibilities for your life if you are living in reaction mode. After all, your reactions are a byproduct of what you have been practicing. So, if you want to generate new outcomes, you have ...

Jun 23, 202327 minEp. 332

Episode 331: Summer Remix Series: How to enjoy your summer AND rock your health.

This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330 . This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! Summer has arrived here in North America and with it comes travel, barbecues, camping trips, and opportunity to disrupt our everyday routines. And saying YES to these things can be so incredibly beneficial to your health. A lot of w...

Jun 16, 202326 minEp. 331

Episode 330: Summer Remix Series: Knowing When to Push and When to Pause

The older I get, the more acutely aware I am of the value of pausing to be able to maintain the pushing and in dedication to that knowing, I am extending myself the grace of pausing the production of new episodes of the Grace & Grit Podcast until the fall. I can’t believe it but we have produced 330 episodes of content over the past several years AND to continue to produce the level of content you deserve, I am taking a short break. The beauty of this, aside from rejuvenating my creative juices,...

Jun 09, 202328 minEp. 330

Episode 329: REAL Midlife Magic: Stories from the inside.

3 years ago I decided to run an experiment in my business. I started a community called Rumble & Rise where the primary focus would be to help women develop self-leadership skills so could fortify their self-trust, improve their well-being and go after the things on their heart. It was an ambitious endeavor and I had NO idea how it would turn out, but I was so frustrated by what was being sold to women as a path to live happier and healthier lives, that I decided my experiment was worth failing ...

May 26, 202353 minEp. 329

Episode 328: Health in the Face of Dis-ease w/ Claire Schulz Bergman

I have long taught that health isn’t necessarily the absence of dis-ease but how we show up in the face of it. Why? Because life is FULL of dis-ease. Sometimes dis-ease comes in the form of relationship challenges, financial hardship, the loss of loved ones etc. And sometimes it looks like a diagnosis you never could have seen coming. My client, dear friend and guest on today’s podcast, Claire Schulz Bergman, shares her experience of being diagnosed with ALS at 52 years young and how she is stil...

May 19, 202342 minEp. 328

Episode 327: Simplify to Amplify: Why less is more along the path to change.

There is a lot of noise “out there” trying to convince you that you need complex measures to improve your health and well-being, but what I have found to be true time and time again throughout my coaching career is that consistency with basic measures can revolutionize a person’s life. So why don’t we embrace simplicity along the path to change? Well, because we struggle with the consistency part and then convince ourselves that simple measures don’t work. Gah! In this episode of the Grace & Gri...

May 12, 202319 minEp. 327

Episode 326: Breathing As a Movement Skill w/ Julie Angel

When most people think about movement training they don’t necessarily think about training their breath patterns, but my guest on this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, Julie Angel, will have you convinced that breath is indeed a movement skill that everyone can benefit from. Julie Angel is a multi-passionate movement, breathwork and parkour coach, artist, award winning filmmaker and author. In this episode we explore: The benefits of restoring functional breathing patterns, Why you want ligh...

May 05, 202349 minEp. 326

Episode 325: Breaking Free From Comfort Culture

Modern day life affords us a LOT of comfort. Too much comfort, I will argue in this week’s Grace & Grit podcast episode. Comfort is costing us a lot in terms of our health and well-being, so in this episode we explore: Pursuing discomfort on purpose, The connection between discomfort and longevity, Grit as a vital nutrient for health & well-being, … and so much more. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-325 **** The Consistency Crash Course is running from May 22nd to May 26th. ...

Apr 28, 202344 minEp. 325

Episode 324: Navigating Hormonal Changes in Midlife w/Laini Gray

“Test don’t guess” is a phrase you will often hear coming from the lips of my podcast guest today, Laini Gray. Laini is a functional diagnostic practitioner and wellness coach who specializes in helping women understand the root causes of dis-ease at midlife. Let’s face it, ladies there is a lot that happens on a chemical level ( hello hormones ) at midlife that demands a different level of self-care if we want to rock our second act. In this interview Laini helps us better understand: What func...

Apr 21, 202340 minEp. 324

Episode 323: Loneliness at Midlife: Strategies for Finding or Reconnecting w/ Community

I recently sent out an email to my subscribers asking them to tell share with me the #1 thing standing in the way of them putting their best years ahead of them. The answers were wide and varied, but there were a lot of common threads. One of those threads, in particular, broke my heart and inspired this podcast episode… feeling alone, isolated, or a lack of connection. There are SO MANY reasons you may be feeling disconnected from other humans at midlife AND it’s really important that we remedy...

Apr 14, 202331 minEp. 323

Episode 322: The Ultimate Power Wound

I spend a LOT of time coaching around the topic of personal power because owning, generating, protecting, and expressing power is so necessary for healing… mentally, physically, and emotionally. And, while many things rob us of our personal power and cause what I refer to as a power wound, in this episode, I do a deep dive into the ultimate power wound and what you can do about it. If you feel powerless in your life or are playing small in any way, do not miss this episode. You can listen here: ...

Mar 31, 202321 minEp. 322

Episode 321: Building “Atomic Habits” w/ Claire Schulz Bergman

If you have spent even an ounce of time researching “how to change habits”, you have likely bumped into the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. Well… Grace & Grit is hosting its very first book club called, Study It w/ Grace & Grit , and Atomic Habits will be the first book we study. Claire Schulz Bergman, an avid athlete, wellness professional and therapist will be facilitating this book club so I have invited her to the Grace & Grit podcast to have a conversation about her personal journey with...

Mar 24, 202323 minEp. 321

Episode 320: The Power of Letting Go

It is really hard to rise to the occasion of your life when you are constantly weighed down by things that no longer serve you (and maybe never did). And… Letting go of the familiar and stepping into uncertainty can feel so damn hard. In this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, I share some of the most common things I see my clients clinging to, to the detriment of their own well-being, including identities, beliefs, jobs, and relationships that they have long outgrown. More importantly, I shar...

Mar 17, 202330 minEp. 320

Episode 319: From Digital Distraction to Digital Wellness: Insights and Strategies for Better Tech Use w/ Dr Kristy Goodwin

I like to think that the real work that I do in the world is to help women get out of “integrity pain”. The very real mental, emotional and even physical pain that results from living life out of alignment with what you truly want for your life. And one of the things creating a tremendous amount of integrity pain for my clients is their relationship with technology. We are living in a world that relies on it and we are failing BIG TIME at regulating ourselves around it in a way that honors our b...

Mar 10, 202346 minEp. 319

Episode 318: The Hiding Habit: Understanding and Conquering the Urge to Avoid Action

There are thousands of ways to hide from the work you know you need to do to move your life to higher ground. In fact, most of us have developed a habit of hiding from the work in at least one dimension of our life, if not several. The hiding habit can look like a lot of things… Convincing yourself you need more information before you get started, Waiting for the “perfect” time, Telling you don’t know what the next step is, Asking anyone and everyone what they think your next step should be … an...

Mar 03, 202340 minEp. 318

Episode 317: The Midlife-Anxiety Connection

Anxiety is not the most likeable of human emotions. Most of us would probably rather go our entire life without experiencing it. And yet… it is a part of the human experience and, like every emotion, it contains important intel for you. In this episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I explore why the midlife female population is especially susceptible to experiencing anxiety and, more importantly, what we can do to navigate it with more grace and ease. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com...

Feb 24, 202332 minEp. 317